Heart Over Cosmos

Spring Court There are too few clues at the Spring Court that would indicate the presence of Rhys’s sister. What we do have is: the Star Lake, where Tamlin used to swim when he was young, and the mysterious painting of a vase with flowers and an unusual play of light that Feyre admired.

Tamlin befriended Rhys only after the former joined the army. From what we know, he waited the proper 75 years - the time when Fae are considered young adults. So Tamlin swimming in the lake as a youth is the Tamlin who is not yet friends with Rhys. This is still before the fallout of their friendship and before Rhys’s betrayal.

The lake, although likely important to people from the Night Court, doesn’t actually serve as solid evidence of a direct connection to Rhys’s sister. I’d rather say it’s important to Tamlin because of his mother, with whom he was close. I suspect it’s a place she often took him to.

The painting in the Spring Court manor could be connected to Rhys’s sister if we consider the fact that she loved the Rainbow of Velaris - the artists’ district. The unusual play of light would fit her nature as someone born in the Night Court, someone who sees light differently than others.

This leads to an argument that I believe is wrongly associated with Rhys’s sister: the presence of the Gallery in Tamlin’s manor. The Gallery wing had been closed for years. There’s a strong possibility it was created by Tamlin’s mother. After all, Tamlin never mentions a lost love for whom he might have created it. He doesn’t show any signs of having ever truly loved a woman. He even says himself that he flirted with many.

The only woman he genuinely mourns and truly loved was his mother. So I suspect the Gallery belonged to her. It’s also possible that she was the one who painted the vase painting.

Tamlin's betrayal

The betrayal committed by Tamlin carries many consequences. Many people suspect that the conflict between Tamlin and Rhys stems from an argument over Rhys’s sister. So let’s break this down.

The Spring Court is conservative - in the sense that it draws a clear line between “true” Fae and beings of mixed or lesser heritage. And although Rhys’s sister was a princess of the Night Court, she was also half-Illyrian, which would make her completely undesirable among the lords of the Spring Court. She would never be acknowledged as a proper match for a Spring Court prince.

So if Tamlin wanted her, he couldn’t have her because of the “aesthetic” expectations of the elite. I’m not even sure it would have been possible for them to meet officially. The Spring Court had tense relations with the Night Court. No one approved of Tamlin and Rhys’s friendship.

So would Rhys’s father ever bring his daughter (a half-Illyrian) to a gathering with the Spring Court elite? It would have been a diplomatic disaster.

The only realistic chance for Tamlin and Rhys’s sister to meet would be if Rhys was staying at one of the camps and she appeared there. But here’s the important part: it’s doubtful that Tamlin would ever show up in an Illyrian camp, and it’s equally doubtful that Rhys’s father would take his daughter to a war camp.

But let’s assume he did — considering that Mor was trained as a warrior and took part in the war, Rhys’s father might have had a similar attitude: let the girl see the world as it is. Maybe that’s why she was pulled away from the Rainbow - not to keep her head in the clouds, but to teach her how to fight. And there she met Tamlin, and something formed between them.

Now, if we follow the “Tamlin and Rhys’s sister were partners and shared a great love” theory, we get two possible scenarios: 1)The Spring Court wanted to capture Rhys. Tamlin betrayed him, swayed by the Spring Court’s ingrained hatred of the Night Court. Rhys’s sister was supposed to be rescued, but end up wingless. The Spring Court would gain a major victory by eliminating a threat (Rhys) and would force upon Tamlin a partner they had mutilated. 2)Tamlin’s father invoked their obligations toward the Night Court and forced Tamlin to reveal the truth in exchange for sparing Rhys’s sister (unharmed). Something must have gone terribly wrong, since she ended up dead. Tamlin completely botched the situation.

The funniest part is that supporters of the Tamlin + Rhys’s sister theory fail to notice that Tamlin grieved his mother’s death far more than the death of his supposed beloved. They don’t see that after such a betrayal, there is absolutely no possibility of a happy relationship between Tamlin and Rhys’s sister. A mating bond wouldn’t magically heal the harm Tamlin helped cause.

Tamlin never reflects on his actions. He doesn’t see that he contributed to a crime between the Courts. He doesn’t see that the Night Court’s retaliation against his family was justified by the laws of their world. Tamlin only sees that his mother was killed. He didn’t care about his father. His hatred is fueled by the loss of his mother - and he doesn’t care at all that he caused the same tragedy for his friend.

