#you also get some eris elain interaction for FREE

[daycourtofficial]

I don’t know about the other gingerfucker freaks but rest assured I have been well behaved, in fact, I would say the most well behaved to receive a lil snippet your grace 🙏🏻

This made me laugh so here’s a big snippet of what I’ve been working on since yesterday 🫶🏻 it’s unedited so 🔫 be nice 🔫

Kidnapping gingerfucker fic snippet below!!

Lucien’s mate seemed happy to carry Atlas around, her soft voice explaining to him the recent travels she and Lucien had gone on.

“Tulips of every color covered the fields. I’m sure one day Lu and I can take you to see them.”

“Uh oh, Elain. The High Lord’s going to kill you for speaking of kidnapping his son.” He wasn’t sure if Nesta knew he needed banter to keep his mind occupied or that he needed her to act as she always did. Either way, her words put him slightly at ease.

“Nonsense, Elain. If I had you killed, Lucien would mope about the house for the reat of his life.” His hands reached out, gently taking Atlas from her hold. “You keep him entertained for him. I owe you a great debt for it.”

Elain never knew how to respond to Eris, had only truly interacted with him a handful of times up to this point. She swallowed, determined to make some headway with her mate’s brother.

“Perhaps you could entertain him with the dog toys?”

Eris tilted his head, his thumb stroking down his son’s back as he bit back a laugh. He knew any Cauldron fated mate of Lucien’s and sister to Nesta was surely somebody of interest to him, but Elain had yet to show anything Eris found to be interesting until now.

“Did you just make a joke?”

“Yes.”

Eris nodded, accepting that maybe he had underestimated his brother’s mate. The air held a hint of awkwardness as they all stared at each other, the two sisters filing out quickly. The click of the door behind them was a beautiful symphony to Eris’s ears. To be alone with his son at last. It had only been twelve hours, but it was more like weeks had passed since he had seen Atlas’s small face, kissing his forehead goodbye. Nothing had felt off - no sense of anxiety overcame him, no fear for his family. Just annoyance and sadness at being away from them.

His mate had only made Autumn her home not even two years prior, but they spent every night in the same bed, arms wrapped tight each other in slumber.

Eris had always hated sharing a bed - he ran so warm when he slept, the few occasions another fae was in his bed lasted mere hours before he kicked them out in the middle of the night, hurriedly giving them their clothes and shoes. The years had softened him and he dreaded spending an evening alone in the bed much too big for one.

Eris slipped off his shoes, gently cradling Atlas as he made his way up the mattress, propping himself up against the headboard, back cushioned by pillows. His son had been restless in his arms when he took him from Elain, his little arms and legs trying to disturb the perfectly swaddled blanket around him.

The room had no windows and technically connected to his private chambers. When he was a boy, he had a full time nursemaid stay in here. Once he outgrew her, the space became his own private sanctuary. It took many years to turn it into its glory, a safehaven of his own design. Many nights spent hidden in this room, no concept of the passage of time as he poured over books, back curved in desperation to stay awake so he could finish it.

The shelves of books and notebooks still lined the walls, but he had some of the furniture removed and replaced with the bedframe and mattress should his mate eventually want her own chambers.

His head dug into the headboard as he realized this might be the first anyone’s used this bed. A pity, he thought, it was extremely comfortable. His muscles ached less the longer he stayed still, and he softly piled up pillows on each side of him.

Atlas was stirring in his arms, tiny coos resembling the chirping of birds. He broached a long finger close to Atlas, tiny hands wrapping around it as he settled back down. If he could, he’d strip his shirt to allow his son to rest on his skin, but thought better of it. The jostling would wake him for good, and he’d be doubly upset to know he was on someone’s chest who wasn’t his mother.

The sound of deep breaths was all that could be heard in the room as Eris used his magic to put out the lit candles littering every surface. The darkness of the shadows made his eyes heavier, but he fought to stay awake, not wanting to let his guard down.

“My beautiful son.” Hushed words filled the room, the warmth of his voice almost visible in the darkness.Atlas didn’t acknowledge the words, content in his slumber and being with his father. He felt warm in Eris’s arms, Vanserra babies always running hot.

