Line #139 LoveTriangle/Literature


1	%%
2	%%
3	%% This example list has been alphabetized. Please add new examples in correct alphabetical order.
4	%%
5	%%
6	%% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=16838170620.51742200
7	%% Please don't change or remove without starting a new thread.
8	%%
9	[[quoteright:350:[[Literature/CuratingABillionaire https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/images_auto_x2_42.jpg]]]]
10	%%
11	Examples of {{Love Triangle}}s in {{literature}}.
12	----
13	%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample* ''Literature/TwentySixSixtySix'': Between Norton, Pelletier, and Espinoza. [[spoiler: Norton eventually leaves them for Morini.]]
14	%%* Creator/PoulAnderson:
15	%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample** "Holmgang": Bo, Lundgard, and their passenger Valeria on the flight to Earth. Lundgard is winning when Bo realizes [[spoiler:that he murdered Johnny, and reveals all.]]
16	%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample** ''Literature/ThreeHeartsAndThreeLions'', Holger, Alianora, and Morgan Le Fay. It doesn't last long.
17	%%Administrivia/PartialContextExample** In Anderson's ''Literature/TimePatrol'' story "Brave to be a King", Manse had lost out in one in the BackStory. When Cynthia comes to him to help save her husband, Manse wrestles with the temptation to follow the rules easily -- at Denison's expense -- because of this. [[spoiler:At the end, Denison realizes that his years in the past with Cassadane meant more to him that his brief marriage with Cynthia, even though he had chosen Cassadane because she reminded him of Cynthia.]]
18	* ''[[Literature/AnneOfGreenGables Anne of Avonlea]]'': Anne is pursued by both Charlie Sloane and Gilbert Bylthe. [[spoiler:It is hinted that she was in denial of a her attraction towards Gilbert all along, and later that she loves both Roy and Gilbert in ''Anne of the Island''.]]
19	* In ''Literature/BeautifulLosers'', the narrator is sleeping with F. while married to his wife Edith, but F. is also secretly sleeping with Edith. It's the sort of situation that should lead to a MarryThemAll situation, but never does for some reason.
20	* ''Literature/BedlamsBard'' series by Creator/MercedesLackey: Eric, Beth, and Kory, the main characters of the first two books are in one of these. Definitely sexual in this case; Kory is bi, Beth is attracted to both guys, and Eric spends the first book struggling with the idea that he is bi (although he doesn't struggle very hard). Results in a happy, magical (literally) threesome, at least for a while.
21	* ''Literature/TheBelgariad'' features a somewhat... complicated example between Mandorallen, Nerina (the Baroness of Vo Ebor) and the (considerably older) Baron of Vo Ebor. Mandorallen is hopelessly in love with Nerina, Nerina is in love with him, and the Baron is (accurately) aware not only of the love but also that both are too noble to do anything, given Nerina is married to him and Mandorallen sees him as a mentor and [[ParentalSubstitute father figure]] -- the Baron's [[IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy solution]] is to try to invoke DeathOfTheHypotenuse on himself by picking up dangerous hobbies like dragon-hunting, warfare and duelling people [[BewareTheNiceOnes who badmouth his wife and protege]]. Apparently generations of Mimbrate maidens have wept at the tragic nobility of it all. [[spoiler: The Baron dies early in ''The Malloreon'' of wounds inflicted towards the end of ''The Belgariad'', clearing the way warfor Mandorallen and Nerina to marry once Belgarion gets everyone involved to stop being so wrapped up in the mess. At swordpoint.]]
22	* ''Literature/TheBerenstainBearsBigChapterBooks'': ''The Berenstain Bears and the Giddy Grandma'' reveals that Grizzly Gran was in one back in her youth, with her future husband Gramps and a performing clown named Roscoe. It culminated in a non-lethal DuelToTheDeath (with cream pies as the weapon of choice), and though Gramps lost the duel, he won the war, because Gran decided that night that he was the one she wanted to marry.
23	* In Creator/TomClancy's ''Literature/TheCardinalOfTheKremlin'', a woman (A) is desperately in love with another woman (B), who is in a committed relationship and engaged to a geeky young male major (C) responsible for an American secret weapons program. When circumstances separate B from C, in no small part due to A's treasonous efforts, B is devastated and A tries to show B how much she loves her. The love remains unrequited, which shatters A so badly that she gives up everything she knows under interrogation.
24	* In Richard Ellis Preston Jr.'s ''Literature/ChroniclesOfThePneumaticZeppelin'', both Max and Sabrina are in love with Romulus -- who, in spite of their all being older children when adopted, thinks it BrotherSisterIncest and feels guilty about it.
25	%%* Creator/ArthurCClarke:
26	%%Administrivia/PartialContextExample** One story has a love triangle between some minor characters (due to the relationship-stretching difficulties of space travel) which all the participants are completely aware of. It's also "completely equilateral", if you get Sir Arthur's meaning.
27	%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample** ''Literature/RendezvousWithRama'' has several triangles, including one equilateral, although only the two men of that triangle appear in the story.
28	* ''Literature/ChildrenOfEden'': Both Lark and Lachlan love Rowan, but Rowan doesn't know who she loves. She ends up deciding to just say she loves both of them, as she feels like any other answer will make them both upset.
29	%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample* Creator/AgathaChristie used this as a setup between three central characters in several of her mystery novels, such as ''Literature/DeathOnTheNile'' and ''Literature/FiveLittlePigs'', as well as the short story [[Literature/MurderInTheMews "Triangle at Rhodes".]] [[spoiler:In these cases, the mystery hinges on the fact that the reader has been goaded into [[ReverseRelationshipReveal seeing the triangle the wrong way round.]]]]
30	* ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfDorsa'': Linna has feelings for Megs, who loves Akella and doesn't think of her that way.
31	* In ''Literature/TheComfortableCourtesan'', Josiah Ferraby is initially one of Clorinda's [[UnproblematicProstitution clients]] with his wife Eliza's acquiescence, but Clorinda and Eliza become friends, and then [[RelationshipUpgrade start sleeping together as well]], leading to a long-lasting and equally-balanced three-way relationship.
