History LoveTriangle / Literature

** Perhaps the biggest example is the triangle between Bramblestar, Squirrelflight, and Ashfur. Throughout ''The New Prophecy'' up to ''The Broken Code'', Bramblestar and Squirrelflight love each other, but they fell out for a while and Squirrelflight forms a friendship with Ashfur, who is her [[CreepyUncle half-uncle that thought she hooked up with him]]. Bramblestar and Squirrelflight make up in the end and become mates, but [[spoiler: Ashfur never forgives her, causing him to go insane, betray the Clan, and later his afterlife home, and try to assist Hawkfrost into [[FamilyExtermination trying to get Bramblestar to kill her father, Firestar, and attempted to murder her sister Leafpool's kits, Lionblaze, Jayfeather, and Hollyleaf]]--forcing her to admit that they aren't hers in the first place. Bramblestar, who had no idea, left her because of this, but they eventually got back together. It only made it worse when [[ManipulativeBastard Ashfur manipulated Shadowsight]] into killing Bramblestar so he could [[DemonicPossession possess and impersonate him]], and started abusing [[BadBoss his former Clan]] and [[DomesticAbuse Squirrelflight]] until he is forced out of Bramblestar's body. This causes Ashfur to ''drag Squirrelflight right into the Dark Forest'' to continue abusing her and plotted to destroy the afterlives of both sides, and all of the Clans. [[EvilIsPetty All because Squirrelflight rejected him over and over again and started hating him]]. This triangle finally broke up when Bristlefrost [[HeroicSacrifice sacrificed herself]] to [[TakingYouWithMe drown Ashfur]] into the Dark Forest's dark water, [[DeaderThanDead perishing his ghost for good]]]].

** ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'':
*** Lúthien Tinúviel famously gave up her immortality to have her mortal lover Adan Beren resurrected by the Valar. She was at one point also pursued by Celegorm, who captured her and tried to forcibly marry her but she escaped.
*** Maeglin lusts after his cousin Idril, but not only is KissingCousins not allowed among the elves, she despises him. She marries Tuor, while Maeglin goes full GreenEyedMonster.

** PosthumousCharacter Chloe Halford had multiple pursuers while she attended Kimberly. Theodore [=McFarlane=] recalls having fought a duel with Edgar Groves over their relationships with her, and Esmeralda, the academy headmistress in the present day, was also in love with her. She ultimately chose Edgar, [[spoiler:and Oliver Horn was the result]]

* ''Literature/ImTheEvilLordOfAnIntergalacticEmpire'': HaremGenre elements aside, the series also {{parodie|dTrope}}s the trope with Eila Sera Berman, a [[OneOfTheBoys platonic female friend]] of protagonist Liam Sera Banfield. A YaoiFangirl, she ships Liam with their other male friend Kurt Sera Exner, and imagines Liam's mooching UpperClassTwit hanger-on Prince Wallace as an unwanted suitor hypotenuse. [[spoiler:This gets ''really'' weird in volume 5 when "Kurt" turns out to be a closeted transgender woman, Lillie, who really ''has'' fallen in love with Liam: Eila is so wrapped up in her yaoi fantasy that she becomes hostile to Lillie.]]

** PosthumousCharacter Chloe Halford had multiple pursuers while she attended Kimberly. Theodore [=McFarlane=] recalls having fought a duel with Edgar Groves over their relationships with her, and Esmeralda, the academy headmistress in the present day, was also in love with her. She ultimately chose Edgar, [[spoiler:and Oliver Horn was the result]].

* ''Literature/ImTheEvilLordOfAnIntergalacticEmpire'': HaremGenre elements aside, the series also {{parodie|dTrope}}s the trope with Eila Sera Berman, a [[OneOfTheBoys platonic female friend]] of protagonist Liam Sera Banfield. A YaoiFangirl, she ships Liam with their other male friend Kurt Sera Exner, and imagines Liam's mooching UpperClassTwit hanger-on Prince Wallace as an unwanted suitor hypotenuse.

* ''Literature/ReignOfTheSevenSpellblades'': Oliver and Nanao have had a strong romantic tension since early in volume 1 and admit to the attraction in volume 4 (their romance is a slow-burning one). Their friend and Nanao's roommate Katie also has an unrequited crush on Oliver, and Oliver's AMAB SexShifter roommate Pete also is starting to act like a bit of a {{Tsundere}} towards him. Nanao also has her own unwanted suitors, notably Tullio Rossi, who makes more than a few passes at her without success.

* ''Literature/TheCourtshipOfPrincessLeia'': Han and Leia have been a couple for four years by the time of this novel, but then Isolder Chume, Crown Prince of Hapes, makes a StateVisit to Coruscant and proposes [[AltarDiplomacy a marriage alliance]] which would help the New Republic greatly. Leia also becomes attracted to him, and legitimately feels torn between him and Han. This continues throughout much of the book, until Isolder falls for another woman, Teneniel Djo, and Leia chooses Han, marrying him at the end.

