Line #12 Heartwarming/Temeraire


1	'''SPOILERS''' from the previous book(s) in the series are unmarked.
2
3	!!General
4	* Most interactions between any dragon and their captain/companions, which is usually of absolute, mutual devotion and love. Just imagine a huge, intimidating dragon cuddling up to their favorite person in the world. Aww!
5
6	!!His Majesty's Dragon
7	* During a discussion of how dragons like hoarding and how Laurence is not particularly wealthy, Temeraire says, offhand, how he would rather have Laurence than any heap of gold.
8	-->''He said it quite normally, not in the least as though he meant to deliver a compliment, and immediately went back to looking at clouds; Laurence was left gazing after him in a sensation of mingled amazement and extraordinary pleasure. He could scarcely imagine a similar feeling; the only parallel he could conceive from his old life would be if the ''Reliant'' had spoken to say she liked to have him for her captain: both praise and affection, from the highest source imaginable, and it filled him with fresh determination to prove worth of the encomium.''
9	* The aviators tried to separate Laurence and Temeraire, but Temeraire wasn't having any. Being a dragon, he pitches one hell of an impressive hissy fit, bringing Laurence running back. Then...
10	-->"If you would like to have your ship back," Temeraire said, "I will let someone else ride me. Not him, because he says things that are not true; but I will not make you stay."\
11	Laurence stood motionless for a moment, his hands still on Temeraire's head, with the dragon's warm breath curling around him. "No, my dear," he said at last, softly, knowing it was only the truth. "I would rather have you than any ship in the Navy."
12	* It's a rather small gesture, but when Laurence presents Temeraire with his chain and seeing how ''happy'' Temeraire is when he gets it. And when Laurence goes back to find Temeraire after he rejects Lieutenant Dayes, Laurence finds Temeraire dejectedly curled on the floor stroking his chain...
13	* A bittersweet moment coming after the tragedy of [[spoiler:Levitas']] death. Lenton is concerned that Rankin will almost immediately harness another dragon, a soon-to-hatch Winchester in Chatham. Laurence recommends Hollin for the position instead:
14	-->'''Lenton''': ''(about Hollin)'' Not a gentleman, I suppose?\
15	'''Laurence''': No, sir, unless by gentleman you mean a man of honour rather than breeding.
16	* When Laurence and Temeraire [[spoiler: go to what they think will be their deaths, for duty and to try and save their friends.]] Of course, then Temeraire gets his SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome and all bets are off...
17	** When it looks like the battle is lost and fighting any longer is hopeless, Temeraire shows that he has absorbed Laurence's lessons about duty; even if they will lose, they must do their best for their friends and fellow soldiers.
18	* When the British execute a French captain as a spy, Temeraire, Lily, and Maximus bleakly realize that his dragon's loyalty to his captain was no less than theirs, which means the dragon was honestly helpless to prevent his death. They cannot imagine anything worse, and dread something similar happening to one of them in the future. Then Temeraire straightens and says they will make a pact: if any one of their captains is in danger, all three of them will band together to save him or her; an army might be able to restrain one of them, or even two, but surely not all three. Lily and Maximus perk up immediately, and Berkeley (though half-drunk), chides them not to talk treason, but it's clear he's immensely warmed by their devotion.
19	* When Jane Roland has to leave with Excidium in anticipation of an action from Napoleon, Laurence finds his cadet and Roland's daughter, little ten-year-old Emily, at the edge of the covert, [[TearsOfFear crying out of fear for what might happen to her mother]]. Laurence takes her inside and comforts her with a cup of hot cocoa, relating that when he ran away and joined the Navy at twelve, he cried himself to sleep every night for his entire first week at sea. When she doesn't believe him, he gives her liberty to tell that story to her own cadets when she becomes captain. It's a very sweet scene that kickstarts Laurence and Emily's not-quite father-and-daughter-esque relationship.
20	* At the end of the book, the aviators' victory at the Battle of Dover is celebrated with a music recital, and Laurence finds Temeraire talking in rapt fascination with the musicians and getting them to show him how they play up close. This becomes very touching when you consider that right after being bonded with Temeraire, one of Laurence's greatest regrets about having to leave polite society was never being able to attend the opera-house again. Not only does he still get to enjoy the music he loves, but it turns out that his companion shares his interest.
21
22	!!Throne of Jade
23	* The friendship between Laurence and Granby, considering they started on the wrong foot, is quite touching.
24	** When Marines arrive to arrest Laurence, Granby makes a gesture and ''all'' the members of Temeraire's crew stand between them and Laurence, joining the captain in the black list.
25	* Even Yongxing notices that Laurence and Temeraire will never willingly leave each other, so he resorts to [[EveryManHasHisPrice other]] [[MurderIsTheBestSolution methods]] to achieve his goal.
26	* It says something very complimentary about Laurence that the first time a Chinaman [[MakeItLookLikeAnAccident "accidentally"]] shoves him down the stairs, he finds said Feng Li dangling in the aftermath of the attempt... and immediately reaches out to help restore the man to his feet.
