The Walmart bonus chapter just leaked and good lord some people need to be for real. I'm so tired of people picking and choosing evidence.
So you're telling me that *gasp* Azriel's shadows seem to dance when he hums?? they react to sound/music?? no way. people from all sides of the fandom have been saying that for years (and use it for different arguments), and looks like ppl are still tying anything they can to feed their ship--which is fine but at least make it somewhat accurate.
The above is the last page of the Az/Bryce/Nesta chapter, and just as a refresher, this is the oh-so controversial phrases from the Az bonus chapter:
"(...) one of his shadows went out to dance with it (gwyn's breath) before twirling back to him. like it heard some silent music." and "(...) he could have sworn a faint, beautiful singing followed him. could have sworn his shadows sang in answer."
I'm confused, which is it? Was the shadow's reaction to her breath & the singing he heard all metaphorical, thereby hinting at a mating bond between gwyn & az (as in "music between souls")? Or was it rather azriel's shadows reacting to a literal sound coming from someone who has arguably been hinted at having some voice/song-related abilities? Because if it is the first, then this new HOFAS exert is completely unrelated. Well unless Azriel has a mating bond with himself? pleaseee make it make sense I beg. And if the second is true, it would mean that for someone to be able of making his shadows dance, they'd have to have similar powers as him... its just gonna fuel the lightsinger theories (which btw approx 5 ppl are saying means that gWyn is eViL) so this literally changes nothing. nada. absolument rien.
Oh also.
"He says no partner right now, aka NO FUCKING ELRIEL. ELRIEL IS DEAD." (no hate to whoever posted that btw)
He literally rushes out that answer. Idk about you guys but to me the poor man still seems internally dead over the whole mate existential crisis, which as far as we know was left with him wondering "what if the cauldron was wrong". Sidenote but if I understood correctly, this all happens 2-3 months post acosf and Bryce spends Ā±5 days in Prythian, so it is very likely that it is all set during Acotar 5, and that the events of HOFAS in general are happening while Az is separated from the other MC (ie. the acotar5 FMC).
Regardless of all I just said, I am going to ask people once again to be for real. cause this whole chapter Azriel keeps glaring at Nes when she is about to reveal too much info, so WHY would he be mentioning Elain (or literally anyone he cares about) to someone who he is said to be highly suspicious of? make it make sense x2
Almost forgot. Last thing.
"Azriel said that Nesta killed the King! He didn't credit Elain!"
... no? for context, this is what Az said:
See my second point above. He told Bryce exactly what Nes did, and nothing more: she beheaded Hybern. We could speculate about what his look at Truthteller made him think of... but tbh I'll leave it to someone else cause perso I dont really see the point.
I am getting tired guys... guess who finally understands what "fandom fatigue" is.
-----quick edit-----
I don't mean to sound hypocritical by tagging ships, cause tbh i dont even wanna put acotar ship tags to this, but well c'est la vie et j'en peux plus. this fandom is kind of a mess. Goodnight loves ā”
Throughout the ACOTAR series, SJM often uses the word ābridgeā to describe the mating bond.
For example, here is how Feyre describes the bond in the scene in ACOWAR where Rhys and Mor are fighting about Eris:
And here is how Madja describes it in the scene where she meets with Feyre after she checks over Elain to see if thereās anything wrong with her:
āA bridge between souls.ā Interesting.
Well, we know that Lucien wasnāt able to discover what was āwrongā with Elain (also interesting that the bond is described as a āthreadā singular here):
Az is the one who āsensesā what is āamissā with Elain:
Interesting. Now we have the Truth-Teller scene. Pay attention to how Feyre describes what she sees between Azriel and Elain.
āThe only bridge of connection ... that knife.ā Hmm. The sentence structure is also very similar to the sentence structure in the first quote where Feyre is talking about her and Rhysās bond.
And then finally, in ACOFAS, Feyre is talking about Elain and Lucien and she thinks this:
Elain and Lucien donāt have a ābridgeā connecting them, but rather a āgapā between them. That they actively need to ābridge.ā And that neither of them is interested in ābridging.ā
The use of the word ābridgingā here is particularly important, I think. Sarah is emphasizing that a bridge, which normally exists between mates, is absent with Elain and Lucien. Even though both of them have āacknowledgedā their bond, and by that, I mean physically have felt it and acknowledged itās presence.
