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[freyjas-musings]

@nestaarcheronweek | Day Six: Birthday Girl

I like to imagine Nesta celebrating her birthday with those she feels overwhelmed with happiness to be with. And as they are the first to completely accept the way she is, I love imagining that Gwyneth and Emerie, the chosen family, would also be celebrating with Nesta, first thing in the morning.

Art by: Jéssica Brasil (jessi.brasilart)

Commissioned by: @podemechamardek

🚫 Please do not repost.

[freyjas-musings]

Listen I know Gwyndion is probably going to belong to Nesta.

But I do find it interesting that we have a character named Gwyn, a sword called Gwydion, Fionn which is the Irish version of Gwyn and Oleanna whose one of the meaning is light all in one series. All of these characters and swords were also introduced in the same book.

Gwyn: A priestess, name meaning white, fair and blessed

Fionn: High king of Prythian and wielder of Gwyndion. Irish version of Gwyn. Name meaning white and blessed

Oleana: High priestess, imbued magic into Gwyndion by dipping it into Cauldron. One of the meanings for the name being light.

Gwydion: Glows with white light and is described as holy, savior's light.

[freyjas-musings]

A very happy birthday to our Taurus queen, Nesta Archeron! 👑 I'm sure she'd spend it with her besties and chosen sisters, Emerie and Gwyn! And I just know that the House would give them all the smuttiest books to read and all the chocolate cake to eat.

A very big thank you to @/michi.illustrations for working with me on this gorgeous commission to celebrate! Do not repost without credit and do not feed into AI programs.

[freyjas-musings]

Mind you these are her most recent books….

Ruhnlidia

Gwynriel

[freyjas-musings]

House of Wind Gang Playing Spin the Bottle Gwyn (spinning bottle): Who's the Mother going to choose!?

*Bottle lands on Cassian. Gwyn smiles and moves towards him for a kiss. Shadows are agitated* Nesta (elbowing Azriel): Why is this turning me on? It's hot, right? Azriel (seething with anger): Sure! Emerie (takes turn to spin): Please no males! Please no males! *Bottle lands on Gwyn. Emerie delighted. Shadows darken as she kisses her. Azriel grabs the bottle to take his turn* Azriel (whispering): You know what to do *Shadows intervene so bottle lands on Gwyn* Gwyn: Hey! That's cheating! Azriel (shadows already pulling her towards him): Shut up and kiss me!!

[freyjas-musings]

Shadows: Come on daddy

[freyjas-musings]

A bit Helion angst for you this morning…

Helion was not a fool. From the first moment he'd seen the boy across a crowded ballroom while they both played the charming courtier, he'd sensed the power hidden deep within him and the invisible chains which kept it there. It hadn't taken but a small effort in logical reasoning for him to understand what it meant, and only a small effort more to understand why it had remained a secret.

For centuries, he had kept that secret, doing his best to keep his distance lest anyone suspect while eagerly drinking down every bit of news or gossip that reached him about the boy who was rapidly growing into an almost universally loved and respected male. It killed him to be so separated from both his mate and his son, but for both of their safety, he would endure almost anything.

Then came Amarantha, and Under the Mountain.

He'd been present the day that started it all. When Lucien Vanserra, brash and confident, had almost gleefully informed the witch of his friend's refusal of her proposal. The way he'd insulted her so boldly to her face might have been amusing if not for what happened next. How he'd managed to hold himself back despite his near blinding rage, he couldn't say. Perhaps that small logical part of his brain had known that attempting to interfere with a female infinitely more powerful than him would not have ended well for anyone. He'd been nothing then really, a distant member of the royal family, always welcome to their table but of no true importance...

Of course, it wasn't long after that the accursed masquerade ball was held and they were all plunged into the witch's wretched curse. A few months later he suddenly found himself the unexpected High Lord of Day, brimming with power he was unable to use. He had wondered and worried then how Lucien was dealing with the increase in power he had surely received as the new heir. Wondered if he understood what it meant. Wondered if he could control it, or if it might yet give away the secret he and his mother had fought so long to keep hidden. Yet everytime the fox showed his face, not one hint of what he was appeared, and Helion prayed it would stay that way even as he was forced to watch his son suffer further indignities while his brothers sneered and laughed at his torment.

