#a secret thing of lovely beauty

[briaberri]

Rosehall 1: The wonder, ruin, and romance. i imagine a sanctuary which, like its inhabitants, has thrived once freed to its own natural and wild devices

[poleriri]

[girlbossagenda]

𓏲 ₊˚๑ ꒰ never let anobody make you think that putting effort into your looks it's shallow ꒱ ໑‧₊˚.ꪆ

[gwyn-nesta-emerie]

This would be Gwyn with little miniature pegasus flying around her 🥰

This would be Azriel watching Gwyn, smiling from the joy on her face 😍

Just another picture that he could tuck away deep down where it glows quietly. A thing of secret, lovely beauty. 🥰

[wingedblooms]

This scene haunts me in the best possible way. Does it also play out in slow motion across your mind—the dim faelight, little pools of gold amid the deep shadow of the longest night of the year—revealing this thing of secret, lovely beauty?

Azriel couldn’t stop it. The envy in his chest. Of Cassian, and Rhys.

He knew he’d be swallowed by it if he went up to his bedroom, so he’d remained down here by the dying light of the fire. 

But even the silence weighed too heavily, and though the shadows kept him company, as they always had, as they always would, he found himself leaving the room. Entering the foyer. Soft steps padded from under the stair archway, and there she was.

The Faelights gilded Elain’s unbound hair, making her glow like the sun at dawn. She halted, her breath catching in her throat. (Azriel’s bonus chapter)

When the shadows are deepest and the silence weighs heavily on Azriel, Elain appears like the sun reborn on solstice. Her presence is bright enough to pierce the darkness and reawaken life around her.

Even in the cold shadowsinger, beautiful Death, himself.

[davilishuuu]

Today, I offer you this Sammy I did trying on some new line styles

Tomorrow? Who knows.

[lady-embers]

A Thing of Secret, Lovely Beauty - Titanic Edition

[andromeddog]

-whispers- have you ever thought about drawing johnny martin….to go with your bull….just a small request for a small angry man

hey anon you are so right. insane travesty that i drew bull without martin. here’s something small for u <3

[coquelicoq]

what i love about the Famous Actor Natori Shuuichi of it all is that...it's not just that he's famous and therefore widely recognizable wherever he goes. like yes that is very funny because he was an exorcist before he became a famous actor, which means he CHOSE, on purpose, a day job that would make it harder to hide his double life/secret identity from the hordes of his adoring public, but it's more than that. it's not just that he's famous, it's that he's famous specifically for being an ACTOR, aka a person whose job it is to dissimulate, to make believe, to inhabit roles and emotions other than his own. like he decided he was going to become as visible as possible (which again was literally not necessary! he could have gone into any other career for his day job!!) but in such a way that everyone would see him but no one would see him - they would just see his various made-up personas, including the Famous Actor Natori Shuuichi persona. i can't decide if he's a genius or if he just made so many absurd decisions that they canceled each other out and circled back around to working out. he's either playing 9-dimensional chess or he's eating the pieces. too soon to say.

[lazycranberrydoodles]

portrait practice with SILO characters rahhhh (for each i tried to work from reference as much as i could and then switched to tracing so that they Looked Right.)

[girlbossagenda]

⋆｡°✮ ・୨୧. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.୨୧・✮°｡⋆

Be sure what you want and be sure about yourself. Fashion is not just beauty, it's about good attitude. You have to believe in yourself and be strong. -Adriana Lima

⋆｡°✮ ・୨୧. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.୨୧・✮°｡⋆

[respectthepetty]

I don't know, y'all.

Color-coded phones just hit different.

Jun - Blue Boy [Jun & Jun]

Shin - Blue Boy [Minato's Laundromat]

Gao Shi De - Blue Boy [We Best Love]

Yechan x Yul - Green Guy x Blue Boy [Love Tractor]

Souta x Mahiro - Blue Boy x Green Guy [Naked Dining]

Sam x Mon - Black Brooder x Pink Person [GAP]

Nakhun - Yellow/Orange Oddity [Love Upon a Time]

Songkhram x Ai - Blue Boy x Red Rascal [Destiny Seeker]

Yai x Mangkorn - Bi-Colored (black & dark green) x Red Rascal [Big Dragon]

Lian x Kuea - Blue Boy x Red Rascal [Cutie Pie]

Mark x Vee - Blue Boy x Red Rascal [Love Mechanics]

Jao x Sky - Pink Person x Red Rascal [Secret Crush on You]

Som - Green Gal [Secret Crush on You]

Win - Blue Boy [Between Us]

Alan - (Baby) Blue Boy [Moonlight Chicken]

Hira - Blue Boy [My Beautiful Man]

Pi - GAY! [Fish Upon the Sky]

[wingedblooms]

How do you interpret "A thing of secret, lovely beauty" in the bonus chapter? The first time azriel used it to describe the necklace. But the second time it was used to describe gwyn's happy smile.