“I will always find you.” Outside the moon rose high in the air, the cold bringing a slight frost to Autumn. The midnight hour was one Eris made most of his best kept promises, all relating to the mate from the Night Court he found centuries ago. A tradition he unknowingly passed on to doing with his son. He was so pale, cheeks flaming pink. He didn’t know his father was High Lord or general of Autumn’s armies for centuries. He had yet to experience the parts of himself Eris wanted to keep hidden. Eris’s eyes closed slowly, lulled by his son’s breathing, content to know that for now, his son only knew the best parts of his father.

[starsreminisce]

Papa Archeron favors Elain so he must have seen some potential in her. What other potential or speculative skills do you think Elain could have that can aid her in becoming an independent actor from her sisters and the Night Court? Do you think she got some of her skills from her father?

What kingdoms or courts do you think the next book (if it's an Elucien book) would explore and expand on?

If political drama were to be the focus of the next ACOTAR book, which political actor (could be any HL, non-HL, or any person of power) are you excited to see more of?

Lastly, fears for the next book that you are not looking forward to that you think can possibly happen.

Sorry for the many questions.

You're fine with the questions! I worry that I'll ramble and give you like a dissertation that ends up being too long to read so if you managed to get to the end of it, I hope your pillow stays cold. thank you haha!

I found it interesting that Elain was described as someone who can convince anyone to do anything with her pretty smile, and her father was a great negotiator who managed to temporarily free Vassa from Koschei, whom Elain had also dreamed about.

I think Elain stays close to her father and picks up on how he conducts his dealings, learning to read body language and details for negotiations. Cassian said that Elain saw it all and understood why—she has shown this ability when she pinpointed that Papa Archie's death caused Nesta to spiral, and when she read Azriel's decision and agreed (hence the confusion). Feyre would not have had the use of the house to meet the Queens if Elain had not convinced Nesta to allow it, showing her influence.

It's also notable that Elain is a seer, and this can tie into Papa Archie's background as a merchant, relying on intuition. We were told that Papa Archie gambled on three ships to Bharat to pay off their debts completely. Although he lost their wealth, part of being an entrepreneur (or merchant, in this case) is knowing and calculating risks for a high payoff—sometimes it works out, and sometimes it doesn't. With that, we did see Elain gamble on some decisions, and I wonder if her ability to assess risks and potential payoffs quickly plays a role in this.

I also wonder if Papa Archie set up something related to the key to freeing Vassa or defeating Koschei that only Elain would understand, which could come into play later. It's notable that Lucien is the only one who met Papa Archie, and it was for Elain's sake that he found Papa Archie in the process. Lucien spent time with Papa Archie while he was alive, and this connection may deepen his bond with Elain, much like how Papa Archie's death connected Nesta to Cassian through his understanding of her grief over being too late to save his mother.

Since the political drama and questions about the courts sort of blend together, we will likely see Autumn. We have to — there's the bargain between Eris and Rhys, of which only Eris's end has been fulfilled. We left off SF with Beron becoming more proactive about allying with Koschei. I would also love to see more of the Day Court and Helion in action.

Honestly, I'm not thrilled that we are going back to the Spring Court because it feels like… we've been there already, you know? We'll probably see some interaction between the Spring Court and the Human Lands since they border each other. From the sounds of it, if Vassa will be leaving soon, it's likely much more stabilized now. Hopefully, we won't spend too long there (possibly up to Part One?) before moving on to the Day Court and/or Autumn.

This last question though...

I'm worried that the next book may not meet the extremely high expectations being set.

It will officially declare where SJM stands in the ship wars, and there are two groups of people that will have to be satisfied: those on the other side of the ship, and those who have grown dissatisfied and critical with her writing. I fear it won't be as well-received as I hope, especially if it's a book about my favorite ship in the series.

Of course, people can ship who they want, and endgame status doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things, but I love Elucien and hope to see that appreciation for them come through, even from those who didn't initially support the ship, and that it's done right by those who feel SJM has lost her touch.

