in-starlit-nights

[in-starlit-nights]

Azriel: “I’m a cruel, vicious assassin of the night court and my most prized possession is my blade that I never give out to—“

Elain: “Hello.”

Azriel: *blushes* “Here’s truth-teller. It will protect you.”

[in-starlit-nights]

Azriel’s shadows do NOT run from Elain Archeron: a discussion of the text

Please don’t share or screenshot this post without credit.

Disclaimer: as always, the following analysis is purely my own interpretation of the text, and may very well be inaccurate. We’ll have to wait until we get Azriel’s POV, in his own (shared) book, to find out the truth.

One of the prevailing theories that Elriel antis (and Elain antis in general) love to bring up is that Azriel’s shadows run - or recoil - from Elain; that they are scared of her for a variety of hypothetical reasons, and that, at best, this means he could never fully love her or, at worst, she must be evil… especially since his shadows “danced” with the curling breath of another female character.

Like many Elain fans/Elriel shippers, this idea didn’t mesh with the understanding that I had of Azriel’s shadows, which predated ACOSF; specifically, that his shadows acted to both comfort and protect him - emotionally and physically - when required, in addition to their aid in spying and winnowing etc, and that their in-text disappearance served to suggest that Azriel was feeling safe and secure in himself, if it was not intentional.

So, with that being said, let’s have a look at, and then analyse, the quote in question, with the use of other references from the text.

SJM is often very particular in her choice of wording, so our old mate the dictionary should - and does! - help us to sort this out.

Continuar lendo

[in-starlit-nights]

“𝑫𝒆𝒗𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒉𝒊𝒎.”

⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡ ⋆

Azriel didn’t hesitate to face certain death to save Elain. And Elain—gagged, chained, and wrists burning with violet steel—still devoured the sight of him, as if she couldn’t quite believe he’d come for her.

This scene exemplifies the pull between these two, and how well they work in harmony. Even bound, Elain still fought alongside Azriel, slamming her foot into the hound’s face until it released him, keeping both Azriel and the innocent Briar alive. Azriel’s focus never wavered: get her out, get her to safety, no matter what it cost him.

Two souls moving in tandem, even through chaos. Light and dark. Strength and quiet ferocity. Theirs is a partnership born from trust, sacrifice, and a bond deeper than words.

Endlessly thankful to @northyme for capturing this heart-stopping Elriel moment so beautifully! Every update took our breath away, culminating in this stunning piece.

.𖥔 ݁ art by @northyme

.𖥔 ݁ commissioned by @elainsvisions and me

.𖥔 ݁ please do not repost without permission

Insta | X

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My lovely Elriel’s. (I swear I love this little community)

I’ve hit a problem. Solve it for me pretty please? Here’s something to think about:

Remember when Rhys said this about mating bonds?

“there will always be a... tug. For the females, it is usually easier to ignore, but the males... it can drive them mad.”

Well.

*clears throat*

Le Azriel in the Bonus Chapter:

Too many razor-sharp thoughts sliced him any time he grew still long enough for them to strike. Too many wants and needs left his skin overheated and pulling taut across his bones. So he slept only when his body gave out, and even then only for a few hours.

I might be reaching but does bro sound like…. he’s actually going insane? 👀

Because… that’s kinda intense, ngl. (Also sounds like he’s having a panic attack)

What do you think? 💭

[in-starlit-nights]

The people who believe Elriel ended in the BC are the same people who believe Nesta and Cassian will break up and she’ll go with Eris, and also believe that Rhysand is secretly evil. So excuse me for not having faith in their “theories”. 🤷🏼‍♀️

[in-starlit-nights]

No because how heartbreaking is it that Elain gave Azriel a headache powder, and instead of actually using it for headaches, he stares at it day and night, reminding himself that someone considered him worthy of care and actually saw his suffering. That someone truly cared.

But oh yeah, let’s just forget about that and call it “just lust”, shall we?

[in-starlit-nights]

Elain’s connection to magical objects is something so blatantly overlooked by the fandom at large that it is almost concerning. How can you claim to be an expert on these books then ignore that Elain has actually influenced the actions of the cauldron? In the crossover with HOFAS, when the Asteri tells Azriel “you don’t know how to use it” in regards to Truth Teller, it is a direct call back to Elain saying “I don’t know how to use it” about Truth Teller in ACOWAR. Then Elain literally does figure out how to use it and kills the King of Hybern.