Silene pointed to a specific heir of the Court of Twilight.

Silene resembles Rhys’s sister.

Rhys was identified as a potential High Lord, but he rejected it. He has strong roots in Silene, which means his sister does as well.

Ruhn resembles Rhys, making him a perfect parallel for Silene–Rhys’s sister.

Ruhn is also a reflection of his mother. The perfect connection: Lorin = Rhys’s sister.

According to the prophecy, Ruhn is last in line for the throne.

The girl Elain mentions in her vision, the one who is dead. The one who survived something terrible. A perfect parallel to what happened to Rhys’s sister.

Azriel, who for some reason is able to wield Gwydion. Azriel, who possesses Truth-Teller.

Azriel, whose hopes for love are symbolized by the mysterious necklace.

Merrill’s research on other worlds.

Bryce, who is capable of bringing back “my girl.” Bryce, who clearly suspects something. Bryce, who is a beacon leading back to her home world.

Ruhn, who was the first to find Gwydion. Ruhn, who was drawn to uncovering information in surprising ways. Ruhn, who was drawn to Bryce, to the beacon. This kind of pull is seen only in the ACOTAR world.

I was asked about this in a comment under my post about Lorin as a victim. The person asking suggested that Lorin might be mentally impaired or exploited. This is a great question, which is why I gave her a long answer, so here it is in the official version of the post. Loriel really is starting to connect, if it hasn’t already connected a long time ago, and here are more clues.

I’m taking all options into account and every scenario. It could be that something was wrong with her from the very beginning, the group of deserters wanted to protect her, so they took her from Avallen, but unfortunately she ended up with the Autumn King. It could be that she experienced something terrible. Either in her previous life, if we connect her with Rhys’s Sister, or anything that could have happened in Avallen. Lorin was terrified when Ruhn spoke to her in her mind. That makes us think that maybe it really is about trauma. Her inability to adapt to the modern world? It points to both (meaning either Rhys’s Sister, or trauma from Avallen). In each of these cases, the factor of magic or simple manipulation of her own emotions is absolutely in play. The book describes that the Autumn King genuinely abused Ruhn. Would he have left Lorin alone? It’s very possible that he wanted to ensure her silence, especially since Ruhn has the powers he has. The question remains why he chose Lorin specifically, what powers in the bloodline he cared about so much that he decided to have a child with Lorin. That sort of suggests that Lorin herself had potential that was suppressed. On the other hand, if we believe that Ruhn is not his biological son - because the book gives us very few hints that this might be the case - the Autumn King used Ruhn for his own experiments. But that still means that in some way he had to suppress Lorin. Because would any woman, any mother in SJM’s world allow her own son to be tortured and exploited? We have only two female characters (a surprise from the ACOTAR world, so maybe this really is about Lorin = Rhys’s Sister) who allow this and are victims of domestic abuse. Azriel’s mother and the Lady of the Autumn Court. To sum up, no matter which path you take when thinking about Lorin, she still ends up a victim. 

Referring to the question itself. Ruhn himself said she’s missing a screw. Something is going on. It would be strange to consider only that, when the book even mentions that Lorin was frightened by Ruhn speaking to her in her mind, and we met the twins from Avallen who can openly influence another person’s mind. And Rhys, the High Daemati. This points to Lorin having trauma, and deep trauma, and that it is being exploited. From ACOTAR (again, a comparison from there so there’s something to it xD) we know one person who also experiences something similar. A breakdown after surviving trauma. And that is Elain. Elain, who says: 

Look at this: 

In Tog Endymion and Sellene are Rowan’s cousins. Presented as a pair, side by side.  In Catwooman Selina falls in love with Batwing.  CC inspired by Sailor Moon, we have the hologram of Silene (in Prythian), who looks like Rhys’s sister. (Motif from the anime/manga: hologram of Sailor Moon’s previous incarnation, Princess Serenity, Endymion’s beloved) Azriel is the one who notices the resemblance.  Azriel = Bat boy. 

Do you see it? SJM loves to repeat motifs and present them in different ways in each series. 

Endymion in Sailor Moon - memory loss. Azriel - headaches. Blocking magic, memories? The headache motif appears with Feyre and the Daemati twins from Hybern. There is some kind of block. Shown only after the death of King Hybern. 

