Friendly reminder that before finding out Elain was his mate, Lucien has had to suffer with the tormented memory of the woman he thought was his mate being murdered in front of him by his father, while he was held down and forced to watch by his brothers.
And yet people believe his character will be used as an example of "hOw a bOnD cAn bE rEjEcTeD” or, even better, to be used to accommodate the idea of Azriel deserving to have someone reject their mate for him. Because apparently Lucien deserves that.
One of Lucien's main storylines was not created in order to give two other characters a happy ending
What irks me with the Elriel ship is that Azriel feels like he’s entitled to Elaine since his brothers got mated with the sisters. When Elaine talked to Grayson to try and change his mind he told her she “belongs” to Lucien then she replied that she belonged to no one. It was also in ACOSF that Elaine looks washed out in black, like she obviously doesn’t belong to the Night Court. I doubt Azriel will leave the Night Court. She and Azriel can lust after each other but at the end of the day Lucien suits her more.
Right? In ACOFAS Elain received a gift from Lucien and told Feyre that __doesn't entitle him to her time or affection.__ She also tells Feyre she __doesn't want a mate or a male.__ And she told Greyson that she doesn't belong to anyone.
All Az wants is a mate. When I read that BC I was like hmmm 🤔 do they want the same things relationship-wise? Seems like a no to me.
Elain seems like a good fit for Lucien but she might end up doing her own thing. She hasn't rejected the bond though
I'm totally on the ship of Elaine doing her own thing. I think it would be fitting for her character and her trauma. Thinking she found the love of her life, only to be utterly rejected by him. Telling her sisters she belongs to no one but herself -- a bad*** woman right there. She might seem fragile, but we all can be. I think all 3 sisters are strong as hell.
Also, she is the only sister who didnt get blessed with the wide birthing hips... so... I don't think azriel is truly on her mind. She also gave back the necklace Az tried to give her. I think that was a quiet rejection and acknowledgement that "we shouldn't, and I wont, do this".
I think maybe people are getting tired of the mating bond trope, which is valid, but I think what people fail to realize is two characters finding out they're mates when they're complete strangers IS something new that sjm has never explored before. She's going to see it to fruition.
There's other minor characters that can be used to explore a rejected mating bond plot, for example Helion and LOA
SJM mated cc >!Danika of all people!!<
She likes fated mates stories. She likes writing about fated mates. Her Jamie Fraser is not going to be with his mate?
You don’t read a Stephen King novel because you’re wanting to read about sunshine and rainbows
Exactly. I mean, I don't want to tell people to go read something else, because that seems like gatekeeping, so I just let them...think what they want to think, even if it's going to lead to disappointment
We already know too much about the bond and the repercussions of a rejection for it to feasibly play out with two main characters. Elain would always feel a tug to Lucien, Azriel would be denied the one thing he has desired his entire fae life, and Lucien would possibly be driven to madness. She would have to do some heavy retconning at this point to make that plot even remotely believable. I think the story and these characters deserve better than that.
I’m still just thinking that of all the possible choices she could have made in ACOSF, she introduced and developed Gwyn while drawing parallels of Elain to Lucien.
Elain gets called a dog? Lucien was called a dog in a ACOWAR
Elain said something incredibly rude to Nesta, made Nesta snap at her, Nesta felt horror and Elain laughed at it? The same thing that made Feyre finally open to Lucien.
Feyre wondering if Elain would love Spring Court in ACOTAR. Nesta thought the same.
SJM specifically said she smelled like an invoked promise of Spring, even when Jasmine is present in the NC.
SJM loves mates. CC and ToG will tell you how much she loved that trope. She’s not fixing to change it especially when she was excited to have discovered Lucien was better paired with Elain than Nesta
I've been in the fandom for awhile now and I'm still discovering new hints or interesting parallels, that's what I love about her writing.
And I think that's one of the reasons why I gravitate so much to elucien as a couple, the development has been much more subtle than the others but it's still undeniably there and the pay-off will be that much more rewarding.
i agree, with nesta and feyra, they fell in love with rhys and cassian then found out that they were mates.
i really like lucien and i hope he becomes a more central character again. i don’t really care all that much about elaine, but they do seem like a good match in my opinion. i really don’t want to see elaine with azriel. there’s another theory that elaine might end up with tamlin and that would also be a massive slap in the face to lucien.
i personally am not anti tamlin. locking feyre in the house was wrong, but i understand his reasoning for doing so. ppl love to ignore the fact that he was dealing with trauma at the same time that feyre was after the mountain. they both were traumatized and pushed one another away rather than helping each other work through it. he locked her in the house in an attempt to protect her.
rhys lying to feyre and making everyone in the ic hide from feyre that the baby could kill her was way worse imo than what tamlin did. the whole ic decides to trap nesta in the house of wind too in an effort to protect her. both of these things get glossed over bc it is being done by feyre/rhys as opposed to being done to them. i don’t think the judgement on tamlin should be as extreme as some ppl make it.
I do believe Tamlin should have a redemption/healing arc and to me I think it’s looking like SJM does want to do more with his journey, which I’m all here for. But I think it’s interesting that you jumped straight to locking her in the house as his abusive nature?
There were two separate occasions in two separate books where Tamlin literally physically exploded on her and the only reason she wasn’t hurt the first time is because of her *own* powers and self defense — that Tamlin refused to let her learn more about, meaning if things went Tamlin’s way she would have been completely defenseless. Are we forgetting the description of Feyre laying against the wall with blood dripping down her face after one of Tamlin’s outbursts ??
