Harrowhark Nonagesimus's Relationships is a section of the larger article on Harrowhark Nonagesimus, separated to facilitate easier reading of both pages.
After a secluded and lonely childhood, Harrow has found herself with a rather large group of exceptionally complex relationships. Due to her somewhat cold and serious disposition, many of her relationships are fraught with misunderstanding and distrust. Her relationships can be broken down into those from Ninth House (her cavaliers, Gideon Nav and Ortus Nigenad, as well as her family and tutors), those from Canaan House (particularly Palamedes Sextus, Camilla Hect, and Abigail Pent), and those from The Mithraeum (Ianthe Tridentarius, The Emperor, Mercymorn, Augustine, and Gideon).
Cavaliers[]
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Gideon Nav is her main fixation and exasperation within the book series. Primarily in the beginning of Gideon The Ninth, she's cruel and callous towards her. After landing in Canaan house she's much the same, until she realizes that she needs her cavaliers help for the trials. This culminates in Harrow getting to see Gideons fighting expertise in first person, marveling at just how brilliant the woman is with a sword. From their on, we see her realize how willing Gideon is to provide for her and do what she asks. After the siphoning trial, Harrow realizes how little respect Gideon has for her own life, and tries to keep her away from harm.
Later, Harrow takes Gideon to the pool in Canaan house. They strip off their top layers and go into the water, where Harrow confesses the truth about her conception, why two hundred children and teens died, and her suicidal ideation. She's stunned and discombobulated when, much to her horror, Gideon holds her. Gideon then hugs her and places a kiss on the bridge of her nose, forgiving her for their sordid past. Harrow voices her disgust and confusion, not about the intimacy, but about how Gideon shouldn't forgive her, because she's unforgivable for the sins that created her. This all culminates with Gideon making a promise to Harrow, "One flesh, one end", and making Harrow repeat it.
Within the final battle of Gideon the Ninth's book, they share a heartfelt reprieve. Harrow calls Gideon, "The First Flower of her House", and a "Shining Star" as she believes that she will die, ands Gideon to understand how she truly feels about her. Gideon won't let this happen, jumping onto a fence post so that Harrow can siphon her thanergy and save herself. Harrow only half way does so, defeats Cytherea with the energy, then races back to Gideon and desperately tries to save her. She pulls her off the spike, but is unable to revive her before she passes out.
When she wakes up, she begs God to resurrect and save Gideon, pleading for her cavaliers life. God tells her this is impossible as she [Harrow] has already absorbed far too much of her. To give herself time to figure out how to bring Gideon back herself, she gives herself a lobotomy and severs the connections that remind her of her cavalier. This is so she doesn't absorb any more of Gideon because she won't remember her.
Her mind is fragmented and she can't remember where she knows Gideon from, once she does start to break. This culminates in her creating multiple alternate timelines in her memory, most of which have her setting up a meet-cute between her and Gideon. Examples are a ball she created for her to meet "Her Royal Highness" , and a coffee shop AU where Gideon is the beefy barista.
Ortus Nigenad[]
Familial[]
Pelleamena Novenarius[]
Both her mother and her father hung themselves after Gideon told them that Harrow had entered the Locked Tomb. They made it clear that Harrow was going to hang as well, but was to scared to do so.
Priamhark Noniusvianus[]
Both her mother and her father hung themselves after Gideon told them that Harrow had entered the Locked Tomb. They made it clear that Harrow was going to hang as well, but was to scared to do so.
Sister Aisamorta and Lachrimorta[]
Seneshal Crux[]
Canaan House[]
Abigail Pent[]
"She looked up into the kind face of Abigail Pent, who was dead; and she said: 'I owe you a great debt. You have given me much, in return for very little."
