#azriel shadowsinger week
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Why is Azriel so "different"?On Dusk, Hel and the Valg...
This post was written for @azrielappreciationweek Days 1, 2 and 3: Cool Quiet, Scarred and Belonging
Disclaimer: the following is only a theory which, as usual, makes no claim of being canon. It's LONG, even though I've almost certainly forgotten to add some thoughts I've misplaced. I'm sorry, but by the time I realised how stupidly long it would be I cbf splitting it up into smaller posts, so... no offence taken if this gets chucked into the too-hard basket.
My thanks, as always, go out to the lovely @wingedblooms, @ladynightcourt3 (the queen of quotes), @silverlinedeyes, @psychologynerd, @elrieldreamer, @cassianfanclub @shitwillnotbegiven, and anyone else who has helped me process my thoughts along the way. đ
Spoilers: the entire Maasverse is referenced, reader beware.
One theory that seems to be (mostly lol) accepted across the fandom is that Azriel, the shadowsinger of Prythian's Night Court, may be more than simply Illyrian. Back in 2021, before reading the Crescent City series, I had wondered whether he might be descended from the Dusk Court (here, here and here), but after HOSAB was published - and then HOFAS especially - I had other thoughts. This post is just incredibly fucking belated.
Firstly, what evidence do we have to suggest that Azriel is different?
Quite a bit, in my opinion. From the moment Feyre met Azriel back in ACOMAF, there have been hints that, even beyond his seven siphons, he is not your average Illyrian warrior. That he may, in fact, be significantly different even to Rhys and Cassian.
As we can see, Feyre felt his otherness right from the start.
But the second male, the more classically beautiful of the two ⌠Even the light shied from the elegant planes of his face. With good reason. Beautiful, but near-unreadable. Heâd be the one to look out forâthe knife in the dark. Indeed, an obsidian-hilted hunting knife was sheathed at his thigh, its dark scabbard embossed with a line of silver runes Iâd never seen before. Rhys said, âThis is Azrielâmy spymaster.â Not surprising. Some buried instinct had me checking that my mental shields were intact. Just in case. - ACOMAF, chapter 16
Now, there's a lot to unpack in that brief passage - and I aim to do so over the course of this post - but let's begin with Feyre's instinct to ward against Azriel; a reaction that was unique to him. This was followed by further suggestions that Azriel is not purely Illyrian throughout the rest of the series, some of which are quite blatant.
Cassian finished his laughing. âIllyrians are certainly not High Fae. And glad of it.â He hooked his black hair behind an earârounded; as mine had once been. âAnd weâre not lesser faeries, though some try to call us that. Weâre justâIllyrians. Considered expendable aerial cavalry for the Night Court at the best of times, mindless soldier grunts at the worst.â âWhich is most of the time,â Azriel clarified. I didnât dare ask if those shadows were a part of being Illyrian, too. - ACOMAF, chapter 16
"You'll get used to itâthe wording," he said. Clinging to him so tightly, I couldn't see his face. I watched the light shift inside the sapphire Siphon instead, as if it were the great eye of some half-slumbering beast from a frozen wasteland. "I don't really know where I fit in any- more," I admitted, perhaps only because the wind was screeching around us and Rhys had already winnowed ahead to where Cassian's dark form flew-beyond the wall. "I've been alive almost five and a half centuries, and I'm not sure of that, either," Azriel said. - ACOMAF, chapter 22
Azriel just shook his head. "I'll go. The Prison sentries know meâwhat I am." - ACOWAR, chapter 16
I was rasping for breath, sweat sliding down my spine, by the time he said, "Good." He cleared his throat. "I know you're not Illyrian, but amongst their kind, it is considered inappropriate to touch someone's wings without permission. Especially females." Their kind. Not his. - ACOWAR, chapter 19
One glance at Azrielâs unreadable face and I added, âDonât bother to answer that.â A corner of Azrielâs mouth curled up, the shadows about him sliding over his neck like living tattoos, twins to the Illyrian ones marked beneath his leathers. Shadows different from anything my powers summoned, spoke to. Born in a lightless, airless prison meant to break him. Instead, he had learned its language. Though the cobalt Siphons were proof that his Illyrian heritage ran true, even the rich lore of that warrior-people, my warrior-people, did not have an explanation for where the shadowsinger gifts came from. They certainly werenât connected to the Siphons, to the raw killing power most Illyrians possessed and channeled through the stones to keep from destroying everything in its path. The bearer included. - ACOFAS, chapter 7
"Azriel can winnow all the time, though." "Az is different. In a lot of ways." His tone didn't invite further questioning. - ACOSF, chapter 16
He left the rest unspoken. Because her mate was here, sleeping a level up. Because her mate had been in the family room and Azriel had needed to stay by the door the whole time because he couldn't stand the sight of it, the scent of their mating bond, and needed to have the option of leaving if it became too much. - ACOSF, Azriel's Bonus Chapter
There was even a hint or two about Azriel's possible Starborn heritage in HOFAS, thanks to Bryce.
âWhat have you done?â Azriel rasped, and Bryce twisted to find him on his feet, wings tucked in, Nesta leaning against him as if wounded, Ataraxia dangling from her grip. The male now held the Starsword at the ready, Truth-Teller gripped in his other hand. He must have had some sort of Starborn blood in him, thenâa distant ancestor, maybe. Or maybe his possession of the knife somehow allowed him to also bear the Starsword. - HOFAS, chapter 24
Obviously Azriel is still Illyrian, I don't know anybody who disputes that in a non-crack theory manner, but it seems likely to me that he's also something moreš. All of the above hints about his shadowsinging powers, his own feelings of otherness to his people, and - potentially² - his ability to smell the Elucien bond as Lanthys did Nessian, the fact that we have yet to meet his mother? Is it simple coincidence, or intentional hints?
I could definitely be wrong, but I'm choosing the latter.
š "More" as in quantity, not quality. This is by no means a diss at Cassian or Rhys.
² To be fair, the true mate theory could also explain this; by the point in ACOSF that Nesta and Cassian met Lanthys they'd already been intimate, even if their bond was not yet "accepted."
The Dusk Court
As mentioned above - here, here, and here - I've been wondering for a long while if Azriel could be connected to the Dusk Court (or what remains of it). I think this could be both through his likely Starborn heritage as well as descending from the Hewn City specifically.
She found nothing but open curiosity on Nestaâs face. Nesta said, âThe scar your light comes from ⌠itâs shaped like an eight-pointed star. Why?â Bryce peered at where the light was muffled by her T-shirt. âItâs the symbol of the Starborn, I think.â âAnd the magic marked you in this way?â âYes. When I ⌠revealed who I was, what I am, to the world, I drew the star out of my chest. It left that scar in its wake.â She glanced to Azriel. âLike a burn.â - HOFAS, chapter 12
I'd even started a meta on it, one of many that I lost track of and then never got around to finishing because my magpie brain latched onto other shiny theories or books, but the gist of it was that Azriel's mother (or, more likely imo, a distant female relative, such as his grandmother) hailed from Dusk. Given I thought the Hewn City/Court of Nightmares was the Dusk Court acting as a sub court to the Night Court, I had written an entire spiel about how one of Lord Thanatos' troublesome daughters may have been this female ancestor who fell in love and had a child with an Illyrian warrior who died prematurely, leaving her with nothing (not even a family who would take her back, because Hewn City bullshit amiright? Especially if she was unable to have further children after birthing a winged child), and that we hadn't met Azriel's mother yet because she might have spoilery traits like small/different wings or her own shadows. I went a lot deeper - funnily enough, my thoughts actually mirrored a bit of Hunt's mother's relationship with the father he never met (HOFAS, chapter 61) - and even wondered if this was partly why the Darkbringers and Illyrian soldiers disliked each other in ACOWAR... but those are the basics.
HOSAB then gave a different sort of importance to Lord Thanatos, but I don't think it necessarily precludes my original theory being right somehow, especially as "daughter" might be used as loosely as "son" was by Apollion in HOFAS, to mean that some power was donated for their creation. Even now, I still suspect Azriel may have hidden - or even corrupted - Starborn powers, which should indicate some minimum level of Dusk-based heritage.
While we now know the Made blades can be wielded by the Starborn - descendants of the Dusk Court - in addition to Made faeries such as Elain Archeron, I always suspected that Truth-Teller was much more important than we knew from the start (and I know I'm not the only one intrigued by the blade). After reading Crescent City, the parallels between Azriel's and Ruhn's almost guardianship of their respective magical blades until a female characterÂł came along to activate their power seemed to be significant (though of course with Elain it's still hypothetical, as we haven't had her POV yet).
Âł Bryce may have been Theia's magical heir (though I suspect it may be through Ember rather than Einar), but she lives on Midgard - an entirely different planet. While the Archeron sisters may (or may not) spring from more humble beginnings than Fae royalty, imo they do share some notable parallels with Bryce and Theia herself. I discussed those in this post after HOSAB came out; since reading HOFAS, I suspect the Archeron sisters will grow to, as a unit, replace the Starborn magic that Bryce took, leaving Prythian unguarded. The power of three will set the land free, so to speak.
But back to Azriel. We know that Ruhn Danaan - the shadowy male who claimed the Starsword/Gwydion until a female associated with light came along and was able to activate its magic... sounds familiar, huh - is a Starborn prince who can wield shadows, and has some powers that appear similar to Az (shadow walking and mind speaking), though imo it may have been suggested that his light - aka Pelias' light - might be considered corrupt by Rigelus (while posing as Aidas).
Is Azriel's light magic corrupted as well?
âYou knew the last Starborn Queen?â Ruhn asked. Starlight glinted among Ruhnâs shadows, shimmering down the length of his sword. Aidasâs eyes now flared with a strange sort of rage as he looked upon the Fae Prince. âI did. And I knew the sniveling prince whose light you bear.â A ripple of stunned silence went through the room. [...] âTheia was dead by that point,â Aidas said flatly. âPelias slew her.â He nodded to the Starsword in Ruhnâs hand. âAnd stole her blade when heâd finished.â He snarled. âThat sword belongs to Theiaâs female heir. Not the male offspring who corrupted her line.â - HOSAB, chapter 15
Morvenâs shadows gathered at his fingers, his shoulders. Wild, angry shadows that Ruhnâs own balked to meet. They seemed corrupted somehow, like those Seamus and Duncan wielded mentally. âYou are Starborn. You have an obligation to our people.â - HOFAS, chapter 51
Further, Cormac and Morven Donnall are both Starborn and Avallen faeries, with "wild" shadows that seem to more closely mirror Azriel's own.
âHow the hell did you manage to survive this long without anyone killing you?â Cassian tipped back his head and laughed, a full, rich sound that bounced off the ruddy stones of the House. Azrielâs brows flicked up with approval as the shadows seemed to wrap tighter around him. As if he were the dark hive from which they flew and returned. - ACOMAF, chapter 16
Azriel nodded his agreement, his shadows twining around him. Most of the camp women had ducked into their homes when heâd appeared. - ACOWAR, chapter 18
She set down her teacup. âIs that a threat, Shadowsinger?â Cassian took a long drink from his own tea. Drained it to the dregs. Azriel said coolly, âI donât need to resort to threats.â The shadows coiled around him, snakes ready to strike. - ACOSF, chapter 8
Azriel nodded his agreement, his shadows twining around him. Most of the camp women had ducked into their homes when heâd appeared. - ACOFAS, chapter 26
The thought was ⌠not comforting. But neither were the shadows that curled like snakes around the king, wild and twining. A coiled crown of them sat atop Morvenâs dark head, blacker than the Pit. - HOFAS, chapter 47
Without delving into the "why" of their wildness - was it the magical imbalance of the chained land that led to their wilder shadows, their prolonged proximity to an incredibly strong thin place (the obsidian or mists), was their line intentionally corrupted by a high power as Prythian's Cauldron was, or do they potentially have ties to demons, or the princes of Hel themselves? - it's not implausible to suggest that Azriel could also hail from the Starborn Fae of the Dusk Court, same as Rhys.
That being said, I think Hel will also play a part...
Prince of Hel
As I suggested in this reblog of @nikethestatue's post from way back when, I've been eyeing off one Lord Thanatos of the Hewn City (and his wayward, troublesome daughters) for a while. So when SJM dropped the bomb in HOSAB that the Prince of the Ravine, the soul eater, was called Thanatos, I was basically shaking my feet and screaming internally.
Because it had to be the same being, right? Right?!
I know I'm not the only one who noted the use of Thanatos' name, as others across the fandom have since suggested that Azriel may be related to the princes of Hel, or even be one himself... and as I've said before, I would not be surprised if this was the case (actually, at this point I would be shocked if Azriel wasn't related to the Hel Princes in some way, especially after what we learnt of Hunt's ancestry in HOFAS).
