There are so many reasons I could list as to why Elain and Lucien wouldnāt make sense for Elainās character arc, but I want to list three that I think are really important because Iāve been noticing a lot of chauvinistic takes regarding EL:
1. No matter how much people try to diminish Elainās trauma surrounding the cauldron, Lucien will always be tied to it. He is partially responsible for her kidnapping , forced-transformation into a Fae and the robbing her of mortality. He could apologize for centuries and, even if Elain forgives him, that still will not erase the trauma and despair he inflicted on her (indirectly or not, it doesnāt matter). This isnāt a basis for a romantic relationship. Elain can work through and overcome this trauma, but that doesnāt mean sheāll forget it all together. Thatās not how it works.
2. Elain doesnāt owe Lucien anything. Itās sexist and unfair to expect a woman to return niceties and joyfully accept gifts from a man sheās uncomfortable around. One thing I see all the time is, āSheāll warm up to him. Once she gets to know him, sheāll fall head over heels and apologize.ā This is such an unhealthy take. Theyāre ignoring how Elain feels and are essentially saying, āIt doesnāt matter how much emotional and physical turmoil heās put her through, it doesnāt matter that she is uncomfortable and shows not the slightest interest to get to know him. Heās a ānice guyā who deserves her love, time and affection.ā Elainās boundaries and autonomy matter. The author would send the wrong message to women by having Elain grovel for him despite her disinterest and everything heās put her through.
3. In an outlandish hypothetical, letās say that Elain accepts the bond, or, as others like to theorize, breaks the bond and then decides that she does, in fact, love Lucien and chooses to be with him. How is that a fruitful, satisfying arc for a female character who has had her autonomy repeatedly stripped away? How does this address Feyreās question about free will in a mating bond, or Azrielās of the cauldronās infallibility? Lastly, why would the author herself talk so much about āfree willā and āthereās true mates, and then thereās nature made a mistakeā? If people asked themselves these questions and used some deductive reasoning, they would (hopefully) come to the conclusion that EL will not happen.
Elain will take control of her own fate and break the mating bond, ending up with the person that she herself chooses and loves (Azriel), not the person that outside forces chose for her, thus successfully completing her arc.
It reminde me off what Maas said about Katniss and Gale (I believe) how after what happened to her sister and the role he played, they were never endgame.
Not only did Maas hold Lucien accountable for essentially shoving Elain into the cauldron - an event he was part of that ruined not only her life but Nestaās as well. Lucien was also a bystander in the abuse Feyre faced at Tamlinās hands. He indirectly harmed both of Elains sisters, knowing that, they will never be endgame especially when you also take into consideration how he doesnāt have a good relationship with Nesta, someone who Elain loves and truly saw, but his relationship with Feyre is also deteriorating. Now compare that to Azriel, the one who sees and understands Nesta and has a good relationship with Feyre. But youāre right, the way Maas linked Lucien to Elains trauma- thats not the basis of a romantic relationship at all. Its actually a con for why they can never be together, those events will always stain their relationship and hang over them.
The way Maas has written Elain towards Lucien so far, to backtrack and make Elain give Lucien a chance ābecause heās a nice guyā or just because theyāre mates reinforces this patriarchal idea that women always have to give men a chance which is redundant for Elains character especially after her FAS speech where she declares Lucien is not entitled to her time nor affections. Having Elain grovel? Or even come to the realisation she was just being āsillyā by pushing Lucien away all support male-centric idealisms which for an author whose all about female empowerment - isnāt a good luck nor something sheās about to do.
It honestly isnāt satisfying because it tells us, you canāt escape fate and what it has planned for you - which honestly is just depressing and shows how that there is no actual free will, its all an illusion. It means that the cauldron canāt ever be wrong so some faes are rlly just unfortunate and have to spend their lives with an incompatible match - all of this is depressing. Its shows us Love is not strong. That it canāt conquer a bond.
Its honestly common sense at this point! Like, Maas has said nature can pick wrong for a reason, thats a concept she is excited to explore. When elucien break their bond - its going to be on that basis, the cauldron picked wrong. Thereās no comebacking for elucien after that because it proves they are not soulmates and in this romance series, Elain will obviously end up with her soulmate, whose not Lucien.
Her romantic arc was hinted at with the line,
āA love that will trump even a mating bondā.
She isnāt ending up with her mate, thats for sure.
