#one thing about eluciens is that they always show up with facts

[viktoriaashleyyx]

This is a pro Tamlin, anti Rhysand self insert revenge fic. All characters belong to SJM, but she wasn't treating them right. Tam x reader, Tam x Rhysands Sister (OC), First person narrative. This will also reference Elucien and Neris in the future but we aren't there yet. Contains slight violence, poisons, broken bones. Also profanity. I'm not sure what else to tw if I miss something let me know. This is my first fic. I honestly don't know how to find word count, but it's roughly 4 pages on word docs. Criticism welcome. Rhysands Sister is back and she's pissed. Rhysand gets his ass whooped and Tamlin gets shown love. Enjoy.

Ch 2. Ch3 Ch4 Ch5 Ch6 Ch7 Ch8 Ch9 Ch10

Tarquin BC

Chapter 1:

I crash landed on a stone surface. A balcony of sorts? It was well built if it was, considering how long I've been falling, I'm shocked I didn't crash right through it. I know now that making a deal with the gods is a lot like making a deal with a damn djin. 

“Who goes there??” A booming male voice barked. I could hear swords drawn. Fuck where am I? My ears were still ringing, vision blurred, and chest heavy from the impact. I blinked my eyes open to find a winged male looming over me. Another illyrian? Have I finally made it home? Fuck, then that means I am in the night court. Damnit, 7 fucking courts in Prythia and I just happen to land here. At my brother's court. 

This ones expression shifted from threatening to complete shock as his gaze landed on my eyes. “Sky?” 

At my brother's court and at his fucking house, Freya has a sick sense of humor. I slowly sat up, ignoring the hand the illyrian extended to me. 

“Your wing!” He gasped. So thats what that throbbing pain was. My wing seemed to have been snapped in the fall. “You need a healer, go get Madja” he commanded the other brute. 

“Don't bother” I dismissed, standing up slowly. I pulled a small glass vial out of my pocket, a healing potion, I always kept a few on hand, never know when you're gonna need it. I downed the bitter red liquid as I've done a thousand times and grabbed the dagger off my hip. I put the handle in my mouth and bit down on it as I grabbed my own wing and straightened out the bone. I held it right for about a minute until the potion worked its magic. It hurt like crazy but I was careful not to show these idiots, the fear and shock on their faces was satisfying if I am being honest. 

“I'm guessing you are Azriel and Cassian, though I can't tell which is which” I admitted, trying to seem just polite enough to leave. 

The one next to me spoke first “I'm Azriel, he's Cassian” okay, Azriel short hair, Cassian long hair “this is Mor and Amren and she is Feyre, High Lady of the Night Court” 

“So my brother is dead?” I had hoped my excitement would come off as concern. 

“No, no, they rule together, as equals” Cassian spoke

“Got it” this conversation is dragging. I need to leave. 

“It's so nice to meet Rhysands sister, we thought you were dead, I'd heard so much about you” Feyre gushed, “Rhys is out on important business at the moment but he should be back soon.” I had no use or interest in this small talk. 

“How old are you?” I looked at her as if to study the young thing in front of me. I was never good at pleasantries. I spent a good while in isolation and I tend to just blurt out the questions on my mind. 

“I am 21” Feyre replied sharply, yep I angered her with my lack of class. 

“Ew, 21 years? Ugh, my brother always did like them unreasonably young.” I'm just gonna keep going with it, hopefully she'll throw me out. 

“My age is not a disability” Feyre snapped. 

“It's adorable that you think that.” I'm in too deep. Oops. “Anyway, I am sorry I crashed into your home, I had little control, but I would like to leave now.” 

“You will apologize and bow to your high lady.” Cassian growled. Azriel stepped in front of the door. 

“She is not my high lady, I am not a citizen of your court, in fact, I am starting to feel like a prisoner.” It's not lost on me that I have bore the title of Queen, multiple times. In both cases I have dismantled the monarchy entirely, setting up a system in which the people vote on who leads them. Her title meant nothing to me. I bow to those deserving, not the one who rely solely on birthright. But she doesn't need to know this. I have more important things on my mind than to argue with a child "I will request one more time, you move and allow me to leave.” 

“Or what?” Azriel snapped. Unmoving. 

I did not want to show this much of my hand just yet, knowing this magic is not native to Prythia. But, if they want to twist my arm, so be it. A swirling purple circle opened up under me and I fell though, closing it quickly behind me. Portals were my favorite magic to do, in more cases than once it ensured my freedom.

Landing softly on my feet, I took in my surroundings. Cool air, rolling green hills, and the sounds of birds chirping in the distance, the Spring court. I was finally home. I eventually spotted the manor I spent so much of my time at as a child. Mother didn't make me train with the illyrians as she did my brother because she feared the treatment I would receive, also by the time I came along she had befriended the ladies of the other courts. We would spend weeks here at times, the children would play together and the mothers would discuss adult things we didn't care about. One of those things being alliances, and what better way to encourage an alliance between Spring and Night than by an arranged marriage.

I didn't mind them encouraging me to play with the cute blonde shapeshifter. He was kind and silly and only a couple years older than me. The other kids, mainly Autumn boys, were rough and volatile, and I just had no interest in what they considered fun. When I would get flustered by my wings knocking things over and getting in the way, the youngest Spring boy would remind me how beautiful they were, or how powerful they made me. The few times he would get a chance to practice his fiddle, I would dance and twirl, even if it was just the arpeggios. He was the 3rd born, and I the second and a girl, they didn't expect either of us to become High lord. 

The manor was about a mile away, I shot up another portal to the door, I was tired after all and, if I'm being honest, a little excited to be back.

When I reached the door it was broken in half and wide open. I creeped inside, cautiously. It looked to be abandoned. Dirt and dust coated the walls and floors, priceless artifacts shattered and books thrown from the shelves. I noticed claw marks in the furniture. “Please just be alive, after everything, I can’t be too late.” I whispered to myself. My heart sank as I looked around. 

Further into the dilapidated manor, I heard muffled voices coming from the kitchen. “Get out.” a tired weak growl. I ran to the entrance and just as I rounded the corner I saw my brother's boot kick in the chest of.. Tamlin. He began spitting up blood. 

“WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?” I hissed at my brother. 

Rhysand whipped around towards me, Tamlin looked up from the floor, eyes wide. 

“You're alive??” Rhysand darted towards me and I shoved him to the ground, rushing to Tamlins side. I knelt down beside him, held his head up from where he laid on the floor and pulled another glass vial out of my pocket. 

“It'll be bitter but swallow” I commanded gently. He didn't argue, he took the healing potion and I kissed his forehead as I laid him back down gently to address my brother. 

I stood tall. Nothing but pure rage in my violet eyes toward my brother. I always hated how much we looked alike. “THIS is the ‘important business’ you told your wife you had to take care of?” 

“I thought he killed you, he hurt my mate.” Rhysand admitted, no remorse. 

“And I finally make it back home after 300 years in exile to find you kicking mine” I state through gritted teeth. 

Rhysands eyes narrowed “your what?” It was obvious he wanted me to retract my statement, not going to happen. I didn't waste my time away, I knew I was more powerful than all of Prythia, I had to be, in case I had returned to Amarantha still terrorizing the place. 

“You heard me.” I maintained his gaze. In a split second he lunged for me and I reached my hand out into the small portal that appeared to my side. I grabbed one of the curved blades I was gifted by the warriors I previously trained with. These blades were specifically enchanted to drip poisons into the wounds they create. This one? Bloodbane, or as Prythians call it, “Faebane.” I slashed him across the face in a controlled move, just enough to leave a scar and allow the poison to sink in. 

He screamed in pain and looked back up at me. My eyes fell entirely black and cracks formed across my face as I spit my curse at him, lifting up his chin with my sword to make him look me in the eye “IF YOU, OR ANY OF YOUR LACKEYS, ENTER THE SPRING COURT BORDERS AGAIN, ALL OF THE AIR WILL BE DRAWN FROM YOUR LUNGS, AND IF YOU CANNOT GET OUT BEFORE YOU PASS OUT WE WILL FEED YOUR BODIES TO THE PIGS.” I relaxed, my face returning to normal. “Now get out.” A portal opened below him and he fell, leaving him only halfway up the steps to the House of Wind. 

I turned my attention back to Tamlin, he had sat up, the healing potion having done its job, looking up at me with a million different emotions on his face, shock, fear, concern, confusion and relief. I sat down next to him, draping my legs over his. He embraced me like I was going to disappear any minute. “You're alive. Or I am dead, I do not care as long as I have you in my arms again.” he sighed as we just sat there on the floor. 

I awoke the daemati powers I hardly used as I pressed my forehead to his. A gentle knock on the walls of his mind, and he allowed me in. I shared the memories I held dear for all these years, of us playing in the fields of Spring, the days he would spend with me in the gallery his mother gifted me, watching me paint, the mischief we would get into and the giggles we would share. His face relaxed into a soft smile as I kissed his cheek.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

@ladythornofrivia asked to be tagged❤️

[asilentfrenzy]

Autumn Leaves on a Flowered Breeze - Elucien

A mistake.

A mistake. That's what he had called it.

Elain didn't know what she was doing.

What was she doing? Standing in front of Lucien's door after what had just occurred was the last thing she should be doing, but her legs had carried her there before she had known what was happening.

It wasn't fair to him. She knew what they meant to one another. She knew, despite how she had done enough to make it clear she hadn't had any intention of having a relationship with him, that he hadn't been with other females, and yet there she had been right below him ready to kiss another male and who knew what else. She also knew that despite what she had been willing to do with another male that she was incredibly satisfied he never touched other females - that he was loyal to her. That also wasn't fair to him. It was incredibly selfish of her, but she couldn't help it. Admittedly, she didn't want to try.