What came after Amarantha might have been worse.It wasn't just the battle with Hybern while his son was off on the continent Gods knew where, looking for a queen who might have been impossible to find, or the High Lord's meeting when he'd come face to face with his estranged mate, unable to speak to her. It wasn't even the knowledge that Lucien had found his mate and yet seemed doomed to the same fate of being forever separated from her.

It was knowing he now had the power to rival Beron's and still somehow being unable to do anything about it.

Another war came upon them in the form of a death god and Helion began to despair that his broken family might never be whole again as they all perished to a seemingly insurmountable threat. But fate, it seemed, had other plans.

Through a combination of efforts and luck on the parts of many, their world finally found themselves facing the possibility of true peace. And his son was at the center of it's heros. By another stroke of luck, Beron's own sons had solved the issue of freeing his mate from the hateful male's hold and he now found himself standing in front of the family he had been so afraid of losing, unsure how to claim them for his own.

[freyjas-musings]

Who needs a Pegasus when you have ODM gear?

[freyjas-musings]

i can't wait for the grandpappy eris reveal bc i see their relationship being something like this

[freyjas-musings]

Absolutely 💯 @juno-rain ... the idea came from what Azriel says about the souls going back to the mothers heart until she finds another purpose for them. It seems very specific that he is the one who says that, it will be very interesting to see how she writes the Gywnriel story.

Also ,the tie between Gywn and Oleanna thats beautiful 😍 I didn't know about that it makes sense .

I know you have the theory that Fionn and Enalius might be mates, but I was wondering if maybe the priestess Oleanna, who dipped the Starsword into the cauldron, and Enalius could be. It could be foreshadowing for Gwyn and Azriel 👀

Hello Anon,

Yes one of my very dear friends came up with this headcanon .... And it was when I was talking about Fionn and Enalius ... And I think her headcanon has more parallels to Gywnriel

Please Note at this stage it is a crack theory and headcanon alone ....

We know Priestess Oleana was the one who gave Gwydion its power by dipping it in the Cauldron and it was Enalius who wielded Truth Teller ....

What if Priestess Oleana and Enalius were mates who couldn't be together in their previous life .... what if Azriel and Gwyn are basically Enalius and Oleana Reborn to find each in a different life.... it would be so poetic... them finding their mate to get another chance to spend their life with each other.

I for one absolutely loved the headcanon and I know I am going to scream if it happens but as it stands its not really backed by any Canon info . Also, it would lean in to the headcanon that Gwydion might call to Gwyn ...

[freyjas-musings]

I know you have the theory that Fionn and Enalius might be mates, but I was wondering if maybe the priestess Oleanna, who dipped the Starsword into the cauldron, and Enalius could be. It could be foreshadowing for Gwyn and Azriel 👀

Hello Anon,

Yes one of my very dear friends came up with this headcanon .... And it was when I was talking about Fionn and Enalius ... And I think her headcanon has more parallels to Gywnriel

Please Note at this stage it is a crack theory and headcanon alone ....

We know Priestess Oleana was the one who gave Gwydion its power by dipping it in the Cauldron and it was Enalius who wielded Truth Teller ....

What if Priestess Oleana and Enalius were mates who couldn't be together in their previous life .... what if Azriel and Gwyn are basically Enalius and Oleana Reborn to find each in a different life.... it would be so poetic... them finding their mate to get another chance to spend their life with each other.

I for one absolutely loved the headcanon and I know I am going to scream if it happens but as it stands its not really backed by any Canon info . Also, it would lean in to the headcanon that Gwydion might call to Gwyn ...

