What are your thoughts on the Helion/Lady of the Autumn Court love story?
Before I step onto my soap box, this is my headcannon: the often foreshadowed, ominous Blood Duel (that most certainly will be happening) will be Helion dueling Beron for the Lady of the Autumn Court. I sincerely hope they have a happy ending.
But! Onto my musings. Buckle up... I fear I wrote a research paper.
Helion and the Lady of the Autumn Court's relationship symbolizes a decision many characters in ACOTAR face: to choose love or duty. While their love story is star-crossed, they also are a foil to many characters and couples.
After the High Lord's meeting, Feyre learns of their affair, which took place for a few years after he rescued her during Hybern's war. He recounts to Feyre how he saved her, and doing so in a rather barbaric, animalistic way.
"I tore the beasts apart with my bare hands."
A chill slid down {Feyre's} spine, 'Why?"
He could have ended it a thousand other ways. Easier ways. Cleaner ways. Rhys's bloody hands after the Ravens' attack flashed through my mind. (pg. 453, ACOWAR)
This reaction, which Feyre deems excessive, is followed by the mention of Rhysand's reaction to the Ravens'. Why think of Rhys in this moment? This is intentional, because who is Rhys to Feyre? Mates.
Very clearly, SJM tells us Helion's reaction is not normal, rather aligning with how mates behave. We are meant to infer Lady of the Autumn Court and Helion are mates.
While LofA's abuse and dissociative behavior is evident to everyone around her, Feyre berates Helion for not rescuing his lover.
A furious Helion responds:
"Beron is a High Lord, and she is his wife, mother of his brood. She chose to stay. Chose. And with the protocols and rules, Lady, you will find that most situations like the one you were in do not end well for those who interfere." (pg. 455, ACOWAR)
Feyre continues to push, furious with Helion, but he silences her on the matter. Why would Feyre be so furious with Helion for not rescuing LofA?
Because she was in the exact same situation with Tamlin a book ago. Without her mate's intervention, Feyre would not have had the courage to make the choice to leave.
In this moment, Helion and Lady of Autumn's relationship shows us what could have happened if Feyre chose to stay with Tamlin.
Because, as Helion reminds us, it was the Lady of Autumn's choice to stay with Beron.
Helion gave Lady Autumn a choice, just like Rhys gave Feyre a choice. It might hard for Feyre to understand given what she endured in MAF, but there are many reasons as to why the Lady of Autumn would stay. Her sons, societal limitations, and responsibility.
"I heard a rumor once, Helion, that she waited before agreeing to that marriage. For a certain someone who had met her by chance at an equinox ball the year before." (page 454, WAR)
Woah. Sound familiar? (Calanmai I whisper)
"Interesting. I heard her family wanted international ties to power, and that they didn't give her a choice before they sold her to Beron." (page 454, WAR).
So, why have Mor bring this up? Because she too was sold into marriage, and not just to anyone, but to the Lady of the Autumn Court's first son, the icon, the baddie, Eris (love youuu).
What did Eris do? Born from an unhappy, arranged union, he did what could not have been done for his mother, and freed Mor (questionably so, but still freed her), from their union.
In this moment, we are shown Eris and Mor's relationship could have been like the Lady of the Autumn Court and Beron's.
But Eris decided not to be like his father. He let Mor choose.
And let's not forget who rescued Mor from Autumn Court- Azriel. This is significant- but bear with me before I return to this point in a moment.
So, within two pages, another son from the Autumn Court takes center stage: the beloved, sassy Lucien. Feyre realizes he was born from Helion and Lady of Autumn's affiar.
This insane plot twist, and Prythian's greatest paternity scandal, lets us know Lucien's father is a spell-cleaver. Then, while thinking on the extent of Lucien's powers, Feyre delivers this iconic line:
"A bird of flame... and a lord of fire. I wondered if they'd found each other yet." (page 457, ACOWAR).
For nearly five pages, we've heard about love and loveless unions, and when Lucien is mentioned, someone else is notably not.
Rather, Vassa, who at this moment is referred to as the enchanted queen, is not just mentioned, but is done so in a way that compliments the newfound powers Lucien possesses as Helion's son.
Then, after this moment, Nesta barges in. She's upset, sensing a terrible omen. Cassian (her mate), heeds her concern, and validates her worries. In this moment, SJM illustrates classic mate behavior.
Then, Mor is shown flirting with Helion (uh oh, hook up time!). This prompts a very long conversation about the Cassian, Mor, and Azriel love triangle. Rhys speaks on Azriel's unrequited love for Mor, saying Az's explosion at the High Lord's meeting stems from his guilt about what transpired all those years ago with Eris.
