#✲ NUALA [ dynamic ] CERRIDWEN

[yennas-stuff]

If I had a nickel every time Azriel trained girls who were twins or had a twin, I would have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice.

[bloodofthefates]

x. Corn mazes ( for the trio! ) from @siphonedshadow

Of course it couldn’t just be a normal corn maze where the only risk was getting turned around at a dead end and having to find your way back to one of the main paths funneling people. Once the sun set and most of the children under the age of twelve had gone home to bed, the maze took on a much more sinister twist and offered a haunted maze option rife with masked scare actors giving chase, jumpscares and inevitable bladeless chainsaws at wrong turns. The field itself looked more foreboding than Cerridwen had remembered from only an hour or two ago when they’d passed by the entrance looking for the vendor selling hot spiced apple cider. Where smiling attendants dressed as cute scarecrows with painted on button noses had stood were now two terrifying and menacing clowns armed with fake weapons and already drenched in cornstarch fake blood. 

The line was getting shorter and it was getting closer to their turn to be permitted to enter, the whole thing clearly operating on some sort of timed schedule to allow for maximum scare opportunities and make the thrill seekers inside feel more isolated and alone on their arduous trek over the flattened stalks. “I’m not so sure this is a good idea.” Already she’d pulled the sleeves of black striped sweater down over her hands, balling up the stretched oversized fabrics nervously into the palms of her hands and she had yet to let go of Azriel’s upper arm just since they’d been in line. It wasn’t just the fact that she’d gotten cold since the sun had set and the temperatures had dropped, the pit of anxious energy had wormed its way through her stomach and was now making her question whether the entire chunk of pretzel she’d shared with Nuala earlier was such a good idea. Nuala was leading their pack of three, standing just a foot ahead of where Cerr clung to Azriel’s side and she turned to read the terror in Cerridwen’s worried face with expert clarity offering nothing but a teasing grin. “Of course it is. It’s a great idea.” They really needed to stop letting the queen of horror do all of their Halloween plan-making, but Nuala at least managed to produce a small silver flask from the top of her thick leather combat boot. “Some courage for the cowardly lion over there…” She teased her sister with a wink, popping the top on it and taking a swig before passing it to Azriel, ever keeping watch that none of the event security were nearby or would notice their little addition to the festivities. Cerridwen was quick to snatch it out of Az’s hand when offered, and she made a face as she downed a sizable amount of the straight liquor out of sheer desperation as they were now only two spots away from their turn to enter the maze. It was Nuala that cut her off, laughing and shaking her head as she capped it and slipped it back into her boot before anyone was ever the wiser. “Let’s get spooky!” She cheered with more enthusiasm than Cerr felt. Once they got the wave forward by the people working the front of the maze, Nuala strode confidently into the dark abyss of an opening with Azriel trailing behind her hand-in-hand. One of the clown scare actors could clearly see and sense Cerridwen’s hesitation, jumping out at her last minute with a manically over-acted laugh that caused her to squeal and jump further behind Az with her arms curled up against his back in an attempt to cover her ears from the loud sound. Groaning and whining in the form of a feigned laugh, she trudged after the other two that were much more into the scary shit than she was but not before worming her way under the back of Azriel’s hoodie so that they now resembled one of those ridiculous multi-person animal costumes.

She kept her head completely under his hoodie, latching onto him with her arms secured around his wait and clinging to his back as she forced him to stumble forward and latch onto Nuala in a similar way with his hand at her hips for guidance though he could still see just as well as she could. “Tell me when it’s over. I don’t like this…” She whined, her voice quivering as she focused instead on simply trying to focus on where her feet were going so that maybe she’d remain ignorant of anything else going on around them. 

[bloodofthefates]

@siphonedshadow //

[emilyondemand]

Elain, Nuala, and Cerridwen 🖤🌸🖤

Day 5: Connections

“Elain. . . had found a place, a role here. Tending to the gardens of Feyre’s veritable palace on the river, helping other residents of Velaris restore their own destroyed gardens— she had purpose, and joy, and friends: those two half-wraiths who worked in Rhysand’s household. But those things had always come easily to her sister. Had always made Elain special.” -acosf chap. 3

I am so looking forward to getting to know Elain’s friends Nuala and Cerridwen in her book! They have been such a shadowy presence in the background since book 1 and I can’t wait to find out more about them and the dynamic between them and Elain.

It was such an honor to get the opportunity to work with @mysleepyblue on this piece! The love and care she puts into every detail shines through in her work, Isa took my idea and made it even more beautiful than I could have imagined 🥹❤️

🎨: @mysleepyblue

Commissioned by: me

Characters belong to: @sarahjmaas

For: @elainarcheronweek

Find it on IG here

Likes, comments, saves, shared are always welcomed and appreciated!

Please do not repost without permission

[violetasteracademic]

Hi ! , I'd like to ask what you believe Elain's role as a spy will be like ?

Hello darling anon!! I have a few different ideas on how this will play out, but I am extremely lasered in on Vallahan for the next ACOTAR book. My thoughts and theories are a combination of things SJM has shared, explained, or alluded to in interviews along with threads I picked up in the books. So this is basically going to be a major explanation of my best guess as to what the next ACOTAR book is about and a total crack theory post! Enjoy!

I've shared this interview a few times, and I'll share it again now, but this is sort of the foundation of my processing. Yes, the interview is old, but she has continued to reaffirm everything she has said here in more recent interviews and confirmed that the original plots and structures have largely remained the same:

What stands out to me here is this: the structure of the spinoffs is that they are each standalone novels with a different romantic pairing but come together to form a backbone. She has gone on to explain that each spinoff book has its own mini plot that fits into one larger ongoing plot. So looking at how ACOSF was structured, I believe that played out in this way:

Mini plot- The Valkyrie, The Blood Rite, and Briallyn as a villain.