Where does this lead? 

Let’s clear up the doubts. Many people think Bryce is the incarnation of Sailor Moon. Bryce - white cat, present at Silene’s hologram, called herself Venus. No, she is not Sailor Moon. 

This is about Silene. Her incarnation is Rhys’s sister. 

Next:  Lorin? Her son, Ruhn, inherited her looks. Ruhn looks like Rhys. History repeats itself… Lorin Rhys’s sister? 

Azriel is directly involved in this. He is like Endymion.

At first one might assume that SJM wanted to pair these two together. And I would even believe in the longing glances, or the mutual protectiveness, if Mor hadn’t openly rejected Azriel right at the beginning. And it’s exactly about the moment when Mor avoided a simple friendly gesture from Azriel. Right at the start, when Feyre officially meets Azriel and Cassian. During that welcoming dinner, Mor later defends Azriel from excessive disclosure of his painful history. So how is it? Do they like each other or not?

I want to make it clear that this entire entry is not meant to accuse Mor of manipulating Azriel, of being two-faced, or of exploiting the people she loves. Quite the opposite. SJM portrayed Mor as a loving, devoted, honest person. And I believe that. That’s why I consider her relationship with Azriel, or rather Azriel’s with her, to be quite different from how it is officially presented.

I don’t believe that Azriel has been in love with her for 500 years. I believe that what binds them is pure brotherly, friendly companionship, even love, but one that has nothing romantic in it. Maybe there was some feeling 500 years ago, when they were all still young. But now? Well, here I have doubts, and all because of Mor’s explanations, which I will focus on, since Azriel, as we know, shows incredibly little.

Mor seems to know something about Azriel that others don’t. As if she wanted to protect him with her lies from everyone. I don’t doubt her story with the Court of Nightmares, nor that she truly prefers women. I consider that part of the story true. But when she speaks of Azriel… Look at how, in her theory, Azriel’s love confessions appear: he throws himself at Eris during the gathering to defend the dignity of his friend. I know, for the Fae such impulsiveness is normal, they act that way on behalf of those they love.

Ok. But why did Azriel remain rather passive during Rhys’s bargaining with Keir? Is politics more important than defending the good of the “beloved”? That’s not very Fae-like behavior. Why wasn’t Azriel moved by Mor’s accusations that he hadn’t told her about the bargain with Eris? Why earlier does Mor ask Azriel’s opinion about including Keir and his soldiers in the war? Mor provokes Azriel in those moments to show his true feelings, as it should be among the Fae, but Azriel remains unmoved. So is this really a longing relationship lasting 500 years?

Look further. Mor confesses the truth about herself to Feyre. She confesses the theoretical truth about Azriel. One can believe in his feelings at the beginning. At the beginning, meaning 500 years ago. And is it still the same? Do you really have to sleep with others to convey: I’m not interested in you? Please, it’s enough to just say it. There’s no need to reveal anything about yourself in the process.

Look even further. The only explicit sexual contact in the book, meant to divert attention, occurs with Helion. A man who can destroy spells. A man whom Azriel clearly avoids. I would say it is cleverly hidden in the motif of jealousy over Mor. It makes real sense that he avoids him even later during the meeting about the mask. It makes sense if we truly believe in his love for Mor. Only, I don’t believe it. And I think Mor deliberately diverted Helion away from Azriel. And Azriel deliberately avoids direct contact with Helion.

What is it about Azriel that Mor protects him? What does she know about him that he himself seems not to know? Why does Mor hide Azriel behind unfulfilled love?

You know, in all of this Mor behaves like Aelin and Bryce. Mixing truth with lies. A mistress of manipulation. The difference is that we already know the motives and the line of thinking, but with Mor we don’t yet.

A little analysis of „game of thrones” This analysis focuses on the acquisition of power through birth and the appointment of an heir, as is traditionally the case among the Midgard Fae and the first descendants of Fiona. Since the Midgard Fae directly trace their origins to Prythian, where it all began, I allow myself to rely on that when it comes to the royal lineage.

1. Midgard When Ruhn tries to unravel the words of the Oracle, he assumes that either he will have no offspring or he will die. Rather sad options. So I’ll offer a comforting thought: Ruhn is the last of the royal bloodline, and for now, there are no heirs after him. The Oracle delivers words based on the current state. A similar thing happens with Bryce, who blinds the Oracle with her power. A power she already possesses and uses even before making the Drop. 

