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[emeraldisleslainte]

No. The more I think about Azriel’s necklace for Elain….the effort, the detail, the meaning, the giving in secret 🥹 it’s just so intimate! Also that it was said earlier in the books that it’s a typical gift for wives or mates. I don’t want to wish my life away but equally this book cannot come quick enough 😂😂

[emeraldisleslainte]

As the wait continues for an announcement does anyone have any recent Elriel fics they’d recommend?

Alsoooo if anyone knows the writer of the Elriel fic Ink & Arco? I read it a longggg time ago but can’t remember who was the genius behind it! Hoping there’s more chapters!! Thank you!

[emeraldisleslainte]

I know there’s a lot of opinions out here but I will never understand how people don’t want Elain & Azriel to be together 😂

Genuinely it baffles me. SJM has planned Elriel from the start. I have zero doubt. It’s the opportunity to explore beyond the natural constricts of the mating bond - something she’s hinted at but not really followed through on.

Also sorry but please let this sink in…Azriel wants Elain. It is impacting his life in ways that nothing ever has before…not being able to sleep, affecting training, dreaming of her, saving her even though it meant his own death, sharing his most prized possession with TT, seeking her out at all times, staying away from his fucking family dinners because it’s THAT painful to see her with another man. (AGAIN based on what SHM HAS WROTE).

AND Elain wants azriel. This girl is underestimated to her fucking core. Her first expression of choice & true passion has been & only with Azriel.

There is a connection between Elriel that I genuinely don’t think matches anyone else in this series…including Feysand! Elriel represents something different. And when their story lands, I don’t think we’ll ever recover. It’ll be that glorious x

[thesoftquietdreamerdiary]

Let’s set the record straight:

The bonus chapter from A Court of Silver Flames is not some sweeping, swoony love scene. It’s a quiet, emotionally painful look at a man wrestling with feelings he doesn’t believe he’s allowed to have. From the first page, we learn that Azriel isn’t in a place of romantic bliss—he’s in emotional torment:

“Too many wants and needs left his skin overheated and pulling taut across his bones.”

“So he slept only when his body gave out.”

This is a man haunted. Not content, not satisfied. His insomnia isn’t caused by lust—it’s caused by internal war between desire and restraint. He aches for Elain but doesn’t act on it. He denies himself even the right to imagine a future with her:

“He hadn’t gotten that far with his planning, certainly not beyond the fantasies he pleasured himself to.”

That isn’t evidence of one-dimensional lust. It’s an admission that he can’t let himself hope. The physical fantasies are all he allows, because believing in anything more feels dangerous. This is shame, not indulgence. Then the scene turns heated. Azriel has desire for Elain. No one denies that.

But look closely: it’s not casual. It’s tortured, controlled, and rooted in shame.

“It was a sacrilege for his fingers to touch her skin, tainting her with his presence.”

That isn’t lust.

Lust doesn’t think you’re unworthy.

Lust doesn’t call touch “sacrilege.”

Lust doesn’t ache and pull back and self-loathe.

His thoughts are carnal and conflicted. That’s key. When Elain leans in and gives him verbal and non-verbal consent, it nearly destroys him. This isn’t a man chasing gratification. This is a man drowning in emotion. If all he wanted was sex, he would’ve taken it. She was willing. The room was empty. No one was watching. But he didn’t. Instead, when Rhys interrupts him, Azriel steps back. He apologizes. He says “This was a mistake.”

This is restraint. This is guilt. This is not lust-driven behavior. He doesn’t resent Elain for the moment. He isn’t frustrated that it was ruined. He’s devastated because he’s convinced it can never happen again. Azriel’s training scene with Gwyn is emotionally disconnected. He notices her improvement. . He trains her like he trains others. But the tone is completely different. There’s no pining. No aching. No shame. He gives her the necklace not out of desire, but out of kindness and guilt.

“Tell her it was from Rhys.”

He doesn’t want credit. He doesn’t want it to be known that he even gave her anything. Let's not forget the Gwyn scene happened when Azriel was in emotional withdrawal. He just winnowed away from the most painful interaction he’s had.The bonus chapter is not about Elain being nothing more than a sexual fantasy. It’s about Azriel’s deep internal conflict—his desire, his guilt, and the love he believes he’ll never be allowed to act on. If you’re only reading the chapter for what he says out loud, you’re missing the entire emotional subtext. Because if anything is clear in this chapter, it’s this: He wants Elain.

