something i desperately need in alecto the ninth is for harrow to be chasing after gideon. like, one of the most heartbreaking aspects of their relationship is that gideon genuinely believes that harrow can never be as devoted to her as she is to harrow. like, she SAYS as much to ianthe at the end of htn (and meanwhile, harrow is standing in a crumbling mansion clinging to the memory of gideon for everything she’s worth, turning herself into gideon’s mausoleum, but gideon has no way of knowing that).
gideon needs to be wanted. she manifests that in her desire to join the cohort, and it is most obvious in the way she emotionally latches onto the idea of her mother, an idea that is violently destroyed when she finds out that her mother never wanted her either. that’s why she’s the saddest girl in the world, as nona says - she might be the prince of the empire, but she isn’t wanted. ianthe is more devoted to harrow. the emperor is grieving his original lyctors. harrow is still obsessed with the idea of the body in the tomb. pyrrha found nona to love instead. hell, even aiglamene kept herself at arm’s length throughout gideon’s life. gideon really, really doesn’t think that she is loved at all.
all of this is to say I need it to not be gideon running after harrow in the last book. I need harrow to be the one showing gideon how much she cares. that gideon’s sacrifice tore her apart, that she’ll willingly burn everything to get gideon back. let harrow be the devoted one.