The larger ongoing plot: Koschei, the ongoing power plays as the world restructures itself after the war, new treaties, and avoiding a second war.

Within the romance and the mini plot of the Valkyrie, Nesta was building her relationships, strength, and skills with her best friends while also building her dynamic and theme with her romantic interest as a warrior and a general. Nessian is now locked in as that notch in the backbone. Feysand are locked in as the leaders with unmatched never before seen powers. Elain, Nuala, Cerridwen, and Azriel are going to expand as the eyes and ears. Together, these couples, the leaders, the warriors, and the eyes and ears, form the backbone of the Night Court and the future of Prythian.

I have a very specific idea of where Elriel's book is headed, and I could absolutely be wrong. There's honestly so many different directions this could go and Sarah has given herself a lot (sometimes I fear too much!) to work with. But to distill it down, I see Elriel's book playing out this way:

Mini plot: Nuala and Cerridwen friendship, a rescue of Azriel in a reverse Sleeping Beauty/Snow Queen retelling, Vallahan, and The High Priestesses/Queen of Vallahan as the mini villain.

The larger ongoing plot remains the same and does not resolve in this book.

How did I get here? Something incredibly important to note is that Vallahan is where the priestesses like Ianthe (the corrupt ones making a play for power) hid out during UTM. So there is already a clear alliance between Vallahan and the Priestesses (who might also be allied with Koschei but were at the very least allied with Hybern.) Morrigan is struggling to get Vallahan to sign the treaty, and if she continues to fail to do so, then reinforcements will have to be brought in. The next logical move will be to figure out why they won't sign. This sounds like a job for the Seer and the Spymaster.

There's a very small detail that has me utterly convinced that this is the mission Elain will be brought in on. And it is small. And I'm sure someone who hate reads my content will screen share it to call me delusional. Idc. Here it is:

This interview took place in May of 2017, exactly 1 year after signing the spinoff contracts (read the whole transcription here) and around the same time ACOWAR was released. Considering how this all plays out, she pitched the spinoffs while she was writing ACOWAR using some specific fairytale retellings. We already know the Valkyrie and their role in Norse Mythology, we are well aware that Swan Lake and Vasilisa the Beautiful are extremely Vassien coded, which leaves the ❄️Snow Queen❄️ for Elriel's story. And then there is this extremely small easter egg that I will absolutely lose my mind over if I'm right about (but I kind of think I am!):

Elain was dressed in blue winter furs during the war against Hybern, despite the heat. Then Feyre gifted Elain another blue cloak at Solstice to keep her warm while gardening in the cold:

Sarah continues to make a point to dress Elain in winter clothing- and then when she shared her infamous drafting post on Instagram, what was the setting she chose to select to set the mood for her writing process? A winter wonderland.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sarah J. Maas (@sarahjmaas)

Oh yeah, Elain and Azriel are headed to Vallahan baby!

And I believe it will lead to the discovery of Vallahan in alliances with the corrupted High Priestesses. Where we go from there? I'm not sure. But I also know that the Starsword, Truth-Teller, and HoFaS have added another layer by revealing that there are caches of magic stored in the lands by ancient powers. I wonder if there is more to the ancient mountains of Vallahan than we are aware of:

And then of course during this conversation, Mor reveals that Vallahan is planning something. But she doesn't know what. And we need to find out.

Now, a lot of this points to Morrigan of course, but I have always held the belief that Morrigan will play a huge role in Azriel and Elain's book. Azriel and Morrigan are already meeting regarding Vallahan as of ACOSF:

Theory wise, I am a believer that Morrigan and Azriel are Cauldron mates. I know not everyone is, and I could still see SJM going either way but I do think Azriel being in Vallahan with the woman he loves and believes he is supposed to be with along with his friend whom he has loved for many years and may be breeding bonded to his honestly sooooo juicy. I love it. It's not a love triangle, nor do I think SJM would ever write a love triangle between two women, but it is a deep and complicated situation

But there is also the element of the retellings. I believe this mission in Vallahan will lead to Azriel either being lulled to sleep (Sleeping Beauty) or he will be spelled and taken by the Snow Queen. Maybe there will be a little mix of both. And I definitely think the priestesses have consistently shown their power in being able to lull and lure through Ianthe, Merril, and Gwyn:

With the High Priestesses connection to Vallahan, and their spies in every court, I would not be surprised if this ancient lulling power was heavily influenced by Vallahan or at the very least also found there.

My opinion is that Vallahan will contain some ancient secrets that will reveal even more knowledge about the Cauldron, Koschei, possibly the Valg and Asteri, and all the things we are also now roping in with the multiverse. I think Azriel's Starborn heritage is likely to be revealed in this book as well. In fact, this is part of the reason I think SJM is being so quiet. I'm genuinely curious if she had to do some rewrites after HOFAS and is working to make some difficult decisions about how much crossover she wants to have in the series. Considering she completely scrapped her first draft of HoFaS, I wouldn't be surprised if she created some implications for herself in ACOTAR that she now has to deal with. It's a very dense and complicated web!

Okay so, specifically, how do I see Elain playing her role as a spy? The thing is, Elain already has spied for the Night Court. Her sight is literally spying. She looked in on Koschei, on Vassa, on Hybern. She found the exact location of the Suriel. She is already doing exactly what Azriel does- gathering information for her court that has literally changed the tides in a war. The only difference is that Azriel hears it while Elain can see it. She has already shown her stealth- stepping out of the shadows to kill the king of Hybern. Sneaking up on her family members and making them wonder if she is taking lessons from the wraiths or Azriel. Dressing herself down and blending into the background. She is already doing it, and will only continue to step up and do more!