âFine,â Hunt cut in. âGreat, weâre protected.â He eyed the Prince of the Pit. His very bones shook, but he forced himself past his fear, his dread. âWhat the fuck did you mean by calling me son?â Thanatos scoffed. âYou are no son of his.â He yanked off his war helmet, cradling it under an arm. âIf anything, you are mine.â Huntâs knees buckled. âWhat?â [...] âBecause the Princes of Hel cannot be contained by the black crowns. The Asteri learned thatâit was their downfall. As you were made by Helâs princes, it should not be able to hold you.â Made by them? By these fuckers? - HOFAS, chapter 59
âCan we please rewind for a moment?â Bryce cut in. âYou guys made the thunderbirds to complement my powerâin case I never got the sword and knife, and if I ever needed a boost to open the Rift. But when they were hunted down, you ⌠made Hunt, and then I was born âŚâ âAthalar was already enslaved by then,â Aidas said, âbut we kept a close watch.â Apollion nodded to Hunt. âWhy do you think youâre so adept at hunting demons? Itâs in your bloodâpart of me is in your blood.â Nausea clawed its way up Huntâs throat. The thought of owing anything at all to the Prince of the Pit ⌠âJust as he gave over some of his essence for the kristallos,â Thanatos said, âso he gave something to me for you. His Helfire.â âHelfire?â Bryce demanded. âThe lightning,â Thanatos said, waving an irritated hand. âCapable of killing almost anything. Even an Asteri.â âThatâs how you killed Sirius?â Bryce asked. âWith your ⌠Helfire?â âYes,â Apollion said, then added to Hunt, âYour name was a nod to that, whispered in your motherâs ear as you were born. Orion ⌠master of Sirius.â âClever,â Hunt snapped, then demanded, âWaitâmy lightning can kill the Asteri?â Hope bloomed, bright and beautiful in his chest. âNo,â Apollion said. âIt is ⌠diluted from my own. It could harm them, but not kill them. I believe your motherâs angelic blood tempered my power.â - HOFAS, chapter 61
âYour father knew your mother briefly,â Aidas said. âAnd he knew having a partner would help lift her from her poverty. He had every intention of staying. Of leaving behind his life and raising you in secret.â Hunt could barely ask, âWhat happened?â âThe mystics told Rigelus of your fatherâs connection to us. They didnât discover everythingânothing about you or your mother. Only that he had been speaking to us. Rigelus had him brought in, tortured, and executed.â Huntâs heart stalled. âHe didnât break,â Apollion said with something like kindness. âHe never mentioned your mother, or her pregnancy. The Asteri never knew you were tied to him in any way.â - HOFAS, chapter 61
Bryce squeezed his knee, her hand so warmâor was he unnaturally cold? âOkay, so Hunt was made to be a backup battery for meââ âCan I do the same for Ruhn, then?â Hunt interrupted. âNo,â Thanatos said. âThe princeâs light, his affinity for these thin places, isnât strong enough. Not like hers.â Hunt gripped Bryceâs hand atop his knee. âIs it in my DNA that Bryce and I are mates? Was that engineered, too?â âNo,â Aidas said quickly, âthat was never intended. I think that was left to higher powers. Whatever they may be.â Hunt turned to Bryce and found nothing but love in her eyes. He couldnât stand it. Horror cracked through him, as chilled as hoarfrost. Heâd been created by these males to give and to suffer, and where the fuck did that leave him? Who the fuck did that make him? âOkay,â Bryce said, âHelfire and starfire: a potent combination. But Helena left all this shit to help end this conflict. It sounds like you guys just want me to open a gods-damned door for you to come in and save the day instead.â - HOFAS, chapter 61
Thanatos used some of Apollion's helfire (lightning) to create Hunt as a weapon for Bryce, so it stands to reason that he may have done something similar in the Hewn City/Court of Nightmares that eventually resulted in Azriel, possibly with a different Prince of Hel - was it Koschei, or even himself - leaving "poisoned honey" on Prythian in case the Daglan/Asteri ever regained power? Feyre once referred to Azriel as a "dark hive," and we now know that he often helped Cassian to hunt down monstrous creatures like Blue Annis... could this be why? Does he have a natural talent for it, like Hunt? Was Az also created for a specific purpose?
I've been on the "Azriel and Elain are carranam" train from the time I joined the fandom, and since then I really do think that the three brothers and three sisters will act as paired conduits to save their world, as I mentioned in my third note above. In addition to the parallels I've noted between the Archeron sisters and Bryce (and Theia), Elain and Az shared a "charged" glance in ACOSF.
Nesta shook her head slowly, not understanding. Elain just linked her arm through Nestaâs and led her toward the family room, where Azriel stood in the doorway, monitoring them. As if heâd heard Elainâs sharp laugh and wondered what had caused it. âI was just checking on dessert,â Elain explained as they approached the doorway and Azriel. Nesta met the shadowsingerâs stare and he gave her a nod. Then his gaze shifted to Elain, and though it was utterly neutral, something charged went through it. Between them. Elainâs breath caught slightly, and she gave him a shallow nod of greeting before brushing past, leading Nesta into the room. - ACOSF, chapter 58
The very first book of the ACOTAR series confirmed that magic can appear as a charge in Prythian...
I opened my mouth to again ask him for his name, but a growl of annoyance rippled out of him. I didnât have a chance to struggle, to fight back, when a charged, metallic tang stung my nose. Exhaustion slammed down upon me and blackness swallowed me whole. [...] I awoke with a jolt atop the horse, secured by invisible bonds. The sun was already high. Magicâthatâs what the tang had been, what was keeping my limbs tucked in tight, preventing me from going for my knife. - ACOTAR, chapter 5
And then HOFAS gave us this - Azriel learning that he can charge up a Starborn Fae. A point that was so important to make that SJM ignored - or had reasons we are yet to learn - the fact that Azriel could have winnowed the three of them across the gap himself. Curious, given how she made doubly sure we knew how "different" Az was in ACOSF.
But Bryce frowned deeply at Azriel. âDo you ever use that power to, uh, charge people up?â âCharge?â âFuel. Um. Give your power to someone else to help their power.â âAre you implying that I could do such a thing to you?â âIâm pretty sure the concept of a battery wonât have much meaning here, but yeah. My magic can be amplified by someone elseâs power.â The other untranslatable wordâbatteryâlay heavy on her tongue. But Nesta looked her over. âFor what purpose?â âSo I can teleport.â Another word that didnât translate. âWinnow.â She pointed to the other side of the divide. âI could winnow us over there.â - HOFAS, chapter 16
Obviously there's always the possibility that SJM simply wrote that Azriel didn't winnow because A) he didn't want to expose any further facets of his magic unnecessarily to a Fae he had no reason to trust, or B) he wanted to see what Bryce could do, but what if it was C) that he lacked the strength to winnow at the time, as @ladynightcourt3 has so brilliantly thought? Because potentially, if light can blind an Oracle - one who may or may not use the murky realm of the Void to See - then there's a possibility that their growing proximity to the power chained deep in the land, or even Vesperus herself, may have made Azriel less able to see where he was going with his shadows to safely winnow them. Or was it that, similarly to whatever bond that exists between Elain and Lucien becoming too much for Azriel to bear, maybe the singing between Gwydion and Truth-Teller was distracting him?
As an aside, furthering the parallel between Hunt and Bryce that I noted earlier, I think the following passages support the idea that Azriel may be able to charge Elain, or that Elain can charge him as well, in addition to suggesting that he may be able to sense minds, or enter some that are more susceptible.
And what Hybern would do to Elain, might already be doingâ From the shadows near the entrance to the tent, Azriel said, as if in answer to some unspoken debate, âIâm getting her back.â Nesta slid her gaze to the shadowsinger. Azrielâs hazel eyes glowed golden in the shadows. Nesta said, âThen you will die.â Azriel only repeated, rage glazing that stare, âIâm getting her back.â - ACOWAR, chapter 64
Azriel slid back the curtainâ Elain was in her nightgown. Gagged, wrists wrapped in steel that glowed violet. Her eyes went wide as she saw usâAzriel and meâ I shifted my face back into my own, raising a hand to my lips as Azriel knelt before her. I kept up my litany of praying, beseeching the Cauldron to make my womb fruitful, on and onâ Azriel gently removed the gag from her mouth. âAre you hurt?â She shook her head, devouring the sight of him as if not quite believing it. âYou came for me.â The shadowsinger only inclined his head. âHurry,â I whispered, then resumed my prayer. We had until it ran out. - ACOWAR, chapter 65
Azrielâs power gave out on the outskirts of our camp. The girl, despite the burns and lashings on her moon-white skin, was able to walk. The gray light of morning had broken over the world, mist clinging to our ankles as we headed into that camp, Azriel still cradling Elain to his chest. He dripped blood behind him the entire timeâa trickle compared to the torrent that should be leaking out. Contained only by the patches of power heâd slapped on it. Help���he needed a healer immediately. - ACOWAR, chapter 65
Azriel didnât give Rhys a chance to reconsider. Didnât say good-bye to any of us. He shot into the sky, those still-healing wings beating hard as they carried him toward the scrambling northern flank. - ACOWAR, chapter 71
Elainâs mouth twitched into a smile. "Nesta wouldn't appreciate the joke.â He offered her a smile back. "I wasn't sure if I should give you your present." He left the rest unspoken. Because her mate was here, sleeping a level up. Because her mate had been in the family room and Azriel had needed to stay by the door the whole time because he couldn't stand the sight of it, the scent of their mating bond, and needed to have the option of leaving if it became too much. Elain's large brown eyes flickered, well aware of all that. Just as he knew she was well aware of why Azriel so rarely came to family dinners these days. - ACOSF, Azriel's bonus chapter
Bryce squeezed his knee, her hand so warmâor was he unnaturally cold? âOkay, so Hunt was made to be a backup battery for meââ âCan I do the same for Ruhn, then?â Hunt interrupted. âNo,â Thanatos said. âThe princeâs light, his affinity for these thin places, isnât strong enough. Not like hers.â - HOFAS, chapter 61
We know that Elain likely shares that strong affinity for thin places, as may Az. Feyre mentioned the gray light of morning, mist around their ankles. Does this make them the ideal conduits for each other, as Hunt and Bryce were? As Feyre and Rhys - and, I suspect, Nesta and Cassian - are? Are they all meant to be "weapons" against a long, deeply sleeping foe?
Finally, let's revisit the first passage I mentioned at the top of this post, when Feyre first met Azriel:
But the second male, the more classically beautiful of the two ⌠Even the light shied from the elegant planes of his face. With good reason. Beautiful, but near-unreadable. Heâd be the one to look out forâthe knife in the dark. Indeed, an obsidian-hilted hunting knife was sheathed at his thigh, its dark scabbard embossed with a line of silver runes Iâd never seen before. Rhys said, âThis is Azrielâmy spymaster.â Not surprising. Some buried instinct had me checking that my mental shields were intact. Just in case. - ACOMAF, chapter 16
Hunt stilled. There was only one being whose name was not uttered in Midgard. The Prince of the Pit. Apollion. His blood chilled. This was a fucked-up, weird-ass dream, no doubt caused by Quinlan literally blowing his mind into smithereensâ âIt is no dream.â The seventh and most lethal of the demon princes of Hel was in his mindâ âI am not in your mind, though your thoughts ripple toward me like your worldâs radio waves. You and I are in a place between our worlds. A pocket-realm, as it were.â âWhat do you want?â Huntâs voice held steady, butâfuck. He needed to get out of here, to find some way back to Bryce. If the Prince of the Pit could get into Huntâs mind, thenâ âIf I went into her mind, my brother would be very angry with me. Again.â Hunt could have sworn he heard a smile in the princeâs voice. âYou certainly worry a great deal about a female who is far safer than you at the moment.â - HOSAB, chapter 21
âDuring my time with Theia, Helena was a quiet girl, but she always listened.â âYou spoke too much,â Thanatos snapped. Aidas ignored him. âHelena learned black salt would allow her to commune with us while protecting her mind and her soul.â - HOFAS, chapter 59
Given the princes of Hel were fathered by the Void - Apollion, the Prince of the Pit, said he resides in true darkness and has the ability to enter minds - and mothered by Chaos (who is possibly Wyrd?â´), that they are attracted by obsidian (the material from which Truth-Teller's hilt is made), who may or may not use wyrdmarks that might match the runes on Truth-Teller's hilt (post on this to come), who appear to be able to use a black salt-induced dream state to communicate across worlds with their minds... it seems a little more than coincidental to me that Feyre would think to protect her mind from Azriel.
â´ A personal crack theory that I'd love to be true - I think the eight pointed star may be Urd/Wyrd's or Chaos' symbol: a Chaos star. @wingedblooms has discussed Wyrd and Chaos here and here.
I once noted Azriel's similarities to Koschei, who can send his whispers on the wind, twisting distant minds to do his bidding. If Koschei is a prince of Hel - the sixth prince, of the Abyss? - could he have contributed towards Azriel's creation, either directly, or through the making of a female ancestor? Azriel has the ability to speak the language of shadow, wind and stone, which could plausibly tie in with Koschei as a hell prince: void, wind and obsidian. Or if it was Thanatos - the eater of souls - does this affect Azriel's ability to sense others around him, as Rhys once suggested? We know he's capable of using his shadows to read people. Was Azriel's existence, intentional or not, a secret like Hunt's?
Or to be completely cracked, is Azriel actually the heir to a currently empty throne in Hel?
Elide asked Lorcan, âDo youâdo you feel any different?â The lack of the gods whoâd watched over them. Lorcan peered up at the trees overhead, as if reading the answer in their entangled branches. As if searching for Hellas there. âNo,â he admitted. âWhat does it mean,â Gavriel mused, the first rays of sun beginning to gild his golden hair, âfor them to be gone? Is there a hell-realm whose throne now sits vacant?â âItâs too early for that sort of philosophical bullshit,â Fenrys said... - KOA, chapter 101
Whatever is going on here, please consider me still all aboard the Azriel is related to the Princes of Hel train until told otherwise by SJM. Choo Choo!