People like to put so much stalk in Elain returning Truth Teller but never ask why. We still don’t know what happened to Elain inside the Cauldron, and now she has activated/used another supernatural object. Why aren’t we considering what happened to her when she utilized Truth Teller? Nesta’s struggles with the Trove and Feyre’s challenge with the Ouroboros confirm that interacting with unnaturally powerful objects has a cost. Maybe utilizing Truth Tellers true magical purpose had an impact on Elain. She retuned it Azriel without another word, maybe the knife spoke to her, maybe she knew it was forged by the Asteri and that unsettled her, maybe she knew it needed to be returned to Azriel in order to save Bryce.

As a seer, Elain’s powers are related to a lot of knowledge no one else has. SJM called her a walking spoiler for a reason. Yet the only thing anyone ever cares to focus on is Elain telling Cassian it won’t take more than broken wings to kill him. Which can be argued was confirmed with his near death in ACOWAR which ELAIN directly prevented. Maybe her involvement in that moment changed the future, maybe there is a price for that.

But all of that to say, who gives a shit about Illyrian politics (which have been a problem for millennia) or the meaning of a sword, when a literal prophet, made and favored by these super magical objects is skipping around Velaris openly interested into delving into her powers. Even if you ignore all the tie ins Elain has to the overarching plot, she is literally a force of nature still learning and developing her powers. That is the basis for EVERY fantasy book on the market, hell even most super hero books.

Elain’s book is next, Azriel is the natural choice in partner, or even just as a trainer. Azriel’s magic compliments Elain’s, as pointed out in ACOWAR. Lucien doesn’t even know his power right now, neither does Gwyn. And considering Azriel is the owner of Truth Teller if Elain must utilize it again, he will have to be involved in some manner as he was last time. Ignoring every ounce of romance (which we should not have to) Elain is the obvious lead and Azriel is her natural partner. A fact that Elriels alone acknowledge, which is why antis are past the point of deserving interaction. You can ignore romance (you shouldn’t) but you can’t ignore common sense.

[in-starlit-nights]

No matter how it pans out (imo they will likely choose each other before finding out they were meant to be all along) THEY. ARE. MATES. Through & through. I’ll die on that hill.

"Even so," Rhys went on, "there will always be a ... tug. For the females, it is usually easier to ignore, but the males ... It can drive them mad.”

Too many razor-sharp thoughts sliced him any time he grew still long enough for them to strike. Too many wants and needs left his skin overheated and pulling taut across his bones. So he slept only when his body gave out, and even then only for a few hours.

—

The ancient healer jerked her chin toward Lucien. "See what he can do. 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 without so much as looking at Lucien.🚨

Elain was staring at the spymaster now- unblinkingly.

"We're the ones who need..." Azriel trailed off. "A seer," he said, more to himself than us. "The Cauldron made you a seer."🚨

—

Mate. The word chased me from the bath sooner than I wanted, (…….) My stomach grumbled, and I realized I hadn't eaten since the day before, because— Because he'd been injured, and I'd gone out of my mind— absolutely insane-when he'd been taken from me, shot out of the sky like a bird. I'd acted on instinct, on a drive to protect him that had come from so deep in me ...So deep in me-

And what Hybern would do to Elain, might already be doing-

From the shadows near the entrance to the tent, Azriel said, as if in answer to some unspoken debate, "I'm getting her back."

Nesta slid her gaze to the shadowsinger. Azriel's hazel eyes glowed golden in the shadows. Nesta said, "Then you will die."

Azriel only repeated, rage glazing that stare, "I'm getting her back." / Met Azriel’s wrathful stare./ Azriel honed Truth-Teller with relentless focus/ His rage rippled off his invisible form.

—

Knelt on those stars and mountains inked on his knees. He would bow for no one and nothing- But his mate. His equal.

Never, Rhys said from where he finished buckling on his own weapons against the side of the wagon. I have never once seen Azriel let another person touch that knife.

✨mates✨

[in-starlit-nights]

Azriel is a very tidy male…

Everything has its place - his weapons, his reports, his clothes, even his bathroom essentials. Nothing ever out of order, no surface ever cluttered. His only exception was his bedside table at the House of Wind.

