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[elainarcheronsvisions]

BB: “we will be back with the inner circle soon”

Random comments: “Can’t wait to be back with the Valkyries and Band of Exiles”

[elazrielain]

Enter the Court- VIP Access

Shop Samii Ryan — women's collab clothing featuring Looney Tunes, Peanuts, Powerpuff Girls, Spring 2026 and more. Free US shipping on all or

Am I crazy, looking at that I see Wings and Ruin cover what appears to be the tail feathers of the Mist and Fury cover. But I haven’t seen the rose vine before….👀 maybe a clue for the upcoming cover? I don’t know but it’s giving Elain and Az all day everyday

[elazrielain]

I thought it might be a good time to bring this back….👀

[duskwhisperer]

Elriel ꔛꕤ

What if”—I jerked my chin toward the window, to my sister and the shadowsinger in the garden— “that is what she needs?

ꕤ art by @redraccoonart

ꕤ commissioned by me

Instagram | Twitter | @elriel-month

♡ please do not reupload.

[elazrielain]

Hmmm… I wonder what ACOTAR 6 might be about….🤔

[elainsvisions]

Something tells me that if their kiss gets interrupted again, Elain won't let it end there.

This time, she'd be the one closing the distance, taking Azriel by surprise, and finally stealing the kiss they've both been waiting far too long for.

Enough interruptions, enough longing, Elain's getting her kiss.

A huge thank you to @aurithemoon for this absolutely breathtaking comic. I'm completely obsessed with the way you draw Elain and Azriel. Thank you for sharing your incredible talent with us.

⊱❊⊰⁣⁣⁣

⁣⁣⁣⤞ Art by @aurithemoon

⁣⁣⁣⤞ Commissioned by me

⁣⁣⁣⤞ Please do not repost without permission

⁣⁣⁣⤞ Instagram

⊱❊⊰⁣⁣⁣

[elazrielain]

Not her straight up shipping them in an officially licensed ad……💙🩷. Exactly how SJM wanted tb to smell. And no scents for Gwen 😭

[soyzaweels]

Elain and Azriel as Aphrodite and Ares 💕

➵ Non-canon art

➵ Art by the lively @/sara_parrenyo on ig 🩷

➵ Commissioned by me 🤗

Happy Halloween!!!

I hope you all having a fun day! In honor of the festivities, I wanted to share today this gorgeous art of Elain and Azriel as Aphrodite and Ares. I feel that there are quite a few similarities between the stories of both couples, and thus was inspired to commission this scene.

To emphasize the greek mythological figures our couple are dressed as, we have Elain holding the Golden Apple of Discord; and Azriel in the armor of the god of war and courage. Although rather than traditional red, we have blue to represent his siphons, adding a personal touch I adore!

I am so happy with how they look at each other with adoration and love! I hope you enjoy as well!

➵ Characters Elain Archeron and Azriel belong to @therealsjmaas

➵ Please 𝐃𝐎𝐍'𝐓 𝐑𝐄𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐓

➵ Likes and shares are appreciated.

➵ Be respectful.

[elazrielain]

🩷💙What a time to be alive 🩷💙

💖🎵💖

[elainsgirl]

No one hates the elucien bond more than Sjm

[amethystblooms]

take out the bonus, and what do elriels have?

you mean besides the hints in mist and fury, wings and ruin and frost and starlight?

okay! let’s see what we have in silver flames:

Azriel chuckled, shadows skittering. “Did you listen at all last night?” “No.” “At least you’re honest.” Azriel smirked. “You and Nesta are wanted down there.” “Because of the shit with Elain?” Azriel stilled. “What happened to Elain?” Cassian waved a hand. “A fight with Nesta. Don’t bring it up,” he warned when Azriel’s eyes darkened. Cassian blew out a breath. “I take that as a no regarding the meeting topic, then.” “It’s about what I discovered. Rhys said he requires you both there.” “It’s bad, then.” Cassian surveyed the shadows gathered around Az. “You all right?” His brother nodded. “Fine.” But shadows still warmed him. Cassian knew it was a lie, but didn’t push it. As would speak when he was ready, and Cassian would have better success convincing a mountain to move than getting Az to open up. ->a court of silver flames, ch. 19

