Things Gwyneth Berdara is iconic for that have nothing to do with a man:
Saving the children of Sangravah
Being so much the best researcher in the Night Court’s main library that she was personally assigned by Clotho to be the best scholar’s research assistant
Knowing Nesta had value and worth the moment she first saw her
Overcoming her fears and trauma and becoming the first priestess to sign up for self defense training
Being a badass at that training, with the best flexibility and balance
Introducing the Valkyries to Nesta and a whole future plot of ACOTAR
Having the voice of a literal angel that brought Nesta to tears and also lead her to find the Harp
Writing a whole chapter in the Valkyrie book about them and the work they’re doing
Forging a found sisterhood with Nesta and Emerie that fills their hearts and heals them
Becoming the first new Valkyrie by cutting the ribbon first and changing the whole course of fate
Pushing her sisters to be the first to defeat the unbeatable obstacle course and become the first females to ever qualify for the Illyrian Blood Rite
Overcoming her fears again to go to Nesta in her time of need
Tricking the Illyrians who wanted to kill her friends by watching the beasts’ behavior and using them to set a trap
Fighting to the death for her sisters and being willing to sacrifice her own life to hold the bridge
Choosing the hardest way up the mountain to prove to themselves that they can do it, with an arrow sticking out of her thigh
Winning the Blood Rite and becoming the first non-Illyrian to bear the title of Carynthian
The Valkyries getting a big focus in the next books is the most obvious thing in the world if you actually READ the last two books with your eyes open and ship goggles off.
Like I’m stoked to see it confirmed but babes, I always knew. Because it’s what’s in the books.
"A kiss seals an ancient magic, intertwining two bodies, two worlds, two souls. From that moment on, there is no distance that can keep them apart: they feel one another, carrying the same emotions, the same pain, the same desires.
As if, for one fleeting moment, the sky could dwell within the sea, and the sea could reach the sky.
And perhaps that is the true calamity: discovering that, after feeling another soul so deeply, they can never return to being simply one again." 🌊🪽
This was an idea for a gwynriel fanfic I had, involving body and elemental swapping, inspired by the c-drama "Love Between Fairy and Devil", but I never managed to develop it.
_inkye thank you for turning this idea into art and for illuminating me with the colors of twilight, the exact moment when the sky kisses the sea. 🌅
Before we get to the actual undoing of some ribbons, we wanted to start Ribbons Undone with the softer version first, Azriel nuzzled into Gwyn, while that legendary self-control of his is very clearly starting to slip. It's the way he's tucked himself into her neck, the hand wrapped around her jaw, the shadows curling across them both, and Gwyn just completely melting into him.
There's something about imagining Azriel, the male who is always so controlled, so guarded, so careful. finding someone he can be this comfortable and unrestrained with. And naturally, we love the idea of that someone being Gwyn.
He might still have his shirt on for this one, but between the parted lips, that grip and the way he's buried against her neck...
This art was such a special one by @artoffrostandflame, who of course will always rise to the challenge of drawing Azriel with a shirt on and somehow still making him one of the hottest Azriels ever. That buzz cut alone has me weak.
@artoffrostandflame, we adore you, dear. We truly can't put into words how special your art is or how much it means to us. It is always such an honor getting to work with you and something we'll forever be grateful for.
Thank you for this magical piece and for always pouring so much love into everything you create. Everything you touch is magic.
Please do not repost without permission, edit, alter, or use this artwork for Al purposes in any capacity.
Azriel was the night sky, shadows always by his side. Gwyn was the sea, a song rising from its depths. And at the horizon, where the sky kisses the sea, his shadows found a song worth answering. 🌊✨
It was such a privilege to commission this by @dimalry. Every detail she brought to this piece feels like poetry, the night spilling into the water, Gwyn becoming part of the sea itself, Azriel and his shadows surrounding her like the endless sky, and that quiet place in the middle where they finally meet.
There’s something so beautiful about imagining them this way, the Shadowsinger and the priestess whose song his shadows could not help but answer. 🤍💙🩵
Please do repost without permission, edit or feed to AI.
Where The Sky Kisses The Sea 🌊 🌙 | @gwynrielweeksofficial
“Azriel could have sworn a faint, beautiful singing followed him. Could have sworn his shadows sang in answer”
Today @gwynrieldefenseatty and I are so excited to finally share this beautiful artwork by @mysleepyblue !! We let Isa have full control on this piece and she out did herself! You can support the artwork here 🎨
Thank you, Isa, for always creating to most stunning pieces for us.
