One of my favorite theories/headcanons:
I absolutely love the idea that one of Elains favorite things about Azriel are his hands🥹💞
We already got a little foreshadowing in this scene:
„Azriel, graceful as any courtier, offered her an arm. I couldn't tell if she was looking at his blue Siphon or at his scarred skin beneath as she breathed, "Beautiful." Color bloomed high on Azriel's golden-brown cheeks…“
This scene has always felt much deeper to me than it seems at first. There’s no question that Elain definitely means his hands and not his siphons. If it were only about his siphons then sjm wouldn’t have brought up his hands.
So when Elain said that Azriels hands are beautiful it kind of came out of nowhere and almost „random“. Like why did she say that out loud? My theory here is that Elain had a vision. I believe that she can see the past, the present and the future. In this scene I think she had a vision about his hands. She saw what happened to him. She saw his pain but also his strength in this moment and how this also shaped him into the person who he is now and that he never lost his kindness and hope even though he endured this cruelty. Something similar to this is why I think Elain called his hands beautiful🥹
I also think it means SO much that while other people shied away from his touch or felt uncomfortable, Elain didn’t shy away from his hands.
Feyre:
„I took Azriel’s hand, and his rough fingers squeezed mine. His skin was as cold as his face. But the word Cassian had used a moment ago snagged my attention as I released his hand and tried not to look too eager to step back to Rhys’s side.“
Mor:
„Mor opened her mouth, but Azriel laid a scarred hand atop hers. She snatched her hand back as if she’d been burned—burned as he had been. Azriel’s mask of cold didn’t so much as waver at the rejection.“
Elain:
“I can help her,” said Azriel, stepping to the table as Elain silently rose. No shadows at his ear, no darkness ringing his fingers as he extended a hand. Nesta monitored him like a hawk, but kept silent as Elain took his hand, and out they went.
—-> I also love how the first time he’s showing her the garden he was offering her his arm but here in this scene he felt comfortable enough and took her hand
I‘m sure Azriels insecurity about his hands will be a topic in the next books, so I would really love there to be a scene where Elain tells him that she loves his hands🥺💙🩷