For a heartbeat, it appeared the Elain might say something to soften the words. But Nesta cut her off, seething at the pity about to be thrown her way. “Look who decided to grow claws after all,” she crooned. “Maybe you’ll become interesting at last, Elain.” Nesta saw the blow land, like a physical impact, in Elain’s face, her posture. No one spoke, though shadows gathered in the corners of the room, like snakes preparing to strike. Elain’s eyes brightened with pain. .. Feyre smiled. “Elain was the only one who guessed. She caught me vomiting two times in a row.” She nodded towards Azriel. “I think she’s got you beat for secret-keeping.” ->a court of silver flames, ch. 21

“She’s volatile right now. The last time she did a scrying, it ended badly. The Cauldron looked at her. And then took Elain.” He’d seen every horrific memory flash before Nesta’s eyes today. And though he understood that Elain had spoken true, claiming the trauma of that memory, Cassian knew firsthand the lingering horror and pain of a loved one stolen and hurt. Azriel stiffened. “I know. I helped rescue Elain, after all.” Azriel hadn’t so much as hesitated before going into the heart of Hybern’s war-camp. .. “It doesn’t matter what I want.” Distant words—ones that prevented Cassian from prying further. He was still happy to be Mor’s buffer with Azriel, but there’d been a change lately. In both of them. Mor no longer sat beside Cassian, draped herself over him, and Azriel … those longing glances toward her had become few and far between. As if he’d given up. After five hundred years, he’d somehow given up. Cassian couldn’t think why. ->a court of silver flames, ch. 22 ↳this is foreshadowing to: “..And I think Elain—Elain would like it, too. Though she’d probably cling to Azriel, just to have some piece and quiet.” I smiled at the thought—at how handsome they would be together. If the warrior ever stopped quietly loving Mor. I doubted it. Azriel would likely love Mor until he was a whisper of darkness between the stars. ->a court of mist and fury, ch. 49

Nesta said, “The trove. And what happened the last time I scried.” Feyre said, “We won’t allow any harm to come to Elain. Rhys warded her this morning, and we have eyes on her at all times.” “Eyes can be blinded,” Nesta said. ”Not the ones under my command,” Azriel said with soft menace. Nesta met his stare, knowing he was the only one aside from Feyre who could truly understand her hesitation. He’d gone with Feyre into the heart of Hybern’s camp to save Elain—he knew the risk. “We won’t make the same mistake twice.” She believed him. ->a court of silver flames, ch. 31

“I always thought she was born on the wrong side of the wall,” Elain admitted. “She made ballrooms into battlefields and plotted like any general. Like you two,” she said, nodding to Cassian, and then, a bit more shyly, to Azriel. Azriel offered her a small smile that Elain quickly looked away from. Cassian tucked away his puzzlement. Lucien was certainly not here to snarl at any male who looked at her for too long. ->a court of silver flames, ch. 44

Her gaze shifted to the carved wooden rose she’d placed upon the mantel, half-hidden in the shadows beside a figurine of a supple-bodied female, her upraised arms clasping a ful moon between them. Some sort of primal goddess—perhaps even the Mother herself. Nesta hadn’t let herself dwell on why she’d felt the need to set the rose there. Why she hadn’t just thrown it in a drawer. ->a court of silver flames, ch. 56