Vallahan not only will not sign the treaty, but they are up to something. Azriel is already on it with Morrigan. Elain's sight will stand to provide information even Azriel himself cannot find with his network of spies and shadows.

Vallahan is being severely under-looked as the next location and mini plot for the next ACOTAR. But with the snow queen, Elain pointedly always dressed in and gifted winter clothing, the connection between the High Priestesses like Ianthe and Vallahan, and Vallahan being perfectly fine with another war:

I think this is where we are headed. Elain's sight will help uncover the threat and the secrets of Vallahan. And I believe there will be much to discover, and a man to save with her besties.

What do you guys think? Do you see the Vallahan easter eggs? The plot potential? Or do you have completely different ideas on where the next book is headed? I'm pretty convinced of this as the foundation, but will be delighted if I'm completely wrong and totally surprised! However, considering Sarah said she planted so many details about the next book in ACOSF and the Snow Queen is the only fairytale retelling not accounted for (at least for those of us who believe in Vassien and Swan Lake) it all makes a lot of sense to me, and all of the details about the luring and lulling powers of the priestesses is highly relevant.

[stargirlfeyre]

Isn’t it funny how people decide that Elain’s relationship with the twins isn’t serious or is shallow based off of outside povs of them?

You can’t create an 100% accurate conclusion about Elain’s relationships because we don’t have Elain’s pov. Or Nuala’s. Or Cerridwen’s. “They only bake and shop together” we’ve only seen them bake and shop together through the pov of others.

The scenes we’ve gotten of Elain with her friends are from the pov of Feyre and Nesta. Nesta who’s been estranged from Elain for over a year and Feyre who even admits that the twins spend more time with Elain than she does. I guarantee you the people actually involved in this relationship have a different pov of their dynamic.

[bloodofthefates]

@siphonedshadow \\

[ofbreathandflame-archive]

Elain stans have such a weird relationship with Nuala and Cerridwen and I genuinely can't tell if they just choose not to look at the optics of that dynamic or what...

[lovemyromance]

How are people out here denying Elain's friendship with Nuala & Cerridwen just because "they haven't seen it on the page"?

First of all, it is on the page:

Nesta refers to the wraiths as Elain's friends.

Elain cooks & bakes with them.

Elain buys solstice presents for them.

Nesta notes that Elain moves so quietly, it's like she's taking lessons from the wraiths.

It's clear they are friends. But obviously, why would we as readers get to experience the details and dynamics of their friendship when Feyre & Nesta's stories were the focus this far? It's not like Feyre/Nesta spent 10 pages of their books observing Elain's interaction with N&C 🙄

People are denying canon text and yet, somehow, based on ZERO canon evidence, apparently Elain is going to become besties with the BOE? Jurian & Vassa will become her "found family friendship trio"?

She hasn't even MET them. Vassa, I could maybe believe just based on pure theory because she's a human queen or whatever.

But to say Elain will become besties with JURIAN? The man who made gang r*pe joke about her?

Yeah. Ooookay.

Sometimes I wonder why people keep forcing her into some theory that she'll become besties with the BOE. And then I remember - right - it's the same people forcing her into a relationship with a male she doesn't want, Lucien.

Once again - proving the point that Eluciens don't really care about Elain nor do they think any book with her will truly feature her story, her friends, her family. She is but a vehicle to get Lucien's story told. All plots about an Elucien book are always about Lucien's story, his trauma, his healing, his family, his parentage, his friends, etc.

It's kind of sad.

[danikamariewrites]

omg imagine ddlg with azriel where they think they’re alone in the kitchen so they speak normaly, with reader calling him daddy and stuff, they go out to the dining room to see the whole inner circle sitting there with their mouth open bc they heard everything💀

” damn i didn’t know you had it in you y/n ”

Alone?

Azriel x reader

A/n: I changed it to just Cassian and Feyre I hope you don’t mind but I love that this would be how Cassian found out

Warnings: ddlg, daddy kink

Before sneaking downstairs you made sure everyone was busy. Cassian and Rhys were in their respective offices and Feyre was with Mor and her sisters in the play room with Nyx. You could hear the toddler demanding his aunts attention as he played with his toys. You quietly chuckled knowing that Nyx would keep them all night if he could.

You tiptoed into the kitchen in search of a snack before dinner. Who you found would definitely disapprove of you spoiling your dinner though. You hid yourself in the shadows of the doorway, waiting for Azriel to be alone.

He stood at the island as Nuala and Cerridwen gave him their latest intel. When he nodded the twin wraiths lifted the last of the dishes and carried them out to the dining room.

One of Azriel’s shadows floated by his ear and his attention snapped to your hiding spot. A smile pulled at his lips as adoration at your shyness twinkled in his eyes. “You can come out princess, we’re alone.”

You hesitantly walk into the kitchen and Azriel’s smile widens at the sight of you in a sapphire blue dress. He opens his arms for you as you quickly fling yourself into him. You let out a satisfied hum and closed your eyes taking in his warmth. “Missed you today daddy.” You mumbled, squeezing him tighter.

“Aww I missed you too princess.” He pulled away from you, holding your hands, placing soft kiss across your knuckles. “What are you doing down here?” His eyebrow raised in suspicion. You sheepishly looked away, “I wanted a snack. But then I saw you and forgot all about it.” You smiled up at him.

