emmitaaa4

[emmitaaa4]

The thing is az has banter with everyone but elain. The question you should be asking yourself is wouldn’t Sarah write banter for elriel if they’re endgame? Sarah loves writing banter and loves az’s dry humor but we never see it with elain.

Okay, so let's use your own logic in this response.

As you yourself stated, Azriel banters with everyone. Cass and Nesta, Feyre and Rhys, Mor and Gwyn. But he doesn't banter with Elain.

Which, by default, makes their relationship UNLIKE everyone else's.

Azriel then, doesn't treat her like he treats her like everyone. He doesn't treat her as a friend, as an acquaintance, as a sister in law.

What's interesting is that the answer is also in the books. Canon, as you will. And what does it say? The same thing over and over and over again.

Azriel. Has. Never. Done. This. Before.

Azriel never laughed the way the laughed when Elain gave him his gift.

Azriel never gave Truth Teller to anyone.

Azriel never even allowed anyone to TOUCH Truth Teller, let alone parted with it willingly and gave it to Elain.

Azriel never dared to utter these words out loud (questioning the Cauldron).

Azriel never stopped the Inner Circle from eating before everyone was seated, but primarily until Elain was seated.

Azriel certainly never gave up a siphon in order to rescue someone quicker. Not even Mor.

You are right in one thing--it IS different between Elain and Azriel.

She is the one who understands him without words. She is the one who sees him. She isn't some girl. She is the one he likes, loves and obsesses over. She is the one he is not sleeping over. She is the one he is willing to risk his life for without question. She is the one he is getting back.

The silence is there for a reason. She is his secret. She is the one he exchanges glances and brushes of fingers with. She is the only one with whom his head goes quiet, because she acknowledges and accepts his interest. She is the only one who stands by his side at the throne. And unlike everyone else, she is the one who fights for him, risking losing limb and life, but being fearless under attack.

This is why you should read all the books and not just the POV. There is a lot more to Elain and Azriel than BaNtEr!!

[emmitaaa4]

If this is what I think it could be and comes back up, I will forgive Sarah for my grievances against her crimes.

[emmitaaa4]

“you cannot downplay how monumental that was”

but god do they try.

The absolute nail in the coffin for Eluciens and subsequently Gwynriels is Azriel willingly giving Elain truth-teller.

You cannot downplay how monumental that was. You’re telling me Azriel, who has never offered ANYONE in his inner circle TT ESPECIALLY Mor—someone he has loved for 500 years and is actually trained to use weaponry but he gives it to a 22 year old recently turned fae woman whose he’s known for barely a few months and she has never known to use a weapon in her life???

Like c’mon!!! That’s his endgame lady right there!! She stepped out of a damn shadow for Pete’s sake! It’s really not that hard 🤦🏽‍♀️

[emmitaaa4]

“He should not want her. But he did. He always did.”

🎨 by its.clausart

[emmitaaa4]

Another little reason I think Azriel and Elain are meant to be is the way Rhys describes Azriel’s anger as icy and impossible to penetrate, he compares it to Cassian’s rage being loud but ultimately manageable.

It reminds me of how despite the way Feyre struggled with Nesta’s bitterness and aggression, the real difficulty was when it came to Elain. She didn’t know what to even do to help because when Elain felt broken she shut down and became an impenetrable shell of herself.

And the greatest part of all this is that the only person able to get through to her then…was Azriel. He was the only one capable of retrieving her from the murky realms she was in.

It’s fascinating how the groundwork has been laid between them. I truly cannot wait until we have their book, there’s so much there that will become clear once we can see through their eyes.

[emmitaaa4]

elain core

Im good at being strange and ignored

[emmitaaa4]

"I'm getting her back."

Another fanart that's been gathering dust for over a year. I think it was the last one I drew of Elriel.

I also have some of Elain saved!

Anyway, I hope to draw Elain and Azriel again at some point. Hopefully, we'll get some great scenes in the new book.

[emmitaaa4]

𝙎𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙩 𝙎𝙪𝙣𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 💛

Elain always has been, and always will be, Azriel's sun at dawn. And Azriel will always be the shadows that only exist because of the sunlight, the yin to her yang, her fiercest protector and greatest supporter.