In fact, Ruhn is already the heir to one royal line; he is, after all, the official son of the Autumn King and the official successor to the Valbaran throne. But several significant events have cast doubt on Ruhn’s succession: – Bryce, his sister, was born – The Autumn King declared that Bryce is more his daughter than Ruhn is his son (interesting) – The Autumn King disinherited him – Ruhn gave up his right to the throne to Bryce – Bryce ended the reign of both the Valbaran and Avallen Fae. With a single signature. Conclusion: It wasn’t Ruhn who ended the royal bloodline, because he gave power to his sister. It was Bryce who ended both dynasties. Therefore, the Oracle’s words do not come true here and are still very much valid.

We need to search for answers and sources. According to the history of the Valbaran Fae and Avallen Fae, they descend from Thea, the High Queen of Prythian, who took the throne after her deceased husband and, along with her daughters, moved to Midgard to conquer the planet. One of the sisters returned to Prythian, leaving behind a trace of royal blood. At this point, the line of succession to the throne becomes significantly longer.

Here I’ll present all the candidates who come to mind: – Bryce: descendant of Theia from Helena’s line, inherited her power: starlight, can wield the sword – Ruhn: tied to the Oracle, can wield the sword, has shadow powers and starlight – Lorin: confirmed mother of Ruhn, Ruhn inherited powers from her side, likely has shadow powers and starlight – Rhysand: direct descendant of Fiona from Silene’s line, currently ruler of the Night Court, has night powers (darkness and stars), has access to the Prison – Mor: Rhys’s cousin, her family once ruled the Night Court, her power is truth, unclear what her connection to shadows is – Azriel: can wield the sword, has shadow powers — he is the Shadowsinger, present at Silene’s hologram where important words are spoken: “son of my son, heir of my heir,” can enter the Prison, though it’s unclear how, carries the Truth-teller

What matters in this lineup:

Gwydion: Fiona’s legendary sword, which seems to be a very important symbol in Prythian

Powers, which reveal a lot about the line of inheritance. – Theia had starlight; powers from her side were inherited by: Bryce (specifically Theia’s light), Ruhn, likely Lorin, and a descendant of Silene (not confirmed which one. Theoretically). – Fion wielded shadows, as did his daughters; from our list, Ruhn and Azriel wield shadows.

In a way, all of them can be classified as Starborn Fae

Rhys’s powers clearly come from the first ruler of the Night Court, although through Silene he has the access code to the Prison and Daemati powers suggesting a connection. Mor doesn’t clearly display any of these powers, but she’s included due to family ties and her own formidable power. Additionally, there are shadow-wielders in the Court of Nightmares. They are not considered in the Game due to lack of direct ties to the royal line. Same goes for Cormac or the Avallen twins: in theory, they’re called Starborn Fae, but they’re not in line for the throne.

3. The story of Fion, Theia, and their daughters Helena and Silene Fion was the creator of Gwydion and maybe the Truth-teller. He was the High King Fae in Prythian. Theia became High Queen after her husband. Fion decided she was not worthy to inherit his power after his death. He appointed his daughters as successors. Theia took offense and killed him, seized power, all magical artifacts, and decided to conquer Midgard. Helena and Silene went with her, but something went wrong, and Theia ordered them to return home. Plot twist: I see no obstacles preventing Helena from returning with Silene. Both could have traveled using the Harp. Helena could have gone instead of Silene, since Helena is older and theoretically first in line. For some reason, Helena chose to stay, which is equivalent to renouncing all rights to the throne in Prythian. As a result, all her descendants lost any claim to the throne in Prythian. Helena’s line is no longer royal. Meanwhile, a sizable dynasty emerged in Prythian, ready to take the throne. I mean, a potential descendant of Helena would have to kill half the population of Prythian to claim the throne.

First eliminations: On Helena’s side, we have Bryce and Ruhn. If we go by birth alone, Ruhn wins as the elder. If we choose by powers, it gets controversial. Bryce supposedly has Theia’s light, but Theia was a usurper who seized the throne by force despite having two rightful heirs. Ruhn has Fion’s shadows and a spark of starlight. Ultimately, considering Bryce’s power profile, she would win in a duel. Theoretically, she is stronger. But only theoretically. There's a lot to be said about this.

