"I think Lucien is gonna have a villain arc!"
Things Lucien Vanserra has overcome so far without losing his morality, his kindness and loyalty.
-Being abused since basically infancy by his father and brothers who basically wanted him dead for a variety of reasons.
-Had his fiancée, that he was desperately in love with to the point he thought she was his mate (aka the other half of his soul) and was willing to give up everything to be with, be brutally murdered in front of him by his father while his brothers held him down and made him watch.
-Was then chased out of his Court by said brothers trying to kill him.
-Had the lower fae he had come to appreciate and learn from turn from him and blame him for the death of his fiancée (one of their own).
-Had to kill one of his own brothers in self defense
-Had to live for centuries believing that he had lost his one true love and feeling like a part of himself was gone from him forever.
-Was sent to parlay with Amarantha and got his eye ripped out and his face scared so badly it never healed properly.
-Was then forced to attend a party thrown by the female who ripped his eye out and scared his face in an attempt to appease her and win peace for Spring Court. This party then turned sideways and he got cursed alongside all of Spring Court.
-Had to stand by and watch as his new friends from Spring all got sent out one by one to be killed in order to try and save Spring from it's fate. Only for all of his friends to fail.
-Had one of his friends-with whom it seemed he was close-finally get murdered by a human woman who met the requirements set by Amarantha to break the curse.
-Literally had to stand by and watch Tamlin throw away their one chance at saving Spring by sending said human woman away literally the day before the curse was to be broken.
-Was almost murdered and was definitely tortured by Rhysand for refusing to give up Feyre's name to Amarantha.
-Was whipped by Tamlin for helping Feyre in the first trial and then left to suffer for days without receiving any healing or help.
-Was captured by Amarantha's soldiers and made to be a part of Feyre's second trial and was almost killed.
-Had to watch Feyre get brutally murdered in front of him (we know this effected him deeply as he compares it to watching Jess die in the second book).
-Had to deal with Tamlin's rapidly declining mental health and violent outbursts alongside Feyre but had expectations placed on him to "be an example" for Spring.
-Was being sexually harassed by Ianthe
-Had to watch as the sentries of Spring were murdered despite his attempts to save them, by his friend, right in front of him.
-Risked his fucking life and limb to go to Night and try to rescue Feyre not just because he cared about her and was worried but because Spring was literally falling apart and also on the verge of making a deal with Hyburn (which he was actively trying to stop). Only for Feyre to accuse him of giving up on and abandoning her and threaten him with death if he tried to come after her again.
-Was left pretty much entirely alone from that point on with no real friends or support system he could turn to.
-Was SA'd by Ianthe
-After centuries of thinking his mate was killed he learns-in a high stress, dangerous environment-that no Jess wasn't his mate, Feyre's sister who was just kidnapped by the fae your high lord has made a dangerous bargain with and is therefore aligned with, and who has just been forcibly changed into fae in a very traumatic manner. She was then literally ripped away from him and taken to lands he believes is extremely dangerous and horrific.
-Is used by Feyre to cause division in Spring and send Tamlin into wilder and more feral spirals without his consent or knowledge (he's just out here trying to be a good friend to her again and get her to help him get Elain).
-Was SA'd by Ianthe, again.
-Had to sneak around Autumn with someone he didn't know if he could trust or who wouldn't just abandon him the second she could.
-Had to fight off his brothers twice
-Had to be consistently belittled, bullied and demeaned by the Inner Circle (as if without him Feyre would have been able to make it through Autumn without magic) but also expect him to fall at their feet and treat them with gratitude for *check notes* letting him stay as a sort of prisoner in their house using Elain as bait.
-Have the entire Inner Circle treat his intentions with Elain with suspicion. For literally no reason. And make sure he's never allowed to be alone or have any real meaningful conversations with her. Even when it becomes obvious his presence is healing Elain.
-Is ignored by Elain for two years at this point.
-Went back to Spring to try and help Tamlin, by Rhysand's request, only to have the shit beat out of him.
-Was kicked out of the Spring manor because Rhysand couldn't help himself and went to have a dick swinging contest with an utterly defeated Tamlin who then took it out on Lucien.
-Had the entirety of Spring turned against him so he feels he can no longer go back there even outside of the Spring Manor and Tamlin (meaning he probably lost a great deal of his remaining friends).
-Is forced to live with his friends, Jurian and Vassa, because he "has no where else to go". He is at least moderately happy here, for a time, because the two humans are his friends, and they get along well enough that they even made a cute nickname for themselves "The Band of Exiles" only to have Feyre and Cassian mock the name and scoff at the idea that he could find comfort among the humans.
-Was taken away from the Band of Exiles by the Night Court (that still treats him with suspicion and condescension, with the only exception at this point seemingly Nesta.) and is forced to go back to Spring permanently to try and "handle" Tamlin's outbursts and decline because *checks notes* Feyre was pregnant.
Yeah.....I don't think Lucien is going to be "turning" evil at this point. I think Lucien's pain isn't being prolonged to break him down and make him cruel and mean but to set him up for a healing heroic arc (alongside Elain most likely).