27
28	!!Black Powder War
29	* Laurence and Tharkay's conversation after they have evaded pursuit, where one of the strongest frienships in the series was forged.
30	* When Sara Maden comes to the aviators' quarters to tell them she found where the gold was taken, Laurence initially assumes she's here to elope with Tharkay. His reaction:
31	-->''He did not know what to do. With all the sympathy in the world he could not in honor endorse a clandestine meeting or worse yet an elopement, and then besides he was in her father’s debt; but if they asked him for assistance, he wondered how he could refuse.''
32	* While they're antagonists, the first glimpse we see of Napoleon and Lien interacting shows what a strong friendship they have developed. They [[VitriolicBestBuds gently rib each other]], and Lien (a Celestial dragon who has been raised to consider herself above humans) lets Napoleon ride her.
33
34	!!Empire of Ivory
35	* When Berkley hears there might be a cure for the [[IncurableCoughOfDeath consumption]] slowly killing Maximus:
36	-->[Laurence and Temeraire] had scarcely set down outside the barren clearing where Maximus slept, before Berkley came striding out to them and seizing Laurence by the arms nearly shook him, saying ferociously, “For God’s sake, say it is true, and not some damned fairy-tale,” and he turned aside and covered his face when Laurence gave his assent.
37	* Laurence decides to [[spoiler: [[ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight deliver the cure to the French, saving the lives of thousands of dragons]].]] If anything, he's ashamed that Temeraire had to talk him into it. While the consequences for Laurence were [[DoomedMoralVictor severe]], his stand had great long-term value. The Aerial Corps learned that if they disregarded a vile order, the Admiralty couldn't do a thing to enforce it. And, much more grudgingly, so did the Admiralty.
38
39	!!Victory of Eagles
40	* When Laurence is temporarily released from prison, Maximus takes him aside and says he and Lily have not forgotten their pact with Temeraire, that all three of them will act together to rescue any one of their captains, and all Laurence has to do is say the word.
41	* Laurence and Temeraire's reunion.
42	--> ''Temeraire bent down his head and peered at Laurence very closely, and put out his tongue experimentally to sniff at him, and then at last he cautiously, so cautiously, put out his forehand to curl about Laurence and lift him up, and oh, he was quite solid: he was there, and he was not dead at all, and Temeraire gave a low joyful cry and curled around him tightly and said, "Oh Laurence; I shall never let anyone take you from me again."''
43	* The end, where Tharkay, Emily Roland, Demane, Sipho, and even Iskierka and Granby elect to follow Laurence and Temeraire all the way to Australia. Given how horribly Laurence views himself at this point, he's rather overcome.
44
45	!!Tongues of Serpents
46	* When the little egg hatches, the dragonet is unfortunately disfigured, weak, and cannot fly. [[JerkAss Rankin]] wants to kill him, but first Laurence steps in to provide for the hatchling, despite the wedge it would create between himself and Temeraire. But then,
47	-->He turned, and stopped: the hatchling was feasting...[on] kangaroo, with a loop of belt around its neck for token harness, and [[spoiler:Demane]] looked up and said, "I am naming him Kulingile. It means 'all is well.'"
48	* Demane and Emily's entire relationship. Considering the time period, this is absolutely unheard of, and the fact that the feelings are mutual between them just makes it sweeter.
49
50	!!Crucible of Gold
51	* Laurence apologizing to Ferris. Depending on one's feelings about the former first lieutenant, it crosses into TearJerker territory.
52	* Laurence decides to support [[spoiler: the Tswana in their campaign to free the slaves]], pulling a ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight and TakingAThirdOption simultaneously.
53	* Lethabo's activities pairing escaped slaves up with dragons. She's pretty obviously lying through her teeth about many of the former slaves being descendants of Tswana slaves but at the end of the day the former slaves are protected and the dragons have families again so it's really hard to object to her tactics.
54
55	!!Blood of Tyrants
56	* After Temeraire has inadvertently revealed to the amnesiac Laurence his [[spoiler: treachery against Britain]] in ''Empire of Ivory''. Laurence gets a HeroicBSOD, but soon gets over it, and goes to find Temeraire, who has since begun considering the negative impact he's had on the lives of those around him. When they next meet, Temeraire tries to apologise to Laurence for his role in his treachery and the loss of his fortune, but Laurence reassures him that he doesn't care. Temeraire finally offers to let Laurence leave him, feeling he'd be happier if he'd never harnessed him, but Laurence denies this; stating he wouldn't change anything that's happened to him, even if he could.
57	** After Temeraire revealed [[spoiler: Laurence's treachery]] to amnesiac Laurence, Laurance leaves him to have a HeroicBSOD. He wonders what could have possibly driven him to commit such an act against everything he's ever believed in. While he's gone, Temeraire fears Laurence will leave him permanently and leaves in a fit of guilt, thinking that if he finds the rebels they're supposed to be hunting, perhaps Laurence will forgive him and not want to leave him. He runs into trouble and is gone from the camp long enough to cause worry. Despite still not remembering all their time together, Laurence finds himself worried and terrified Temeraire has left ''him''. In that moment, he realizes why he committed treason to help the dragons:
58	--->''He should not have cared so much as he did; his heart ought not have been bound up so completely, and yet he could not but recognize that it was. There, perhaps, was his answer: loving Temeraire, and seeing in him all dragonkind, he had not been able to take refuge behind some comforting fiction of their being mere beasts. He wondered now that he had ever thought them so. It had outweighed treason, in his heart; he was not sure he had been wrong.''