With that said, I don't mind waiting for the announcement. I'd rather have a well-done book that took time to refine than a rushed release that needed more polishing (looking at you, HOFAS, even though I liked you).

Also, I'm feeling a bit jaded after the last couple of series I've read fell flat for me despite my initial excitement for their release.

If you made it this far, nonnie, I hope this answers most of it! Thank you again for taking the time to ask and I hope you have a great day!

[bookofmirth]

a list of interactions and responses

between Azriel, Elain, Gwyn, and Mor, in chronological order

this is exactly what it says. Canon material, mostly quoted but sometimes paraphrased, that shows something about how these characters either think of one another or how they act around each other. Do with it what you will. I have merely contextualized the Azriel extra for our convenience. 

Feel free to add on, but the point of this post is not to speculate. It’s to show exactly what happened, and where we are at at the end of acosf.

Once upon a time... we all started reading acosf.

Chapter 19

Azriel stilled. “What happened to Elain?” Cassian waved a hand. “A fight with Nesta. Don’t bring it up,” he warned, when Az’s eyes darkened. [...] “You all right?” His brother nodded. But the shadows still swarmed him.

Chapter 21

Elain: “And I remember Feyre rescuing me.” (no mention of Azriel)

(paraphrase) Same scene, Nesta says, “Maybe you’ll become interesting at last, Elain.” Meanwhile description says that “No one spoke, though shadows gathered in the corner of the room like snakes ready to strike.”

Nesta: “Did you tell Elain (about the baby)?” Before Feyre could reply, Azriel said, “What about Mor?”

Chapter 22

Azriel mentions helping rescue Elain.

Cassian: “Do you think you’ll ever be ready for one (a child)?” Ever be ready to confess to Mor what’s in your heart?

Chapter 29

Az: “There is an innate darkness to the Dread Trove that Elain should not be exposed to.

Amren: “Including Elain, who is more than capable of defending herself against the darkness of the trove, if she chooses to. Don’t underestimate her.”

Chapter 42

The High Lord of Day considered Cassian and Azriel, then frowned. “Where is my beautiful Mor?” Az said tightly, “Away.”

Chapter 44

(paraphrase) Cassian and Gwyn have an extended conversation about Valkyries and fighting. Nesta says they should “combine the Illyrian and Valkyrie techniques.”

[Nesta] had meant it in jest, but the words rumbled through the space, as if she’d spoken some great truth, something that made fate sit up. Azriel turned fully this time, eyes narrowed. Like those shadows had whispered something to him.

Chapter 58

(paraphrase) after Nesta tells Elain “fuck you”, Elain laughs. Az seems concerned. Elain and Az look at one another, she stops laughing, his face is neutral, “something” passes between them.

(paraphrase) more talk about Valkyrie training and the ribbon with Mor.

(paraphrase) Nesta gives Az a gift and hugs him. He blushes and his shadows swirl.

Azriel extra paraphrase (full text here):

Elain looks at Az with “slight tightening in her face”.

Elain gives him earplugs cuz of all the sex. He thinks about keeping her other gift by his beside.

Az gives Elain the necklace and he and Elain almost kiss.

Rhys says no way buddy.

Az runs into Gwyn.

He gives her tips about how to cut the ribbon and watches her practice.

He tells her that shadowsinger isn’t a nickname, it’s what he is.

After talking with Gwyn, “he could have sworn a faint, beautiful singing followed him. Could have sworn his shadows sang in answer.

Next morning, Azriel finds Elain’s necklace returned, in the pile of his other gifts.

He thinks about “how Gwyn’s teal eyes might light upon seeing the necklace. For whatever reason, he could see it. But Azriel tucked away the thought, consciously erasing the smile it brought to his face. Buried the image down deep, where it glowed quietly. A thing of secret, lovely beauty.”

After this, Elain and Azriel have no more on-page interaction in the remaining 130 pages of acosf. I was also unable to find anything about him thinking of her. They are both in the room while Feyre gives birth but they kinda had other things on their minds.

Chapter 60

Cassian glanced over at Az, but his attention was fixed on the young priestess, admiration and quiet encouragement shining on his face. 