PLEASE DO NOT REPOST OR FEED INTO AI ALL CHARACTERS BELONG TO SARAH J MAAS
"I think we're like fire and water. I think we're like the earth and sea." When Gwyn the river nymph and Azriel the flying shadow-singer meet; sparks fly.
Can't thank metaldrilo enough for perfecting this beauty! It was so amazing working with you! 🥹🩵
(pose ref: to my beastly savior, zema). Reposts allowed with credit.
Everyone out here picking which Archeron they relate to most and it’s like please some of us contain multitudes (Feyre’s impulse control, Elain’s hobbies, and Nesta’s attitude.)
What do you think the ribbon symbolizes for Gwyn and Azriel?
Love this question!
So I think the ribbon is, first and foremost, an object that is symbolic of the Valkyries’ healing. I wouldn’t characterise it as something that primarily symbolises Gwyn and Azriel. I know that’s probably not what you are implying but it’s worth saying anyway so we can be clear-eyed. That said, Gwyn is the person who first brings the ribbon into the training ring and she is the first to cut it so I don’t think it’s wrong to say that it holds the greatest personal and narrative significance for her, relative to anyone else. This will be a textual analysis. I know there are theories around the ribbon signifying larger concepts like the mating bond but that’s not really my specialty and there are others who have written about that. Strap in, Anon.
Gwyn goes through a few stages in her healing journey in ACOSF and SJM is very careful to ensure we know that it is always her initiative. This is really important because if Gwyn was ever coerced or pushed into any of it, we’d doubt her agency and whether she is fully capable of making those decisions. Instead, throughout the book, Gwyn is shown to be competent and capable, refusing to be pitied or infantilised. Even in the bonus chapter, when Azriel asks if she is cold she simply responds “once you get moving, you stop noticing it.” when Azriel leaves the training ring, she continues training unbothered, her attention immediately on the ribbon again. It communicates that she does not need someone to take care of her. She is thankful for Azriel’s support and instruction but she does not need him. She would’ve eventually figured out how to cut the ribbon - even on her own. This matters specifically in the context of a potential romance. Gwyn is an SA survivor. Ensuring that the reader knows that Gwyn is the kind of character that can make her own decisions and stand up for herself is necessary so that we can be certain she is not being victimised in an intimate setting. She is in control always.
The ribbon is a poignant example of this. It’s a challenge Gwyn sets herself. No one else asked her to cut that ribbon. Not Cassian, not Azriel. Always Gwyn. However, it is notable that when Gwyn first brought the ribbon to training and is asked to explain herself by Cassian, it is Azriel she repeatedly glances at. She looks over at him after each time she feels unsure. It’s notable because Cassian is Gwyn’s primary instructor. Azriel has been mostly training the new recruits. Chances are they only started training intensively with him the previous few days while Cassian and Nesta were on their hike. Cutting the ribbon is a symbolic act for Gwyn, a challenge to reclaim herself. Explaining it makes her feel vulnerable (exemplified also by the fact that she doesn’t want to be the first to try actually cutting it, Emerie goes first). She looks to Azriel for reassurance. He “drifts closer” in response to this. This is important too: Azriel takes note of the exchange over the ribbon immediately but stays on his side of the ring. He comes over only after Gwyn glanced over twice, right before the cutting attempts. I imagine this is entirely sub-conscious for both of them. They have not known each other for very long at this stage - this was before solstice. Azriel is a silent supporter here. He senses the ribbon is significant. He doesn’t interfere, he is just present. The fact that he (not Cassian!) is the person she seeks silent support from in such a deeply personal moment matters.
The same is true in the bonus chapter. Gwyn takes the initiative late at night to train. She is still there after he leaves. Azriel is a witness and a supporter. It matters that he is there but there is no implication of her needing him to do this. When she does cut the ribbon, the credit is all hers. “Admiration and quiet encouragement” shines on his face when she does. It’s an important moment for all the Valkyries. It is implied to be of larger significance on a metaphysical level even (“larger forces peered into that ring”). But it is most important to Gwyn. It is the moment her mantra “I am the rock against which the surf crashes” becomes real. She is not healed but this is the moment she confirms, to herself, that she is not weak.