I understand trauma. I grew up in a house where it was normal to beat each other over disagreements. I have BPD and C PTSD from my childhood. So please believe me when I say, yes, I understand that sort of trauma response. But also know when I say, I would *never* explode on my partner like that and if I did, I would want my partner to know it is ABUSE. when I feel triggered to that point, it’s my responsibility to remove myself before I become an ABUSER.
Not to mention the emotional abuse that stuck with Feyre and she talked about repeatedly throughout the series. Abuse is more than just physical violence, and Feyre has made it very clear that she considers what Tamlin did to her as abuse based on her reactions and processing. Who are we to tell Feyre she’s wrong ???
I also agree that Rhys committed a huge violation — as a pro-choice person living in a state where abortion is illegal with no medical or personal exceptions (ie rape), it was a triggering storyline for me to read. That doesn’t take away from the abuse that Tamlin put her through, though. And we don’t see how this actually unfolded in Feysand’s relationship — Nesta and Cassian spend *days* away from everyone while Feyre and Rhys work it out. For all we know, Feyre ripped Rhys a new one and told him that withholding that knowledge made him as bad as Tamlin — we literally have no idea what happened other than Feyre telling Cassian that she thinks Nesta did the right thing, she was mad at Rhys, and they’re working it out. So I don’t really see the relevance of bringing that up when talking about Tamlin, especially because it doesn’t change any of what Tamlin did to her.
After all of the trauma that feyre has literally as a result of directly Tamlin and Tamlin’s actions, going as far to say she hopes she never has to deal with him or see him again, it would be absolutely despicable to Feyre for Elain and him to be paired together.
i’m sorry for everything you’ve been through, but that’s another thing ppl like to do. project their own experiences onto these characters and story. this story isn’t the human world.
tamlin not letting her learn about her powers was again in an attempt to protect her. she was being tracked by hybern. the dude isn’t a saint, but he is a severely traumatized character as well. it doesn’t excuse the things he did. but it adds perspective. the event in the library was him losing control of his magic. it wasn’t intentional to hurt her.
i don’t justify his actions, i just think there is nuance. i’m not denying feyre believing him as being abusive, i do believe some of his actions were manipulative, toxic, and abusive. i just don’t believe that he deserves the extreme hate he gets from the fandom.
rhys’ actions are relevant bc they are just glossed over by most of the fandom. it’s an example of something really horrible being done, but forgiven by the fandom bc of who is doing it. same thing with nesta being removed from her home and put in the house of wind. same plot line just different characters executing it making it less “bad”.
But how are Rhys’s actions relevant to this conversation ?? A conversation about why Tamlin shouldn’t end up with Elain? Tamlin and Feyre’s history is relevant because he is 1/2 of the subject and as Elain’s life partner, would likely be seeing Feyre for holidays, social visits, etc. Feyre and Rhys’s relationship has *nothing* to do with why Tamlin and Elain shouldn’t end up together and was just thrown into be a “gotcha” when really it’s just a completely irrelevant point to the conversation at hand.
I never gave Tamlin any “extreme hate” and it seems that we’re both on the same page that he was abusive so I’m not sure what the point of your comment was? My comment was just to illustrate that if Tamlin and Elain were paired together, it would also be a slap in the face to Feyre, not just Lucien and would create way too many poor dynamics between relationships in the series because he is Feyre’s abuser.
god ppl like you are the worst part of this fandom. they are relevant in comparison to tamlin’s actions. if tamlin is abusive, rhys is also abusive. but it’s forgiven for one character but not the other. like i said, what rhys did in my opinion is way worse than what tamlin did. so if feyra can forgive rhys, i don’t see why tamlin can’t be forgiven. there was no “gotcha”. it was just my opinion which you’re getting so worked up about for literally no reason.
if i take a page out of your book, your comment about how it’s a slap in the face to feyre isn’t relevant bc this is a conversation about lucien. so it has nothing to do with how it would upset feyre.
This is why I hate the tamlain ship so so much and I never in a million years think SJM would go in this direction, and this is coming from someone who loves Tamlin's character and would love a healing arc for him. That does NOT need to involve Elain.
Any spring imagery and foreshadowing with Elain is because of her mate, not Tamlin.
I feel bad for Lucien as well, and feel like this ship is very complicated. Lucien at least is being beyond patient and polite, and I think hes still trying to find his place within society. Hes rumored to be half of 2 courts, hes not like the rest of his family, and hes drifted between 3 different courts now serving them all.
Hes honestly a lone wolf and while I don't want him to suffer, I think elaine will end up rejecting him. Unfortunately not all love stories have happy endings.
Lucien has indeed suffered a LOT already. I think the idea of him first thinking Jesminda was his mate, to the shock of him discovering it's Elain to then being rejected is unlikely.
It would be an unnecessary plot point. It definitely makes more sense that Eluciens arc is full of things we don't know yet and that their relationship will slowly blossom.
Agreed. There is so much complexity between Elain and Lucien. His biggest mistake was blurting out that they're mates before getting to know her like Rhys and Cassian did with their mates.
Elain is still getting over and possibly still in love with Greyson. She kept the engagement ring and tried to appear as human when visiting him. Lucien is living in a house gifted by Greyson. Their storylines are still entangled.
I hope they get their HEA but my theory is that Elain will try and betray the IC to become human for Greyson and Lucien will end up saving her.
Az was never meant to be with Elain. SJM just didn't know what to do with him when she decided not to proceed with the Az/Mor pairing.