“You came,” Elain said behind her, and Nesta started, not having heard her sister approach. She scanned Elain from head to toe, wondering if she’d been taking lessons in stealth either from Azriel or the two half-wraiths she called friends. .. And then Elain burst out laughing. Howling, half-sobbing laughs that sent her bending over at the waist, gasping for breath. Nesta just stared, torn between questions and wanting to throw herself into the icy Sidra. “I—I’m so sorry—” Elain held up a hand, wiping her eyes with the other. “You’ve never said such a thing to me!” She laughed again. “I think that’s a good sign, isn’t it?” Nesta shook her head slowly, not understanding. Elain just linked her arm through Nesta’s and led her toward the family room, where Azriel stood in the doorway, monitoring them. As if he’d heard Elain’s sharp laugh and wondered what caused it. “I was just checking on dessert,” Elain explained as they approached the doorway and Azriel. Nesta met the shadowsinger’s 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. Elain’s breath caught slightly, and she gave him a shallow nod of greeting before brushing past, leading Nesta into the room. .. Azriel lingered near the door, quiet enough that when Feyre and Mor began talking about some of her paintings, Nesta went over to him. “Why don’t you sit?” She leaned against the doorway beside the shadowsinger. “My shadows don’t like the flames so much.” A pretty lie. She’d seen Azriel before the fire plenty. But she looked at who sat close to it and knew the answer. “Why did you come if it torments you so much?” “Because Rhys wants me here. It’d hurt him if I didn’t come.” “Well, I think holidays are stupid.” “I don’t.” She arched a brow. He explained. “They pull people together. And bring them joy. They are a time to pause and reflect and gather, and those are never bad things.” Shadows darkened his eyes, full of enough pain that she couldn’t stop herself from touching his shoulder. Letting him see that she understood why he stood in the doorway, why he wouldn’t go near the fire. His secret to tell, never hers. ->a court of silver flames, ch. 58

⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡ ⋆ ⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡ ⋆ ⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ

i don’t know about y’all, but i feel pretty confident in my ship with these little breadcrumbs! ♡

⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡ ⋆ ⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡ ⋆ ⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ

now we take out the bonus, and what do g.ynriels have?

let’s see now..

“Nesta called Azriel the new ribbon!”

sure. this happened:

Gwyn threw Azriel a withering stare as she strode past him. “See you tomorrow, Shadowsinger.” she tossed over a shoulder. Az stared after her, brows high with amusement. When he turned back, Nesta grinned. “You have no idea what you just started,” she said. Az angled his head, hazel eyes narrowing as Gwyn reached the archway. “Remember how Gwyn was with the ribbon?” Nesta winked and clapped the shadowsinger on the shoulder. “You’re the new ribbon, Az.” ->a court of silver flames, ch. 60

but do you truly think this was meant in a “romantic” sense when not even three (?) chapters back nesta noticed azriel’s feelings towards someone else?

Shadows darkened his eyes, full of enough pain that she couldn’t stop herself from touching his shoulder. Letting him see that she understood why he stood in the doorway, why he wouldn’t go near the fire. His secret to tell, never hers. ->a court of silver flames, ch. 58

“G.yn showed spy qualities in the Blood Rite!”

a twist on words, but okay.. this “happened”:

She smiled crookedly at Nesta. “I kept to the trees the first two nights, watching the beasts, and I spotted that horrible male and his companions this morning. Saw they’d found my nightgown and displayed it, and I knew they were hunting for you. I thought I’d take them out before they could find you.” ”You led the beast right to them.” ”I learned where the beasts sleep during the day,” Gwyn said. “And that they get very angry when awoken. She pointed to the cuts on her face, her hands. “I barely outran that one as I led it toward the camp. My timing was just good luck, though.” ->a court of silver flames, ch. 67

but if this were true, then why didn’t sarah just come right out and have nesta notice it? instead of nesta questioning it in regards to someone else?

“You came,” Elain said behind her, and Nesta started not having heard her sister approach. She scanned Elain from head to toe, wondering if she’d been taking lessons in stealth either from Azriel or the two half-wraiths she called friends. ->a court of silver flames, ch. 58

“G.yn is the light to Azriel’s dark!”

uh huh.. then why do we have this?

Elain looked up at Azriel, their eyes meeting, his hand still lingered on the hilt of the blade. I 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. The only bridge of connection … that knife. ->a court of wings and ruin, ch. 69

“What now?” Elain used, at last answering my question from moments ago as her attention drifted to the windows facing the sunny street. That smile grew, bright enough that it lit up even Azriel’s shadows across the room. “I would like to build a garden,” she declared. “After all of this … I think the world needs more gardens.” ->a court of wings and ruin, ch. 80

“Azriel was worried for G.yn when she was in the rite, he just couldn’t do anything about it!”

did that stop cassian from trying to save nesta?