Thank you @oladka-art for creating this GORGEOUS piece for us. I can’t stop staring at it 😍

•❅───✧❅✦❅✧───❅•

Art by @oladka-art

Commissioned by me, @lunaatthezoo & (IG) aoitavacorte

Elain & Azriel from ACOTAR series by SJM

@elriel-month

Insta post

X/Twitter post

•❅───✧❅✦❅✧───❅•

NO REPOSTS

Likes & shares appreciated 💛

[emmitaaa4]

Why is Azriel in the bonus chapter? So that we can see what he's been thinking and what his "secret" is, as mentioned by Nesta.

Why is Elain in the bonus chapter? To confirm that she is, in fact, attracted to Azriel and interested in being around him, also potentially to reiterate the fact that SOMETHING IS WEIRD WITH HER MATING BOND IF THIS IS HAPPENING WITH LUCIEN UPSTAIRS

Why is Rhys in the bonus chapter? Not to reintroduce conflict but to reiterate it: Elain has a mate, one with important political ties, and while Elain and Azriel might not be thinking about the political ramifications, Rhys - the High Lord of the Court they're currently living in - certainly is.

Why is Gwyn in the bonus chapter? Potentially as a red herring, but also to re-introduce the fact that there's something at least a little weird with her powers. Also directly ties the priestesses as a whole into whatever the hell is going on with those powers more closely than they were before.

Why is Clotho in the bonus chapter? Again, to tie the priestesses to whatever the hell is going on with the bells striking, Azriel ending up where he was, etc. Also potentially as a holder of the necklace, since we know it doesn't seem to have gone anywhere after it was given to her. (Also as another person who now knows something is up with Azriel? And maybe what that is? Clotho is a repeating character at this point, meaning she's likely going to have at least some larger tie into current worldstates than she currently does.)

[emmitaaa4]

There has been one consistent theme that SJM's been pulling through the entire series, and it involves Elain and Azriel. And that is that we see time and time again that both of them are misunderstood and remain unknown even to those who are closest to them.

The way SJM maneuvers the narrative is that Feyre, as the MC, will make an assumption in her head about Azriel (typically, because he is new to her and she spends most of her time in Prythian). And then, he will act, and it's almost the opposite of what she assumed about him.

The same happens with Elain and her sisters, or people like Lucien, and even Rhysand.

With Azriel, for example, Feyre watches him when they first visit the sisters and there is an immediate assumption on her part that he doesn't want to be there and that he is uncomfortable. Yet he turns around and acts as a gentle peacemaker and puts Elain at ease, as well as everyone else. Suddenly, Feyre realizes that he uses manners and almost a version of seduction to get the desired results.

Nesta repeatedly says how she'd do anything for Elain, how she'd protect her, and whore herself out and whatever. But she doesn't do ANY of it. Yet Elain is the one who turns around and actually starts building alliances, a future and seeking out protection for her and Nesta when they were still human.

Both Feyre and Nesta think that Elain 'doesn't get it' and that she is kind of vapid and vacuous. Yet, it turns out that Elain is the most observant of them all, and she saw everything about everyone even when she was a child. When Elain tells the IC about Nesta's dancing and her being primed to seduce a duke, Feyre acknowledges that she didn't realize any of this and Elain did.

This is a long preface for my main point.

When Feyre observes Azriel and Mor at the first Solstice and makes up this whole thing in her mind about how he is desperately desiring Mor and how he is longing for her, what does SJM do?

She turns the whole thing upside down.

What actual ACTION does Azriel perform?

He almost knocks his High Lady off her feet in his rush to wish Elain, and Elain ONLY, a Happy Solstice.

Not ONE person observed Elain's interest in Azriel. Not her sisters, not Rhysand, not Mor, not Amren, and forget Cassian.

What does Elain do?

She gifts Azriel the headache powder. Not only that, it's a gift that had to be specially commissioned through Madja.

So this supposedly 'open book' Elain who is simple and transparent, is able to do all of this without anyone having any idea.

Going back to Azriel.

Throughout the entire Solstice, he demonstrates via his ACTIONS one solitary interest. And that's for Elain.

Whether it's him staying with her till the wee hours and listening to her gardening plans, or totally ignoring everyone's gifts while absolutely losing it over hers, and of course absolutely spiraling at dinner, forbidding everyone from eating until she was ready.

These are actions that SJM wanted us to pay attention to. Why? BECAUSE THEY ARE SURPRISING EVERYONE.

Both Elain and Azriel are acting in ways that are borderline shocking to those who supposedly know them best.

The reality is that Azriel doesn't give any thoughts to Mor. All of it is what Feyre and the IC have programmed themselves to see. What SJM is showing us instead is that his focus is not on Mor at all, but solely on Elain.