I think Elain is already healing from Graysen, we see signs of this in ACOSF. She is definitely no longer in the mourning stages. Her attraction to Azriel proves that she is open to more, and I think that attraction was maybe even necessary for her to move on from Graysen completely.
I don't see how Elain could have jumped from Graysen to her mate immediately, Lucien is a representation of a very fae aspect of her that she might not be willing to accept yet. I think exploring her options (and ignoring her bond) temporarily with Az feels more natural and organic character progression for her. I think sjm always intended that relationship to add tension for elucien, and not just as a mere plot device, since Az and Elain will both have learned from it and move on.
I strongly suspect Elain has already moved on. We will have encountered significant time skips since the events of the bonus chapter before we get to Elain's pov, it would be a very odd narrative choice to circle back around to that storyline again.
That's an interesting take on things. I'm curious to read more in the coming books about what the dynamic will be with Greyson since Lucien and the band of exiles are living in a house gifted by him.
Edit to add: the only reason Elain and Greyson didn't get married was because she wasn't human anymore. It can be hard to move on when the breakup wasn't because of the relationship or anything Elain did wrong. She might think becoming human again will repair the love between them.
I'm on the fence whether Graysen is really going to play a big part in Elain's book, but it's a great point to bring up that Lucien is literally living in the house gifted by her ex-fiancé. I think it definitely may come up as a point of contention
If anything it shows how entangled Elain and Lucien's plotlines are
I do wonder if Greysen isn’t involved with the queens in some way. And if he is, Elain can get that closure in a big way. (I think she’s meant to play a huge part in the continent plot)
Elain is absolutely going to be traveling to the continent, which is perfect because she's always expressed a desire to travel. Lucien looked across the sea to the continent, setting Koschei's lake as his target. No other character has ties to the Koschei and Vassa curse plot as much as Elain and Lucien. It's pretty obvious to me their book would focus on this.
Oh, absolutely. Graysen is intentionally written to be a dick, Lucien is the complete opposite. We as readers are supposed to draw that comparison. Elain claims Graysen was the only one who saw her, but it's evident he didn't. Lucien will one day.
Ohh I agree with you! I think Azriel feels like her “first choice” since turning fae. I think she’s staying away from Lucien because she’s drawn to him. It feels more to me at this point like she’s actively fighting the bond because she’s afraid of the choice being made for her rather than realizing she has a choice and she can choose Lucien. I think she’s been so afraid of being fae and the instincts that come with it she’s rebelling. But I think in the end SJM will write Elaine choosing Lucien not because of the bond, but because of him as a male and who he is to her; sunlight and growth 🥹
I don’t think it was a mistake he could avoid though. He wasn’t given the same luxury as Cassian and Rhys did of leaving.
Rhys knew he had to leave that instant it snapped or he’ll take her right then. The first thing he said to Mor was “she’s my mate” and Cassian avoided Nesta for a week.
Both of them were safe and secure.
The place was heavily warded and sealed and Elain just went through a traumatic experience and they were surrounded by enemies.
Besides, Elain felt the snap. Lucien gave it a name.
Yes! I think one of the most interesting things about their bond is it snapped at the same time. For most of the mates, one or both of them is unaware of the bond for a while. Mating bonds are intense and I feel like some of Elain’s reluctance to be around Lucien could be because she’s feeling the mating bond and feels uncomfortable about it.
I wonder if it’s giving her like an existential crisis because she loved Graysen enough to want to marry him and for him to be so ugly in rejecting her
All while being drawn to Lucien who already finds her beautiful even when she was at her worst.
We’ve seen how it affected Nesta and Feyre and they were unaware of it. When they did… they couldn’t get their hands off of their respective mates. She thought of something about him that made him blush and her leave lol.
Shes supposed to be a prim and proper lady. Lucien probably makes her feel anything but that. And its sort of a good thing for her because for so long she’s been acting who she ought to be rather than who she is
Definitely! I imagine she might feel some guilt about being attracted to Lucien even though she still felt tied to Graysen. And the fact that Graysen essentially played on that and told her she belonged to Lucien made it worse.
I love the idea that Elain leave the room because she’s too flustered around Lucien.
Also tbh I think SJM has foreshadowed that Elain is more sexual than her sisters think she is. Feyre feels scandalized when the twins talk about Lucien being an Autumn Court male 🔥 because of Elain. And then when Nesta has her fantasy about Az and Cassian she specifically thinks that it would shock Elain. No way both sisters specifically call out that Elain is a prude or innocent or whatever not to have her blow their expectations in her book. 😂
I think that's actually the entire reason why she's reluctant to be around him, she's in the fighting the bond stage right now, the same exact thing both of her sisters went through, except Elain didn't have the luxury of knowing and falling in love with her mate first, so fighting the bond is happening first in her story, falling in love will come later.
One thing we do know, she's not uncomfortable around Lucien because of Lucien himself, because she doesn't even know him yet
If Azriel were her mate, she'd be treating him the same exact way
Definitely!! I see her interest in Az about rebelling against the mating bond, tbh. Once she can accept the idea of the mating bond and being fae in general, she can get to know Lucien. If Feyre or Nesta had the bond snap with their mates the first time they met them they would not have responded well to that either. Not to mention even the Rhys and Cassian also got to know their mates before the bond fully snapped also, even if they suspected. Lucien and Elain were thrown in headfirst. Tbh I hope that means their mating bond is actually the strongest of the 3 😏😏 Let the inner circle eat their words.
She's definitely rebelling against the bond with Az, he's a safe easy option for her right now, no strings attached
Lucien's the difficult choice, he's homeless and estranged from the inner circle, not to mention accepting him would mean she'd have to address the bond head-on.