32	* In Creator/JohnCWright's ''[[Literature/CountToTheEschaton Count to a Trillion]]'', Blackie accuses Menelaus of trying to steal his fiancee, whom Menelaus has never met. Then Menelaus meets her. [[TwoPersonLoveTriangle Followed by his discovery that she met his other personality.]]
33	* ''Literature/TheCrimsonShadow'': Between Luthien, his new lover Siobhan, and his old flame Katerin.
34	* ''Literature/DarkestPowers'':
35	** Chloe has feelings for both Simon and Derek, and both of them have feelings for her. Simon and Derek are brothers. ''Awkward.'' She's confused about her own feelings, and barely realizes that she has more-than-friendly feelings for Derek. In the end, it turns out that she ''does'' like [[spoiler:Simon]], but just as a friend. She's honestly in love with [[spoiler:Derek, even if it takes both of them a bit of time to work things out and get together]]. Some completely understandable angst ensues between [[spoiler:Simon realizing that Chloe likes Derek, and Chloe and Derek finally figuring out that their feelings are ''mutual'']], but everyone involved is actually mature about it, completely free of pettiness, and no one resents anyone because they all act like rational people.
36	** In the beginning, it looked like the triangle would be a rather generic Main Character Girl vs. AlphaBitch for [[NiceGuy The Nice Guy]] between Chloe, Simon, and Tori, though this was resolved fairly early when Tori’s mother warned her to stay away from Simon practically under threat of death. Tori then tells Chloe that Simon is all hers right before hitting her in the head with a brick and hog-tying her as revenge for making her already crappy life even MORE miserable. Though, she gets over her crush after being forced to spend a few days alone with him. And then later on it turns out they’re half-siblings, which explains why Mrs. Enright was so adamant about Tori staying away from him. Cue awkward music!
37	** Also played with in ''The Reckoning'' when Tori makes a comment about Derek actually not looking so bad, though this was more a casual observation and a chance to tease Chloe than anything serious. Doesn’t stop Chloe from getting mad, though.
38	* ''Literature/TheDayOfTheLocust'' features two significant examples, both with aspiring but untalented actress Faye Greener at the centre.
39	** Much of the plot is driven by protagonist Tod Hackett and {{Deuteragonist}} Homer Simpson's contrasting forms of unrequited love for Faye. After she rejects him, Tod's love for Faye becomes an obsession with possessing and destroying her, and most of his actions toward her are motivated by his own selfish desires for her than out of any concern for her. Homer is the opposite; Faye is equally uninterested in a romantic relationship with him, but he happily soaks up her abuse and caters to her every whim in a doomed bid to make her happy. Tod and Homer's own friendship starts to break down thanks to their divergent attitudes toward Faye.
40	** Faye is overtly romantically interested in dim-witted cowboy Earle Shoop, but flirts with, and eventually sleeps with, his friend Miguel to make him jealous. In Chapter 14, Earle attacks Miguel with a club when he dances with Faye at their campsite, and in Chapter 24, Homer tells Tod that after Earle found Miguel and Faye in bed together, the two men got into a fistfight, and the next morning, all three of them had moved out of his house.
41	* Taylor Anderson plays with love triangles as sub-plots in his ''Literature/{{Destroyermen}}'' series.
42	** The first one introduced involving Chack, Selass, and Saak-Fas (eventually a fourth party, Safir, gets thrown into the mix). Chack initially loves Selass, but Selass puts him down and chooses Saak-Fas, another suitor. After Saak-Fas is lost in battle, Selass refocuses her love on Chack. Oddly enough, this same battle is what makes Chack forget about Selass and when [[spoiler: Saak-Fas is found alive as a prisoner of war/rations for the Grik]], Selass is unable to mate with Chack for a while. Once Chack meets Safir, Selass becomes the unlucky suitor instead of Chack.
43	** Is somewhat downplayed and possibly subverted with one of the human Destroyermen, Dennis Silva. Silva attracts the attention of the human nurse Pam, and Lemurian warrior Risa. His solution to this is that he has relationships with BOTH of them simultaneously, as he loves them equally, and both females seem to consent with this.
44	* In the Brazilian book ''Literature/TheDevilToPayInTheBacklands'', Otacília loves Riobaldo, who likes her and could even love her back if he wasn't already in love with Diadorim, who seems to love him too, but he has his own reasons - besides being both male - to stay quiet.
45	* ''Literature/DiaryOfAWimpyKid: The Third Wheel'': Greg likes Abigail, but Abigail likes Rowley. Greg loses.
46	* 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.
47	%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample* In Creator/SarahAHoyt's ''Literature/DrawOneInTheDark'', Kyrie/Tom/Rafiel.
48	%%* ''Literature/{{Durarara}}'':
49	%%Administrivia/PartialContextExample** Masaomi claims that there is a "love triangle" between Mikado, Anri, and himself. It's... more or less true, though it's mostly played for laughs than really anything serious. [[spoiler: Besides, there's Saki to consider...]]
50	%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample** On a side note, there's also Namie -> Seiji <- [[spoiler:Mika]] and [[spoiler:Haruna]] -> Nasujima-sensei -> Anri.
51	%%Administrivia/PartialContextExample* ''Literature/TheEnglishPatient'': the title character's affair with Katharine Clifton.
52	* ''Literature/EnochArden'': Enoch and Philip both love Annie; all three are also [[TwoGuysAndAGirl childhood friends]]. Annie first marries Enoch and then, after he is lost at sea and [[LegallyDead presumed dead]], she marries Philip.
53	* ''Literature/EthanFrome'': Zeena is in a relationship with Ethan, but Ethan also wants Mattie. [[ForegoneConclusion It ends tragically.]]
54	* In the final book of ''Literature/TheFaerieQueene'', Calidore falls in love with Pastorella, but she's already being courted by Coridon. Coridon is intensely jealous as Pastorella falls for Calidore more and more, but Calidore bears no ill will in return.
55	* Seen in Paul Kidd's TalkingAnimal novel ''Literature/TheFangsOfKaath'' when one of the three main protagonists, Raschid, marries BOTH of the others, Sandhri and Yariim, who have also been feeling a growing attraction towards each other.