She raised a hand to knock, freezing when the door opened just before she managed. There he stood, bare chested and expecting her, hair unbound and tousled like he had been pulling his fingers through it out of stress. She could only stare, having no idea what to say to him. Wordlessly, he stepped back, pulling his door open wider for her before clicking it shut behind her after she took his invitation without hesitation. When she turned back around he was leaning against his door with crossed arms, watching her with his gold eye whirring.

“Are you doing alright tonight, dove?”

She blinked, surprised by his incredibly informal question. Lucien was never so casual with her. She swallowed, wondering just how much he knew. Was there resentment in his tone when he asked it? She searched his face, finding nothing but a neutral gaze with just a touch of wary concern. So he wasn't upset with her, never once had he ever made her feel as though he was upset with her, but perhaps upset enough by whatever he had concluded about what she had been doing downstairs to not be as controlled as she was used to him being with her.

“No, I'm not,” she said simply, tilting her nose up slightly as she tried to appear sure of herself, clasping her hands behind her back. “I am not doing alright at all, and I am sure you know that.”

“I do know that,” he confirmed, dipping his head in acknowledgment, the concern in his eyes more evident.

“And I came up here to ask you for something,” she breathed.

“Anything for you, lady,” he automatically replied.

Of course that would be his answer. She already knew that would be his answer. Another reason why it wasn't fair for her to come up to him.

“I want a kiss.”

There was a moment of hesitation, and she knew why.

He was an honorable male.

She closed her eyes, ice cold defeat slowly trickling in. He wouldn't do it. Of course he wouldn't, and she shouldn't have gone up to his room to stand before him and demand his touch and affection just minutes after wanting another male's. Right beneath her mate. When she knew Azriel had gotten a thrill out of the fact, and that thought alone had made her feel gross and wrong, but she was desperate for real desire. Not forced desire sourced from some magical bond that neither one of them could control. But apparently she wasn't going to get that.

Before she could speak again, hands were cradling her face and tipping her head back as her lips were captured by his. She was unable to help the small gasp of surprise as he took advantage of her parted lips. Instantly she melted into the kiss, and she shouldn't have been surprised by how right it felt and how naturally she welcomed his kiss. She had always been tentative before in her kisses, but there was no hesitation when returning Lucien's. Her mate's.

She could feel the significant restraint behind his kiss, the raw hunger behind it. And though he was doing a very good job holding himself back, she could feel the smallest need to punish, to show her all that she had been trying to escape. Him. There was vengeance in his kiss, but nothing malicious. She tasted desperation as well, an urgency to prove himself.

What shocked her was how thrilled she was by the subtle possessiveness of it. She had fought so hard against the idea of him having any claim to her, but everything about it felt right and the effect on her very soul was instant. She could feel the pieces of her that had gone missing blooming once more and he had only just started to touch her.

His hand slid down to lightly guide her by the back of her neck, his thumb tipping her jaw back as he towered over her further, the same thumb tracing down over the center of her throat. She shivered beneath the very simple touch. It was subtle, but it reminded her that he was inhuman and there was a predator somewhere deep inside of him. Quite deep, based on how exemplary of a courtier he was, at least when it came to her, but it was there, and there was a piece of her that didn't exist before the Cauldron that called to it. He devoured her, and she wanted to race to devour him first despite how she knew she would lose every time. She couldn't even remember how it felt to kiss Graysen. She could hardly remember her name.

She made a small sound of protest when he broke the kiss much sooner than she would have liked, but his lips still hovered over hers.

"What happened, Elain? Why did you come to my room already scented with arousal? Was it for another male?" His thumb stroked back up her throat. "Hmm?"

"It was... not," she struggled to get out, completely out of breath and out of sorts as she was continuously shocked by his behavior.

"No?" He asked in only partially mocking curiosity, his head cocking to the side in a near comical way as the manner of it reminded her again that he was not at all human.

"No," she repeated firmly, tilting her chin back more as she watched his face, a taste of defiance on her tongue. “Whenever you are near I feel… flustered. I only meant to remedy it with another male.” She smiled when he responded with a snarl he clearly meant to keep in, pleased he had failed. At that moment the fey part of her didn't want a gentleman. The fey part of her wanted to challenge.

“And how did that work out for you?”

“I'm here, aren't I?”

[i-sneezed]

Some Elriel evidence that doesn't get much attention.

First of all, if you're just having fun with your ships, you do you, man. I'm not here to rain on your parade.

However, there are so many people out there that are CONVINCED of Elucien/Gwynriel that I can't take it anymore and I have to throw in my two cents, so here we go. I'm gonna break it down by ship.

Elucien

There's no way, bro. And we can set aside the fact that if that ship were to sail it would be the same sort of love story as Nessian (reluctant mates).

The most obvious thing to discuss here is that Elain is clearly not interested. And neither, to some extent, is Lucien.

Let's look back to ACOWAR when Lucien talks to Elain in the library. He thinks about Jesminda. "[She] had loved him without question, without hesitation. She had chosen him. Elain had been...thrown at him."

Like Azriel, Lucien wants to be chosen. He's had it before and he sees the value in it. Unfortunately, he's a fae male and he has a hard time ignoring his instincts where his mate is concerned, so he keeps trying. Even though he can hardly stand to be in the same room as her. Whereas Vassa...

Elain, on the other hand, has absolutely no interest in a mating bond. After Graysen breaks her heart in ACOWAR, Feyre says, "Some sliver of hope had been shattered today. That Graysen would still love her, marry her--and that love would trump even a mating bond."

Obviously, that quote is in direct reference to her ex-fiance, but we see Elain reconfirm that desire in ACOFAS when she tells Feyre explicitly that she doesn't want a mate. I don't think it's personal to Lucien, I think she rejects the idea of being told who she should be with. Of being robbed of choice.

We learn from Nesta in ACOSF that their mother always said Elain would marry for "love and beauty". I think for Elain, a mating bond is not the same as love. Also, small aside, but who is constantly regarded as the most beautiful of the bat boys?

We haven't seen them have a conversation about their mating bond yet because why would we? That will happen in Elain's book (which is most likely next).

Gwynriel

I feel like this one is more dangerous to get into so I'll tread lightly.

Firstly, the majority of evidence for this ship comes from a bonus chapter that the majority of the fandom doesn't even know exists. Anyone who listens to the audiobooks doesn't know about it unless they poke around ACOTAR stuff online.

It doesn't make sense for an author to essentially change the entire trajectory of a story in a bonus chapter that most people don't know about.

Also, I think a big problem with the BC is that people read it after they finish the book, so it can feel like the most recent thing to happen in the story, but it's not. It happens about 2/3 of the way through ACOSF and a lot happens after that.

But before we get into that, let's talk about the shadows. People lose their damn minds that Az's shadows dance for Gwyn and vanish for Elain. The truth of it is that we don't know what dancing shadows actually mean, though. It's the first time we've seen it happen. However, we have seen his shadows vanish for someone other than Elain.

In ACOMAF, when Feyre meets the IC for the first time, they vanish for Mor. "Mor patted Azriel on the shoulder as she dodged his outstretched wing...The lurking shadows vanished entirely as Azriel's head dipped a bit."

So we know that the shadows vanish in the presence of someone Azriel has romantic feelings for, but we don't know what makes them dance.

Then, at the end of the BC (after he said he didn't even consider Gwyn to be a friend) he feels a spark of joy in his chest. Good. My shadow man deserves happiness.

But we know that it doesn't last because at the very next training right after Solstice, Neta comments that Az is "More aloof than usual" which clearly shows us that he is far more hung up on what happened with Elain than whatever may or may not be going on with Gwyn.

For her part, Gwyn becomes more comfortable around Azriel after Solstice. We love to see it because the poor girl has been so traumatized and, like Az, she deserves to be happy.

However, at no point does Nesta or Cassian suspect there to be any romantic connection between them. Not like how Nesta did with Az and Elain. ("His secret to tell. Never hers.").

And then at the climax of the book, Gwyn is thrown into the Blood Rite. At no point is Az even half as frantic as Cassian (which a mate would be) and he is way more preoccupied with whatever's going on with Eris.

At the end, when Nesta is getting ready for her mating ceremony, Gwyn tells her that she's not ready to leave the House of Wind again. Poor thing has been re-traumatized because of what happens in the BR and can't stand to leave the House. And y'all think she's ready for any kind of romantic relationship??

Nah, let Gwyn heal without the influence of a male.

Elriel

So I'm got gonna talk about the rescue, him figuring out she's a seer, giving her Truth Teller, or any of the usual stuff because that's been said and said and I have nothing to add to it.

Instead, I want to talk about what I believe their trope will be and share my evidence with the class. Cool? Cool.

Okay, so, I think we all know that if Elriel is endgame then their trope will be forbidden lovers.

Personally, I am of the opinion that the purpose of Az's bonus chapter was to confirm that for us, not suddenly change the entire trajectory of the story.

But forbidden lovers makes so much sense for Elriel because of what we've seen in the books, not just the BC.

Looking at ACOMAF again, Mor tells Feyre, "'Azriel's got no shortage of lovers, though, don't worry. He's just better at keeping them secret than we are.'"

Then, in ACOSF, when Feyre's talking about how Elain figured out she was pregnant first, she says to Azriel, "'I think she's got you beat for secret-keeping'".

So it's already in-canon that Azriel can keep his lovers secret very well and that Elain is just good at secrets in general.

BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE

A moment I never see anyone talk about is something that Cassian observes at a family dinner. "Elain had already departed with Feyre, claiming she had to be up with the dawn to tend to an elderly faerie's garden. Cassian didn't know why he suspected this wasn't true. There had been some tightness in Elain's face when she said it. Normally when she made such excuses, Lucien was around, but the male remained in the human lands with Jurian and Vassa."

Elain already has secrets the IC aren't privy to. So what's one more?

[zenkindoflove]

47… for Elucien!!

Answering two with this because they were very close in theme.

45/47... out of anger/out of spite.

Elain covertly listened to her sisters giggling and chatting in the next room. It was unusual for them, but ever since Nesta started planning her mating ceremony, she and Feyre were thick as thieves. The mated sisters. Well… the happy ones at least. After one particularly long round of cackling, Elain decided she had had enough and wanted to know what was so funny. She stood up from the sofa, crossing the threshold, and entering the library.

“Oh gods, and the chafing. Make sure you pack plenty of that salve Madja makes,” Feyre said, neither sister noticing Elain had walked into the room.

“Chafing for what?” Elain asked.

Nesta and Feyre both covered their mouths but couldn’t contain the laughter that spilled out. They didn’t even bother answering her. Instead they laughed uncontrollably until tears streamed out of their eyes.

“Can anyone explain to me what is going on?” Elain crossed her arms, her annoyance building quickly.

“It’s nothing,” Feyre shook her head, gasping for air. She peeked over at Nyx who was still fast asleep in his rocker, used to loud noises already.

“Yeah, it’s not really your thing, Elain,” Nesta clarified.

Anger bubbled inside of her. “What does that mean? Not my thing?”

Feyre and Nesta exchanged exasperated looks. Nesta, never one to soften her words, finally broke it down.

“We are talking about the frenzy. You know, after I officially accept the bond with Cassian. We figured given that you don’t even like your mate, and you’re such a prude about sex, you wouldn’t want to know.”

“I never said I didn’t like Lucien,” Elain quickly countered, surprised that she was even admitting to it. It was true. The entire mating bond dilemma was a sore subject for her. She tried her best not to think about it or what it meant for her future. But even if she wasn’t ready to face that huge decision, it had never been about Lucien as a person or how attractive he was. In fact, how attractive Elain found him was half of the problem she had with the bond. She felt too much for someone she didn’t even know, and it made her nervous.

“Please,” Nesta scoffed. “You treat him like he has some kind of disease.”

Her gut twisted, and she balled her fists at her sides, “Shut up, Nesta. You were even crueler to Cassian before they made you live with him.”

Nesta rolled her eyes as Feyre bounced her gaze between the two.

“You’re still a prude,” Nesta reminded her. “So yeah, unless you wanna hear about all of the positions I’m going to have Cassian fuck me in, I’m going to assume that we were correct to not include you.”

Elain laughed viciously, and both Nesta and Feyre widened their eyes. “That’s so typical. From both of you. You have always made assumptions about the things I care about or what I can and can’t handle.”

“Well, are we wrong, baby ears?” Nesta challenged.

Yes! Elain wanted to scream. She wanted to tell both her sisters exactly where they could shove it. She wanted to stomp her feet and yell about all the times they made assumptions and left her out of important matters. Or stifled their words whenever she was around. Or made decisions for her without even consulting her. So many angry, resentful words were waiting at the tip of her tongue. But she knew words wouldn’t do. They would never respect her until they could see.

So, Elain decided in that very moment to commit to maybe the most impulsive, life altering decision of her life.

“Yes, you are wrong. And I’ll show you,” she announced, quickly turning around and exiting the library.

Nesta and Feyre didn’t take long to follow. She met them in the hallway as she exited the kitchen, carrying a cookie she had made earlier that afternoon.

“What is that for?” Feyre asked warily, her eyes widening in fear.

“I’m going to give it to Lucien,” Elain said, walking up the stairs with determination holding her spine straight. She was headed right for Rhys’ study where Lucien was delivering his biweekly report back.

“Are you insane?” Nesta demanded. “Elain, we were just kidding. This is ridiculous! You made your point.”

Elain ignored them, turning the corner and walking straight to Rhys’ study door. She didn’t knock. Instead, she barged in, finding Rhys at his desk, Azriel leaning against the bookshelf, and Lucien lounging on the sofa, his legs spread wide, and his arm thrown over the back of the seat.

“Can I help you, Elain?” Rhys asked, as Nesta and Feyre scurried behind her.

Elain ignored his question and marched straight to where Lucien sat as he stared at her, perplexed. When she stopped at his feet, she held out the cookie to him.

“Eat this.”

She heard his heart rate speed up as he widened his mismatched eyes at the cookie. She could even hear a faint whirring from his metal eye. The rest of the room stared at them, completely shocked.

“Elain, we’re sorry!” Feyre called out. “We didn’t mean it, okay?”

“What is going on here?” Rhys asked her, incredulity darkening his tone.

Lucien only stared back into Elain’s eyes. She refused to look away.

“Are you sure?” he asked, and she could see that each of his muscles were pulled taut.

“Yes,” she answered, and she even surprised herself by how much she meant it. She wasn’t sure how it worked, but she tried to open her end of the bond, hoping that Lucien would be able to feel her confidence in this decision.

Lucien grabbed the cookie and shoved the entire thing into his mouth. Gasps ricocheted through the room as Lucien chewed and swallowed in record time.

Lucien shot up from his seat, immediately removing his jacket.

“We need to leave,” Rhys’ voice darkened in warning. “Now.”

The others exchanged fearful glances as Rhys rose from his desk, pushing Azriel with his hands to try and direct them out of the room. Nesta and Feyre froze, staring at Elain and Lucien.

Elain’s heart raced, in time with Lucien’s, as he stood centimeters away from her, his breathing frantic. Elain could feel a change in her body. She had always wanted Lucien, fantasies of their bodies entwined never far from her mind. But now… now it was as if every nerve ending had been set on fire, and the only way she wouldn’t burn alive is if she felt him inside of her… right now.

Lucien lifted her into his arms, carrying her over to Rhys’ desk as Nesta and Feyre yelped, quickly turning around to rush out of the office. He cleared Rhys’ desk in one sweep before dropping her on top and pushing his body between her legs. As she pulled him down aggressively by the back of his head, sealing her lips to his, she heard from the other side of the door, “Why does it have to be in my study?”

Kiss prompts.

[olenvasynyt]

The discussion of choice with Elucien & comparing Elain's choice to Outlander

Something that has become a popular topic recently is this idea of choice when discussing Elucien and their mating bond: that Elain should be allowed the option of rejecting the mating bond with Lucien.  And we can skip past this morality test people (E/riels) often like to make...let's just talk about it from a fictional standpoint and how this idea of choice is a popular trope in fantasy media. Because guess what! Elain is fictional. Lucien is fictional. Their bond is fictional.

This idea of choice has been in the books since Lucien first whispered that Elain is his mate at the Cauldron. Lucien whispering that she is his mate during the most traumatic moment of her life was a rash decision on his part. He said it out of shock, because he thought Jesminda was his mate and died before the bond could snap.  But the interesting thing about that (and something that E/riels either deny or don't like bringing up) is that he has given her the option of choice since that moment and beyond.  In fact, I think she has more room for choice than her sisters did, because unlike them, she has known the truth from the very beginning.  Unlike Feyre, because Rhys knew she was his mate but didn’t tell her. And that was for a lot of reasons but it did serve himself, he didn’t her to push him away because of that knowledge before she could get to know him.  She and Nesta were forced to be in the same room as their mates. 

Lucien has been giving Elain space to choose.  He is cautious around her, because he sees that she is uncomfortable, that he fucked up, that she might resent him for allying with Hybern even though it wasn’t his fault and he did things to counteract that.

I totally think that Lucien will give Elain the room to reject the mating bond, maybe even suggest it. And this brings me to something that happens in Outlander because yes, I have to make more comparisons between Elucien and Outlander because if you didn’t know, SJM is obsessed with outlander and used Jamie as inspiration for Lucien.

This is spoilers for S1 E11:

Claire finally tells Jamie that she is from the future, that she accidentally traveled through the stones to the current timeline of the 1700s.

This was a huge pivitoal moment, it was a secret Claire had been keeping for a while and Jamie finally understood who she is, why she acts the way she acts, and that she has been wanting to get back to her old life.  

And he takes her back to the stones.

Quote from the show:

"It's what you wanted.  Aye?  What you've always wanted...to go home." "It's your own time on the other side of that stone.  You've a home there, a place, the things you're used to.  And Frank.  There's nothing for you on this side.  Nothing save violence and danger."

He tells her that it would be good for her to go back.  It’s her own time, it’s the things she’s used to.  "There’s nothing for you on this side.  Nothing save violence and danger."

He says goodbye to her and expects her to go through the stones because it is what he believes she wants.  

He leaves her at the stones and goes down in the valley to make a fire for the night and is ready to leave in the morning, and she comes and chooses him.

She says “take me home to Lallybroch”.

I compare Jamie and Claire to Lucien and Elain quite often: SJM says that Lucien is inspired by Jamie and I think this could be just one of those similarities. They are both selfless. They sacrifice their health, wants and needs for other people, even if it's so painful for them. Their love is unconditional. So I'm like...is this not something that Lucien would do for Elain?  He sees that she is possibly uncomfortable and not interested.  She misses the life she once had as a human, and she might be getting more comfortable with the IC and the Night Court. 

I can imagine him and Elain finally getting to know each other but Elain still hides her feelings for him, she is cautious to accept her mating bond because it would mean she accepts this fae life, and he is kind enough to accept her rejecting the mating bond if she wants to.  He could say it's too dangerous for her to be mated to him, that she won't have a life with him because he's an outcast with no title.  He is struggling to find a home.  

