Lucien and Azriel as Foils
Disclaimer: This is not meant to pit both males against each other, just to compare them. I love them both dearly. There's also not really a point to this post other than to point stuff out that I noticed.
Ways Lucien and Azriel Mirror Each Other
Abusive fathers:ย Both grew up under cruel, abusive father figuresโBeronย for Lucien and Azriel's father.
Loving mothers who suffered abuse:ย Both have mothers who deeply love them but were themselves victimized by their husbands, the Lady of Autumnย and Azriel's mother.
Brothers who caused lasting trauma:ย Azriel's brothers burned his hands, while Lucien's brothers murderedย Jesminda, the woman he loved.
Found families:ย Both were taken in by friends who gave them a place to belong. For Azriel, that was Rhysand and Cassian; for Lucien, Tamlin and later the Band of Exiles.
Complicated relationships with identity and belonging:ย Azriel feels disconnected from his Illyrian heritage, while Lucien has spent much of the series displaced, moving from court to court without a true home.
Similar senses of humor:ย Both are highly sarcastic. Lucien's humor tends toward wit and sass, while Azriel's is drier and more deadpan.
Women they cared about were brutalized by the Autumn Court:ย Lucien lost Jesminda to the cruelty of Beron, while Azriel has spent centuries loving Mor, who suffered from the same.
Visible scars that set them apart among the fae:ย Azriel's scarred hands and Lucien's mechanical eye and facial scar.
Fierce loyalty:ย "I will say that Lucien is loyalโfiercely so." "So is Azriel." The comparison is made back-to-back.
Emotional masks:ย Both conceal their true feelings behind carefully crafted personas. Lucien uses humor and charm as armor; Azriel uses silence, stoicism, and emotional restraint.
-absolutely lethal facecards
Despite all of those similarities in background, they have a lot of contrasting traits as well:
He assured me that he hated the gatherings as much as I did, and that Lucien was the only one who really enjoyed himself.
Gwyn's teal eyes flashed with alarm. "No! I mean, I don't mind sharing the ring. I just...I know you like to be alone."
It was there he sat, wearing only a white shirt and trousers, his red hair unbound and gleaming like liquid fire. Tamlinโs court-trained emissary, but a warrior in his own right.
Beautiful, but near-unreadable. Heโd be the one to look out forโthe knife in the dark.
Shadowsinger of the Night Court
โEasy,โ Lucien repeated, and flame sizzled in his russet eye. The flame, the surprising dominance within it, hit Cassian like a stone to the head...
Az didnโt answer. I held his gaze, though. Held that ice-cold stare that still sometimes scared the shit out of me. [...] The beginnings of that frost cracked over his eyes now.
Poetic vs "doesn't need to resort to poetry"
Lucien went rigid, but he hopped off the edge of the table and bowed deeply to me. โMy apologies, lady.โ Another joke at my expense. โIโm Lucien. Courtier and emissary.โ He gestured to me with a flourish. โYour eyes are like stars, and your hair like burnished gold.โ
Cassian shot him a glare. โI donโt see you spouting poetry, brother.โ Azriel crossed his arms, still smiling faintly. โI donโt need to resort to it.โ
Reluctant but skilled warrior vs "Trained for Violence"
Like Rhys, he usually opted for words to win his battles, but Iโd seen him and Tamlin in the practice ring. He knew how to handle a weapon. How to kill, if need be.
Around and around the ring, fists flying, teeth bared in fierce grins, [Cassian and Azriel] lost themselves to sweat and sun and breathing. They'd been born for such things, endured centuries of training that had honed their bodies into instruments of violence.
"Loved and Lost" vs "Unrequited Love"
Lucien had a loving relationship with Jesminda, and had to go through the pain of losing her.
Azriel has loved Mor for centuries, without her returning his feelings, leaving him to endure the pain of never being with her.
Their biggest differences lie not in what they've been through, but in how they've learned to survive it.
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