Elain, against all odds, is a very messy female. She’s clean, of course, but hopelessly messy. She leaves things scattered wherever she goes - ribbons on the floor, books stacked haphazardly, stockings draped in places they shouldn’t be.

So when Azriel and Elain started sneaking out in secret, two worlds collided. Azriel was suprised to learn that Elain was that messy, and he was even more surprised to find he didn’t care that much. In fact, he found it endearing, even comforting - her presence lingering in the smallest of ways.

There was one particular memory he liked remembering. He was coming back from an early morning training, having left her sleeping in his bed. He expected her to be gone by the time he returned, knowing lingering too long would draw suspicion. But what he didn’t expect was to find her lingerie hanging from his drawer in such a very Elain way, half inside and half out. Running the soft material through his hands for a moment, he found himself smiling at the act, so irrevocably the female he loves. Without a second thought, he neatly folded the matching undergarments and placed them beside his own boxers, in his drawer.

He hoped someday the drawers wouldn’t just be his, but also hers, with all her undergarments tucked beside his or left hanging carelessly where she pleased. He didn’t care if they were folded, scattered, or half-forgotten; he only wanted them there, in a room that would be theirs.

————

I love the idea that Azriel is a total neat freak while Elain is just chaos. Like type A and type B person. She’s the type to leave little things scattered everywhere, forgetting them as she goes, and somehow Azriel is always the one to find them and take care of it. Normally, that kind of mess would drive him crazy but because it’s her he secretly loves it. 😌

[in-starlit-nights]

ACOTAR Fandom in a Nutshell:

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Azriel = has a dagger called Truth-Teller.

Prince Phillip = has a sword called Sword of Truth.

Elain = associated with roses throughout all books.

Sleeping Beauty = real name is Briar Rose.

Azriel and Elain = saved a girl named Briar.

[in-starlit-nights]

Elriel happening in ACOTAR 6 would mean :

- A representation of a bond being rejected, which hasn’t happened yet and could open a lot of possibilities regarding the idea of one’s agency and choosing love other fate.

- Forbidden love story

- Bigger focus on Lucien’s development in the human lands, especially with Vassa—since she’s connected to Koschei, who’s clearly the next major plotline. And honestly, Elain going back to Graysen’s estate? That would just be cruel. I can’t see anyone in the Inner Circle wanting that for her, and even Lucien would understand. Which is why it makes way more sense for Lucien to stay in the human lands with Vassa, while Elain stays in the Night Court. That’s the only configuration that makes sense to me.

- Forbidden love story

- Archeron sisters bond - honestly, Feyre would be the biggest Elriel supporter if it meant seeing both of them happy and she’s probably the one that will be furious about Rhys order and break it as she is HIGH LADY. Also Azriel is probably the only male Nesta would cheer on as Elain’s partner. ( “his secrets to tell, never hers - she wants him to tell her)

- Forbidden love story.

- Learning more about Azriel past, his psyche in general ( bc let’s be honest - the book will be about Elain anyway, so her and Azriel being endgame is the only way we can have more background on him bc the storyline will follow Elain as an individual AND her relationship with Azriel - as it happened with Feyre and Nesta.). There was far too much attention given to Azriel’s background for it not to come back around : his mother, Rosehall, the cave during his childhood, his hands, his father, the way the shadows came to him… All of it feels must be addressed.) Also perhaps shed some light on her 500 years long crush on Mor ( was it a crush ? Was there something behind it ? We must know). We won’t know anything substantial about Azriel if Elriel isn’t endgame bc that would mean him not be the mmc so only minimal info - and the set up is too good for it to not mean something.)

- FORBIDDEN LOVE STORY

- This might be the opportunity to not only (re)confirm that the Cauldron is corrupted, but also that Elriel are bound - either as mates or as carranam. ( I am 100% confident about them being carranam bc what do you mean Elain stepped out of the shadows and wielded TT so easily with basically no prior training ?)