By the time Nesta names Azriel Gwyn’s “new ribbon,” it has already accumulated its meaning: a challenge Gwyn sets herself which she will accomplish. It refers to the obstacle course here but the narrative implication is larger than that. I think from the very beginning Gwyn always wanted to prove to Azriel, more than anyone else, that she wasn’t broken. After all, he was the one who found her in Sangravah. He is the only person in the world who has witnessed her weakest moment. Proving that she isn’t broken to Azriel is an act of defiance of the narrative that has been cast around her story, both by others and herself. If she can prove her strength to him, she can prove it to the world. Or, at least that’s what I imagine Gwyn herself thinks is the reason for her fixation. In truth though, it can’t really be explained purely through the lens of a rescuer-survivor dynamic. But I’m not sure she is ready to admit that at this point. In any case, even though Gwyn mastered the obstacle course and won the blood rite, I don’t think the challenge “Azriel” is done just yet.
—
On a side note, something I noticed (that could be entirely coincidental), is that Azriel shows up for the first time to train the priestesses the morning after Gwyn substitutes her priestess robe for the illyrian leathers for the very first time. This is another important symbolic moment for Gwyn. It’s interesting to me that Azriel joins as a co-instructor right after. It’s like he is always there right when she is ready. Never too early, never too late.
When Valkyrie and Illyrian finally join forces, I’m betting this is exactly where SJM is going. Azriel and Gwyn are being positioned as equals in every way, Illyrian and Valkyrie, both warriors, both Carynthians and I can’t wait to see how their friendship and romance evolve. We’ve already had the dagger lessons, Az helping Gwyn with the ribbon, their training moments, and all these little threads connecting their journeys. They just keep hitting so many of the important checkmarks and patterns we’ve seen with SJM’s endgame couples, especially the spark and I’m so ready to watch it all come together. ⚔️🩵
For @gwynrielweeksofficial
Please do not repost or edit; or upload to AI.
I can’t thank tomandosal enough for this stunning work! She was so patient with me while I waited to share it, as this was completed last year 🙈 and for bringing this idea to life with your incredible talent. I absolutely love the way you draw, and I truly can’t thank you enough for this beautiful commission. It turned out even better than I imagined! 🩵✨
Azriel went wholly still, as if he, too, had felt the shift. As if he, too, were aware that far larger forces peered into that training ring as Gwyn moved.” - Chapter 60, ACOSF
Gwyn cutting the ribbon is one of the defining moments of her journey. It represents perseverance, strength, and doing what once seemed impossible. And who witnesses that moment? FATE AND AZRIEL
Az has been there; helping her with the beam. Watching her become stronger. Watching her challenge herself. Watching her cut the ribbon with the same hands that once needed his help.
That is such an important distinction to me and how SJM writes her true endgame couples.
Azriel doesn’t remain Gwyn’s rescuer. He becomes someone who witnesses her becoming her own
And then Nesta calls him her next ribbon and Azriel’s shadows, the part of himself everyone else fears, distrusts, or wants gone; dance with Gwyn, answer her breath, and sing in response to her.
SJM could have removed Az from being present when Gwyn cut that ribbon. She could have used any joke to tease Azriel. She could have written Azriel’s shadows behaving around Gwyn exactly as they behave around everyone else. But SJM is always very obvious when she wants to be; on top of her talking about the bonus in excitement, sealed the deal for me (which has a call back to Azriel helping her learn how to cut the ribbon)
This is another art I’ve held onto for more than a year, but so excited to finally share it with you all today, knightfallart thank you for this stunning piece! I love everything about it!
Gwyn has been working hard during Valkyrie training and someone has noticed the ✨ results. ✨ I think Az would trade places with the shadows in an instant to get a closer look. I get it, Az. I. Get. It.
When I saw this ref going around at the beginning of the year, I knew I needed to commission ranadela_x for a Gwynriel version. Rana never disappoints and these two look phenomenal. Muscle Mommy Gwyn + Down Bad Az? Yes please.
Thank you ranadela_x for always being such a delight to work with. This turned out beautifully and I'm so glad it's out in the world now!!
✨ please do not alter, edit, use in anti-content, or feed into Al generators ✨
Happy Gwynriel Weeks!! I wasn’t sure what to do for this prompt, and then I realized there was only one thing it could be dedicated to: Gwyn’s beautiful face. After all, it is the image that glowed in his chest — 𝒜 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝑜𝒻 𝓈𝑒𝒸𝓇𝑒𝓉, 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁𝓎 𝒷𝑒𝒶𝓊𝓉𝓎.
✨ Art by: @pintadraw
✨ Commissioned by: @miseryreads for @gwynrielweeksofficial
✨ Do not use for anti content. Credit if reposting.
