#Lucien friendship with papa Archeron

[crazy-ache]

in eternal bloom - elucien one shot

Summary: On the quest to find the sixth mortal queen, Lucien Vanserra meets a human with brown eyes and that same stubborn Archeron nose. Together, on their search for Vassa, Lucien befriends Elain’s father, and learns a bit more about his mate.

Rating: G

Word count: 5.4k

Read on AO3

in eternal bloom

Looking back, Lucien could only attribute fate’s nimble hands to piecing together his journey to the Continent. A deliberate thread that tied his story closer to the fabric of whatever it was meant to be with his Cauldron-blessed mate.

It is how he found himself somewhere in the borders of the mortal lands, an eastern port on the outskirts of Scythia. The land of the sixth queen. He sucked in a breath as he pulled a hood over his head, glamour and shadows hiding his fae ears, golden eye, and molten hair from the onlookers in the human territory. He was both quick and quiet, as if his boots glided over the wet stones, his heightened hearing picking up fragments throughout the crowd and rumble of merchants, sailors, and drunkards. It was a pulsing town of trade and Lucien was a merchant of whispers and secrets without even opening his mouth.

He had to duck slightly to fit through the human doorway of the White Horse Tavern. Lucien moved slowly, careful not to attract any unnecessary attention, but the moon was high and the ale was flowing as pints passed through hands. His eyes landed on the stare of dark brown eyes, sitting in the corner, as if waiting for his arrival.

Lucien slid into the chair across from him. “The word in town is you are in need of a mercenary to find the supposed Queen Vassa.”

He eyed the human scrupulously now before him. This was his best lead so far in the vast Continent, the closest he could determine to help him find the sixth queen. This small, helpless human apparently had the answers--and Lucien would retrieve them. “I have also heard you have denied every offer so far. What can I do to convince you otherwise?”

The human man’s hands absently traced the rim of his glass, those fawn coat colored eyes unnerving, nearly familiar, as they sized Lucien up in return.

“I do not need to find her. I know where she is, in fact.”

The deep rumble from his throat surprised Lucien. He watched as the man shifted to pull what was undoubtedly a heavy bag of gold and slid it across the wooden table.

“I need you to take me into the faerie realm to retrieve her.” Lucien’s eyes flickered to the payment before him, then back at the bearded man. He had taken a risk allowing the human to see his face, but now he realized, every mercenary had been turned away because he had been waiting for someone preciscely like Lucien--a faerie who could venture into the northern lands beyond the wall.

“What are your intentions with the queen?” Lucien asked.

The man nodded, leaning forward to drop his voice to a whisper. “To build an army that will save my daughters.” It was as he spoke that Lucien’s golden eye whirred hurriedly, as if finally placing those brown eyes into the puzzle pieces of his memory, that proud nose he could recognize from anywhere--

“What is your name?” Lucien gripped the table, raising an eyebrow.

The human sat back, raised the ale to his lips to throw back what remained. He carefully wiped the edges of his mouth with the back of his hand. He gave a small smile, reaching across the table with an open hand.

“Arthur Archeron. And yourself?”

His mouth went dry, the noise of the pub suddenly flooding into his senses. But a small tug at his ribs, like the threading of a needle, moved his hand to reach across and clasp his hand. “Lucien,” he finally breathed. “Lucien Vanserra.”

He stood, their hands still locked together. “And I know your daughters, Arthur Archeron. I will do anything to protect them, so consider this a trade--allow me to help you find and retrieve this queen and her army, in return I will protect you with my life at no cost.”

The Prince of Merchants raised an eyebrow. “That is a rather terrible trade for yourself--”

But as they shook hands, whether Arthur Archeron realized it or not, a magic bargain bound them most permanently.

*

It was either cruel or a gift that Arthur’s face so closely resembled Elain’s. Lucien hadn’t made up his mind about fate’s hand yet as they began their journey on horseback.

They were fortunate as Scythia had the finest horses across the lands, strong, beautiful, and sturdy in their breed. The Archeron’s father had assembled a large fleet of ships, but their trek to an ominous lake, surrounded by dangerous mountains and forest in the fae lands, could only be accomplished by land. The worn map sat tightly between Arthur’s hands as they trotted on their horses. It would take at least a week of non-stop travel by Lucien’s estimations.

“What is your plan? For when you meet this powerful sorcerer keeping her?” Lucien’s voice did not hold malice or taunting, but genuine concern.

Arthur looked up from his map, folding the parchment carefully before tucking it into the inner layer of his coat. “I’m going to do what I always do--I’m going to make him a deal he can’t deny. My friend, do not worry yourself over that part, leave it to me. I simply need you to get me there alive.”

Lucien knew this man had never fought a battle or even a brawl a day in his life. His hands did not bear the markings of labor or training, his frame thin, and Lucien wasn’t sure he was even carrying a single dagger on this journey except his damn wood carving knife. Meanwhile he was still wearing the Illyrian leathers, several daggers hidden in various locations, a broad sword against his back, and more dangled from his pack. Had Elain seen this far? Had she known her father was weaved into this future?

“You have seen my daughters then? How are they?”

“They…” Lucien considered his words carefully, those brown eyes peering into him expectedly. “They have been through some great and terrible things. But they have survived. They are together now, fortunately. Feyre is my friend--she saved our kind. She saved me. I owe her very much, considering there were also many ways I failed her in return.”

“That makes two of us.” They mirrored a small, sad smile to each other. “Feyre is married to her mate now, in a great position of power. She is happy with him.”

“And Nesta?”

“She seems to be keeping it together for her sister’s sake, considering all things. I did not get the chance to know her,” Lucien admitted.

Arthur laughed, giving him a knowing look that they both understood as, actually she did not care to know you.

“And Elain--” Even the mention of her name from his lips sent a shudder up his spine. “She is getting better from what I have been told. She has lost so much and I can only imagine how difficult it has been. I did not get a chance to get to know her either, but--”

Lucien had to look away, towards the horizon, towards the faraway mountains they were after. “But I would like to, one day.” And even if the words she’s your mate, she’s your mate bore into his mind, he decided he would not tell her father, not on this journey, that it was not for him to share.

From where he sat on his horse, Lucien couldn’t see the way Arthur tilted his head, studying the fae’s profile, with only a whisper of a wind between them.

*

They continued on this way for days. Lucien had decided that the man was a pleasant companion after all; days on horseback entitled them to endless conversations and stories, from comparisons of the mortal and fae lands, his rather clever merchant negotiations, to embarrassing stories of his daughters that Lucien was indeed saving for the right opportunity. They spent nights by the fire, where Arthur either worked on various wood carvings, or they taught each other card games between sips of whiskey. The human was a rather terrible gambler, but always lost with a smile.

“I’d like to hear more about your daughters, in your own words.” Lucien found himself asking one night, poking a stick into the fire. Arthur looked up from whatever it was he was currently attempting to carve.

“Hmm,” the man scratched at his now rugged beard. “Let’s see. Nesta was our first born. She is the most like her mother, but softer around the edges if you can believe it. Nesta is calculating and cunning. She possesses a fierce type of love.” He set the wooden carving to the side, rubbing his hands together at the fire. “You seem to know Feyre rather well. She was always the bravest of us all. Brave, determined, and free spirited.”

Lucien nodded with a neutral face, hoping their father could not sniff out the anticipation on his face for the remaining daughter. The restraint to demand to know everything about her ached in his muscles. The longing he felt settled deep inside his bones.

“And…and Elain?” Lucien asked, when he caught the man staring at him from across the fire.

Arthur smiled. “Elain is filled with kindness and hope. She was my light in the darkest of times. A rarity in this world.”

When Lucien did not say anything in return, Arthur pressed on. “She was always the most social of her sisters. I had never met a servant or friend or suiter who did not come to love her--and certainly not one who could deny her anything.” There was a twinkle in his brown eyes, something soft and proud.

“She was to be married—” Lucien swallowed roughly, that primal anger pooling into his belly, that instinctual roar to claim, causing the fire to burn brighter and higher than before. If Arthur noticed, he did not show outwardly. With a wave of his hand, he cut Lucien’s thoughts off from further spiraling. “No, that Nolan boy won’t marry her once he knows the truth of what happened.”

If there had been time, Lucien would have turned the words over in his hands. He would have possibly let himself imagine a life where his mate could offer him something that had been hollowed out of him long ago--he would allow himself to consider how even the hint of kindness and hope made something in chest flutter with warmth like an awakening.

Before he could, three figures emerged from the darkness into his eye line.

*

Lucien snarled, fangs and all, as he reached for his broad sword. This was one of the many reasons Arthur Archeron was wise to bring him, he mulled. Three fae with swords growled back. Dangerous. These three were dangerous, hungry to kill a human, and eager to steal whatever they possessed on their backs.

