The Dresden Files > DF Spoilers

True Love's Protection

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Dina:
Time does not affect it, doesn't it? That is why Harry was protected several years after Maggie was conceived.

Bad Alias:

--- Quote from: Dina on January 30, 2026, 09:28:18 PM ---Time does not affect it, doesn't it? That is why Harry was protected several years after Maggie was conceived.

--- End quote ---
Harry was more affected in Blood Rites than Arturo. As you can see from the quotes below, Arturo is barely affected and Harry is strongly affected. But even though Harry is affected, he's beyond control or feeding.

And regarding Harry's emotional state, you will notice that Thomas uses the present tense when speaking of their love. This supports the idea that how former lovers currently feel about each other matters.

The final part about a "the strongest touch of another life" could be taken to mean Susan being alive is important.


--- Quote ---“Arturo,” she said warmly. She took his hands, and they did more social cheek kissing. I shook my head while they did, and managed to shove my libido out of the driver’s seat of my brain. Captain of my own soul (even if my pants were considering mutiny), I began focusing my thoughts, building up a barrier to shield them. “You are an angel,” Arturo said to her. His voice was steady and kind and not at all that of a man having most of his blood channeled south of his belly button. How the hell could he not have reacted to her presence? “An angel to come here so quickly. To help me.”
--- End quote ---


--- Quote ---“The last time you were with anyone, it was with Susan. You love each other. Her touch, her love is still upon you, and still protecting you.”
“If that’s true, then why I am still adjusting my pants every time Lara walks by?”
Thomas shrugged. “You’re human. She’s lovely and you haven’t gotten any in a while. But trust me, Harry. None of the White Court could wholly control or feed from you now.”
I frowned. “But it was a year ago.”
Thomas shrugged. “If there hasn’t been anyone else, then it’s still the strongest touch of another life on your own.”

--- End quote ---
Emphasis added.

This all fits with what we see in 12 Months. I don't think Harry's protection is gone because Murphy is dead or because of how much he blames himself for her (and maybe Susan's) death(s). I think it is because of everything working together.

Before 12 Months, I wouldn't have thought anything but sex would break the protection, but it doesn't contradict anything I can think of that we have seen in the other books.

Mira:

--- Quote ---There's not much in the series before this point about how true love protection works except time weakens it and sex with another breaks it.

--- End quote ---

Yes, well I have always had a problem with the sex thing.  Because there is no distinction in the act itself it's been debated a lot in the past on this forum that supposedly if one is raped, that breaks true love protection.  Rape is an act of assault, violence, has nothing to do with pleasure, love, or unfaithfulness, so how can it break true love? 


--- Quote ---In any case, if suddenly self-doubt/self-loathing (Harry) or a measure of resentment toward the other partner (Susan), can kill the True Love protection, it means that Jim is watering down the concept of True Love™ right? Suddenly, he has other ideas in mind (Lara) and the concept has stopped being useful so we're eroding its meaning now. Because it went from this super rare, super important experience shared between two people, that was so spirtual and physically important that it left a literal mark on the participants, and now it can be destroyed with pretty much anything. It's a disappointment, to me, and makes me trust Jim a lot less.
--- End quote ---

I totally agree, it went from something precious and beautiful to something kind of cheap.  As Mary Poppins told Jane and Michael in the movie of the same name..  She was talking about promises, but in this case this is what true love has become, "like pie crust, easily made and easily broken..."  That ain't what true love should be!

Dina:
Ah yes,Bad Alias, time of being together, yes that seems to count.

Something I agree with LaraBeck and it has bothered me for a while is that when Jim introduced the idea of True Love is was supposedly be very rare, but Harry had it twice, Thomas have it, Arturo have it, I think Inari had it (I don't remember right now if it was True Love or just love). I bet Michael and Charity and Will and Georgia will be True Lovers too!

Bad Alias:
Dina, yes, true love, not just love. The main characters are people with very rare character traits to begin with, so that can explain it. But it has come up a lot in the series. It does make it feel less rare.

Mira, I remember that being debated here a time or two. I don't think there's anything but theories on either side of that debate.

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