Hello there! I feel like this is a trap. But as I’ve discussed before, readers interpret this differently and that’s wonderful. Interpretations can also evolve over time after rereads and new information. Mine has mostly remained the same (except for some specifics surrounding the second usage 😆). Part of my interpretation drifts into theory. As a reminder, theories are predictions of what might happen based on patterns of evidence in the text. No theory is guaranteed and it’s important to read any new books in the series with that in mind.

That said, Sarah is a fairly predictable and repetitive writer, so I try to pay close attention to her patterns. Many of my theories are based upon those patterns. For example, one of the most apparent patterns is that fate comes in threes. There are three faces of the Mother. Three sacred sister peaks that are barren and thrumming with power. Three stars that shine above Ramiel, the heart of the Night Court, each spring. Three blessed sisters who have been marked by fate and Made fae. Three winged males who found each other and are drawn to the three blessed sisters. There’s more evidence, but I think you get the idea. It can be helpful to use patterns to interpret and predict what Sarah has planned (e.g., the first and second sister have had their stories told, so it would follow that the third is next; there is also strong evidence that what she contributes to the narrative is needed next).

You’re probably wondering how this relates to my interpretation of the phrase secret, lovely beauty. Before I connect it to another clear pattern, I want to put it in proper context. When we first see the phrase, it is used to describe the necklace Azriel gifts to Elain. The setting in which this occurs is romantic: faelights dimming to cast little pools of gold amid the deep shadow of the longest night of the year. Put plainly, this is Sarah setting the mood. 😂 Azriel, who feels lonely despite the company of his shadows, finds himself suddenly moving into the foyer and there she is:

The Faelights gilded Elain’s unbound hair, making her glow like the sun at dawn.

On the longest night of the year, Elain glows golden like the sun at dawn. Like a pool of gold amid the deep shadow. This description follows a pattern in their imagery together, and it is lovely.

Their interaction is also raw and vulnerable, and therefore distinct in this bonus. When they come together, Azriel allows himself to feel and those feelings run deep enough to question his people’s traditions later on. Unlike every other interaction in this bonus, he doesn’t feel the need to put on a show for Elain (i.e., a cold mask, fake smile, or lying repeatedly to avoid emotional topics). In other words, he is himself with Elain. They share a quiet understanding and powerful attraction.

Now that we have this context in mind, we can move onto the the necklace and its chaos-inducing phrase:

The golden necklace seemed ordinary—its chain unremarkable, the amulet tiny enough that it could be dismissed as an everyday charm. It was a small, flat rose fashioned of stained glass, designed so that when held to the light, the true depth of colors would become visible.

A thing of secret, lovely beauty.

“It’s beautiful,” she whispered, lifting it from the box. The golden faelight shone through the little glass facets, setting the charm glowing with hues of red and pink and white. Azriel let his shadows whisk away the box as she said softly, “Put it on me?”

Notice something interesting here? Both Elain and the necklace glow with their true depth of color—golden and rosy, like the dawn—when faelight shines upon them. Dawn is when first light appears (pun definitely intended) and the world reawakens. Elain is linked to the rose amulet, and that follows a pattern of imagery she has already established in the text. This is the pattern I mean:

“I painted flowers for Elain on her drawer,” I said, sawing and sawing. “Little roses and begonias and irises.” (acomaf)

She was a rose bloom in a mud field. Filled with galloping horses. (acowar)

Even in the middle of winter, she was a bloom of color and sunshine. (acofas)

She plucked another figurine from the mantel: a rose carved from a dark sort of wood. She held it in her palm, its solid weight surprising, and traced a finger over one of the petals. “He made this one for Elain. Since it was winter and she missed the flowers.” (acosf)

Her gaze shifted to the carved wooden rose she’d placed upon the mantel, half-hidden in the shadows beside a figurine of a supple-bodied female, her upraised arms clasping a full moon between them. Some sort of primal goddess—perhaps even the Mother herself. Nesta hadn’t let herself dwell on why she’d felt the need to set the rose there. Why she hadn’t just thrown it in a drawer. (acosf)

This gift not only reinforces the pattern, but it also holds a secret message that has become central to Elain’s arc: the rose (like Elain) has hidden depths. The Feysand bonus echoes this theme. Elain’s outburst stunned her family and Rhys suggests there is more to her than they’ve seen thus far.