But more than that—he believes he can’t have her. And that’s not lust. Also—this Is One Chapter From Azriel’s POV. That’s it. One. Scene. To base an entire argument about the depth of Elain and Azriel’s connection off of a single emotionally repressed moment—while ignoring the many other scenes across the series where their dynamic is built up—is reductive at best. It’s also hypocritical. Because when people talk about Gwynriel, they refer to a few just a few interactions, and suddenly that’s evidence of deep romantic compatibility. Yet Elain and Azriel?They’ve exchanged gifts. Shared glances. Been attuned to each other’s presence in nearly every book. But all of that is dismissed because one chapter doesn’t spell it out in emotional prose? That’s not objective analysis. That’s cherry-picking.

[greenleaf777]

Elriel started in ACOMAF

Sjm was clearly pairing Nessian and Elriel off the second they met.

This was their first meeting.

⬆️ ⬇️ Azriel’s attention is immediately on Elain alone.

⬇️Elain also feels more confident with Azriel’s understanding and patience.

****

⬇️ Which parallel’s known mates: Cassian’s attention being solely on Nesta.

⬆️ Azriel seems self conscious talking to a young human woman??? I wonder why 🤔

Also Elain asks Az a simple question and he proceeds to spout poetry 😂 hes so cute.

****

⬇️ Elain having just met these people who she has been taught to fear immediately finds comfort and ease around Azriel. You cannot tell that means nothing. (When we see her discomfort around her supposed mate as well)

****

⬇️ Then in ACOMAF Feyre predicts Elain and Azriel becoming close and even thinks they’d make a handsome couple for no reason.

⬆️ Feyre also introduces the idea of Azriel getting over Mor

****

💫 WHICH THEN leads to ACOSF where SJM follows through and tells us he has in fact gotten over Mor in chapter 22.

⭐️ Ps him getting over his 500 year love was well before he ever started working with a certain ginger 😉 so we know he got over Mor because of Elain.

[emeraldisleslainte]

🙌

[seer-eneflorecita]

"Then his gaze shifted to Elain, and though it was utterly neutral, something charged went through it. Between them."

Beautiful Elriel art on instagram by @virtual__bunny commissioned by @stephdaydreams and @captnswreads

[nikethestatue]

Just thinking about how confused and tortured Azriel must be at all times. Even discounting Rhys's interference, the entire time he is not only suffering from unrequited love, wondering and agonizing over whether this woman feels the same, but also, the level of mindfuck for him must be off the charts. WHY is he so interested in a mated woman? To him, it's the biggest no-no. Absolutely forbidden. Incomprehensible. She is MATED. To another. How dare he desire a mated woman, that is ordained to belong to another man? This is Azriel's belief. He'd seen mated couples before: Rhys's parents. Rhys and Feyre. Nesta' and Cassian. Kallias and Viviane. Drakon and Miryam. He knows them. He'd seen the good and the bad of the mate bond. But they all stayed together. They only wanted each other. Even when it's bad, it's still good, it's still desirable. And yet, here he is, needing, wanting, dreaming of a woman who cannot belong to him. What if the Cauldron was wrong? But how can he prove it? How can he even dare think it? Does the Cauldron make mistakes? Even if it was corrupted in some manner thousands of years ago, could it make such a catastrophic mistake? With him, with Elain? Is there something fundamentally wrong with him, because he wants a woman he isn't allowed to want? Was hi father and his hateful step-mother right after all? Is he damaged and impure and imperfect in every way? A monster to be hidden in the darkness? Because his urges are wrong and unnatural? But yet, he can't help himself. He wants her. He wants Elain like he's never wanted anything else in his life. And so he suffers. He watches her, and he dreams of her, and he stays silent. He watches and he suffers, because suffering is still better than not having her in his life. And she catches his glances sometimes, and holds them. In those moments, he imagines that perhaps, she feels something for him as well. But that couldn't be, right? She is mated to another. He doesn't know why. He's been asking himself and the world. But it's silent. So he watches and he suffers.

[manuwritestales]

Every single theory leads back to Elain and Azriel. every. damn. one.

First off—let’s get the obvious outta the way. Elain is 1000% the next main female character.

SJM literally said she did research and studied for this book. and she’s an Archeron. it’s her turn. period.

And there’s SO MUCH pointing to it:

• in the feysand bonus chapter from ACOSF, Rhys straight up says: “first one sister (Nesta), then the other.”

• Elain is heavily implied to be ready—or soon-to-be—to train and tap into her powers.

• and now with HOFAS? her powers line up perfectly. especially when you look at her next to Azriel.

Let’s talk about the Dusk Court.

Elain’s into gardening, right? and people LOVE to clown her for it, like it’s some silly little thing. But HELLO, every SJM heroine has a “thing.” and this? This will matter.

when we talk about Elain, it’s not just “seer.” it’s powers—plural.

