You canāt blame her for learning from so much rejection, fear, and hurt and taking a step back to finally protect herself when her sister, in the midst of an intense destructive spiral, moves out, explicitly says to leave her alone multiple times, and pointedly ignores her in the street.
And Nesta is extremely mentally ill. She even says herself she didnāt believe she deserved kindness or goodness or love. Of course her brain is going to perceive that new distance from Elain as an inevitable betrayal, a swapping of loyalties to the āsafeā sister, and a loss of a lifetime of love and sisterhood between Nesta and Elain, rather than the defense mechanism and acquiescence to Nestaās own repeated demands for space that it is. Of course Nesta, whose own defense mechanism is lashing out and insults, is going to cast Elain as a wretch and a dog to protect herself from the pain of ālosingā Elainās loyalty.
But family isnāt about who is more loyal to who at any given moment, and it is healthy and okay to distance yourself from family members who repeatedly reject your company and requests space from you, no matter how close you once were, even if they are also hurting. It doesnāt mean youāre choosing or loving your other family membersāwho may also need and welcome your help with their own issuesāover them.
I guess now is a good time to remember that the reason the king of Hybern is dead is because of Elain. Sheās the one who stabbed him in the neck and the man was already dying when Nesta beheaded him. Blood was coming out of his mouth and he was gurgling and choking on his own blood.
People donāt usually just drop dead instantly when theyāre stabbed in the neck. They usually bleed out for awhile. But make no mistake. Elain shoving a dagger into the side of his neck killed him. Sure, Nesta beheading him was fun and flashy but it was ultimately unnecessary. Nesta hastened his death, but Elain was the cause of death. Put some respect on her name.
With everyone else: Azriel snarled. Azriel ignored. Azriel frowned. Azriel remained silent. Azriel chuckled. Azriel hid in the shadows.
With Elain: Azriel stilled. Azriel smiled. Azriel offered his hand. Azreil laughed (joyously). Azriel carried. Azriel cradled. Azriel helped. Azriel listened. Azriel sunned his wings. Azriel worried. Azriel just moved. Azriel approached/beat Feyre to it. Azriel said āI am getting her backā. Azriel brought her back. Azriel took the heavy dish of potatoes. Azriel placed Truth Teller in her hands. Azrielās shadows were snakes prepared to strike. Azriel stopped others from eating. Azriel saidĀ āyou canāt order me to do thatā.
Remember when Azriel created a necklace specifically for Elain? A year after he was physically uncomfortable with the thought of getting the sisters a gift? š¹
ACOTAR-related shit I daydream of constantly. Mostly Elriel-related. Veryyyy Pro-Elain. I just want to see them be happy
1. The Illyrians calling Elain the Kingslayer.
2. Elain reading Ilyrian texts to better understand the culture.
3. Elain trying to cook Ilyrian food for Cassianās birthday and Nyx ends up loving it too.
4. Some of Adrielās shadows leaving him to protect Elain at all times and not reporting back to him. She canāt understand them but she know theyāre there to lead her to safety if something happens.
5. Elain being beloved by the people of Velaris and constantly recognized in the streets because of her charity work building gardens for the community.
6. Elain volunteering her time at orphanages that sprung after the war. Teaching the kids how to funnel their sorrow and frustration into gardening, cooking, and becoming sustainably independent.
7. Someone starting a center dedicated to helping single parents for families who lost a loved one during the war.
8. Elain making lavish bouquets to celebrate the milestones of small businesses in Velaris.
9. The Illyrians sending Elain jewels as a thank you for killing Hybern.
10. Azriel going to the Day Court so they can engineer a bathing chamber where the person doesnāt have to submerge themselves (A SHOWERRR) and having 1 or 2 installed in each residence for Elain and Nesta to use.
11. Elain moves out to a townhouse on her own so she can have privacy, her own garden, and host dinner parties for her friends.
12. ELAIN HAVING FRIENDS WHO ARE āLESSER FAERIESā. I feel like if any one of the IC were to have friends who werenāt High Fae, it would so be Elain.