But Elain ends up choosing him.

The agency of choice is such a fascinating (and frustrating) thing to talk about when discussing the mating bond and it’s interesting how people talk about it when it comes to Elain because her choosing Lucien can be written in such an interesting way.  We can have this with Elucien: SJM can discuss Elain’s reluctancy, her complex feelings for Lucien and being fae and the trauma she’s experienced.  It’s reluctant mates, mutual pining, suppressing feelings, all popular tropes in the romance genre.

Yes, she could choose Azriel instead.  She could choose to have no male in her life at all and leave the Night Court entirely.  And she choose Lucien.  She could learn who her mate is, how good of a male he is, she could explore her feelings and why she is reacting the way she’s reacting, why she’s staying away, and she could choose him. 

This is a summary of my tiktok video, you can check me out on there! :)

[acourtofthought]

I'd love to hear your take on the frankly alarming degree to which e/riels seem to perceive Elain as if she were real person who needs all this protection and defence from """antis""" (adding three quotes on that because I find the term hilarious, honestly). Maybe it's just what the algorithm is showing me but it seems to me that this rampant, aggressive, near feral attitude of e/riels trying to prove they're the only ones who care about Elain and everyone else is, in their eyes, almost an evil caricature out to hate on her is so prevalent these days? I see plenty of rational ones too, but the vocal ones (that I see) seem to have lost their grip on reality vs fiction.

It's always "we care what Elain wants and Elucien's don't" isn't it?

So what they're saying is they are happy for Elain's character to end up with a guy who hasn't thought of a future with her beyond his sexual fantasies, called her a mistake before Rhys even spoke to him, can't admit to being over the female he loved for centuries, doesn't think Elain can handle the trove, gave her zero credit for her part in the war and felt a spark in his chest over the thought of another females joy simply because "it's what she wants" (though we actually don't have canon evidence that what Elain wanted from Az was anything more than a hookup).

These are books so what she wants honestly doesn't matter because her arc isn't over and SJM has the final say on what she wants (something that she has proven to have no issues changing up for her FMC) but say she was a real person. Say your best friend wanted a guy who felt better after spending time with a different girl, who wanted a guy who didn't think of a future with her beyond a night of hooking up, and they'd be completely supportive of that simply because "it's what she wants"?

My sister WANTED to stay married to a guy who was verbally abusive because she has low self esteem issues. While we accepted that it was her life and therefore she made her own choices we weren't required to be excited about it. We were allowed to see how unhappy the situation made her despite her inability to leave at the time, we were allowed to acknowledge how bad he was for her. We were allowed to hope that someday she'd meet someone who was better for her.

To me it's a very immature frame of mind to think that the people who care for you, truly care for you (and are not just motivated by their own desires) need to be happy with what you want when those people often are able to view how those things are unhealthy for you. We are at times our own worst enemy and when we're struggling with things like trauma we don't always make the best decisions. Elucien's are able to spot this behavior in Elain right now especially when she herself confirmed in SF that she still has trauma despite her attempts at find some sort of purpose in the NC. We are able to clearly see how she's choosing to avoid her real problems in favor of fixating on something that gives her a shot of dopamine which, while understandable after great change and loss, is not the way to go about having real character growth.

Does Mor not also have purpose in the NC? But is Mor making the best decisions for her own personal life at this point in the series? The same can be said of Elain's character.

We've all witnessed how Sarah writes a FMC wanting one guy only to start the deterioration of his character so that her eventually wanting another makes sense to us.

Feyre loved Tamlin to the point she was willing to die for him in book 1 but the author hammered home the red flags in book 2 paving the way for Rhys.

Aelin loved Chaol in book 2 of the TOG series only to for Sarah to write his later actions as being something she was unable to forgive, paving the way for her to eventually fall for Rowan (after having no romantic interest in him at the start).

Lucien was introduced as a possible love interest for Elain when the author mated them in book 2 (a very simple fact that proves that if they do end up together Sarah went the route of what SHE wanted and not fanservice since mates getting together is the hallmark of a fated mates author). But instead of ruining Lucien as a possible love interest for Elain, instead of writing him as doing something problematic that makes us understand why he's not the guy for Elain, she has continually written him to be supportive of what she wants, going out of his way to do what is best for her, has him acknowledge her bravery in the war, has him meet her father and realize what a good man he was, has him stare at Elain and only Elain with longing two years after their bond snapped. A lot like what we saw with Rhys for Feyre or Cassian for Nesta, where they longed for the females despite them pushing them away.

If Sarah did not want Elucien's to have hope that they might overcome any current obstacles she would have gone out of her way to show us exactly why he's not the right guy for Elain despite what anti's claim Elain wants right now. Because again, what Elain wants can change and precedence shows us what a FMC wants often does. Not to mention we don't know the exact reasons Elain has withdrawn from Lucien meaning there might be some deeply meaningful explanation for it in the same way we saw with Nesta for Cassian.

You know whose character she did begin to tarnish though? Az when it comes to Elain. He looked sweet towards her in ACOWAR and FAS but in SF he was petty, childish, jealous. He went off half-cocked at how he'd easily defeat Lucien (who is most certainly a future HL and by default will automatically have more power than Az will ever have once his powers manifest, Lucien who controlled the fiercest warrior of the Illyrians with a single word), she wrote him as never once acknowledging how Elain also saved him in the war, how she saved Cassian and Nesta during the war, how she saved Briar during the war. Sarah wrote Az has never having thought of a future with Elain beyond his sexual fantasies. She wrote Az very quickly moving past the events of Solstice with Elain and showing admiration for another female, believing in that females ability to take care of herself, having that female spark something in is chest that is a thing of secret lovely beauty.

It's fine if some people still like the idea of Az and Elain but let's not fool ourselves, it's clear that the author is not writing Az as being the good guy when it comes to her. She gave him the Tamlin treatment when it comes to Elain and we all know what that spells out.

I think the most amusing thing for me will be hearing what anti's have to say when / if Elucien is written as endgame after years of telling us that we don't care for Elain. When the author herself decides Lucien is the best thing for her, when the author herself decides to have them fall in love, when the author herself has left us those clues all along, are they going to accuse the fated mates author who created this world and these characters of not caring about a character they themselves had zero part in bringing to life?

[starsreminisce]

I always find it interesting that E/riels overlook how violent Azriel was towards Elain’s mate. I get that many people don’t think the bond is real (tho I don’t know why you’d think so), we know from canon that the bond is a real thing and it’s sacred and special to the fae. So why on Earth are people so into the blood duel? If Azriel actually killed Lucien, they would hurt Elain too. Even if she didn’t want the bond, it is there and it makes her whole (it’s described this way by other SJM characters anyway). So Azriel having no indication that killing Lucien would hurt Elain is a major red flag for me. It’s arrogant and inconsiderate, not to mention that even if Elain decides to reject Lucien, she might still not want to have him murdered… to me that whole blood duel suggestion seems nuts.

Feyre showed us what it's like when her bond is severed, and it was so devastating that she pleaded with Tamlin - yes, Tamlin - to help bring Rhys back to life. It made her rethink her plans of having kids earlier than she had intended. The thought of losing Cassian prompted Nesta to take action.

Elain seems to feel things more deeply than her sisters. That's why they're concerned about her going to Hewn City and why she ended up vomiting from sheer terror during the cauldron's blast.

This all ties back to some folks being more anti-Lucien than actual fans of Elain. Because no genuine fan of Elain would be thrilled about Azriel wanting to duel Lucien, especially if they understood the impact it could have on her based on past experiences. It's even more amusing because many E/riels are eagerly anticipating Elain's book, and I wonder if they'll maintain that energy when they find out that Lucien is the second person involved.

For my part, I think Lucien is more of a defender than a fighter. He might not actively fight for her, but he'll certainly stand up for her and himself. He might even consider Az not worth the trouble. However, the fact that he's stood his ground against his father, Tamlin, Rhys, the King of Hybern, and Amarantha when provoked suggests that if Az fucks around with Lucien, he'll find out.

I've heard some Lucien stans interpret Rhys's eyes flickering when he agreed with Az as a sign that he's lying and trying not to encourage Az to challenge Lucien. Rhys knows Lucien's true parentage and how Lucien's powers perfectly counter Az's. TOG shows us what happens when fire clashes with shadows. Who knows, maybe just one word from Lucien would be enough.

Plus, even Nesta is concerned about what might happen to Elain if something were to happen to Lucien because of how it would affect her. While the mating bond is considered sacred and unbreakable, it seems that not everyone sees it the same way for Elucien.

[velidewrites]

Lucien has long given up on his crush on Elain Archeron — until she drops by his flower shop to return a bouquet from her now ex-boyfriend.

OR

Elucien Flower Shop AU except that Lucien is the florist.

Notes: This is my contribution for Day 5: Nature of @elucienweekofficial!

Warnings: Graysen, Lucien's slutty apron

Read on AO3

Lucien looked at the clock and sighed. He’d have to close the shop in about ten minutes—something he was actually supposed to do fifteen minutes ago—a sign, if nothing else, that the time for stalling had long passed.

She obviously wasn’t coming, and it had been foolish of Lucien to hold out hope. Catching himself glimpsing at the open glass door every few minutes had become somewhat embarrassing—especially since he was pretty sure the woman in question didn’t even know his name.

Lucien knew hers, though. Elain Archeron. He liked the way it lilted on his tongue the first time he tried it, a sound so sweet it could very well have been a melody. He hadn’t tried since—hadn’t really dared to, fearing she might hear it somehow, even from her bakery a block away.

