something i deeply appreciate about elain and azriel is how they like each other. whether you think they have something romantic between them, or if they are just supposed to be friends, or family (which, admittedly, is a little after knowing what he wants to do to her) it’s impossible to deny that elain and az simply like each other as individuals.
in that regard, i always see their relationship much closer to what feyre and rhysand have rather than what nesta and cassian have. all throughout the og trilogy and acofas, it is impossible to deny feyre and rhysand’s love for each other— they are completely devoted to each other, a true interpretation of what actual soulmates are. but, beneath all that love, there is something very basic about their relationship: they like each other as individuals. rhysand likes who feyre is, and feyre likes who rhysand is. if they weren’t a couple, they would still have an incredibly beautiful friendship (it’s an elriel post and yet i can’t help but highlight how much i love feysand). the whole liking aspect was something that i personally felt lacking with nesta and cassian— i would read acosf and be sure that they had chemistry and a different type of love than feyre and rhysand, but there were so many parts of that book that i wasn’t even sure if those two characters simply liked each other.
elain and azriel, since the very beginning, have liked each other— they have always had respect, fondness, and loyalty to each other. again, whether you think that is a sign of them falling in love (cough cough it is) or that this is just an indication of them being friends, it’s impossible to deny that that liking is there.
the very first time azriel and elain interact, despite the fear she had and the extremely uncomfortable dinner they were having, the two of them immediately had some sort of connection. let’s be honest, azriel does not look like the safe bet, but he was the one who elain strated a conversation with to break the ice. even when feyre first met azriel she was a little hesitant, but elain has had a certain level of trust in him since the beginning.
still on that dinner, you can see more trust when elain feels comfortable enough to relax only when she sees that indication coming from az. the same happens books later in acofas— even though cassian, rhys, and mor reprimand amren, elain only seems to relax and regain some of her light when azriel jokes about it
they are also very appreciative of each other as people. there is absolutely no fear in their relationship— which is something huge for elain. she had fears that were cultivated since childhood, was thrown in that world she knew only horrible things about, and interacted with this man who was quite unsettling, but she never feared him. a scene that i love to demonstrate this is when they arrive at the camp in acowar and elain sees a full display of azriel’s power with the shadows and instead of being afraid, she’s simply wide-eyes— as if she’s simply awed by him
they care so much for each other too. azriel going to hybern’s camp to save her is an obvious demonstration of this, but my favorites are the two that come after that. when azriel comes back with elain in his arms and even though he’s extremely hurt and certainly needs help, the first thing that comes to his mind is that they have to take the chains off her. and elain, who was definitely traumatized and so tired, instead of simply breaking down, stopped to give azriel a kiss on the cheek
he was the one to notice her missing when the was captured. the one to understand what she was when even her alleged mate couldn’t. he was the one who spent time showing her the garden, sitting outside doing his work there so that she would have company. he’s the one who made everyone wait for her to come to the table before eating. he was the first to wish her a happy solstice
one of my favorite scenes is when azriel and elain sit together at the living room later at night, both of them just sitting there while elain talks to him about gardening and her plans for it with her new tools. the truth is that azriel probably doesn’t understand shit about gardening, and in any other case he wouldn’t give a fuck, but because it’s elain he just listens to her
elain’s extremely thoughtful gifts. they get so much cuter when you realize they are for azriel and azriel alone— if she had given any of them to anyone else, it wouldn’t have made sense. she spent her time thinking about him, about what would make him laugh, and went to get it. you can see that her gifts to him are much more personal than the gifts she gives to other people
there are so many other cases but these are the ones that come to mind rn. the point is, although i am 101% sure they are falling in love hard, even if they aren’t these interactions don’t lose their meaning. azriel and elain are two people who can be so similar but also have nothing in common. yet, they find comfort and fondness in each other to a level that they have their own little world. it’s beautiful. they simply like each other— they like who the other person is even if there is nothing more involved
looking at azriel and his shadows throughout the books
i'm slightly tired of some of the comments i see about the shadows, so here goes a thread of numerous scenes throughout all the books azriel appears to prove my point that the shadows disappearing around elain is not a bad thing!! i'll put it in chronological order and the chapter you can find it too. of course i won't be putting all the shadow scenes for obvious reasons, but enough to make my point clear. also please don't mind the typos im not revising this more than once sorry
MIST AND FURY
"Azriel's brows flicked up with approval as the shadows seemed to wrap tighter around him. As if he were the dark hive from which they flew and returned."
chapter 16
this is the first time we meet both azriel and his shadows, as well as the first time we see them interacting too (there's more later in the chapter). from this very first interaction it is already said that the shadows seem to wrap tighter around him— which basically means they are starting to disappear as they return to az— because he has expressed approval. it was when azriel felt a lick of approval— which is usually accompanied by a certain level of either comfort/trust— that the shadows seemed to start disappearing. that's because good emotions make the shadows feel as if they don't have to protect az.