The Valg
Moving on from the princes of Hel, many of the fandom - myself included - are desperate to know exactly how Aidas and his brothers may be related to the Valg, a race of demons we met in SJM's 'Throne of Glass' series. Are they the same as, or simply related to each other? Did Hel's princes - or possibly Void and Chaos - create the Valg as well, or did the Valg just evolve naturally on the planet that is Hel, eventually turning it cold and barren? I know some in the fandom have drawn parallels between Rhys and Maeve, and theorised that he may be partly Valg, which would be such a twist if true! I'd love it.
But more than all of that, I want to know what Azriel may have to do with the Valg. Because in addition to my suspicions that the King of Hybern may have been infected by a Valg/Valg-type being (and that Elain assassinating him with a sunlight charged Truth-Teller was akin to Yrene healing Erawan out of existence), I have been wondering about Azriel and his shadows for years. I know I've suggested that Koschei could be a prince of Hel, but I also think there's a chance he could be Valg. I outlined in this post, where I wondered if Koschei was once known as Fionn - yes, I can see there's a pattern forming here, thanks đ - if he had once loaned magic to the King of Hybern, who had "hateful black eyes" and a "galaxy" in his palm, in order for Hybern to be powerful enough to orchestrate a scenario that Koschei was unable to himself, given he's trapped at his lake; considering this possibility in the context of the Valg existing in Prythian, and that Koschei may be one of them, it could mean that Koschei himself, or a loyal Valg prince, was possessing Hybern's king; a pawn until he was no longer required.
As I mentioned earlier, there are significant parallels between Azriel and Koschei that should not be ignored, especially if Koschei ends up being his magical ancestor in some way. In addition to this, Azriel's history and habits are intriguing when laid out next to what we know of the Valg as a species. Although, given the similarities between the Princes of Hel and the Valg, much of the following could indicate some sort of link to either species (that's assuming they're actually different, of course).
The Valg's true form involves a smokey, shadowy aura, while Azriel is a shadowsinger, described as a "dark hive" from where his shadows originated.
Cassian tipped back his head and laughed, a full, rich sound that bounced off the ruddy stones of the House. Azrielâs brows flicked up with approval as the shadows seemed to wrap tighter around him. As if he were the dark hive from which they flew and returned. I tried not to shudder and faced Rhys, hoping for an explanation about his spymasterâs dark gifts. Rhysâs face was blank, but his eyes were wary. Assessing. I almost demanded what the hell he was looking at, until Mor breezed onto the balcony with, âIf Cassianâs howling, I hope it means Feyre told him to shut his fat mouth.â - ACOMAF, chapter 16
While a Valg's possession of someone's body is often confirmed through their unnaturally black eyes, it's interesting that Erilea's witches - who are half Valg and half fae - are increasingly prized the more golden their eyes are. Though Azriel's eyes are naturally hazel, a colour which often contains flecks of gold, they have notably glowed golden before. @psychologynerd and I have both discussed the possibility that Azriel could be a witch; this could be another indication of his hypothetical Valg ancestry. Edit: I just found this brilliant post, by @sak2605 which included a passage where Valg described Manon's gold eyes as the eyes of their masters!
And what Hybern would do to Elain, might already be doingâ From the shadows near the entrance to the tent, Azriel said, as if in answer to some unspoken debate, âIâm getting her back.â Nesta slid her gaze to the shadowsinger. Azrielâs hazel eyes glowed golden in the shadows. Nesta said, âThen you will die.â Azriel only repeated, rage glazing that stare, âIâm getting her back.â - ACOWAR, chapter 64
âHello, princeling,â she said, her voice bedroom-soft and full of glorious death. âHello, witchling,â he said. And the words were his own. For a moment he was so stunned that he blinked. He blinked. The demon inside of him recoiled, clawing at the walls of his mind. Eyes of the Valg kings, eyes of our masters, it shrieked. Do not touch that one! - QOS, chapter 58
We know the Valg fear fire so much they attempted to wipe out Aelin's entire flame-wielding family.
Credit for the observation goes to @ladynightcourt3 but Azriel's brothers burnt his hands. Furthering the possibility we have discussed before, that his horrible half brothers were pouring oil onto some sort of Starborn flame that he may have unwittingly exhibited, could said Starborn magic have sparked in the first place because it was trying to purify itself from a dark, shadowy infestation taking root in the lightless dungeon? Imagine if the pain of the burns only fuelled the Valg attempting to hijack young Az! Bryce even looked at Azriel when discussing the scary her star left and, while Nesta thought Azriel was lying when he said his shadows don't like the flames so much because he's sat in front of the fireplace "plenty," we do know they tend to avoid the light of a different sort of flame: the sun.
I didnât doubt his claim. And the other Illyrian ⌠âAzrielâhis hands. The scars, I mean,â I said. âWhere did they come from?â Rhys was quiet a moment. Then he said too softly, âHis father had two legitimate sons, both older than Azriel. Both cruel and spoiled. They learned it from their mother, the lordâs wife. For the eleven years that Azriel lived in his fatherâs keep, she saw to it he was kept in a cell with no window, no light. They let him out for an hour every dayâlet him see his mother for an hour once a week. He wasnât permitted to train, or fly, or any of the things his Illyrian instincts roared at him to do. When he was eight, his brothers decided itâd be fun to see what happened when you mixed an Illyrianâs quick healing gifts with oilâand fire. The warriors heard Azrielâs screaming. But not quick enough to save his hands.â - ACOMAF, chapter 18
Azriel lingered near the door, quiet enough that when Feyre and Mor began talking about some of her paintings, Nesta went over to him. âWhy donât you sit?â She leaned against the doorway beside the shadowsinger. âMy shadows donât like the flames so much.â A pretty lie. Sheâd seen Azriel before the fire plenty. But she looked at who sat close to it and knew the answer. - ACOSF, chapter 58
She found nothing but open curiosity on Nestaâs face. Nesta said, âThe scar your light comes from ⌠itâs shaped like an eight-pointed star. Why?â Bryce peered at where the light was muffled by her T-shirt. âItâs the symbol of the Starborn, I think.â âAnd the magic marked you in this way?â âYes. When I ⌠revealed who I was, what I am, to the world, I drew the star out of my chest. It left that scar in its wake.â She glanced to Azriel. âLike a burn.â - HOFAS, chapter 12
The Valg use rings and necklaces of wyrdstone, an obsidian material, to infect a host, and in addition to Truth-Teller's hilt being made from obsidian - I've wondered before whether it could be a wyrdkey, or even possessed - Azriel was once described as not having shadows at his ear, or darkness ringing his fingers when around Elain. Does this mean that his shadows - which we now know are concentrated magic - could be infected by a Valg-type being such that they can influence his mind, and maybe even control his body? Could he become a "mindless" soldier grunt?
But the second male, the more classically beautiful of the two ⌠Even the light shied from the elegant planes of his face. With good reason. Beautiful, but near-unreadable. Heâd be the one to look out forâthe knife in the dark. Indeed, an obsidian-hilted hunting knife was sheathed at his thigh, its dark scabbard embossed with a line of silver runes Iâd never seen before. Rhys said, âThis is Azrielâmy spymaster.â Not surprising. Some buried instinct had me checking that my mental shields were intact. Just in case. - ACOMAF, chapter 16
Cassianâs dark brows narrowed. I dragged a hand over my face before going to Elain and touching her too-bony shoulder. âCan I set you up in the garden? The herbs you planted are coming in nicely.â âI can help her,â said Azriel, stepping to the table as Elain silently rose. No shadows at his ear, no darkness ringing his fingers as he extended a hand. Nesta monitored him like a hawk, but kept silent as Elain took his hand, and out they went. - ACOWAR, chapter 30
The Valg princes can feed on pain and nightmares; in the ACOTAR, shadows are frequently associated with - and can even darken with - pain. Azriel was once described as having shadows and terrors over his shoulder, and there are many examples of his shadows gaining strength when he is uncomfortable or hurting, and lightening when he is happy or content. Is this because his nightmares/negative emotions are less potent and so stop fuelling the Valg he is - hypothetically - carrying around?
I saw the painting in my mind: the lovely fawn, blooming spring vibrant behind her. Standing before Death, shadows and terrors lurking over his shoulder. Light and dark, the space between their bodies a blend of the two. The only bridge of connection ⌠that knife. - ACOWAR, chapter 69
âCanât sleep?â Cassian took up a fighting stance. A shadow curled around Azrielâs neck, the only one brave enough to face the sunlight. âSomething like that,â he said, and settled into his own stance across from Cassian. Cassian let it drop, knowing Az would have told him already if heâd wanted to share what had been hounding him enough to exercise at night, rather than in the morning with them. - ACOSF, chapter 23
Speaking of, what is going on with this newly brave shadow? If Azriel or his shadows are hosts in some way for Valg-type being/s, is something causing them to gain on him? Is it his notably intensified depression from ACOSF, or the fact that he was standing above the House of Wind, the heart of which might be connected in some way to Hel? Alternatively, is it a positively denoted response to his new proximity to the Archeron sisters and their (hypothetical) different forms of Starborn light?
Could Azriel's shadows/magic simply be possessed, or are they actually a swarm of Valg in their own right, either wholly or in part, and attempting to use Azriel and Truth-Teller as a thin place to cross into Prythian? This behaviour fits with what we know of them as a species, though of course we don't know if they have the ability to do this specifically. But if Azriel does harbour some sort of Valg infestation, it becomes very interesting that his shadows respond by brightening around Feyre, who is a powerful healer, Mor - whose power is Truth (Damaris, the sword of Truth, was used in Erawan's death), and Elainâľ (of whom many have wondered if she contains pure life or rebirth from the Cauldron, which could potentially allow her to heal - especially given the frequent use of "dawn" to describe her, another parallel with Yrene, the Torre Cesme, and even the Dawn Court in Prythian).
âľ I'm including this information in the discussion not because of any shipping preference, but due to its relevance if Azriel really is infected by a Valg-type being.
Could this phenomenon extend beyond the fact that they, like the rest of his found family, all make Azriel feel comfortable within himself, and mirror what we learnt about Yreneâś and her powers? Otherwise, it would be incredibly coincidental that Elain is the sister who loves to nurture the cycle of life by gardening, who is so often described with imagery pertaining to warmth and the sun (especially at dawn), who has wielded Truth-Teller in such a way that may indicate she activated its powers and weakened a possible Valg prince, who has been strongly linked to hope, who has a different sort of strength, who has even brought a king to his knees...
âś @wingedblooms has previously discussed Elain's parallels with Yrene here and here; as always I suggest reading her brilliant posts!
Erawan panted as he approached. âHealer,â he breathed, his unholy power emanating from him like a black aura. She backed away a step, closer to the balcony rail. The dark king followed her, a predator closing in on long-awaited prey. âDo you know how long I have looked for you?â The wind tossed his golden hair. âDo you even know what you can do?â She hesitated, slamming into the balcony rail behind her, the drop so hideously endless. âHow do you think we took the keys in the first place?â A hateful, horrible smile. âIn my world, your kind exists, too. Not healers to us, but executioners. Death-maidens. Capable of healingâbut also unhealing. Unbinding the very fabric of life. Of worlds.â Erawan smirked. âSo we took your kind. Used them to unbind the Wyrdgate. To rip the three pieces of it from its very essence. Maeve never learned itâand never shall.â His jagged breathing deepened as he savored each word, each step closer. âIt took all of them to hew the keys from the gateâevery one of the healers amongst my kind. But you, with your giftsâit would only take you to do it again. And with the keys now returned to the gate âŚâ Another smile. âMaeve thinks I left to kill you, destroy you. Your little fire-queen thought so, too. She could not conceive that I wanted to find you. Before Maeve. Before any harm could come to you. And now that I have ⌠What fun you and I shall have, Yrene Towers.â - KOA, chapter 113
Erawanâs power swelled, but Yrene was already glowing, bright as the far-off dawn. - KOA, chapter 113
Erawan didnât seem to know where to look. Not as Dorian sent out a punch of his healing light that knocked him off balance. Not as Lysandra leaped upon the dark king, pinning him to the stones. Not as Elide, Damaris in her hands, plunged the blade deep through Erawanâs gut, and between the stones below. Erawan screamed. But the sound was nothing compared to what came out of him as Yrene reached him, hands like burning stars, and slammed them upon his chest. The world slowed and warped. Yet Yrene was not afraid. - KOA, chapter 113
He arched, shrieking, but Damaris held him down, that ancient blade unwavering. His dark power rose, a wave to devour the world. Yrene did not let it touch her. Touch any of them. Hope. It was hope that Chaol had said she carried with her. Hope that now grew in her womb. For a better future. For a free world. - KOA, chapter 113
The gods might have been gone, Silba with them, but Yrene could have sworn she felt those warm, gentle hands guiding her. Pushing upon Erawanâs chest as he thrashed, the force of a thousand dark suns trying to rip her apart. Her power tore through them all. Tore and shredded and ripped into him, into the writhing worm that lay inside. The parasite. The infection that fed on life, on strength, on joy. Distantly, far away, Yrene knew she was incandescent with light, brighter than a noontime sun. Knew that the dark king beneath her was nothing more than a writhing pit of snakes, biting at her, trying to poison her light. - KOA, chapter 113
A thought and Yreneâs power flared brighter. Erawan screamed. The power of creation and destruction. Thatâs what lay within her. Life-Giver. World-Maker. Bit by bit, she burned him up. Starting at his limbs, working inward. And when her magic began to slow, Yrene held out a hand. She didnât feel the sting of her palm cutting open. Barely felt the pressure of the callused hand that linked with hers. But when Dorian Havilliardâs raw magic barreled into her, Yrene gasped. Gasped and turned into starlight, into warmth and strength and joy. - KOA, chapter 113
Yreneâs power was life itself. Pure, undiluted life. It nearly brought Dorian to his knees as it met with his own. As he handed over his power to her, willingly and gladly, Erawan prostrate before them. Impaled. The demon king screamed. - KOA, chapter 113
I could be wrong of course! But it just seems too coincidental to me that we have all of these parallels between one of the Archeron sisters⡠and the unassuming healer who - together with her friends - executed a Valg king in Erilea when I have suspected for a while that Azriel's shadows had been hijacked or corrupted in some manner.