56	* ''Literature/FearOfFlying'': Isadora and her husband Bennett go to a conference in Germany, where Isadora starts having an affair with Adrian. It's strongly hinted that Adrian is interested in Bennett as well--the narrative comments on it several times--and at one point, it's implied that the two men slept together.
57	* ''Literature/FightClub'' features the quote "Tyler wanted marla, marla wanted me and I wanted Tyler". Although things get skewed in the third act as certain things unravel.
58	* ''Literature/FullMetalPanic'':
59	** A rather twisted variation shows up, with Gauron attracted to Sousuke, who has a mutual BodyguardCrush with Kaname. Gauron is a creepy bastard who is [[InLoveWithYourCarnage in love with Sousuke's carnage]] and is quite the yandere to boot. Sousuke, for his part, wants nothing to do with this guy, and would much prefer he die or leave him the hell alone.
60	** A less disturbing one by the end of The Second Raid: Sousuke appears to have finally embraced his [[BodyguardCrush feelings for Kaname]], while patching things up with, but not necessarily entering into a relationship with, Tessa.
61	** Later still in the series we have Tessa's evil older brother Leonard, who keeps trying to win over Kaname despite her making it clear at every given opportunity that she utterly despises him and is in love with Sousuke.
62	* ''Literature/TheGiddyDeathOfTheGaysAndTheStrangeDemiseOfStraights'': Dom and Richard fall into a deep, nonsexual love, [[spoiler:and form a trio with Dom's girlfriend Caroline.]]
63	* ''Literature/TheGoldenOecumene'': Phaethon is in love with his wife Daphne Prime, who drowned herself in a simulated dream, and emancipated a partial personality, Daphne Tercuis, whom she thought would be better suited to Phaethon, and who is madly in love with him. Owing to LaserGuidedAmnesia, neither Phaethon nor Daphne Tercuis know this at the opening, and because Daphne Tercius derives from Daphne Prime, she had most of her memories, and Phaethon confuses the two of them. [[spoiler:Eventually he realizes that most of his fondest memories of Daphne are of Daphne Tercius and asks her to marry him in her own right.]]
64	* Austin, from ''Literature/GrasshopperJungle'' is in love with both his girlfriend Shann and his (male) best friend Robby, and both of them like him back.
65	* Cry it out loud for ''Literature/TheGreatGatsby'', Daisy is married to Tom Buchanan, Jay Gatsby is Daisy's ex-boyfriend who's willing to do anything to get Daisy to love him again. And Daisy actually falls in love with him ''again'', even though she still loves Tom. [[spoiler:It doesn't end well.]]
66	* ''Franchise/HarryPotter'':
67	** ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheGobletOfFire'':
68	*** A Ron/Hermione/Krum triangle breaks out at the Yule Ball.
69	*** Harry has a crush on minor character Cho Chang, who is not averse to it but gets asked out by Cedric Diggory first. [[spoiler:Cedric is murdered by Peter Pettigrew on Voldemort's orders during the climax, while Harry and Cho have a falling-out over her friend informing on [[LaResistance Dumbledore's Army]] to Umbridge in ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix Order of the Phoenix]]''.]]
70	** ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince'' features a Hermione/Ron/Lavender triangle. Also, there's a bonus Harry/Ginny/Dean triangle.
71	** ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows'' reveals the existence of a [[spoiler: Snape/Lily/James]] triangle when Harry rewinds the lifetime memories of the deceased teacher via the Pensieve. [[spoiler:Snape and Lily Potter ''nee'' Evans were childhood sweethearts, but fell out when Snape became involved with the far-right gangs at Hogwarts that birthed the Death Eaters; she married his ArchEnemy James Potter. Snape never really got over her.]]
72	* ''Literature/HaruhiSuzumiya'': In [[ShowWithinAShow Haruhi's student film]], "The Adventures of Mikuru Asahina", there is some sort of love triangle between Mikuru, Yuki Nagato, and Itsuki Koizumi, to the point where the two girls transfer into Itsuki's school. However, this was just a case of Haruhi losing sight of the characters' actual conception: Mikuru is a MagicalGirl from the future, Yuki is a HumanAlien DarkMagicalGirl, and Itsuki is the LivingMacGuffin whom the former two battle over.
73	-->'''Kyon:''' Yuki and Mikuru's story of battling has now turned into a heated romantic comedy, or rather nothing more than a love triangle.
74	* In ''Literature/HarukaNogizakasSecret'', Shiina is in love with Yuuto, who is with Haruka. At least she gets to spend one episode largely with him in episode 7 of Season 2.
75	* In ''Arrow's Fall'' of the ''Literature/HeraldsOfValdemar'' series, this is what Dirk thinks is occurring in the LoveTriangle between himself, Kris, and Talia. Of course, he and Talia are really [[MindlinkMates lifebonded]] but are in denial about it, while Kris and Talia did in fact have an affair that is now over. Add in a healthy dose of PoorCommunicationKills and DrowningMySorrows, and it takes Kris' actual death, Talia's near-death, and something akin to divine intervention to sort things out.
76	* ''Literature/TheHeroesOfOlympus'', has Piper, who likes [[AmnesiacHero amnesiac Jason]], who also likes her but is conflicted because he has just met Piper and he vaguely remembers another girl from home, named [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure Reyna]], who is implied to have feelings for him but needs someone to replace him with in the role of praetor, and promptly asks Percy, also informing him that the position would require [[RulingCouple a certain closeness]], while Annabeth, Percy's girlfriend, searches for him all over the country. In the meantime, Frank gets involved with Hazel, who had a boyfriend [[ItMakesSenseInContext back in the 1940's]] who appears to be related by blood to present-day Leo, since they look exactly the same.
77	* ''Literature/AHomeAtTheEndOfTheWorld'' (also a film): Jonathan loves Bobby and Bobby clearly reciprocates to some degree, but is also in a sexual relationship with Clare, who loves Jonathan platonically, as he does her. For a time they all live together [[spoiler:and raise Clare's baby, who is presumably Bobby's.]]