59	** In fact, his enlightened sense of his role in life (obtained as a result of his amnesia) is one big CMOH as, eventually, Laurence admits to himself that he's glad for the way he has changed in the last 8 years, treason included, when he says goodbye to [[OfficialCouple Granby and Little]], with the latter very unsure of Laurence's stance on their relationship now that his memory has returned. While the Laurence of 8 years ago would have reported cases of fraternization like theirs despite the hell it would unleash for the individuals involved, the Laurence he is now would gladly overlook the rules. He then wishes them all the luck as he says goodbye.
60	* While he'd been having small, insubstantial flashes of memory before, Laurence only truly starts remembering after finding poor [[BadassInDistress Tharkay]] after he's been tortured by enemies of the Chinese royal family. The memories that come to him are of Tharkay bringing him out of his previous HeroicBSOD after being imprisoned for treason and is one of the few times [[LastNameBasis laurence says his name]].
61	---> ''A man lay upon the cot, his face bruised and battered, his hands curled against his chest bloody: and Laurence knew him; knew him and knew himself. He remembered another door opening, in Bristol, three years before, and a voice asking him to come outside his prison, in a Britain under siege.''
62	--->"[[SayMyName Tenzing]]," ''Laurence said, and, as Tharkay opened feverish eyes, went to help him stand.''
63
64	!!League of Dragons
65	* Given the opportunity to [[spoiler: flee from Napoleon's burning palace, Laurence, Granby and Tharkay instead race to save Napoleon's son]].
66	* Laurence, [[spoiler:newly promoted admiral, discusses the war with Jane Roland in her resplendent manor...and then she invites him to stay the night. Since he betrayed her to bring the cure to France, he's never been with anyone else; guilt over how he treated her during the affair seemed to deaden something inside him so that he just didn't have the desire. And then suddenly they're all over each other, and afterwards quite quite content to hold hands while going upstairs to her actual bed.]] Later, Temeraire notices [[spoiler:that Laurence seems oddly happy, despite the difficult work ahead of them, and not being aware of the events in Jane's house, presumes that it's because of his promotion and the restoration of his fortune, and that Laurence was just saying he wasn't bothered by his loss of position to spare Temeraire's feelings; regardless, he's just happy to see his captain so happy again.]]
67	* [[spoiler: With the war won, Laurence and Temeraire return to England in retirement and find many changes in society that, while not overly dramatic, are a stark difference to how the pair were treated in several respects in the past:]]
68	** [[spoiler: Mostly due to the exaggerated, though by no means false, efforts through which the pair claimed victory over the war, Temeraire and Laurence are hailed as heroes, overwriting their reputation as traitors to the Crown. Temeraire even has merchandise of him being sold!]]
69	** [[spoiler: Laurence reconciles with his mother and is finally at peace with himself.]]
70	** [[spoiler: Dragons all over Europe are finally beginning to see social reform thanks to Temeraire's and Perscitia's Dragon Rights Act 1816, with the British and Scottish dragons getting their own land and twenty-three seats in Parliament.]]
71	* Tharkay is finally [[spoiler: restored his inheritance, where his father's family had stolen it on account of his birth. He invites Laurence and Temeraire to live with him as thanks for their friendship, and aid in getting his fortune back]].
72
73	!!Golden Age and Other Stories
74	* The titular short story, ''Golden Age'', takes place in an AlternateContinuity where Laurence did not acquire Temeraire's egg. Instead, the egg winds up on an island inhabited only by feral dragons, and "Celeste" figures out that merchant ships tend to have gold in them and takes up piracy. Laurence, still a respectable sea captain, goes to investigate the robberies. Despite their completely different histories together, Laurence and Temeraire/Celeste still become friends, with Laurence still teaching Temeraire English and reading to him and, like his alternate universe self, finds himself unable to stomach the thought of harming "Celeste" should he be ordered to do so. In the end, [[spoiler: Celeste decides that he will join the British Aerial Corps if Laurence will join him, and if the Corps won't take them because he was not hatched to an aviator, he states that he and Laurence will just have to find somewhere else to live together]]. The two are HeterosexualLifePartners regardless of what universe they're in.
75	* One of the short, 100-word "drabbles" near the end of the book is from Kulingile's point of view. In it, he is anxious about the other heavy-weights' reception of him, referencing how most big dragons get tetchy when an even bigger dragon shows up. Kulingile can't quite reconcile their attitude towards him because he still sees ''himself'' as "small and ungainly and sure to die". When he mentions this to Demane, [[BigBrotherInstinct Demane assures him that he will set anyone straight who dares to be unkind to Kulingile]].

Context Heartwarming / Temeraire