⡠I once posted, ages ago, that Azriel's shadows do not recoil from Elain Archeron, and even though I just outlined why I think she might be able to heal/purify them (assuming they're corrupted, of course), I stand by the theory. It is the corruption that would be vanishing/weakening around her and not the concentrated magic itself. And it would be an interesting tie in to the "purity language" (not my term) that SJM has used between them. That's the only shippy note I'll make here, and only because it would otherwise appear like I was contradicting my earlier self.
Anyway! If you've read this far then well done you, I'm sorry I didn't break this up into more manageable sized posts. I hope it all made sense, I did leave a bit out to try to salvage some of its atrocious length, so if I realise I forgot to tie something back around I may come back and fix it. But to sum up once more, I do think - and others have also noted - that there are many parallels between Azriel and the Starborn/Dusk Court Fae, the princes of Hel and the Valg, though one could argue that the latter two parallels extend to any void-based or demonic beings in general (which tracks if I'm correct that Illyrians can trace at least some of their origins to Hel).
Thank you for reading! đ
#azriel shadowsinger#azriel acotar#azriel appreciation week#azriel appreciation week 2024#azriel shadowsinger week#azrielappreciationweek#azrielappreciationweek2024#azriel theory#azriel shadowsinger theory#acotar#acotar theory#acotar cc tog crossover theory#maasverse#maasverse theory#sjm books#princes of hel#the valg#dusk court#starborn#pro azriel#avallen
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Azriel Appreciation Week: Belonging
Rhys said to Azriel, "If I had not met a shadowsinger, I would not have known that it is the family you make, not the one you are born into, that matters. I would not have known what it is to truly hope, even when the world tells you to despair.â -ACOWAR Chapter 69
For this piece, we really wanted to capture a young Azriel finally finding a place where he belongs. A mother figure to love him as her own, brothers who tease him lovingly not cruelly, a family he chose for himself, and a place to call home. One of the sweetest parts of this piece is the quiet joy and tenderness in Azriel's expression as he looks on his found family.
We can not thank aurithemoon enough for bringing this piece to life for us. She captured everything that we were envisioning in a way only she can. It is such a pleasure and honor to work with someone so talented, so accomplished, and so kind đ
đŚ Art by aurithemoon on instagram
đŚ Commissioned by @emilyondemand @elainsvisions @theseersgarden and myself
đŚ Characters belong to Sarah J. Maas
Find it on Instagram here!
Please do not repost without permission. Likes and reblogs are appreciated!
@azrielappreciationweek
#pro azriel#azriel shadowsinger#rhysand#cassian#azriel#ACOTAR#batboys#acomaf#acowar#acosf#azriel appreciation week#acotar fanart#the bat boys#sarah j maas#my comms
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Blue
Azriel x reader
Summary: There's a large contrast between the warm and gentle Az you get to enjoy versus the cold and quiet demeanour he reserves for others
Note: FIRST FULL WEEK I HAVE THINGS PLANNED OUT FOR. this isn't entirely my favourite but fuck it we ball <33 enjoy lovelies
@azrielappreciationweek day 1
The kitchen is a warm, flour-dusted haven, filled with the sweet scent of sugar and vanilla as Azriel leans over my shoulder, watching me whisk the batter with an amused glint in his eyes.
âYou know,â he murmurs, his breath warm against my neck, âyou could just let me do that.â He slips his arms around my waist, pulling me gently against him. âYour hands might get tired.â
I laugh, nudging him with my elbow. âI think I can handle a little whisking.â I turn to face him, catching the soft, rare smile that lights his face, the one that only appears when itâs just us. I lean up, brushing a light kiss to his lips, and feel him pull me closer, his fingers resting at the small of my back.
âHmm,â he hums, deep and quiet, his lips lingering just a moment longer. âYou taste like sugar.â
âYouâre distracting me,â I say, trying and failing to keep a straight face.
âGood,â he replies, his voice low. His gaze drops to the cupcakes cooling on the counter, and he raises an eyebrow. âTheyâre missing something.â
âExactly,â I sigh, surveying the icing jars and realizing Iâve run out of the last colour I need. I hesitate, glancing at him, knowing heâs had a long week of missions and should probably be resting. But he just tilts his head, a patient smile on his face, like he already knows what Iâm about to ask.
âCould you pick up more icing for me?â I ask, brushing a bit of flour off his cheek, unable to hide my smile. âPlease?â
He chuckles softly, reaching up to tuck a stray hair behind my ear. âAnything for you.â Thereâs a gentle warmth in his eyes, a soft devotion that melts me from the inside out.
As he steps back, he squeezes my hand. âSave a few for me?â
âAll of them,â I reply with a grin, watching as he heads to the door, wings stretching wide in the golden afternoon light. He gives me one last look before taking off, a dark silhouette against the sky.
Azriel's POV
Flying over the city, my mind lingers on her, the soft warmth of her laugh, the way her eyes light up when I walk into the room. Sheâs goddess incarnate, far too perfect for me.
The cold air rushes past as I fly, enjoying the time to stretch out my wings to their fullest.
But halfway through my journey, I feel Rhysandâs voice slip into my thoughts, quiet and laced with urgency.
Azriel, we have a guest in the dungeons. I need answers from him if you're available, it's urgent
I think about his words. Maybe if it had been a few months ago Rhys wouldn't have added the part of me being "available" knowing I was waiting at the chance to distract my mind. But ever since y/n walked into my life it was getting easier and easier to spend days doing nothing except enjoy her company. No torture sessions. No constant dagger sharpening. Just time spent with her.
Fine.
Was the simple reply I gave. It would only take a few minutes of my time.
The warmth I felt just minutes ago fades as I turn, heading down toward the underground jail, where shadows and silence reign. My shadows coil tighter around me, sharper, attuned to the work at hand as I descend into the dim halls of the dungeon.
The heavy door creaks open, and I step inside to find the prisoner chained to a chair, his gaze faltering as he meets mine. He tries to summon some defiance, but I can see the fear flicker beneath it, his breaths shallow as my shadows drift closer, surrounding him in darkness. This wonât take long.
I approach him slowly, letting each step echo off the stone walls. Leaning forward, I let my voice drop to a low, controlled murmur, knowing how much more effective a whisper can be. âLet's make this quick. Tell me everything you know"
I didn't have to elaborate on what I meant by everything. He knew what I was here for and I would get it one way or another.
Heâs silent at first, eyes darting, and I can see him calculating his options. But thereâs no fight in him, not against what he senses Iâm capable of. My shadows close in, tightening like a noose around him, each word I speak dripping with cold intent.
After a slow drag of my dagger down the column of his neck the information begins to spill out, fast and frantic. I listen carefully, never blinking, absorbing each detail.
No need for lost blood; I extract every piece with surgical precision, each question laced with the promise of what could happen if he resists. Soon, heâs left shuddering, broken, and silent.
I silently thank the cauldron he didn't make this difficult otherwise I would have to clean up before getting to my wife and the thought of keeping her waiting was not something I enjoyed.
Before I leave, I pause, tilting my head as I look down at him with one last, almost casual question. âPick a colour.â
His face twists in confusion, fear giving way to bewilderment. âUh⌠blue,â he stammers, his voice barely above a whisper.
I give him a curt nod, acknowledging his choice before I turn and leave him to the shadows that linger. As I step into the fresh air aboveground, I make my way to a small shop, selecting a container of bright blue icing, a flash of colour that feels strange against the cold efficiency of what Iâve just done.
When I arrive home, I find her at the counter, surrounded by stacks of sweet heaven. She lights up as she sees me, her eyes crinkling with happiness. "Az! Thank you my love" she says, taking the container and pressing a warm kiss to my cheek.
I'd be lying if i said I didn't melt.
But then she pauses, glancing at me, a flicker of something unreadable in her gaze. âWhat took so long?â
I shake my head, not wanting her to worry âYou donât need to worryâ I murmur, my voice gentle. âRhys just needed something doneâ
She watches me closely, as if weighing my words, a knowing look in her eyes. But she doesnât press. Instead, she smiles softly, letting her fingers brush over mine as she returns to her cupcakes.
I linger there, watching her work, feeling the lightness return to my chest as I settle back into the life we share. She doesnât push, and Iâm grateful.
With her I feel like life is worth living.
note: should have azriel year tbh
#acotar#azriel x reader#azriel shadowsinger#azriel acotar#azriel#azriel spymaster#azriel x y/n#azriel fanfic#azriel fic#azriel x you#pro azriel#azriel fluff#azriel fanfiction#azriel appreciation week
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My World
Day 1: Cool quiet.
Summary: Y/n's in labour. Azriel needs to stay calm.
â˘âââŚâââ˘
Word Count: 805
Warnings: labour ig? azzie being scared and sad cus yn is in pain :(
A/n: HAPPY DAY 1 OF @azrielappreciationweek YALL WOOHOOOO đĽł
all fics in the week will be like a series cus theyre all revolving around azzie and his daughter hehe but it isnt a series ig?
ANYWAY ENJOYYYY đĽł
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Rhysand did not see the shift in his spymaster. Did not see the way he stiffened, the way his eyes went distant before focusing again, fist clenched.
He said no words, nothing to indicate he knew his mate was going into labour. And if the meeting with Keir had not ended when it had and Azriel hadnât immediately winnowed away without preamble, Rhys wouldnât have even known.
Even when Rhysand and Cassian followed their brother to his house on the outskirts of Velaris, welcomed by agonising screams of Azrielâs mate, Rhysand saw him stand quietly in the hallway.
Rhysand could not fathom being that cool, that quiet if he knew Feyre was in labour.
He had to give it to Azriel, the male was great at hiding his weaknesses. And Rhysand would have been convinced he was still composed had he not seen that in the dark corridor, light glinted off of the tears rolling down his cheeks.
Azriel still did not move, standing still against the wall with his hands folded behind his back.
It shook Rhys more than him pacing and losing his mind would have.
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Azrielâs pov.
He wanted to scream, he wanted to curse himself out loud. After all, he was the reason his darling mate was going through the pain of birth.
Shouldâve resisted when she said she wanted kids.
But alas, it was now too late to do anything but stand here helpless as he heard her loud cries of pain from their bedroom.
"I- Azriel! Az-"
It took all Azriel had in him to stand outside while his mate, his wife went through unbearable pain he knew he could not even fathom of. Having your privates stretched while you had to push out a literal being was something he knew his worst wounds would look like paper cuts in comparison.
It made him respect females more at the moment.
Through the bond, he felt flashes of hot agony and cold pain, but he was aware it was nothing, nothing compared to what his mate was going through.
The door opened the slightest bit, the worried eyes of an apprentice healer peeking out. "Spymaster? Madja said you can come in to soothe your mate."
Instantly, Azriel was hurrying inside the room, his eyes finding his mate lying on the bed.
Keep calm. Keep calm. Keep calm.
But how could he, seeing as the one person he could ruin the world for, was sobbing, tears running down her face in constant streams, aided by the sweat gathering on her skin?
He hurried over to her side, her palm instantly finding his.
"My love, Iâm here."
She gasped in pain, nails digging into his palm.
Cool. Stay cool. It will be fine.
"Just one more push dear, then you can rest."
Azriel turned his head to Madja when she said that, relief spreading through his veins. At least the torture Y/n was going through would be over soon.
Y/n nodded, meeting Azrielâs eyes. Even while she was pushing out their baby, she found it in herself to offer him a weak smile.
Be calm.
Not even a moment after Y/n dropped back down on the bed with an exhausted sigh, loud cries filled the room. Azriel leaned down, placing his forehead against his mateâs. She smiled up at him, her eyes tired.
"No more babies. Y/n, Iâm telling you, I cannot see you in pain."
Y/n had the audacity to pout. "But what if our baby gets lonely?"
He shook his head, kissing Y/nâs cheek. "I wonât let them get lonely."
He straightened when he heard footsteps approaching, lifting his head to look at Madja, who grinned at them over the babyâs head. "Itâs a daughter."
Tears gathered in Azrielâs eyes as Madja leaned down, his daughterâs face coming into view for the first time. Azriel could not look away.
Sheâs beautiful.
Her eyes are so pretty.
She stared back at him with wide eyes.
Donât cry. Stay calm. Stay quiet.
Fuck calm. Fuck quiet.