But wait! Bryce gives up Gwydion and the Truth-teller, renounces her claim to the throne in Prythian, and her life becomes physically and magically bound to the Phartos Library, which is in Midgard. Plus, Bryce comes from Helena’s line, already removed from the game. Bryce is out.

What about Ruhn? And here it gets interesting. “The royal bloodline will end with you.” The bloodline can’t end with him if we’ve already eliminated Helena and her descendants. That means Ruhn doesn’t come from Helena’s line. Meaning he’s not from Midgard. Since we know who his mother is, and she’s also not from Midgard, it means both of them come from Prythian. Specifically from Silene’s line.

What’s intriguing: In Prythian, there’s only one person who shares Ruhn and Lorin’s distinctive appearance. And that’s Rhys. I think it’s fair to say at this point that Lorin is Rhys’s sister, who is actually alive. So, Elain’s vision is fulfilled: the girl everyone thinks is dead…

Continuing the game of thrones… Let’s set Lorin and Ruhn aside for a moment. I promise they’ll return to the game.

Rhys, Mor, and Azriel. Each of them is powerful, each possesses a different kind of magic. Honestly, it’s hard to eliminate any of them. Rhys and Mor are undoubtedly related; Mor was likely the sole heir to the Night Court before Nyx was born. When Mor’s powers manifested, the mountain trembled. Rhys is the most powerful Lord in history. Azriel is powerful in his own right - he has seven siphons, he’s the Shadowsinger, and he can break through the barriers of seven High Lords.

To narrow things down, let’s revisit the moment when all three were in the castle of King Hybern. If we look closely at the events, we’ll notice: – it was Azriel who got shot, not Mor or Rhys – it was Rhys’s head the King promised to Jurian – it was Mor whom the King called a queen and a glorious prize

So, for the King to claim Mor, he first had to eliminate Rhys and Azriel. That means he had to get rid of two people who would not only fight for her (in the sense of protecting her), but whose presence diminished the importance of her power. It’s worth noting that once King Hybern decides to release the boys, he never mentions Mor again.

Also, when Nesta forges her weapon, Amren suggests Rhys take the title of High King. At that point, they don’t yet have Gwydion. No one mentions Mor as a potential candidate if Rhys refuses. As if (since Mor’s family was removed from power) they’re now far down the line of succession. Her power matters within the Night Court, where magic rules. But here, we’re considering hereditary right to the throne. So Mor is out of the game.

Rhys and Azriel — sword duel We directly see Azriel carrying Gwydion. We don’t see Rhys carrying it. Apparently, Azriel taking the sword into the cave with Bryce was a test, to see where all of this would lead them. With emphasis on: where Bryce would lead them. 

I don’t know if Rhys entrusted Gwydion to Azriel consciously or unconsciously. Theoretically, he could’ve given it to Nesta, but that wouldn’t make sense. Azriel carries the Truth-teller, Gwydion’s twin, so testing the reaction of that pair makes more sense. 

Remember when Rhys gave Nesta one of her blades because he wanted to see what would happen (and he was a little afraid of those weapons)? Well, this look same, Rhys gave Gwydion to Azriel, proving that Azriel is capable of wielding it. What about Rhys? We still don’t know.

So let’s consider the matter genetically:

Reminder of powers: 

– Rhysand: has powers of night (darkness and stars), has access to the Prison – Azriel: has shadow powers - he is the Shadowsinger, can enter the Prison, though we don’t know how.

Silene passed the access code to the Prison to her son, and he to his son. The most likely descendant in that line is Rhys, who (like his predecessors) was both High Lord of the Night Court and had access to the Prison. And Azriel? Let’s look at his powers: Azriel is the Shadowsinger, possesses shadow powers similar to Silene and Fion. Shadow powers are characteristic of Fae who once lived on the prison island. We know that Cormac of Avallen also had shadow powers, but he didn’t matter much in terms of succession. Fae from the Court of Nightmares have shadow powers too, but they’re far down the line. Not just any Fae with shadow powers can enter the Prison. This means Azriel could truly carries royal blood.

Rhys has a son. If he is to take the throne, then next in line is Nyx. So he has a strong position because he has a descendant.

But we’re focused on Ruhn.