78	* ''Literature/HonorHarrington'': Honor [[TeacherStudentRomance falls in love with her longtime mentor]] Admiral Hamish Alexander, Earl White Haven. They initially try to avoid it because he's married, but Emily, who was paralyzed in an accident decades earlier, quickly gives her approval when she learns of the attraction. Fortunately, polygamy is legal on Manticore (and even if it wasn't, Honor has dual citizenship on Grayson where polygyny is widespread).
79	* ''Literature/TheHost2008'' features one [[RecycledInSpace In two bodies! ]] Melanie and Jared were together before Wanda took over her body and then Wanda and Ian fall in love. It's ultimately resolved when Melanie gets her body back and is free to be with Jared, while Wanda gets a new body and is free to be with Ian.
80	* ''Literature/TheHungerGames'': There is romantic tension between Katniss and Gale and Peeta, though the books don't focus on it very much.
81	* ''Literature/TheIliad'' may be the UrExample. The Trojan War was a consequence of the LoveTriangle between Helen, Paris, and Menelaus: Helen was married to Menelaus but Aphrodite makes her fall in love with Paris as payment for him giving her Eris's golden apple. Then there's the whole problem caused by the triangle between Achilles, Briseis, and Agamemnon.
82	* Will-->Tessa<--Jem in ''Literature/TheInfernalDevices''. Jessamine lampshades it in ''The Clockwork Prince''.
83	--> Jessamine, mocking Tessa: Oh, I must choose between Will and Jem! Whatever shall I do?
84	* ''Literature/TheKaneChronicles'' feature Sadie, having to pick between Walt and Anubis. Anubis is a Egyptian boy-god that [[spoiler: the other gods forbid Sadie to go near]] and Walt [[spoiler: is dying because of a curse]]. The triangle is solved by [[spoiler: Walt hosting Anubis, thereby keeping Walt alive and letting Sadie near Anubis, as he's not in his godly form. Yes,]] the triangle is solved by the two love interests [[spoiler: sharing the same body.]]
85	* In Creator/StephanieBurgis's ''Literature/KatIncorrigible: A Tangle of Magicks'', Kat realizes with a shock -- as Lady Fortherington complains to Papa about how he had refused to listen to her warnings about Kat's mother-- that she was jealous, having lost out in a triangle.
86	* ''Literature/KazeNoStigma'': Ren with his two best friends (a guy and a girl), and Kazuma with Ayano and Katherine.
87	* The Thai NarrativePoem ''Literature/KhunChangKhunPhaen'', has Khun Chang in love with Wanthong, who is already a fiancée of Khun Phaen, and Khun Phaen is TheCasanova who practically loves ''every'' beautiful girl he comes across, including Wanthong. Due to the multiple events of kidnapping and husband switching, Wanthong develops feelings for both. Tragically, Wanthong ends up getting beheaded for not be able to decide who she really wants to live with.
88	* In the earlier part of ''[[Literature/KushielsLegacy Kushiel's Dart]]'', Phèdre and Alcuin are both completely in love with their SexyMentor Delaunay. Delaunay is ObliviousToLove and has ''no idea'' until he's told--he thinks they see him as a ParentalSubstitute. [[spoiler:Delaunay consummates with Alcuin, but they're both killed by TheConspiracy not long after.]]
89	* ''Literature/{{Legendborn}}'': Bree and Nick have clear and mutual romantic interest in each other, [[spoiler:but as they grow to know and understand each other, Bree finds herself attracted to Sel, and he calls her "cariad" meaning "love".]]
90	* Several of these appear in ''Literature/LifeAndDeathTwilightReimagined''. All of them are set around Beau, who has the attention of several girls, to the frustration of the boys who are interested in these girls. Beau tries to solve these by setting up the girls with the boys who like them, like convincing [=McKayla=] that Jeremy likes her, or publicly blaming Taylor of OperationJealousy. Eventually he becomes a couple with Edythe, turning it into an UnwantedHarem.
91	* Creator/JackCampbell's ''Literature/TheLostFleet'' at least for the first four books. While its clear that Desjani is head over heels for John Geary, Geary is already in a relationship with Rione, which gets complicated when they find out Rione's husband may not be dead. And they're all on the same ship.
92	* One of Creator/HeinrichHeine's most-quoted poems, No. XXXIX of the ''Literature/LyrischesIntermezzo'', describes a situation like this: A young man loves a young woman, she loves a different man who loves and marries someone else entirely. The young woman then marries somebody who happens to cross her path, leaving the first young man distraught:
93	-->''Das ist eine alte Geschichte,\
94	Doch bleibt sie immer neu;\
95	Und wem sie just passieret,\
96	Dem bricht das Herz entzwei.''[[labelnote:Trans.]]That is an old story, but it always stays new; and it breaks the heart of anyone to whom it happens right now.[[/labelnote]]
97	* Théophile Gautier's 1835 novel ''Literature/MademoiselleDeMaupin'' is about a poet named D'Albert and his mistress Princess Rosette who are both SweetOnPollyOliver for a charming cavalier who goes by Théodore. In the end, Théodore has a one-night stand with each of them separately, [[spoiler: but that's the last either sees of her]].
98	* ''Literature/{{Magician}}'' by Raymond E. Feist has the Pug/Carline/Roland triangle. Pug never tries to commit and Carline angsts over him for a large chunk of reasons for various reasons.
99	* In ''Literature/TheMazeRunner'', while Thomas’s original love interest is Teresa, he ends up growing closer to Brenda in ''The Scorch Trials'' [[spoiler:after being separated from Teresa for an extended period of time, and finding out that she had betrayed him. He eventually ends up with Brenda, partially due to him never forgiving Teresa for what she had done and partially because of the girl’s [[DroppedABridgeOnHim sudden death]] at the end of ''The Death Cure'']].
100	* In ''Literature/MemoirsOfAGeisha'' Nobu is in love with Chiyo/Sayuri, who has been in love with the Chairman for ''decades'' [[spoiler:and the Chairman loved her all along, and was the reason she was able to become a geisha in the first place.]]