What is Sarah trying to show us here? Is it that a ābridgeā canāt form between Elain and Lucien because one already exists for Elain with someone else, namely Az? Is it because Az and Elain are true mates? Or is it something more subtle?
I donāt know. But itās certainly very interesting.
I was looking at Bryce and Hunt talking about mating bond in HoSaB and this part stood out to me.
āBut if we tell Ruhn that weāre mates, weāre as good as married. To the Fae, weāre bound on a biological, molecular level. Thereās no undoing it.ā āIs it a biological thing?ā āIt can be. Some Fae claim they know their mates from the moment they meet them. That thereās some kind of invisible link between them. A scent or soul-bond.ā(HoSaB)
between them part stood out to me because I made a post about how there is two times it was used for Elriel.
But Azriel only took Elainās heavy dish of potatoes from her hands, his voice soft as night as he said, āSit. Iāll take care of it.ā Elainās hands remained in midair, as if the ghost of the dish remained between them. With a blink, she lowered them, and noticed her apron. āIāIāll be right back,ā she murmured, and hurried down the hall before I could explain that no one cared if she showed up to dinner covered in flour and that she should just sit.(acofas)
Nesta met the shadowsingerās stare and he gave her a nod. Then his gaze shifted to Elain, and though it was utterly neutral, something charged went through it. Between them. Elainās breath caught slightly, and she gave him a shallow nod of greeting before brushing past, leading Nesta into the room.(acosf)
and as @silverlinedeyes talked about it in the post mating bond is a bridge between souls. And we have these between quotes for Elriel. Another important part is (thanks again @silverlinedeyes <3) there is a Lucien quote with between them.
How Lucien withstood it, I didnāt know. Not that heād shown any interest in bridging that gap between them. (acofas)
but all they have is a gap. There is no link between them.
I believe that there is a reason CC3 needs to come next, rather than another ACOTAR book, and that might be because it will have big implications for ACOTAR and Elainās story in particular. Here are some of my thoughts about those implications, and I encourage you to comment or reblog to add your own ideas:
Overarching plot:
Koschei may not be the main villain. He could be working with the Asteri (who have a host of mystics with virtual access to other worlds and the ability to gather intelligence and influence characters), with the ultimate goal of weakening the world of ACOTAR for invasion. This may be especially true if he is in any way related to the Asteri (one of their lost relatives) and/or has been promised freedom upon their return. He could also, in a dire circumstance, agree to a bargain with residents of Prythian to help them fight against the Asteri, much like his death-god siblings did in the war against Hybern.
Because Prythian is a known target and has a history with the Asteri (through their suspected relatives, the Daglan), they will need to act sooner rather than later to address the threat of the Asteri. They canāt simply help Bryce on her way and wish her the best of luck, and based on the interview Sarah did, it seems Bryce will spend a good amount of time in the ACOTAR world. This will likely lead to Prythian allying with Midgard, Hel, and maybe TOG, which will require inter-world travel and battle scenes. @silverlinedeyes and @merymoonbeam have some ideas that they plan to share on that topic as well.
The Trove will likely be needed to defeat the Asteri, which is why it is important for it to remain protected. As Sarah set up in ACOSF, the combined power of the Trove can create an unstoppable army that can travel wherever they need it to go. Prythian will need to use this power to help their potential allies and stand a chance against the Asteri, who have had plenty of time to plan their revenge and might already be working to divert the Trove (especially the harp) to someone who could open the rifts before they are prepared. I talk a little more about that, and other larger forces at play, here.
Elainās story:
Elain flies under the radar, and in fact, much of her character is overlooked or overshadowed, which works well if weāre in for more surprises. Based on the seeds Sarah planted, she seems destined to help her family in a subtler way than her own sisters. And this role fits with her curiosity and interest in learning, even in her darkest moments. One of the ways she demonstrates this trait repeatedly is through questioning:
With the Spymaster.
Elain said to Azriel, perhaps the only two civilized ones here, āCan you truly fly?ā
He set down his fork, blinking. I might have even called him self-conscious. He said, āYes. Cassian and I hail from a race of faeries called Illyrians. Weāre born hearing the song of the wind.ā
āThatās very beautiful,ā she said. āIs it notāfrightening, though? To fly so high?ā
āIt is sometimes,ā Azriel said. Cassian tore his relentless attention from Nesta long enough to nod his agreement. āIf you are caught in a storm, if the current drops away. But we are trained so thoroughly that the fear is gone before weāre out of swaddling.ā
With the Clever Fox.