[freyjas-musings]

One aspect of Gwynriel that really excites me is religion. The other protagonists don’t seem to take religion or rituals very seriously? Everyone respects the Mother and acknowledges her power (and the Cauldron), but we haven’t explored faith among the fae. Feyre has a terrible experience with Ianthe (a sadly accurate depiction of corruption within organized religion). But we know that not all priestesses are like power-hungry Ianthe. Nesta is understandably indifferent even though she later has an experience with the Mother during Nyx’s birth. Rhys and Cassian seem respectful but we’ve never seen them pray or attend services. It’s giving “only attending church during Christmas” level of religious commitment.

Azriel, on the other hand… we haven’t had much canon insight in his head, but I firmly believe that Azriel is more religious than his brothers. Like he’s not the type to attend temple services, but he probably thinks about faith and the Mother regularly. Clearly he has contemplated mating bonds and who creates them — maybe he’s prayed for a mating bond? Maybe his mother raised him to be more religious. In HOFAS, after Nesta takes the mask off in a close call, Az’s very first instinct is to thank the Mother. Possibly that is meaningless (like how an atheist can say “thank god”) but idk. Az seems to have more faith than his brothers.

“The Mask fell from Nesta’s face, clattering on the stone.

Nesta swayed, but Azriel was there, catching her, bringing her to his chest, scarred hands stroking her hair. “Thank the Mother,” he breathed. “Thank the Mother.”

A few chapters later, Az describes the Cauldron and what happens after death.

“Bryce nodded to the carving. “What’s the big deal about a cauldron?”

“The Cauldron,” Azriel amended. Bryce shook her head, not understanding. “You don’t have stories of it in your world? The Fae didn’t bring that tradition with them?”

Bryce surveyed the giant cauldron. “No. We have five gods, but no cauldron. What does it do?”

“All life came and comes from it,” Azriel said with something like reverence. “The Mother poured it into this world, and from it, life blossomed.”

Later in the conversation, Az explains what happens to souls after death.

“When you die, where do your souls go?” Did they even believe in the concept of a soul? Maybe she should have led with that.

But Azriel said softly, “They return to the Mother, where they rest in joy within her heart until she finds another purpose for us. Another life or world to live in.”

The way Az talks about the Mother, with reverence and confidence, makes me certain that he’s more religious than his brothers.

Then, of course, we have Gwyn — a literal priestess who was raised in a temple. She still attends daily services and sings for the choir. I’ve wondered if what happened in Sangravah shook Gwyn’s faith. Maybe she thinks the Mother exists but isn’t a benevolent deity. Maybe she’s bitter that the Mother didn’t save her servants from Hybern attacks. She definitely feels shame and unworthiness — Gwyn no longer feels like she has a right to wear the Invoking Stone. Working through those feelings will be a major aspect of Gwyn’s arc.

“You asked me once why I don’t wear the hood or the Invoking Stone. That stone is a sign of holiness. How can someone like me wear it?”

Within the temple, Gwyn also faces prejudice and discrimination from her fellow sisters. Ianthe isn’t the only asshole within the organization (cough Merrill cough). I’m sure that some people in Sangravah were cruel to Gwyn’s family because of their nymph heritage. I don’t know what SJM has planned, but I feel that religion will play a major role in the Gwynriel book. I wouldn’t be surprised that, like Nesta, Gwyn has a firsthand experience with the Mother. She will definitely use the blue invoking stone for healing (a nice parallel to Az’s blue siphons).

“It’s an Invoking Stone.” Gwyn unfurled her fingers, revealing the gem within her hand. “Similar to the Siphons of the Illyrians, except that the power of the Mother flows through it. We cannot use it for harm, only healing and protection. It was shielding us.”