He held your chin between his fingers. “Guess what I got you today.” “Oohh what did you get me daddy?” You asked excited about your treat. “Daddy got you your favorite dessert from that pastry shop in the Rainbow. I thought we could sit on the balcony and watch the stars as we eat.” Your heart fluttered at his thoughtfulness. Cupping his face, you pulled him down to meet your lips in a sweet kiss.

“You’re the best daddy. Have I ever told you how much I love you.” Azriel let’s out a soft chuckle. “You always tell me princess. Have I told you how much I love you?” “All the time.”

Azriel pulled you by your hand, guiding you into the dining room. You thought you would be the first ones at the table but you were met with Cassian and Feyre’s shocked faces. You and Azriel stopped short. Your face turned beet red. “Oh, hey.” Azriel stretched out. “H-hey brother.”

“How much of that did you hear?” Az asked, looking between them. “Umm, not much just…a little at the end.” Feyre said as casually as possible. Your face fell in embarrassment. The family has no idea about your dynamic and now that Cassian knows everyone else might as well know. You buried your face in your hands on the brink of tears from how embarrassed you felt.

“Y/n don’t worry it’s fine.” Feyre added quickly. “I think it’s sweet.” She nudged Cassian in the ribs. “Yeah, I didn’t know you had it in you y/n. You have really surprised me brother.”

Azriel stared down his brother. His shadows swirling furiously. “You better not breathe a word of this Cass.” He said darkly. Cassian stood straighter, “Yup, yup. Keeping my mouth shut.” The four of you sat at the table awkwardly waiting for the rest of the family to come down to dinner.

Feyre broke the tension by asking you questions as the brothers talked about anything else. “I know the type of dynamic can be sexual but what is it like for you two?” You smile at her, appreciating her curiosity. “He takes care to me and it helps him too. It’s more of a healing thing, like fixing your inner child. It takes a lot of trust.” You stare at Az from across the table.

The High Lady reaches out to hold your hand. “If it makes you happy and Az happy, then we’re all happy for you.” “Thanks Fey.”

[bloodofthefates]

@siphonedshadow \\ @darkslautr

[bloodofthefates]

[potatoplace]

Omega Needs - Chapter 4

Feylin, eventual Feysand

chapter 3 chapter 5 series masterlist

Story Summary: Feyre presented as an omega after being changed into a high fae Under the Mountain. Her heats have been hellish, and Tamlin has neglected certain aspects of her presentation. After the disastrous wedding ceremony, how will Feyre’s omega handle being away from her Alpha?

Warnings: A/B/O dynamics, talk of UTM stuff, that's all I think

Words: ~4.1k

Author's Note: well, it's not as far into the week as I wanted to get, but I'm happy with how this chapter turned out! Not proofreading, as usual lol. More to come in the next few days :) I wanted to say thank you to everyone who's read my story so far, it means so much to me to see every like and comment. Enjoy! Also I hope Rhys and Feyre aren't feeling too OOC, both of them are more influenced by their biological urges, the main change so far is in Feyre being more submissive, when she's normally such a firecracker. She'll still have her moments, no worries, just wanted to give a bit of an explanation.

18+ only pls

🩵💚🩵💜🩵

Feyre’s bath was heavenly. The view was perfect, the temperature of the water was just right, and Nuala had brought in a tray holding a lovely teapot filled with a lovely jasmine tea, which she was tempted to ask for a container of to take home to Spring, as well as a few different kinds of cookies.

She stayed in the bath until the tea was gone and the sweets were eaten. Her skin was pruney, but she didn’t mind. She dried herself off and tied her hair up in a towel, walked over to the wardrobe and swung the doors open. The inside held an assortment of clothing, matching sets of tops and bottoms, all of which were cut in a comfortable but attractive looking fashion. There were also a few silk dresses, nightgowns, dressing gowns, thick leggings, and buttery soft looking knit sweaters. There were a few different pairs of satin slippers on the floor of the wardrobe, all varying in color that matched the sets of clothing. Feyre pulled out one of the nightgowns, a midnight blue with silver stars embroidered at the hems, and slipped it over her head, amazed at how well it fit her body.

Although, maybe she shouldn’t be seeing as Rhys had chosen clothing… well, scraps of cloth, for her before, and her body truly hadn’t changed much in the past year.

Shaking her head, she grabbed a matching, sheer dressing gown, then padded over to the bed and bent down slightly, touching the indigo comforter, and instantly sinking down onto the bed. The blanket was possibly one of the softest fabrics she had ever touched. Tossing the dressing gown on the end of the bed, she pulled back the covers and slipped underneath, deciding that she was worn out enough from the day events to take a nap before dinner.

The pillows were just the right marriage between firm and fluffy, Feyre couldn’t help but loose a sigh as she pulled the blanket up over her chin. The pillowcases were violet in color, and she wondered if Rhysand had a hand in decorating her room. With the shade of his eyes all over the room, she thought it was highly likely. If he did have a part in it, well, he did a good job. Especially with the bed, not forgetting the fabrics waiting to billow down and create a beautiful canopy.

After a few minutes of laying in a haven of comfort, Feyre slipped into a deep sleep as her body gave in to the emotional exhaustion from the day.

🩵💚🩵💜🩵

It was a few hours later that she was awoken by a soft knock and the door swinging open, Cerridwen holding a tray with a few dishes stacked on top.

Feyre sat up in the bed, wiping the sleep out of her eyes when the smell hit her- something was absolutely mouthwatering, and her stomach rumbled. It was then that she realized she hadn’t eaten all day aside from the cookies earlier, having been too nervous to eat before the ceremony, and, well…

“That smells wonderful,” she remarked as Cerridwen crossed the room and placed the tray on the table. “What is it?”