Her eyes were the brown of a fawnās coat. And he could have sworn something sparked in them as she met his gaze. āWho are you?ā
He knew without demanding clarification that she was aware of what he was to her. āI am Lucien. Seventh son of the High Lord of the Autumn Court.ā And a whole lot of nothing.
With the Lady Death.
Elain at last slid into the chair near Morās, her dawn-pink dressāfiner than the ones she usually woreācrinkling beneath her. āWillāwill many of these soldiers die?ā
I cringed, but Nesta said, āYes.ā I could almost see the unspoken words Nesta reined in. Your mate might die sooner than them, though.
With the Morrigan:
āWill it hurt?ā Elain asked.
Mor still said, āNo. It might ā¦ tingle. Just act as you would as a human.ā
With the High Lady:
Those doe-brown eyes turned toward me. Sharper than Iād ever seen them. āAnd that entitles him to my time, my affections?ā
āNo.ā I blinked. āBut he is a good male.ā Despite our harsh words. Despite this Band of Exiles bullshit. āHe cares for you.ā
With the Second:
Mor opened her mouth, laughter dancing on her face, but Elain asked, āCould you have done it? Decided to take a male form?ā The question cut through the laughter, an arrow fired between us.
Amren studied my sister, Elainās cheeks red from our unfiltered talk at the table. āYes,ā she said simply. āBefore, in my other form, I was neither. I simply was.ā
āThen why did you pick this body?ā Elain asked, the faelight of the chandelier catching in the ripples of her golden-brown braid.
āI was more drawn to the female form,ā Amren answered simply. āI thought it was more symmetrical. It pleased me.ā
Elain asked, āAnd once you were in this body, you couldnāt change?ā Amrenās eyes narrowed slightly. I straightened, glancing between them. Unusual, yes, for Elain to be so vocal, but sheād been improving. [ā¦] Elain, to my surprise, held Amrenās gaze.
With the Widowed Weaver:
āYou made it?ā Elain asked, now staring over her shoulder toward the tapestry.
A solemn nod. āA newer experiment of mine. To see how darkness might be made, woven. To see if I could take it farther, deeper than any weaver has before.ā
āThe silver thread,ā Elain asked. āWhat is that called?ā
The weaver paused the loom again, the colorful strings vibrating. She held my sisterās gaze. No attempt at a smile this time. āI call it Hope.ā
You get the gist. Elain asks a lot of questions, and they almost always seem forgettable. Innocent. But has anyone considered how and why she chooses her questions? Is it simple curiosity, or is she subtly learning the people around her? Making connections to her visions?
What I love most about Elainās style of questioning is that she doesnāt have to twist the characterās arm to get information. It comes fairly naturally, even if there is a moment of surprise. We do, however, see her questions change over time: they become more aggressive and even challenging (which matches the change in animal associations, as well), especially in ACOFAS and ACOSF. Is this similar to the transformation the Hind might have gone through before she assumed her intelligence role?
In addition to questioning, she learns through listening, observing, and doing. Her learning habits and interests seem ordinary, causing others to underestimate her (which, as we know from Amren, would be a mistake):
Gardening, traveling, and studying:
āThese bulbs,ā Elain said, pointing with a gloved hand to a cluster of purple-and-white flowers, ācame all the way from the tulip fields of the continent. Father promised that next spring heāll take me to see them. He claims that for mile after mile, thereās nothing but these flowers.ā She patted the rich, dark soil. The little garden beneath the window was hers: every bloom and shrub had been picked and planted by her hand; she would allow no one else to care for it. Even the weeding and watering she did on her own.
āYou should come with me,ā Elain went on. āNesta wonāt go, because she says she doesnāt want to risk the sea crossing, but you and I ā¦ Oh, weād have fun, wouldnāt we?ā
I was content to listen to her talk about every bud and bloom, about her plans to start another garden by the greenhouse, perhaps a vegetable garden, if she could learn enough about it over the next few months.
If her father had offered to bring them on one of his ships, to let them see strange and distant shores, would they have gone? Elain had always wanted to visit the continent to study the tulips and other famed flowers, but her imagination had stretched no further.