Cassian couldn’t breathe. Hadn’t been able to breathe or speak for long minutes now. His family had arrived, and they all surrounded him in the wrecked bedroom of Emerie’s house. They were speaking, Azriel with some urgency, but Cassian didn’t hear him, heard nothing but the roaring in his head bedore he said to no one in particular, “I’m going after them.” Silence fell, and he turned to find them all staring at him, pale and wide-eyed. Cassian tapped the Siphons on the backs of his hands, and his remaining Siphones appeared at his shoulders, knees and chest. He nodded to Rhys. “Winnow me to her. Az, you find Emerie and Gwyn.” Rhys didn’t move an inch. “You know the laws, Cass.” “Fuck the laws.” “What laws?” Feyre demanded. “Tell her,” Rhys ordered him, night swirling around his wings. Cassian bristled. “Tell her, Cassian.” The asshole had used that inherent dominance on him. Cassian gritted out, “Anyone who pulls a warrior from the Blood Rite will be hunted down and executed. Along with the warrior who is dishonorably removed from the Rite.” ->a court of silver flames, ch. 64

if this were true, cassian also would’ve felt rage from azriel or some sort of reaction. but he didn’t..

Azriel said tightly, “My spies got word that Eris has been captured by Briallyn. She sent his remaining soldiers after him while he was out hunting with his hounds. They grabbed him and somehow, they were all winnowed back to her palace. I’m guessing using Koschei’s power.” ”I don’t care.” Cassian aimed for the doorway. Even if … Fuck, Hadn’t he been the one to tell Rhys not to go after those soldiers? To leave them be? He was a fool. He’d left an armed enemy in his blind spot and forgotten about it. And Eris could rot for all her cared. Az said, “We have to get him out.” ->a court of silver flames, ch. 64

1 for azr.s ~ 0 for g.ynriel

and we already have azriel willing to sacrifice himself to save someone else:

From the shadows near the entrance to the tent, Azriel said, as if in answer to some unspoken debate, “I’m getting her back.” Nesta slide her gaze to the shadowsinger. Azriel’s hazel eyes glowed golden in the shadows. Nesta said, “Then you will die.” Azriel only repeated, rage glazing that stare, “I’m getting her back.” ->a court of wings and ruin, ch. 64

and we were even reminded after the fact:

Azriel stiffened. “I know. I helped rescue Elain, after all.” Az hadn’t so much as hesitated before going into the heart of Hybern’s war-camp. ->a court of silver flames, ch. 22

Feyre said, “We won’t allow any harm to come to Elain. Rhys warded her this morning, and we have eyes on her at all times.” “Eyes can be blinded,” Nesta said. “Not the ones under my command,” Azriel said with soft menace. Nesta met his stare, knowing he was the only one aside from Feyre who could truly understand her hesitation. He’d gone with Feyre into the heart of Hybern’s camp to save Elain—he knew the risk. “We won’t make the same mistake twice.” ->a court of silver flames, ch. 31

“G.yn is getting private dagger lessons with Azriel!”

cute. another twist on words:

War had left the cottage untouched. But the harsh winters since Nesta had last seen it had not been so kind. Azriel had winnowed her and Cassian here after training, but hadn’t lingered. Apparently, Gwyn wanted him to go over dagger handling, so he’d left them with a promise to return within an hour. ->a court of silver flames, ch. 55

never once does it say that it was “private”, and we don’t hear anything about it again. i mean, there were countless times sarah could’ve mentioned it. when nesta is spending almost 24/7 training with g.yn. maybe a mention here and there to show nesta noticing g.yn’s improvement and wondering if it could be “a result due to the extra lessons from the spymaster”..

nesta spends almost every waking moment with g.yn. and not once did she question if g.yn was getting extra training by azriel. even after hearing az mention dagger handling..

but do you know who nesta did question if they were getting lessons in stealth by azriel despite her character not being present as much for majority of the book?