These may have been foreign lands, but the rules were familiar. He could dance the dance of his kind. In a few steps, he stood before the human in question, who had sat frozen on the ground behind him.

“Hate to disappoint, but you’re not getting this one.”

Three swords pointed back at him. Without sparing a glance, he tossed one of his spare blades at Arthur’s feet. “You’re going to run now.”

Thank the Mother he had the good sense to grab the weapon and scramble further into the woods without further command.

*

It did not take long for Lucien to find him--he only had to follow the scent of fear.

With a grunt, he stepped to the top of a boulder, to peer down where Arthur was crouching behind a tangle of roots and rocks, the blade shaking in his hand. “Lucien!” He exclaimed, relief flooding his features. Lucien jumped down to meet him below, placing a bloodied blade into its sheath.

“You did not leave me?” Arthur asked.

“I am a male of my word,” Lucien smirked. “I made a deal with the Prince of Merchants. I intend to keep it.”

They laughed, the human patting him on the shoulder in gratitude. “Come, Lucien, let us make camp again. I will even let you beat me in cards in return for saving my life.” Lucien’s laugh barked through the trees. Bargain or not, he would have saved this human. Mate’s father or not. He would have for his friend, just as he had done for another Archeron long ago.

*

They were growing weary. Even if their horses were strong and Arthur had more than enough money for provisions. Perhaps it was this exhaustion that made him more amenable to the human’s idea.

“I have a proposition,” Arthur said in an even tone over his cards. Lucien raised one eyebrow over his own hand fanned out in front of him. “If I win this hand, we make a detour of my choice.”

“What kind of detour?” Lucien chewed on his words. “It would add days to the journey and I am not sure if we have time to afford the delay.”

Arthur placed his cards carefully on the ground, then pulled out the map from his chest to hand to Lucien. From there, he pointed to a spot on the map a bit more western from the forest perimeter of their intended lake, marked with a small star in his own writing. “There.”

Lucien’s brows furrowed. “What is there? What is so important?”

Arthur ripped the map back, folding it quickly to place back into his chest. “A tulip field,” he muttered, waving his hand as if everything he had just said could be disregarded, hiding behind his cards instead.

Something pressed tightly in his chest--like spark rocks for a fire.

Go it urged. Against all better judgment, Lucien glanced at his cards once, then spoke before he could regret it later, the words drawing out. “Alright, but only if you win this hand.”

He could not explain why, but Lucien lost for the first time on purpose.

*

It would add two additional days to their trip. But the fields were, after all, worth it.

As they dismounted from their horses, even Lucien in all his centuries of living could admit he had not seen a vision so beautiful. It rivaled the mightiness of the Spring Court. Endless green rolling hills cradled the rows of wild tulips. Their vibrant colors of red, purple, yellow, orange, pink, white seemed to reflect against the blue sky. Their stems poked past their knees, the breeze making them dance, as if they were waves of a colorful ocean.

The pair walked through the field, a melody of beauty in the air. It was only Arthur’s voice that cut through the spectacle.

“It was Elain’s dream to see the tulip fields on the Continent.” Lucien turned his head finally, catching the ghost of a tear in the man’s eyes. The sadness at odds with the scenery before them. “I should have taken her, before all this. Before it was too late.”

“It doesn’t have to be too late, Arthur.” Lucien stepped closer, gesturing at the field. “After all of this is over. I will gladly accompany you both.”

Arthur’s hands rested on his waist, as he smiled at the flowers, his human eyes unable to even see the end of their buds in the distance. “Yes. Promise me, Lucien. Promise you’ll ensure she sees them one day.”

He meant to ask why he spoke as if he would not be here in the future, as if there would never be a day Arthur himself would be able to stand here with Elain. Instead, he simply whispered, “I promise.”

They did not speak again as they ventured further into the field, their fingertips brushing against hundreds of petals. When he closed his eyes, Lucien could nearly imagine Elain there with him. He could only hope.

*

The stars were hung high, only a sliver of moonlight breaking the darkness of the night. Lucien heard his voice clear through the crackling of a dying fire.

“Tell me, Lucien, what heartbreak drove you to this quest on the Continent?” He could not see Arthur’s face from where he laid on his mat, but he understood the implication. “What pain? What regret?”

Every scar singed with the reminder of its ghostly pain at the thought. Jesminda’s name still ached in his teeth, his mother’s bruises in the back of his head, all of the places he once called home that he could never return to, Amarantha’s wrath and nails buried in his skull, Hybern and his mate who would always be out of reach, Tamlin and Feyre and Spring—

“I wouldn’t know which one to pick.” He tucked his hands behind his head, the sky draped like a blanket over his skin.

He didn’t have to ask to know Arthur’s reason—the immense regret he felt for failing his daughters during their darkest time of need. With every conversation, he painted another layer of how everything had unraveled beneath his roof in poverty, how he had lost himself to his misery, allowing his daughters to pick up the pieces instead. It was the kind of pain that drives a man across an ocean. How terribly human, he thought, to wear your shortcomings on your sleeves, to proclaim them loudly with every intention, every turn.

“All of this…everything you’re doing, is it going to help you?” Lucien asked and he knew the human would understand. Will their forgiveness save you? From the miserable pit inside your soul?

“No.” It cut the air like a knife. “For that, we will need to forgive ourselves.”

*

When they finally reached that lake, the panic began to surge through his blood. Every step closer to the water, Lucien began to understand it for what it was—a prison. Some magic old and dark and haunted bound whatever it was that remained inside. His body begged to escape, a visceral dread that had his mechanical eye whirring with desperation.

But they walked on. Because he had to ensure Elain’s vision was not in vain. The magic of the bargain pushing and pushing him forward.

And Arthur did not waver. Wherever that trembling human with a blade in hand had gone, he was not sure. His face was devoid of all emotion, only set in determination.

“Are you sure you wish to go alone?” He turned to the human next to him. “Arthur, this is madness. He is an all powerful, ancient sorcerer. Take me with you. I may be able to help, there are things I understand, things I can see that you cannot—”

“No, Lucien. This is something I have to do alone. I cannot fail my daughters again. I cannot give up again.”

It was the most resolute he had seen the Archeron patriarch throughout their entire journey. And he could almost understand then. For it was the same face he had worn when leaving Velaris, the ghost of his mate at the staircase. The face of someone whose past felt like heavy chains, whose regret could consume them whole if they dared to look back.

“Remember,” he called out after him, “Every word in your deal matters! Think of every possible outcome, he will only accept what is advantageous to himself—”

The words were lost like mist over the water, as Arthur Archeron walked down the narrow passageway into the depths of the lake to meet Vassa’s keeper.

*

As he waited and waited, he could not help but recall every detail of that fateful day that had spun its thread to this moment. Back in Velaris, when the knowledge of Elain’s newfound powers had still been raw in both of their minds. They were at last alone, a simple kindness from the rest of the Night Court.

He had not known what to say to her when everyone else had gone upstairs. He was rendered speechless and she did not look away from the stitching of the pillowcase.

“What if I am wrong?” Her voice was small and frayed. There was doubt laced through her words. Lucien yearned to comfort her with tenderness. To wrap his fingers around those delicate, pale wrists and learn the rhythm of her pulsing blood. To throw her over his shoulder and bring her with him so she could simply see how wrong she was to doubt herself.

He did not know her. But he was bound to her soul. That alone meant something. Even if it meant nothing to her.

“I do not believe you are wrong. I will find her, lady. I assure you.”

Elain’s faraway eyes looked down at her hands, staring at the lines of her palms. And Lucien could not help himself, call him a romantic, but he had to offer at least once. He had to put his heart out on a sacrificial platter for her even if this may be the last time.

“I will stay, if you’d like. I will go find the queen from your vision. But if you ask, I will stay.”

She was slow to speak, but sincere, earnest almost. “I think it is best for you to go.”

He had mistaken it for dismissal. He is bound to her. He wondered if now that he had spoken to her, seen her, breathed the air next to her, if the distance he was about to embark would puncture him where that thread tied to his rib. He wondered if she would forget him. “As you wish,” he nodded, and he lingered for just a moment where their hands almost touched.

But for all those thoughts, there was one that had been afraid she’d ask him to stay. There was a small piece of him terrified by what she would find if she finally looked him in the eye. He was not ready for it.

Lucien’s memory was interrupted as he looked upon the lake.

That clever human. Lucien had broken into a run as soon as he had seen the silhouettes form in the mist. One that was undeniably Arthur Archeron, an arm wrapped around a smaller frame—Vassa. Oh that clever and cunning Prince of Merchants had done it. As his face came into his vision, brown eyes and proud nose, it was as if seeing Feyre triumphing against Amarantha all over again. It all but confirmed what he should have suspected; there was more to him than simple pleasantries. That cleverness ran strong through Archeron blood.