Conclusion: In this Game of Thrones lineup, Azriel wins. Azriel has powers close to those of the first High King. Rhys followed in the footsteps of the first High Lord of the Night Court. Rhys has royal connections, but not enough bloodline to claim the throne. Same goes for Lorin. Her family (Rhys’s family) has been pushed far down the line of succession.

But we still have the Oracle’s words:  “The royal bloodline will end with you.” Ruhn and his powers: Ruhn possesses both shadow powers and a seed of starlight. Many have already analyzed how these powers behave, so I won’t repeat that, I’ll just offer brief conclusions. Ruhn’s powers resemble those of his uncle Rhys in behavior, but they’re not the same, because Ruhn wields shadows. This has been emphasized many times. Uncle Rhys is pure night.

Apparently, Ruhn inherited his powers from his mother. Theoretically, that’s possible. The problem is that in this analysis, I’ve excluded Lorin as a potential heir to the throne, so in this case, the prophecy has no chance of coming true. Ruhn’s powers inherited from his mother wouldn’t make any sense and wouldn’t influence his claim to the throne in any way. In this analysis, I’m using the line of inherited powers as a reference to genetic connections. 

Is the Autumn King Ruhn’s biological father? Let’s remember what he said about his children, that Bryce is more his daughter than Ruhn is his son. The Autumn King doesn’t possess shadow powers and has long been ruled out of the game. So who is Ruhn’s father, and from whom did he inherit his powers? Crazy conclusion: Azriel. Ruhn inherited his powers from Azriel. Ruhn is the son of both Lorin and Azriel. He carries royal blood from his father.

Let’s take a closer look at her BC. We’re presented with two female characters, and in my opinion, this isn’t happening without a reason.

Sathia: 

– brave 

– free, goes wherever she wants 

– has a goal, matrimonial 

– fights for what’s hers: if Bryce doesn’t want Cormac, she should put him back on the market 

– stays true to her ideals, defends them – isn’t afraid to say what she thinks 

– earrings in her ears, which points to individuality 

Additionally, an important detail: it was in her brother’s home that Ruhn first noticed you can keep a child’s drawings

Lorin: 

– withdrawn 

– she’s “content” with the role of continuing the bloodline, sees it as an honor 

Alarming: 

– doesn’t want to trouble anyone, doesn’t impose 

– locked in her home, surrounded by guards 

– doesn’t want to cause trouble, doesn’t ask for help 

– doesn’t speak ill of the Autumn King 

– fixed daily routine? 

– gets nervous when pressed 

– feelings for a man who shows no interest in her 

– important: no family keepsakes, no trace of Ruhn in her home 

Additionally, from the books we learn that: 

– she’s passive in the face of unfolding events 

– probably only Ruhn visits her 

– she had no influence on Ruhn’s upbringing

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with a woman wanting marriage, wanting to have a child, wanting to be part of someone’s lineage. It’s all fine if she does it out of her own beliefs, her own dreams. It’s all fine when she has a say in raising the child. It’s all fine when she has her own life.

Lorin doesn’t have that life. She lives shut away in a beautiful villa, surrounded by guards. She doesn’t have the courage to go out into the world, to meet people. The guards could go with her, after all. But she “doesn’t want to be a bother.” And she considers the person who locked her away to be a good man. Why does someone like Lorin agree to this? She knows the patriarchal system very well, one in which a woman has no say. She fled Avallen, she deserted. That clearly shows that the system didn’t suit her. And after that, she willingly agreed to be locked away? I don’t buy it. 

However, in this intimate moment, SJM chose to include Ruhn. She could have written it so that Bryce didn’t mention her brother at all. He wasn’t necessary to show a romantic undertone or a growing bond between Bryce and Azriel. But no, Ruhn was mentioned. And that’s important.

It becomes more of a demonstration of the similarities between Azriel and Ruhn. Both were marked by fire, leaving scars on their bodies. Both suffered at the hands of people they considered family. Their scars, in a way, become a shared point of connection.

It also makes me think of Lorin, Ruhn’s mother. Ruhn never associated her with the horrors his father inflicted on him, just as Azriel never blamed his mother for what happened to him. These two women are absolutely not linked to their abusers. On the contrary, both men continue to show respect and love for their mothers.

There is no clear confirmation that Lorin is truly Rhys’s sister. There is only a theory that Rhys’s sister survived and now lives in the Crescent City universe. Personally, I believe this could be true, but I also developed two paths based on that same concept which show that these two characters could be connected.