“There’s a bowl of beef stew, a few slices of bread, and a slice of cake. Oh, and a couple of different drinks that I thought you might like.” Feyre grabbed the dressing gown and slipped it on, walking over to the table and smiled at the shadow wraith.

“Thank you for the food, Cerridwen.”

“It’s no problem, Feyre. Thank you for everything that you have done. It means a lot to all of us to be back home,” she said with gratitude in her eyes, and Feyre blushed lightly. “Especially… especially for the High Lord.” Cerridwen shook her head, clearing her thoughts, then made for the door. “Enjoy your dinner, Feyre.”

Feyre watched the door close, then turned back to the tray of food. The stew looked as delicious as it smelled, thick with chunks of beef, onion, carrots, potatoes, and two other root vegetables. Feyre was guessing they were native to the Night Court, as she’d never seen anything similar to them back in Spring. One of them was blue inside, with varying rings of varying color spreading outward and the skin removed; the other was a solid dark brown with a black skin.

She sat down and immediately picked up the spoon, taking a bite of the stew. Flavor exploded in her mouth as the spicy, earthy flavor overtook her tastebuds. Quickly, she spooned another bite into her mouth, and sighed after swallowing. It was absolute perfection, so rich and comforting.

Feyre picked up a slice of bread going to tear a piece off and butter it separately, as she had been drilled into doing over the past year back home. But…

Ianthe isn’t here right now.

No one is here to see her butter the whole slice of bread and dip it into the stew, taking the biggest bite that she possibly could.

No one is here to see that she finishes stew and bread within 15 minutes, an entirely unladylike act back home for the size of the bowl.

The cake was a nutty flavor- pistachio, if she was correct- with a vanilla buttercream, and absolutely delightful. Feyre was only able to finish half of the slice, her stomach feeling on the edge of bursting.

Stuffed as she was, she looked towards the three cups on the tray. One of them was water, which she took a small sip of. The next was a bubbly apple juice, light and sweet on her tongue, similar to the sparkling fairy wine they had at holidays. The last was a warm and creamy chocolate drink, staying warm in its enchanted mug, adding to the contentment building in her chest.

Even if the day had been bad, nowhere near the outcome she was hoping for, she had just eaten a delicious dinner with a gorgeous view.

She climbed back into her bed a few minutes later, watching the sun set over the mountains as she lay facing the open wall, falling into a deep, dreamless sleep.

🩵💜🩵

A knock sounded on her door, waking Feyre from her peaceful slumber. “Darling, breakfast will be ready in a half an hour,” Rhysand drawled through the door before she heard his footsteps receding down the hall.

She sighed and threw the covers off of herself, stretching her body taut before getting up and heading over to the bathroom.

She slipped her nightgown off over her head, tossing it on the large counter on the far end of the bathroom, and her hair up in a bun with a tie she found in drawer in the counter, then sank into the warm water of the bathtub. She reveled in the beauty of the morning light shining on the land before her for a few minutes. She washed herself quickly, not wanting to linger too long and risk Rhysand or someone else possibly stumbling in on her in the bath to hurry her along to breakfast.

Feyre toweled her body off and went to the vanity, rummaging through the drawers until she found a brush and smoothed out her hair, wild from sleep. Then she moved over to the wardrobe and picked out a pair of black leggings, and a dark blue knit sweater so soft she wanted a blanket made out of it. She picked out a pair of black flats, slipping them on and walking to the door, steeling herself for whatever is to come during this meal.

She exited her room and headed down the hallway she believed to lead to the table she’d seen in the room they’d first arrived in yesterday.

Hopefully, today would be the same as yesterday, with Rhysand being a tolerable level of flirtatious and pushy. She wasn’t sure she would survive the week if he turned back into the major ass he had been Under the Mountain.

The smell of eggs, bacon and fruit grew as she drew closer, and then she was back in the grand hallway, staring at the gorgeous blonde woman in a sleek black dress seated next to Rhysand. They both turned to look at her, and the blonde squealed, got up, and ran over to Feyre. The moment her scent, citrus and cinnamon and entirely alpha, hit Feyre’s nose, anxiety began to build in her gut. The only other female alpha she knew was Ianthe, and she had nothing but veiled disdain for Feyre in the year that she’d known her.

She stopped right before her, and held out her hands. “It is so lovely to finally meet you, Feyre. My cousin has talked quite a lot about you in the past year, and I’m glad this day has finally come!” The woman grabbed Feyre’s hands, encompassing them with her own. “My name is Mor, I’ll be joining you for breakfast if you’re alright with that!”

Feyre’s first impression of Mor is that of sunshine in a bottle, always ready to be opened and spread joy on those around her, and the building dread within her dissipated. A nice female alpha. She looked a sigh of relief, and squeezed her hands lightly. “That sounds lovely, Mor. It’s nice to meet you too.” The blonde smiled widely at her, and dragged her over to the table where Rhysand was still seated, and a nice selection of food was waiting to be eaten.

“Good morning, Feyre,” he said with a smile, and Feyre almost sighed again. It seemed like today was going to be a nice day, if the attitude these two were giving off was genuine. Then his scent washed over her, the blissful combination of citrus and sea, so perfectly alpha.

It may be more trying than she thought, through no true fault of his own.

“Good morning, Rhysand,” she replied, the corners of her mouth tilted up. Feyre started dishing out food for herself starting with the eggs, and motioned to put some on Mor’s plate as well.

“Yes, please, Feyre,” she said, pushing her plate closer to the dish. Feyre scooped eggs onto her plate, then moved to Rhysand’s. “Thank you, Feyre.”