“I think she’s kind, and I’ll take kindness over nastiness any day. But I also think we haven’t yet seen all she has to offer.” A corner of his mouth tugged upward. “Don’t forget that gardening often results in something pretty, but it involves getting one’s hands dirty along the way.” (Feysand)

Feysand then agree to help Elain after Nesta, which is Sarah’s way of reinforcing the other pattern she put in place (fate comes in threes—first Feyre, then Nesta, and now Elain).

With Elain’s character arc in mind (and the fact that she herself has suggested she doesn’t feel seen), Azriel’s gift is actually incredibly insightful. He gave her something that says, I do see you, and he knew she’d be able to appreciate its meaning. Even the words that describe her gift—secret, lovely beauty—refer to specific things we learn about Elain in the text.

Secret: Feyre compares Elain’s ability to learn and keep secrets to Azriel’s own secrecy (one of many parallels). She is a seer, after all. What other secrets might she know and keep hidden from others?

Before Feyre could reply, Azriel said, “What about Mor?”

Feyre smiled. “Elain was the only one who guessed. She caught me vomiting two mornings in a row.” She nodded toward Azriel. “I think she’s got you beat for secret-keeping.” (acosf)

Lovely beauty: We learn from Nesta that their mother predicted Elain would marry for love and beauty, which I think @juusworld5728 observed sounds a lot like lovely beauty:

My Nesta. Elain shall wed for love and beauty, but you, my cunning little queen…You shall wed for conquest. (acosf)

This last phrase, love and beauty, is connected to the rose Papa Archeron carved for Elain. It is a symbol of love and beauty and goodness in the world, and for such a simple carving, it has unexpected weight just like the rose amulet has unexpected depth (Sarah hit this theme hard).

Her father had died for her, with love in his heart, and Nesta held love in her own heart as she pulled the small, carved rose from her pocket and set it upon the gravestone. A permanent marker of the beauty and good he’d tried to bring into the world. (acosf)

Why does this little rose matter? It is also linked to Wyrd. In acosf, Nesta felt the need to place Elain’s rose next to a figurine of what we now know is farseeing and benevolent Wyrd. Wyrd, the higher force of the universe, found Elain so lovely that she gifted her such powers and purrs like a kitten in her presence. They even share the same blooming imagery. Over time, Wyrd became known as a goddess (probably because she uses female forms as vessels, if I had to guess based on the evidence), but she is in fact a force, a mother to all, a cauldron brimming with creation. Now, where have we heard those terms before?

Gwyn huffed a soft laugh. “In part. We honor the Mother, and the Cauldron, and the Forces That Be. We have a service at dawn and at dusk, and on every holy day.” (acosf)

Gwyn’s words nearly echo the Under-King’s in hosab and hofas. The priestesses worship Wyrd. Let’s look at the description of their worship:

The music was pure, ancient, by turns whispering and bold, one moment like a tendril of mist, the next like a gilded ray of light. It finished, and Merrill spoke about the Mother and the Cauldron and the land and sun and water. She spoke of blessings and dreams and hope. Of mercy and love and growth. (acosf)

Elain’s strength lies in finding beauty even in dark chapters. She is a rose bloom in a mud field—the embodiment of blessings and dreams and hope and mercy and love and growth. The priestesses, including Gwyn, honor that benevolent force and seek to bring it into the world with their services. They are the voice of the Cauldron. And in this world, we know like calls to like. Now that we’ve read hofas, it’s highly likely that the ancient, spell-like music the priestesses perform is ancient summoning magic, which is magnified by the properties of the cavern (ahem, witch glass) in which they sing. So, is it a surprise that Azriel had every intention to return Elain’s rose amulet, a symbol of love and beauty, and found himself at the library during their worship of such things instead? No, it actually makes a lot of sense.

Azriel expressed no forethought in giving the necklace to Clotho for Gwyn. He did not select it for her and did not intend it to be a romantic gesture, which is why he tells Clotho to give it to Gwyn or any other priestess who might appreciate it. The setting and interactions in this part of the bonus are not described romantically because they are not intended to be romantic.

