Guys. In Heir of Fire, Aelin was shown a vision.
“The deafening crowd echoed through the pale stone corridors of the royal castle of Orynth. They were chanting her name, almost wailing it. Aelin. A two-beat pulse that sounded through each step she made up the darkened stairwell. Goldryn was heavy at her back, its ruby smoldering in the light of the sun trickling from the landing above. Her tunic was beautiful yet simple, though her steel gauntlets—armed with hidden blades—were as ornate as they were deadly.
She reached the landing and stalked down it, past the towering, muscled warriors who lurked in the shadows just beyond the open archway. Not just warriors—her warriors. Her court. Aedion was there, and a few others whose faces were obscured by shadow, but their teeth gleamed faintly as they gave her feral grins. A court to change the world.
The chanting increased, and the amulet bounced between her breasts with each step. She kept her eyes ahead, a half smile on her face as she emerged at last onto the balcony and the cries grew frantic, as overpowering as the frenzied crowd outside the palace, in the streets, thousands gathered and chanting her name. In the courtyard, young priestesses of Mala danced to each pulse of her name, worshipping, fanatic.
With this power—with the keys she’d attained—what she had created for them, the armies she had made to drive out their enemies, the crops she had grown, the shadows she had chased away … these things were nothing short of a miracle. She was more than human, more than queen.
Beloved. Immortal. Blessed.
Aelin of the Wildfire. Aelin Fireheart. Aelin Light-Bringer.
She raised her arms, tipping back her head to the sunlight, and their cries made the entirety of the White Palace tremble. On her brow, a mark—the sacred mark of Brannon’s line—glowed blue. She smiled at the crowd, at her people, at her world, so ripe for the taking.” -Sarah J Maas, Heir of Fire
Now, I personally forgot all about this vision, but let’s look at it again.
“She reached the landing and stalked down it, past the towering, muscled warriors who lurked in the shadows just beyond the open archway. Not just warriors—her warriors.”
This, to me, is in direct reference to the Cadre. The usage of the phrase “her warriors” leads me to believe that the Cadre were freed from their Blood Oaths to Maeve, and then did exactly what Rowan had done – turned right around and swore a Blood Oath to Aelin.
“Aedion was there, and a few others whose faces were obscured by shadow, but their teeth gleamed faintly as they gave her feral grins. A court to change the world.”
So here, we see Aedion, which means he has to survive. But there’s something else, something I hadn’t thought of. “…faces were obscured by shadow, but their teeth gleamed faintly as they gave her feral grins.”
Guys. That sounds an awful lot like the Ironteeth. Aelin goes on to refer to them as “her court”, which seems to imply that perhaps Manon and her Thirteen yielded the Wastes to Ansel, and joined Aelin’s court. A kingdom within a kingdom.
And then… then there’s this.
“Beloved. Immortal. Blessed.”
This is the single most important part – the part that refers to Aelin as immortal. Which means not only does she survive, she Settles, and becomes immortal.
Guys. Aelin is going to survive. She’s going to get free of Maeve. And she’s going to survive forging the Lock. She’s going to go home, and she is going to rule her Kingdom of Ash.
@fire-breathing-bitch-queen95