She dropped by almost every day, though, as if fate was intent on testing Lucien’s will until he cracked. He called her “miss” instead, which—of course—ended up being worse than actually saying her name. This nickname of sorts made Elain’s face light up every time, a small smile curling up the corner of her full, rosy lips, as though being addressed as such by someone so close to her own age amused her. Lucien, frankly, didn’t care if she found it silly—he was simply content to watch that pretty smile of hers and know he was the reason behind it.

Besides her beauty, so breathtaking he still was not entirely sure she wasn’t some kind of hallucination from all the colourful scents surrounding him, Lucien knew a grand total of two things about Elain Archeron. One: she enjoyed baking, which resulted in her hands almost always being stained in some kind of flour or spice, and two: she had a particular affinity for flowers, which was just as well, because it always led her right to him.

To be fair, there weren’t any other flower shops in the area that she could choose from, but Lucien conveniently chose to omit the fact. It was easy to forget anyway, when she would show up in the doorframe nearly every day, her silhouette lit up by the golden sunlight. She looked like a spirit sent down to Earth to bless him with her beauty—or haunt him, perhaps, given that there was no way Lucien could ever do anything more than stare.

It was a very cruel punishment, really, and lately Lucien began to wonder what, exactly, he had done to deserve it. He’d always been a hardworking man—finished college with outstanding scores, opened his small business and he liked to think he was kind—better than his wretched family, at least, which, truth be told, was not exactly a difficult thing to achieve. Perhaps fate was punishing him simply for being born into it, and to be completely honest—Lucien wasn’t sure he could blame it.

Punishment or not, Lucien wasn’t sure he could live without it, anyway. He’d grown used to the frequent visits from the beautiful baker, always looking for fresh flowers to liven up her place whenever she made her way back from work. She went for tulips nearly every time—of different colours and crowns, yes, but they still seemed to be her preference, and ever since it had become obvious, Lucien began ordering new variations every week. It was an effort Elain had definitely noticed, sometimes playfully teasing him about his indecisiveness, though she’d always chosen the newest option instead of going for the standard pink. To Lucien, it was rewarding enough.

She’d gone home with a pretty purple bouquet yesterday, and Lucien told himself it was the only reason she hadn’t come today—the flowers were of good enough quality to last her more than the usual few days, giving her no reason to drop by again today.

Still, he’d kept the shop open. Just in case.

It was almost 6pm, though, and Lucien did need to get home eventually. He sighed again, throwing his white apron over his shoulder and eyeing the old green stain he was pretty sure was never coming off no matter how many times he washed it.

Today was a busy day—maybe it was a good thing Elain hadn’t come. Lucien would go straight home and—

The little bell tied to the doorway rang, and Lucien’s head snapped toward the sound.

She came.

“Oh! I’m too late, aren’t I?” Elain’s honey-brown eyes flickered to Lucien’s apron. “Oh. I’m ah, sorry, I—”

“No!” Lucien cleared his throat. “No, I mean—you’re good. I wasn’t going to close for another ten minutes or so.

It was definitely wishful thinking, but Lucien could have sworn her gaze dipped lower, right where he’d rolled up his sleeves earlier to avoid the thorns cutting through his linen shirt. He flexed his arms as if on instinct, feeling immediately stupid afterwards and awkwardly shifting on his feet.

Still fixed on his half-bare arms, Elain said, “I thought you closed at 5:30?”

“There was a late delivery,” Lucien lied, wondering if she could tell. He summoned the usual joke to help cover it up. “Anything I can help you with, miss?”

There it was. That damned smile, more beautiful than any blooming flower he’d ever sold. Elain’s lips parted slightly, revealing a perfect set of pearl-white teeth—Lucien could not believe he was lucky enough to be on the receiving end of Elain’s grin.

“Well—yes, actually. There is.” Her smile faltered slightly as she spoke, and Lucien frowned.

“Don’t tell me the Rembrandts wilted already?” The Rembrandt tulips, if handled by the right hands, could last well over a week.

“Oh, no—they are perfect,” she assured him. “I’m…well, I’m actually here to return these.”

It was only then that Lucien realised Elain was actually holding something—a bouquet so familiar it couldn’t have been made by anyone other than himself. A bouquet he’d sold just this morning—to Elain Archeron’s boyfriend.

She and Graysen Nolan—Lucien had finally learned his name after he’d placed the order—had been dating ever since he could remember. Graysen’s card stated he was an accountant for a well-known corporation downtown, which explained the insane price he paid for the gift. Lucien, of course, did not dare to suggest his girlfriend might have preferred something less ostentatious—from what he’d gathered, Elain was not the type to revel in thirty long-stemmed red roses, their leaves adorned with a thin layer of real gold, all finished off by a silk ribbon and heavy perfume. Lucien had simply assembled the bouquet and charged him the price, almost as ridiculous as the bouquet himself.

Special occasion? he’d asked Graysen then, unable to help himself. He’d recognised him the minute he walked into Lucien’s shop—he’d seen him pick Elain up from work too many times to count. For some reason, though, she’d never brought Graysen to buy flowers with her.

The man merely shrugged. Something like that, he chuckled, then added, as if he and Lucien were old friends, Women. You know how they are—gotta give them something pretty whenever they get too mad.

Lucien tried not to take too much hope in that—still, he couldn’t help but sneak a sly smile. So the two of them were fighting—and he doubted this monstrosity of a bouquet would be any help at all.

It seemed that he was right.

“There’s nothing wrong with them,” Elain added quickly. “I just…” she took a levelling breath. “Some people just can’t seem to let go.”

“Oh.”

Oh? Seriously?

“I’m sorry,” Lucien continued a shade pathetically. “It must be…hard.”

Elain hummed. “Not as hard as I thought it would be.”

He studied her beautiful face as she spoke, wondering if there was any chance she knew about the singular, white streak of flour staining her cheek. Wondering if she'd toss his hand away if he dared to swipe his thumb across it, marvelling at the softness of her skin. She probably would.

She definitely would, Lucien corrected himself silently—he couldn’t possibly ask her out if she’d just gotten out of a relationship. Elain had always been so close, yet completely out of his reach—life liked to be cruel this way, it seemed.

Lucien had only tried to get over her once—the first time he saw her plant a kiss on Graysen’s cheek, just outside of Lucien’s shop. He’d decided it was time to stop lusting after someone so obviously unattainable, and move on with his life. Dating apps were surprisingly easy to figure out—Lucien had gotten himself a date not even two days later. Jesminda, from what he could see on her profile picture, was a pretty girl about to graduate from the local college and looking for some fun now that her finals were finally over. She was exactly what Lucien needed—distraction and fun. He’d promised to take her to the bowling alley a few minutes away from campus which Jesminda somehow had no idea existed—it had been Lucien and his friends’ favourite spot after his own exams last year, and he’d been excited to revisit.

Until, of course, Elain had shown up at the shop the morning before his date, golden-brown hair unbound and framing her face in soft waves. She was wearing her apron, a pale shade of yellow with the logo of her bakery, which meant she’d come straight from there—if the small paper bag in her hand wasn’t already enough of an indication.

Sorry to bother you so early, she’d said, as if she could ever. I made a few extra cinnamon rolls and thought you might like to try some.

Lucien had only gaped, which, in turn, had made her cheeks flush a lovely shade of pink. I hope you’re not allergic? Elain had asked.

No, he’d finally told her. No, it’s just…I forgot my breakfast this morning. Wound up in all the planning, he’d forgotten to pack the sandwich he’d made earlier, figuring he’d have to wait a few hours until he could finally appease his growling stomach at the date.

Oh, Elain had smiled at his words. Looks like it was meant to be, then.

Lucien had cancelled on Jesminda the minute Elain left. He had felt bad, of course, but there was no point in even trying to get over Elain—not after she’d beamed at him so bright even the morning sun dimmed in comparison.

Meant to be.

“Would it be alright, then?” Elain’s voice snapped him back to reality as she approached the counter. “To return it, I mean? It’s very beautiful—it’s just…”

“Not for you,” Lucien finished for her, earning a small nod and a shy smile. “Yeah, it’s no problem at all—thank you, actually. You could have just thrown it out.”

Elain looked as though the very idea appalled her. “I would never do that,” she said with a vehemence that made Lucien chuckle.

“Glad to hear it,” he said, freeing the bouquet from her hands. It still smelled strongly enough to make his nose wrinkle. Elain giggled at the sight, as if she knew exactly what Lucien had just been thinking.

The thought caused a surge of bravery to rise through him, so before he could really think it through, Lucien told her, “I didn’t think you’d like them, you know.”

Elain cocked her head to the side. “Am I that predictable?”

Lucien winked. “Only to me.”

Her cheeks heated, that pretty blush he’d been waiting for gracing her stunning features, and Lucien couldn’t help but feel as if he’d just won the lottery.

“You just don’t strike me as a roses kind of girl,” he added, and it made Elain’s brow arch.

“Oh? And what kind of girl do I seem like?”

Lucien placed the bouquet in a glass vase, considering before he turned to her again. “Roses like these have to be bred—carefully crossed, time and time again, until they achieve perfection—until they reach the desired shade of red or the curve of its petals. You…” he hesitated, meeting her gaze. “You need a flower that’s wild—a flower that grows tall and—and free, and…” Elain’s eyes shimmered, and Lucien was no longer sure he was still talking about flowers. He swallowed something tight in his throat. “And brighter than the very sun.”

Silence wrapped itself around the room, and for a moment, there was nothing but them and the light buzzing of the street outside. Elain simply looked at him, an incredulous expression on her face, as if this was the first time she was truly seeing him.