Nesta: “You’re the new ribbon, Az.”

And when Gwyn reached the finish line, bloody and panting and grinning so wildly her teal eyes glowed like a sunlit sea, she only extended her battered hand to Azriel. “Well?” “You already have your prize. You just finished the Blood Rite Qualifier.” Gwyn gaped. Nesta and Emerie halted. But Gwyn said to him, “That’s why you invited them?”

Chapter 64

(paraphrase) when Nesta, Gwyn, and Emerie are taken for the Blood Rite, Azriel argues in support of rescuing Eris.

Chapter 68

“There are plenty of other unspeakable things that could be happening to her,” Cassian said, voice thickening. “To Emerie and to Gwyn.” The shadows deepened around Azriel, his siphons gleaming like cobalt fire. “You - we - trained them well, Cassian. Trust in that. It’s all we can do.”

Chapter 80

Gwyn, Emerie, and Nesta tell Cassian and Azriel what happened during the Blood Rite. (We don’t get details, cuz we already know.)

To sum up, at the end of acosf:

Azriel and Elain: have not interacted on the page since the almost kiss after chapter 58, she returned his gift to him and he gave it to Gwyn (secretly), Rhys has (at least attempted to) put an end to Az “panting” around her.

Azriel and Gwyn: he helped train her, his shadows sing, he looks at her in admiration, she is his new ribbon, he talked to Clotho and Devlon so that Gwyn could do the Blood Rite Qualifier. Then he decided that Gwyn would be okay during the Blood Rite after being taken.

Azriel and Mor: idfk what his deal is

Elain and Lucien: still mated.

[feyredarlinq]

elain x azriel: endgame

here’s why i think elain and azriel are endgame. i’ve been wanting to make this post for a while + what sarah said in her australian acosf tour livestream fits perfectly with what i had in mind so here we go. i think the title already says enough, and of course i’ll be using the proper pro and anti tags, but just in case i’m still warning you: this will be a pro elriel post. let’s start:

“(...) i was not done with this world and these characters and there was still so many stories i wanted to tell both about the characters themselves but also this concept of how do you rebuild a world that’s just been torn apart by war (...)” so these characters are nesta, cassian (obviously) elain, lucien, mor, azriel, vassa (jurian? eris? amren?) 

then she said that nothing about the overarching plot really changed, not even with the new characters (so gwyn, emerie, the new characters that will appear in acotar5 etc) because “(...) more characters have emerged (…) so i wouldn’t say things have changed as much as they just expanded (...) i have loved that my drunken lunch story has been remembered, my drunken meal with my editor, i think i’ve pitched the several next books to her and most of it remains the same (...) the next few books in the series i know this is gonna happen and these are the characters that are gonna be in it and it’s pretty much the same from my drunken ramblings a few years ago” 

so, to sum up, what she said confirms that: 

the next books are going to be about the og secondary/now future mains characters previously mentioned

the “new characters” are just secondary characters in each book, meant to only “expand the world”

the decisions of who the books were going to be about (and remember that it was going to be one book x one couple) was made before any of those new characters even existed

now, we all know that elain’s book is next, so let’s focus on that (elain, azriel, lucien). i won’t bore you with all the textual evidence and/or all the times that sarah herself talked about/said that elain was getting her own book and/or her book was next after nesta’s because, at this point -especially after the further confirmation in that interview that nothing has changed- it has become so painfully obvious that, if you don’t see that, you’re being intentionally obtuse. 

“i know what’s going to happen like five books down the road (...) and i wanna lay the groundwork for that” which basically means that she’s been dropping hints for a while. let’s see: (just a few examples because, if i had to include everything, this post would be way too long)

(feyre is talking about elain and azriel) “why not make them mates?” (...) “what decides it? who decides it?”

it made sense, i supposed, that azriel alone had listened to her. the male who heard things other could not.

“the mating bond. it is a bridge between souls.” ⇢ (...) light and dark, the space between their bodies a blend of the two, the only bridge of connection ... that knife.”