I’m also curious to see Gwyn and Az discuss their religious beliefs together. Maybe Az gets permission to join the dawn and dusk services. The man barely sleeps, he might as well watch Gwyn during her religious commitments. The shadows are NOT going to pass a chance to hear their girl sing (or watch her glow). Maybe Nesta can talk Az into singing with the choir. 🥹

Nesta could only gape at the lovely melody, the voices from the front of the cavern leading it, lifting higher than the others. Gwyn sang, chin high, a faint glow seeming to radiate from her. The music was pure, ancient, by turns whispering and bold, one moment like a tendril of mist, the next like a gilded ray of light. It finished, and Merrill spoke about the Mother and the Cauldron and the land and sun and water. She spoke of blessings and dreams and hope. Of mercy and love and growth.

Idk, maybe I’m wrong about Az being religious. But it feels like such a wasted opportunity if we don’t learn more about the Mother! At the very least, I do see Az attending the dawn and dusk services if he’s not on a mission. 🎼🩵🎶

[freyjas-musings]

If ACOTAR 5 is Azriel’s book ( which I think it is) I hope the cover is blue…

A dark beautiful blue with gold letters & foiling ✨

[freyjas-musings]

*Cassian and Nesta talking at the dining room table*

Nesta: I'm telling you, he's got a crush on her.

Cassian: There's no way! He would have told me. *Azriel joins them*

Nesta(whispering): Really! Watch this...

Nesta: Az, I'm going to get Gwyn a chocolate cake for her birthday.

Azriel(seemingly uninterested): Okay...

Cassian(mouthing at Nesta): See!

Azriel(smiling a little): ...But I think pistachio is a better choice. It's her favourite.

Nesta(mouthing at Cassian with a smirk): See!!

[freyjas-musings]

People seem to think because Sarah has been posting about spring court on her insta stories that means the next book will be in spring. But when she was in the mountains that seemed more Illyria to me. What do you think about it all?

Hi Anon,

First and foremost you got to understand how marketing , investors and book stocks work. With the next book soon to be announced the push would certainly be on promoting the boxed sets and putting the books on sale to clear up existing inventory to the best of their ability. Do you think people will buy "boxed sets" if the next book is announced to be months away ? They are waiting for end of year sales ... from US and UK , their larger buyer pockets ... So, the entire promoting ACOTAR is in part to get new readers in , new readers dont come with prior attachments 🤭. Have you seen how actors and well known people on social media are suddenly reading that? That's a planned thing. It's about sales of existing books. The post about spring was... well because it was spring.

As far as the next book is concerned, here are the things you need to pay attention to based on HOFAS for plot points :

As of HOFAS , Nesta's story isn't complete. The author deliberately showed a turbulence in her relationships, things that she seemed to still be figuring out and more importantly Gwydion being given to her... A clear indication there is atleast a part of Nestas story that still needs to be told.

This then gets tied in with the history of Prythian that was established. Illyrians their connection to Daglan, what affect would it have now that the last Daglan on prythian died? The hidden pockets of magic and weapons hidden. What happened to Fionn? What happened to priestess Oleana? Who were the two shadowed figures who watched Fionn get dragged into the bog. We know Fionn and Enalius were friends but there is more ? Fionn ruled from Ramiel ... the Cauldron was kept on Ramiel who moved it? When and why? ....which leads us to Azriel, him carrying Enalius's dagger , his ability to carry both the sword and dagger.... the hidden made weapons and what they could possibly do... they can't fall into the wrong hands ? As a spymaster he will be in the thick of things .....

Then comes the prison, what happened once the magic poisoning the prison land was destroyed? We don't know yet ... we don't know if the pegasi came back there similar to the Avallen... what happened to the wards ? To the monsters within? All of that will need to be sorted in the next book as well. Who is most related to it? Rhys, Nesta and Azriel( read ACOMAF you will know Az is involved there as well)

From ACOSF it's clear Autumn is getting heated and as much as I would love to indulge my elucien friends the fact logically remains Beron doesn't give a fuck about Lucien living or dying (thats established clearly in ACOWAR) and by the looks of it nor does Lucien ... since he is the one who gives all the info he already knows about Autumn to...... YOU GUESSED IT RIGHT .... AZRIEL. If anything it will be Az who will be fully involved with Autumn plot.