Unsure if he’d gone too far—if he’d taken her smile for a lot more than it actually had been—Lucien quickly cleared his throat. “Anyway—thank you again. I really appreciate you bringing these back.”

Elain blinked. “Oh—right. It’s no problem at all,” she said, and, unable to hold her gaze any longer, Lucien grabbed a nearby cloth and began polishing the already-shining counter. Yes, he’d definitely gone too far—she had just broken up with someone, and there he was, spewing some kind of nonsense about…about her wildness.

He could only pray Elain would leave before she noticed the furious blush beginning to stain his cheeks.

“Lucien?” she asked, and, his hand sweating over the cloth, Lucien looked up. She stood at the doorway, gleaming in the fading sunlight, watching him with such softness it knocked Lucien’s next breath from his lungs.

“Yeah?” he asked weakly.

Her smile widened. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

The world spun and locked back into place. “Yeah,” Lucien repeated, and found himself smiling back. “Yeah, Elain. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

A few minutes after she left, Lucien found himself scrolling through his order log until the rose bouquet from this morning finally appeared. He stared at the screen for a few seconds, his mouse hovering over the “Home Delivery” button like a beacon calling out his name. Hoping Elain wouldn’t kill him for this, he clicked on the details Graysen had provided until he found her address at last.

Tomorrow morning, Elain would wake up to a small bundle waiting at her doorstep—six sunflowers, tied together by a single, golden thread. Deep down, something told him she would like them.

Elucien Week Taglist (let me know if you'd like to be added!): @melting-houses-of-gold @areyoudreaminof @fieldofdaisiies @kingofsummer93 @witchlingsandwyverns @gracie-rosee @stickyelectrons @selesera @sv0430 @vulpes-fennec @captain-of-the-gwynriel-ship @screaming-opossum @autumndreaming7 @sunshinebingo @spell-cleavers @starfall-spirit @lectoradefics @this-is-rochelle @goldenmagnolias @bookeater34 @capbuckyfalcon @betterthaneveryword @tasha2627 @tenaciousdiplomatloverprune

[nikethestatue]

Just a vent but THE most frustrating thing about being an Elriel is that the other ships constantly move the goalpost to satisfy their own biases. Before acosf, they always argued that Elain and Azriel only had a platonic relationship and that he probably only sees her as a sister. Then, we get in his head in the bonus and it confirms that he not only likes her, he’s interested in her romantically and sexually. He questions the cauldron. He butts heads with his High Lord over her. And then all of a sudden they want to argue it’s just lust? Him caring for her, rescuing her, spending time with her, and then desiring her is not enough build-up? So many Gwynr*el shippers, one in particular with a large following *cough cough* constantly reaffirm that they went into acosf hoping and actively looking for a new love interest for Az, so it’s no surprise they originally thought maybe Emerie, and then latched onto Gwyn. They don’t want to admit, but Elriel IS obvious, just as SJM said, they just dislike Elain and Elriel so much that they have convinced themselves otherwise and constantly seek out confirmation bias.

I mean, that's the thing--everything just confirms that Gwynriel is an invented ship. It's not organic. It's not like SJM dropped massive hints throughout the book indicating that these characters are meant to be together. If you are changing a ship, you certainly don't set it up like the dude is mad into another chick, wants her and can't sleep and questions fate and his boss over her.

The fact that the goal posts have been moved so many times just shows that they have to twist and bend canon and what's actually on page. But what's on page can't actually be changed. SJM decided what's gonna happen. And no matter how many times they say 'well, that's not how I interpret it' it won't change the fact that it's irrelevant how YOU interpret it. The reality is that SJM wants Elriel to happen and it will happen. She didn't send Lucien to the Human Lands to live with Vassa in order to advance Elucien, and she didn't send Gwyn back to the Library and mentioned that Mor will be taking over training, to advance Gwynriel. But she did end ACOSF with Elain and Azriel holding baby Nyx last, signifying new beginnings and the next chapter in the story.

I know it's frustrating, but what's gonna happen when Elain's book is announced?

[dreamsandstars24]

To be known by you

I'm just gonna giggle like a little girl and drop this here in Tumblr.

This is a little peek into something I've been working for a while now. It's gonna be a series (elucien/gwynriel) but the main characters will be Elain and Gwyn. ELRIELS, BRYRIELS OR WHOEVER OTHER TOXIC SHIP YOU BELONG DO NOT INTERACT.

WARNINGS: Honestly, just two girls being girls (👩‍🦰🗡👱‍♀️🌸).

Enjoy this little peek! And don't forget to show your support, I really want to keep this one going.

Elain was convinced that she, as a matter of fact, did not belonged in the night court.

But then, she didn't belong in any court.

The proof was how she had asked to go to the house of wind to visit Nesta and Cassian, but since Nesta was not there and Cassian had to go somewhere she wasn't allowed to know because she wasn't a member of the inner circle, they had dropped her off at the house and told her that someone would go and take care of her soon.

Now, she was there, a grown woma--female, and she was waiting for her nanny to come and pay heed to her needs.

She didn't know what was more pathetic: the fact that they thought she needed a nanny, or the way she simply accepted it.

Currently, she was looking around the library, remembering those first months where she had been reborn, remembering how empty she felt at the way she had lost everything. She still felt like that sometimes.

"You must be Elain." A voice behind her said, curiosity being laced with the delicate voice of the female.

Elain turned around ready to find an actual nanny, but instead she found a tiny red haired girl with teal eyes and a million freckles, with a toned body being covered by illyrian leathers.

The female blinked at her, and Elain found her voice. "Yes," She mumbled and then shook her head clearing the whispers in there. "I mean: yes, I am Elain."

The red haired girl nodded and closed the library door behind her. "Well, I must confess that I was expecting to take care of a kid." Elain blushed furiously which caused the red haired girl to hurry and explain. "Not that there is something wrong with needing someone to take care of you! Because it is okay, I should know ," the girl shook her head with a sight. "What I mean is that the way Cassian said I had to come and they way he worded it made me believe I would be babysitting."

That unsettled Elain. The inner circle had stopped protecting her a long time ago and had started to keep her locked within herself. They didn't told her anything, they kept quiet always, they didn't include her in plans that could possibly affect her.

And Rhys, by the cauldron, Rhys acted with Nesta so horribly simply because Nesta hadn't kept Feyre from going into the forest to hunt. Sometimes, when Rys was being a total arse, she imagined herself getting up and screaming at him that she was also guilty of it, that Nesta wasn't the only one to blame.

Sometimes the guilt ate her alive. Yes, she had no idea about hunting like Feyre or being aggressive like Nesta but she knew how to grow things. She could have grown vegetables to feed her family instead of spending all that money on flowers. But the inner circle only blamed Nesta, and kept Elain in a cocoon that was starting to deem a bit too tight.

"I do not need a nanny." Elain mumbled quietly, not wanting to offend the female that had clearly gone to babysit her in good graces.

The red haired girl nodded. "Noted. What about company? Azriel is going for bloodshed today in training and even though I am up for a challenge most of the time, I have my cycle and I feel near death."

Elain nodded curiously even though the mention of the shadow singer had moved an old wound inside her. Her mind whispered a name and Elain couldn't help but ask, "what is your name?" The female walked to one of the couches, giving her a soft smile.

"Gwyneth Berdara, but you can call me Gwyn." She recognized the name.

Gwyneth Berdara, one of Nesta's closest friends. She had won the blood rite as a carynthian, was a valkyrie and was an acolyte in the library.

Not only that, but she was also Azriel's mate.

The knowledge made her wince a little. After winter solstice, after the fiasco with Azriel, she have had a vision.

Azriel had gone with Rhys and Elain had been left clutching her necklace for dear life when the vision suddenly struck her. In her vision, Azriel was laughing but she couldn't hear his laugh, his eyes were sparkling as he stared at someone, and then a blur of red was going in circles around him, with a soft laugh echoing through her mind; his shadows were twirling freely and peacefully, and when the blur stopped, she saw red hair and Azriel gave a step forward and whispered "Gwyneth."

Elain had been able to see the threads of the mating bond between them, had seen the love and the longing in Azriel's face and she had known that she didn't stood a chance against it, so she had left the necklace behind and walked to her room, just a few door away from her own mate, and cried herself to sleep. Now, his mate was right in front of her and she was sure he knew who she was.

Her knowing who he was seemed impossible, but that was not her business. She had enough with her own mating problem, or in better words: the lack thereof.

[separatist-apologist]

I once went to one of their inbox to tell them to please stop tagging elucien if their posts is just about bashing elriel and they basically told me to f*ck off and they can "do what they want" or whatever. I swear, these are the same little sh*ts that would complain about Elriels tagging elucien.

It's the fact that it's always the same 5 people that have literally no hobbies but complain about Elriels. They're lurking in the gwynriel tag too. They're covering the sweet content we're looking for with their bullshit posts.

"Look what these Elriels say-" NO I DON'T WANNA LOOK CAUSE I DON'T CARE! WHY ARE YOU STALKING THEM IN THE FIRST PLACE???

I don't want to see the hurtful stuff they say about Lucien and Elucien, nor do I care about their theories and Interpretation. I blocked the elriel tag and some elriels so that I won't have to see their posts. Heck, I'm avoiding acotar content on Tik tok and Twitter just so I won't see anything elriel and anti elucien related. If I wanted to see anti elriel content, I'd go to the anti elriel tag. It's that simple.

The thing is, I also tried to be more open to the Elriel ship. I'm very confident in Elucien, but should Elriel be endgame then I want to be okay with it. However, these little shits that constantly shove statements from toxic elriels to my face make it very difficult for me. It brings me back to "Elriels are so toxic" thoughts.