"'We have company,' was Azriel's soft warning, wings again spreading a bit as he herded them through the open balcony doors to the dining room. I could have sword tendrils of darkness swirled in their wake.
Mor patted Azriel on the shoulder as she dodged his outstretched wing. 'Relax, Az—no fighting tonight. We promised Rhys.'
The lurking shadows vanished entirely as Azriel's head dipped a bit— his night-dark hair sliding over his handsome face as if to shield him from that mercilessly beautiful grin."
chapter 16
still in the same chapter, this scene happens. we can see that the shadows seem to expand when they feel some sort of threat— an assumption that can be made by the fact that feyre described what he said as a "soft warning"— so that they can protect him. they, however, completely vanish when mor, the woman he was deeply in love, simply pats him on the shoulder and asks him to relax. again, we see the presence of the shadows as a defense mechanism, and the lack of them as an indication of comfort/trust, and in this case, love.
"'The gift of a violent, warmongering people,' Amren added. Azriel nodded, shadows wreathing his neck, his wrists."
chapter 16
it was always quite obvious that azriel wasn't exactly happy with his heritage. different from cassian, az has always held resentment and even some hate towards the illyrian culture, and this part just further proves it— he agrees with amren when she calls the siphons the gift of violent, warmongering people. the shadows in this part seem to start to surround him, as if they could sense his anger and resentment towards the topic and so they created an actual shadow shield around him as a form of protection
"Yes— Azriel, who kept a step away, whose shadows trailed him and seemed to fade in her presence."
chapter 22
honestly this is just another example of what i said earlier in relation to mor— he loved her and a way sjm demonstrated this was how she made sure the shadows disappeared around her. because of his love for her, in situations of calm where love was the main feeling, no other emotions caused the shadows to act up
"It was an effort not to stare at Azriel as he watched them head up the steep street, arm in arm and bickering with every step. The shadows gathered around his shoulders, like they were indeed whispering to him, shielding him, perhaps."
chapter 29
this explicitly says what i have been trying to prove?????? in this scene azriel is watching mor walk away with cassian, their relationship having some sort of levity that his and mor's doesn't due to his feelings. because of the pain and sadness he was undoubtedly feeling, the shadows felt the necessity to literally shield him.
WINGS AND RUIN
"'Don't try to blend into the shadows. You said the same thing.'
'He did not,' Mor said, and the shadows that Azriel had indeed been subtly weaving around himself vanished. 'Azriel has never once said anything that awful. Only you, Cassian. Only you.'"
chapter 17
when trying to escape a conversation or a situation, azriel is said to blend into the shadows. however, when attention is brought to him and, most importantly, mor defends him, the shadows vanish completely
"Azriel arrived first, no shadows to be seen, my sister a pale, golden mass in his arms."
chapter 24
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA ok so first elriel interaction in acowar i believe (don't quote me on it tho it's been a while since i read it) and this is just perfect.
i explained in another post (here) how azriel and elain have always felt a sense of comfort and friendship toward each other. in this scene, we can see the second person in which, in most of the scenes, the shadows are not the most predominant part of azriel's character. it's almost like he's the shadowsinger most of the time, but wheneve he is in the presence of someone he loves or feels comfortable around, he's azriel first, shadowsinger second
"Too far—this was pushing them both too far. I tried to catch Cassian's gaze, but he was monitoring them closely, his golden-brown skin unnaturally pale. Azriel's shadows gathered close, half veiling him from view. And Amren—"
chapter 27
this was that very intense scene after they find out that rhys was going to work with eris. we later find out that azriel knew about this and did not tell mor, and in this scene we again see the shadows as a safe mechanism to azriel. he loved mor dearly, and i'm sure that he knew how much that would hurt her and how much it would hurt her to know that he knew. so, during the discussion, the shadows once more gathered around him like a shield— as if they could protect azriel from that fight, from the feelings that the whole situation were evoking
"In the blinding sun off the turquoise water, his shadows were gone, his face stark and clear. More... human than I had ever seen him."