Clotho, who is observant like Elain, can see the shadowsinger’s sadness despite his deflection and offers him comfort in a dark moment:

Clotho’s pen moved once more. She deserves something as beautiful as this. I thank you for the joy it shall bring to her.

Her words spark hope in him and for whatever reason, he is able to picture Gwyn’s eyes lighting upon the rose amulet in his mind. The vision is a thing of secret, lovely beauty.

Some interpret this moment, a vision of Gwyn described as a thing of secret, lovely beauty, as an indication of Sarah shifting romantic pairings. I think this interpretation falls short of the full context, especially since days (in acosf) and months later (in hofas), Azriel is still upset and refuses to even discuss the topic of mates.

Rather, I think that—like the sister caverns, which are linked in song and dreaming—Elain and the priestesses (especially Gwyn) are also connected. They are part of the solution to the problem that was introduced in the first half of this bonus as well as the overarching plot. Like @silverdreamscapes, @silverlinedeyes, @offtorivendell, @willowmeres, and others I’m sure, I believe Elain—a seer chosen by Wyrd—will work with the priestesses that worship her (the most logical partnership in the series, when you think about their respective powers). It wouldn’t surprise me if a dawn service, especially if it involves groundings, helps Elain push the limitations of her powers like the dusk service did for Nesta.

I also agree with many (notably @silverlinedeyes and @merymoonbeam) who think Gwyn’s voice holds magic and, depending on what we learn, relates to being a lightsinger. That is likely the hidden depth (a thing of secret, lovely beauty) that was hinted at in the image since her eyes light upon Elain’s rose amulet. I believe @silverdreamscapes and @silverlinedeyes have suggested her voice, which summons and pierces during the dusk service, could clear mist and shadow in a vision if needed. I also think it is interesting that Gwyn is the first to sever the Valkyrie ribbon, a string tied not to a rib, but a post. Perhaps she and the priestesses could help Elain sever an unwanted bond and weave a different fate for herself, one that binds her to someone she loves? That would be the most epic end to the near-constant arguments over ships.

[lady-embers]

💥 Friendly Reminder 💥

Something sparked in Azriel's chest & Azriel pictured how Gwyn's teal eyes might light upon seeing the necklace he anonymously left for her.

He then tucked that image away, consciously erasing the slight smile it brought to his face. He buried the image deep down, where it glowed quietly.

A thing of secret, lovely beauty.

And I am supposed to believe that this ending scene being written the way it was by Sarah herself is supposed to just mean nothing?

Quite the opposite. It is SIGNIFICANT.

[stargirlie25]

JUST WHY are elriels saying that the line ´´a thing of secret lovely beauty ´´ is about Elain?

Its not.

The first time it is mentioned is when Azriel is describing the necklace.

The second time?

He can see the image of Gwyns eyes lighting up upon seeing the necklace. He tucks it away down deep where it glows and the feeling of it is ´´a thing of secret, lovely beauty´´

make all the paragraphs you want in order to try to make it about Elain but CANON is Azriel saying the feeling of the image of Gwyn is A THING OF SECRET LOVELY BEAUTY.

Lets bfr Az got the necklace for Elain because she likes flowers. Thats the only connection. The rose and elain. Although elains favorite flower is tulips considering she wanted to travel all around to specifically see tulips.

This is Az tucking away the image (it remains) and then later coming back to his previous point as in ´´yup. that is a thing of secret lovely beauty´´

Not to mention, Gwyn is not even wearing the actual necklace in the image he can see proper. It's just her eyes lighting up. Whereas you can see the necklace and see its beauty when held to the light.

Luciens gift connect to Elain herself way more.

A) gloves. She wears gloves in acotar while gardening and looks most happy like that. Both grayson and az caused her to get hurt and the gloves (from her mate) are supposed to protect her from hurt. Without them she ironically got pricked all over her hand.

B) pearls. Just a few chapters before lucien gifted her that she wore pearls in her hair. Very much like the earings.

I like theories. I do. but do not ignore canon.

Some people say its because Elain is underestimated and thats why Azriel got it for her but Az himself canonically underestimate her.

Also don´t even try. Az underestimating Elain is the only proof SJM provided on to what Azriel was feeling while saying ´´There is a innate darkness in the dread trove that Elain should not be exposed to´´

Also Elain being underestimated and showing how she can do more than what people think of her does not naturally fall into the ´´secret beauty´´ category more so the secret strength category.

[prettyaddict14]

French beauty products :