stewart wrote:cthia wrote:This is one to ponder.
I'd love the POV of Queen Henke's interaction with Honor. Or Honor's interaction with Queen Henke. There's an abrupt status change in the dynamics of the relationship. Honor goes from being Henke's Sr. Officer to Henke's subject in one fell swoop. I'd really like to have the dynamics in ink. It could be awkward(?). Would it be?
Certain circumstances could potentially make that rather awkward. I can think of a few right off hand.
------------
I do not think it would be awkward for either other than circumstances that might put Michelle on the throne.
1) Michelle recognizes Honor as her superior in the tactical arena, and has noted it several times
2) Michelle and Honor have been best of friends for approx. 50 years
3) Honor has TREMENDOUS respect for the House of Winton
Result(1) -- Honor becomes Michelle's primary sword-arm with Hamish and Sir Thomas as primary military / strategic advisors.
Result(2) -- Stand By for a series of BOOMs wherever a MA / RF hideout is discovered.
-- Stewart
Agreed. One of the running threads of the novels, one of this series' absolute, fundamental constants, is that at the end of the day, Honor Harrington and Michelle Henke love each other. I mean, those two love each other - and if Honor's return from Cerberus wasn't enough to prove it, then Michelle's return from Haven after Solon most certainly was. Best friends for fifty years and more, as close as siblings in a way - this is a friendship that has survived all conceivable obstacles and not even come out of it slightly dented. I really don't think a change in Henke's political status would change all that much. Remember, Honor is a head of state in her own right, and has been since we even met Michelle Henke, and Michelle didn't even blink. I can't imagine that even a little thing like suddenly ascending the throne of Manticore would put so much as a minor speed bump in that relationship.
(Yeah.... I have a lot of feelings about the eternal friendship between these two ladies.)