They found the queen.

*

“I imagine you’re going to sail on this one.” Lucien turned around from where he had been staring at the elegant, white lettering of ship in the harbor, the Elain. The thundering of armies loading onto the fleet of ships echoed around them as they prepared for an unknown war against Hybern. When he saw his mate’s father smiling at him, he felt his face redden, a hand shooting to rub the back of his neck. Had he been that obvious this entire time? “I—well—uh—” he stuttered but Arthur mercifully stepped next to him, gazing upon the ship himself.

“It was Elain who once told me about the significance of tulips,” he had his hands behind his back and Lucien couldn’t shake his stare. “Did you know they are slow to bloom? And once they do, they only bloom for a week or two for the entire year? What are the chances of that? That you and I would happen to see something so rare, so beautiful on our journey.”

Arthur turned to Lucien, offering an outstretched hand. There was a pause, where his mismatched eyes took in the human. The grays strewn through his hair and beard, those dark brown eyes that seemed to know much more than he had ever let on. This human who had negotiated with a Death God was the same crippled, hobbled man that had haunted Feyre for years. His mate’s father. And here they were.

“They are certainly worth the wait.” Lucien replied, clasping his hand in a firm grip.

“Yes, she is.” Arthur nodded, a second hand enveloping Lucien’s, patting his knuckles. And it was her face that flashed in his memory and glowed within his rib cage like embers. Lucien’s eyes flickered with confusion, his grip tightening as he searched Arthur’s face for more answers. But the smile on the man’s lips only confirmed he had not misheard what was really being said. Elain. “For however long it takes.”

He felt something between their palms.

“You’re a good man, Lucien.” Male, he wanted to instinctively correct, but instead he was at a loss of words, as Arthur had already let go to begin walking towards the Nesta further down the harbor. It rang in his ears like a goodbye.

When he looked down in his hand, a carved, wooden tulip laid in his palm.

*

When he ran across the battlefield on that fateful day against Hybern, it was as if the bond, raw and aching at the proximity, was an invisible pull against all currents, all power. He ran harder than ever before, sword heavy in his head, slicing through enemies and barriers. Nothing called to him louder. He still could not hear her heart, but that didn’t mean his own couldn’t find her within the bloodshed.

When they speak again, in the tattered edges of the war, there is a moment they find themselves alone once again. A blood soaked bucket strained against her hands.

“You found her,” she broke the silence. The lost, flaming queen from her vision.

Lucien turned to her nodding, a throat bobbing.

“You found her, Elain. As did your father. I simply followed.”

She looked at him with words unsaid, and Lucien longed to read her mind, to drop to his knees and beg for just another few more syllables to quell his pounding heart. To touch her. “Thank you.” Elain swallowed, adjusting her grip on the bucket carefully. Those big, fawn-colored eyes blinked at him before turning away without another word, and for an odd reason he couldn’t possibly place a finger as to what she was thanking him for at all.

He could not know that she had seen his evenings with her father in the smallest glimpse of a vision, the fire lit upon their faces, a warm laugh shared. He watched her walk away, specks of red in her hair, just as his hand found the carving in his pocket for the first time since the harbor.

*

When months became years, Lucien had developed a habit of thumbing over the tulip carving in his pocket. With every disappointment, every cold, stifled conversation, the sorrow and longing for his mate had long found a permanent home in his chest. It was difficult at times when the person Arthur had described was so at odds with the Elain in his presence. The petals had long worn and weathered from his frustration. But it was enough. Enough to remember the final words he had shared on that harbor with her father. Enough to clear the fog from his lungs and straighten his shoulders with nothing but unwavering patience. She is worth the wait, even if it means centuries.

*

It was dawn when he arrived at the gravestone in Velaris.

How long had it been since his last visit? He could not recall, as time had been blending together lately. Lucien’s gaze traced the outline of Archeron on the white stone, his fingers absently running over the wooden carving in his memory.

“Lucien?”

With a quick step, Lucien turned to find Elain behind him, a bundle of purple lilies in hand. She radiated with the morning light in a soft pink dress, curls cascading down her back. He swallowed, his cheeks likely matching the color of her gown.

“Elain,” he bowed his head, moving to give her space. “Please,” he gestured to where he had been standing. “I can give you some space and privacy.”

Instead of stepping forward, he watched as Elain’s gaze landed on the wooden tulip in his hand, as if she had not heard a word he had said. As she bent down to place her lilies on the grass, she took a sharp breath before finding her voice. “What is that?”

Lucien held his hand up, palm open to the sky above. He inspected the wooden carving, looking closer than he had in ages. “Your father…he had carved it for me on our journey through the continent. It’s a tulip.” Ripping his eyes from the small figurine, he looked at Elain, who had now stepped closer to take a look.

He almost stopped breathing when her soft hands grazed his skin, to turn the tulip over, poking a finger at the delicate stem and adjoining leaf. “Oh, this one is rather good,” Elain smiled, peering up at him with mirth in her eyes. “He had truly gotten better over the years.”

“Would you like it?” He couldn’t stop himself. One look and he was ready to give everything up. And he would, he knew. Without hesitation. “Say the word and it’s yours.”

For a heartbeat, he could see as she sincerely contemplated the offer, staring down at the wooden flower, perhaps one of the last relics of her father’s life. She made her decision as she used her two hands to curl Lucien’s fingers over the carving. “No…you should keep it. He must have given it to you for good reason.”

The bond tethered between them flickered with melancholy. Lucien bowed his head, tucking his hands into his pockets, shoving the carving deep inside. Her small, polite smile plastered on her face was sad, this Lucien knew, as it throbbed inside his chest. But there was something else, faraway, a glow. He couldn’t stop now.

“You never asked about him, about our time together. I do not wish for you to think I am withholding anything from you. I just didn’t want to intrude—”

“—I know.” Elain shook her head, tucking a curl behind her ear. “I suppose I wasn’t ready to hear what you had to say, at least not from you.” Emotions flashed across the bond. Confusion. Anguish. Anger. Disdain. Sorrow. It was every familiar feeling Lucien had felt from her over the years, as if she was remembering each and every one. Just as quickly as they appeared, they vanished, melting away like snow. In its place, something brave was awakening.

“What about now?” Lucien held on to that bravery with a bated breath.

She looked away, but a smile was spreading across her pretty lips, eyes settling on the horizon, the sun now settled between clouds. “I think I am ready after all.”

That smile was a thousand petals unfurling, an everlasting bloom unfolding before his very eyes. It put that tulip field to shame. It was spring incarnate. Lucien stilled, his hand letting go of the wooden tulip in his pocket he had been gripping with white knuckles.

His smile blossomed, as if cracking him wide open. His heart stretched and strengthened anew. “Then I must confess, my lady. Your father and I saw the tulip field in the continent.”

“Really? Is it as lovely as they say?” Elain asked.

“It was breathtaking.” Lucien could not look away from her, not at the joy radiating from her cheeks, as if her smile had the power to shine daylight. “He made me promise I would ensure you see it one day. I had hoped to accompany you and him…but—” They both looked down at the marble gravestone. A quiet settled and Lucien could feel his own heartbeat thundering beneath his skin.

“I would like to, one day.” He had almost forgotten his confession, content to stand next to her in silence forever if that was what she had desired, if that’s all she would allow for the rest of their days. His head turned towards her, their eyes meeting again. There it was. Hope.

“Would you like to walk back with me to the house? And perhaps share some of those stories now?” Elain gestured to the general direction of the townhouse.

Lucien nodded, taking a moment to look at the gravestone of Arthur Archeron once more. Thank you, my friend he whispered in the back of his mind, before taking the first step into this new journey alongside his mate.

“Yes, under one condition. Please tell me you’re a better hand at cards than your father was—I simply could never wrap my head around how such a clever man could be so terrible.” Elain’s head tipped back in an echoing laugh. As she uncovered her own story of her father, Lucien could feel something take root deep inside his chest, something brave and beautiful.

Perhaps they were both ready now.

[lovemyromance]

Oh ok so this fandom can have headcannons like Gwyn being besties w Azriel's mother (somehow) or Helion being a father figure (lmao) to Elain or Lucien being like the son Papa Archeron never had (L O L) ...

But Nuala & Cerridwen being Elain's friends (something which is canonically stated in the text and shown multiple times) is too far fetched??

People are saying they can't be friends bc:

"they give off grandma / auntie vibes" WHERE?

"They seem more like handmaidens and NOT friends of Elain just servants of Feyre" um, so what if they are handmaidens? They're still fae? They're still capable of true friendship?