“I’ll dish my own up, darling, but thank you,” he said with a slight smirk, grabbing the spatula from her and putting eggs on his plate.

Feyre fought a frown, unsure why he wouldn’t let her serve him, but mentally shook it off. Probably something to do with being magically bound to a psychopath through a drink served to him, so none of Feyre’s business.

She grabbed a pair of tongs and grabbed a few slices of bacon for herself and Mor, then passing them off to Rhysand again. The same cycle continued for the large bowl of fruit that Feyre was most excited to have, made of chunks of apple, melon, and a few varieties of berries, some of which she hadn’t seen in Spring.

Mor busied herself with pouring glasses of water for the three of them, and once they had their food, the three of them tucked in.

After a couple of minutes, Mor broke the silence. “So, Feyre, what’s your favorite color?”

Feyre choked on her food slightly, not expecting the question at all and threw a questioning look at Mor.

“What?” Mor asked, laughing breezily. “If you’re to be here every month, I’d like to know some things about you! Sooo, your favorite color?” She repeated enthusiastically.

Feyre thought for a moment, not having ever truly thought of what her favorite might be. She had loved all colors equally her entire life. Well, up until a year ago that is. But after a second, thinking back on the painting on her drawer of the dresser… “Probably a dark, midnight blue. What about you?”

“Definitely red, it’s the color of love and passion, so I’ve always been drawn to it. And I happen to look amazing in it.”

Feyre was just happy she hadn’t worn any red today, not wanting to deal with the color any more than she had to. “Now that, I’m sure of, Mor. Though I’m sure you could pull off any color if you tried.” Feyre turned her head to Rhys, asking “Which is your favorite, Rhysand?"

He lifted a hand to his heart, a pained expression on his face. “Feyre, still calling me Rhysand? You know only my enemies call me that, darling. We may not be friends, but I wouldn’t consider us enemies at this point in time.”

Feyre rolled her eyes. “Fine, what’s your favorite color, Rhys?”

A smile spread across his face, and he answered “Midnight blue as well, funny coincidence darling.” He winked at her, then continued “The color of the night sky is something I’ll never stop loving. There’s just something so entrancing about it.”

It was Mor’s turn to roll her eyes, “Of course that’s your favorite, you’re the High Lord of the Night Court, cousin.”

“That may be, but the color is magnificent either way, Mor.”

Feyre couldn’t help but smile, watching the two interact as she took a few more bites of her food. It was nice to see Rhysand’s friendly side come out, playful but not flirtatious or masking danger.

“Feyre, do you have any hobbies?” Mor asked, drawing her back into the room.

“Oh, umm…” Feyre paused, unsure of how to answer. “I liked to paint, but I haven’t in a while. Recently I’ve taken to reading. Beyond that, I haven’t found much that interests me.”

Mor frowned for a moment, then slid a smile back on her face. “Well, we can change that if you’d like! If you need anything, you can ask either of us or the twins for it, and- oh, do you like shopping?”

Shrugging her shoulders, Feyre said “I don’t really know, I didn’t have the money to shop for anything nice before… as a human, and since then all of my things have been provided for me without me asking.”

“Well, then, if you’d like I could bring you some catalogs from my favorite stores! That way I’d have an excuse to go get something for myself when you wanted something,” Mor added with a wink.

“As though you need an excuse to go shopping Mor,” Rhysand said playfully.

“Oh, like you don’t enjoy shopping for home décor,” She countered in a teasing tone, and Rhys narrowed his eyes at her slightly. Mor wiped her mouth with a napkin, then stood up. “Well, it was wonderful to meet you Feyre. I have a meeting to run off to, but I hope I’ll see you again this week!”

“The same to you, Mor. And I’m sure that we’ll see each other again soon,” Feyre said, meaning her words. And with that, Mor walked off into the the hallway, leaving Feyre alone with Rhysand.

“So, what’s the plan for today?” She asked, and Rhysand quirked a brow at her, questioning. “Seeing as I know how to read, you can’t follow through with your plan to torture me with it.”

Rhysand loosed a sigh, his shoulders hunching slightly. “I do not intend to torture you during your time here, Feyre, physically or otherwise. In fact, if you’ll allow me to, I would like to apologize to you.”

Feyre frowned. “I suppose you can, it does not mean I will forgive you, however.”

“I am not looking for forgiveness, Feyre, I am simply hoping to apologize for my actions, now and whenever else you will allow me. What I did to you and how I acted Under the Mountain…” He paused, looking for the right words. “It was and is unforgivable, no matter the circumstances. I regretted my actions even as I was doing them, and now as well, having you here under the coercion of a bargain that I twisted your infected, broken arm to force you into making. Worst of all was the way I used you during the revels, no matter the reason why, I cannot ever undo the trauma and pain I inflicted upon you. Feyre, I am truly, deeply sorry for how I have hurt you. If you wish, I will release you from the bargain today and return you to Spring right now.”

Feyre’s eyes were wide by the time he had finished, the sincerity of his words shocking her. Most of all, she was shocked at his willingness to revoke the bargain.

“I…” She started, but could not find the words. The omega inside of her was begging her to forgive him, please the alpha in front of her, but the emotional part of her, the part that was damaged and forever changed? It could not simply forgive his actions.

“There is no need to answer me anytime soon, Feyre.”

“No, it’s not… I’m just surprised, is all. I… I will not forgive you now, but I can see that there is a difference in you from a year before now. As for the bargain…” Feyre paused, and Rhys waited, hardly breathing. “The bargain did save my life, no matter how you convinced me to take it, I would have died without it. As of right now, I am fine with continuing to honor it, as long as you offer me another bargain that you will break it if I ask you at any point in time.”