101	* ''Literature/MidnightsChildren'': During Saleem's childhood he develops a crush on [[MeaningfulName Evelyn Lilith Burns]] (an American girl who moves into his gated community), but ''she'' develops a crush on his friend Sonny, who in turn is enamored with Saleem's sister the Brass Monkey. The Brass Monkey doesn't love anyone, and reacts violently to shows of affection.
102	-->To save time, I shall place all of us in the same row at the Metro cinema; Robert Taylor is mirrored in our eyes as we sit in flickering trances -- and also in symbolic sequence: Saleem Sinai is sitting-next-to-and-in-love-with Evie Burns who is sitting-next-to-and-in-love-with Sonny Ibrahim who is sitting-next-to-and-in-love-with the Brass Monkey [[TheRuntAtTheEnd who is sitting next to the aisle and feeling starving hungry]].
103	* ''Literature/LesMiserables'':
104	** Eponine loves Marius, who loves Cosette, who (eventually) loves him back after a bit of trepidation.
105	** {{Implied}} with Joly and Bossuet, who "shared everything, even, to some extent, Musichetta [Joly's unseen mistress]." This is often interpreted as them being in a polyamorous relationship, although it could be that Musichetta is only involved with them separately.
106	%%Administrivia/PartialContextExample* In Teresa Frohock's ''Literature/MiserereAnAutumnTale'', Catarina regards her brother's love for Raechel as making them this.
107	* ''Literature/MonsterOfTheMonthClub'': Rilla has a not-so-secret crush on her friend Joshua Banks. So does their classmate Tina Welter, which is one of the reasons she and Rilla don't get along. Josh, for his part, is largely content to just be friends with them both.
108	* In the ''Literature/MrAndMrsDarcyMysteries'' Georgiana finds herself subjected to one when two men start vying for her attention.
109	* ''Literature/MySisterTheSerialKiller'': Korede, the narrator, loves Tade, the doctor she works with, but he does not return her feelings. Instead, he is infatuated with her sister Ayoola ([[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin the serial killer]]), who likes him too.
110	* ''Literature/TheMysteriesOfPittsburgh'' has main character Art Bechenstein falling for both Phlox and [[spoiler: his friend Arthur in a bisexual variant]].
111	* Shows up in [[AllThereInTheManual the hints of]] the last book in the ''Literature/NightWorld'' series. Soul mates exist, and are ''usually'' A<-->B-type relationships. Then a main character sees the silver thread associated with soulmate bonds going from her to ''two'' guys...
112	* ''Literature/NinaTanleven'': In ''The Ghost in the Third Row'', Lily Larkin was in one with two members of her acting troupe - Edward Parker and Andrew Heron. When she chose Edward, Andrew was furious and [[IfICantHaveYou killed her]].
113	* ''Literature/{{Pearl}}'': Pearl develops a romantic relationship with both Reuben and David without knowing that the two men have a had a decades-long, extremely painful history with one another before Pearl's arrival. David has only recently forgiven Reuben, while Reuben, out of guilt, is now highly protective of David. Pearl realizes that telling either that they are now romantic rivals might push both over the edge.
114	* ''Literature/PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians'', where hero-turned-villain Luke is implied to have had feelings for the seemingly deceased Thalia, and is fancied by [[ActionGirl Annabeth]], who also slowly developed a conflicting crush on [[TheHero main protagonist Percy]], who returns the crush but also has mixed feelings for Rachel, who is attracted to Percy but in the end figures out that [[spoiler:she is attracted to him jut because he is her key to the mythological world, while Annabeth figures out that she loves Luke [[LikeBrotherAndSister as a brother]], conveniently after the latter performs a HeroicSacrifice.]]
115	* ''Literature/ThePhantomOfTheOpera'': Raoul and Christine are recently reunited childhood friends who fall for each other. Erik, a.k.a. the Phantom, is Christine's music teacher and is also [[TeacherStudentRomance in love with her]].
116	* In ''Literature/PleaseDontTellMyParentsImASupervillain'', Penny likes Ray and Ray likes Claire. [[spoiler:Or at least so she believes. In the end, it turns out Ray likes her back and she was just totally oblivious]].
117	* Jun'ichiro Tanizaki's novel ''Literature/Quicksand1931'', which has at least three film adaptations and furthermore inspired the film ''Film/TheBerlinAffair'' by Liliana Cavani. DepravedBisexual misfit beauty Mitsuko hooks up with bored housewife Sonoko Kakiuchi. Sonoko's hubby wants a part of the action, and the couple grow morbidly jealous of each other. Mitsuko drugs the two so that they can only have sex with her but not with each other. The affair ends with a SuicidePact wherein only Sonoko, betrayed by the other two, lives to tell the tale.
118	%%Administrivia/PartialContextExample* Kim Stanley Robinson's ''Literature/RedMarsTrilogy'': Marina, Ursula, and Vlad seem to fall into this category, though we never see them closely enough to be entirely certain.
119	* ''Literature/ReignOfTheSevenSpellblades'':
120	** 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.
121	** 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]].
122	* ''Literature/TheRippleSystem'': Frank thinks he's in one with Darling (the love of his life) and Ned (his greatest enemy). In reality, Darling just thinks he's funny, and Ned finds it hilarious to antagonize him. Darling suggests playing it up a little bit. [[spoiler:It's implied that Darling might have real feelings for Ned, but Ned doesn't notice]].
123	* ''Literature/TheSchoolForGoodAndEvil'' features a triangle between Sophie, Agatha, and Tedros (son of King Arthur). Sophie loves Tedros, and Tedros loves Sophie, but in all of their lessons on picking Good from Evil, keeps picking Agatha. Tedros eventually comes to feel love for Agatha, who starts to feel something for him, but is loyal to her friend Sophie and keeps trying to mend their relationship. Sophie ends up a full-fledged witch, and then goes to various lengths to win/kill Tedros AND Agatha. Sophie eventually [[RedemptionEqualsDeath takes a death blow meant for Agatha]], and then makes a DyingDeclarationOfLove to her ( [[UnexplainedRecovery She got better]] )
124	%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample* ''Literature/TheSecretGarden'': Mary, Colin, and Dickon. Make of that what you will.