Abigail Pent, like many of the less competitive necromancers in Canaan House, was originally dismissed by Harrow as beneath her notice. In getting to know her after her death, Harrow comes to find that Abigail is a kind, thoughtful, and fiercely intelligent woman. Though she despises how easily Abigail can read her and chaffs under her attempts to parents, Harrow is deeply grateful to Abigail for putting herself and her husband on the line to help her. She is humbled by Abigail's generoty and ability to see the best in others.
Camilla Hect[]
"It was a blow to her dignity all over again, her unconscious gracelessness to Camilla Hect; a girl whom, in reality, she should have taken by the hands and thanked profusely for every time she tried to save her cavalier."
Though their relationship was originally tinged with suspicion due to Harrow's misplaced distrust of Palamedes, Harrow is immensely grateful to know Camilla Hect. Alongside regarding her as an intelligent person and highly capable cavalier, what truly drives Harrow's opinion of Camilla is her treatment of Harrow's own cavalier, Gideon. Even before Palamedes's death and the Battle of Canaan House, where Camilla saved both Harrow and Gideon's lives numerous times, she had taken Gideon under her wing. Palamedes and Camilla took in Gideon—offering medical care, advice, and allyship—when Harrow still did not even realize how dismal her treatment of Gideon truly was. For that, Camilla wins both Harrow's respect and her embarrassed gratitude.
Dulcinea Septimus[]
"I got told so many lies over my life, Harrowhark, and I didn't want to go back into the River having myself committed the murder of the white lie. Please understand, I'm being selfish. But I wanted you to know."
Harrow does not like Dulcinea, exactly—She does not enjoy her personality, often finding her frivolous and silly. Though they would probably not be friends in life, she respects her and is grateful to her for sharing what she knows of Gideon's situation in Harrow's body. Like Palamedes, Harrow is drawn to Dulcinea's willingness to take her seriously and allow her to make her own decisions.
Magnus Quinn[]
"You're a smart girl, Harrowhark. You might turn some of that brain to the toughest lesson: that of grief."
As with Abigail, Magnus sees it as his duty to offer parental guidance to the younger postulants among them. Though Harrow does not know him well, and would never describe him as a parent figure, she respects him enough to listen to his advice and consider it carefully. She is, of course, grateful to his help in fighting off the Sleeper.
Palamedes Sextus[]
"I may have been Sextus's necromantic superior; but he was the better man. You are not even so worthy of that brain as to wipe its bloodied remnants from the wall."
Harrow marks Palamedes Sextus as her greatest competition almost immediately upon arriving at Canaan House. This assessment, and his obvious connection to Dulcinea, lead her to distrust him throughout the beginning of the Lyctor trials. However, after the discovery of Protesilaus's head and the realization that they have been on the same side all along, Harrow and Palamedes become genuine allies. Despite this understanding, their relationship maintains the teasing, one-upping competitive atmosphere of two fiercely intelligent and capable necromancers.
Mithraeum[]
The Emperor[]
In the first novel, Harrow believes that The Emperor Undying, God, is a wise and all-knowing entity. She worships him with reverence and careful steps. In the second novel, we see Harrow begin to realizes that God is just another flawed being, who throughout his many faults, attempt to mentor Harrow in becoming a lyctor. This proves unsuccessful, as she is powerful enough, but not a full lyctor as she refused to absorb any more of Gideon's thanergy.
Augustine the First[]
Gideon the First[]
He believes that Harrow is a danger to the future of lyctorhood and the Mitheraeum. He repeatedly tries to murder Harrowhark, culminating in Harrow making soup with her own bones in it. This is used for her to explode Gideon the First from the inside out.
Ianthe the First[]
Harrow dislikes Ianthe throughout the first book, expressing that she's not a fan on several occasions. On the Mitheraeum however, they are one anothers only confidants other than God, and the other lyctors who they do not know. Harrow upon seeing Ianthe on the ship makes out with her to make sure she has a thanergy signature, because she was worried that Ianthe was apart of her many hallucinations. There are several more instances throughout the book where Ianthe flirts with Harrowhark, only to be rejected by her every time.