Rhys smiled at Feyre, a broad, toothy one that made him so handsome it nearly took Feyre’s breath away. “It’s a bargain, darling. And thank you.” Inside the unmarked space on her left wrist, a small ribbon of black tied in a bow appeared, a matching one on Rhysand.

“Would you…” Rhysand hesitated. “Would you be willing to try and be friends? At least, friendly during your time here?”

Feyre considered it for a moment. “As long as you do not make any more bullheaded comments about my alpha, then I suppose that would be doable,” She agreed.

Rhys chuckled and nodded his head. “I will do my very best to be polite about him, Feyre, I promise.” He stood up from the table and extended his arm closest to Feyre, and his scent washed over her again. “Now, would you be up for a tour? I would like for you to be able to do more than bathe and sleep, if you so choose.”

Feyre stood up as well, and grabbed his arm lightly, not entirely having planned to do that. She could, after all, walk on her own and follow him. “That sounds nice, I’d like to have more places to hide from you if you do end up being an ass.”

Rhys chuckled at that, and began leading her down the opposite hallway from where her room was.

🩵💚🩵💜🩵

The tour took about an hour, granted a lot of that was Feyre exploring the library, a massive, gorgeous room that had a large mural covering the entire far wall.

Rhysand had explained that the mural told the story of the creation of the Night Court, up through the midway point of his father’s rule.

Feyre was entranced by it, similar to the mural back in the Spring library, so much so that Rhysand had to practically drag her away from it, back to the rest of the moonstone palace.

After that, she was most interested in the kitchen and large bathing pools, the latter of which she may have been tempted to use if she didn’t have such an amazing bath in her room already.

“This is our final stop,” Rhys said, swinging the door in front of them open to reveal a relatively bare room, only furnished with two wooden chairs with padding.

Feyre’s face contorted, her mind going to the worst, before Rhys caught sight of her expression and quickly said “It’s a small training room, suitable for beginners magic training, as well as mental shielding. I was hoping that you would be willing to train your magic, if you haven’t begun already in Spring.”

Feyre’s cheeks heated quickly, and she turned away from him and the doorway. “I don’t have any kind of magic,” she stated in a small voice.

“They may not have manifested yet for some reason, Feyre, but you were given a kernel of power from each High Lord.” He walked around her so she faced him, and he lifted her chin with two gentle fingers. “Not much is known about Made fae, but I would reckon that you will have a well of power to rival any one of us, just waiting to be coaxed to life.”

His gentle tone and scent was like a balm on the sting of embarrassment at having no magic to show for what she was gifted, and she nodded her head, his fingers dropping from her chin.

“Would you be willing to try? If you’re uncomfortable attempting to use your magic with me, we could at the very least go over magical theory and how to begin accessing it. Or even just the shielding,” he suggested.

Feyre nodded her head again. Both of those sounded like reasonable, kind enough options for him to offer. “That sounds fine, but… Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why offer to train me? Why offer to help me protect my mind from you?”

Rhysand sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets. “I want you to be able to protect yourself Feyre, even if it is from me. I was not lying when I said I came to call in the bargain because I was worried for you,” he said sincerely.

“As long as you’re not an ass to me during the shielding, both will be fine. I would… I would like to know if I have any magic,” Feyre said hesitantly, a spark of hope igniting in her chest. Something that she hadn’t felt in quite a while, besides the hope for Tamlin’s mark, though that was hardly ignited anymore, especially with the disastrous ceremony now standing between them… Mother, they have so much to discuss when she gets home.

“Of course, Feyre, I’ll be as gentle as I can. As for the theory…” he trailed off, and had suddenly pulled a book from nowhere, and handed it to Feyre. “You can begin reading this today, and we can go over however much you’ve read tomorrow after breakfast.” Feyre turned the book over in her hands, admiring the leather cover that was stitched with silver thread. “It’s a book on the formation of magic as fae age, as well as the beginnings to understanding how to access the magic within you. Read as much or as little as you like."

“Thank you,” Feyre said, clutching the book to her chest.

“Or course, darling. Now, I’ll show you back to your room from here, but after that I’ll be in meetings until dinner this evening, so lunch is yours to take wherever you wish. Just call for Nuala or Cerridwen, or talk to me,” He tapped his temple, “And it will be set up for you. And of course, feel free to help yourself to anything in the kitchen if you’d like.”

They made their way back to her room, both of them stopping outside of the doorway.

Her curiosity got the better of her, and she blurted out the question, “Did you help decorate my room?”

Color rose high in Rhysand’s cheeks, the first time that Feyre had ever seen him look bashful, and he coughed awkwardly. “As a matter of fact I did. Are you finding it to your liking? I was attempting to make it as open and inviting as possible.”

Feyre smiled and nodded her head. “Yes, it’s lovely. The view from this side is spectacular.”

Rhysand’s expression mirrored her own. “It certainly is. Have a good rest of your day, Feyre,” he said in parting, and began to walk away.

Feyre turned the doorknob and began to open her door, but before entering her room, turned back to his retreating form. “You too, Rhys. I’ll see you at dinner.”

Rhysand turned around, flashing that toothy smile again, and winked before winnowing away.

She shook her head and entered her room, settling down into her bed, the book Rhysand had given her clutched tightly in her hands. She ran her hands over the cover, the feeling of the stitching comforting against them.

Without waiting another moment, Feyre opened the cover and began reading the guide greedily, wanting what Rhysand had talked about, wanting to be able to defend herself and access the magic he believed her to have been blessed with.

She wanted to be strong again.