"They're spying on her bc Azriel doesn't trust her" Again, where? Where does it say that?

These antis will do everything to twist canon text and then say "Elriels are delusional" SMH. We read the books, as they are. We don't invent other storylines or reasonings just because we don't like what is presented in the text.

Sorry y'all have some fantasy of Elain being besties with Vassa (a woman she has never met) and Jurian (a man who's made a gangr*pe joke about her 🤨). Can't wait for people to try to spin Jurian as "oh he was just in a silly goofy mood 😜 he didn't actually mean that ' joke ' about Elain... besides she didn't even hear him say it so why does it matter")

And honestly? If people were just saying they liked Vassa or Jurian (🤢) and they'd love to see more of them... that would've been fine. But I know there's only ONE reason people are pushing the BOE on Elain, and it's only because of Lucien. That's the main issue I have with Elucien - every single plot line, every single story or theory I have heard is what Elain can do for Lucien. How she can hold his hand as he discovered his parentage. How she helps him navigate ballrooms and they charm the humans or whatever. It's never about Elain. It's only about Lucien and Elain is just... there...?

[princessofmerchants]

My prediction about the next four books SJM will publish

I wanted to get this down somewhere, in part to process my angst about the possibility of what may come last in this next cluster of book releases 😫 but also to record the plot and character threads I am seeing as important heading into the next stretch of books SJM will release.

This includes HOFAS, ACOTAR, and TOG spoilers so it's after the break.

DISCLAIMER: These are just my guesses based on various interviews SJM has given both before and after the HOFAS release — THE ONLY SERIES BOOK THAT'S CONFIRMED IN THIS LIST IS ACOTAR5 BEING NEXT, and with that one, the main characters and plot threads I'll mention have also not yet been confirmed (beyond an avalanche of textual evidence 👀)

So, here are my predictions, circa 1.5 weeks after HOFAS was released:

➡️NEXT: ACOTAR5 - Az/Gwyn + Nesta and the Valkyries (which should also include Mor, ideally in a shared storyline with Emerie), Illyria / Ramiel / the Prison (and maybe a return of the pegasuses to Prythian), Gwydion and Truth Teller (not to mention the other two Made blades Nesta forged in ACOSF - also will Narben make an appearance? 👀), and I also think the first part of the Autumn Court drama may be told in this book - the truth about what happened between Mor and Eris, Beron's ongoing treachery, and Beron may die in this book making Eris High Lord (though some of these items may also be in ACOTAR6 instead - I do think the Mor and Eris story needs to come out in ACOTAR5 though, for Az to make peace with his 500 years of pining for her)

➡️FOLLOWED BY: A Throne of Glass crossover book - Shifter Fae + humans, more history and context about when the ancient Erilea Fae world-jumped to Midgard and served the Asteri, a story that creates threads and connections (of some kind, no idea how, and not sure which ToG characters it would entail) to Lidia (deer shifter with fire magic a la Aelin), Tharion (and the Mer as a people - ToG stans, remind me, were there mer in the ToG series at all? I'm pretty sure Rigelus says they hailed from the same world as the wolves and other Midgard shifters - I've read ToG in full but not as closely as ACOTAR and CC), and Ithan (wolf shifter with ice magic a la Dorian)

➡️THEN I AM THINKING: CC4: House of Many Waters - This would be the continuation of the story threads SJM did not resolve or finish by the end of HOFAS: Lidia's "service" to the Ocean Queen (and more RuhnLidia story with Brann and Ace 😍), Tharion/Sathia with Flynn and their earth magic / Avallen and the pegasuses, Ithan as the new Prime of the Wolves (and something with Perry - why did the antidote fade for her so fast?), Firstlight Zero, widespread distribution of the antidote, Ariadne (where did she go??!), and maybe more portal hopping to Prythian for Bryce, Hunt, Ember, and Randall (OH and maybe Ruhn here too, to get him in the same room as Rhys 👀) to further develop the cross-world friendships we saw forming in HOFAS

➡️WHICH MEANS FOURTH IN SJM'S AIRPLANE TAXI LINE WOULD BE (SOBS): ACOTAR6 - Elain/Lucien, Band of Exiles, Firebird retelling, Koschei, the mortal queens, and the conclusion of the big magical conflict that began with the finding of the Dread Trove in ACOSF, not to mention the Archeron sisters finally acknowledging and healing all of their familial baggage that was born from their collective and generational hardships from their time as humans (so Elain also coming to terms with her Seer powers and being Fae / no longer human - also answering the question: What happened when Elain went into the Cauldron?), I also think some of the Autumn Court drama would play out in this story Helion/Lady Autumn and Lucien's heritage (Day Court heir?), as well as more information about Papa Archeron from the time period of ACOWAR when Lucien traveled with him (LOTS of processing complex and problematic parents in this one!)

Again, these are JUST MY IDEAS - the ToG book guess is based on SJM saying after ACOTAR5 she's excited about the world her next book will be in which she implied was not the CC or ACOTAR world, and which will be emotional for her because of "who may pop up" - if that doesn't scream a return to her to the ToG universe then I don't know what would.

Then the 3rd and 4th predictions follow from that 2nd one being ToG and what I think she may focus on in it to add layers to her crossover - which seems like something she would want to do after how much work she's put into it so far.

I think there's a stronger and deeper fanbase for ACOTAR6 than there will be for CC4, so I think that could impact a decision to write and release CC4 first (since us ACOTAR stans would wait decades for the conclusion of that story and still buy a bazillion copies of it).

WHICH MEANS (SOBS), if these books are released one every 1.5 years on average... It may be quite a few years until we get our Elucien book 😭 ACOMAF came out in 2016. It would be PAST 2026 when ACOTAR6 gets released, over 10 years, until we get to see what actually comes of Elain's and Lucien's mating bond, if the above winds up bring true.

I swear, Eluciens are going to get the trophy for longest wait to see these two in their endgame, bless our patient souls 🏆

(There is always a chance the last two in the list will be in reverse order, with ACOTAR6 followed by CC4, but even if that winds up being the case, it would still be three books from now for ACOTAR6.)

[stargirlie25]

Me through reading all the ACOTAR books.

ACOTAR: Ew Nesta and Elain are so annoying. This is going to be the best series, Feyre is such a baddie! Awww feylin so cute! DAMN LUCIENNN. I know she ends up with Rhysand but im not vibing with him......how can ACOMAF excuse this?

ACOMAF: Ohk feysands kinda cute but i dont think we can justify all that....Oooooo Cassian and azrielllllll! Awww i hope Mor and Azriel gets a book! *Goes to tiktok and finds out mor is gay* damn Azriel.OMG I LOVE NESTA NOWW PERIOD POP OFF SIS MY QUEENNN. Elain is there too. Ooooo Nessian. Elain and Azriel? I mean as long as its not mor! NAHHH GIRL DONT U DARE BLAME LULU BLAME TAMLIN! OMG ELAIN AND LUCIEN???

ACOWAR: Feyre isnt really feyre-ing any more :(.OH HELL NO SCREW IANTHE NO WAY YOU DID THAT TO MY MANSSS!!! MY POOR LULUUU Why feyre lowkey being such a bitach?

Awww Elucien is so tender! LUCIEN AS A MATE AWWEEEE. Damn Nessian making me sqeual. Lucien went away to find the queen from elains vision! OMG. CASSIAN IS SOOO FINEEEE, elriel is lowkey getting boring....Why is she disrespecting tarquin? He has ALL rights to be upset. Ok tamlin in the HL meeting is being pretty annoying and doing nothing but feyre did nothing as well but NESTA ARCHERON THE WOMAN YOU ARE!!!!! WTHHH HELION AND LUCIEN??????? OMG the war!!! NO THE SURIELLL. THE BONE CARVER NOOOO THE WITCH LADY I FORGOT HER NAME BUT NOOOOOO. THE ELAIN. THE FEYRE. THE NESTA. Omg i have no regrets in my life but this.Damn Nessian ur hurting me. NOOO papa arhceron diedddddddddddd. Damn Ok Elain and Nesta king slayers! Oh rhysand died........i know damn well he gonna come back......´´Be happy feyre´´ bawling. Omggg Lucien was besties with papa archeron???? THE ONLY FATHER FIGURE HE HADDDD DAMN WHY ISNT FEYRE TELLING LUCIEN?? Awww lucien and feyre hug! Cass and feyre are cute but i miss the og´s! Ok girl you flying.

ACOFAS: Snoring. YALL ARE CUTE BUT IM BOREDDD AS HELL. Ok literally no one asked for this Mor pov. Wait why did Elain invite lulu if she is uncomfortable around him? Her power? Elriel kinda gave me brother and sister but i guess elain likes him now.....HI EMERIE IVE HEARD ABT YOUUUUU!!! I just want my girl Nesta, feyre u are not feyreing.

