First of all, I fell in love with the idea of them together from the very first moment they met. Like, to me it was clear as day that one way or the other, these two are gonna find their way towards each other. Then, suddenly, there was the ending for the ACOMAF and she was LUCIEN’S MATE???? Don’t get me wrong, Lucien was my favorite character in the first book and he’s still got one of the highest rankings, but this was just so... sudden? Unexpected.

Anyway, I binged the first three books, and through the entirety of ACOWAR I couldn’t shake the feeling that it’ll be shown that The Cauldron f-d up, that bcs she was the first ever to be made this way (at least that’s how I understood it), bcs smth like this wasn’t supposed to be done, that there was some sort of a glitch, a mistake woven into the spell. We even had a sort of confirmation/hinting on it to be true through Feyre questioning this bond.

But then, it hit me.

It doesn’t matter whether or not the bond is real/true. Bcs Elain’s story is going to be about MAKING A CHOICE. Screw the fate and some old kitchen appliance. Screw everyone always making decisions but her. Screw all that. When it comes to her book, it will be about choosing freely, with her heart and soul. Not doing what everyone is expecting, not following through with a path she was put on. Actively making a decision and CHOOSING her future. And it’s going to be Azriel, I just know that.

They were not foreshadowed since the very begging for nothing.

Just as I knew, that Rhys and Feyre will be together from the first second of his appearance in ACOTAR, I know this. In my very bones.

After all, we already had a confirmation in canon that mating bond can be rejected and by Prythian laws nobody can be forced into it. And Rhys said it himself, that even true and real bonds aren’t always good ones, and that no one knows why exactly mating bond happens. So, there is no canonical reason for Elain not to reject it.

And the casual reader won't forget that Azriel has a secret (Elain), that he is in pain (because he can't be with Elain) and something charged went between him and Elain. They also won't forget that right now Elain runs from Lucien as if he is the plague.

Besides the only moment in the book that is a direct reference to the bonus chapter is this one:

He’d been replaced in training by a stone-faced Azriel, who was more aloof than usual and wouldn’t even give her a smile.

And we know the reason:

"He aimed for the training pit, giving in to the need to work off temptation, the rage and frustration and writhing need."

You know what annoys me to no end? Is when people turn Azriel and his affection towards Elain into some twisted sexual thing and frame him as a sex pest, who only wants to fuck her. The claim that the quote ‘he didn’t get that far in his planning’ is an indicator of his sex-only desires.

But I wonder–what is it that you would like for him to do?

Kidnap Elain? Murder Lucien? Assault her? Force her? Demand she reject the bond?

Elain has a BOND. This miraculous insane thing that they are all led to believe will result in glorious connection and holy matrimony (or something). He sees Rhys and Feyre with their elephant-sized bond, parading in their love-induced coma because of it. He lives with Cassian and Nesta and, unfortunately, hears, sees and smells what the bond does to them.  

Now, he sees Elain with the bond. And he CAN’T ACT. Because it’s her choice. He can’t plan for anything. He can’t assume anything. Because how can he stand up to the Bond? It’s perfectly logical that he doesn’t make any plans that involve her (or children, based on his conversation with Cassian), because while he might suspect that she is not into this bond thing at all, but he can’t force himself into that decision making. 

And it’s been three years! Three years he’s been keeping his cool. Three years he’s been controlling himself, his desire, his interest. Cassian was all over Nesta while she was still human! Rhys and Feyre–2 months from when she left Tamlin and they mated. This guy is sitting on 3 years! He does not spy. He does not demand. He leaves her alone. He leaves Lucien alone. He doesn’t act. Why? Because he respects her and her decision. 

If he was a crazed sex pest asshole who only cared about his dick, he probably would’ve murdered Lucien a LONG time ago, and the body would never be found. If he was interested in only sex, would he wait until Elain made the final move? Would he not be all over her? Offering to whack Lucien if only that’s what she wanted? We all know he isn’t the biggest fan of the Vanserra family, so I don’t think he’d be too broken up over Lucien. 

But at this point, he restrains himself. Why? Because of her. Because he doesn’t want to hurt HER, even if it kills him. Because just killing Lucien would automatically hurt her profoundly, if that bond isn’t properly rejected and just yanked and forcefully destroyed, she’d ache forever. He’d give her that pain, and he knows that it would never go away, even if this bond hasn’t been accepted. And I don’t think Azriel wants to cause her that pain, even when it torments him personally. 

I love Elriel and I am biased, I am well aware. But I am not so biased as to forgive something which I’d see as unethical, or forceful, or immoral. And honestly, as it stands right now, Azriel has been a pillar of damn-near monastic restraint and honor in regards to Elain AND Lucien.

PS Azriel NEVER threatened to kill Lucien. It was Rhys who brought up the Blood Duel and even in that conversation, Azriel never said that he wants to or will kill Lucien. He said that he would best him, if push comes to shove. He was honest and blunt and realistic. Because he would defeat him. Without much effort. And yet, he still sort of prefers not to, if he can help it. 