13. Azriel being courted by other courts to become their shadowsinger/spymaster. Imagine the different courts sending him rare daggers and books to entice him.
14. Azriel wearing a damper on himself so the shadows donāt overrun him.
15. Elain using a damper so she doesnāt get knocked out by visions left and right.
16. Elain joining charities so she can be out of the house where everyone ignores her.
17. Amgen referring to Azriel and Elain as the pretty ones.
18. Vassa, Lucien, and Jurian (potentially even Graysen) coming to the NC/Velaris for Koschei-related research.
19. Azriel doing things begrudgingly and ignoring Rhys.
20. Another all court meeting to discuss Koschei or whatever (maybe theyāre just routine now as they try to exist peacefully). All of the High Lords/Ladies being taken aback by Elain.
21. Everyone finding out Elain is a Seer and promptly trying to recruit her to their court.
22. I can imagine the Dawn Court being obsessed with Elain and Azrielās aesthetics and inviting them over for dinners. Helion (Day Court) would probably do the same and flirt endlessly with both.
23. Rhys laying out the plan for the All-Court meeting and leaving Azriel and Elain behind in Velaris but Amren says something along the lines āThey could care less about us. By the Mother Rhysand, the most interesting and mysterious people in all of Prythian belong to this court and you wonāt take them to the meeting? They are the best distraction you could hope for. Who in their right minds would think about anything other than them when theyāre in the same room?ā
24. Amren being enthralled by the fact that there is no recorded proof of a Seer and a Shadowsinger living at the same time.
25. Azriel being the only known Shadowsinger alive (they were hunted for whatever reason (tbh their abilities are really dangerous)).
26. Elainās powers being connected to Life. The antithesis to Nestaās connection to Death.
27. When Elain cries, flowers wilt.
28. Azriel being taken by Koschei and a box arriving to Feysandās river estate engraved with Kingslayer on the lid. The IC try to figure out how to open it and recognize that it can only be open with Blood. They get Nesta to bleed on it, but it doesnāt open. Amren or someone idc who says āElain dealt the killing blowā and when Elain bleeds on it, it opens. Truth Teller inside with a note, āHe went into the heart of the enemy for you, would you do the same for him?ā OR āHe came for you. Will you come fire him?ā OR āHe got you back. Will you do the same?ā Elain reads it in her head and a storm starts out of nowhere, flowers wilt and die, everything turns darker. She says āSummonsā or sm like that and Azrielās trusted Lieutenantās appear. She says āScour the Earth. Find himā as she lifts TT out of the box for everyone to see.
^^^that was a lot my bad but Iāve had this scene in my mind for a while^^^
29. Azriel knowing all of Elainās friends and greeting them warmly.
30. Azriel having a weird collection of friends. Mercenaries, cooks, business owners, musicians, etc.
31. An Ilyrian restaurant in Velaris where thereās typical food and dance classes. Elain finds it and takes Cassian there.
32. Feyre realizing how much of Velaris she still hasnāt seen and falling in love with the city all over again.
33. Feyre having painted a whole collection of Elrielās moments.
34. Feyre displaying her art in a museum and everyone getting to see her painting of Azriel giving Elain TT. Bonus points if thereās also a painting where Elain is kicking a beast off of Azriel while escaping Hybern.
35. Chosen love is much more interesting than fated love.
36. IC & Co. walking around Velaris or at a restaurant and overhearing a gaggle of ladies talking about how people are rejecting their mating bonds.