125	* ''Literature/{{Seraphina}}'': Lucian and Glisselda have an ArrangedMarriage necessary to ensure the stability of their country, but are LikeBrotherAndSister. Lucian and Seraphina fall in love and eventually begin an affair. Glisselda also has feelings for Seraphina, which she realizes are unrequited, but [[IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy decides to support Lucian and Seraphina]]. While the details are left ambigious, they seem to end in a stable polyamorous relationship, and the companion novel implies that Glisselda will raise Seraphina and Lucian's child as her own child by Lucian.
126	* "The Rangers Three" in ''[[Literature/ForgottenRealms The Shadow of the Avatar]]'' trilogy go somewhere here. Sharantyr just does not want to abandon either and focus her attention on only one; Belkram and Itharr know this, but stay as the VitriolicBestBuds they were.
127	* Creator/WilliamShakespeare's Sonnets. The first 126 sonnets are full of HoYay and written to the Fair Youth. The following 28 are written to the Dark Lady. Sonnet 144 brings the triangle full circle by implying that the Fair Youth and Dark Lady are also lovers. Of course, there is jealousy and angst, at least on the [[AuthorAvatar narrator's]] side of things, and it's not clear whether he is still involved with either at that point.
128	* In ''Literature/ShakuganNoShana'', Shana and Yuji Sakai are the main couple. Kazumi Yoshida crushes on Yuji.
129	* Creator/LoisMcMasterBujold's ''Literature/TheSharingKnife'': Utau and Razi appear to be a gay couple when the unworldly protagonist first encounters them; then she finds out that as well as having a sexual relationship themselves, they're married to the same woman. In their culture, birth rates are low and marriages are often dissolved if no child is conceived, to give at least one partner a chance to have children with someone else. When Utau and Sarri didn't conceive, instead of splitting up they brought a third party into the marriage (and had a little girl). It's clear in later books that polyamory of this kind is unusual and not everyone approves.
130	* In ''Literature/ShanghaiGirls'', sisters Pearl and May both want Z.G Li. In Pearl's eyes, she is Z.G.'s true love, but that is not the case. [[spoiler: Z.G. and May have a relationship and May ends up getting pregnant.]] In the sequel ''Dreams of Joy'', there is a partially platonic one going on, with both Pearl and her daughter Joy [[spoiler: actually May's child with Z.G.]] both wanting love and affection from him.
131	* ''Literature/SisterhoodSeries'' by Creator/FernMichaels: By the book ''Deja Vu'', one has clearly developed between Maggie Spritzer, Ted Robinson, and Abner Tookus. Maggie loves them both, but in different ways. She was engaged to be married to Ted. However, she calls off the engagement to Ted and says that the two should just be friends. She tells Abner how she feels about him, but he does not forgive her mistreatment of him, and their relationship comes to an end. The book ''Home Free'' has her hooking up with Augustus "Gus" Sullivan, and apparently Abner finally forgives Maggie. Whew!
132	* In ''Literature/TheSkyIsEverywhere'', Lennie is in love with Joe, but also has "physical relations" with her dead sister's boyfriend ([[spoiler:and fiancé]]) Toby. [[spoiler:She picks Joe.]]
133	* Creator/LisaJaneSmith has yet to write a YA series that does not involve a a love triangle involving a girl caught between a KnightInShiningArmor and a BadBoy:
134	** In ''Literature/TheVampireDiaries'' there is the Elena/Stefan/Damon triangle.
135	** ''Literature/TheForbiddenGame'' has Jenny/Julian/Tom.
136	** ''Literature/DarkVisions'' has Kait/Gabriel/Rob.
137	** ''The Secret Circle'' has Cassie/Adam/Nick. The love triangle between Cassie, Adam and Diana counts too
138	* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire''
139	** Before the series's start (this is recounted in flashbacks), Catelyn Tully was in love with Brandon Stark, while her father's foster son [[{{Yandere}} Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish]] loved Catelyn (additionally, Catelyn's younger sister Lysa was in love with Petyr but he never reciprocated her feelings). So when Brandon came to claim Catelyn's hand, Petyr dared the much older, vastly stronger and vastly more skilled Brandon to a sword fight over Catelyn. Petyr was nearly slain and developed a seriously unhealthy obsession with Catelyn (who, by the way, [[SettleForSibling had to marry Brandon's brother Ned]] after Brandon died). In ''Literature/AGameOfThrones'', Petyr manipulates events to contrive ways for him and Catelyn together, [[spoiler:tricking Lysa into murdering her husband Jon Arryn and then Ned into a failed palace coup that gets him executed]]. When he fails, he goes after Catelyn's young teenage daughter Sansa.
140	** And there's another major love triangle before the series' start: Robert Baratheon/Lyanna Stark/Rhaegar Targaryen. Robert was in love with Lyanna (though it can be alternately interpreted as an aspect of his bromance with her brother Ned) and betrothed to her. She was abducted by Rhaegar Targaryen, who had named Lyanna his "Queen of Love and Beauty" at an earlier tourney despite his marriage to Elia Martell. It's implied that Lyanna's abduction was the final straw for Robert, who started a war against the ruling Targaryen dynasty and personally killed Rhaegar during one of the battles.
141	** A third: [[spoiler:Robert Baratheon/Cersei Lannister/Jaime Lannister. Cersei and Jaime [[{{Twincest}} had been having sex since they were twelve]], but it stopped when Cersei was betrothed to Robert Baratheon. Despite her original infatuation with Rhaegar Targaryen, Cersei was the happiest woman in the Seven Kingdoms marrying Robert, but Robert was still too heartbroken over the death of his original betrothed (Lyanna Stark), causing Cersei to seek solace in rekindling the relationship with her brother. As a result, all three of Robert and Cersei's children are actually fathered by Jaime.]]
142	* ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'':
143	** ''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.
144	** ''Literature/IJedi'': Corran Horn is married to Mirax Terrik, who went missing on a mission at the start of the book, and under his "Jenos Idanian" cover identity he crafts a story of a [[ParentalMarriageVeto forbidden love affair]] between him and an heiress to a shipping line. Pirate queen Leonia Tavira, the primary antagonist of the book, develops a VillainousCrush and decides to make him her newest boytoy, not caring about his other lover. Corran considers taking her up on it, briefly trying to rationalize it as a way to make his cover more effective, but then [[SeductionProofMarriage rejects the idea as a dark side-fueled impulse of male pride]] and chooses instead to accelerate his plans to break up her pirate alliance.