Sry for the long rant. It just angers me.

Babe, I once told people to stop taking the bait and they told me to get off my high horse so I feel you on that. Is it getting on a high horse to say that not everything on the internet is made in good faith and by answering obvious trolls...you give them the fight they want? Wow you sure showed them.

But at its core, LB said it best. It's not a bipartisan system and you actually can't tell anything about a person based on the ship they like. If some folks had any self awareness they'd realize they are literally no better than the people they claim to hate and for every one person hyping them up, 8 others feel discouraged and burned out from all the negativity. A fandom can't sustain itself on pure spite- you need people who passionately love the series enough to draw art, write fic, create headcanons etc etc, and to that end you have to let go of the utter boring obsession with what is and is not canon.

I took screenshots of that post, and one person said "the author wrote it that way for a reason???" and to that I'd say, she wrote enough to make elriel a very popular ship, too. Are we picking and choosing? Are we saying you're not allowed to ship something if it isn't canon? No more Neris, no Rhysta, no Casslain, no Azris? And who gets to decide what is and is not canon? Someone on that post was discussing what "true" eluciens are, which excludes me along with a vast swath of other people.

I didn't elect any of these people to decide what I was allowed to write about or commission art for- Like the cherry picking so people can be faux outraged and then take screenshots of one of the most popular artists in the fandom, with a VERY distinct style to create a victim narrative that allows them to feel good about bullying is just overdone and boring at this point.

Anyway, I'll always advocate for blocking people and creating spaces that feel good. And I'll continue saying that if you hate something that much, you should stop engaging with it. No one is ever going to change my mind about elucien, I'm confident in my choices and even if SJM doesn't go that direction, I'll still be writing elucien like idgaf. The constant looking each other up to talk shit reeks of insecurity and boredom. Couldn't be me.

[gwyns]

Genuine question. When did Azriel question his religion? I’ve seen E/riel’s say that he questioned his religion in the bonus chapter for Elain and I’m not sure when he did. Unless when he asked Rhys “what if the Cauldron was wrong”, but other than that I can’t think of when he did.

Recently an E/riel said “my favorite thing about azriel is that his response to elain having a mate that isn't him was basically, "well then this whole continents religion is wrong" which is the most melodramatic thing he could have possibly said. And then he like immediately finds out he was correct and there's no way he's ever going to shut up about it. when he inevitably starts describing her using religious imagery i will simply perish.”

I’ve always seen religious imagery being used for Gwynriel and not E/riel. I’ve thought this for a while now, but I’m scared to say anything (or if one day I want to make edits of them with religious imagery) because I don’t want E/riel’s to accuse me of “copying their aesthetic” (never mind that they copy Feysand’s). But it does make sense, at least to me, to have religious symbolism/imagery for Gwynriel. Gwyn is literally a priestess. Gwyn and Azriel. The saint and the sinner. If E/riel’s use religious as a headcanon then that’s obviously fine. We all have our own headcanons, but if I ever use religious themes for Gwynriel, then I really hope that I don’t get run off of Tumblr because of it.

Also, E/riel’s keep saying that the Cauldron is corrupted and the mating bond is fake (when they were so dead set on their ship being about rejecting the bond), but we already know that the Cauldron is corrupted. This was brought up in ACOMAF and ACOWAR. Shouldn’t E/riel’s also be bringing up Feysand’s and Nessian’s mating bond, too then? And I think the one who decides the mating bond is The Mother or some higher being (SJM herself).

that's because he didn't question his religion, he questioned his self worth. that chapter showed me at least, that az is more religious than i previously thought. he feels like the mother, the cauldron, whoever decides mates, finds him so unworthy that he doesn't deserve a predestined soulmate like his brothers. he feels left out and alone. no where was he questioning anything for elain, he was questioning why elain wasn't "given" to him. i'd even bet he's had similar thoughts about mor before because ultimately it's not about elain or mor or any other woman, it's about himself

he... never ever said anything close to that. like that description of his conversation with rhys is so misconstrued, i'm honestly impressed. they have imaginations, i'll give them that!

gwynriel has had the religious aesthetics since february of 2021 and we've never had to resort to "stealing" from that side but they sure do like to turn around and steal from every other ship in the series! what's that saying, rules for thee but not for me? something along those lines. e/riels stay being the biggest hypocrites i've ever seen

anon, i know this fandom can be scary (especially lately) but i promise you if you decide to share anything like that, the love will outweigh any hate you might receive. and if anyone is giving you a hard time just message me privately and i'll be mean right back to them for you, ok? i would love to see all the lovely things you create and i know every other gwynriel would too!!! 💖

yup! the cauldron being corrupted was like the main plot of feyre's trilogy lol this isn't anything new. but as you and others have pointed out, if the cauldron has made faulty bonds, it wouldn't just apply to elucien. you'd have to call into question every other known bond in the series. but of course e/riels don't think logically, nevermind the fact that mate bonds are decided at birth, at the earliest, and not just something that's made up in the moment like they seem to think

rhys had visions of feyre and believed she was his mate as a human. cassian suspected the same of nesta when she was human. elain and lucien didn't become mates the second she turned, their bond has been written into the tapestries of fate since before either of them were even alive. you'd think they'd learn a thing or two about how the series treats soulmates, or even just the soulmate trope in general, before they try to deconstruct it in their lame attempts at making a "compelling" romance

[romanticatheartt]

I want to rant a little so before y'all attack me I ship Elucien so pls chill the f out. As always my problem is the fans (AND NOT ALL OF THEM). And if you don't agree with any of this please be respectful or just unfollow or block me, I'm not looking for an argument :)

The hate Feysand or IC gets from different sides of the fandom is funny to me. When they don't want to blame their favorite character, they put it on IC. And I'm specifically want to talk about Eluciens.

It's a little long so ->

Idk what's their problem and I certainly don't want to know (I didn't even know there was a problem but apparently is) but I found this out unwillingly when Tumblr thinks I would enjoy these kind of posts or when people don't know how to tag properly lol

So it seems Eluciens have problem with IC because they don't let them communicate without being watched and if they leave them alone they'll be getting along instantly...

First of all have y'all forget the fact that they have been alone? After the war Feyre specially leaves them alone and let them talk. No one watches and there's no one there to make them uncomfortable. And If I'm not wrong there is one other time before he leaves for the search of Vassa. My point is the times they've been watched, was because IC didn't trust Lucien not because they have problem with his bond with Elain. The bond is sacred to them, they'll never have any problem with that trust me.

So the fact that you don't take into account that maybe Elain is really not ready to be with Lucien is beyond me. That you take away her agency and turn it into someone else's fault.

You don't want to accept that Elain just had a messy break up, she still mourns her human life, she's somewhere she doesn't belong to and is utterly lost. You want to completely forget that and blame it on IC while they're their biggest supporters.

I'm pointing out to Morrigan, Rhysand, Feyre, Cassian and maybe Nesta (after acosf)

Morrigan who's power is truth and asked Feyre to let them figures it out themselves even tho Feyre was trying to get them to talk to each other. She asked Feyre to not interfere even tho her intentions were good.

When Rhysand stopped Az because he knew there's no thoughts behind his actions. And when he didn't answer him about Mor or when he questioned the Cauldron he instantly had to stop it. (Probably because Tam/in said something similar about his bond with Feyre and he saw his brother is turning to someone he hates.) And while I didn't like the fact that he kinda decided for Elain, he also didn't know what she really wants but whatever it is he turns the events in favor of Lucien and Elain or let's say somewhere with less heart break. He wants them to at least have one chance before they do anything else. Because let's be honest if Rhys knew Az and Elain would've been happy together and Azriel would genuinely love her, he wouldn't have brought all those political reason as to why they can't be together. He would've find a way to make it happen. Rhysand is the person who wants for his family to get to their HEA. So it's completely obvious to me that he wanted to give Az reasons as to not think with his d*ck as always.

And they love LOVE to bash Feyre for even commenting on Cauldron being wrong. Listen so here's the thing: Sjm wanted to bring this question as a way to show that her mates are never wrong, they're suited for each other and 90% endgame. And since the first 3.5 books are 1st person and its Feyre's story, it had to be questioned by Feyre. This was an author's choice and not Feyre genuinely believing that. And it was a question that leads to Rhysand explaining how untrue it is. It was just a way for Sjm to show her mates are not wrong for each other. Feyre wasn't forcing this idea at all. She's new to all of this even tho she's been living with them for a couple of years. Compare to everyone else who has been born fae. She has the right to question things. (And they always come up with this question: what if someone question Feyre's bond with Rhys wouldn't she get mad? Um... No. Because she's seeing and experiencing the result of accepting the bond and it has clearly worked out for her. And beside being mates, she loves him. Being mated was a bonus point for them. So she probably wouldn't care if Cauldron was wrong. The mating bond isn't the only reason they're together. One day I'll write a post about the mating bond and why I think it can't be wrong but that's for another time.)

And Cassian is on board with them because he, like Feyre and Rhysand, knows how it's like to be with your mate. And we see him looking at Lucien with pity. And he also notices that night court is definitely not for Elain.

And Nesta literally said this in hofas:

“I’ve been in the Fae realms long enough to know that there are forces that sometimes guide us, push us along. I’ve learned to let them. And to listen.”

... I MEAN, I MEAN!!! *read it in timothée chalamet voice*

In acosf she called Elain out on her behavior. So you see, everyone is somehow rooting for Elucien and want them to at least give it a chance.