- FORBIDDEN LOVE STORY

( Seems to me to be the perfect content for next book)

[in-starlit-nights]

You know what I hate? How gwynriels have stolen the bonus chapter that was 100% about elriel. That BC of Azriel's was one of the most tension-filled and intense romantic and sexual scenes Sjm has ever written, and it was Elriel's. And yet, gwynriel's have stolen it, bastardised it, and made it seem like that bc is somehow a problem for elriel or the start of something else. That bc is the elriel Bc. It is blatant confirmation of elriel. Of just how intensely Azriel wants Elain and how ready Elain is to actually do what her heart wants. When sjm said there are breadcrumbs, the breadcrumbs are Azriel's behaviour all throughout acosf. He can't hide his emotions whenever elain is mentioned. He has a "secret" that Nesta has figures out. And that is his feelings for Elain. And Elain's feelings for him. Which are all confirmed in the bc. This is one of the things I hate the most. That gwynriela have ruined that bc. That bc is the elriel bc. It is a beautiful scene between elain and azriel and it is confirmation that elriels have read the books exactly as Sjm intended.

They made it all about Gwynriel when it was simply setting up elriel in the same way Sjm did with Nessian. I think whats really frustrating is that the gwynriel part of the bonus is exaggerated to be more meaningful then it really is whilst the elriel part is purposefully misconstrued so that people can pretend the ship has ended. It hasn’t.

And you just know, Sjm was probably giggling and blushing whilst writing the elriel part which parallels the tension between so many other couples RhunLidia in HOFAS being one. Sjm was so excited to finally write steamy Az and this is what the fandom does all because it was with Elain. Not whoever they wanted it to be.

those familiar with the romance genre and other Sjm books know that the bc didnt end elriel. It didnt show how toxic elriel were. It simply confirmed everything the books hinted at.

A really good way to know that your interpretation of the bonus was correct is if that interpretation is backed by canon, and only elriels’ interpretation can do that. The breadcrumbs are backed by canon for elriel. It doesn’t do so for Gwynriel. The bonus meant to show Gwynriel were mates? Ok, where is the breadcrumb for that in acosf? There is none.

The bonus was there to show us that everything Az is going through in acosf, all comes back to Elain. Both main characters notice elriel, neither notice Gwynriel. The bonus is there to confirm the readers suspicions of what is happening with elriel.

They’ve ruined it with claims and interpretations that are not canonically based. Everything they have said against elriel thats rooted in the bonus is disproved by the books and the bonus itself - they either act oblivious to it or just aren’t able to connect dots.

The bonus was beautiful for elriel. It confirmed their steamy attraction. It confirmed elriels’ theories that Elain and Az are maybe mates. It introduces tension with the blood duel and bond rejection. It shows how down bad Az is for his girl which every romance reader goes feral for. It shows us what Azriels arc will be about (his insecurities and self worth) which is normal for a mmc in the romance genre. It confirms Gwyn has sus powers.

Elriels should be giddy over it but instead we have to disprove antis’ claims that perpetuate hate for the elriel ship.

[in-starlit-nights]

Azriel and Elain - A Court of Thorns and Roses

Artist: @/mabon_art / @mabonart

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I never want to know what it feels like to not stan The Holy Trinity

Credit to: Asayris, Giannyfili, Neur0toxin/evaroseart, snowarox

[in-starlit-nights]

The only valid ships in canon are Elriel and Elucien.

✨ Elriel, because Elain and Azriel clearly want each other. ✨

Elucien, not because Elain actually wants him, but because of the mating bond... which is still there, still canon, and still something that has to be addressed for the plot and story. Would I call it a love triangle? No, not really.

It’s not about Azriel “choosing.” It’s about Elain choosing, between what she wants and who she wants. And I think her choice is ✨obvious✨. Every other “ship” is just a crackship created to separate Azriel from Elain.

[in-starlit-nights]

so we all know that nesta's original mate was lucien, right? just as feyre's was supposed to be rhysand all along.

that begs the question, who was elain's endgame?

i think the original plan was to have nesta do the mating bond rejection, but once she was on page with cassian, it was obvious that nesta would reject the bond immediately because she does not give a fuck.

elain however? sweet, gentle elain that was groomed to be the picture-perfect bride? whose entire identity was forged around securing the best match for her family? she would teeter around the bond, even against her own feelings.

but obviously, she will reject it for her actual endgame and true love, azriel.

what do you guys think?