ACOSF: I love nesta so much!!!!!!! Cassian is acting like Rhysands frikcing dog. I hate amren soo much. WHY is Elain acting like shes the victim like nesta told you to leave and now you crying?? Girl you are 23 years old! Ok respect azriel has never disrespected my Nesta. Aw nesta gwyn and emeries friendship is the best one yet!!!!!! Azriel is starting to show an actual personality.....With Gwyn? Okay Gwynriel is so cuteee *sees elucien and gwynriel theories* 100% on board with this!!!!! DAMN the Valkyries! I am so excited for all the other girls to tag along! Just imagine a MOB of nesta gwyn and emerie!!! Eris? HELLL YAHHHHHHH VANSERRAS FOR LIFEEEEEE!!!! YOU ARE TELLING ME CASSIAN DID NOT SAY I LOVE YOU ONCE? Of course nesta lost her powers and she obviously lost them for the sake of the main characters that im bored of :(

ACOA (A court of Azriel): You got her a rose flower......because she likes flowers??? Why is this man so insecure about his hands around her? That cant be right......MISTAKE? THANKYOU RHYSAND FOR STOPPING THIS MADNESS! Wow he just wanted to F**k her and thats it? WTH is Gwyn doing here? Ok creepy Azriel is gone and this new azriel is here? Aweee he is actually kinda cutie now and he is laughing? HE SINGS???? OMG SHE SINGS THO! His shadows singing and dancing with her??? Cuteeeeeee, Ok so he gave the necklace to clotho to give to gwyn, thats cute she does in fact deserve something beautiful like that but why Elains? Ig its the though that counts. SPARKED IN HIS CHEST???? THATS ROWAELIN/NESSIAN LANGUAGE!!!! HOW does her picture it proper?? Glowing and secret? Where the hell did he tuck the image bruhhh?

A thing of secret lovely beauty. AHHHHHHHH clotho and the shadows are team Gwynriel for sure! Gwynriel are sooo mates tho and i hate Elriel with every fiber in my being. How did azriel go from mr. creep to mr. melts my heart?

After finishing: Wow everybody on tiktok are elriels. They are so confident elriel is endgame? Hmmmm but none of their points make sense but i cant explain in a comment section! Maybe Gwynriel and Elucien isnt endgame :(

*Downloads tumblr*

Gwynriel and Eluciens on tumblr have their freaking masters degree DAMN

[starsreminisce]

who do you think could be Elain's potential friends in the future books?

Hard to say because that's a part of SJM's writing where literally anything can happen, but my theory is that since this story is going to take a lot of pages from ACOMAF, there is a chance that we'd see other characters play similar roles as the Inner Circle did for Feyre while Elain processes her mating bond with Lucien.

Mor, I feel strongly, will play a huge part in it. Azriel has Great Gatsby'd her for 500 years, and we see that he was about to shift that focus to Elain. She's always been protective of Elain, and we do see her earnestly try to be friends with Feyre's sisters (say what you want about ACOSF, but at the end of the day, Mor was the one who taught Cassian how to dance to surprise Nesta, and Mor brought Nesta to Emerie no questions after her fight with Cassian and convinced Gwyn to leave the library so she could be there as well). I like to think that Elain will stand up for herself to Azriel after how he has coddled her, and that it'll spark something in Mor to finally speak up as well. Mor has shown to be very perceptive of Azriel's moods and acts with that in mind, so I would hope that seeing Elain would prompt her to do the same. Since Mor has been an Elucien shipper since day one by bringing Lucien to the townhouse, I think there will be a lot of self-reflection these two can offer each other. Mor helped Feyre recognize that being Rhys's mate wasn't that bad, and I can see her asking the same of Elain about Lucien.

Vassa would likely play the role of Amren. I mean, both of them turned into something else that acts as a trump card with a promise of being turned back, and they both exhibit a take-no-crap attitude that offers self-confidence while exhibiting tough love. Amren's motives have been pulled back, leading people to theorize that she's the betrayer, and I see Vassa doing the same thing.

Jurian will play the role of Azriel, where a lot of his history and background is kept vague but traumatic, serving as a basis for his character with a unique sort of relationship with Mor while he looks at a female longingly but doesn't want to make a move until he's sure it'll happen. Feyre had always shown some sort of apprehensiveness towards Azriel. Honestly, considering how much Feyre thought about Azriel's hands, I wonder if Elain would keep wondering how Jurian lived all those centuries as an eye.

Tamlin, funny enough, will play the role of Cassian, but their dynamic would be switched up. Cassian helped Feyre process a lot of her feelings through action, and I think Elain would be instrumental in bringing Tamlin back to the High Lord he was. Elain possesses understanding, and she has benefited the most from Tamlin's generosity when he took Feyre away, so I hope she can bring that perspective to him, especially when Tamlin shows he reveres humans and Papa Archie is a testament to that resilience. I also think that we will see more insight into his parents' bond and offer reflection for Elain, since theirs was also considered ill-matched.

Eris would probably act more like Tarquin, and Elain can see what Eris is trying to do for the sake of his court. Nuan can be like Cresseida if she and Lucien are as close as they are.

And, though not strictly ACOMAF, I do see a mirroring of Elain getting closer to Helion and LoA as Lucien did to Papa Archeron. Helion could provide Elain with insight into how a rejected male feels, bringing an understanding of what Lucien will go through if she were to reject the bond, as LoA on how she navigates through it.

That's my initial thoughts, but like I said, friendships are important to SJM's characters. Emerie was introduced in ACOSAF, and Gwyn a book later, so we might get some fresh characters as well.

[acourtofthought]

Many have theorized that the Archeron sisters were distantly related to the fae warrior mentioned below:

Koschei is first mentioned on page 239.

Elain then talks of her vision of him on page 337.

And we find out, on page 675, that Elain's father was able to bargain with him:

It's totally out there but what if the reason Koschei was willing to make a deal with a human was because he knew that Papa Archeron was the father of three girls who were distant relatives of the fae who trapped him (on their mother's side)? What if a sacrifice of blood from that line was a requirement to free him from the spell?

The Bone Carver was able to show Feyre her future by revealing himself as the son she'd have some day.

What if Koschei had a similar gift and was able to see that one of the sisters from that line would be granted Seer powers, that she would be mated to someone who could break spells, so he set a plan in motion.

He chose Vassa for a specific reason (what is that reason?) but so far, Vassa's importance to the series isn't anything major (at least that I can tell). She's significant to the humans but as far as the current fae plots go, I think her friendship with Lucien is the most beneficial thing to Koschei, knowing Lucien and his mate would travel to free her once she's called back.

Even if the bargain that Papa Archeron made has nothing to do with the sisters having fae ancestry, I still think it's possible Koschei had knowledge that Elain would become a Seer and end up mated to Lucien (someone who might technically be able to break his confinement spell), reason enough to bargain with her father.

If the Bone Carver knew things from the future and Koschei is meant to be even more powerful, than it's not a total reach that he could have foreseen things as well.

[msbrownwithacrown]

Mental gymnastics. But wouldn't it be amazing if SJM characters were allowed to exist outside of the one dimensional view we see of them from IC POV?

For instance, I have this wild idea 💡 that Elain is a spy. Hence, the friendship with the shadows. Hence, the flirtation with The Spymaster (to misguide him). Hence, the questions she asks Amren and the Velaris Shopkeeper. She could truly be a Keyser Söze.

Working with a team of exiles and hopefulls to bring more justice and equality into this world.

Unhinged Theory moment, but what if....her and Lucien are pretending to not be talking to each other? A S t re tch. I know. But what if in bringing down the IC, they use their own medicine against them. Lucien fakes bruises and fat lips and a falling out with Tamlin. Tamlin glamours himself and his court to appear defenseless, weak, and broken. (We know he's successfully glamoured Rhys before). You have the Band of Exiles at the Manor that technically Tamlin bought with the wealth he had gifted Papa Archeron. Eris and Lucien planting seeds of Tamlin in a state of downfall.

& Taking it a step further, I love the idea of the people of Velaris actually building their own resistance. Polinas family gifting the studio to her and Ressina, forming a friendship with her. The weaver who sold the dark veil to her, telling Elain that the silver one meant Hope.

Alongside the dissenters of the Ilyrian tribes and whatever Keir is cooking up for his people, utm.

[elrielbliss]

Hiiii! How are you doing? How’s your day going?