“You came,” Elain said behind her, and Nesta started, not having heard her sister approach. She scanned Elain from head to toe, wondering if she’d been taking lessons in stealth either from Azriel or the two half-wraiths she called friends. ->a court of silver flames, ch. 58

“Azriel looked to Gwyn when she made a noise of happiness in training!”

sure..

Gywn let out a high-pitched noise that was nothing but pure excitement. Azriel, on the other side of the ring with the rest of the priestesses. half-turned at the sound, brows high. ->a court of silver flames, ch. 44

but this is what happens straight after..

Cassian flashed a grin. “I fought beside the Valkyries for five battles. But that stopped at the Battle of Meinir Pass.” His smile faded. “When most of them died to save it. The Valkyries knew it was a suicide mission from the start.” Azriel returned to his charges, but Nesta had a feeling the shadowsinger monitored every word, every gesture from his brother. ->a court of silver flames, ch. 44

and did you ignore this has already happened with someone else? when azriel’s focus remained on her and only her?

Nesta shook her head slowly, not understanding. Elain just linked her arm through Nesta’s and led her toward the family room, where Azriel stood in the doorway, monitoring them. As if he’d heard Elain’s sharp laugh and wondered what had caused it. ->a court of silver flames, ch. 58

“G.yn has pliable bones for illyrian children! Elain doesn’t!”

(dis)respectfully? shut the f.ck up.

⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡ ⋆ ⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡ ⋆ ⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ

see the difference? i don’t know about y’all but i sure can! what i do know with 100% certainty is that i don’t need to rely on a bonus chapter to know who my endgame is!

if elriel is “too obvious”, congratulations! you’ve caught on to the beautiful thing in this bookish world that is called ⋆｡°✩foreshadowing✩°｡⋆ !!

how does it feel? i’m genuinely curious..

so now let’s stop trying to twist the narrative into something that it isn’t..

okay?? okay! ♡

[elazrielain]

[elazrielain]

[elazrielain]

My little idea of what the 3 brothers 3 sisters families would look like. I know AI Art isn’t cool but I’ve been wanting to find a a way I could help put these characters together and this has been so helpful for me. I have a lot more that I’ve done if people would want to see it. I came up with the name Oriana for Nessian’s daughter and Tynan and Aurora for Elriel’s twins

[mortalfae7]

Deep Dive Koschei Folkore and ACOTAR

Theory: The Koschei Protocol, The Firebird, and the Mismatch

I’m coming from TikTok, maybe you already saw some posts from me there. I'm relatively new to the fandom, and after finally falling down the Koschei + Firebird folklore rabbit hole, my brain has not known peace since. I’ve spent days cross-referencing Russian/Slavic folklore with ACOTAR (Google, Reddit, Tumblr, you name it) and tried to map out how deeply SJM may have woven these myths into the series.

This is me attempting to connect the dots. There may be gaps or misunderstandings on my part, so if something feels off, please feel free to correct me. That said—grab your tea, adjust your tinfoil hats, because this theory touches Koschei, the “Three Sisters, Three Brothers” prophecy, and why Lucien and Vassa make far more sense than people give them credit for.

Part I: Koschei the Deathless & The Onyx Box

Koschei the Deathless in Slavic myth is an immortal being who hides his soul outside his body. He can’t be killed unless someone finds the object containing his death.

His soul is hidden separate from his body inside a needle, which is in an egg, which is in a duck, which is in a hare, which is in an iron chest... which is buried under a green oak tree, which is on the island of Buyan.

In ACOTAR the "body" of Koschei, currently visible as a shadowy figure hovering over a lake on the continent, is merely a projection or a biological drone.  

The Onyx Box and the Seer: Elain serves as the narrative bridge to this folkloric element. In ACOWAR, Elain describes a vision that has yet to come to fruition:

"I saw a box of black stone... There is an onyx box that he possesses, more vital than anything…"

This "onyx box" is the direct equivalent of the "iron chest" from the folklore. The text implies that Koschei’s „death" (the needle) is housed within this box. Therefore, the "defeat" of Koschei requires a heist narrative rather than a battlefield victory. It requires a character capable of seeing the hidden (Elain).

