as solstice nears, Nesta visits their dilapidated cottage—the one Elain looked at with hope, as Sarah reminded us in the live—and takes Elain’s carved rose from the mantel.

She didn’t mean to, but she looked toward the dark fireplace. Toward the mantel.

She plucked another figurine from the mantel: a rose carved from a dark sort of wood. She held it in her palm, its solid weight surprising, and traced a finger over one of the petals. “He made this one for Elain. Since it was winter and she missed the flowers.”

She clenched the wooden rose in her pocket. “I think I just needed to see this place. One last time. To know we got out. That there’s nothing left here except dust and bad memories.”

Nesta then leaves with the rose, a symbol of love and beauty, and sets it on another mantel in the House of Wind, where she stares at it as she faces bad memories.

Instantly, the House had a tiny blaze going in the fireplace. A log popped, and Nesta straightened, stomach twisting.

It was a fire. Not her father’s neck. Her gaze shifted to the carved wooden rose she’d placed upon the mantel, half-hidden in the shadows beside a figurine of a supple-bodied female, her upraised arms clasping a full moon between them. Some sort of primal goddess—perhaps even the Mother herself. Nesta hadn’t let herself dwell on why she’d felt the need to set the rose there. Why she hadn’t just thrown it in a drawer.

Another log cracked, and Nesta flinched. But she remained sitting there. Staring at that carved rose.

mantels are above the hearth—the heart of the home. and mantel is a variation of mantle, with several other meanings: n., cloak or other covering, a bird’s back, a part of the earth’s interior, passing a role or responsibility onto another, etc. it can also be used as a verb, covering or veiling something, like when a bird of prey mantles its prey from view as it feeds. interesting, then, that Elain’s rose—veiled in shadows—is moved from mantle to mantle [and hearth to hearth, like a lovely little witch].

when spring blooms and light shines bright in her heart, Nesta takes that dark rose and places it on Papa Archeron’s gravestone, as if passing the mantle from one sister to the next [and we are mind twins, so of course @offtorivendell has also thought of this]. after hearing the whisper of wings, she joins her sisters, one of whom is calmly holding the future in her arms.

Her father had died for her, with love in his heart, and Nesta held love in her own heart as she pulled the small, carved rose from her pocket and set it upon the gravestone. A permanent marker of the beauty and good he’d tried to bring into the world.

“Elain showed some teeth,” I observed. “I wasn’t expecting that.”

“Some were as lovely as you, Elain,” Rhys said from beside Feyre, “from the outside. But once they set foot into the arena of battle, they became as bloodthirsty as Amren.” [ACOSF]

Death and his lovely fawn. 

Elriel trash for life.  Well kiddos, here we are. 15.5 straight hours later. There’s a lot I’m not happy with, but I’ve never put so much into one piece in one sitting and I started to get lazy and tired, but refused to give up until it was “done”. I’m most proud of Elains face and my scenery paintjob. I’m especially happy about those Happy Little Mountains (to be said in a Bob Ross voice) Hope you guys like it. 

Elain's book with Azriel as her love interest

Antis since 2016:

mor and azriel

eris and azriel

azriel and emerie

azriel's book with gwyn as love interest

Azriel's book with nesta as made help with gwyn as love interest

Azriel's book first with gwyn love interest for acotar 6 and elain and lucien as acotar7 (multi for acotar8 or emorie idk)

multi pov with azriel gwyn elain lucien mor emerie vassa feysand????????

You mean your delusions are falling apart and people are excited and everything points to Elriel being next?

I was rereading acowar and found another foreshadowing for Elain regarding King of Hybern

We all know foreshadowing about how Elain could bring kings to their knees.

But there is another foreshadowing.

But Nesta only asked, “Why not just kill the King of Hybern before he can act?” Utter silence. Amren said a bit softly, “If you want his killing blow, girl, it’s yours.” Nesta’s gaze drifted toward the open interior doors of the dining room. As if she could see all the way to Elain. “What happened to the human queens?”

Amren says if she wants King of Hybern’s killing bow it is Nesta’s but... Nesta’s eyes drift toward to door, as if she could see Elain.

And at the end Elain stepped out of a shadow to stab King of Hybern to save Nesta

Elain stepped out of a shadow behind him, and rammed Truth-Teller to the hilt through the back of the king’s neck as she snarled in his ear, “Don’t you touch my sister.”

Her foreshadowing is unmatched.

Sweetie, it’s not our fault you haven’t set up your yearly appointment with your ophthalmologist.

Get them eyes checked 💋

Jasmine-scented, adorned with roses, green-thumbed, covered in frosting and sugar, doe-eyed, future seeing, soft skinned, long-tressed, with a sweet disposition. 🌸💗

“You get mated to someone and you don’t want to be mated. I’m like eugh what do you do? Like you’re stuck with this person?”

“Versus Feyre and Nesta where it was so easy for them. Like ‘nature picked right’”