I’ve just read your post about papa archeron’s deal with koshei and I’m sure someone’s already said this but I wanted to add

I remember someone else pointing out that mor stares at azriel or elain before winnowing, I think in book 3 (I’m not sure, my memories are foggy at best because I’ve read the first trilogy almost two years ago)

And your theory made me think… mor’s gift is truth, despite us not really knowing what it means or does because I’m pretty sure it hasn’t been shown yet

I always chalked mor’s staring to her kind of… missing the attention she used to get from azriel, but it doesn’t really fit does it? We see her basically relieved in acosf, with her not draping herself over cassian and using him as a buffer anymore

So what if she has sensed that azriel and Elain’s bond is being manipulated, as well as Lucien’s, but because koshei’s so powerful she also cannot understand WHAT it is she is sensing or why it feels so off, so she is just hella confused but does not know how or why and can’t really talk about it without sounding a tad bit crazy? They’re raised to not question the cauldron, why would it be wrong

So maybe we get to see more of mor and her power in acotar5 as she helps elain and azriel?

We have yet to see any interaction between mor and elain as well! She’s feyre’s closest friend, but teaches nesta how to dance and despite not liking each other, they gain… a mutual respect

So really we only miss elain and mor

hii!!

I actually do think Mor will be important in Elain's and Azriel's story as well!! Or at least she will have more of a presence than she did in ACOSF.

I do think Mor knows things if her power really is truth and you bring up a good points. I can't remember which book it is either on top of my head, but third book sounds right lol. Azriel went to winnow to go help solve Elain's problem and Mor was just staring at the space Azriel had winnowed from. We know Mor has never had feelings for Azriel, so I've viewed that scene as her being observant and realizing that he cares for Elain.

Then in ACOFAS Mor and Feyre are having a conversation about Elain and Azriel and the Truthteller.

Feyre questions if Azriel would ever give up his TruthTeller and Mor just casually says that he gave it to Elain. Feyre responds that she gave it back and Mor just hums to herself as if she knows something. SJM did say ACOFAS hints at the next two spinoffs and I think this is really important because this could mean we could see Elain with the TT again, or maybe her own dagger? CC3 will probably give us more insight to be honest. But this just serves as another clue that Mor knows something is happening between Azriel and Elain.

Maybe Mor can sense something is off about the bond? I'm not really sure since I don't think there's anything to back that up. But maybe her power would be able to sense something like that. I'm curious as to when we get Elain's POV to see how she truly she feels about the bond and if she's questioning the cauldron as well just like Azriel & Feyre. We did get some a little insight on Lulu's POV where he said he felt like Elain had been "thrown at him."

But also, there's a scene of Mor cuddling on the couch with Elain in one of the books so I think they're friendly with each other and I'd loveee to see more of their friendship. My personal HC is that Mor is going to be the one to push Azriel to go after Elain - as Mor is going to be the one to see the truth of their connection. I'm excited for Elriel book, but I have to agree I hope we learn more of Mor in it as well.

[crazy-ache]

ACOTAR tag game 💕

Thanks for tagging me @the-darkestminds @zenkindoflove @ataraxiasflame @starsreminisce and @teddyhoneybear!!!

Answer the questions below & tag whoever you want, or make it an open tag!!

Who's your favourite ACOTAR character?

Lucien Vanserra. Since Book 1.

Who's your least favourite character?

Ianthe. I am currently re-reading ACOWAR and god she is the worst. Especially for all she did to Feyre and my baby Lucien. I also hate that she was a missed opportunity for a complex, female villain, perhaps with undertones of religious motivations....instead of another female sexual predator villain in Sarah's books. Sigh.

Say something nice about your least favourite character.

She got what she deserved!!! :-)

Who's your favourite High Lord? (If you picked one for your fav character, then who's your second fav!)

Helion Spell-Cleaver. I am very into his tragic love story with the Lady of Autumn. It gives me Greek mythology vibes. My head canon is that Helion told her to reject the bond, to protect her from the wrath of Beron, and to protect her sons. He begged and begged her to do it, because it was better for him to suffer than for her to lose her life.

Favourite MINOR character?

Jurian, hands down. He's got that tortured asshole soul vibe going on. A human who is not remotely phased by magic or Fae after all the shit he's been through. People underestimate how brilliant and wise he probably is....because he's an ass lmao. And I love that about him.

Favourite ship? (Crackships included!)

ELUCIEN FOREVER.

Favourite court and why?

Autumn Court. The political intrigue. The fall vibes. The amazing forests. It feels very faerie and I want to see more of that lore in the coming books.

Make up a brand new court RIGHT NOW, NO PREP JUST VIBES.

Court of Mountains --> Picture this. Influences from the Incan Empire. Think of buildings and temples built into the mountains, like Machu Picchu. I picked this because I've visited it before/share roots with it and it felt magical - the lore, the beauty, the mountains .... it would make for an incredible kind of court we haven't seen before. I am envisioning the people have magic that controls the Earth (like Earthbenders!) and it helps them live and survive in the difficult landscapes, away from the other courts. IDK I made this all up now.

What relationship would you have wanted to see more of in the books?

I need an Elain and Eris friendship arc and I need it now.

What's your unpopular opinion?

That the Elucien book is next, then a novella, and then a Gwynriel book. Ha.

What's your favourite headcanon/fan canon?

That although Lucien never told Papa Archeron directly, the man figured it out by himself that Lucien was the one for Elain. Maybe he didn't know the word mate but he said - wait a second. They're going to be together. This fae is a little too interested in her, but I like him. And he gives him his blessing before he dies. I think he's the one who told Lucien that Elain is worth waiting for...and to take her to the tulip fields one day. YES I WROTE A WHOLE ASS FIC FOR THIS

If you were swept away to Prythian, what's ONE thing you would want to do?

Lucien

I want to experience all the magic. Just frolic through a field and really feel this fae magical world, see the creatures, witness the magic and spells, just be absolutely bewitched by it all.

If you could have ONE faerie ability seen in the books, which would it be?

Y'all I want fire magic. Because I've always wanted to be a fire bender. IYKYK

No pressure tags!! @works-of-heart @yaralulu @animezinglife @shadowqueenjude

[bookofmirth]

I was thinking about how Elain and Lucien’s relationship - romantic, platonic, whatever - would have gone without the mating bond, up through acosf. Part of this is analysis of canon minus the bond, then later on it’s more headcanon! So here goes. This turned into a whole thing.

Lucien tried to protect Elain from being Made. This was pre-mating bond, so it would still apply. 

Lucien broke a spell to go to her. This wasn’t necessarily bond-related, since we saw him try to help her prior to knowing that. 

He was the person who tried to preserve her dignity and modesty after she came out of the cauldron.

Elain still would have experienced being Made, losing her fiancé, and her home. It wasn’t having a mate that caused Greysen to dump her, it was the fact that she was fae. 

She could potentially still resent Lucien’s part in that because 1) he’s an easy target, being nearby, and 2) she can’t take it out on Ianthe and Tamlin because they aren’t around. I doubt she is thinking about the finer nuances of the fact that Lucien and Tamlin expressly forbid her and Nesta being taken. She’s hurting, and she needs a scapegoat.

Lucien said to get her outdoors. He knew this without the benefit of the mating bond, since she “ran away” metaphorically when he got to her end. So he knows this simply from observation.

Elain is still grieving, in absolutely no place to even think about a relationship.

Lucien feels guilty for his part in what happened, no matter how small or how unintended. He still goes to find Vassa to get her army for the war, and spends time with Papa Archeron in the meantime. 

Elain is grieving, silent, and slowly trying to find herself in the interim.

After the battle, Elain knows that Lucien was one of the last people to spend significant time with her father. This carries a lot of weight.

Lucien is the first person to extend his condolences for her father’s death, and to verify that she is unhurt. 

Lucien also knows that she killed Hybern, but he doesn’t make it into something it isn’t. She was protecting her sister, not trying to win the war.

Lucien feels out of place in the Night Court. He is still trying to figure out his friendship with Tamlin. He isn’t around as much as he could be because he doesn’t feel completely welcome. Again, this isn’t about the mating bond, it’s about his friendships with Feyre and Tamlin. 

Now from here on it gets slightly more headcanon-y

Elain is still trying to find her equilibrium, is now grieving her father, and is realizing that peace time doesn’t necessarily mean she can go home. That realization is like a weight around her neck. 

Elain wants to know what Lucien knows about Papa Archeron. What he talked about with her father, if naming his ships after her and her sisters was more than a hollow gesture, but she’s afraid to ask because the answers might hurt too much.

She has watched Lucien with Feyre, with Rhys, and later on with Nyx, and she starts to understand what kind of man he is.

Lucien has watched Elain finding herself again, but from the sidelines. Each time he goes to Velaris he sees her smile brightening the smallest bit, and he feels relief. 

Elain watches Lucien navigate these complex relationships with her family and Tamlin and the humans, and wonders at his ability to move about the world in a way that she wishes she could.