145	* ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'':
146	** ''Literature/TheWayOfKings2010'': An unusually amiable example in the backstory, created by [[{{UST}} an unspoken attraction]] between [[TheWisePrince Dalinar]] and [[FounderOfTheKingdom his brother Gavilar's]] [[TheSmartGuy wife Navani]]. [[spoiler:Dalinar and Navani manage to keep it buried until a ways into the story, long after Gavilar's death]].
147	** ''Literature/WordsOfRadiance'': One nearly forms around Shallan between Adolin and Kaladin, though Kaladin consciously attempts to defy the attraction once he recognizes it. It helps that by the time Kaladin realizes he's attracted to Shallan, he's also friends with Adolin, and decides it would be best to leave them alone. This gets more complicated in ''Literature/{{Oathbringer}}'', when Shallan's [[MasterOfIllusion Lightweaving]] is causing her to create numerous [[SplitPersonality Split Personalities]] that have their own opinions on the matter. Prim and proper Brightness Radiant doesn't like Kaladin's rough nature, and wants to hold to the implied oaths she has made with Adolin. Street-wise Veil, on the other hand, finds Adolin boring and much prefers Kaladin's wit and strength. Shallan herself doesn't know what she wants.
148	* ''Literature/StrawberryPanic'' centers on two love triangles. Tamao crushes on Nagisa, who is in a relationship with Shizuma. Yaya crushes on Hikari, who is with Amane.
149	* ''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 (or in Suguha's case, [[SurpriseIncest upon realizing her cousin was playing the ALO player character she fell for]]).
150	* The final chapters of ''Literature/TheTaleOfGenji'' involve such a triangle. Ukifune is having affairs with both Prince Niou and Lord Kaoru and it totally isn't her fault; Niou got into her hakama by pretending to be Kaoru, her accepted lover.
151	* In ''Literature/TalesOfKolmar'', Vilkas, Will, and Aral are all friends. Aral has an obvious crush on Vilkas, who is aware of it but doesn't want her, while Will pines after Aral, who has no idea. When Aral gives Vilkas her AnguishedDeclarationOfLove it's seen as a betrayal to everyone; when Will gives Aral his declaration it's seen as sweet and romantic.
152	* ''Literature/TanteiTeamKZJikenNote''. By the ''egg burger'' arc (fourth in novels, second in anime), Aya may have developed feelings for Wakatake ''and'' Sunahara. The problem is Wakatake is occasionally a bit of a jerk to her, while Sunahara has a bad reputation.
153	* ''Franchise/TolkiensLegendarium'':
154	** ''Literature/TheChildrenOfHurin'':
155	*** Turin is ObliviousToLove, he thinks Finduilas is just his friend and his other good friend Gwindor is unhappy with him for political reasons. Finduilas is devastated that she's fallen out of love with Gwindor and into love with Turin but cannot help herself. Gwindor just wants Finduilas to be happy but doesn't see how Turin can ever be good for her (he's right).
156	*** Brandir, Niënor, and Túrin are a tragic example. Brandir falls in love with an amnesiac Niënor under the name Niniel, but she marries Túrin, [[SurpriseIncest who is actually her brother]]. [[EverybodyDiesEnding It doesn't end well.]]
157	** ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'': Éowyn develops a crush on Aragorn, but Aragorn has been in love with Arwen about twice as long as Éowyn has been alive. This one is resolved via PairTheSpares: Éowyn gets over her crush on Aragorn, then falls in love with Faramir in ''The Return of the King'' and both couples finish the series HappilyMarried.
158	** ''Literature/BerenAndLuthien'': Lúthien Tinúviel famously gave up her immortality to have her mortal lover 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.
159	** ''Literature/TheFallOfGondolin'': Maeglin lusts after his cousin Idril, but she despises him. She marries Tuor, while Maeglin's jealous drives him to evil.
160	** ''Literature/UnfinishedTalesOfNumenorAndMiddleEarth'': Celebrimbor loved Galadriel but any relationship was DoomedByCanon: she was already married to Celeborn in the original ''Lord of the Rings'' trilogy.
161	* ''Literature/{{Toradora}}'': This is a very strange twist of MatchmakerCrush. Taiga is trying to set up Ryuuji (who starts to take care of her) with Minori (who is Taiga's best and initially only friend). Taiga develops an emotional dependence on Ryuuji, who develops feelings as well. It turns out that Minori already had a crush on Ryuuji, but also had strong feelings for Taiga. Taiga remains good friends, but doesn't quite reciprocate Minori's feelings. Since the OfficialCouple is actually the title of the show/novels, [[ForegoneConclusion bummer for Minori.]] Since everyone in this triangle is too nice to betray anyone, this draws out for a while.
162	* ''Literature/TorturePrincessFremdTorturchen'': Kaito and his automaton NinjaMaid Hina become a couple, but Kaito also has a complicated relationship with title character Elisabeth Le Fanu, which is more than PlatonicLifePartners but short of lovers.
163	* ''Literature/TrappedInADatingSimTheWorldOfOtomeGamesIsToughForMobs'': The series is set up to look like a standard HaremSeries with Angie and Livia both becoming attracted to Leon. Volume 3 turns it on its head: [[spoiler:Angie and Livia have also fallen in love with ''each other'', to the point where an airship that runs on ThePowerOfLove can be run by them alone. The volume ends with them getting officially engaged to Leon (Angie, a duke's daughter, as his official wife, and commonborn Livia as TheMistress), and in volume 5 they're shown kissing while Leon is elsewhere.]]
164	* Some versions of the ''Literature/TristanAndIseult'' story portray the love triangle as: Isolde is married to Mark but in love with Tristan, who is in love with her, but is also loyal to Mark, who is his uncle.