*** A Ron/Hermione/Krum triangle breaks out at the Yule Ball. It's implied that Hermione only dates Bulgarian Quidditch star Viktor Krum to make Ron jealous, and she certainly succeeds at that.

** ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince'' features a Hermione/Ron/Lavender triangle. Again, it's implied that Ron is only dating Lavender to make Hermione jealous, and he certainly succeeds at that. Also, there's a bonus Harry/Ginny/Dean triangle.

*** Ron/Hermione/Krum triangle. It's implied that Hermione is only dating Quidditch Viktor Krum to make Ron jealous, and she certainly succeeds at that.

* ''Literature/TheCourtshipOfPrincessLeia'': Han and Leia start out as lovers, but then Isolder, who's Crown Prince of Hapes, proposes a marriage alliance which would help the New Republic greatly. Leia also becomes attracted to him, and legitimately feels torn between them. This continues throughout much of the book, until Isolder falls for another woman, Teneniel, and Leia chooses Han, marrying him at the end.

** Perhaps the biggest example is the triangle between Bramblestar, Squirrelflight, and Ashfur. Throughout ''The New Prophecy'' up to ''The Broken Code'', Bramblestar and Squirrelflight love each other, but they fell out for a while and Squirrelflight forms a friendship with Ashfur, who is her [[CreepyUncle half-uncle that thought she hooked up with him]]. Bramblestar and Squirrelflight make up in the end and become mates, but [[spoiler: Ashfur never forgives her, causing him to go insane, betray the Clan, and later his afterlife home, and try to assist Hawkfrost into [[FamilyExtermination trying to get Bramblestar to kill her father, Firestar, and attempted to murder her sister Leafpool's kits, Lionblaze, Jayfeather, and Hollyleaf]]--forcing her to admit that they aren't hers in the first place. Bramblestar, who had no idea, left her because of this, but they eventually got back together. It only made it worse when [[ManipulativeBastard Ashfur manipulated Shadowsight]] into killing Bramblestar so he could [[DemonicPossession possess and impersonate him]], and started abusing [[BadBoss his former Clan]] and [[DomesticAbuse Squirrelflight]] until he is forced out of Bramblestar's body. This causes Ashfur to ''drag Squirrelflight right into the Dark Forest'' to continue abusing her and plotted to destroy the afterlives of both sides, and all of the Clans. [[EvilIsPetty All because Squirrelflight rejected him over and over again and started hating him]]. This triangle finally broke up when Bristlefrost [[HeroricSacrifice sacrificed herself]] to [[TakingYouWithMe drown Ashfur]] into the Dark Forest's dark water, [[DeaderThanDead perishing his ghost for good]]]].

** ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheGobletOfFire'' features a Ron/Hermione/Krum triangle. It's implied that Hermione is only dating Krum to make Ron jealous, and she certainly succeeds at that. Also, there's a bonus Harry/Cho/Cedric triangle.
** ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince'' features a Hermione/Ron/Lavender triangle. It's implied that Ron is only dating Lavender to make Hermione jealous, and he certainly succeeds at that. Also, there's a bonus Harry/Ginny/Dean triangle.

* ''Literature/VanishingActs'': Delia is liked by both VictoriousChildHoodFriend Eric and UnluckyChildhoodFriend Fitz. Delia and Eric are engaged, but Fitz and Eric also are attracted to each other. [[spoiler:Fitz eventually gets Delia.]]

** In the fourth series, Dovewing ends up liking both Tigerheart and Bumblestripe, who like her back. At the end of the main series, she has broken up with Tigerheart and chosen Bumblestripe as her mate. However, in ''Bramblestar's Storm'', the Super Edition that takes place after the series, Bramblestar notices that Bumblestripe and Dovewing seem to have had an argument or something, and that Tigerheart and Dovewing spent a lot of time talking at the Gathering...

* ''Literature/SwordArtOnline'': Kirito has been with Asuna as the OfficialCouple since midway through the Aincrad Arc, but the series has a minor RunningGag of the latest female {{Deuteragonist}} always developing a crush on him, including [[KissingCousins his cousin]] (whom he lives with) at one point. The other girls invariably drop the subject the minute they see him with Asuna.

* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'' by George R.R. Martin naturally horribly deconstructs this trope.

* In the ''Literature/DragonlanceChronicles'' Tanis Half-Elven is initially torn between [[PrettyPrincessPowerhouse Laurana]], a heroic, kind-hearted elven princess, and [[DarkActionGirl Kitiara]], a sultry, cruel human warlord but eventually decides it is Laurana he loves.