I said all this to prove that IC shouldn't be blamed while Elain (and maybe even Lucien we've never read either povs) don't want to take a step toward each other--for now. I guess it's just easier to blame IC for something that's literally not their fault. Everything they did after Lucien came into Velaris was understandable. They didn't trust him and he proved his somewhat loyalty to them or at the very least to Elain. And this was back in acowar so things has changed!!! But let's not forget that in the last winter solstice, Elain sat furthest from Lucien and it was her choice!! Her not giving Lucien a chance (yet) is her choice. Not wanting to be alone with him is her choice, please try to understand.

Still holding a grudge when circumstances has changed after acowar is just petty imo...

[zenkindoflove]

Whats your ship? gwynriel/elucien 🥰

When was the moment you shipped them?

What are your top 3 reasons why you ship them?

What is one thing you'd love to see in their book?

What's your ship? gwynriel/elucien 🥰

Elucien is my ACOTAR OTP. It's the whole reason I'm here. I'm not a Gwynriel shipper. I feel confident they'll be end game, and I'm open to seeing what their relationship is like. But I'll be honest, you'll be hard pressed to get me to really ship Azriel with anyone.

When was the moment you shipped them?

As soon as he showed protectiveness of her going into the Cauldron. Look, I was desperate for Lucien to have a love interest when I was reading. I was obsessed with him from the start and he was my favorite. So as soon as I saw the signs develop in the Hybern scene, I could feel my body activating how it always does when a ship is taking over me. And I was like OF COURSE it would be Elain. She is a character archetype I gravitate towards. So the fact that SJM put my favorite character with this female character who I was already prone to like and then slapped on one of my favorite tropes (arranged marriage/strangers to lovers) I was destined to be obsessed.

What are your top 3 reasons you ship them?

1. I love a good lady/reformed rake pairing. It's my favorite in historical romances. I know everyone really loves sassy Lucien and I do absolutely as well. But there is something so delicious about the sassy, flirt being so dumbstruck and nervous around the FMC. Like he's like that with no one else but he desperately doesn't want to fuck this up. Like literally feed that shit into my veins. And it makes the uncovering of his scoundrel side that much more satisfying. The presentation of the gentleman and then the unraveling of both her and him through the sexual tension. COME ON. What isn't to love about that?

2. Second chance at love. I really like that Elain and Lucien LOVED before each other. I think it's so compelling that rather than being each other's first and only, they instead have loved and lost. It's going to make their healing journey with each other so much richer. They have experience on their side to really know what it is that they want.

3. I really love that they know about the bond. It makes the tension HOT from the start. Its really at the core of fated mates tropes. Why is this person MY person? And the reluctancy and curiosity that come with that. Also I think the way they've been denying being around each other is going to make their sexual chemistry even better.

What is one thing you'd love to see in their book?

Oh god I have so many head canons and hopes and dreams for what to see. But ultimately I would love to see them be in a situation where they can learn about each other away from the IC and their prying. I think that puts a lot of stress on them breaking the ice. I also really want to see them both grow and explore their magic and figure out their identities together. I see Elain and Lucien as both lost people trying to find their place in the world. And I want them to find that with each other.

[shadowisles-writes]

Secret Santa here again -

Elucien is actually my favorite ACOTAR ship, despite the fact that I’ve never written it. I’m definitely excited to give it a go. I’ll make sure to sprinkle in some Nessian and Feysand glimpses for you!

Can you answer a few questions for me to help me get started?

-What are your favorite tropes?

-Do you prefer AU or canon compliant fics?

-What are your favorite things about Elain? Lucien?

-Why do you love this ship? What makes them work so well together?

-SFW? NSFW?

-Do you prefer falling in love or established relationships?

-Lucien belongs in several places: Autumn, Spring, Night, Day, and the human lands. Which is your favorite setting? Least favorite?

-Are there any secondary ships or characters I should avoid in this story?

-Is there anything else that I should be asking or that you’d like me to consider?

This will help me tailor the fic to your tastes! Sorry I know it’s a lot. Don’t feel pressured to answer everything. 😊

Oooh I hope you have fun writing it for the first time!!

I love most tropes except pregnancy as long as they're done right. Clichés and trope exist for a reason, I think they're all very fun to work with.

I love AUs because they give more freedom and they're more surprising. I really enjoy reading AUs where canon elements have been manipulated to fit that world! I do also enjoy reading in a canon setting because I'm always like mmmh this was such a good idea I wonder if SJM will be that smart too.

I love Lucien's loyalty. He's so GOOD, like in the spring court when everyone is pissed at him that he's not helping Feyre, he's obviously torn between the girl he's known for a few months and helping the male who saved him and who has been his friend for years rebuild a stable court. He's also one of the few characters who isn't trying to show off all the time, he's smart and he uses that a lot rather than brute force. Him and Elain are both overlooked by the people around them, they're both left out in whatever court they happen to be in. Elain is never really part of the Night Court and I think she would greatly benefit from seeing more of Prythian. I think that once she takes the time to get to know him, she's going to find Lucien is the one person who will understand her as she is now rather than treat her like the person she was in her past life. I'm going to stop here before this turns into a very unstructured essay lol.

I care about feelings more than I care about smut, if you give me tension and characters suddenly holding hands I will go feral compared to characters with less established chemistry having sex.

Falling in love has its pros because omg it's all new and yay they're finally together but there's a comfort in established relationships that is always lovely to read about so that one is really up to you.

I'm always curious about Lucien in the human lands, I would love to know more about him around Jurian and Vassa, but ultimately my favorite place for him is the Day Court. The Night Court doesn't deserve him and Elain doesn't fit there either.

I'm good with whatever secondary characters you want to include and you've been very thorough so I don't think there's anything I need to add!! I'm very excited to read what you come up with <3 Do keep in mind that these are all preferences and if you feel like writing things differently I'm sure I will love that too :)

[acourtofthought]

“But the examples we're given of a bond immediately snapping haven't had happy endings.”

You get it!

This will always be the problem with Elucien. Every other couple has gotten to know each other or fallen in love first, and then the mating bond snapped/was revealed later on. By doing so, the mating bond isn’t forced or seen in a negative light, because at that point, it’s happily welcomed by the couple. It’s authentic.

Yet a mating bond snapping first without the couple getting to know each other does not allow for those same positive connotations. It’s akin to a non consensual arranged marriage.

There can never truly be choice, because a higher-power has willed it before the character (such as Elain) even knew the other person existed (Lucien). For example, if Elain decides to pursue Lucien, how can we ever be sure that she would do that if the mating bond wasn’t present? How can we ever be sure that Elain truly loves Lucien, or if it’s just the pulling and tugging of the mating bond pushing them together? We know that’s not the case for all other mated couples, but only because we saw their friendship and passion and pining and love for one another before the mating bond came into play.

There is also a grave threat tied up in all of this - that Elain rejecting Lucien would send him mad and doom him to a life of insanity. Elain is a kind enough person, and likely wouldn’t want that for him. So is she only willing to seek out Lucien because she feels there’s no other option? It’s messy.

SJM might have a pattern of writing mated couples. But she herself was the one who wrote Elain as being cold to Lucien. She herself wrote that not all mated couples are a good fit, and that the bond can be rejected (concepts she barely touched on in CC and TOG).

And there’s one pattern SJM writes even more… and that’s ensuring that her FMCs have the freedom to choose, and to reject destiny and fate, if they so desire.

Ahhhh..but here is the thing.

SJM does write a certain pattern and that pattern is not just about love interests.

If it was only about love, Chaol and Celaena would have ended up together. They had love, did they not?

Or Feyre would have ended up with Tamlin. She was going to marry him after all.

Or Graysen would have loved Elain regardless of her being turned fae.

There's all sorts of love that happens for the FMC but the only thing that truly matters is a love that also helps her further her destiny, to achieve greatness.

How can she achieve greatness when Az never once offered to show her how to handle TT and did not offer to help her reacquaint herself with her powers?

How can she achieve greatness when Az doesn't give her credit for the bravery she's already shown?

How can she achieve greatness when he said she shouldn't be exposed to the trove?

Az wants Elain to be as Tamlin wanted Feyre to be and we all know how that turned out.

Also, love did not really come first for the other characters. They felt a tug to their mates the entire time but weren't sure why that was. It upset Feyre so much to learn of it that she disappeared on Rhys for days. It actually takes away a characters agency more to not know about their bond because they think that their interest is coming from an organic place when it was in fact fate pulling them together all along and they were a puppet on a string in some ways.

Of course there was also choice but I think you're silly if you believe those relationships were 100% authentic. In the end, they had love and a bond but let's not fool ourselves by claiming the bond wasn't calling the shots at times, that it wasn't the bond driving their desire to be near the other person. At least Elain and Lucien knew up front about their bond and if love comes after they'll know that they had a choice. Where after the bond snapped, they went on to do their own thing, we witnessed their agency when Elain considered a fling with someone else and then they chose to be together after it all.

With Feyre, she fell for Rhys then found out about the bond, never knowing until then why it was always him. At that point, after she believed she was in love, that is when she had to question whether she was really in love or whether the bond made her feel that way.

And did Nesta happily accept her bond when she found out about it? If memory serves she got into a big fight with Cassian over it causing her to call in their bargain, requesting he go away which is what led to the events of her being forced into the Rite.

It's a lot worse to fall for someone and then wonder if your feelings are real or driven by the mating bond over having your eyes wide open every step of the way.

P.S. It's really pathetic that this is supposed to be your ships month yet you're spending time sending hate anons on a post that was tagged Pro Elucien, Elucien and Pro Lucien Vanserra.

Though I guess when you can't celebrate a mating bond for your couple during any of the 31 days, I understand why you'd be so jealous of Elain and Lucien's.