But, interestingly enough, Rhys tells Feyre:
“There will come a day when Azriel has to decide if he is going to fight for her or let her go. And it won’t be because some other male insults her or beds her.”
“And what about Cassian? He’s entangled—and enabling this nonsense.”
A wry smile. “Cassian is going to have to decide some things, too. In the near future, I think.”
“Are he and Nesta …?”
“I don’t know. Until the bond snaps into place, it can be hard to detect.” (page 460, ACOWAR)
Here, Cassian is immediately removed from their love triangle, and is attached to Nesta as his possible mate, which is confirmed in Silver Flames. This leaves Mor and Azriel.
So why have Mor sleep with Helion in this chapter? Later on in WAR, Mor comes out to Feyre, confirming she cannot be with Azriel because she prefers females. But why, after a conversation on Helion's love for the Lady of the Autumn Court and Lucien's paternity, would he and Mor sleep together?
To foreshadow (no pun, but I'm very proud) her relationship with Azriel is not going to happen. There is a theme here- choice. Whether one chooses their heart or their duty, Helion and Lady of Autumn's love story shines a light on each character's choices in love, whether good, bad, or indifferent.
Ironically, not all choices were made because of a mating bond. Rather, we are given an array of circumstances where choice prevails, but it is the rejection of love that causes unhappiness.
Which leads me to the final thing Helion and Lady of Autumn's relationship demonstrates:
If Eris, a foil to Beron, let Mor go, then Lucien, a foil to Helion, will also have to let Elain make a decision regarding their mating bond.
In this moment, Helion and the Lady of Autumn's relationship reiterates the importance of a female's right to choose.
Elain wilts in Lucien's presence. And as Rhys reminds Feyre, Mor is frightened by Azriel's outburst of anger (she gets "spooked" when he shows the scope of his grief-fueled powers). Mor has the right to reject Azriel. The same sentiment stands for Elain and Lucien.
Could Azriel and Mor be mates? There is evidence this could be true. But, there's also evidence Azriel has a connection to Elain. This is established much earlier in WAR, when his recognition of her mysterious powers cures Elain from her vision, the contents of which, send Lucien on his voyage to none other than, Vassa.
Which, given Feyre's observation in this chapter, Lucien's powers and journey as a character are tied to Vassa, rather than Elain. This is confirmed through Lucien's choice to stay with the Band of Exiles, and remain in the Human Lands, even during Silver Flames.
So, with the old love triangles echoing the new ones, who remains?
Elain and Azriel. There's so many scenes alone in WAR connecting them romantically and through their abilities as a Seer and Shadowsinger.
In a fic I wrote, I used the Lady of the Autumn Court as a foil to Elain's choice regarding her mating bond with Lucien. The Lady of the Autumn Court and Helion were in love. While there are strong indicators they are mates, they more importantly love each other.
Lucien, often referred as his mother's favorite son, would never force a female to be with him because of an arrangement, whether Cauldron or Court ordained.
This sentiment is echoed through Feyre and Rhys's discussion on Tamlin and his lingering love for Feyre. The High Lady ends this chapter driven by choice with these words:
“It feels strange, to share a room, a bed, with you under the same roof as him.”
“I can imagine.”
For somewhere in this palace, Tamlin was lying in bed—well aware that I was about to enter this one with Rhysand. The past tangled and snarled, and I whispered, “I don’t think—I don’t think I can have sex here. With him so close.” Rhys remained quiet. “I’m sorry if—”
“You don’t need to apologize. Ever.”
I looked up, finding his gaze on me—not angry or frustrated, but … sad. Knowing. “I want to share this bed with you, though,” I breathed. “I want you to hold me.”
Stars flickered to life in his eyes. “Always,” he promised, kissing my brow, his wings now enveloping me completely. “Always.” (page 462, ACOWAR).
Even within an established mating bond, Rhys, a foil to Helion, allows Feyre, a foil to the Lady of Autumn, a choice while her former lover dwells within those very walls. I like to imagine, just like Rhys and Feyre, Helion and Lady of Autumn stood on a balcony, speaking in hushed whispers, looking up at the stars.
But, unlike the Lady of Autumn, Feyre chooses love, not duty.
It's not Feyre's mate bond that makes her happy, its her love for Rhys. As SJM so often does, Feyre and Rhys show what a truly happy mating bond looks like, and its no coincidence, the female's choice is at the forefront of their relationship.
So I end this crazy long post with this: love does conquer all, even a mating bond.
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