He let the tears fall as Y/n placed a hand on his arm, telling him to take his daughter. And even though he did not want to taint the pure soul made of him and his beloved, he extended his arms. Y/n had had the time of months to scold and train Azriel to not be scared of his own child.
The moment Madja stepped out of their room, Azriel let out an involuntary sob, accompanied by a look in his mateâs direction, who was crying too.
"I love her so much."
She nodded, giggling. "Me too." After a pause, she continued. "Hazel. Thatâs what we decided."
He nodded, unable to look away as he leaned down to press his lips to her tiny forehead.
"My world."
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@starswholistenanddreamsanswered @cumuluscranium @byyalady
@lilah-asteria @girlswithimagination @garden-of-runar @girlswithimagination
@sunnyspycat @artists-ally @milswrites @kingdomofstarrynights
@berryzxx @buttermilktea11 @loving-and-dreaming @yucanbmylxdy
@mellowmusings
Azriel Taglist: @darthdumbasss @foreverrandomwritings @azrielsmate3 @celestialend
@stqrgirlies-blog @tele86 @bakananya @xyzmeh
@st4r-girl-official @caraaaaugh @nacho-nat @allllium
@fandomarchiveilyd @nickishadow139 @angel-graces-world-of-chaos
@okaytrashpanda
#acotar#azriel x reader#azriel acotar#azriel spymaster#azriel shadowsinger#shadowsinger x reader#Acotar fanfic#mating bond#a court of thorns and roses#azriel fluff#acotar fandom#acotar series#Shadowsinger#spymaster#fluff#azriel fic#azriel fanfic#sarah j maas#acotar headcanon#acotar smut#Acotar writing#acotar fluff#acotar x reader#reader insert#azriel#pro azriel#azrielweek#azrielappreciationweek2024#azriel appreciation week
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Tea, Cookies, and Love
Pairing: Azriel x f!reader
Summary: Azriel takes care of his mate while she's on her period.
Warnings: none
Word count: 1.3k
@azrielappreciationweek
You hated being on your period.
Even after years, it was still hard to deal with the cramps and pain, so strong that most days you couldnât even get out of bed. Instead, you curled up under the warm sheets, clutching a hot water bottle tightly over your aching tummy. It didnât help much with the pain, but you liked the comfort it brought.
The door opened silently, and Azriel slipped inside. He had a steaming mug in one hand and a small plate with chocolate cookies in the other. âI made your tea, love,â he said quietly as you lifted your head from the pillow. âI know it doesnât do much, but itâs better than nothing.â
You just frowned, watching as he set the plate and mug on the nightstand. The smell of ginger and peppermint reached your nose, but you didnât touch the tea. You would likely burn your tongue if you took a sip now.
âI thought you were going to Ritaâs,â you murmured.
âThe others did,â Azriel confirmed. As he sat down next to you, a few tendrils of darkness wove through your hair, drawing a small smile from you even as you clenched the muscles in your stomach at the stabbing pain.
You closed your eyes, taking a few deep breaths to work through the next cramp before you could ask, âWhy didnât you go with them?â
Azriel lifted a brow, visibly trying to hold back a smile. âYou're really asking that?â
Sitting a bit straighter in bed, you nodded weakly as you reached for the mug. Even if you couldn't drink it yet, you could still savor its warmth in your hands.
âI'm not leaving you alone and in pain while Iâm out having fun,â he stated. His voice was soft, but it carried that underlying determination that told you he wasnât going to change his mind.
Yet, as he stood up and began undressing, you still tried, blowing over the hot tea. âI wouldnât be mad if you wanted to go with them, you know.â
âI know,â he replied, pulling on some sweatpants and a shirt. He turned to you with a smile. âBut I donât want to.â He climbed into bed next to you, slipping under the blanket and wrapping you in his arms. âNo, I want to stay here and take care of my beautiful mate.â
A new warmth spread through your body, one that had nothing to do with the mug or the hot water bottle. You actually removed the latter from your stomach to place it on the nightstand instead, so that you could snuggle closer to Azriel.
âDonât you need that?â he murmured, letting you move around to find a comfortable position. You settled for curling up against his strong chest, your head resting on his shoulder.
âNot really,â you answered in a whisper. You finally took a sip of the tea, and its pleasant taste filled your mouth, warming your throat as you swallowed. Hopefully, it would soothe your aches, but you knew how unlikely that was. âItâs not that hot anymore.â
âDo you want me to go heat it up again?â
You looked up at him, a soft smile on your lips. You shook your head slightly. âNo, itâs fine. I just want you here.â
âThen Iâll stay here.â Azriel pressed a kiss to your temple, then draped his wings around you. âWhatever you need, my love.â
You wanted to answer, but you grimaced instead as another cramp twisted your gut. It felt like being ripped apart from the inside, and you almost spilled the tea while trying to find a position that would bring you some relief. Azrielâs broad hand covered your lower stomach, gently massaging the area to offer what little comfort he could.
âI hate seeing you like this,â he whispered.
âYeah, I hate feeling like this too,â you mumbled once the pain settled, at least for the moment. You drank some more tea, and your eyes took in the chocolate cookies he had brought you. âAre those Elainâs cookies?â
Azriel nodded, his hand still drawing soothing circles on your stomach. âShe made them this morning. I thought you might want some before they're all gone.â
âGods, I love you,â you breathed. You turned your head just enough for your lips to brush against his, but you didn't kiss him yet. âYou just make it so easy.â
Azriel's lips curled into an amused smile. âI love you too, beautiful. But what is it that I make easy?â
You set the mug down, cupping his face with your now-free hands. âLoving you, Az.â You finally kissed him, pouring all your feelings and gratitude into the kiss and down the bond. âYou make it very easy to love you.â
You chuckled as a faint blush crept up his neck. âThank you,â he murmured, âbut I don't do anything special.â
âHe doesn't do anything special, he says,â you scoffed playfully. You gave his cheek a kiss, then reached for the mug again and took another warm sip.
Snuggling closer to him, you tucked your head under his chin and closed your eyes. Azriel held you tighter, cradling you against his body. As he opened his mouth to reply, you knew he was going to say that it was true and he didn't do anything special, so you beat him to it.
âFor starters, you're here with me instead of out with our friends,â you pointed out. You didn't even open your eyes, instead simply listing all the reasons why he made you fall in love with him every day, all over again. âYou made me tea even if I hadn't asked for it. You rub my aching belly. And you brought me Elain's cookies.â
âI just want to take care of you,â he said. His tone was soft, and he sounded as if he was defending himself and his choices. He really didn't see what was special about it. âAnd I know how much you like her cookies.â
You sighed quietly. You picked up a cookie, but even though you loved them, you didn't feel like eating anything right now. You'd save them for later, when the cramps would hopefully relent. So you offered it to him without a word.
Azriel took it, brows furrowed. âYou want me to feed you?â
Your quiet chuckle was interrupted by a twinge of pain deep in your core, and you quickly disguised it by saying, âI want you to have it.â
He shook his head and handed the cookie back to you. âThey're for you.â
âThe others are for me. That one is for you.â You didn't even touch it, opting to simply sip from your mug again. âIt's how bonds are accepted.â
âWe accepted the bond years ago,â he mused. He didn't take a bite, instead waiting to see where you were going with this.
âI know.â
You pulled back slightly, just enough to look him in the eye. He was beautiful, and he was yours. Your love and your home. Your mate. Just as you were his. You knew he considered himself lucky to be with you, but he never realized you were the lucky one.
âEvery day, I am beyond grateful that the Mother blessed me with you as my mate,â you murmured. A sudden lump formed in your throat, and you weren't sure if the tears prickling your eyes were caused by the hormones or the depth of your feelings for him. âAnd I want you to eat that cookie. Because I want you to know that I would choose you in every life, no matter what.â
Azriel was silent for a long moment, but you could see the swirling emotions in his hazel eyes. The love and care, the vulnerability he showed only to you. He slowly lifted the cookie to his lips and took a small bite, his eyes never leaving yours, your ache momentarily forgotten.
âI would choose you in every life too,â he said softly. âI would find you, and I would love you. In every life, every world.â
When you kissed again, the bond between your souls glowed stronger and brighter.
General taglist: @mrsjna @navyblue-eternity @paintedbyshadows @highladyandromeda @starswholistenanddreamsanswered @azrielsmate3 @mollygetssherlockcoffee @mirandasidefics @tinystarfishgalaxy @cynthiesjmxazrielslover @anarchiii @readinggeeklmao @anneas11 @azrielslittleslut @lilah-asteria @aaahhh0127 @lorosette @azrielsrealmate @pey2618 @mellowmusings @k8r123-blog @daughterofthemoons-stuff @minnieoo @saltedcoffeescotch
Azriel Week: @fourthwing4ever
#azrielappreciationweek2024#azriel#azriel shadowsinger#azriel x reader#azriel x you#azriel x y/n#azriel fic#azriel acotar#azriel fluff#acotar#acotar x reader#a court of thorns and roses#sjm#sarah j maas#fluff#fanfiction#azriel appreciation week
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Day 4: Paid Time Off
@azrielappreciationweek
Masterlist
âTheyâre incredible,â Feyre said in awe.
Her eyes glowed from the light of Starfall and also from the couple dancing in the middle of the ballroom.
Rhys felt his heart warm at the sight. Y/N and Azrielâs yearly dance. The first one in fifty years. It made him feel a comforting sensation that everything was as it should. Their dance truly ment a lot to everyone in their family.
âThey truly are,â he answered her. âSurprised?â
âI never expected them to be such good dancers,â Feyre stated.
Rhys did agree with her. Their beautiful movements surprised him every year.
âY/N would ask Azriel, Cassian and I to dance every year at Starfall. We always said no. Weâre warriors. Warriors donât dance ballroom dances. Then, suddenly a year, Azriel said yes. I think Y/N was just as surprised as the rest of us,â Rhys chuckled a little as the memory.
âWhat made him say yes?â Feyre seemed almost in trance looking at their careful and steady movements. The love that bloomed from their gazes could be seen through the entire room.
âIt was their first Starfall as a couple. None of us knew, but we probably should have guessed it. Starfall has always been an important day for the two of them. And, of course, none of us know why.â
Y/N and Azriel ended the dance with a small kiss before they made their way back to Mor and Cassian. Azrielâs hand was carefully placed on Y/Nâs back and his shadows still held her dress, making sure she didnât trip on it.
âBut that doesnât explain why theyâre so good at it. I never would have been such a good dancer if I only danced once a year.â
âY/N loves dancing,â Rhys explained. âI still remember her coming crying to my room after she had started the âwife-trainingâ as we called it. She hated the thought that she enjoyed a part of it. But she absolutely loved dancing. I have a theory that they dance all the time when nobody is around.â
âIt should simmer for five minutes,â Azriel said before he moved over to you.
You sat at the table, trying to find the right place for the puzzle piece you held in your hand.
Azriel picked the piece from your hand and immediately put it in the right spot. He laughed as you let out an annoyed sigh.
âCome here, love,â he said as he pulled you up from your chair.
You couldnât help but smile when you realized what it was he wanted.
Azrielâs strong hands held your waist as you moved through your kitchen. Your arms were wrapped around his neck. Your feet were moving together in carefully chosen patterns.
Your smiles and small laughs only grew as he lifted your hand from his shoulder and twirled you around.
The song you danced to was the song that played the first Starfall you were together. A memory you would pull forward and send into Azrielâs mind every time you danced.
His hazel eyes were looking deeply into yours and your violet ones looked back. Your smiles lightened up your entire face.
With a last twirl Azriel dipped you down and his lips met yours.
It was incredible how he still managed to give you butterflies even after centuries of being mates.
He pulled you up again and gave you another small kiss before he let go of you.
âThe dinner should be done now,â he said and moved towards the stove.
And as you stood and admired your mateâs beauty you got reminded once more that it really was the little things that made life special.
Divider by @cafekitsune
#acotar#azriel#azriel fanfic#azriel x reader#azriel x y/n#azriel x you#azriel shadowsinger#azriel x rhysand's sister#rhysandâs sister#azrielappreciationweek2024#azriel appreciation week
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Can we all just... sit here and appreciate this first kiss art by @/that_starborn_fae on Instagram?!?!
HAPPY GWYNRIEL WEEKS, INDEED!
Visit the art here!
Visit and follow the artist here!
Reblogs okay with artist credit.
#gwynriel#gwynriel weeks 2024#gwynriel weeks#gwynriel week 2024#gwynriel week#gwynriel supremacy#fanart#gwynriel fanart#gwyn x azriel#azriel x gwyn#gwyn x az#az x gwyn#gwyneth berdara#azriel acotar#azriel shadowsinger#acotar#acosf#sjm#sarah j maas
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AZRIEL WEEK DAY 3: BELONGING @azrielappreciationweek
We know that this is a very significant topic for Azriel, as he has always wanted to find his own place. I think it's really interesting how in his POV we can see how fate plays with him, and how his shadows act as a guide.
from:
"...the shadows kept him company, as they always had, as they always would."
to:
"Azriel aimed for the training pit, giving in to the need to work off the temptation, the rage and frustration and writhing need. He found it already occupied. His shadows had not warned him..."
So I wanted to bring this canon scene made by the amazing @/jacysarts (IG) and commissioned by me đŠľ
Please do not repost!
