Velaris at Sundown

Art by romannaboch

💙 He is well mannered and soft-spoken.

💙 He is observant and notices things about people that others overlook. I don't think it is simply because he is a spy but from genuine curiosity. Because of this, he is exceedingly thoughtful. Picking perfect gifts for everyone at Solstice. Discovering Elain's magic abilities. Sensing when other people are uncomfortable and offers a distraction.

💙 He is encouraging and supportive of others throughout the series. He helps Feyre learn to fly despite how vulnerable it made him. He helps Cassian train the priestesses despite being incredibly busy. He never says a bad word about Nesta even when she tries to provoke it. He offers Elain his made blade during a battle, so she has some form of protection.

💙 He fights for what he believes in and is willing to go against orders. He attacks Eris at the High Lords meeting against orders. He tells Rhys he'd fly with a tree chained to his back because he was going to fight in the battle. He is unwilling to spy on Lucien. Unwilling to invade Elain's privacy. Has a loose interpretation of being a chaperone to Cassian and Nesta.

💙 He is competitive. He taunts the Valkyries over the ribbon. He teases Cassian that he doesn't need to resort to poetry when charming females. He puts rocks in the snowballs to get back at Rhys.

😊🤭

Also FYI Someone has been lying to someone cause

This whole idea of Azriel never being chosen is just... far from true. What I appreciate about Sarah's writing is her showcasing how healing friendships are as much as romantic relationships. She even affirms that friendships are as important as a romantic relationship.

The truth is... Azriel is chosen.

He was chosen by Rhys. By Cassian. By Mor. By Amren. And let's count in Rhys's mother and his own mother.

He wouldn't have had a found family had they not chose him and he them. He has a found family. They look after him, care about him, and adore him.

Why are we turning it into this melodramatic thing about him never being chosen and also adding that Elain never having a choice.

Last I checked, girlie is actively making choices everyday. She chose where to live, she chose to pick up on her gardening, she chose to spend time with Nuala and Cerridwen, and she is choosing to go round and about in Velaris.

She is also actively making a choice to avoid Lucien and not deal with their mating bond.

Yes, when it came to choice it was stripped from her when she was forced into the Cauldron and turned into a High Fae. But so was Nesta.

She had no choice being mated to Lucien either. She suffered losses as a result of that (her human life, Graysen, etc.).

But turning into this melancholic star-crossed lovers dynamic is far from the truth—and honestly? It makes me cringe.

"The boy who was never chosen and the girl who never had a choice." Give me a damn break.

These characters have a healing journey ahead of them, they're yet to make some important choices but they are not actively suffering from not being chosen or being held back from making choices where the current canon stands.

It's true that Azriel's life does not feel fulfilled to him without having that intimate connection with someone, a partner to love and share a life with like his brothers. And Elain still has her own trauma to process as a result of her agency being taken away when transformed.

Every character in this series was stripped of choices at some point. Choice, as a theme, is important for every character's story.

Rhysand:

Feyre:

Cassian:

Nesta:

Elain:

Azriel:

Morrigan:

Amren:

hey so uhm… wtf?

Just a wee prank