chapter 29
this might be one of my favorite quotes of this thread. i think it ties back to my argument that he is often seen as a shadowsinger first, and then azriel. he is so used to using the shadows as a part of him, that i think people often forget that he is his own person. i'm not in any way, shape, or form saying that the shadows are bad (they aren't), but that azriel is himself without them— their addition is just that: an addition. without the shadows, without that shield he constantly uses, he looks infinitely more human
"'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."
chapter 30
this scene is so cute because it shows that azriel wants to spend time with elain. nesta was going to go to the garden with her, but azriel offered even though he had no responsibility to do it (like some people claim he had in previous scenes). like the scenes with mor or the scenes he is comfortable, at ease, there are no shadows shielding him when he is with elain. azriel trusts and likes elain, and picking up from his feelings so do the shadows
"'Enough, Azriel,' Rhys ordered. Perhaps those shadows that now slid and eddied around the shadowsinger hid him from the wrath of the binding magic."
chapter 45
kind of a recurring point now but i will say it again: the shadows, in most situations, hide azriel from situations of danger. they are his shield, as it is literally said here. the lack of a shield around some people don't mean that the shadows don't like them or that they are afraid, but that they trust azriel's wellbeing with those people
"But I looked to Azriel, currently leaning against the wall besides the floor-to-ceiling window, shadows fluttering around him."
chapter 47
some background to this scene is that it was after the high lord meeting (right after the one where the quote above this was from). obviously azriel isn't in the greatest of moods. the whole meeting, new tension with mor, and that whole whirlwind of emotion caused the shadows to once more be protective of him, creating a shield around him even though he was just standing there.
"Azriel barely spoke, those shadows still perched on his shoulders. Mor barely looked at him."
chapter 47
same chapter, same situation. azriel is obviously displeased and upset, and so the shadows are too. they are his defense mechanism, and in any indication of fear, sadness, and discomfort they feel the need to protect az
"Azriel, shadows wafting from his shoulders and trailing at his feet, ignored him as he passed. The shadowsinger hadn't shown a flicker of emotion, however, to Mor when he'd met us in the foyer."
chapter 48
i believe this was the day after the fight during the meeting. things were still extremely weird with mor, his mood even sourer as he ignored everyone (helion included) and the shadows keeping him company and safe
"Behind me, Mor took Nesta and Cassian by the hand, readying to winnow them to the camp, while shadows gathered around Azriel, Elain at his side, wide-eyed at the spymaster's display."
chapter 50
stop saying the shadows are afraid of elain stop saying the shadows are afraid of elain stop saying the shadows are afraid of elain stop saying the shadows are afraid of elain
this scene is so sweet because it shows that elain truly isn't hesitant about any part of azriel. he was the one she first struck conversation with, the one who would spend time with her in her garden, she didn't balk at his scars, and neither at the shadows that have been used as a sign of intimidation throughout the series. elain is just awed by what he can do, and the shadows don't seem aggressive towards her, nor do they seem to be trying to vanish
"From the shadows near the entrance to the tent, Azriel said, as if in answer to some unspoken debate, 'I'm getting her back.'
Nesta slid her gaze to the shadowsinger. Azriel's hazel eyes glowed golden in the shadows."
chapter 64
absolute killer scene
the shadows enveloping him to the point that his eyes fucking glow?????? not even during the scene he snaps it was this bad i was screaming when i read this. the darkness and amount of shadows just goes to prove that just like azriel (and because of him) the shadows are protective of elain!!!
"Elain stepped out of a shadow behind him, and rammed Truth-Teller to the hilt through the back of the king's head as she snarled in his ear, 'Don't you touch my sister.'"
chapter 74
how are you gonna look me dead in the eye and say that the shadows don't like/are afraid of elain when this scene exists??? the shadows helping elain while she uses azriel's dagger to kill the king...... poetry in its truest form sorry i don't make the rule
"That smile grew, bright enough that it lit up even Azriel's shadows across the room."
chapter 80
does it need an explanation? this scene obviously represents hope, especially with what elain says after she smiles, and the lighting up of azriel's shadows is to show how even just her smile can make him feel that hope sjm was trying to convey
FROST AND STARLIGHT
"Nothing. Absolutely nothing on that face, on his scent. The shadows, whatever the hell they were, hid too well. Too much."
chapter 7
rhysand, who has known azriel for over 500 years, explicitly says that the shadows are used to hide azriel's emotions. it is without them that he is bare, that he is willing to put his feelings in the front line. they are his shield for both physical and emotional protection, and so how can the lack of them around elain mean something bad?
