It seems the Feysand Bonus Chapter is often overlooked in favor of the Azriel Bonus Chapter but there are still some very important points that don't get mentioned enough.
"Or what she'd said about her lingering trauma"
I feel like too much is made of Elain having hobbies and friends in the Night Court. I don't doubt she's trying to make the best of things but we're told right there that regardless of how it looks to the outside world, Elain is still struggling. Things are not quite so happy and perfect for her and that means when we get to her book, she's going to have more to overcome than which Male she'll end up with. There are some who feel Elain already has a great relationship with her sisters, has all the friends she'll need, hobbies, is completely over Graysen and is learning to become a spy through the wraiths and Az, and that's all apparently happened in someone else's book. To me that sounds like any possible trauma that could remain has been magicked away and her biggest internal battle will be her "forbidden" romance (which I don't find very forbidden at all).
"and while I might never run to Elain first with problems or for advice, we had a peaceful, amicable understanding. I found her to be a pleasant companion. I wonder if she'd resent that judgment, I certainly would."
It reminds me of another scene in SF. Feyre told Elain about the pregnancy only because Elain guessed. Feyre chose to share information with Nesta regarding the gender. Yes, she did it because Elain already knew about the baby but Elain didn't know because Feyre wanted to share the news, she found out by default. Just like Elain wasn't part of the ICs meeting when discussing the Trove, she showed up on her own to offer help. I think she overheard their conversation based on my theory that Elain is an Owl Shifter (they have excellent hearing) but regardless, no one seemed that concerned with including her in what was an important conversation. This all goes along with the fact that Feyre as well as others don't consider Elain their equal in a lot of ways. They like her but she's just part of the background. As long as she's safe & appears happy, they don't really seek her out.
"I didn't dare mention that if she had been wearing the enchanted gloves Lucien had gotten her last Solstice, nothing would have pierced them at all."
This seems like a flashing Neon Sign. We have Feyre talking about how a "stubborn rosebush" (Elain is often represented by roses and she's been extremely stubborn in getting to know Lucien) got the better of her and SJM just randomly decides to include this in order to remind us of a gift that Elain's Mate gave her nearly a year ago and how things would have turned out differently for Elain had she been willing to embrace that gift (cough, cough, Lucien).
"Let's focus on helping one sister before we start on the other." "Agreed," Rhys drawled.
Nesta finally got the help she needed in SF. A lot of that came from the work she did on herself, but also Gwyn, Emerie, Cassian, and whether you agree with their methods or not, Feyre and Rhys. No they weren't perfect in how they dealt with everything but I can't fault them for that when even Nesta didn't know what Nesta needed. The point is they wanted to help her and they did the best they knew how even if readers feel they made mistakes along the way.
What I thought was interesting is that in SF, Nesta's "rehab" came in the form of staying with and training with Cassian considering this conversation between Rhys and Cassian in the Novella:
“What about you?” I asked, pulling away after a moment. “Are you … happy?” Shadows darkened his hazel eyes. “I’m getting there.” A halfhearted answer. I’d HAVE TO WORK ON THAT, too. Perhaps there were THREADS TO BE PULLED, WOVEN TOGETHER.
There are a lot of phrases SJM uses for endgame couples, "something calmed", "something restless settled," a "spark" in their blood, soul or chest but what I found that seems exclusive to the Archeron sisters (unless I missed something somewhere) is their bonds are described as "threads".
Feysand: But there was a … thread,” I said. “A tether. (Feyre explaining her death to the Bone Carver. At this point she thinks the thread is the bargain between she and Rhys but Rhys later explains it was their Mating Bond - "In my desperation, I clung to that bond. Not the bargain—the bargain was nothing, the bargain was like a cobweb. But I grabbed that bond between us and I tugged ).
Nessian: The golden threads shimmered and sang.
He’d beheld the truth in her eyes on Solstice, when the mating bond had been like so much gold thread between their souls,
Elucien: “There’s a bond—it’s a real thread,” he said, more to himself than us.
In ACOMAF, Feyre notes seeing galaxies in Rhys's eyes and we also have him thinking of how he needs to "pull threads" and "weave them together" for his brother. At the end of SF, we have Cassian and Nesta together.
Fate seems to have chosen three sisters during a time when there are some major things happening in Prythian and its not a stretch to say that Feyre, Nesta, and Elain were meant to be a Key in whatever upcoming battles they'll all face. Amren suggests as much in ACOSF. Fate also chose Mates for them and while not every bond is a love match, if Fate was somehow involved in everything that's happened so far than I think the sisters accepting their Fates and Mates are key to fulfilling whatever destiny was laid out for them. While they are strong individually, they seem even more so with their Mate by their side. It seems Rhys was up to his usual behind the scenes antics with Nessian and now that they've "helped one sister" it would be time to help the next. It does make me wonder if Rhys will find a way to encourage another close proximity situation between Elain and Lucien.
Choice is always important but in an epic story, so is making the choice to accept and fulfill your Destiny.
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