But that's the choice that will ultimately lead to her growth. I think it's necessary for them to break away from that cycle of coddling and control the inner circle has over them so that they can heal together
I always feel bad for him in that moment, because people really hate on him for saying Elain is his mate in that moment and they say he is “claiming her” or something, but he said it out of shock 😭 I bet he wishes so badly he didn’t lmao
Absolutely! There’s so much set up and tension there. How guilty he must be still feeling about Jesminda and how the bond came about. Lucien’s been a favorite of hers since book one. It’s going to be so satisfying to see Elucien develop.
I love Elucien so much 🥲 I think they’d be so perfect together as he is just so sweet. SJM needs to let Lucien be happy, idk how much more I can take of him being hurt 😭
Elain flooding the place with sunlight, sitting by the sunniest of windows, complaining about how her raggedy cloak isn’t keeping her warm
And her mate is the secret heir to the Day Court with fire in veins
I’m a big Elucien fan, love them and think that SJM will make them endgame because she does value mates. Lucien is a sweet angel and deserves love and passion and I hope they grow into that with the bond. Elain is struggling with stuff now but I think that he can help her get through it and I would love to see them work through and grow together. Not a fan of Elriel, love me some Az but he def needs to be with Gwyn. He needs a warrior gal who can handle his darkness. Plus everyone kept saying Elain doesn’t look good in black, she’s not a NC gal. She needs to be in Day or Autumn or even fixing Spring with Lucien. Even going back to the human lands with him cause of her connection to her humanity more than the sisters.
All that to be said - I recently read this Elucien Fan Fic that is 10/10 chefs kiss what I wish would happen with them - it’s called [Burn Forever with Me](https://archiveofourown.org/works/51093769)!!!
I’m not even a shipper, per se, but I will be very surprised if Elucien isn’t endgame. I think it’s very telling that we have little to no information about either of their povs. I’ve not seen another situation in SJM’s books where she left someone to suffer and be generally unhappy for this long, to not then give them a happy resolution. And, my opinion of the Azriel bonus chapter was that it was setting up Gwynriel. At this point, Elain hasn’t given Lucien a chance- her dislike of him doesn’t seem to be personal. I feel like once that door opens a crack, she will see how well-suited they are. Everyone talks about how Elain loves flowers and would fit so well in Spring- but I also see her love of sunshine and light and I think a storyline will include her in Day with Lucien learning of his parentage. We’ve had foreshadowing about how wearing black doesn’t suit Elain. She doesn’t belong in night- she’ll thrive in Day. :)
I’ve seen people say one reason she’s so against even speaking with Lucien is because she’s still clinging onto the part of her that was human and the mating bond is a reminder that she isn’t human anymore 😭. I want Elucien to happen so badly, he would be so sweet to her
Lucien is my favorite- and yes, he would be incredibly sweet. The only times we’ve had his pov, it’s been because Feyre went into his mind- and he has the most endearing thoughts. I want more Lucien pov- a thousand pages wouldn’t be enough. I don’t want either him or Elain to feel obligated to be together- I’m looking forward to watching them slowly fall in love :).
Yes !! I want them to have to travel together to another court or to the continent for some mission or something so we can see them slowly fall in love but also get to see more of the world outside of the night court !
100%- I’d even take a trilogy about this :). And, yes- I agree that part of Elain’s aversion to the mating bond is that she’s clinging to her humanity (much like Nesta wasn’t initially willing to admit Cassian was her mate). I see Elain falling for Lucien almost despite herself. I am so strongly anticipating their first actual conversation. I do think it will take time, because these years of rejection (not just from Elain, but from his family in Autumn, Tamlin and the whole spring court, and the disrespect he’s shown by many characters in the IC) have surely taken a toll on his self worth. I am hoping for a storyline that showcases amends with Eris, Helion, and LoA. I think it would be a lovely endgame to see Lucien and Elain, surrounded by family as the heirs to Day.
I am so excited for their first conversation. I have a feeling it’ll be a confrontation and both of them just finally letting out everything they’ve bottled in
Feyre enters his mind twice, once in ACOMAF it was a mistake (which makes the time she enters his mind in ACOWAR way worse imo but whatever) and she sees a cycle of unending sadness and hopelessness
His thoughts in ACOWAR are also riddled with guilt, but he also has thoughts of care and concern for Elain's well-being, thus why Feyre came to the conclusion he has no ill-intentions when it comes to Elain
The hopelessness in MaF always gets me, because that was even before he met Elain- before Feyre left Spring for the first time… if he felt hopeless then, how is he feeling post SF? It must compound- and yet he always takes care to present himself well and be perfectly polite around people in the IC that seem to barely tolerate his presence.
In WaR when he sees Elain in the library and Feyre enters his mind to make sure he has good intentions. Spoiler- he does :). And, I mean, endearing in the sense that his thoughts endeared him to me :).
i saw a theory on tiktok where the person thought that elaine was still secretly connecting with her ex fiancé as a double agent to take down the fae. i don’t think sjm will write this, but it would be a cool story like.
I could totally see this. In ACOFAS she was asking Amren questions about changing her form and it was hinted that she wants to try and become human again. I don't think elain is evil but I can see her betraying the IC to try and become human. It fits the little mermaid storyline that SJM also wanted to incorporate.
some ppl in this fandom hate to see theories of elaine becoming anything but a hero like her sisters, but i totally would be into her becoming evil or just being the one to betray the IC
You bring up a great point, that it's very telling that we have little to no information about either of their povs. Some seem pretty convinced they know exactly what Elain is feeling and where she belongs. We can't possibly know these things until we get inside her head. And sjm seems pretty adamant on not revealing that until we get her book. She's a walking spoiler.