Lucien may be involved in "some" form ... but it won't be in some major capacity when it comes to Autumn plot.

Even when Eris gets caught its Az and Cass that go .... Not Lucien , Lucien isn't even informed .... So Lucien and Autumn are not plot points that will be connected. Eris and Mor .... Now, we did see a connection between Keir and Eris and what Eris did for her Mor .... Mor is the other person who has more history and link to Autumn.

Gwyn comes in with three angles .... one as a Carynthian who won the bloodrite along with Emerie ... an Illyrian tradition one that Illyrians would be pissed about and that's been established... two Gywn to be given such an elaborate Autumn connection... whether it's her mum living briefly in the forest house where Beron and his sons live or the parallels that were established between Eris and Gwyn .... its deliberate and careful... she is related to that family so she automatically gets connected to the plot ... third as Azriels LI and Mate.... the fact that she is tired of living in the library but goes back is indicative her story isn't over yet and that her story will be given prominence in the next book in which Az takes centre stage.

Mor saying she wanted to train with the Valkyries helps in establishing the Emorie romance and also giving the opportunity to repair the relationship between Az and Mor and create some closure there.

All of this will need to first be sorted in order to move to the big bad .... KOSCHEI and by extension the human queens and Spring .... the end of Beron could also lead to the revelation that Lucien isnt Berons son ... he is Helions ... thereby kicking off the Elucien story ... Elain and Luciens interactions maybe given some page time to set them up for their book.

This is simply going by logic and the latest books and the information contained in it. To me it was obvious at ACOSF that it was Azriels book... add all the info from HOFAS and that second bonus which also included Azriels mums topic ... it became more and more obvious ... not to mention that special emphasis on his shadows reaction and musical reference to the entire chapter.

I basically only go by my inference of the books and my conclusions are based on the info in the books .... outside of that while I enjoy the teasers and lives etc I will never make a judgement on the plot points based on anything i see as promotions.

I know its a Long Long Long answer but I have been meaning to deep dive into this for a while ....

[freyjas-musings]

You do more damage than good for gwynriels with your opinion posts. I hope you know your are just a individual and you and your friends can't tell what others can or cannot say in gwynriel tags.

Dear Bitter Soul,

The only time my friends or I have "requested" about the type of posts is around an event to "celebrate" the characters we love and for obvious reasons so kindly remove your head from up your ass.

Also, pick a struggle, which is it ... am I an individual with an opinion that's not a big deal or are my opinions impactful enough to be damaging or doing greater good to the entirety of Gwynriels? Your statement seems like a contradiction. Also, is it only directed at me an individual or me and my friends ... you seem confused !!!

I have never thought of myself as anything more than just another person in the fandom.I might share my experience with people because someone else did that for me when I was new too. I am not arrogant enough to think I speak for an entire group or to think I somehow get to make rules.

I make content for myself and like interacting with other Gwynriels thats where it begins and ends.

Just like everyone else I reserve the right to have an opinion , I don't usually go and pick fights and debate with random people over their opinions or posts , I tag as per the general tagging rules ... these were set before I joined the fandom, so kindly take your opinion and shove it where the sun don't shine.

My friends and I will continue to request Gwynriels when the need arises about the type of posts, don't bother sending me anons like this , it absolutely makes 0 difference to me. I won't even bother answering them next time. You also get no say in the sort of posts I can make .... art, memes , theories , opinions ... my blog , my choice ...

[freyjas-musings]

Its been 3 years and I can't believe some people still haven't cracked the code on context of skittering back of Azriels shadows by the mere whisper of Elains breath vs reaching out and dancing with Gywns breath .... when it's mentioned in the same chapter ... in a chapter that has a vast tone difference between the first half and second half.

At this stage it's Wilful ignorance and gaslighting themselves into being delusional 🙄. The weirdest part is the arrogance with which they write these posts (Its going to be on the internet forever.... God that's embarrassing)

But , it's from a group that thinks Elain looking God awful in a black dress is about Cassians fashion sense.... there is essentially no hope there.