#velaris

“I have a daughter.”

The words sluice through the shadowsinger like snow-streaked rain. They’re icy fingers down his back, sharp, unforgiving.

Blade in hand, he hesitates.

Perhaps if he weren’t so very tired, sentimentalities would not matter. They shouldn’t matter. Not considering what he’s here to do, nor considering that there are eyes everywhere, always, and he’s been trained for them to not matter.

Still, he hesitates.

The male bound to the chair by shadows considers this a good sign. He tries to catch Azriel’s gaze — the one so few dare to meet.

“I’ve a little girl of only five,” he goes on. “Her name is Serin. She always waits for me to return home, gets excited for gifts—”

“Quiet,” Azriel cuts him off coldly. The word cleaves through the male’s bumbling as decidedly as the shadowsinger’s blade.

Azriel begins to circle him, thoughts leaking tension into his shoulders. He stares down at his black boots as they scuff over uneven stone. No matter how thoroughly he scrubs them clean, he swears specks of blood still watch him from their surface, much like the blood that stains his hands.

He’s supposed to be staining them more. The male on the chair should be dead by now — by orders of the High Lord of the Night Court.

But…five years old. The male’s daughter is five years old. The same age as Rhys’s sister.

Azriel pictures the child. How every time she visits Velaris, she seems to resemble Rhys more and more. She has his wide, violet eyes, his night-black hair. She enjoys skidding through the corridors on her socks and making mischief in the night-blooming gardens. She likes to tell Azriel jokes that don’t really make sense, but he laughs anyway.

She’s the closest he’s come to gazing upon his dear friend in five years.

“…Please,” the male tries again, his voice weaker, like it’s a last-ditch attempt not to die. “I swear to you, I do not know a thing. I wasn’t working for anybody. I’m just a—”

Azriel strikes, and the male cowers — but no harm befalls him.

He slices through the shadowy restraints like they’re ribbons. They scatter like blown smoke. The male is free to move.

“Go,” Azriel tells him dangerously.

The male eyes him cautiously, like this is some kind of trick. They both know they’re here for only one purpose, and that’s for Azriel to walk out of here spattered by the male’s viscera.

“Go,” Azriel orders him again. He tightens his grip on the handle of his dagger.

That’s all it takes for the male to scramble up so fast, the chair tips over in his hasty exit. Azriel does not right it as he waits for the male to disappear in whatever manner he knows and be long gone. He stares into space, almost wanting to yell at the eyes and ears to expose themselves. He might as well give them a show.

They’re going to report back to Fin, anyway.

But Azriel is just too tired. A headache builds behind his eyes. He feels he could sleep for weeks, but the night is far from over.

He drags his feet out of the damp and grimy dungeon, climbing stone steps to a brisk outdoors. The stars pepper a clear sky. It’ll be a cold night for flying. The moon shines in a perfect sphere above him like it, too, just witnessed what Azriel did.

My no nuance ACOTAR hot take

Tamlin did not lock Feyre up in the Spring Court.

Feyre was free to move around the estate. What Tamlin wanted was taking guards with, because she was a new fae with unstable magic in a court crawling with potential threats. That’s not a prison, it's protection for the woman he loved and saw die in front of his eyes

The big panic scene when mor come that everyone points to? Or to be more exact "When Tamlin leaves and she tries to follow him?"

Yes, he stops her from going out that one moment. Not to control her or lock her. But because he was heading into a dangerous situation and didn’t want her running after him untrained and vulnerable.

And I think is pretty clear that once he was far enough away, she would’ve been able to leave without following him.

Now.

You know who actually locked her up?

Rhysand.

More than once.

Moonstone Palace: Feyre is literally stuck there for a week. Alone. Unable to leave. Actually locked in. And somehow she's okay with it now?? Interesting.

Then there’s the magic bubble.rhysand litterly puted her in a bubble that no one can even touch her. Like even Cassian wasn't able to kiss her.

And if I remember correctly (correct me if I’m wrong), in the end of ACOSF, Rhys doesn’t let Feyre go out with Nyx in Velaris without protection or guards.

Which is… exactly what Tamlin did.

Except here’s the thing:

Spring Court at that time was unstable and dangerous, with monsters actively targeting Feyre.

But Velaris is supposed the safest city in Prythian, hidden and protected.

So why is Tamlin framed as an abusive jailer for taking precautions, while Rhys doing the same or worse is framed as romantic concern?

I’m fully convinced that Feyre is being mind-manipulated by Rhys.

This is the first scene I wanted to draw once I finished tome 2 😂 I just love how Cassian helps Rhysand free himself from his tension by just taunting him, best friendship ever lol

A Court of Mist And Fury belongs to author Sarah J Maas

Chronicle Books are releasing the following merch 6th October 2026:

A Deck of Woulds or Rathers

Sketchbook (Flowers, Flames, and Stars)

Gilded Notecards

Playing Card Set (Night Court Inner Circle)

Greetings from Velaris 1000-Piece Puzzle

Seven Courts of the Faerie Realm 1000-Piece Puzzle

The following info is from Edelweiss. I had to collate some of the images to stay under tumblr's 30 image max limit.

This is all being released under © 2015-2026, Sarah J. Maas. / Fireheart Inc. (previous merch has been "2015-2021")

1. A Deck of Woulds or Rathers

2. Sketchbook (Flowers, Flames, and Stars)

3. Gilded Notecards

4. Playing Card Set (Night Court Inner Circle)

5. Greetings from Velaris 1000-Piece Puzzle

6. Seven Courts of the Faerie Realm 1000-Piece Puzzle

If this were epic fantasy instead of romantasy, Emerie, a female who's had her wings clipped would not take too kindly to finding out her High Lady shape-shifts into an Illyrian whenever she wants, including for the sole purpose of having sex. Of course, Feyre never needs to worry about having her wings clipped, though. Could you imagine the conflict these two could unleash?

Emerie is in such a great position to challenge Feyre. Feyre's the first High Lady in 15,000 years. She should be fighting for and representing the women of the Night Court. Instead, Feyre only gives two shits about the 1% of Velaris. She's painting more often than she's serving as High Lady. Whereas Vivienne ruled the Winter Court for 50 years while their High Lord was enslaved UtM, Feyre couldn't rule the Night Court for an hour without Rhys around. While Feyre's buying her fifth mansion, the people in Velaris are struggling after the war, Emerie's people are living in barbaric slave-like conditions, and the people of the CoN are trapped under the mountain. Feyre's in a position to actually help people, yet she chooses not to. She would rather wear skimpy clothes and preen about and act like she's better than everyone else in her court. Feyre may have been abused, but she perpetuates that cycle of abuse for hundreds of innocent women and children in Illyria and the CoN.

Feyre would rather use the patriarchy to oppress women, so give me Emerie raising an army of women to abolish Feyre's patriarchy. Give me Emerie calling Feyre out on her bullshit "High Lady" title. Give me Emerie calling Feyre out for burning the LoA rather than trying to help the woman who's been a victim of abuse for centuries. Give me Emerie threatening to clip Feyre's wings - we know that would make Feyre start to give two shits and make meaningful changes. Give me Emerie raising up and leading the Illyrians in a revolution against Feysand and the IC.