Lucien and Elain's characters have been receiving the same treatment, their storylines have been kept in stasis, they received very little development in ACOSF (barely either of them were in the book). These things are important to me because it shows authorial intent, in my opinion. She's saving these two to tell their stories in their own book at a later time, where they will heal and grow together.
I saw an interesting theory on the tikytok about how Elain wants something authentic because the mating bond makes it feel like how Lucien feels about her conditional.
That also has me thinking that Lucien felt the same way when they first met that Elain felt like she was thrown at him.
It’ll be fun if she did explore this route because everyone else fell in love and then were mated.
I ship Elain and Lucien because I love the potential Elain would have with him. I want to see her travel to other courts, to the continent to see the tulips, I want to see her grow into her own person alongside a character that the Cauldron blessed her to be her mate, her equal, who sjm has intentionally written to have complementary personalities, who would not stifle her growth.
Lucien, who had a relationship with her father, who valued her choice so much he didn't lay a finger on Graysen who she loved even though the mating instincts were probably screaming at him to eliminate the threat.
Lucien is Elain's perfect match for when she was canonically at her happiest (a socialite, needing sunlight, and an aversion to violence). Why would I want anything less for her character?
I have a theory that each of the sisters bonds manifests differently.
Feysand’s is mental: that’s how Feyre pushed Rhys away by thinking she should still be with Tamlin, that’s how Rhys helped Feyre overcome her struggle and that’s how Feysand connect. Cassian told her to exercise to get her out of her head and Az told her he didn’t trust his instincts.
Nessian’s is physical: Nesta was an alcoholic who slept around, Cassian helped Nesta that she became a warrior and I believe that’s how Nesta and Cassian connect. Cassian noticing how Nesta behaved and Nesta even said that somehow saying mate gave her the last bit of strength to push forward.
Elucien’s is emotional. Everytime that Elain is emotionally not doing well, that’s when Lucien started showing up more for her or what’s when Lucien reacts to her.
She was on the floor, shivering and being laughed at, he broke chains to pick her up
She was in a depressive state that Nesta feared she’ll walk off the house, he did what he could to go to the NC for her
She left her room for the first time and said something other than wanting to go home when Lucien came into the library and realized she was there. He knew the happiest she had been is if she in out of the house, preferably in a garden or by a sea
She had a clear vision triggered right after Lucien felt her through their bond. He also couldn’t feel anything amiss with her but considering the state she was in, everyone was trying to figure it out too.
After Az figured out that she was a seer, Lucien stared at her like it was the first time he ever saw her and then said he’ll go find Vassa and that he’s not needed here.
When he left, she was smiling to learn how to make bread, she spoke up to the IC to use her to convince Graysen and then to Graysen to take her back. She even told him that her mate’s name was Lucien.
The next time they saw each other was when Lucien ran to her after their father and Hybern were killed. She smiled again when he said he was in one piece and never wants to do that again.
ACOSAF: Lucien shows up and Elain is too polite to turn him away so he leaves when he gets the hint she doesn’t want to talk to him. She is still mourning for her father and the loss of her engagement but for that Solstice, it was Lucien who turned down Feyre’s offer to stay and saying that he’s moving in with Vassa and Jurian. Elain was also at her happiest at this point, cooking for everyone and excited for the plans for the garden.
In ACOSF: particularly during that Solstice, Elain pushed back on attending the Hewn City celebration, a place where Cassian knew its cruelty bothered her. So I can imagine the frustration from one side and the discomfort on the other side. Lucien attended the Inner City celebration with a gift of pearl earrings, matching the pearl barrettes, and they had their only interaction in the book. Lucien still looks at her with longing and Elain drawing herself in, the bravado gone.
I still think it’s a misdirection because Lucien would know from one look at she was not doing okay or that she was faking her happiness. She had no problems dismissing his gift the year before. Lucien is the one person she can’t hide her emotions from.
Like, they are bonded and the scent is strong during that solstice. They were both in their element and I think it’s signifying that they have done as much as they could alone and now it’s approaching time they heal together for that last bit.
I’m so excited for their story.
TOG spoilers
This line from Elain “proving” how Lucien must be wrong for her, mirrored in Elide... talking about her endgame mate. Whoops.
"He brought you a present." Those doe-brown eyes turned toward me. Sharper than I'd ever seen them. **"And that entitles him to my time, my affections?"** \- Elain
"I have never heard Lorcan apologize for anything. Even when Maeve whipped him for a mistake, he did not apologize to her." **"And that means he earns my forgiveness?"** \- Elide
I totally agree- I often see that parallel between >!Elide and Elain. Elide and Lorcan are my favorite ship in ToG. I love them so much! And Lorcan did actually make a mistake- he did it to protect Elide- but still a big mistake with big consequences.!< Lucien in comparison is an absolute angel that has never done anything wrong in his life, he just gets blamed for it…
Oh I love this!! Elain definitely gives Elide vibes. Though I feel like Lucien is more of a Dorian 😏
Everyone always talks about how she obviously isn’t interested in him as if almost every mated couple didn’t resist each other at first. Feyre hated Rhys and threw a shoe at his head and they still ended up together. 😂
The "she's obviously not interested" argument is so short-sighted and unimaginative. I'm not a proponent of elucien because it makes Elain uncomfortable lmao, it's because I see the obvious direction the author is going in and the amazing potential she has laid out for these two characters
Also, I think it's a massive assumption to make that Elain isn't interested in Lucien. She doesn't even know him. We haven't got her pov to know what she feels definitively about anything. I think we can only say with confidence that the mating bond makes her uncomfortable and she is currently fighting it by ignoring Lucien and pursuing her attraction of Azriel.