🩵💚🩵💜🩵

Series taglist: @icey--stars

[huntquinlan]

everyone expressing disappointment in the vast majority of elain week content not actually being about elain (centered around how she’d be with xyz ship) i see you and i agree.

but also it’s because she is 100% used as a self insert character by the majority of the fandom to self-ship with xyz character (regardless of whether the person is aware of it or not). the majority of the content around her has always been how she would be in xyz ship or xyz theory that contributes/supports development of xyz ship. very few people put effort into content that has to with her character as an individual.

it’s similar to how there is very little content for nuala and cerridwen in general. and how they are often tagged together, a package deal. what content there is of both characters largely subscribes to the face-value canon of their characters (ladies maids / domestic workers who get paid extra to snoop)

it’s the same reason why elain gets a fraction of the hate nesta does, despite being largely complicit for the same things. and the rest of the hate she gets is for being ‘too boring’. her characterization has been fairly subtle across the series, it’s there if you look for it but not overt like nesta.

ultimately it comes down to whether a person is just a fan of a ship elain is a part of, or if they’re a fan of her character beyond her relationship potential. and many people are more into potential relationship aesthetics and dynamics than they are to an individual character. that’s fine, there’s no moral significance to any of this. it just is what it is, and it will likely change a lot once elain’s book comes out.

[tadpolesonalgae]

sticking to the headcanon that feyre has a baby face bc it tickles my heart to think that when elain or nesta sees feyre sleeping/painting/just zoning out or smth for a flicker of a moment it feels like they're looking at their baby sister no different from their teenage years and their heart feels molten to think about everything they all went through and how their little sister fucking died and elain would just goes up to feyre and kisses her forehead and feyre just kinda looks at her with a confused smile, or if it's nesta she'd probably just abruptly get up and leave just to come back with a blanket to drape over a sleeping feyre and ugh can u tell that im obsessed with the messy dynamic of siblings that have never learnt or have been allowed to be soft with each other yet they can't help but care about each other deeply and have moments where that love shines through-

(sorry it's just whenever i see fics taking place around acosf and that inevitably jagged relationship between the sisters gets portrayed (whether directly or implied) i feel so many things that i feel like im going to explode bc... i wonder if seeing nesta drowning herself in alcohol and sex maybe reminded feyre of her time utm when she was essentially forced to get drugged/drunk and had no one to protect her from being sexualized by a bunch of strangers, or if nesta's knee jerk reaction towards lucien was so violent bc it felt like just another fae male trying to take away one of her younger sisters and the last time that happened they came back having already died, or if elain finds comfort in nuala and cerridwen so easily bc being able to bake or tend to the gardens together is something she wanted to do with her sisters back when they lived in the cabin...🥲)

Oh my gosh I think I would have liked to see something like this in a bonus chapter? I saw someone making a post about how Elain made a point to say how both her and Nesta failed Feyre in letting her go out into the woods and Feyre just wanting to start again because of how their situation was forced on them so it made things much more complex in their relationship and added way too many struggles for them to have a chance to get through it peacefully/happily :/

It feels also believable they might do something like that too since the whole family seems kind of unable to express themselves verbally and—as someone has nicely pointed out before—seem to only show their love for one another through acts of extreme sacrifice.

Even better if Feyre doesn’t understand what’s going on, just every so often she notices this weird softness popping up from both of them and she’s like ??? But also it’s nice and she wouldn’t ask them not to do it.

And I hadn’t thought of those parallels before but it’s kind of sweet to think those might be reasons behind some of their instinctive reactions—from having seen others suffer or experienced it themselves in a similar way and instinctively wanting to protect/prevent someone else from experiencing it too? There’s so much about the books that I’m almost happy wasn’t touched on because it leaves it open for discussion and will allow creativity to thrive!!!

[kopfkino-o]

My predictions for the rest of the ACOTAR series go something sorta like this…

ACOTAR 5: Elain x Azriel

Elain conquers her Mountain (the Prison). Spy Elain arc with a friendship with Nuala and Cerridwen. Azriel is her love interest and together they deal with their respective traumas. Elain finally gets to choose, and Azriel is finally chosen. A conversation between Mor and Az clears up the dynamic between them. A subplot involving a friendship between Elain and Lucien that leads them to mutually deciding to reject the bond. Koschei breaks free at the end of the book.

Theme(s): Fate vs Freewill, Self-Autonomy

NOVELLA: Prequel

A prequel novella surrounding the events of Prythian during the reign of the Daglan. Theia, Fionn, and Pelias are major characters. We learn more about what happened and about the dynamic between them. Koschei and the Death God siblings will also have some role, giving us more background on them. This sets up a potential full-fledged crossover series (Twilight of the Gods) or just simply introduces the idea of a multiverse for ACOTAR-only readers. Information learned in this will also set up things for the final ACOTAR book.

Theme(s): Power & Corruption, Hubris (?)

ACOTAR 6: Lucien x Vassa

Lucien goes back to the Spring Court or Humanlands to deal with Koschei. His love interest is Vassa and he has a friendship with Jurian. Eris and Lady of Autumn are also somehow involved. Koschei forces Vassa back to his creepy lake. Vassa’s relationships with the other trapped women is explored. Lucien discovers his heritage and spell-cleaving powers. Helion plays some sort of role in this. Lucien uses these powers to free Vassa and finally defeat Koschei, most likely with the support of the three Archeron sisters and the three bat boys. Vassa and Lucien end up reigning as High King and Queen of both Prythian and the Humans. The story ends with an epilogue that gives us a look into what the rest of the main characters do in the future and where other side characters end up.

Theme: Identity, Family

The End!