Characters belong to @sarahjmaas
#azrielappreciationweek2024#azriel week#acotar#gwynriel#acosf#sjm books#pro gwynriel#sjm#azriel x gwyn#azriel shadowsinger
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Don't Go
For day three of @acotar-omegaverse-week :All tied upÂ
Summary: Azriel helps you with your heatâŚ.maybe more than you expected.Â
Warnings: smut (18+), alpha/omega dynamics, mating, knots, p in v sex, slightly rough, slight breeding kink, biting, cum eating
WC: 3.4k
divider by the lovely @tsunami-of-tears
18+ below the cut
You donât know how you had lost track of the days. You normally kept a perfect record of your cycles, in a house full of alphaâs it was necessary to avoid any awkward situations. But here you were in the middle of a walk with Azriel when you felt that thin layer of sweat bead across your forehead. The way your skin suddenly felt too tight on your body let you know it had nothing to do with the summer sun and everything to do with the fact you had miscounted by a week.Â
âAzriel.â You tried to whisper, pulling on the back of his shirt. He turned around and his eyes instantly went to your face, where you could feel the sweat starting to collect. âI need to go home. Now.â His eyes dilated as he caught your scent. The full wave of your heat washes over him as he faces you. He quickly nodded at you before pulling you tight against his chest and winnowing you both back to the river house.Â
You were clinging to him so tightly that he had to pry your hands off of him to get you to lay down in your nest. Being very careful not to accidentally step in it.Â
âDo you remember what we talked about last time?âÂ
His words floated through the air. You tried your best to remember what he was talking about.Â
âDo you still want my shadows here?â He saved you the energy of having to remember. Now you want to sink into the ground. YOu had asked him at the end of your last heat if you could borrow his shadows. After Nesta had found you basically pawing at Azrielâs door during your last heat, you had the idea of them being around to keep you in check. A guard that wouldnât be affected by an omega in heat.Â
You nodded. Mortification quickly overrides the pain.Â
âI need you to say it, my sweet omega.â And those words coming off of his tongue sent a hard cramp through you. Your core clenching around nothing.Â
âYes. Please.â You were forcing yourself to stay seated on the ground, to wrap a blanket tighter around yourself to keep from jumping Azriel. Those two words, my omega, had every part of your brain buzzing. But you were early enough in your heat to remind yourself that Azriel didnât want you that way. His face when he had found your scent in the hallway last time was more than enough confirmation.Â
âAlright. Iâll have the maids bring you some food and water. Okay?â He got up to walk out of your room, some of his shadows staying behind, already curling up around your body as you closed your eyes and tried to get the last little bit of lucid sleep you could get.Â
----
Every second was torture. His shadows wrapped around your feet keeping you rooted in place when all you wanted was the male across the house. His shadows smelled like him and it did nothing to soothe your raging omega instincts. Itâs not like you havenât thought of Azriel like that before. That forest, smokey and downright mouthwatering smell that lingered on your skin for days after you would hug him.Â
The shadows at least let you have your hands. Which were doing absolutely nothing to help the cramps wracking through your body. You currently have two fingers buried inside of yourself. Slick coated your thighs and the blankets underneath you, but it still wasnât enough. YOu tried your best to muffle your moans and cries of Azrielâs name. A small part of you was ashamed for even thinking of him but it was impossible to think clearly with the black wisps curled around your ankles and torso. The weight felt wrong. Your body is crying out for a different weight, a warmer weight that wouldnât be coming. Neither would you apparently. No matter how hard or fast you fucked yourself on your fingers, it still isnât enough. Fuck it. You were about to crawl out of your nest and beg Azriel to help but the shadows wouldnât let you move. Tears leaked out of your eyes as you struggled against them.Â
Just when you were about to give up, you felt one of the shadows brush across your wrist. Settling around your skin in a way that pressed your hand further inside of yourself. Then the pressure was gone, letting your hand slip back out. It happened two more times before you realized what was happening. His shadows were helping you. And it worked for a little. That peak became a little bit closer to your grasp but it slipped away again. Your body all but screaming for Azriel. Having his shadows wasnât a replacement for the real thing.Â
You were writhing in pain less than an hour later. The shadows had let up enough to let you pad off to the bathroom, helping you draw the coldest bath the house would allow for. Again, it helped only for a moment before the water felt too heavy on your skin. You tried to get out, body feeling so weak that you just slumped back down into the half filled tub. Your arms were shaking with how badly your whole body was hurting. You could only pull your knees tight against your chest as sobs started to slip from your mouth. You rubbed at the gland on the side of your neck, itchy and tight. If you had any more energy you would have been shocked with how raised the skin was. But you could only sob harder as you scratched at your mating gland.Â
A heat had never hurt this badly before. You had been alive for half a century, this was far from your first time alone. You couldnât place just what exactly was different this time but something was. A small knock from your door had you flinching.Â
âSweetheart. Itâs me.â Azrielâs voice called from the other side of the door. Your body almost buzzed in excitement before horror washed over you. His voice was tight. Signaling that he didnât want to be here. Why was he here? It was then that you noted none of the familiar shadows were in the room. They must have gone to get him when you failed to get out of the tub. Something that had a small part of you preening. Alphaâ here to take care of us. That small voice in your head purred. But he wasnât your alpha. Wanted nothing to do with you in that way. Another sob slipped past your lips that had him knocking on the door again. You didnât answer. More content with sitting in the tub then having to face him. Another moment went by and you heard the door click open.Â
The smell from his shadows had been bad but him standing in the doorway was a new level of hell. You tried to scramble to the other side of the giant tub, desperate to put any space between the two of you.Â
âHey, itâs okay. Iâm just going to help you get out. Is that okay?â He paused, hands outstretched towards you. You ran your eyes up and down his tall frame and tried to remember how to speak. You could only nod, not trusting your voice. Azriel picked up a towel that was on the ground and approached the tub. When he picked you up, he made sure that none of your skin touched. He was so repulsed by you that he didnât even glance at your nakedness. You knew he didnât feel that way about you but it hurt something inside of you to see him not even react. He was an alpha, he should at least have a little reaction to an omega in heat. Regardless of how he felt about you.Â
You tried to blink back the tears but you were in too much pain to stop them. You just wanted to sleep. Just wanted to be wrapped in his arms. You felt the slight fan of air from his wings as they flapped anxiously behind him. He deposited you back into your nest, carefully wrapping the towel around you to keep you covered. You expected him to run out of the room after but he was lingering at the edge of your bed. Watching as you buried yourself into the blankets.Â
âYou donât have to stay. Az. I know you donât want to be here.â You sniffled, instantly kicking yourself for how pathetic you sounded. His wings twitched again.Â
âWhat do you mean, princess?âÂ
âI know you donât want to be here right now. So just go. Thank you for helping meâ
He froze. And for the first time you looked at him. His eyebrows pulled together, making his forehead wrinkle slightly. His cheeks were slightly flushed and you continued looking down. You sucked in a breath as you realized he was rock hard. You couldnât force your eyes to look away. Not even as he spoke.Â
âI thought you didnât want me.â His words were tight. âUntil my shadows started telling me every detail. Reporting back to me how sweetly you were calling my name. They were telling me how good you smelled, how wet you were for me.â His voice dropped an octave and it had your skin flushing. You didnât have a response.Â
âDo you want me to help you, omega?â You had to be dreaming. You must have fallen asleep or maybe you hit your head while you were trying to get out of the tub and this was a hallucination. Either way, you knew it couldnât be real. Azriel wasnât here in your room, inches from your nest offering to help you with your heat.Â
âOmega?â The word was sharper this time and had you answering before you could think.Â
âYes.âÂ
âYes what?â
âYes I want you to help me, alpha.â And he was all over you then. His lips caught yours and you could have sobbed in relief. His hands chased away the scorching heat that trailed over your skin. But did nothing to help the emptiness you felt between your legs. He nipped at your bottom lip, teeth digging in in a way that had your back arching off of the bed. His scarred hands snaked up to rest on your breast. A hand going up to squeeze your nipple. You moaned his name and he pulled away from you, panting.Â
âIâm going to ask you one more time. Do you want me? Saw the word and Iâll walk away.âÂ
A twinge of panic rushed through you at the idea of him leaving. So you didn't answer, only reached out for the collar of his shirt and pulled him back to you. You flipped him onto his back and crawled into his lap.Â
âYes. Yes. Iâve wanted this for so long.â You were trailing kisses over his collarbone. You started undoing the buttons on his shirt, kissing each inch of newly exposed skin until he was pulling the shirt off the rest of the way. He lifted you with one hand as you helped him slide off his pants. Not caring where they ended up as you saw his cock smack against his abs. Your mouth watered at the sight, slick dripping down your leg. He was perfect. Thick and long, a slight curve. And at the base you could already see the thicker red skin of his knot.Â
You didnât waste any time before you took him in your hand, lifting your hips up to guide him to your entrance.Â
âNeed to stretch you out first.â He gritted, a hand on your hip stilling your motion.Â
âNo. Need you now. Want your knot, alpha.â You whined, your free hand trying to bat the hand on your hip away. You didnât understand why he wasnât letting you sink down. You felt so empty. So close to what you wanted and he wasnât going to let you have it.Â
âIâm yours.â He said as he locked eyes with you. His hand didnât leave but the force behind it was gone. Letting you, finally, fill yourself up with him. Your brain had stopped working. All thoughts are gone from your mind except for how perfect he felt inside of you. You chased away the last of the cramps as you started to ride him. Rocking your hips back and forth against him. A string of curses and garbled versions of his name left your lips as he tangled a hand into your hair, pulling your head back. His tongue lightly swiped over your scent gland and you exploded around him. Your orgasm leaves you seeing stars. That didnât stop either of you. In one motion he had you pushed onto your hands and knees. The impact cushioned by the plush blankets underneath you. His thrusts were ruthless. The room filled with the sound of your bodies colliding with each other. Slick was still leaking down your leg as he wrapped your hair around his hand, pulling your back against his chest. His free hand trailed between your legs, rubbing circles on your clit until you were bucking into him. His lips were all over your neck until they landed near your ear.Â
âLook at how perfectly you take my cock. Think of how good youâll take my knot.â You whined and he nipped at your earlobe. âDo you like the idea of that? Me filling you up until you're round with my kids?âÂ
âYes. Fuck. Wanna be full of you alpha.â You screamed for him. You could already feel your second orgasm rushing toward you, having no moment to come down. You could feel the edges of his knot started to catch on each thrust. You were about to beg for more, for him to fuck you harder, but a sharp feeling on your neck had you freezing in place. Not the right side of your neck, not the one that would bind you two together. Not the side you wanted him to bite.Â
âMark me, alpha. Want you. Bite me. Please. Az. Please.â You babbled. Tears streaming down your face again, but this time because you wanted him so badly. He was right there but it wasnât enough. You wanted him permanently. Wanted your scents to fill the room, wrapped together.Â
âWant me to mark this pretty neck, sweet omega?â You shook your head, crying out your pleas. He growled, the sound rattling your body.Â
âFuck. Just a little longer. Gonna cum with me?â You would have done anything he said at this moment. His knot almost locking you in place now. He was close and you could only moan and whimper as you felt it stretching you with every thrust. A few more well timed pushes of his hips and you fell apart. Right at the same time you felt him filling you up. The same moment you felt his teeth latch into the right side of your neck. Your vision blurred as tears sprung in your eyes again. The feeling so perfect that you barreled straight into your third orgasm. His mouth was clamped onto your shoulder, tongue soothing the bleeding skin. He rocked his hips back and forth as much as the knot would allow. You swore you could feel him pushing his cum further into you.Â
You reached back and pulled Azriel off of your neck, joining your lips. You could taste your blood on his lips but you didnât care. Didnât care about anything else as you pulled him closer to you, tried to turn your body towards him as much as your current position would allow for.Â
The tow of you stayed like that until his knot went down. Until he was pulling out of you. You felt his cum drip down your leg and whimpered at the feeling of losing it.Â
Azriel only kissed your forehead, kissed down the path the tears had left on your face. He kept kissing down past your collarbone, your chest, until strong hands were pushing you to lay down for him. He placed sucking kisses to your plush thighs, down your legs and back up. This time his tongue collecting the trails of slick that coated your thighs. All the way until he got to your dripping cunt. You were about to say something to him, about to plead for him to hurry up when he licked a long stripe through your folds. Your hands shot to the back of his head as his tongue darted into your opening. Pushing his cum back into you.Â
âAlpha.â You cried out. Eyes screwed closed as you felt wave after wave of pleasure coarse through you. There was something else there, some new edge of desire that had you reeling. You could feel his own heightened emotions. Arousal leaked off of him as he reached down to stroke his cock. He moaned into your folds, making your back arch off of the bed as you started to ride his face. He took every thrust perfectly. Not missing a beat as you used him to get off. Loud noises of your slick filling the room as you ate you out like a man starved. It was eventually too much, you were teetering from the edge again and knew it wouldnât be enough. You needed him inside you again.