That's the constant parallel that SJM's been drawing between the two characters that everyone assumes they know, but who are actually existing in a totally private reality.

Why do you all think that Rhys was so shocked when he saw Azriel and Elain about to kiss?

Because their actions don't align with his preconceived notions about both of them.

And I feel that the book is going to open a whole new world of Elriel that we don't even imagine right now.

[emmitaaa4]

༉‧₊˚🕯️🖤❀༉‧₊˚.

“𝙄 𝙨𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩—𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧.”

༉‧₊˚🕯️🖤❀༉‧₊˚.

✮♱✮ art by @luxury_banshee

✮♱✮ commissioned by me

༉‧₊˚🕯️🖤❀༉‧₊˚.

A little late Elriel for @elrielmonth from the fabulous @luxury_banshee and I! Better late than never right? An Elriel from one of my best friends I’ve ever made on my commission journey, @luxury_banshee who is just as obsessed with this Elriel as I am! And most importantly, one that is Bombo approved! I can never truly thank @luxury_banshee for being so amazing and one of my closest friends—and always makes the most breathtaking art I’ve ever seen. I’m always your biggest fan, and can’t wait to watch you reach the stars!

༉‧₊˚🕯️🖤❀༉‧₊˚.

✮♱✮ quote is from A Court of Mist & Fury

✮♱✮ characters are Elain Archeron & Azriel

༉‧₊˚🕯️🖤❀༉‧₊˚.

✮♱✮ likes, saves, and shares are always appreciated!

✮♱✮ no reposts allowed.

༉‧₊˚🕯️🖤❀༉‧₊˚.

[emmitaaa4]

wait so let me get this straight. it’s a totally reasonable theory that Nesta, who already had an 800+ page book dedicated to her romance with Cassian, could break the mating bond.

and it's apparently totally plausible that Bryce, who had three whole books with Hunt and literally married the man, might also break her bond.

But it’s absolutely unfathomable, never going to happen, no questions asked, that Elain, who hasn’t shown any interest in her bond or mate within the narrative, won’t/can't/would never reject the bond????????

[emmitaaa4]

🎨 natalienardozza on insta is doing the azriel bonus chapter and i am absolutely obsessed with it. Its is absolutely gorgeous! Love the way they draw elain and azriel especially portraying azriels angst.

Go like, share, follow, and comment! Link at bottom

Sharing with permission from artist

🦇 🌸 LINK ⬇️

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Natalie Nardozza (@natalienardozza)

[emmitaaa4]

“It made sense that Azriel alone had listened to her [Elain]. The male who heard things others could not . . . Perhaps he, too, had suffered as Elain had before he understood what gift he possessed.” -ACOWAR Chapter 33

Something I found interesting while reading the series is how organically SJM ties Azriel and Elain together narratively through impactful and pivotal developments to both characters. When Elain says earlier in chapter 24 no one ever hears her or sees her, that no one ever really tries to and everyone else believed she was going mad-it was only Azriel who attempted to understand her. Azriel didn’t give innocuous, generic suggestions of taking her outside, he listened to her and truly saw her. Azriel met her where she was, his understanding became the light that guided her out of the murky realm of visions clouding her mind.

🌸🦇🌸🦇

I can not get over how perfectly @renitorii captured the state of Elain’s mind and Azriel holding her fast, an anchor in her storm. Thank you thank you @renitorii for being so incredible through this whole process, it was such a pleasure to work with you! ❤️❤️

🌸🦇🌸🦇

🎨 Art by the lovely @renitorii

✨ Commissioned by me

📚 Characters belong to @sarahjmaas

Likes, comments, saves, and shares are always welcomed and appreciated!

Find in on IG here

Do not repost without permission

[emmitaaa4]

Hear me out, I want an Elriel scene like that moment in Star Wars where Anakin and Padmé started kissing, and she said, “Not here,” and he said, “Yes, here,” and kept kissing her.

[emmitaaa4]

Guys is it weird that I found Azriels shadows being ready to strike Nesta for Elain... hot? We all know he respects and cares for all the 3 Archeron sisters but the fact he literally chose Elain. No hesitation. No confusion. Just soul deep loyalty. That moment? That wasn’t just protection.That was priority. That was instinct. That was devotion.

[emmitaaa4]

Elain seeing beauty in Azriel’s scars during the lowest point in her life was crazy writing by SJM