First of all, Lorin’s physical description might suggest a connection to the Night Court. Another point are Ruhn’s powers, which can also be associated with members of the Night Court. A third point is that Bryce stated Ruhn and Rhys are very similar to each other.

The similarity in appearance can be explained by shared ancestors. It is very possible that in some generation individuals are born with identical features. However, SJM decided to emphasize it. So that feels like a clue.

If we assume that Lorin = Rhys’s sister, at least on a theoretical level, we can propose three scenarios

Rhys’s sister is alive and somehow moved to Midgard. I suspect Ramiel played a role in this, considering that the massacre occurred on Illyrian lands

Rhys’s sister died but was reborn in Midgard and remembers what happened

Rhys’s sister died and was reborn in Midgard as a completely new person, with no memory of her previous life

For the second and third possibilities, I refer to Azriel’s comment on reincarnation in CC. According to beliefs in Prythian, people who died but still have something left to do may be reborn in another world. Lorin, just like Ruhn, is described as High Fae, which for me is very important for this species — they have fully pointed ears.

On the other hand, if we look at the first concept, Rhys’s sister is, just like her brother, half Fae. Rhys looks like a High Fae until he summons his wings. It is possible that his sister inherited similar traits to her brother, at least in terms of Fae appearance. Ruhn also has physical features typical of a High Fae. I won’t speculate about his true father yet, I’ll leave that for later ;)

I already described the possibility that Rhys’s sister survived in my previous post. For now, I reject the idea that she still lives in Prythian, because through Selene and her resemblance to her, she has already been linked to CC. That resemblance is also mentioned there.

Throughout the current series, it’s been repeatedly stated that Rhys’s Sister is dead. Definitively. Her head was severed. Her wings too. But at the same time, we have Jurian, resurrected with only an eye and a finger. We have Miriam, mortally wounded by a spear, brought back using a mysterious magical artifact. We have Rhys, returned to life by seven High Lords. We have Amren, pulled back from the brink of death. And Feyre, brought back to life twice. So why shouldn’t I believe that Rhys’s Sister could still be alive?

Is there any actual proof? Personally, I think so.

Elain has a vision… she hears a girl crying. A girl everyone thinks is dead. A girl who, like Elain herself, is different, changed. Can we guess who this might be? Let’s try.

This vision is mentioned alongside ones of Briallyn and Vassa. Regarding Briallyn, we have no clear confirmation of what happened, but no one assumes she died. I’d rule her out immediately. There’s not even a hint that her court believes she’s missing. Her younger form disappeared, and her older one goes unrecognized. Vassa is a bit more complex.

Azriel directly asks if the sixth queen is alive — it's a subtle form of interrogation. He tries to guide Elain toward the correct answer. At that point, we know Vassa is alive and not sick. Another queen confirms this in a short letter. Jurian also plainly says the sixth queen lives and speaks of her curse. He adds that the world believes she was ill — not dead. So the vision isn’t about her.

Then who could it be?

Of all the characters in the book who might be important to the Inner Circle since Elain’s words are clearly directed toward them) there are only two possibilities: the Mother and Rhys’s Sister. And as much as it breaks my heart, the Mother has already played her part in their lives. It was deeply explored and fulfilled. But the Sister — that’s another story.

Let’s go further.

The word “changed” appears later in the book as well. When Madja examines Elain, she says Elain is different, changed. And Elain is visibly disturbed by that. Feyre uses the same word to describe herself, saying the war changed her forever.

Nothing in the books is 100% confirmed. And with every re-read, one word screams louder in my head: Sister!

I'm a huge fan of Azriel from the ACOTAR series. He's such a mysterious and incredible character, and every time I reread the books, I find myself rediscovering him all over again. Since Azriel is part of a romantic fantasy series, I decided to explore the path of what could be his potential love story. My favorite pairing is Azriel and Rhys’s sister — a combination I’d love to connect with Crescent City. I firmly believe that Rhun’s mother, Lorin, could very well be that sister. So for this little adventure, I’m adopting the charming ship name: LORIEL.✨

I’d love to take a closer look at every aspect and character connected to Azriel — both in the books and in fan conversations — all through the lens of LORIEL. I have no intention of criticizing anyone who supports other popular ships. There are plenty of arguments supporting those pairings too, and I genuinely see them in the books.