All around her, people are falling in love. While the sting of losing Greysen has lessened, and she is happy for her sisters, she can’t help but mourn what she would have had.

Okay now the rest of this is straight up headcanons.

One day, Elain gets up the courage to ask Lucien about her father.

Lucien has been holding this in for so long. He learned so much about Elain on his journeys. He couldn’t help but be curious about someone who survived the Cauldron, who could slay the King of Hybern, lose her fiancé and her father, and still remain breathing without the shards of grief consuming her.

They set a time and place to talk about Papa A. 

Elain finds that she is taken by the way that Lucien doesn’t hold back with her. He doesn’t treat her like she’s fragile or weak, or like the wrong word will break her. He tells her about her father’s swearing, he tells her the dirty jokes he’s learned from Jurian and Vassa.

And Lucien watches her drinking these stories in and wants to keep making her smile and ask him questions. 

One day she flips the conversation on him and goes straight for the jugular, asking about Tamlin and Beron. 

Lucien figures that if she can bear her loss, then he can tell her about his.

They spend more time together, at first under the guise of talking about his time with Papa A, but eventually they start making excuses. 

Elain sees how Lucien has tried to hold people together - to support Tamlin as High Lord, to work with the Night Court, to not snap at Beron for his mother’s sake. 

And Lucien sees how Elain has held herself together, and he admires her quiet, unassuming strength.

The first time that Feyre asks Elain why she’s spending so much time with Lucien, Elain blushes so hard that it’s impossible to lie. 

Feyre decides to start playing matchmaker, which isn’t hard considering that Lucien has “official Night Court business” that can only take place in Velaris. 

Lucien isn’t sure if she would have him, but he knows that he desperately wants her to say yes. To an afternoon, a dinner, anything.

Elain starts to see possibility in her life again. The potential to move, to stretch, to learn what she didn’t think possible. And while only being who she is, nothing more. 

When they meet for the first time on a date that Feyre has arranged, they see each other a bit differently, and recognize the potential in one another. By now they have established an admiring friendship, but she hasn’t forgotten how he tried to go to her. And he hasn’t forgotten how she persisted against all odds. 

[ecileh]

we know sjm loves doing a character development switcheroo. feyre begins the series as self-pitying and feral, but becomes self-sacrificing mother and savior of the realm. rhys, the evil “whore”, becomes the doting husband. nesta, the stone cold bitch who’s mean to everyone, is actually the most loyal and brave of them all. seeds of these final forms always existed in the characters, but were hidden beneath insecurities and trauma. (we see this in throne of glass as well—it’s clearly what sjm likes to write.)

in the beginning of acotar, feyre states that elain is not very smart and that common sense things simply don’t occur to her, and that’s why feyre and nesta feel the need to protect her. elain isn’t actually shown to be kind (that’s a fan interpretation! overall she’s pretty neutral, being only sometimes thoughtful to feyre, and occasionally cruel to nesta)—but she is shown to be helpless and gentle. people mostly like her because she’s pretty and quiet. what’s the sjm arc for a simple, gentle, pretty, helpless character? perhaps someone who’s clever and devious, a character type we haven’t come across yet but makes complementary sense with the brave sister and the savior/motherly sister?

elain’s simplicity and helplessness are not because she’s simple-minded. it’s her coping mechanism, much like nesta coped by weaponizing cruel words and her own isolation. elain figured out early on (perhaps by acutely observing her family) that if she played simple and gentle and pretty, she could get people to do everything for her.

she learned the path of least resistance. she works smarter, not harder. there’s probably some element of imposter syndrome, where she’s very unsure of her ability to manipulate, devise plans, and generally be clever.

whether or not she an azriel are endgame (idk i kinda feel like she and lucien will be high king/queen, but that’s moot and i really have no side in the ship war), their friendship may turn into him training her as a spy. her cleverness could lead to a power-amassing arc, where she either goes down a “dark elain” or at least morally grey elain path in her quest to regain her humanity or learn papa archeron’s secrets, or suddenly becomes interested in her mate lucien when he gets elected high king.

i may also be completely projecting onto elain because i think this is the most interesting arc i can imagine for her

[queenestarcheron]

No Nuance November (ACOTAR Opinions)

(because i saw other people doing it and thought it was fun also dont hurt me for any of these but feel free to challenge anything i say bc im not omniscient and probably forgot/missed stuff from the books) 

 - elain has a lot of potential but is really underdeveloped as a character atm and i would have rather read a novella about her after the war and settling in with the ic than whatever tf acofas was

 - elain is not the useless sister (i dont think there is one)

 - nesta is not the villain of anyone’s story 

 - papa archeron may have been disabled but still could’ve done more for his family instead of watch them starve

 - rhys doesn’t actually believe in feminism

 - eris is kind of morally grey but i would have rather read a novella about him taking over the autumn court and killing his father (we all know it’s coming) than whatever tf acofas was

 - cassian and mor’s friendship blurs and crosses way too many lines (especially since they slept together once upon a time)

 - all of the characters are controversial in some way or another (some more than others though)

 - this may sound insensitive but the ic are 500 years old and should be able to deal with someone not liking them 

 - tamlin’s not a good person but rhys showing up to his house uninvited just to insult him when his court is a mess and he’s basically miserable was not necessary and didn’t make me like either of them any more than i did before 

 - i love azriel as much as the next person but him not saying anything about the ic’s actions doesn’t sit right with me

 - feyre and rhys are terrible rulers and should not be responsible for looking after a whole court (i blame rhys for this more than feyre)

 - rhys sexually assaulted feyre in acotar and his actions shoudln’t be excused because it was ‘for her protection’ or because ‘she forgave him’ (don’t bother telling me im wrong because i know im right)

 - if you will justify the rhys’s actions utm bc they were to ‘protect feyre’ then you sort of have to defend tamlin’s actions too because they were to ‘protect feyre’

 - nesta was not responsible for feeding her family when they were in poverty

 - feyre was not justified in sending nesta to the war camps 

 - lucien is one of the most interesting characters in the series but everyone just sleeps on him

 - i would rather have read a novella about lucien and his band of exiles than whatever tf acofas was

 - i agree that feyre should’ve thought about the spring court’s people before ruining their lives just to get back at tamlin but being super impulsive has always been part of her personality so i really was not surprised (i would’ve liked her to see what she did to the place and the people in acofas)

 - nesta does not need a redemption arc, she is not a villain nor an antagonist

 - amarantha was one of the most poorly written villains ive ever had to read about 

 - mor’s ‘protectiveness’ over cassian feels more like possessiveness and it doesn’t sit right with me

 - what mother tells their youngest child to look after the family?

 - the archeron sister/family dynamic is way more interesting than the ic’s and i would have rather read a novella about them talking to each other and trying to understand each other better than whatever tf acofas was

 - nesta really did not need to give up her and elain’s safety and security for the fae but she did and everyone sleeps on that 

 - im tired of sjm telling us how powerful her characters are and then not backing it up with actual evidence 

 - speaking of... how is rhys the most powerful high lord in history and how would he even know if he was?

 - acofas was bad 

there’s a shit ton more (i don’t think i even added any relationships) but i don’t feel like typing. im also not going to tag this as ‘anti’ anything bc i don’t think i said anything particularly mean about the characters but im just going to tag this for nesta, lucien, eris and elain bc i guess my opinions could be offensive to people who like the ic

[starsreminisce]

Never thought it would come to this, but I guess E/riels are really scraping the bottom of the barrel when it comes to finding justification for their ship when they start pushing for Vassien.

Four quotes that make it clear:

I asked Lucien to escort me, and he’d been more than happy to do so, given that his own status as a mated male made him uninterested in any sort of female company these days.

Jurian crossed an ankle over a knee, his muddy boots dull in the firelight. “Last I heard, your kingdom was no longer yours. Are you still a queen?” Vassa rolled her eyes, then looked to Lucien, who sank onto the sofa beside Jurian. Like the Fae male had settled similar arguments between them before. But Lucien’s attention was upon Cassian. “Did you come with news or orders?”

Nesta said, “And Jurian and Vassa?” “At each other’s throats, as they like to be,” he said, a tad sharply. She wondered what that was about—and for the life of her couldn’t read it. Lucien asked, sipping his tea, “How’s the training?”

He and Lucien did not exchange gifts, though the male had brought a gift for Feyre and one for his mate, who barely thanked him after opening the pearl earrings. Cassian’s heart strained at the pain etching deep into Lucien’s face as he tried to hide his disappointment and longing.

Literally the same night, we have Lucien's reaction to both Vassa and Elain.