"I found Elain studying it, beautiful in her amethyst-colored gown. I made to move toward her, but someone beat me to it.
The shadowshing was clad in a black jacket and pants similar to Rhysand's—the fabric immaculately tailored and built to fit his wings. He still wore his Siphons atop either hand, and shadows trailed his footsteps, curling like swirled embers, but there was little sign of the warrior otherwise. Especially as he gently said to my sister, 'Happy Solstice.'"
chapter 19
first, the highlight of how there was little of that serious and scary warrior when he gently talks to elain?? makes me smile so fucking hard. second, if the shadows are so scared of her, then why are they just fine in this scene? the best is that even though they are present, they aren't described to be protecting him— they are just trailing his footsteps, as if they were just keeping him company in case something happened but at that moment they were really chill
"Azriel nodded his agreement, his shadows twinning around him. [...] A rare visit from the shadowsinger. Both myth and terror. Az looked just as displeased to be here, but he'd come when I asked."
chapter 26
two things about this part. first off, during the part i cut because i'm kinda tired of writing the whole quotes (lmao sorry) it's said that the women went to their homes because azriel is that scary, and yet elain never felt that way despite only being thrown into that world mere months before that. second, another indication of how the shadows show up to twine around him when whatever he is feeling is negative. he is displeased about being there, the camp undoubtedly bringing bad memories, so the shadows gather around him
SILVER FLAMES
"Azriel said coolly, 'I don't need to resort to threats.' The shadows coiled around him, snakes ready to strike."
chapter 8
in this scene it's that very tense one between nesta and azriel, and under the impression of a threat coming from nesta, the shadows start to surround him like a shield, like snakes ready to strike (remember this description).
“Azriel chuckled, shadows skittering. 'Did you listen at all last night?'
'No.'
'At least you’re honest.' Azriel smirked. 'You and Nesta are wanted down there.'
'Because of the shit with Elain?'
Azriel stilled. 'What happened to Elain?'
Cassian waved a hand. 'A fight with Nesta. Don’t bring it up,' he warned when Azriel’s eyes darkened. Cassian blew out a breath. 'I take that as a no regarding the meeting topic, then.'
'It’s about what I discovered. Rhys said he requires you both there.'
'It’s bad, then.' Cassian surveyed the shadows gathered around Az. 'You all right?'
His brother nodded. 'Fine.' But shadows still swarmed him.”
chapter 19
to say i love this scene is an understatement
let's go by parts, shall we? first off, the shadows skitter when azriel laughs— something that happens in his extra pov when elain sucks a soft breath. is almost like the shadows, at the sudden display of happiness or content, immediately draw back as if they don't need to protect him at that moment
azriel stilling just because something might have happened to elain? oh god. and then his eyes darkening and the shadows starting to swarm him, as if he is truly a storm brewing just because elain got hurt during a sibling fight— something he has most likely gone through a thousand times and knows it is normal, but he can't help but he distressed at the thought of her being hurt, and so neither can the shadows
the fact that even after he says he is fine the shadows don't disappear?? in acomaf, during chapter 29 (when he watches mor and cassian walk away arm in arm) it is said then that he gets rid of the shadows by simply sighing, as if he is accepting that so so are the shadows. in this, however, even though he explicitly says he is fine, his feelings are still so strong that the shadows don't believe him and continue to shield him
"Nesta saw the blow land, like a physical impact, in Elain's face, her posture. No one spoke, though shadows gathered in the corners of the room, like snakes preparing to strike."
chapter 21
LIKE SNAKES PREPARING TO STRIKE
i'm sorry but if this isn't proof of how azriel and the shadows are protective of elain, i don't know what it is. although they are a reflection of azriel's emotions, they also don't seem tp be swarming him at that moment, as if the rage and need to protect elain does come from az but also comes from the shadows as an entity themselves
anyways, the point is that the shadows don't disappear around elain because they are afraid or dislike her. they disappear because they trust azriel with her. the shadows came to him as a defense mechanism during the years of horrible abuse he endured as a child, and ever since then they have acted as his protector, as his physical and emotional shield. when he is around elain, however, he is so comfortable and falling in love so easily that he can be bare, he can stand there without the need for a shield because he wants all the emotions that come along with the possibility of being with her. the shadows have shown trust towards elain throughout the books, but also a sliver of loyalty. if you disagree go argue with a wall