The Cauldron literally loved her enough to give her life, just like it gave Nesta death.

Nesta = death.

Elain = life.

Now imagine Elain, full of this life-giving power, awakening the Eighth Court—the Dusk Court.

And Azriel? the shadowy, mysterious male who’s never fully fit anywhere? what if he’s the heir to that court?

plot twist: the two of them aren’t just compatible—they’re meant to restore a piece of Prythian’s forgotten history.

And the Cauldron?

in that bonus chapter (you know the one—Azriel, Elain, Gwyn), Az drops a bomb:

“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.”

like??? what if the Cauldron got it wrong??

"What if the Cauldron was wrong?"

And now HOFAS is like: “yeah btw the Cauldron is controlled by the Daglan and was trying to breed stronger offspring so...”

We're talking about this since ACOWAR.

Az feels the bond between Elain and Lucien. and not in a “cute jealousy” way. Like he literally feels sick.

and Amren was the only other one who could feel mating bonds in ACOMAF.

but Az doesn’t feel all bonds—he didn’t feel Feysand’s. just Elucien’s.

What if that’s because… there are two mating bonds?

• The Cauldron’s: Elain + Lucien.

• The Mother’s: the real deal. soul-deep. chosen. Elriel.

But what about Lucien???

yeah let’s go there.

this bond with Elain? it’s been hanging around since ACOWAR.

but like… nothing’s happening. no romantic scenes. no tension. no anything.

Elain actively avoids him. She loses her voice around him. She wants nothing to do with him.

And Lucien? He’s literally living with another woman. Also he’s linked to Vassa. And Vassa’s under a spell. and Lucien’s the son of the guy who breaks spells.

Yeah. that’s a plot. That’s its own arc. Not Elain’s.

And no. Elain can’t “just say no” and move on.

If she rejects Lucien, the political fallout would be HUGE.

Beron’s ready to go full villain. he’ll use this to start a war. Blood Duel. Chaos. Alliances crumbling. It’s not that simple.

Now let’s zoom out.

Sarah J. Maas basically invented the mating bond trend in romantasy.

Everyone’s copying it.

Feysand walked so a million other romantasy couples could run.

But what if Elain’s book breaks the trope?

What if she is the one who says:

“I don’t want this bond.”

“I don’t want the male that the Cauldron, fate picked for me.”

“I want to choose for myself.”

Imagine a story where a girl rejects the magical destined bond.

And not because it’s broken or abusive—but just because she doesn’t want it.

Iconic.

SJM’s stories are all about choice.

Feyre and Rhys? They chose each other before the bond.

Nesta and Cassian? Same.

Bryce and Hunt? Same.

Aelin and Rowan? Same.

Feyre didn't even knew about the mating bond, and Rhysand didn't want to tell her, leaving her the possibility to choose.

CHOICE. Not fate. Not obligation. Not “you’re mine because magic said so.”

Love that’s freely chosen.

So why should Elain be forced to accept a bond she doesn’t want?

Lucien doesn’t even seem to want it either. like… he’s vibing with someone else entirely.

And in today’s world?

this story would hit hard.

A female lead saying:

“I don’t owe him anything.”

“I don’t have to give him a chance.”

“I get to choose who I love.”

YES.

We Elriel fans don’t want another ACOSF.

We want something like ACOMAF. Like TOG.

Not just smut and vibes—but a story with depth. A slow-burn, emotional, soul-healing, plot-driving masterpiece.

With a heroine who grows, heals, and shines.

Elain has so much potential.

She’s not a warrior like Nesta or Aelin or Manon. But she’s powerful in her softness. Gentle.

She deserves a book that shows the strength in that.

And we’re ready for it.

[emeraldisleslainte]

PREACH! Elain’s potential is so huge!

[bright-side20]

I think that Elain and Azriel finally choosing each other and saying fuck it is going to be a very beautiful, emotional, and tragically romantic scene. They’re both so used to putting others’ desires first and suffering in silence. The proof? They lived for a whole year on stolen glances and the brush of fingers. Elain felt obliged to hide her growing feelings for Azriel because everyone expects her to finally give her mate a chance. And Azriel? He changed houses just to avoid acting on his feelings and causing a bigger mess.

So when they finally decide to put what they want first, when Azriel chooses to violate Rhys’s order, and Elain decides to reject the bond, they will be finally choosing themselves. Not their duty. Not the expectations. Not the roles carved out for them by fate or politics. Just love ,just that burning desire they feel for each other.

It will be incredibly emotional, especially considering the peace their family is trying to build a peace they’re actively helping maintain. And then there’s Nyx. Like this isn’t just about politics , it’s about risking everything, including the wellbeing of a child they both love fiercely.