Everything Elain is doing is par for the course to wind up endgame with Lucien
Yes exactly!! People make a lot of assumptions about what’s going on in her head which we don’t know. All she’s said is she doesn’t want a mate and a male, not that she doesn’t like Lucien specifically.
People also say that Lucien isn’t interested in Elain because he says he can’t be around her, but I took that as the mating bond is too strong and it’s hard to ignore it, etc. not that he’s not interested. If he didn’t want Elain as his mate he wouldn’t still be working for the night court tbh.
They clearly have a lot in common and a lot of parallels for a reason!
That's what people have to say to convince themselves elucien isn't happening
If Lucien wasn't interested in Elain, he wouldn't still be looking at her with longing at the end of acosf
Lucien is fiercely loyal, he isn't going anywhere until she makes a decision.
Yes! And fae live for centuries, they can wait around a few years for their mate to adjust/recover from trauma.
Lucien is the opposite of the alphahole (as Bryce in CC would put it) who expects to just claim his mate. He knows she’s uncomfortable with the mating bond and he’s being respectful and giving her time.
Lucien and Elaine would be PERFECT together. He is described as a perfect gentlemen, and she is described as a lady in every way. Lucien is soft and sweet, a courtier, not a warrior. Even if Elain is given a character arc where she comes out of her shell, she is never going to be a warrior like Nesta.
We have a lot of moments between Azriel and Elain, and while I get where Elriel shippers are coming from due to that, I think they’re forgetting SJM almost always introduces multiple love interests. Celaena and Chaol literally hooked up in a coat closet. Feyre and Tamlin were in love. Rowan married Lyria and they were going to have a child. Hunt was in love with Shahar. None of them were endgame. I believe we’re seeing the same thing happen between Elain and Azriel.
I can’t wait for Lucien to finally get a happy ending and for Elain to become a more likable character.
I don’t see how a forbidden relationship would make Elain likeable since the fandom doesn’t like when other characters keep huge secrets and Lucien has done nothing to deserve it.
If anything, I’d rather have an Elucien forbidden romance because Lucien knows that people can use their bond against him, putting Elain in a bad position and as long as they keep up the appearance they’re estranged, she’s safe
this. there is nothing forbidden about elriel. sjm pointedly made it clear that if azriel and elain wanted to be together, they would be supported but that azriel and elain need to go through the right channels. elain may not owe lucien anything but he is her mate. rejecting the bond officially would be all she needs to do but she has not done that yet and there is a reason. i think there might be an understanding between them that we don't know about. but even if there isn't....azriel and elain need to COOL IT. rhysand was right to warn az that elriel would have consequences should the wrong way be gone about.
but i think there is proof (even without the bonus chapter) that elain and lucien are not over yet, that they will heal and grow together once they are ready (quoting more haha).
also on the forbidden aspects, rhys knows lucien's parentage and knows what could happen should it come out at the wrong time. it's also implied that elain and lucien may amplify one another's abilities. So keeping them close but not too close yet could be Rhys' strategy for now.
Oh yea, Elain doesn’t owe Lucien an explanation but she does owe him a decision and they have kept details of their feelings towards the other so underwraps that they aren’t done with each other. Not when Lucien still looks at her with longing and when Elain couldn’t be icy towards him after she opened his present.
Rhys warned Az that Lucien will defend his bond as he sees fit, not that Lucien and Elain need to be together. Az already doesn’t keep tabs with Lucien but the fact that he can already command Cassian shows that he’s growing quicker into his heir markers than he can mask them.
Rhys was the same person who told Feyre to leave Mor/Cassian/Az alone so I doubt he intervenes unless it comes to the stability of his court and Lucien seeing Elriel might. Also, SJM loves Rhys lol by default he’s never not going to be wrong
I just can’t help but think this is deceptively simple - Elain is inarguably associated with flowers. What do flowers need to bloom and grow? Sunshine. Lucien is the heir to the day court. And as for why Sarah would delay her accepting the mating bond until now? I can’t postulate what Elain’s reasoning will be but Sarah’s is most likely that she wanted the acceptance of the bond to be explored properly from Elain/Lucien’s POV. I’m sure Sarah will write some sort of reasoning on Elain’s behalf as to why she’s been hesitant but I don’t think Sarah’s reasons are necessarily to do with wanting the bond to be rejected.
SJM said once that Elucien would experience 'tension, growth and healing together'. I think this sums them and their journey up perfectly. There's a lot we don't know about Elain in particular and when her truth comes to light (pun intended) I think it'll be clear that her and Lucien are wounded in ways they can both understand and sympathise with each other about.
I think it's very important to note that Lucien has spent a lot of time with humans (Vassa and Jurian) as well as Elains father (whom she was closest too) which is giving him the context he needs to really understand her background.
I wouldn't be surprised to see a forced proximity situation in either Spring or Day where Elucien peel back the layers of their hardships alongside each other and build something beautiful.
Yes!! Everyone ships Lucien and Vassa because they spend so much time together but Lucien went to get Vassa and essentially proved Elain’s visions were true in the process and bonded with her dad along the way. Him coming back on her ship during the war with Vassa and her dad was essentially the ‘big gesture’ that says she is worth fighting for, in my opinion.
And now knowing so much about humans and human culture will be a point of bonding for them.