Baking
Nuala swallowed hard. āThe lady said she was hungry, so we went to make her something. Butāshe said she wanted to learn how, so ā¦ā Hands wreathed in shadows lifted in a helpless gesture, flour drifting off them like veils of snow. āWeāre making bread.ā [ā¦] She was hungry. She was ā¦ doing something. Learning something.
People
But Elain had seemed more than content to simply watch the humming city, to take in the sparkling strands of faelights strung between buildings and over the squares, to sample any tidbit of food offered by an eager vendor, to listen to minstrels busking by the now-silent fountains.
āWe never heard of them in the human lands,ā Elain said. Sheād been as riveted as Feyre to hear Cassian tell of it: first of Nesta and the othersā interest, then of the brief history of the female fighters. āThey must have been fearsome creatures.ā
āIād forgotten,ā Feyre murmured. āAbout this, and about her dancing.ā āNesta never spoke of it afterward,ā Elain said. āI just observed.ā Nesta was wrong, Cassian realized, to think Elain as loyal and loving as a dog. Elain saw every single thing Nesta had done, and understood why.
She is constantly listening, observing, and doingālearning. What is she doing with all of that learning? Sarah planted seeds in ACOSF that Elain may be up to something behind the scenes (sneaking up on others, sneaking off to āhelp the elderly,ā suspicions about secret-keeping and training, etc). And I think it might have something to do with the crossover. As @silverlinedeyes suggested, she might have helped tug Bryce to the ACOTAR world, where Aidas might be, rather than Hel. Is it possible that Elain has been unknowingly working with Aidas, or someone else, all this time? Is that where Aidas was in CC2? @silverlinedeyes and @offtorivendell have theorized that characters from Hel, including Aidas, might have access to Prythian through the library under the House of Wind, and Elainās unique powers might provide her special access to them. She has access to a murky realm of dreams and visions, which at the very least grants her access to the future (similar to oracles), and an ability to track and appear to others (similar to mystics) not only across the world, but potentially across the universe. Could she have used her powers to connect with someone from Hel during her time in the House of Wind? This quote from ACOWAR might be a hint at that possibility:
She looked awayātoward the windows. āI can hear your heart,ā she said quietly.
āWhen I sleep,ā she murmured, āI can hear your heart beating through the stone.ā She angled her head, as if the city view held some answer. āCan you hear mine?ā
He wasnāt sure if she truly meant to address him, but he said, āNo, lady. I cannot.ā
Even Lucien questions who, exactly, she is talking to in this scene. Is someone else there with her that Lucien cannot sense? Or is it occurring in her mind, through her murky realm of dreams? Could that heartbeat belong to Bryaxis, a creature of nightmares, who may or may not be connected to Hel? Does it have access to that same dark world? Is that world connected to Urd (Mother, Cauldron, Fate) and her influence winding between worlds? Where, exactly, might that murky world take Elaināacross Prythian, to Midgard, to Hel, to Erilea? If so, she might be a critical link between worlds that will be needed for the approaching conflict, putting her curiosity, desire for adventure, openness, and powers to good use.
This crossover has expanded the possibilities for Elainās story, and could provide important set up for her adventure and romance. In fact, Iām half expecting her to appear at the beginning of CC3, with tea, bread, and a vase of roses on a tray for Bryce and nonchalantly inquire after her trip. Because of course Elain would have seen that coming. She may have even worked to bring it about. That sneaky behavior makes her all the more interesting and relevant. And maybe finally, finally, characters and readers alike will stop underestimating her.
whenever they get into fights or are mad at each other they apologize with little gifts or notes. azriel has gotten elain random small things like seeds or perfume from the continent, written her poems, and concert tickets. elain has gotten azriel a magical expanding travelers mug, made him his favorite pastries with some of the rare ingredients he got her, and started to learn how to carve like her father did (now azriel has a collection of trinkets elain made)
azriel doesnāt put on his own shirts or coats anymore. elain always does for him
azriel clasps all her bracelets and necklaces on for her (elain jokes that itās just an excuse for him to touch her neck. she says he has a neck fetish)
azriel originally bought elain over a dozen different wedding rings because he couldnāt decide but he ended up designing her an original ring. he kept all the rings and gives her one every year on their anniversary
elainās solstice gifts make azriel laugh every single year and the inner circle now try to anticipate what sheāll get him and because the bets started to get out of hand and rhys got caught cheating one year, elain is now the person who keeps the groupsā gifts hidden
elain an azrielās mom have a very close relationship and sometimes elain sees her more than az does
Why do people still think calanmai (Calan MAY) is in March and Gwyn was born in January. Look at the books. In acowar feyre says sheās been in the spring court ājust weeksā and theyāre preparing for summer solstice, and says calanmai was during acomaf chapter 55. So if acowar starts in June, and a few weeks ago was the Hybern incidentā¦ and feyre didnāt spend long in the night court after mating with Rhysā¦ that literally puts calanmai in May. Not March. Hereās a more detailed timeline:
-feyre and Tamlin first start wanting each other on calanmai
-they get together a month later on summer solstice
-acomaf starts right after winter solstice and the wedding is in January when rhys takes her
-the bargain is monthly, so we know the second time rhys takes her itās February
-rhys doesnāt take her a third time so when feyre leaves spring itās late feb-early March. No way Feysand get together within the month.