Part II: The "Three Sisters, Three Brothers" Prophecy

In the Russian folktale, the protagonist Ivan, has three sisters: Marya, Olga, and Anna. These sisters do not marry human princes. They marry supernatural beings who take the form of birds of prey to court them.

The Falcon: Arrives with thunder/light. Matches Rhysand (High Lord, wings, "Night Triumphant“).

The Eagle: Symbol of war/strength. Matches Cassian (General, physical powerhouse).

The Raven: Associated with wisdom/secrets/death. Matches Azriel (Spymaster, Shadowsinger)   

These suitors can shape-shift into birds. Our bat-boys… he he he We have already 2 out of 3 couples. Feysand (Falcon) and Nessian (Eagle) left are Azriel (Raven) and Elain.  

The Third Couple: The Raven (Azriel) and the Third Sister (Elain) Folklore: The Raven is the third suitor. In Slavic myth, the Raven is the bird of death, secrets, and wisdom. He takes the sister Anna.  ACOTAR: Azriel is the Shadowsinger. He is the Spymaster (secrets). His wings are described differently, often cloaked in shadow. The Raven is the perfect totem for the Shadowsinger.  The Mismatch: Currently, Elain is mated to Lucien. However, the structure of the folklore demands the third sister marry the third Bird suitor. Lucien is not a bird; he is a Fox. Azriel is the Bird.

Let’s look into Lucien first, before we continue about the mismatch reasons.

Part III: Lucien and Vassa

In the folklore, Ivan is the brother of the three sisters. He is not one of the suitors. He is a separate hero who goes on his own journey.  Folklore: Ivan watches his sisters marry the birds. He is left alone. He then decides to go on a quest to find his own destiny and his own bride. ACOTAR: Lucien is not their brother but he is somehow connected to the Archeron sisters. He watches the Archerons pair off with the Night Court. He is effectively "left alone". The Destiny: Just as Ivan leaves his home to find the Warrior Queen, Lucien leaves the Night Court/Spring Court to find Vassa on the Continent. 

Queen Vassa is a composite character constructed from three specific Russian mythological figures: The Firebird, Vasilisa the Beautiful, and the Warrior Queen.  

The Firebird Folklore: The Firebird is a magical entity of living flame. It is often a curse or a captive of Koschei. It transforms between bird and woman. ACOTAR: Vassa is cursed by Koschei to be a "Firebird by day, woman by night". She is literally the Firebird.

The Warrior Queen Folklore: The Warrior Queen is a "fair princess" who chains Koschei in her dungeon. She is powerful, independent, and acts as a military leader.  ACOTAR: Vassa is a human Queen who "raged through the skies" during the war. She is not a damsel; she is a combatant who actively holds the line against Hybern. She is the one who has the knowledge of Koschei.

The Quest for the Firebird: Folklore: The sons are commanded to find the Firebird. The older brothers fail. Ivan, the youngest (most underestimated), succeeds. ACOTAR: Lucien volunteers to go find Vassa. Lucien enters the "unknown lands" to retrieve the Firebird (Vassa).  

Vassa is Fire: She is the Firebird. Her curse is solar-dependent (Bird by Day). Lucien is the Sun: Lucien is the biological son of Helion, High Lord of the Day Court. Helion is the "Spell-Cleaver."

The Mechanism of the Cure: Vassa’s curse turns her into a bird when the Sun rises. She is bound by the solar cycle. Who is better equipped to break a solar-triggered curse than the Heir of the Day Court? Lucien’s magic (Spell-Cleaving + Day/Light) is the direct counter-force required to unravel Koschei’s weaving. Feyre could not break it. Helion could not break it yet, perhaps because the breaking requires the specific combination of the "Ivan" love-bond and the "Day" power.