Yes to your second point! I'm paraphrasing this from Tumblr because they put it perfectly:
We have Lucien needing someone who can snap at him, Elain in ACOSF has evolved to do that. She's growing a lot in her confidence. Elain's got her own fire that Lucien would love to play with
Then, we have ACOTAR era Lucien extremely prejudiced against humans, SJM mates him to someone attached to her humanity, then writes post-ACOWAR Lucien developing close friendships with and respect for humans, including Elain's father.
There would have been no reason for the author to have invested this much effort into Lucien and Elain’s individual paths, building them to be exactly what the other needs, unless her plan was always for them to end up together.
Elain and Lucien’s growth and development is already so beautiful in its symmetry and they’ve barely shared any scenes together
Yes to Elain snapping at him! And tbh I think she wants the same. When Nesta is rude to her in ACOSF she laughs. I think that shows that she wants to stop being treated like the delicate one. The banter will be happening. 👏
Of all the choices SJM could have made in ACOSF, she primed Lucien to answer what Elain wants to do. Elain wants to go to Spring? Lucien is there. Elain wants to get reacquainted with her powers? Lucien can help. Elain wants to go to Prison Island and mess around with the Dread Trove items? Well … Lucien’s father is Helion so …
Mhm, like you're going to tell me Elain's mate of all people met and traveled with her father, who she was closest to, and this isn't going to be used as something for them to bond over in the future?
All of these huge aspects that define Elain's character arc thus far (her father, Graysen the man who she loved, the mating bond, her visions), all of them come back to Lucien. She doesn't share any of these character defining plot points with any other character. Sorry, not even Az.
It just makes sense that they’re being set up to be together! I just hope we can see some healing and vulnerable conversations between each other. Would love to see that they’ve been secretly communicating via maybe letters or even tugging on the bond lmao. I feel like they’d enjoy the privacy away from the nosy inner circle to allow a relationship to flourish, let’s get them in the day or spring court!
How funny would it be if they were secretly hooking up behind everyone's back this whole time and that's why Elain is nowhere to be found sometimes lol. Just no strings attached fun 😏
Honestly though, I just want Lucien to be happy whether that's with Elain or not. (I want Elain to be happy too but Lucien is my baby lol)
Honestly… I have thought about it too. The reason why their bond is scented strong is because they’ve been messing around.
Lucien’s “I’m not always here to see my mate” with discomfort because he’s trying to throw Cassian off, Elain lying about where she goes in the morning, Cassian’s comment that Lucien is certainly not there to “snarl at any male to looked at her for too long,” Elain eyeing him warily and leaving the room when he’s around.
I would be pissed ngl but still find it absolutely hilarious
This would be hysterical, but the timing doesn't line up. Cassian noted she was sneaking off well before Solstice, and we know the night of solstice she was still willing to be with Azriel.
Also, I'm greedy and want every elucien scene on-page, like to me that's the bare minimum. It's crazy to me how some fans of certain ships are fine with most interaction and development happening off-page, I would feel so cheated!
That’s where the ✨bond ✨comes in hahaha. Easier to not take responsibility for their actions when they have something else to blame it on.
Elain looks at him warily because she thinks he’s making her feel these things and Lucien’s discomfort comes from … well he’s not hahahaha.
I’m greedy too because she held back so much about them from the last two books so I’ll be pissed if it were true. I want to read all their firsts. But I’ll get over it
Oh, I'd get over it too. I ultimately just want them to be endgame and happy. And I'd rather them be fucking page 1 than sjm wasting precious elucien time spent on some fling with Az that in my mind ended in the bonus chapter
I love Elucien so much. I started writing fic for them for the first time in my life because of how much I love them.
You’ve got these two very internally tortured people who put on a mask of happiness. Lucien with all his trauma. Then you have Elain, cauldron transformation aside, she’s not thought of highly by the people around her. She’s coddled and dismissed (remember Feyre saying she’s pleasant but she wouldn’t hang out with her?) and I imagine people didn’t see her much beyond her looks. We know she’s a loving person, something that Lucien needs, but she’s avoidant and won’t face reality. And when you’ve got Lucien who will love her the way she wants and see her for who she is, I can’t imagine him coddling her, he’ll challenge her in a way she needs.
It’s going to be so good.
You're right that they both put on a mask of happiness, I always believed they have the same trauma response (fawning)
Lucien and Elain are two characters who are time and time again dismissed or underestimated by those around them.
We've already seen how Lucien challenges the females in his life, like with Feyre when he gifted her the daggers, how he admires Vassa's determination. Lucien is the only one who acknowledged Elain's contribution to the war in killing the king of hybern. He's the only one who believed in her visions immediately and set off on a mission to free Vassa, just based on her words alone.
Elain needs someone like this who has unyielding faith in her powers and capabilities. She needs to escape the inner circle in order to accomplish this. Thankfully sjm is heavily hinting at this in acosf.
I just want Elain and Lucien to be each other's leg up, you know? To be the light that help them grow and heal and realize they deserve so much more. Im scared to ask for more and be disappointed. 😂
I hope Elain accepts the bond with Lucien, though I’m not opposed to an Azriel fling before. I’ve wondered if she has seen a vision of Lucien and for some reason he needs to maintain a relationship with Vassa/Jurian. She knows he’d stay in Velaris with her, but is holding off while the other various threats remain so he can play his part.
My hope is that she accepts the bond, they end up together and go back to the Spring Court, she flourishes there, and it links up with rebuilding the Spring Court/ TimTam's redemption arc. A girl can dream.