-feyre says she stays in velaris 2 months before getting together with Rhys, so that puts us in May
-Hybern happens shortly after that
-3 weeks later sheās in the spring court and itās almost summer solstice, so weāre in june
Again it all adds up to calanmai being in May. No way it could be in March, despite it being described as the beginning of spring. Gwyn was prob born in March in that case. This isnāt about ships btw just a common myth I see everywhere that just isnāt true
Vassien Week is an event that celebrates the love we have for Vassa and Lucien aka Vassien from the A Court of Thorns and Roses series. This year, the event is being held from August 15 to August 21, 2022. Participate by creating fanart, moodboards, edits, drabbles, fanfics, text posts, headcanons and more.
DATES
August 15, 2022 ā August 21, 2022
THEMES
Each day will follow a different theme for you to draw inspiration from. We're happy to announce the themes of this week long celebration ā„ļø
Day One: The Clever Fox š¦
The first day of the week is dedicated to the clever fox, aka Lucien Vanserra. What are your thoughts on him? What do you really like about him? Which are some of your favourite moments that involve the wise fae emissary? Fan arts, text posts, moodboards, everything is more than welcome.
Day Two: The Bird of Flame š
The second day of the week is dedicated to the bird of flame, aka Queen Vassa. What are your thoughts on her? What do you really like about her? Which are some of your favourite moments that involve the mortal queen? Fan arts, text posts, moodboards, everything is more than welcome.
Day Three: The Cursed Queen & The Spell-Cleaver āļø
The third day of the week is dedicated to both Vassa and Lucien, aka The Cursed Queen and The Spell-Cleaver. What are your thoughts on them? Vassa is cursed and Lucien has spell-cleaving powers which makes up the most soulmate-ish dynamic. How do you envision Vassa's spell to break and Lucien's involvement in it? What do you think of their titles, their connection? What do you like about them as a pair? Which are your favourite moments of them? Fan arts, text posts, moodboards, fics, everything is more than welcome.
Day Four: Forged in Fire š„
We're all aware that Vassa and Lucien are connected to fire. Vassa is a cursed firebird while Lucien was born with fire powers due to his mother. In a way, they are both forged in fire. This theme could include the dynamic Vassien share, your thoughts on how their love story will be, or what you love about them as a pair. What are your thoughts on their equation, potential, and aesthetic?
Day Five: Freedom to Choose š¤
Lucien is stuck in a mating bond he does not want. Vassa is cursed to be tied to a lake by a death god. What if they had the freedom to pick who they want to be with and they could choose each other? Elaborate through fan-art, fics, text posts, headcanons, whatever suits you best.
Day Six: AUs š
Let your imagination fly with this theme. This means envisioning Vassa and Lucien in any kind of alternate universe. Write text posts, drabbles, fics, or illustrate and edit Vassien through fan arts and moodboards. Which AU you want to choose is totally upto you. It can be a modern AU, a tangled AU, a regency era AU, anything you can imagine.
Day Seven: Free Day šÆ
The last day of the week is a free day. You can create and write completely as per your choice. Whatever theme or prompt you want to try can be used on this day. Soundtracks, theories, predictions, totally your choice.
RULES
ā¢ Be respectful. No hate or slander is allowed.
ā¢ You can participate in one or all of themes, it's totally your choice.
ā¢ Include this in the caption of your posts: Vassien Week | Day X | Theme
ā¢ Here is the link to our Instagram page.
ā¢ Your submissions can be fanarts, edits, gifs, oneshots, drabbles and moodboards. Basically anything you're inspired to create.