Yeah, Lucien describes Vassa as being like Feyre. He very clearly only sees Feyre as a friend, especially in ACOWAR. He is comfortable around her because he is comfortable around Feyre. Nesta and Azriel have that same friendship where they recognize themselves in each other.

People are making out that he decided to move in with her only, but in ACOSAF and ACOSF, every reference with Vassa comes with Jurian. Lucien sees Vassa and Jurian as a team.

Personally, Vassa's storyline is going to move from Lucien's to Gwynriel's instead. ACOWAR and ACOSF, to me, foreshadows that Azriel will end up taking this task for a couple of reasons with Gwyn and possibly Nesta helping him. I don't believe that Lucien will break Vassa's curse. I think people are mistaking Lucien's empathy for a good friend, but this isn't really Lucien's area of expertise. His is done when he was there watching Papa Archeron negotiate for her temporary release.

But that's for another post.

[yazthebookish]

Hey, Yaz! Hope you're doing well!🤍 I don't know why I feel safe sharing my thoughts with you but here you go. Also, happy birthday! 🥳

So I've been seeing lots of people saying that Elain's book can't be the last one (I'm talking about that part of the fandom) because they say we need her pov. Although I agree, there are some things I want to say about it:

First, I don't know why people think we won't have Az and Elain content in his book. We need it tho, we need to know what's going on between them since what happened on solstice night. The next one is... Not entirely from them, but many people think "Az will lose his shit soon or late" and I have to disagree with that. The one who will lose her shit is Elain. God, this girl needs to let everyone know that she's more than a pretty face and I think she will. For this "plot" I have some ideas on how it might work out for her. So we got the necklace which is a very strong trigger (for both Elain and Gwyn) Elain can be angry for that as much as Gwyn can. Who wouldn't be? I know some think it's not a big deal, but I think it is. They both have the right to be angry on this one. Then there's the mating bond. Before I explain why I put this as an option, she owes nothing to anyone. Back to the mating bond, she might not accept it yet (im not sure if she wants to) but she can use it as a chance to leave or play emissary with Lucien.

There have been some hints she might leave the night court and im 100% sure she will.

So IF she plans to leave the nc her best chance is with someone who has connections with most of the courts.

Now you probably wondering what all of this has to do with Az's book? Well, Elain's journey might start in his book. Her development better starts too. We need to stop thinking of her as Azriel's or Lucien's partner (although that's what we have and this whole drama/love triangle has been set up since acowar) however, if we consider the possibility of elucien, this book can be the beginning of something. Not sure how is Sarah planning to do it, but it might happen or she might end up with Az. All of this if we talk about couples but I don't care about dicks I want more about her and how she deals with her trauma.

So for the next book which I know is Azriel's I hope we get to see more about her. She deserves a "personality" (im sure she has it already) and more development. She will also play an important role in Az's journey as much as Gwyn will.

Sorry this took so long lol.

Hello anon,

Thank you for the birthday wishes!!❤️ and also thank you for sharing your thoughts with me it means a lot that you find my page is a safe space for you!!

If Elain's book is ACOTAR6 which I believe it is them ACOTAR5 has to build up towards that book and especially for Elain since there was so little of her in ACOSF. Because if the next book is Azriel's book doesn't be Elain won't be in the picture, she definitely will. I also think we will get her POV chapter by the end of the book.

I have mixed feelings about the necklace situation but you're also right and both Gwyn and Elain are in the right to angry about it. And I do think Elain is a ticking bomb waiting to explode.

I'm 100% she's leaving the Night Court and I do believe she'll join the Band of Exiles and it would be more meaningful if she and Vassa formed a friendship and they also bonded over Papa Archeron because he is an important figure to both and Elain will figure out what her father's bargain was with Koschei. And what I meant by meaningful is it would hit Elain harder when Vassa returns to Koschei and Elain would have a very strong reason that will drive her to find a way to defeat Koschei to rescue Vassa.

Also, let's take into consideration that there is still Graysen (who the BoE often meet with) who she will have to come back for and kick his ass because sweet retribution. Poor loser will realize what he lost and who he is dealing with.

Lucien is the key if she wanted to leave the Night Court and if she made up her mind I don't think anyone would stop her and Lucien won't say no if that what she needs. Remember the whole “Take her to the sea. Take her to some garden. But get her out of this house for an hour or two.”.

"I don't care about dicks I want more about her and how she deals with her trauma." That's a very valid reason anon😂

I think Elain's story will take us beyond the borders of Prythian because I am especially done with Velaris (as much as I find that place beautiful and dreamy).

[acourtofthought]

Personally, I'm terrified that Papa A's deal with Koschei involved Lucien. I don't think he'd put any of his daughters in harms way, esp after what happened to Feyre, but the mate of his Princess? The Princess who is most tied to her humanity, who was (at the time) engaged to and in love with a human man? A mate who coincidentally met up with him once he'd left the lake?

I know many e/riels theorize Koschei faked the Elucien bond/that it's a spell he casted, but that doesn't make much sense considering Elain and Lucien now avoid each other because of it. BUT, if Koschei sensed our fireling baby on his way, if he suspects/knows Lucien is of day, and if he fears day heritage--thinking of Yrene here--for what that might do to him, and his hold over Vassa and the Swans? I saw (and like!) your theory that Elain may actually be the one to wield true power over breaking these curses, but there's so much unknown about both her and Lucien's power that we don't know. And even Koschei may not know. So I wonder if Koschei wants Lucien in his snares (either/both mentally or physically), and thus is glad to see he and Elain avoid each other, and he and Vassa growing closer.

🧼💖

Hello to you 🧼💖!!! I hope you're having an amazing week so far! You know, you've got me thinking. Because in ACOWAR, SJM wrote: "Lucien told us of his time away - how he'd hunted for Vassa, how he'd found her already with my father, an army marching westward." So that sounds like Papa Archeron had already dealt with Koschei before he ever met Lucien. But in SF, we have, "Lucien had been there, Cassian recalled. Had gone with Nesta's father to the lake where Vassa was held captive." So either SJM didn't remember the details of what she wrote in ACOWAR or she purposely switched up the narrative because she wanted Lucien to have met Koschei. I don't think it necessarily means Elain's father made a deal that involved Lucien but....... Vassa tells us, "he's confined to the lake only due to an ancient spell." Considering Lucien is the son of a Spell-Cleaver, it actually makes sense that Koschei might want to draw Lucien in, to use him to break his spell so he'd be free from the lake. And his having a friendship with Vassa would be a sure fire way to have Lucien come to her aid when she is forced to return. And if we did add in my theory the other day than it also makes sense that Koschei would also want to draw Elain in as (possibly using her Mate as leverage)(if she did have a similar healing power to Yrene), he would want to be rid of her because of what healing powers can do to Valg. The theory has got some legs NTTSM! I wouldn't love if Lucien was being manipulated like that because the poor guys needs a break but I have to say, a lot of the possible details fall into place!

[elucien22904]

elucien theories + hc’s

this was requested by a lovely anon so here ya go ;)

updated (6/22/21)!!

edits:

elucien insta au

theories:

elains potential

elain n cresseida friendship

lucien isn’t entitled

another parallel

luciens mental health

a cute lil rant lol and another one

elucien teaming up w tarquin

more elucien parallels

elains secretiveness n cunning

elucien during the war

how lucien can help elain

why elain may resent lucien

elain n her powers

elain n azriel friendship

sjm interview

elucien x tangeld 

elains trauma of being replaced

lucien n jurian friendship

boe parallels 

elucien taking care of feyre

my thoughts on all the hate elain gets

my thoughts on elain post acosf

gwynriel n elucien parallel

anti lucien x vassa 

my thoughts on elains future storyline

elain as a high lady

elucien parallel

headcanons:

elucien in the spring court gardens

more sassy lucien

flirty elain

more vassa n elain friendship

eluciens day court babies

lucien teaching elain how to fish

keeping up w the vanserras pt.2

more elucien heartbeat hcs

lucien flirting w elain

boe as the office

elain having a bad day

ballroom elucien

at the spring court

elain meetings mama vanserra

wingman helion

band of exiles plus eris

elucien as parents

vanserra family reunion

baby elucien

little elucien kisses

elain having a nightmare

prompt ideas n general hcs

eris n elain friendship

modern au pt. 2 pt. 3

eluciens first dance

elucien cooking together 

eris n elain pt.1

elain n vassa’s friendship 

band of exiles 

elucien confession scene

high lord n lady of spring

high lord n lady of day

vanserra brothers pt.1

vanserra brothers pt.2

vanserra brothers pt. 3

lucien n papa archeron pt. 1

lucien n para archeron pt.2

elucien at the summer solstice

high lady elain 

elain wearing luciens clothes 

elain n mama vanserra

general hcs

lucien being all flirty ;)