Loving each other means guilt. Means wondering every night if this is the moment everything will fall apart. And yet, they keep choosing each other anyway. Yet their love keeps blooming ,growing stronger with every moment they get to live together.

That’s why I believe they’ll decide to keep their relationship a secret for as long as they can. And that secrecy will be delicious the tension of 'we shouldn’t, but we’re doing it anyway because it feels right.' I hope there’s a secret marriage. It would make everything even more meaningful, they’ll have the Mother’s blessing, and a quiet sense of belonging to each other that no one can take away. And deep down, they'll know what they have can’t stay hidden forever. One day, they’ll have to face the consequences of their love ,but they’ll do it together. And they won’t be afraid to stand by their choice.

Now imagine all of that only to discover, in the end, that the Cauldron was wrong. That they were always true mates. That they had the right to be with each other from the start. That no one has the right to evoke a blood duel or start a war. Azriel will definitely cry because he knew. He felt it from the beginning. She was his soulmate.

That’s what SJM is building toward remember it. Elain and Azriel will spend the entire book fighting for the right to love each other, only to have Koschei or some ancient creature reveal at the very end: you two were mates all along.

[emeraldisleslainte]

Hey everyone! Not gune lie..I’m really very scared to be writing this 😂 I’m not an OG reader & only finished silver flames in Jan after being introduced to ACOTAR last year! So firstly…I’m sorry & I cannot imagine the sheer torture you have all had to endure waiting these long years! Fair fucks to all of you for being so patient! I hope for all of you & me (even though I’ve not had to wait as long as you guys!) that the announcement is in May!

So anyway…as a normal reader that has no fucking idea about the other books/ series & was just genuinely delighted to have found the azriel BC thought tumblr……I’ve never been more shocked in my life than when I saw the fan fics about gwyn/azriel & evil theories about Elain 😂 truely shocked & really made me question everything I thought I read / the characters haha

But had on heart I really think people are so caught up in not wanting to see 3 sisters & 3 brothers together, that they’ve let that cloud their judgement. I really don’t get how people couldn’t want Elain & Azriel to be together…I truely believe that out of all the couples (including feysand) they have the most to bring to each other & the most beautiful love story to unfold.

The narrative between the two has been building since he spoke to elain about the song of wind & showed her the garden - all things he didn’t have to do. He didn’t have to bother with her at this stage. But no. Azriel…not her mate…was the one who was able to put a name to what she was going through… A SEER. I honestly think people underestimate how impossibly beautiful it is to have someone put a name or some sort of explanation to what you’re going through.l when you’re struggling. Azriel did that for Elain ie. No Elain you’re not crazy or insane, you’re a seer. So powerful. Everyone else didn’t bother to understand, and that’s the point. Even on a friend level. Lucien may have described her as beautiful & tugged on a rib etc but even on the basic level did he try to understand or figure out what was happening with Elain? No. And genuinely, I know it wasnt on purpose etc but the point is, the one person who went & did anything about Elain’s behaviour was azriel. No one asked him too. No one pushed. Even Elain herself felt so consumed with her loss of human life & visions, that she didn’t bother to figure it out. But azriel. Azriel did. Because he felt something for Elain.

And then it progressed and progressed and progressed, until we got the BC. And my god I was floored. Hand on heart I think Elain and azriel will be the most beautiful story of them all. I think they’ll defy norms, challenge expectations, grow each other’s power & share a bond so strong that it’ll be legendary in Phrythian. And I think they’ll suprise us all in the bedroom 😂

I don’t wana get into ships cuz I don’t know the books as well as others. But in my mind, it says it all that azriel didnt rush into the blood rite to save gwyn, or anyone else. He just left them to it. And untimely that is not what a mate does based on my readings of all the books. They fight, and they risk everything. Just like azriel did rescuing Elain.

Anyway these are my immediate thoughts & I’m sorry if it offends anyone/ I’ve got anything wrong! But honestly, after seeing the unexpected fanfics, I needed to vent. I never thought after my reading of the book & the BC that there was anyone else for azriel apart from Elain, and despite the bond, no one else for Elain apart from azriel. The beauty of life & death, the contrast of dark & light, the importance of choice, the story of a lonely boy in darkness falling in love with a girl that shines like the sun….Everything he was deprived of. Both quiet & underestimated, both listeners, both noticing each others feelings without having to speak, both beautiful but only open emotionally with each other?! Not to mention the possibility that they will defy others to be together!

I just don’t know how anyone couldn’t want them to be together 😔 so yeh safe say that I will be devastated if azriel & Elain don’t end up together! Thanks everyone for the fanfics etc it’s been so great to see!