Part IV: The mismatch and Cauldron corruption

Until now, I assumed Elain’s bond with Lucien was a simple technicality—Azriel was under faebane, off the Cauldron’s radar, and the bond snapped into place with the next available match. Now, I’m not convinced it was accidental at all. What if the Cauldron was corrupted or deliberately intervened by mismatching Elain and Lucien? Either as a calculated move to eventually destroy Koschei, or because Koschei himself interfered to keep his death out of reach. The mechanics of that are still a mystery, and honestly, I’m dying to see how Sarah untangles it.

Theory A: The Safety Lock (The Cauldron Protected the World) If Elain bonds with Azriel, the "Prophecy of Three" (Three Sisters + Three Bat/Brothers) is complete. In many magic systems, a completed triad releases massive power perhaps the exact power needed to unlock the Onyx Box. The Twist: Maybe unlocking the box doesn't kill Koschei... maybe it frees him fully??? The Cauldron sensed that uniting the Third Sister and the Raven now would trigger a catastrophe (Koschei's full awakening). So, it "glitched" on purpose. It bonded Elain to Lucien to put a safety lock on the prophecy. It forces the characters to pause. OR perhaps it requires the Seer, the Spell-Cleaver, and the Firebird together to finally end Koschei—and that is precisely why the Cauldron bound Elain to Lucien, even if her true counterpart is Azriel.

Theory B: The Sabotage (Koschei Corrupted the Bond) Koschei is a death god who whispers into the earth and minds. What if he influenced the Cauldron to snap the bond into place between Elain and Lucien? This single move neutralizes two threats at once.

It neutralizes the Ivan: By tethering Lucien (The Spell-Cleaver) to Elain, Koschei ensures Lucien is distracted, heartbroken, and focused on the Night Court instead of focusing on Vassa (The Firebird). It keeps the Doctor away from the Patient.

It neutralizes the Raven: It keeps Azriel in a state of longing and frustration, preventing the "Three Sisters" power dynamic from solidifying. Azriel says it himself in the Bonus Chapter:

"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.“

And perhaps it would take Elain and Azriel together to finally destroy him, which is exactly why he wants them kept apart.

Theory C: Yeah, Azriel was under faebane, off the Cauldron’s radar…

Part V: The Unanswered Questions

I still have 3 questions/thoughts.:

The Bargain: We are told Papa Archeron made a bargain with Koschei for a brief reprieve from Vassa's enslavement. What did he trade? 

The "Waiting": Koschei told Azriel, "I’ve been waiting for you for months." Why does a death god need a Shadowsinger? Does he need Azriel's specific powers (Truth-Teller/Shadows) to unlock the box? Does this involve Elain too?

The Fox Factor: Lucien is a Fox. In fairy tales, Foxes are tricksters. Can we really trust him?

[sapaul]

The difference between Lucien and Azriel is one talks, and one acts. I’m not impressed because lulu suggesting Elain goes outside. I am impressed that Azriel takes time out of his day to take Elain outside AND sit with her. Elain would agree

[elainsvisions]

Azriel and Elain, peace and quiet at last. 🦇🩷

There’s something about this piece that just melts me, the way he finally lets himself rest in Elain’s lap, trusting her enough to drift into a sleep he’s been starving for. And Elain… gently tucking petals into his hair like it’s the most natural thing in the world.

And then that moment he wakes, sleepy, soft, and utterly gone for her, only to pull her in for the sweetest kiss because how else could he thank the one place he’s ever truly felt at peace?

It’s tender, it’s intimate, it’s everything I imagine for them. 🌸🖤

A huge thank you to @trxxvon_ for this breathtaking piece. 💜

You captured their softness, their trust, and their quiet little world so perfectly. I’m genuinely in awe of the tenderness in every panel, it’s everything I love about Elain and Azriel wrapped into one beautiful comic.

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⁣⁣⁣⤞ Art by @trxxvon_

⁣⁣⁣⤞ Commissioned by me

⁣⁣⁣⤞ Please do not repost without permission

⁣⁣⁣⤞ Instagram

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