nothing should be surprising me about this fandom and some of the terrible takes that some people have, but if you are willfully ignorant about the nature of Elainās trauma, stop talking about it. If you fail to understand that ElaināsĀ āturningā was an allegory of rape, and that her being thrown out of the Caudron, emerging basically naked, with guards snickering at her ravished nudity was sexual assault, then thatās on you. Itās crystal clear that SJM, by way of Feyre, set up Elainās turning as rape. Not Nestaās. Elainās. Whatever she experienced, whatever happened to her was akin to sexual assault. Everyone understood that. Feyre understood that. Lucien understood that, since his first act was to cover her nakedness with his cloak.Ā
Havenāt people considered that Elainās reluctance to wearing pants, to dressing in revealing clothing, to discussing sexual matters is based on her experience in the Cauldron and not herĀ āprudishā ways. Elain and Nesta were violated, their humanity stripped away. Nestaās approach and reaction to that was different from Elainās. Elain also lost someone she loved because she was turned. Elain had her whole life planned ahead of her, and it was snatched away due to the violation that was perpetrated on her.Ā
Is it so difficult to understand that maybe she doesnāt want to talk to Feyre about her new cycle because she might be dealing with something like body dysmorphia? That she now has a new body, which functions differently, looks differently, feels differently from what she used to be? That she is also mated to a male that she doesnāt want and didnāt ask for, and any mention of changes in her sexuality is traumatic for her? That talking about her period is just another reminder that she would beĀ āready for the takingā andĀ ābreedableā by someone she isnāt interested in?Ā Ā
Elain doesnāt exist to satisfy Azrielās kink. She doesnāt exist to be mated by Lucien. Elain was in charge of her own sexuality before, when she decided to sleep with Graysen. She isnāt a prude. She lost her virginity to him on her own accord and seemingly enjoyed the experience, She is a person who wants to make her own decisions about her body and about her sexuality.Ā
Is it so difficult to imagine that maybe whoever she finally ends up with will be the one to give her confidence, find her new body beautiful and love her for what she is? That perhaps a healthy relationship and sex shouldnāt be just accommodating Azriel and his sexual habits, but finding a way to be comfortable and happy together? And even if itās Lucien, then itās the same scenarioāfinding a path to commonality and mutual satisfaction.
Itās so fucking twisted, frankly, when I read how Gwyn is ready or would want to be ākinkyā with Azriel, and Elain is such a prude, she could never. Why is it always all about Azriel? Is anyone expecting HIM to turn nice and vanilla for the sake of Gwyn? or Elain? No? Why? Because he is a man and the woman must play along and satisfy his wants? Anyone expecting HIM to get snipped, so he wonāt have winged children that could kill the mother? Or is it just the female and herĀ āIllyrian-baby-appropriateā pelvis that matter?
Feminism in this fandom always dies upon Azrielās dick.
PS his fucking kink might be cuddling for all we know, because he is starved for touch and his mother never held him.
Here is what Iāve noticedāand I donāt know if itās intentional, but I think itās interesting.Ā
Azriel, as a person, is very static. Unmovable. His very person, his physicality are stable, and mostly devoid of action. Whatās he most known for? Standing in the shadows. When people are debating and arguing, he just stands, arms crossed. What do we see most frequentlyāhe is standing in the corner, he is standing by the fireplace, he is maybe sitting, but usually, he stands, somewhere out of sight, or at least do still that sometimes, people donāt even realize that he is around. He stands silently, peering out of windows, or behind someoneās chair.
Even when we think of hisĀ āactionā scenes they are typically driven by someone elseāhe goes to Oorid with Nesta and Cassian, because he has to winnow them and not leave them alone. He spars with Cassian and Rhys, because they ask him to. He begins teaching the priestesses, because he is requested to. He is sent to retrieve Feyre and Lucien. He is pestered by Mor to go to Ritaās, which he does, after hundreds of years. He flies Feyre to the Human Lands, because she asked him to carry her. He goes to war and on his missions, because itās his job (obvious). And so it goes.
There are only a handful of times when he acted unprompted or on his own:
When he offered to teach Feyre to fly. Understanding the difficulties that sheād experience as a novice flier, and relating to those difficulties.
Twice, during the HL meetingāwhen both Feyre and Mor were insulted. He spoke up directly against Tamlin and then of course jumped on Eris.
And finally, when Rhys prohibited from fighting, and he threatened to fly with a tree on his back.
But there is ONE person with whom all this quiet stasis just disappears.Ā
Elain.
He lets loose with Elain, doesnāt he?