You pulled him off of you, a motion that had him growling until you parted your legs for him. It took him no time at all to cage you in, arms on either side of your head. You wrapped your hand around his leaking cock and guided him to your entrance. He pushed in so slowly you were a writhing mess underneath him as he sheathed himself full inside of you. HIs own moans matching yours as he threw his head back. Eyes squeezed closed as he started to move again. You went to wrap your legs around his waist before he stopped you, wrapping a hand around your knee to push it up against your chest. You didn;t think it was possible for him to go deeper but as he threw your foot over your shoulder you swore your vision blacked out at the pleasure. You couldnât move. Only take everything he gave you. Each punished thrust of his hips against yours and you mewling against him. He took his time, long strong thrusts that had you clenching around him. Your nails clawed at his back, searching for any purchase against the torturous pace he set.Â
âGood omega. Being so good for me. Can you take my knot again?â Â
Your voice was long gone, hoarse from the screams and cries of pleasure so you could only nod, could only dig your nails into him harder to show him your agreement. He grabbed your other knee and pressed it against your chest, pulling you into a mating press that had you gasping for breath around the pleasure. You didnât think you could cum again, but Azrielâs long strokes had you writhing underneath him. Begging for more.Â
âGonna fill you up again.â He growled in your ear. And then his knot caught again. The feeling pulling shudders from your body. A soft cry escaped your mouth as you came again. Not as hard as the first times but enough that it felt you panting underneath him. Clawing at his hair to bring his lips to yours again.Â
Once both of you had calmed down a touch, he rolled the two of you over so you were on your side, legs tucked in behind yours perfectly. A part of you preened at the way he fit so well behind you, the way the two of you seemed to fit together. LIke you were made for each other.Â
âI think we very well are.â He said into your ear, so close that his breath on your neck made you shudder. You didnât think you had said the words out loud but all questions left your mind as he starting trailing kisses on the back of your neck, along the angry red skin of your newly marked mating gland. And that little press of his tongue, the way your scents filled the room. Not two scents anymore but one perfectly blended thing. It was that fact that had you drifting off to sleep in his arms. Heat perfectly quelled for the time being.
tag list: @ninthcircleofprythian @nocasdatsgay @sarawritestories @readychilledwine @milswrites @daycourtofficial @tsunami-of-tears
#acotaromegaverse2024#acotar omegaverse week#acotar azriel#acotar#acotar fanfiction#acosf#acomaf#azriel x reader#acowar#a court of thorns and roses#azriel acotar#azriel x you#azriel shadowsinger smut#azriel#azriel shadowsinger#azriel spymaster#acotar fanfic#a/b/o smut#a/b/o#a/b/o dynamics#a/b/o verse#omegaverse#acotar omegaverse#azriel fanfic
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Azriel Week | Day 2 - Scarred
@azrielappreciationweek
ŕŠâŠâ§âË
Azriel and Gwyn are drawing hearts and constellations to each otherâs hands.
ŕŠâŠâ§âË
instagram
#Instagram#azriel#acotar#gwyneth berdara#gwynriel#azriel appreciation week#azriel shadowsinger#azriel spymaster#azriel fanart#azriel week 2024#no ai art#Ella artâ¨
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Healing his inner child â¤ď¸âđŠš
@azrielappreciationweek Day 6 | Past & Future
As we all know, Azriel had an immensely traumatic childhood. For this commission, @duskcowboy and I wanted to show an adult Azriel comforting his younger self, healing his inner child, and finally letting the light in that he was once so deprived of đĽšâĽď¸
Hope you all love it as much as we do!
⥠đ¨ by the incredible @mastiba on Instagram
⥠Commissioned by @duskcowboy and me!
âĄÂ Please do not repost. Reblogs are preferred.
#there is hope little one#azriel appreciation week#azriel#azriel shadowsinger#commission#night court#acotar fanart#azriel fanart#past and future#art#azrielappreciationweek2023
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Maps
Azriel x reader
Summary: Azriels daughter finds his scars far more interesting than the map you're trying to show her, indirectly healing a part of Azriel he had left in the dark
Note: I had to make some last minute edits on my phone so the spacings and other things might be slightly off. OTHER THAN THAT, enjoy some more fluff <33
@azrielappreciationweek day 2
I spread the map of Prythian across the table, carefully smoothing out the edges so Alaiyah could see it. Her little hands gripped the tables edge as she leaned in, dark brown ringlets tumbling over her face, her dimples peeking out as she tried to focus.
Her hazel eyesâAzrielâs hazel eyesâpeered down with intense focus, so much energy and curiosity in that tiny frame, and I felt my heart swell as I watched her.
âLook, Alaiyah,â I murmured, my finger tracing the spot where Velaris lay hidden in the mountains. âThis is where we live. You remember the pretty lights at night, donât you?â She tilted her head, scrunching her little nose in thought. For a moment, I thought she was captivated, her gaze roaming over the detailed lines of rivers and mountains. But then, she looked up at me, a spark in her eyes, a hint of mischief, and she shook her head, a dimple flashing in her cheek as she whispered, âIm going to daddyâ
Before I could respond, she slipped down from her chair, her tiny bare feet padding softly across the floor to the bed where Azriel sat, watching us with that quiet, contemplative look of his. She clambered up with ease, settling herself into his lap with a confidence that had Azriel momentarily taken aback. His lips parted slightly, but he stayed still, watching her with that gentleness he only kept for her and me.
Alaiyah took his scarred, calloused hand between her own, her chubby fingers so tiny as they tried to span the length of his broad palm. Azrielâs whole body stilled as she traced each scar and line with careful fingers, her small brow furrowed as if this were a puzzle only she could solve.
âI like this mapâ she murmured with conviction, tracing a deep scar across the center of his palm. "This is the mountain" she said, tapping near his thumb, her voice soft but certain. âthe river,â she added, running her finger along a thinner line on his wrist.
Azrielâs expression softened, as he allowed her to continue, his shadows curling closer around them as if forming a cocoon. He lowered his gaze, watching her with an intensity I hadnât seen beforeâa quiet awe mixed with something raw and vulnerable.
Finally, Alaiyah looked up at him, a shy, dimpled smile lighting her face as she whispered, âThis is my favorite place.â Azrielâs thumb brushed softly over her small hand, and he swallowed, his chest rising and falling in slow, even breaths, as he pressed a kiss to her one cheek, then another.
He raised his gaze to meet mine, his eyes holding an unspoken gratitude, a love so deep it felt as if heâd let his very soul be opened up and laid bare.
And as Alaiyah nestled herself closer to his chest, her small fingers tracing his skin with reverence, I knew sheâd shown him something he never thought he could findâ a peace, within himself.
Azrielâs gaze lifted to mine, his eyes catching and holding mine with a warmth that sent a flutter through my chest. Without a word, he extended a wing, unfolding it slowly, curving around to make space for me beside him and Alaiyah. I moved quietly across the room, settling down against him as his wing wrapped around us both, a sheltering cocoon of warmth and protection.
Alaiyah, noticing I had joined the daughter and father duo, turned and leaned against me, curling her tiny fingers around mine as she nestled between us.
After a moment of silence Azriel leaned down, his voice soft as he spoke again. âDid you know,â he said, glancing between us, âthis is my favorite place too?â I felt his words settle over us, a quiet, unspoken promise woven into the gentle hold of his wings and the warmth of his arms. I leaned into him, pressing a kiss to his cheek.
Alaiyah's giggle broke through "Silly daddy. I'm not a place"
Gods did I love her, I thought as Azrielâs laughter washed over me. How I wished I could capture this moment forever.
Note: pretty sure all the fics I've planned for az are fluff đ who cares he deserves it
#acotar#azriel x reader#azriel shadowsinger#azriel acotar#azriel spymaster#azriel fanfic#azriel x y/n#azriel fic#azriel#azriel x you#Azriel#pro azriel#azriel appreciation week
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Reputation to uphold
Day 5: No need for poetry.
Summary: Hiding the letters is his first priorities.
â˘âââŚâââ˘
Word Count: 1368
Warnings: fluff, azzie being a shy baby đĽš
A/n: i loved writing this hehehe (i wrote most of this in 40 mins đ)
@azrielappreciationweek
ANYWAY ENJOYYYY đĽł
°â˘Â°â˘Â°â˘âđââ˘Â°â˘Â°â˘Â°
"I missed this, mama." Hazel sighed, pulling away her cup of hot chocolate. Azriel smiled, looking over at his daughter, sitting next to his now son in law, Kaden.
What did I say? He was going to take away my daughter.
Y/n raised her brows. "Itâs barely been a week since youâve last had it."
Hazel grimaced. "Yeah, and his hot chocolate does not compare."
"Hey thatâs mean!" Kaden sputtered, choking on his own drink.
"Yeah, stop being mean to my son."
Hazel rolled her eyes, turning to her father.
"Dad, come on, tell me a story." She had always been fond of listening to stories, and Az, wanting to make his daughter happy, had begun the new habit of telling stories every night.
Azriel glanced at his wife as she settled in next to him, warmth spreading in his chest. No matter how long theyâd been married for, even just the sight of Y/n filled Azriel with happiness. Just as it had back when he had first seen her in the market, giggling with her friends over something.
"What do you want to hear about?"
Hazel leaned back, contemplating before perking up. "How you met mom and got married."
Azrielâs cheeks warmed, and he prayed his wife did not notice.
"Look dad, youâve always said I was too young to know, but now I am even married. I want to know."
Azriel sighed, looking to his wife for help.
"Yeah Az, I wanna know the story too." Y/n grinned, not meeting his eyes.
Knowing he would not be allowed to leave without reliving his most embarrassing moments, he got comfortable in his chair.
"I saw her in the market one day. She was with her friends, and I instantly knew I was going to marry her one day."
She had been so ethereal, and she was in just a simple flowy dress. Her hair had been pinned out of her face, the breeze softly playing with the strands the way Azriel wished he could. Her smile, it could have brought him to his knees. And her sparkling eyes spoke of kindness far more louder than actions, the love and compassion for her fellow fae shining through every blink.
"Did you ever write her love letters and poetry?"
Azriel scoffed, focusing on the dark dregs at the bottom of his cup. "Me? I donât have to resort to poetry."
Azriel felt his wifeâs gaze on him, and he could picture her perfectly, sitting there, eyebrows raised in a are you sure about that? gesture.
"Yeah, he just ended up drowning in the river trying to impress me."
Azriel turned to glare at Y/n accusingly, who simply shrugged. "Now Az, lying is bad. Someone has to tell the truth."
Azriel grumbled, then again began. This time, truthfully. "Feyre needed some paint supplies from the market, and because I was free, I offered to get them for her."
°â˘Â°â˘Â°â˘âđââ˘Â°â˘Â°â˘Â°
Azriel never thought he would ever ask someone for a romantic day out. After all, he never had to do that. He would just give females a glance and they would ask him to spend time with them themselves.
But this time, it was not happening. The female in the market square barely spared him a glance when he sidled up to her, pretending to look at all the brightly coloured pots on display at the stand she was giggling with her friends over.
"Y/n, that pot would look so good with your couch!"
Y/n. That name would certainly look good with Azrielâs name next to it.
"Yes Cindy, Iâm going to cook on my couch."
Azriel smiled down at the pot in his hands, biting his cheek.
"It certainly is beautiful though." He mumbled, voice low so only Y/n could hear as her two other friends started bickering. He felt her stiffen before she glanced at him.
"That it is. But I donât think Iâm in need of more things."
Azriel swallowed, nodding. "You live near?"
Finally, he gathered the courage to meet her narrowed eyes. "Why do you ask?"
He smiled with a confidence he did not feel. "Where will I pick you up from for our dinner tomorrow then if you donât tell me?"
She reared back as if his words had a physical impact on him.
"I- Iâm sorry, Iâm not interested."
Azriel blinked. But before he could say anything, she had grabbed her friendsâ hands and dragged them away.
But from the slight blush on her face, he knew that he only needed to try and she would agree.
He bought the pot she had been eyeing so longingly just moments before, then hurried to go get the paints Feyre had asked for.
He was so sure he wouldnât have to resort to poetry.
°â˘Â°â˘Â°â˘âđââ˘Â°â˘Â°â˘Â°
The next day, Azriel was back at the market square, trying to figure out which direction she had gone. He had probably been wandering around aimlessly when he spotted the beautiful head of the lady he was so enthralled by.
"Hey. Pleasant day." He said as he fell in step beside the unsuspecting female.
She jumped, wide, frantic eyes meeting his own. Exasperation spread through her features as she realised it was him.
"You- what are you doing here?"
He shrugged, grinning as he held his gloved hand out. "Iâm Azriel."
Her brows furrowed. She probably thought Azriel was loose in the head. "Y/n."
"Beautiful name for a beautiful lady."
She sighed. "Look, Iâve already told you Iâm not interested."
"Why not?"
She paused. "I donât like males who think theyâre entitled to my time."
He nodded sagely. "Me neither. I hate people like that. But look at this like this, I want to get to know you. Maybe this could be something-"
She sighed. "No. Sorry."
Azrielâs palms turned sweaty. He had found her again, he did not want to let her go without getting something out of this. Even one evening of talking was enough. "I- I am the high lordâs shadowsinger."
Her gaze hardened. "Are you threatening me?"
His eyes widened. "No! I could never! Iâm just tryingâŚ"
"Trying what?"
"To make you interested in me. It has worked before."
She rolled her eyes. "I donât like males who try to entice me by stating their high powers."
Panic seized Azriel. This was going very wrong very quickly, and he did not like it one bit.
"I did not mean it that way-"
"Really, sir, I do not care what you meant and what you didnât. Just leave me alone."
Azriel was left gaping after her, breathing heavy.
Fuck.
