Koschei is a Death Lord, and Lucien& Elain are both carrying some seriously deep grief. I’m convinced they’re eventually going to come face-to-face with the people they’ve lost in the next books. Because of…well death Lord stuff. The emotional gut punch of Elain seeing her father again and Lucien seeing & talking to Jesminda would be devastating. And I feel like this would heal me.
Just a reminder that Lucien hardly knew Elain when he broke an extremely powerful Fae King’s magical chains and ran to her side. He did this in a room with enemy soldiers lining the walls. He did this while Tamlin and Rhys, two powerful high lords, continued to be restrained by that same magic.
He did it purely to put a jacket around her. To protect her dignity through the most traumatic moment of her life.
…but no, he hasn’t shown any mate characteristics.
The trashing of Lucien's character should be studied.
We have the author on video claiming he's always been one of her favorite characters.
We have confirmation that he was inspired by one of her top TV crushes - to the point that she thanked the actor who played that TV crush in her ACOTAR acknowledgements.
We have her own words confirming there was someone special for Lucien down the road before revealing he was mated to THE Elain Archeron.
We have video of her saying he'd be fun to write a book with because he's intelligent.
We have her on an IG Live with Steph saying she also hopes to see the return of sassy Lucien but he's got a lot going on right now.
We have her tweeting that he'd be BFFers with King Dorian Havilliard.
We have her IG account with a reblog of a moodboard of him while adding "My <3".
We have her Pinterest showing many pins of him - shirtless in a good portion of those pins.
We have her writing into the book how strong he is, how fast he is, how handsome, how well dressed, how he's the only male to have met the Archeron's father, how he's the one who befriended Vassa who has the most information of any character as it relates to the main villain, with Rhys being impressed at how he can still play the fox, with Rhys and Feyre relying on him for the reports on Spring, how he's the hidden sole heir to the Day Court, how he had dominance in his eye when commanding Cassian to calm down, how he was "setting his sights on Koschei across the continent".
Yet people still call him loser? People still think he's not getting a HEA just like Rhys? Just like Cassian?
People can call Lucien whatever they'd like but when the author clearly isn't in agreement it's silly not to acknowledge how ridiculous they're being.
WIP Wednesday: The Harrowed and the Haunted, Chapter 2
Just a little snippet for very patient people! Remember, YGM isn't on hiatus, I'm just taking a break to make space for another fic update! :)
Lucien ground his jaw even more. It was, [Elain] supposed, annoying but reasonable. “Any other terms?” he grunted.
Rhys’ smile grew alarmingly sharp and his violet eyes glittered. “Just the one. While I understand that you two have been seeing one another, if Elain is going to train in Day under your escort, Lucien, then I don’t want my mate and I to spend the next several weeks wondering whether you’re using proximity to potentially influence anything.”
Mortification, bright and hot, rose in Lucien’s face and the oily feeling of shame flooded the bond. “I will have you know that I have been nothing but respectful—”
“I beg your pardon?” Elain cut him off sharply, rising abruptly to her feet. “Nobody here gets the right to decide who can or cannot touch me—”
“Oh, it’s nothing personal,” Rhysand insisted, still smiling as he waved her off. Elain didn’t need to be a daemati or half a millennium old to know how much of a lie that was, though the why of it was still a mystery. “It’s the mating bond, that’s all. I know from firsthand experience how hard those instincts are to overcome, especially when one’s mate is in close proximity.” He turned to her then. “Think of Lucien as… oh, what did Feyre call them… the adults that escorted eligible young ladies?”
“Chaperones,” Elain answered stiffly.
“Yes, that! Much obliged, Elain.” The High Lord clapped his hands together briskly. “But! Those are my terms, if you both are truly serious about pursuing training in Day.”
Lucien was staring daggers at him. Broadswords, even, before he barked a short, humorless laugh. “You really think that the bond is all this is about, Rhysand?”
“I think,” Rhys answered, perfectly pleasantly, “that you’re a male who’s spent years waiting for an opportunity, and that you’ve conveniently presented me with a plan during a crisis that places you both together, in another court, under minimal supervision.” His eyes went hard, suddenly. “So convince me otherwise.”
Lucien opened his mouth but hesitated, choosing instead to weigh his words; Elain decided to fill the silence. “He doesn’t need to.”
“Elain—” Lucien interjected.
“I agree,” Elain declared. “I accept the terms, or whatever you say to agree.”