He approaches her when she is alone, he talks to her through the night, he shows her things, he offers her thingsāhand, arm, tea, he takes things from her, he orders others to show respect to her, he lounges in front of her. (Ever seen Azriel lounge with anyone? Ever?) He doesnāt wait for anyone to make up their minds and just saysĀ āI am getting her backā. He donates his siphon for the mission. He arms her with TT. He listens to her when no one else would and asks her questions.Ā
Every single action that he takes with her is out of his own volition.Ā
He is never asked, prompted, requested or required to do anything with Elain. He does it all because he wants to.
Remember when Cassian saidĀ āI just canāt stay awayā about Nesta.
Azriel just canāt stay away from Elain.
The guys who normally stands like a marble column is a little ball of activity around his girl, making sure that she is cared for in a variety of little ways.Ā
And when he is explicitly told to stay away from her, he answersĀ āYou canāt order me to do thatā.
Itās weird to me that people think that Azriel would just easily forgive Rhys for forbidding him to see Elain. Azriel is a guy who holds massive ass grudges. His brothers, Illyrians as a whole, Eris (whether justifiable or not is a different question), and gods know what else. Rhys, used every single insecurity that Azriel has, and flung it into his face, while telling him not to pursue Elain for political reasons. And Azriel knew itāknew that thatās whatās Rhys was doing, because Rhys knows the weaknesses and he used all of them in that conversation. Does anyone honestly believe that Azriel will just shrug it all off? Not just the actual prohibition, which we KNOW heād never abide by, but also how his brother treated him at that time, him and Elain as well. Itās the first time Azriel feels something powerful and intimate for a woman, who isnāt Mor, and he is being accused of basically being a feral dog, who only wants sex, and isnāt worthy of her or a bond?Ā
People genuinely think that heād be like, yes, Rhys, my bro, my homie, you have a valid point. I am a rabid dog with a hard-on. So I will leave Elain alone, and will go hook up with that priestess from the Library. That seems like a much more reasonable option.Ā
And SJM, who loves and adores and cherishes her Rhysand, would make him be the cause of the destruction of the IC, and the one who basically destroys his brotherās life? As well as his sister-in-lawās? Okay.
Azriel is simmering in a lot of emotions right now. Heās not just going to let what Rhys did go. And we know that Sarah said they put rocks and shit in their snowballs to physically hurt each other because theyāre so pissed at one another. You think that heās just going to bend over and be okay with it?
Absofuckinglutely not. Azriel is pissed. Letās just make that clear. He is pissed and hurt and confused and distressed and whole mess of things for someone who doesnāt show his emotions. Basically a ticking time bomb thatās bound to blow up when push comes to shove. And you can bet itās going to be brutal when he finally does explode. I canāt wait for both him and Elain to finally stand up for themselves.
I agree with everything. As soon as Azriel walked into Rhysās office, he ādonned the frozen mask he perfected in his fatherās dungeonā, and Rhys was pissed off and immediately started accusing Azriel of deserving Elain. Rhys was angry and Azriel had already shut down before a word was even uttered.
And Iāve always felt like this part was more important to the future plot or the next book than Gw*nriel. It set up even more obstacles, a blood duel, miscommunication, and the interrupted kiss between Elriel, while also establishing potential tension between Azriel and Rhys.
Itās interesting that the only thing referenced right hinted at post solstice in the actual book isnāt anything to do with Gw*n and Azriel. But rather Azriel being more stone faced and aloof than usual. Meaning that days later he was still angry. And even though itās not canon, I thought it was interesting that one of the only references to the POV by Sarah, was when she said Azriel and Rhys were so pissed with one another that they put rocks in their snowballs to hurt each other.
Meaning, theyāre both angry with one another, especially Azriel, and heās not just going to lay down and do whatever Rhys says. Heās not going to stay away from Elain forever just because Rhys played on his insecurities and ordered him to stay away from Elain. I think the conflict between them is going to bubble up in the next book, and Azriel is going to go against his brother, friend, and high lord. Thereās no reason to set up an ultimatum and have it go nowhere.
I always found it interesting that in that Live SJM opted to go over the fight and the viciousness of it and how both of them were acting.