PSS Azriel is a polite and honorable male. He never called Elain names, never insulted her, never thought of her as a bitch, never forced her to risk her life for a ring, or willingly put her in dangerous situations. He is protective, thoughtful and kind. He didn’t treat her like she was insane, when everyone else did. He doesn’t make her exercise, do crunches, or sword fight if she doesn’t want to. And he never made sexual advances towards her. So calling him a sex crazed maniac is a bit of a stretch.   

I made a post similar to this one a couple of months ago, but in the weeks since I have stumbled upon more evidence that supports Elain being the MC of ACOTAR5 (or ACOTAR6, depending on if you count ACOFAS as being ACOTAR4).

Others have already created posts regarding Elain being the next MC based off of her involvement in ACOSF, so in this post I will be focusing on the things that SJM has said in interviews instead of the novels themselves.

If you are not a fan of Elain, or a fan of Elriel for that matter, then I’m sorry to say that this post probably isn’t for you. You’re more than welcome to continue reading if you really wish to, I just thought that I’d give a heads up just in case.

In an interview from January of 2015, four months prior to ACOTAR’s release, SJM stated the following:

           Tender Jar: An Elriel Experiment Masterlist

         “Like a jar you housed infinite tenderness, and the infinite                                              tenderness shattered you like ajar”

                                     -Pablo Neruda

Synopsis: Six months after the war, Elain is still mourning all that the cauldron took from her, and it’s only Azriel she trusts not to judge her for her brokenness. However, when she has a vision concerning both Lucien and Graysen, she steals her courage and braves first the Spring Court and then the Mortal World, Azriel at her side. When lines are drawn and Elain is pushed to her emotional limit, she must decide whether she will let her past shatter her or give in to the desires of her tender heart. 

Warnings: Elriel with brief Elucien. NSFW. Contains some graphic depictions of sex and foul language.

Chapters: 

Part I: Elain sat, hidden, on the second story balcony of the townhouse’s palatial library, twisting Graysen’s ring around her slim finger and listening as Feyre’s inner circle discussed her like a problem to be solved. Like a taxing, overdue problem they had to solve.

Part II:  “I—“ Elain began, throat suddenly dry. “I’ll go. Tamlin has no real reason to dislike me, and it would be bad form to deny me access to my mate.”

Part III: “I think Tamlin’s going to find you’re a more skilled opponent then he’s anticipating.”

Elain glanced up to find Azriel giving her a soft, reassuring smile, full lips curved into a perfect bow. For a second she wanted to reach out and touch them, suddenly desperate to know if they were as soft as they looked.

Part IV: Azriel considered this, and her, eyes skating across her face before falling to her hands and watching her twist the iron ring around and around.

“He’s wrong about you,” he said. “You’re no one’s prize. You belong to yourself and no one else.”

Part V: Elain could feel herself wandering deeper and deeper into the distance Azriel always kept between them, but somehow she couldn’t find it in her to care. She craved his company, quickly found herself needing it, and if this was all she could have from him, she would gladly take it.

Part VI, Azriel: “I—“ Azriel began, nearly gagging on the three words he was dying to say to her. He made the mistake of glancing down at her devastating beauty, at the heart-rending warmth in her eyes. If he told her, she would try and forgive him for it, tell him it didn’t matter, and he couldn’t bear it.

Part VII: Lucien shook his head in disgust. 

“Don’t push this back on me, Illyrian. Even if Elain weren’t my mate, I would keep her as far from you as I could manage. You are spoiled goods. Your brothers may tolerate you, but no female ever will.”

Part VIII: Azriel gave a soft, sad smile, brushing a tear away with his knuckle.

“To die for you would not be so terrible a thing.”

“You do not have my leave to die,” she said, reaching blindly up to tangle her fingers with his outstretched ones. “Do you hear me, Shadowsinger?”

Part IX: Could it be there was more to Elain’s gift than simple foresight? No, it was impossible; one could not alter their gifts. But then—Nesta had. Nesta had clawed the very heart of the cauldron out with nothing but sheer force of will. Elain would never pretend that she had even a fraction of her sister’s nerve, but she knew she had to try.

Part X: Then Elain Archeron had been made, and he thought he’d found someone at last who saw him. Found, he thought bitterly, and lost. He should have pushed harder that night in Vassa’s castle, should have told her how he felt before everything went to ashen Hell.

Part XI: Yes, he was coming home, but it was so much more than brick and stone. It was her. It was his Elain that have finally given him a place in the world, and for that he would be eternally grateful.

𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵, 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵. 𝘖𝘭𝘥, 𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘥, 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘦𝘴𝘵, 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦.

Vhagar, Balerion and Meraxes. The dragons that conquered Westeros.