A sudden shock of pain bloomed in between her shoulders, at the base of her neck; reaching back to rub at the spot, the skin felt smooth but hot, like she’d been resting against a hot water bottle. She watched as a moment later Lucien and Rhysand did the same thing.
“The bargain is struck,” intoned Rhys. “So it is, and so shall it be.”
“Heh,” murmured Lucien, gazing between Elain’s shoulder blades. “Elain move your hand?” She did. “A blue-black moon and sun against a field of wildflowers… oh my, that’s colorful.”
“Colorful?” Rhys asked petulantly. “Five hundred years of making bargains and now I get one with color?” He seemed affronted by the entire notion. “How many?”
Lucien could barely contain his smile. “So many colors, High Lord.”
Rhys swore in High Velarian.
Taglist behind the cut! Let me know if you want to be added for when Chapter 2 comes out. :)
Hello! Coming to you with a friendship bracelet to ask what theory of yours do you think will come true in ACOTAR 6 and Which one you think is the most unlikely to come true, but you still think it’s a fun theory regardless.
My biggest theory is that because ACOTAR 6 is shorter, it will mostly take place around Nessian's mating ceremony. I think that is the most likely to come true given how SF ended and it's a really great way to check in and establish an ongoing plot with Elucien that will push into ACOTAR 7 which will really delve into their story.
I really love @crazy-ache 's theory about ACOTAR 6 being compromised of Elain's visions. I have always headcanons Elain's seer powers as being expansive in time, being able to see and walk through things that happened in the past and present in other places as well as see abstract images of potential futures. Very much like Bran in Game of Thrones. So my outlandish theory is that we will get a lot of lore through Elain's visions and this trippy sort of narrative for the 6th book because we keep switching between things Elain is experiencing with visions and the events of the mating ceremony.
Hello hello! I'd love to know some of your thoughts for acotar 6. What court(s) do you think will be the central playing field, and how do you envision Lucien and Elain being involved? 👀
Hi! I really think 6 won’t feature them much at all. I’m thinking 7 will be their book. I have no idea what 6 will be about. Koshcie or the Valkyries, maybe? I need out of the Night Court.
I’d love for 6 to be about Lucien’s trip finding Vassa and papa A or even a Helion and LOA flashback but doubt it will. Thanks for asking!
You cannot convince me that SJM didn’t intentionally write Lucien to be the ultimate payoff character. He says the wrong thing at the worst possible time and always pays for it. He loses his love, loses his home, is rejected by his own family, can’t truly belong in Spring, isn’t fully accepted in Night, and spends most of the series with nowhere that’s really his. Despite all of that, he remains gentle, compassionate, endlessly loyal, and still chooses kindness. If anyone has earned the happiest ending in the entire series, it’s Lucien.
And you also cannot convince me that SJM didn’t intentionally write Elain to be the same. She’s underestimated because she’s gentle, mistaken for weak because she’s kind, and expected to become whatever everyone else needs her to be. She survives the Cauldron, loses the love she chose, is thrust into a world she never wanted, develops terrifying visions no one truly understands, and spends much of the series with people deciding what’s best for her instead of asking what she wants. Yet she never loses her softness or her compassion. If anyone has earned the chance to choose her own future, and find a love that sees every part of her, it’s Elain.
They are the perfect set-up for a sweet, soft, true love story. Sigh
This Outlander scene specifically. No, this is not the same scene where Jamie catches the trout with his bare hands. No, I don't care because it's hot and I am strongly debating commissioning a Lucien version 🥵
Bonus:
Elain walks up while Lucien washes up before breakfast and gets an eyeful. She is not mad about it.
Hello! I'm coming in here to see what comes to mind when I say the word rescue?
Welcome! Elucien is definitely going to rescue each other physically but also emotionally! And once the Seer comes into her power, she’s going to be saving a lot of peeps!
WELCOME TO ELUCIENWEEKFOREVER's first ever BOOK CLUB. Each week, we'll be sharing one fic we think everyone should read as we gear up for elucien week!
Because elucienweek is forever, and not just a random week in July, we want to celebrate all the wonderful creators who keep our community alive 24/7, 365!
This week's read is:
A Proper Farewell by @snowwhitewithanxiety
When Elain finds a way to have Jesminda given a proper funeral, Lucien must grapple with his feelings of guilt and grief.
Want to suggest a future book club read? Click here!