“don’t” elain said flatly, starting once more into a walk, veils of steam drifting past her shoulders from the roasted rosemary potatoes in her hands, as if they were azriel’s shadows.

“why did you come if it torments you so much?” (...) his secrets to tell, never hers.

“what if the cauldron was wrong?”

but what about lucien? he’s still elain’s mate after all. is he though? 

(feyre is talking about elain and azriel) “what if (...) this is what she needs? is there no free will? what if lucien wishes the union but she doesn’t?”

if anyone can sense if something is amiss. it’s a mate.” ⇢ lucien murmured to me, eye still fixed on elain, “should we- does she need...?” “she doesn’t need anything”, azriel answered (...) “the cauldron has made you a seer.”

elain only shrank further into herself, no trace of that newfound boldness to be seen” (with lucien) vs “offer and permission” (with azriel) 

lucien blushed (while talking about vassa) (...) “she’s got a foul temper and a fouler mouth”

“(...) if it wasn’t for vassa.” a twitch of the lips, a spark in that russet eye. “she’s doing well enough. savoring every second of her temporary freedom.”

“a bird of flame and a lord of fire. i wondered if they’d found each other yet.”

so from what we’ve gathered so far, sjm dropped hints that: lucien is elain’s mate but they’re one of those couple of mates that won’t work and/or that azriel is her mate and there’s also something there about lucien and vassa. i’d say at this point it’s pretty obvious how things are going to go and, if you read the books, you know that there’s even plenty more evidence of that. elain and lucien won’t end up together and they A: find a way to break/reject the bond, B: choose other people even if they’re still mates, C: they’re not mates, D: none of the above, sjm will come up with something else, but one thing is for sure: they’re not endgame, and there are already hints about who they’ll actually end up with: elain with azriel (acotar5) and lucien with vassa.

i won’t talk about azriel and his pov and gwyn because:

i actually already have (x)

there’s no point in doing it after what sarah said (to keep it short, gwyn: one of the new characters that just expanded the world etc: gw/nriel = crack ship)

there was nothing there anyway except for a couple of friendly interactions in acosf (actually, not even that, since az himself thought that he didn’t consider her a friend) and lightsinger/whatever else she is hints in the pov

imo even if, in a parallel universe, everything that happened with elain, him, lucien, vassa didn’t exist, even if sarah didn’t say all that stuff about the new characters, even with no lightsingers, even with azriel going to the library because he wanted to and not because he was lured there, there’s just no way that he’s going to end up with anyone that’s not elain after “wrong. it was so wrong. he didn’t care. he needed to know what the skin of her neck tasted like. what those perfect lips tasted like” (and so much more *coughs* four books of build up *coughs*) vs “he wouldn’t go so far as to call gwyn a friend” + regifting a necklace that symbolizes elain and was meant for her first. i’ve seen some people say he’s “in lust” with elain or whatever and he’ll be “in love” with gwyn but luckily sarah, a feminist (and the same woman that put all of that smut in acosf, oh and let’s not forget wings and embers, funny how i don’t see people talking shit about cassian’s sexual attraction to nesta though), won’t indulge in those misogynistic headcanons and she will never write a book where everything that happened betweet elain and azriel pre acosf disappears and elain/elriel is suddenly reduced to nothing but pent up sexual frustration while gwyn “is not like other girls” and azriel will end up with her after using elain just to hook up. go read a 2012 harry styles wattpad fanfic if you’re looking for that. 

last, but not least, i’m going back one more time to those hints we’ve talked about to include my personal favorite:

feysand, nessian (or viceversa?) and elriel. 

fangest beast and trembling fawn: elain

sing me: azriel

[heyovivi]

ACOTAR 6? (MAJOR SPOILERS FOR ACOSF)

Okay! I just finished A Court of Silver Flames and absolutely love Nesta’s journey and this is coming from a person who didn’t really like Nesta from the beginning. Her journey of healing and finding herself was beautiful and her journey with Cassian was heart-wrenching and sexy and I just loved it all! But anyways, more on that later, I have some predictions for the next book. 