ā¢ Don't forget to tag us in all your posts and use the hashtags #Vassien and #Vassien Week. We'll be tracking them to see and share all the amazing creations and posts.
ā¢ Follow this account to stay updated and so that all the amazing creations can show up on your dashboard straight away.
Elriel Month: Week Two: spies, visions, shadows and knives.
Flower and Shadow - SPY AU
Azriel and Elain come from the same agency and have worked together on a couple of missions, their synchrony and complementing skills making them a perfect duo for infiltration and elimination jobs. When Elain gets her newest mission, Azriel isnāt happy to learn he was not quoted to be her partner, making everything in his power to change that. The spy and the assassin embark on the new joint assignment āpretending to be newlyweds, what didnāt faze Elain, since they had pretended to be a couple before. Little did she know that this time theĀ ācouple actā would amount to more than simple play-pretend. She also didnāt expect to die.
[so, a funny thing happened while putting this mb together. As I wrote the fake synopsis i also sketched a fake snippet and suddenly I had +1.2K (?!?!?) So I guess Iāll be posting a spy au now (????) Is it a one shot? Is it a multichapter? I literally have no clue, lol šš Iāll be back for this one]
I saw some posts how the language that sjm uses with g*ynriel is the same that she used with her endgame couples from her books. Like there's many scenes with couples like rowaelin, feysand and elorcan were she uses musical language just like she does with g*ynriel and im worried now so I wanted your thoughts on thisš
Hi, sorry for the delay, chaos afoot.
I really couldn't disagree more, the language she uses with Gw*nriel is nowhere even akin to that of what she uses with Elriel, not aided by the fact they have like three scenes together lmao
We have tons and tons of scenes that parallel almost every canon SJM character, not just the random use of musical language which is tied to Gwyn. I will link my general list though there are certainly more out there...
ā³ Parallels
Feysand Parallels
Rowaelin Parallels in Text + Another One + Three (THESE ARE MUST READ IMO)
Elorcan Parallels
Rowan&Lyria/Elucien Parallels
Holy Trio Parallels
Cazriel Parallels + Part Two + Part Three + Wings & Embers [W&E Part Two]
Helion & The High Lady of Autum Past vs Present Elriel Parallels
Nesta & Azriel Parallels
3 Bat Boy Reactions + Part Two
All Sarah's Mates
TOG Parallel?
Rowaelin x Feysand x Elriel Parallel
It is safe to say for me, these are not even comparable. Azriel spends the only solo scene with Gwyn saying he doesn't consider her a friend, not wanting to talk but forcing it to be 'civil' and wanting to not even have the conversation to start with.
I think it is a complete disservice SJM's core couples by saying they are written the same but that is just my opinion, to each their own of course.
āwould you like me to show you the garden?ā she seemed so small before him, so fragile compared to the scales of his fighting leathers, the breadth of his shoulders. the wings peaking over them. but elain did not balk from him, did not shy away as she noddedā just once.
In this post I will compare the Elain and Lucien scene in acowar and Elriel scene in Azriel's bonus chapter.
This is a pro-elriel post so if you don't like elriel scroll past it.
1.
Elucien scene in acowar
āBut there she was. His mate. She was nothing like Jesminda.ā
Azriel bonus scene
āSoft steps padded from under the stair archway, and there she was.Ā The faelights gilded Elain's unbound hair, making her glow like the sun at dawn. She halted, her breath catching in her throat.ā
And there she was has a parallel with nessian bonus chapter from acomaf you can find it here >>> And there she was by @onceupona-chaos
2.
Elucien scene in acowar
Jesminda had been all laughter and mischief, too wild and free to be contained by the country life that sheād been born into. She had teased him, taunted himāseduced him so thoroughly that he hadnāt wanted anything but her. Sh eād seen him not as a High Lordās seventh son, but as a male. Had loved him without question, without hesitation. She had chosen him. Elain had been ā¦ thrown at him.
Azriel's bonus chapter
Azriel ignored the question. "The Cauldron chose three sisters. Tell me how it's possible that my two brothers are with two of those sisters, yet the third was given to another."
@silverlinedeyes made a post about this part >> the post
In the post she states that how Azriel sees Elain as a gift while lucien sees her as a burden.
Before we move onto third point of this post. I need to add one more thing about both the first and second point.
