DefenderOfShips 

Bold take. Also… bad logic.

Lust = tension Spice Drama.

Only Lust ≠ endgame.

SJM uses lust to:Distract characters (and readers)

Show flawed emotional choices

Spice things up (because this isn’t YA anymore)

Endgame = deep emotional compatibility. Growth. Soul connection.

A love that’s passionate and peaceful.

Feyre and tamlin had only lust, similarly chaol nesryn, chaol aelin, ruhn and many of his partner etc.

Explicit scenes, heavy lust, wild passion. Example:

"My hips undulated, demanding more, craving the fullness of him…"

That was hot, sure. But it didn’t last. Because desire alone can’t hold a relationship together. Above example is of Feyre and Tamlin they lacked emotional alignment, respect, and ultimately freedom. It was possessive, not healthy. Meanwhile, Feyre was physically repulsed by Rhys at first: (just like elain shows towards lucien)

Every spot of contact was abhorrent, unbearable."

Rhys gave no warning as he gripped my arm, snarling softly, and tore off the glove. His touch was like a brand, and I flinched, yielding a step, but he held firm until he’d gotten both gloves off.

Rhysand made her flinch.Guess who she ended up with?

Feylin had only lust. Rhysand was right.

Just like Elriel might be sexy—but Gwynriel/Elucien is where the quiet, lasting depth lies.

Gwyn actually makes Azriel feel emotional feelings, not only Az but also his shadows which are an extension of him, she brings out his best side. She surprises him, makes him laugh, snort, get him to open up. And many people ignore it, but Azriel also sensed Gwyn's pain and made her forget about it. There much more than lust (which they will obviously have in their book) the hints are obvious just like SJM said.

Gwynriel and elucien have actual depth and obvious hints. There are coming no matter what anyone wants. etc.

And just to be clear (cause ik people will twist in into something that isn't it)

It’s baffling when people claim that all of Azriel and Gwyn’s interactions are strictly platonic—as if no romantic undertones or foreshadowing exist. But we do have a clear standard in the books for what platonic relationships actually look like, and a perfect example is Cassian and Emerie in A Court of Frost and Starlight (ACOFAS).

Let’s take a look at this excerpt of Cassian observing Emerie:

“Her dark hair was braided simply, offering a clear view of her tan skin and narrow, angular face. Not a face of beauty, but striking. Interesting. It reminded him of Nesta, that stare. Frank and unsettling.”

Even in this moment of observation, Cassian isn’t romantically intrigued by Emerie—he’s simply noting her features and drawing a personality parallel to Nesta.

He immediately shifts to thinking about Nesta. Emerie’s stare reminds him of Nesta’s I-Will-Slay-My-Enemies pose. Even the internal humor Cassian uses is tied to Nesta:

"I Will Eat Your Eyes for Breakfast to I Don’t Want Cassian to Know I’m Reading Smut. The latter was his particular favorite.”

That smile he suppresses? (Exactly like the unconscious smile Azriel erased induced Gwyn bright eyes and smile? Direct parallel) It’s not for Emerie—it’s for Nesta. He thinks of Nesta and smiles. This is what a platonic interaction looks like: mutual respect, recognition of strength, but no emotional depth or attraction.

Now compare this to Azriel and Gwyn.

Azriel is:Soothing her pain and lingering after she dismisses him.

Staying calm and settled in her presence—his entire demeanor changes.

Noticing and reacting to her emotionally and physically: his shadows calm around her, dance to her breath, and he erases a smile she causes—the exact parallel to Cassian suppressing a Nesta-induced smile.

Thinking about her even when she’s not there, replaying their interactions, and experiencing relief, ease, and curiosity because of her.

That’s not just friendly. That’s not just platonic.

It's an obvious romantically charged setup. Every Maas endgame couple—from Feysand to Nessian—has this layered build: mutual impact, soft gestures, subtle tension, and meaningful symbolism before any overt romance unfolds.

Azriel’s softness around Gwyn, her ability to surprise and disarm him, the fact that his shadows behave differently around her, and that he reacts emotionally to her presence—all of these are romantic foreshadowing.

People who dismiss Gwynriel as "just friends" often do so to protect their ship (usually Elriel), but they’re ignoring the very clear textual patterns Maas uses for romantic development.

When you actually compare Azriel and Gwyn’s dynamic to truly platonic pairings like Cassian and Emerie, the difference is stark. One is respectful and neutral. The other is charged, emotional, and meaningful.You don’t have to ship it.

Day / Dusk / Night

The Archeron Sisters

feyre in night

Elain in day

Nesta in dusk

The E/riels Victim Complex: A Masterclass in Delusion

It would be impressive if it weren’t so pathetic—the sheer Olympic-level mental gymnastics it takes to cheat, lie, and bully your way through fandom, only to collapse into a puddle of faux outrage the second someone says "Hey, maybe don’t do that?" But no. No no no.Accountability is oppression, apparently. - Manipulate a poll "Why is BB being so unprofessional?!" -

Get exposed for botting? Hating on people making art? Face backlash for your own actions? Doxx people?? Encourage trolls that send harassment someone's way?

"We’re being persecuted!" (Literally two establishments have to make statement because of their behaviour)

The script never changes.

It’s like watching a bad soap opera where the villain trips, stabs themselves, and then screams "LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO!"

Here’s the truth you’re allergic to: You are not victims. You are volunteers. You volunteer for this drama. You choose to be toxic and do juvenile petty stuff, then cry victim when called out lke a toddler who just learned the word "unfair."

Those Elain fans who strongly talk about how elain is "Traditionally feminine" are coming and talking from a place of internalized misogyny.

If you have ever compared or pit Elain's feminity to other women's feminity in this series then you are coming from a place of internalized misogyny.

Using Gwyn's SA in any form as an argument against ship is simply disgusting and you should introspect on why you are falling to such low for fiction.

The Valkyrie-Priestess-Shadowsinger Parallel, The contrast between light and shadow is poetic,

Their dynamic has banter, tension, and intrigue, Gwynriel simmers with organic chemistry.

A romance between a warrior-priestess and the spymaster of the Night Court? That’s fresh, unpredictable, and full of possibilities. Gwyn’s mysterious lineage (possibly connected to the Autumn Court or even the Dusk Court) and Azriel’s own unexplored backstory. Has the best potential and intrigue.