So I usually don’t go into anything without spoiling myself so before I even picked up ACOSF from a bookshelf at Target (don’t worry I was able to read both bonus chapters; meaning Azriel’s and the Feyre and Rhys’ chapters) I knew a little about ACOSF already. Now, ACOSF wasn’t deeply plotted and there wasn’t any world building like there was when we read the first three book--although it didn’t really matter to me I still enjoyed the book. ACOSF was all about Nesta and her journey and an insight to her thoughts and why she is the way she is and although I felt that at some points I hated Nesta I could still understand her frustrations and I could understand that she was deeply flawed as a character--which is fine. 

Now, even if ACOSF didn’t have a huge plot there were some key elements that will probably be very important in the next book such as Koschei, the remaining Mortal Queens, the Band of Exiles, Azriel’s journey, and Elain’s journey. But one key thing I noticed was Eris. Now he didn’t appear that much in the book and if he did it was during moments where his presence was essential to the plot (such as being kidnapped by Queen Brialynn and Koschei), but in that last chapter he appeared in it seemed like there was more to the story, to his story specifically. I think that maybe we might be getting a book on Eris. 

A lot of people say that ACOSF is reminiscent of Tower of Dawn from the Throne of Glass series, where instead of following Aelin in her quest to free her kingdom and stop Maeve, we instead venture into a Chaol-centered book where we kind of try to understand his point of view and character growth. So maybe, and this is just a theory or prediction, maybe we’ll get a similar thing with Eris. 

From that one little conversation we get with Cassian and Eris, it appears that Eris is kind’ve jealous of the Night Court and it’s relationships with the other courts in Prythian. A lot of people have already pointed how much Eris could be a lot like Rhys in the manner that Eris wants the Autumn Court to be seen not as the fiery court of rage and misery, but instead wants to be a beacon for those who dwell there. And you do see some parallels between Rhys and Eris and their upbringing with their fathers being very strict figures in their lives but with Eris there was an emphasize of abuse somewhere along the line. 

Now I’m not saying that Eris is getting a book or that his book even next, but I think that we have not heard the full story of what happened between both him and Mor, and I really want to know the entire story of what had happened in Eris’ life to make him seem like such a conniving person. But if I’m being honest I would much rather read a book about Eris’ efforts to lift the Autumn Court than a book about Mor--just my preference you don’t have to agree with me. 

Now here are my runner ups for who could be the possible voice of ACOTAR 6. 

Azriel

Elain

No, not Azriel and Elain, but Azriel or Elain. Now there were a lot of people saying that the book is either about Elain and Azriel, or Azriel and Gwyn, or Elain and Lucien--and I’m not going to shut down anyone’s theories but I’m going to share my own. Again, if you feel peeved about what sides or ships I support then stop reading when you get pissed because I can live with the fact that not everyone is going to agree with my theories.

First off, Azriel. 

I’m going to be honest, from what I read on Tumblr mainly I thought Azriel’s role in ACOSF was going to be way bigger, but I still enjoyed his dry humor and presence when he was there. Though when it comes to Miss Sarah J Mass we have to pay attention to every little detail in her books and if you caught onto his distance from Mor during the Solstice party or his reluctance to hold baby Nyx because of his scarred hands then I think it’s pretty telling that the next book could be about Azriel and his journey with coming face to face with his trauma, his past, and maybe his unsteady relationship with the Illyrians; not to mention his five century one-sided love with Mor. 

If you know me, or looked at any of my content, you should know that I am a hardcore Gwynriel shipper. I love Gwyn and fell in love with the ship almost immediately so much so that I’m embarrassed that I entertained the idea of shipping Azriel with Emerie or Clotho. I think that she might play a pivotal role in his journey to healing and that he might also play a large role in hers as well. Through his bonus chapter we can kind of see the sparks of something starting between them, I’m guessing it’s tied to theories that they are mates or to the theory that Gwyn could be a possibly lightsinger. All I know for sure right now is that Gwyn’s story is definitely not over with and I except see more of her in the future along with the other Valkyries as well. 

Finally, Elain. 