So the elucien scene in the first and second point is one scene. Like this:
But there she was. His mate. She was nothing like Jesminda. Jesminda had been all laughter and mischief, too wild and free to be contained by the country life that sheād been born into. She had teased him, taunted himāseduced him so thoroughly that he hadnāt wanted anything but her. Sheād seen him not as a High Lordās seventh son, but as a male. Had loved him without question, without hesitation. She had chosen him. Elain had been ā¦ thrown at him.
and the full given to another scene in azriel's bonus chapter is like this:
Azriel stiffened. Let his cold rage rise to the surface, the rage he only ever let Rhysand see, because he knew his brother could match it.Ā "What if the Cauldron was wrong?" Rhysand blinked. "What of Mor, Az?" Azriel ignored the question. "The Cauldron chose three sisters. Tell me how it's possible that my two brothers are with two of those sisters, yet the third was given to another." He had never before dared speakĀ the words aloud.
When you look at the green highlighted parts... Lucien, her mate, favors his past lover instead of his mate. Azriel favors Elain instead of the woman he was in love with for 500 years. He has feelings for Elain. And he moved on from Mor from what we read in acosf:
Distant wordsāones that prevented Cassian from prying further. He was still happy to be Morās buffer with Azriel, but thereād been a change lately. In both of them. Mor no longer sat beside Cassian, draped herself over him, and Azriel ā¦ those longing glances toward her had become few and far between. As if heād given up. After five hundred years, heād somehow given up. Cassian couldnāt think why. (Acosf)
okay..... To the next point.
3.
Elucien scene in acowar
Touch her, smell her, taste herā The instincts were a running river. He fisted his hands at his sides.
Azriel bonus scene
He needed to know what the skin of her neck tasted like. What those perfect lips tasted like. Her breasts. Her sex. He needed her coming on his tongue --
Her arousal drifted up to him, and his eyes nearly rolled back in his head at the sweet scent. He'd beg on his knees for a chance to taste it. But Azriel just stroked her neck again.
4.
Elucien scene in acowar
āThereās a plate of biscuits. Would you like one?ā He didnāt expect her to answer, and he gave himself all of one more minute before heād rise from this chair and leave, hopefully avoiding Nestaās return.
Azriel's bonus chapter
Elain closed the distance, and her breathing quickened as she again paused, now a scant foot away. She extended the wrapped gift, her hand shaking. "Here."
Azriel let his shadows whisk away the box as she said softly, "Put it on me?"
Azriel'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.
5.
Elucien scene in acowar
But Elain blinked slowly. āYou were in Hybern.ā āYes.ā It was all he could say. āYou betrayed us.ā He wished sheād shoved him out the window behind her. āItāit was a mistake.ā Her eyes went frank and cold. āI was to be married in a few days.ā He fought against the bristling rage, the irrational urge to find the male whoād claimed her and shred him apart. The words were a rasp as he instead said, āI know. Iām sorry.ā
Azriel's bonus chapter
Rhys vanished, and Azriel was left standing before Elain, who still awaited his kiss. His stomach twisted as he pulled his hand from her hairĀ and stepped back. Forced himself to say, "This was a mistake.ā She opened her eyes, hurt and confusion warring there before she whispered, "Iām sorry." āYou don't-- Don't apologize,ā he managed to say. "Never apologize. It's I who shouldā¦ā He shook his head, unable to stand the bleakness he'd brought to her expression. "Goodnight.ā
@silverlinedeyes thanks for the help in this point. š
In Elucien scene Lucien is the one who says "it was a mistake" and Elain's eyes go frank and cold. She is angry at him. He played a role in her trauma but it was just a mistake to him but whereas Elain's whole life changed. And that role is a barrier for her to warm up to him and in acosf we see that she loses her newfound boldness around him.
He and Lucien did not exchange gifts, though the male had brought a gift for Feyre and one for his mate, who barely thanked him after opening the pearl earrings. Cassianās heart strained at the pain etching deep into Lucienās face as he tried to hide his disappointment and longing. Elain only shrank further into herself, no trace of that newfound boldness to be seen.
And in Elriel scene Azriel is the one to say "it was a mistake" but he doesn't mean it. He said it because of Rhys not because it was a mistake. And Elain is hurt because she thinks she read him wrong. Azriel is unable to stand the bleakness he'd brought to her so he just winnows away. There is a misunderstanding not an actual mistake like what Lucien did that built a wall between them.