She couldāve just saidĀ āCassian wonā and moved on. But she gave this whole separate scene, which of course, wasnāt about poor Cass, but about the other two. It seems clear that she wanted to emphasize the anger and the aftermath of the Solstice situation. That it wasnāt just one and done. And I, personally, found it interesting too that it wasnāt Rhys who handed Az the baby, but Cassian. As if Rhys and Az are still on the outs enough not to share that familial bond. it might be nothing, but I always thought it was curiousālike things arenāt okay between those two.Ā
Yes! When she brought up the rocks in the snowballs it didnāt feel like some friendly competitive gamesmanship. It seemed like she was trying to tell us they were like pissed pissed with one another. Like there was something else going on between them than just trying to win. And the fact that itās mentioned Azriel is still angry days later at training means that he hasnāt just let it go either.
And I didnāt even notice that Cass was the one to hand Nyx to Azriel and not Rhys but thatās a good point too. Thereās a rift between them and I just donāt think itās magically gone all of a sudden. And we know Azriel is stubborn and can hold a grudge.
Not to mention that Azriel, the spymaster who is patient and scheming and quietly lethal, (likely) forgot all about the plans he had made to win this yearās snowball fight, and let emotion drive him in his interactions with Rhys. That is huge for such a tightly controlled character.
idk. i think fandom could use a lot less of āevery personās interpretation of a text is valid and true!ā and more of āreading a text means taking all parts of it into account, including the bits you donāt like or the pairings you donāt ship, to consider what the full picture is and what the larger themes are.ā
projecting your fantasies onto a text, hyperfocusing on the characters you think are hot/shippable and building entire theories based on micro interactions that donāt take other competing dynamics and plotlines into account isnāt āanalysisā itās projection and fantasy. which is fine, but take responsibility for your desires and your fantasies instead of making fandom inhospitable for everyone. some readings of a text are plain wrong, others miss or willfully erase vital context just to rationalize romantic pairings. these are not accurate readings of the text. doesnāt mean they should be attacked or shamed, but neither can you expect people to validate every single headcanon and shipper fantasy as a legitimate āreadingā of the text either.
Azrielās hand slid up her neck, burying in her thick hair. Tilting her face the way he wanted it. Elainās mouth parted slightly, her eyes scanning his before fluttering shut.
AĀ ray of hope there still may be in this, the gift I give to thee. Not in death, but just in sleep,Ā the fateful prophecy youāll keep, and from this slumber you shall wake, when true loveās kiss, the spell shall break.
I am so beyond excited to finally be able to commission and reveal to you all the first ever Sleeping Beauty inspired Elriel piece based on this beloved theory I stumbled upon with the help of others and it manifested into what you see before you.
The absolutely wonderful @pandyalls_art on instagram was able to bring it to life exactly as I pictured it, her talent is immeasurable and truly captured the story book quality of the wonderful fairytale! Please go give her a lot of love x
Please do not repost without credit to both the artist and myself out of respect or just share the original post, I will be sharing it on most SM sites myself.
Who is doing it like Elriel? The other couples arenāt giving the same energy, angst, or yearning.
āI saw the painting in my mind: the lovely fawn, blooming spring vibrant behind her. Standing before Death, shadows and terrors lurking over his shoulder. Light and dark, the space between their bodies a blend of the two.ā
āAzriel's fingers lingered at her nape, atop the first knob of her spine. Slowly, Elain pivoted into his touch. Until his palm lay flat against her neck.ā
But he could have this. This one moment, and maybe a taste, and that would be it.Ā Ā
āYes" Elain breathed, like she read the decision. Just this taste in the dead of the longest night of the year, where only the Mother might witness them.
Azriel, graceful as any courtier, offered her an arm. I couldnāt tell if she was looking at his blue Siphon or at his scarred skin beneath as she breathed, āBeautiful.ā
She seemed so small before him, so fragile compared to the scales of his fighting leathers, the breadth of his shoulders. The wings peeking over them.
āRelax,ā Rhys said. āAzriel isnāt the ravishing type.ā
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