165	* ''Literature/TheTwilightSaga'' has Jacob and Edward both after Bella, which crosses the rivalry between Bella's love interests with FurAgainstFang, since Jacob is a skinchanger and Edward is a vampire. Bella marries Edward in [[Literature/BreakingDawn book four]], and eventually this is "[[EsotericHappyEnding fixed]]" when Jacob {{imprint\|ing}}s on Bella and Edward's [[{{Squick}} infant daughter]].
166	* In ''Literature/VampireAcademy'', Dimitri and Rose are in love, but worry that their relationship will get in the way of their mutual duty to protect Lissa.
167	* ''Literature/VanishingActs'': Delia is liked by both [[ChildhoodFriendRomance Eric and Fitz]]. Delia and Eric are engaged, but Fitz and Eric also are attracted to each other. [[spoiler:Fitz eventually gets Delia.]]
168	%%Administrivia/PartialContextExample* Nikolai/Sonya/Marya form one in ''Literature/WarAndPeace''. Natasha/[[TheCasanova Anatoly]]/Andrei form another.
169	* ''Literature/WarriorCats'' loves these:
170	** 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 who he 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 attempting to get Bramblestar to kill Squirrelflight's father, Firestar, and later attempted to kill her adopted 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. After his death, Ashfur manipulates Shadowsight into killing Bramblestar so he could [[DemonicPossession possess and impersonate him]], and started [[BadBoss abusing his former Clan]] to the point of ''dragging Squirrelflight right into the Dark Forest''. 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]]]].
171	** Stormfur was also sweet on Squirrelflight for a while in ''The New Prophecy'', but later fell for Brook.
172	** ''The Prophecies Begin'' has Spottedleaf and Firestar, who liked each other in the beginning, but she died and promptly began stalking him from above. He then fell in love with Sandstorm, although for a while she wasn't so sure he wasn't still in love with Spottedleaf. And he somehow managed not to realize that he and Cinderpelt weren't JustFriends.
173	** Throughout ''The New Prophecy'' to ''The Power of Three'' we have the Crowfeather/Leafpool/Feathertail/Nightcloud triangle. Crowfeather fell for Feathertail, who then promptly died, and later ran off with Leafpool because they could never be together because of the boundaries between their Clans, but eventually returned. To prove his loyalty, he hooked up with a cat from his own Clan, Nightcloud, and a kit with her. It was later revealed that [[spoiler: Leafpool actually had Crowfeather's kits and was forced to give them up to her sister at first or risk punishment. When this was revealed, he rejected her completely and declared that his mate was Nightcloud and his kit was Breezepelt.]]
174	** In ''The Power of Three'', Lionblaze used to love Heathertail, but gave her up (much to her dismay) because they were from separate Clans and he couldn't be a great warrior if he was seeing a cat from another Clan. They grew to hate each other, and now Heathertail and Breezepelt may or may not be JustFriends.
175	** In ''Omen of the Stars'', 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...
176	%%Administrivia/PartialContextExample. Needs more context to differentiate from BoyfriendBlockingDad** Red, Harley, and Stick. Stick is a BoyfriendBlockingDad who doesn't approve of Red's relationship with Harley, a member of an enemy group.
177	* ''Literature/WaterForElephants'': Jacob feels guilty about his attraction to Marlena at first because he is loyal to August, but [[spoiler:when he realizes how dangerous August is and how he mistreats Marlena, he grows to hate him. However, he has to pretend to still be loyal to him to protect the two of them, as well as his other friends in the circus. Marlena struggles with her residual feelings for August before finally realizing that he's terrible and Jacob is far better, but must also keep up pretenses so they don't all get fired and/or killed. Phew.]]
178	* ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime''
179	** All of Elayne, Min, Aviendha, and Rand's angsting before they settled on a polyamorous relationship.
180	** There was also Berelain's determined pursuit of Perrin, which utterly trashed his relationship with Faile, and the whole complicated set of customs and rules that put Bain, Chiad, and Gaul in their position.
181	** Egwene leaves the White Tower and realizes her feelings are for Gawyn and not his brother Galad. Both brothers are loyal to each other and both have feelings for Egwene, but she only reciprocates Gawyn's feelings.
182	* ''Literature/WhoIsThePrey'' features a twisted version of this. He Yan [[HappilyMarried deeply loves her husband,]] Yuan Ze, who unconditionally loves her back. Meanwhile, she's basically kidnapped and raped often by [[BigBad Fu Shenxing,]] who develops [[{{Yandere}}very real, very twisted feelings for her.]]
183	* ''{{Literature/Wicked}}'': Mentioned a few times in later parts of the the book as the eventual state of the relationship between Elphaba's parents (Frex and Melena) and Turtle Heart. Elphaba suspects that her parents' uncertainty over which man was little sister Nessarose's father is a large part of why Frex favors the younger daughter after Turtle Heart's death.
184	-->'''Elphaba''': You were in love with him.\
185	'''Frex''': We both were, we shared him. Your mother and I did. It was a lifetime ago and I don’t know why anymore; I don’t think I knew why then.
186	* In ''Literature/WingsOfFire'', Starflight falls in love with two other dragons: Sunny, and later Fatespeaker. Sunny gently turns him down when he confesses because she sees him like a brother, and nudges him towards Fatespeaker, who reciprocates his feelings, and whom he eventually ends up with.
187	* ''Franchise/TheWitcher'' has a long-running and complicated one between Geralt, Triss, and Yennefer, PlayedForDrama. Geralt and Yennefer have been in love since ''Literature/TheLastWish'', but in practice have an on-again, off-again relationship ([[spoiler:in part due to Geralt tying their destinies together with the eponymous last wish from a djinn to save both their lives, so they're not entirely sure how much of their relationship is genuine]]). Triss seduced Geralt when he and Yennefer were "off", and Triss has carried a massive torch for him ever since. Thing is, she's also Yennefer's best friend and she frequently hates herself for loving Geralt.
188	* In the ''Literature/{{Xanth}}'' novels, Dolph, Nada, and Electra have this relationship. One of the books spells out the problem (with the solution not in sight, even though it is eventually resolved): "Electra loved Dolph, and Dolph loved Nada. Nada didn't love Dolph, and Dolph didn't love Electra."

Context LoveTriangle / Literature