ASOIAF Meme: @lo-ireese vs. @ibuzoo

Art by Raymond Waskita.

Such lovely work, and a lovely artist

The iron underneath.

Hmm, well…I’m not so sure if the infidelity rumors about Rhaenys were true. GRRM likes to put rumors into his own stories just to let us know that we shouldn’t take them at face value. For example, the rumors about how hideous Tyrion was at birth (one eye, hermaphrodites, claws, etc.), or the rumors about Daenerys that passed through the slavers (she takes a new lover to bed every night, whips them if they don’t satisfy her, beds with animals, etc.) - all of those obviously aren’t true, but they are a nod to how blown out of proportion rumors can be, and how people tend to just believe what they hear. 

Rhaenys’ case also reminds me quite a lot of the real historical figure Anne Boleyn’s, who was executed for supposed infidelity. Like Rhaenys, her court was allegedly filled with handsome men, and her political rivals used that to their advantage by framing her for infidelity, although many of the supposed times, places, and with-who’s that she cheated on Henry (the king) made no sense at all. Her rivals hoped to eliminate her; that’s why they spread those rumors, not because she actually cheated on the king. 

Similarly, it would have been very advantageous for political rivals, supporters of Visenya and Maegor, to claim that Rhaenys was unfaithful to Aegon. Visenya wanted her son on the throne, after all, and planting the notion that Rhaenys had committed infidelity, and therefore the possibility that her son might not be Aegon’s son, would have been massively beneficial to Visenya if people believed it. 

I also have to wonder…if Rhaenys really cheated, why did Aegon stay so unwavering in his love for her? I find it hard to believe that he wouldn’t know; after all, if someone suspected that she was being unfaithful because her court was full of handsome men, to the point that rumors would begin to spread, how could it be that Aegon didn’t notice? You could say that he was away handling other errands, but did he not hear the rumors too? Why didn’t he confront Rhaenys about it? Why didn’t he distance himself from her for some time, if she was really unfaithful? You could say that he maybe did, but there’s no recorded period of coldness between Aegon and Rhaenys. 

It’s a bit of a stretch to say Aegon didn’t care. I do think he valued Visenya in some way and appreciated her loyalty. We know even less about Aegon than we do about his sisters; perhaps he did show Visenya his gratitude in ways that didn’t go down in recorded history. After all, who wants to document “The king appreciated Queen Visenya for her loyalty” when you can document “The king spent ten nights in Rhaenys’ bed for every one night he spent in Visenya’s”? People love drama, and something as mundane as Aegon saying thank-you to Visenya likely won’t go down in history. Besides, if Aegon did anything more significant to show his gratitude to Visenya (a hug? Idk), it likely wouldn’t have been in a place where they could be seen. Aegon was very private - that’s why we don’t know much about him, and Visenya would probably appreciate privacy during personal moments with her brother as well.

As for why Aegon favored Rhaenys despite Visenya’s steadfastness - Aegon and Visenya’s relationship has always struck me more as an older sister-younger brother, more than it struck me as husband and wife. I don’t think either of them married each other with any particular feelings beyond siblings. Aegon and Rhaenys, on the other hand, definitely had feelings beyond siblings, given that Aegon took it upon himself to marry her too. If that’s true, it’s no wonder Aegon preferred his time in Rhaenys’ bed (who he saw as a wife) to his time in Visenya’s bed (who he saw as a sister). 

an Azriel x Elain one shot

She had never felt so safe. 

Not that she had never been so safe - she supposed she had been, for several years of her life, scattered here and there - but this was different. A different safety. The kind that wrapped her up inside and out, settled between her ribs to sleep like the closed petals of a lily. The kind that hummed a melody in her ear even in silence, unable to be shaken or forgotten - slumbered with her, rose with her. 

The kind that knew her; knew all of her, and loved. Never left. 

But these were solemn thoughts for the dawn. At least, she supposed it was dawn - it was hard to be sure. Elain shifted her sleep-heavy limbs with an unbidden hum in her throat, but the arm around her waist simply tightened. Her smile couldn’t be seen by anyone. Not even him: his breathing hadn’t changed, and so she knew he wouldn’t be hearing the race of her heart, either. 

Blinking open her eyes, she only saw faint light filtered through the membrane of the pink-tinged wing slung over her face. For protection, or comfort. She hadn’t asked. A yawn split her face, then, and she brought the back of her hand to cover it, but not before her breath fluttered that velvet wing, just slightly. 

He stirred behind her, the slightest groan thrumming from his chest and into her back. Elain shivered, and dared - dared to reach out her fingers to touch…to trace the thin veins visible as lines of darker pink spiderwebbing through the membrane. The patterns were nonsense to any eye, but they were the outline of his make. His shape. Him. 

The rumble of a deep, foggy voice in her ear that sent shivers skating up the length of her spine: “If your intention was to wake me, dearest, you have succeeded.”