Now I don’t think the next book is about Elain but I do feel that out of all of the other characters her story is in the making? I’ve been told numerous times that Elain will be getting a book of her own, but we don’t know when and we don’t know what it is going to be about. Now, I’m not the hugest fan of Elain and it all goes back to her and Nesta just sitting around when Feyre was in the woods fighting for her life and there's as well. I know that she apologized and felt guilty afterwards but her excuse was “we gave up and she didn’t” just did not do it for me. 

It was in this passage from A Court of Thorns and Roses, where my distaste for Elain blossomed: 

The mercenary transferred the coins to my waiting palm, and I tucked them into my pocket, their weight as heavy as milestone. There was no possible chance that my sisters hadn’t spotted the money--no chance they weren’t already wondering how they might persuade me to give them some. 

...I felt my sisters sweep closer, like vultures circling a carcass. 

Like at least we knew Nesta was the “wolf” as she described herself. We knew she had a sharp-tongue and we knew she could be a bitch with her words. But Elain, she was described as innocent and nice, and yes when you paint her in a garden with flowers and frilly dresses she does just seem like some Cinderella-like character but after five books, especially after ACOSF my hate for Elain has just grown. Like after ACOWAR, I just thought she was boring--yes, she had a hand in killing the king of Hybern but that hype was kind’ve stolen away when Nesta ripped his head from his body. 

Since then, we haven’t really, really got a full look through with Elain and a large part of that is because we haven’t gotten her point of view, like not even in A Court of Frost and Starlight. From what we know about her, canonically, no theories or anything, she likes to garden, she likes to cook, her friends are Cerridwen and Nuala, she doesn’t want to confront that bond she has with Lucien, and she has an attraction to Azriel. But beyond that we don’t know anything--there were things that I kept out even though they were mentioned in ACOSF but there is also a lot of mystery around the things she said and claimed to do--even Cassian questioned them but didn’t approach her about the topic. 

I don’t think we have enough of a story to build up on Elain. For the most part I feel like her presence in ACOSF was mostly there to just piss Nesta off. Literally, in every scene she has with Nesta, she is pissing her off, setting her off, making her yell or scream, or making the silver flames ignite. And this is extremely out of character for Elain. Yes, we don’t get enough of her, but from what we can gather, Elain usually is not one to push buttons but I wonder why she did with Nesta. 

Here are a few passages that I just found beguiling while reading Nesta’s interactions with Elain: 

Elain stepped closer, brown eyes wide. Undoubtedly wholly convinced of her own innocence, her innate goodness. “It’s the truth. We did this because we love you, and we worry for you, and if Father were here--”

“Don’t ever mention him.” Nesta bared her teeth, but kept her voice low. “Never fucking mention him again.” 

Mentioning their father? A very taboo subject for Nesta. And Elain stans like to argue that Elain is quiet and docile because she is an observer. She takes things in and she tucks them away in her memory, but if she’d paid so much attention then why would she mention their father to Nesta? Feyre noted Nesta’s relationship with their father in book one, so there is no way that Elain herself didn’t know about it. 

Here is  another line from their conversation I thought were very weird to read about and I’ll explain why: 

Elain crossed her arms and said calmly, sadly, “Feyre warned me this might happen.” 

Bullseye. Nesta doesn’t like to be talked about, to be judged. We learned that in ACOSF and again if Elain was this person who sees and pays attention she should’ve known this or caught on. 

I think in this scene, Elain was purposely trying to set off Nesta. 

Nesta cleared her throat. “Cassian said it might be good if I came.”

Elain’s eyes flickered. “Did Feyre pay you, like last year?” 

“No,” shame washed over her. 

Elain sighed, glancing over Nesta’s shoulder to the open doorway across the entry. The party within, only for their small inner circle. “Please don’t upset Feyre. It’s her birthday, first of all. And in her state--”

“Oh, fuck you,” Nesta snapped, and then choked. 

Nesta was actually trying to get better at this point. She even risked going to a party despite not feeling welcomed just because Cassian told her it might be good for her to be surrounded by her family and for her not be alone on the holiday. You could even tell how by the way Nesta is keeping herself away she is still uncomfortable but the thing is she still showed up which is a sure sign she is improving. 