°â˘Â°â˘Â°â˘âđââ˘Â°â˘Â°â˘Â°
Azriel balled up another paper, throwing it behind him before clutching his head.
He had decided that being arrogant and trying to keep up his records of never having to resort to poetry would not help him.
Your eyes like the sun,Shining so beautiful,Your hair like waterfall,You-
Was Azriel truly so bad at poetry?
He was doomed.
She wouldnât give him the time of day, evident by her refusal to even acknowledge him the three times he had tried to interact with her after that day at the market, and he was losing hope. He had sent countless letters and poems already to her house through his shadows, and he still had received no response.
Maybe he was well and truly doomed.
°â˘Â°â˘Â°â˘âđââ˘Â°â˘Â°â˘Â°
"You know, I still have all those letters and poems."
Azrielâs head whipped to look at his wife, eyes wide. "Why?"
She shrugged, getting up from the couch and taking the cup from Hazel and kaden, both who grinned unabashedly.
"You think I would burn or throw away letters of desperation sent by the spymaster?" Y/n snorted. "Let me get them for you, children."
"No!" Azriel semi-yelled, shooting to his feet before dashing into their bedroom, hoping to stop her before she even tried to reveal all his secrets.
Loud laughter followed the frantic spymaster, but he did not care. All he cared about was finding those letters and burning them, or maybe atleast hiding them away so his wife couldnât tease him about it.
He had a reputation to uphold, after all.
°â˘Â°â˘Â°â˘âđââ˘Â°â˘Â°â˘Â°
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For @azrielappreciationweek
Prompt - Belonging
Azriel has always wanted a mate more than anyone else so for this prompt silvermajesty_4 and I wanted to present a fanart that depicted him with his mate someone who truly shared his soul and someone he belonged to ....
Adduani the artist to this gorgeous fanart was an absolute dream to work with her work is so fabulous and her work ethic is commendable.
Repost Not Allowed
Characters belong to Sarah J Maas
#gwynriel#gwyneth berdara#pro gwynriel#gwyn acosf#acotar#azriel shadowsinger#gwyn x azriel#azriel#post acosf#acosf theory#azriel appreciation week#azriel week 2024
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instagram
@azrielappreciationweek Day Two â Scarred
Azriel teaching his daughter the secret of his snowball fight winning technique! Azriel as a father will be something so healing to the wounds and scars within him, being able to raise his children in a way that is full of love and tendernessâsomething that he was unfortunately not able to experience for a very long time. I am also a sucker for Azriel being a girl dad; he loves his girls!
I think that there is something so inherently beautiful about Azriel being dealt such unfortunate cards throughout his life and still finding the courage to be good and I believe that those same admirable traits will continue on into his future with his family, both found and made.
Both Azriel and this song are incredibly meaningful to me, and I am overjoyed to be able to put them together into the same post. Eagerly counting down the days until his book is announced.
ART CREDIT @mangomangoj / mangomangoj
COMMISSION BY @oristian
PLEASE DO NOT REPOST
#azrielappreciationweek2024#azriel appreciation week#azriel week#azriel#pro azriel#azriel shadowsinger#azriel spymaster#azriel fanart#gwynriel#gwynriel daughter#acotar#acotar fanart#sjm
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Day 7: Free
@azrielappreciationweek
Neither Cassian or Rhysand knew why Nuala and Cerridwen insisted on getting Azriel home from his mission as fast as possible.
They did not know that Azriel had the same agreement with all of his spies.
If anything dangerous, anything at all, happened in Ironcrest, they would tell him immediately.
Because Ironcrest was where his entire heart lived.
âBut if itâs something important about Ironcrest, we would need to know,â Rhys tried to get the twins to speak.
They just looked at each other and in the end nodded in agreement.
âThere has been a rebellion in Ironcrest,â Nuala spoke.
Cassian felt his entire body freezing. What? How did that happen? They had been watching the males in Ironcrest for months now!
âThe leaders tried to clip one of the girlsâ wings and all of the females in the camp went together to stop them,â Cerridwen continued.
The females rebelled against the males. This was not good. Cassian couldnât image all the terror the females must have gone through.
âTheyâre all locked inside the leaderâs house and all the children they could find is locked inside the âschoolââ Nuala explained.
Rhys had heard enough.
âCassian,â he started and Cassian knew immediately that this was the High Lord speaking. âGet as many illyrians you can and make sure theyâre on our side. We need to intervene before this gets too out of hand.â
Cassian stood up and was ready to leave when Azriel rushed through the door.
âWhatâs going on?â He asked looking directly at Nuala and Cerridwen, but it was Rhys that answered.
âThere has been a rebellion among the females in Ironcrest,â Rhys stated in his neutral High Lord voice. âI need you to-â
But Rhys didnât manage to finish the sentence before Azriel had started moving.
âWhere are you going?â Cass asked, but Azriel didnât stop.
âGo with him,â Rhys commanded. âIâll get the illyrians.â
Cassian rushed to get to his brother.
âIâm going with you,â he said.
âHurry up then,â was Azrielâs only answer.
Cassian expected him to refuse, but this only made things easier for him.
The second Cassian was close enough, Azriel grabbed him and shadow walked. And after one small break in the middle of Illyria, they ended up in Ironcrest.
Azriel let go of him and immediately started moving towards a small house. The lowest of the two floors looked like it was a restaurant, but Cassian had never been there.
Azriel ripped open the door and started looking around.
âMia?â He shouted. âMia, itâs safe. You can come out now. Itâs Azriel. I have my friend Cassian with me. Do you remember me talking about Cassian?â
His behavior confused Cassian. Who was Mia?
âAz, what are you doing?â Cassian asked.
âYou can either leave or help me look,â Azriel spat back.
The two of them continued up the stairs and walked into a small bedroom.
âMia?â Azriel said again, more softly this time. âYou can come out, I promise itâs safe.â
A careful knock shifted their attention towards the end of the bed.
Azriel sat down on his knees and knocked once on the floor. Cassian was starting to worry his brother had gone mad when the floor near the bed answered with not one, not two, but three knocks.
Azriel knocked four times and suddenly the plank at the bottom of the bed was moved. Up from the floor came a small illyrian girl. She couldnât have been older than four.
âThere she is,â Azriel said and opened his arms. The girl ran into his chest and Azriel picked her up. âAre you unharmed?â
The girl nodded into Azrielâs chest.
âYou did so well, Mia,â Azriel continued and kiss the top of her head.
âMomma said not to come out unless it was her or you,â the little girl said in between her soft sobbing. âI tried to be quiet, but I was so scared.â
Azriel cooed at her and brushed some hair away from her face.
âWas there someone here that wasnât me or momma?â
âNo, daddyâ the girl answered.
Cassian felt his eyes widened at the two of them. Azriel had a daughter? A daughter he didnât tell him about?
Azriel met his confused look and just shrugged at him.
Cassian just mouthed âwhat the hell?â at his brother.
Azriel just mouthed back âlaterâ.
With his daughter still tucked safely into his chest, Azriel and Cassian started to move down the stairs. Thatâs when Rhys contacted them.
âFeyre and I are at the school. I have about 15 illyrians, we need to get going. How fast can you get here?â Rhys asked them.
âWeâre there in five minutes,â Cass replied.
The two of them rushed towards the school, Azriel walked a lot slower than usual as all his attention went into comforting Mia.
She had cried herself to sleep by the time they arrived.
The school was a mess. The older teen girls were trying to comfort the youngest kids. Some held babes that were no older than months, others held each other as they cried in terror.
Cassian soon noticed Madja and some other healers from Velaris that were comforting and healing.
âRhys and the otherâs already left,â Feyre suddenly stood in front of them. âWho is that?â
She noticed Mia clinging to Azriel and Cass saw how she immediately started worrying about the little girl.
âHer name is Mia,â Azriel told her, but left out the important detail of her being his daughter. âI need you to watch her. Please donât leave her out of your sight, her mother would kill me.â
Feyre nodded and Azriel carefully placed Mia in Feyreâs arms. He gave his little girl a small kiss, before he nodded at Feyre and made his way out with Cassian.
Cassian got more and more curious about the little girlâs mom and hoped that she would be okay.
Feyre held the little girl until she woke up. After Azriel had left it only took about fifteen minutes before she started to stir and wake up.
She looked up at Feyre with confused and tired eyes.
âYouâre not momma,â she said with a yawn.
âNo, Iâm Feyre. And a friend of mine told me that youâre Mia.â
Mia only nodded at her.
âDo you know where momma is? Or where daddy went?â
Feyre felt her heart break a little at her questions. She had no idea how any of the females in the camp was doing. And if her dad was an illyrian from this camp, he probably wasnât the nicest.
âIâm afraid I donât know, sweetieâ Feyre answered honestly.
âDaddy saved me, why did he leave?â She asked.
Her father saved her? The male that had been carrying her was Azriel. He couldnât be her father, right? She would have known about that, wouldnât she?
Feyre spent some time looking closer at the girlâs face. She had dark drown her and brown eyes, but so did most illyrians.
Thatâs when she noticed the small shadow twisted into the girlâs hair.
âDo you know your fatherâs name?â Feyre asked.
âDaddyâs name is Azriel and mommaâs name is Y/N and they love me very much,â Mia answered.
Even though it was a shock, Feyre couldnât say she was too surprised at Azriel having a secret family. The entire male was secrets, so of course he hid some from them as well.
âYour daddy went to help his brothers help your mother,â Feyre tried to explain.
âWhen will they come back? Momma promised to sing me to sleep.â
Feyreâs heart broke even more. How could she lie to this sweet little girl?
âIâm sure she will sing you to sleep as soon as possible.â
Feyre had been at the school for five hours before her mate informed her of the first females making their way to them.
The entire school turned into a mess. Females everywhere were crying. Some had lost their mothers and sisters, others had lost their ability to fly.
There was also the occasional happy reunion.
Madja and the rest of the healers were working so fast trying to save some lives or wings.
Feyre held Miaâs hand as they moved through the school.
The little girl had neither spoken nor slept for the last five hours since their last conversation. She had been clinging to Feyre the entire time.
Feyre started to become anxious to find her mother. Mia had not eaten in ages, but she simply didnât trust anyone that wasnât her mother or Azriel apparently.
The two of them moved slowly through the school. Mia looked anxiously around and after about an hour of looking, they finally found who they were looking for.
âMia!â A cry filled voice said.
Feyre turned and immediately found the sweetest looking eyes. Mia let go of her hand and started running.
The female was currently helping another female dressing her wounds, but she stopped the second she saw her daughter.
Mia ran into the Y/Nâs arms.
âMomma,â Mia cried multiple times.
âIâm here my little fly,â she answered. âIâm so proud of you Mia.â
Mia almost melted into her motherâs embrace and it seemed like her mother did the same.
âThank the mother youâre okay,â the female muttered.
After a while the Y/N looked up at Feyre and her eyes widened. She moved to stand and picked up Mia.
âThank you so much, my lady,â she said with a nervous nod. âThank you for everything.â
âNo need to apologize. I just did what I would want someone to do with my son if I wasnât there.â
âBut Iâm sure youâre so busy and you still took time to watch my Mia. Thank you so much. Mia, have you thanked the High-â
Y/N turned her head and noticed a sleeping Mia in her arms. Feyre almost felt Y/Nâ relief and saw how much she loved her daughter.
âShe didnât sleep much after Azriel left. And I havenât been able to make her eat or drink.â
Y/N just nodded still not looking away from Mia.
âIs he okay?â She asked with a soft voice.
Feyre absolutely loved the feeling of happiness she felt when she realized the female was talking about Azriel.
âI havenât heard from them in an hour or so, but Iâm sure heâs okay. Iâll tell you the second I know.â
âThank you.â
Cassian, Rhys and Azriel rushed towards the school.
It took almost ten hours, but they had been able to threaten the camp leader to stop wing clipping forever. Moving forwards, Cassian and his men would watch the camp more closely.
The three of them were exhausted, but nothing stopped them from making sure all the females were now safe.
They walked in through the doors and immediately saw Feyre.
Cassian saw almost all the tension leave Rhysâ body at the sight of his mate. He could not wait until he got home and could snuggle up with Nesta.
Rhys gave Feyre a strong hug and a small kiss, before Azriel interrupted them.
âWhere is she?â He asked and Cassian noticed the absence of Mia.
âTheyâre over there,â Feyre answered softly and pointed towards one of the corners.
Azriel immediately rushed towards the corner. He almost fell to his knees and embraced Mia and the female that held her.
Miaâs mother, Cassian realized.
âHave I missed something?â Rhys asked with a raised brow and a small smile. He was looking at Azriel and his girls.
âAzriel apparently has a daughter,â Cassian said.
âNot exactly,â Feyre informed softly. âMia is Y/Nâs daughter and Y/N and Azriel started dating a few months ago. They have known each other for a while longer, but Y/N wanted to make sure he was the right for her and Mia before she introduced them. Mia has also recently started calling Azriel her dad.â
The three of them look over at the small family with tired, but smiling expressions.
âHe looks happy,â Cassian broke the silence.
âHe absolutely does,â Feyre agreed.
âIâm happy for him,â Rhys said and the two others agreed.
Dividers by @cafekitsune
#acotar#azriel#azriel fanfic#azriel x reader#azriel x y/n#azriel x you#azriel shadowsinger#azrielappreciationweek2024#azrielappreciationweek#azriel appreciation week
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