I don’t know why Elain started talking about the year before or about upsetting Feyre--literally wanted to slap the bitch in this scene. Like I just want to know why Elain pressed so hard. Then afterwards she waved it off as if she hadn’t just said what she said and acted normally. I can not tell you how mad I was at this--like especially for a sensitive character like Nesta who is ALWAYS In her thoughts and always takes things to a deep level. Like what Elain said could’ve just broken a vital part of Nesta and caused her to relapse. 

Anyways, I think Elain’s behavior in ACOSF could hint at the Evil Elain theory. Although I don’t think it’s going to come in the next book--it might build in the next book but at most I think Elain’s story will come to fruition in ACOTAR 7 or 8 and isn’t going to be about her journey or soul searching but maybe we’ll be getting the point of view of a villain. Like there were many mysterious hints dropped in ACOSF and the way I interpreted them is that Elain is planning something and if her behavior matches her actions, it’s something that could possibly affect her sisters. 

Plus, you have to wonder how Brialynn and Koschei knew everything. They knew all the IC’s moves and all of Nesta’s moves...but how? A lot of the time when Nesta was given a mission by Rhys it was in the River House and we also know that Elain has been getting better at sneaking around without being detected so it’s not too farfetched that Elain could be the spy. You don’t have to agree with me but I think it’s a pretty solid theory as far as they go. 

But do tell me your thoughts I would love to hear them. I’m sorry if I offended anyone in the end but we all have to just respect everyone’s opinion so no fights or slander, especially in my comment section. 

[princessofmerchants]

Thoughts on A Court of Frost and Starlight, Chapter 6: Morrigan — Flashbacks and Political Adversaries

(I’m recording my thoughts on each chapter of ACOFAS ahead of ACOSF. This is my third time reading ACOFAS. The rest can be found here.)

Author’s Note: I have not read any of ACOSF as of this posting, so please keep comments, reblogs, and replies 🛑 spoiler free 🛑 (including references and reactions to what is in the first 3-6 chapters of the book). 

My first impression here is a bit of a non sequitur given the focus of the next book, but I enjoy being in Mor's POV. I don't always like her in the narrative, but I think I'd like her more if I got to spend time seeing the world through her eyes. 

The next thing I noticed in this chapter is a literary device I feel confident we will see in ACOSF: A full blown flashback scene in the middle of another scene in the present, this one of when Eris and his Autumn border patrol find a very injured Mor near the Autumn Court border, left there by her cruel and violent family. I am betting this will be the main way we will get significant moments and snippets from Nesta's and Cassian's past interactions with each other before the time of the present action in ACOSF. I am hoping this includes the weeks immediately after Nesta and Elain are brought to the Night Court after being forcibly Made, interactions in the war camps during the war against Hybern, and anything that may have passed between them in Velaris post-war. 

Back to this chapter though: I'll just say one thing about Eris, since his time to be a main object of analysis for me hasn't yet arrived IMO. Mor repeats to herself Eris's most cruel insult to her when he leaves her on the border injured: I am not in the habit of fucking Illyrian leftovers. 

But when you look closely at the point in the narrative when he says this, there is what Mor perceives as a cruel, slow pause just before he insults her this way. I predict underlying that pause was Eris determining what he could say to reinforce the terrible, cruel persona he needs to maintain in front of the people of his court. The pause may have been cruel, but it was also strategic and likely filled with more of a detached decision to insult her than one that came from his heart (as it were). And yet, these are the words from the encounter that haunt her most... which means Eris's efforts to maintain a veneer of cruelty have very easily worked on Mor. 

Finally, we learn of some politics regarding Beron wanting to expand Fae territories into the human realm below where the wall used to be, which queues up the Night Court's (Rhys’s) imminent visit to Tamlin and Spring.

About this political plot point I'll just say that I think Beron is going to be an adversary at some point in the next two books, or in collusion with one or more public adversaries to peace, so his desire to expand, and likely terrorize the neighboring humans in the process, feels significant to remember plot-wise when heading into the next book.