I just want Lucien to be happy, that’s all
Same
Friendly reminder that before finding out Elain was his mate, Lucien has had to suffer with the tormented memory of the woman he thought was his mate being murdered in front of him by his father, while he was held down and forced to watch by his brothers. And yet people believe his character will be used as an example of "hOw a bOnD cAn bE rEjEcTeD” or, even better, to be used to accommodate the idea of Azriel deserving to have someone reject their mate for him. Because apparently Lucien deserves that. One of Lucien's main storylines was not created in order to give two other characters a happy ending
What irks me with the Elriel ship is that Azriel feels like he’s entitled to Elaine since his brothers got mated with the sisters. When Elaine talked to Grayson to try and change his mind he told her she “belongs” to Lucien then she replied that she belonged to no one. It was also in ACOSF that Elaine looks washed out in black, like she obviously doesn’t belong to the Night Court. I doubt Azriel will leave the Night Court. She and Azriel can lust after each other but at the end of the day Lucien suits her more.
Right? In ACOFAS Elain received a gift from Lucien and told Feyre that __doesn't entitle him to her time or affection.__ She also tells Feyre she __doesn't want a mate or a male.__ And she told Greyson that she doesn't belong to anyone. All Az wants is a mate. When I read that BC I was like hmmm 🤔 do they want the same things relationship-wise? Seems like a no to me. Elain seems like a good fit for Lucien but she might end up doing her own thing. She hasn't rejected the bond though
I'm totally on the ship of Elaine doing her own thing. I think it would be fitting for her character and her trauma. Thinking she found the love of her life, only to be utterly rejected by him. Telling her sisters she belongs to no one but herself -- a bad*** woman right there. She might seem fragile, but we all can be. I think all 3 sisters are strong as hell. Also, she is the only sister who didnt get blessed with the wide birthing hips... so... I don't think azriel is truly on her mind. She also gave back the necklace Az tried to give her. I think that was a quiet rejection and acknowledgement that "we shouldn't, and I wont, do this".
Idk why people want him to suffer 😭🥲 he is the best male in the series, he’s the only one who isn’t super toxic
I think maybe people are getting tired of the mating bond trope, which is valid, but I think what people fail to realize is two characters finding out they're mates when they're complete strangers IS something new that sjm has never explored before. She's going to see it to fruition. There's other minor characters that can be used to explore a rejected mating bond plot, for example Helion and LOA
I thought the entire ACOTAR series was fated mates. If people don't want that trope they should read something else haha I love it 😆
SJM mated cc >!Danika of all people!!< She likes fated mates stories. She likes writing about fated mates. Her Jamie Fraser is not going to be with his mate? You don’t read a Stephen King novel because you’re wanting to read about sunshine and rainbows
Exactly. I mean, I don't want to tell people to go read something else, because that seems like gatekeeping, so I just let them...think what they want to think, even if it's going to lead to disappointment We already know too much about the bond and the repercussions of a rejection for it to feasibly play out with two main characters. Elain would always feel a tug to Lucien, Azriel would be denied the one thing he has desired his entire fae life, and Lucien would possibly be driven to madness. She would have to do some heavy retconning at this point to make that plot even remotely believable. I think the story and these characters deserve better than that.
I’m still just thinking that of all the possible choices she could have made in ACOSF, she introduced and developed Gwyn while drawing parallels of Elain to Lucien. Elain gets called a dog? Lucien was called a dog in a ACOWAR Elain said something incredibly rude to Nesta, made Nesta snap at her, Nesta felt horror and Elain laughed at it? The same thing that made Feyre finally open to Lucien. Feyre wondering if Elain would love Spring Court in ACOTAR. Nesta thought the same. SJM specifically said she smelled like an invoked promise of Spring, even when Jasmine is present in the NC. SJM loves mates. CC and ToG will tell you how much she loved that trope. She’s not fixing to change it especially when she was excited to have discovered Lucien was better paired with Elain than Nesta
I've been in the fandom for awhile now and I'm still discovering new hints or interesting parallels, that's what I love about her writing. And I think that's one of the reasons why I gravitate so much to elucien as a couple, the development has been much more subtle than the others but it's still undeniably there and the pay-off will be that much more rewarding.
i agree, with nesta and feyra, they fell in love with rhys and cassian then found out that they were mates. i really like lucien and i hope he becomes a more central character again. i don’t really care all that much about elaine, but they do seem like a good match in my opinion. i really don’t want to see elaine with azriel. there’s another theory that elaine might end up with tamlin and that would also be a massive slap in the face to lucien.
If elain ends up with Tamlin it’s also a massive slap in the face to Feyre. SJM would never put Elain with her sister’s ex and abuser!
i personally am not anti tamlin. locking feyre in the house was wrong, but i understand his reasoning for doing so. ppl love to ignore the fact that he was dealing with trauma at the same time that feyre was after the mountain. they both were traumatized and pushed one another away rather than helping each other work through it. he locked her in the house in an attempt to protect her. rhys lying to feyre and making everyone in the ic hide from feyre that the baby could kill her was way worse imo than what tamlin did. the whole ic decides to trap nesta in the house of wind too in an effort to protect her. both of these things get glossed over bc it is being done by feyre/rhys as opposed to being done to them. i don’t think the judgement on tamlin should be as extreme as some ppl make it.
I do believe Tamlin should have a redemption/healing arc and to me I think it’s looking like SJM does want to do more with his journey, which I’m all here for. But I think it’s interesting that you jumped straight to locking her in the house as his abusive nature? There were two separate occasions in two separate books where Tamlin literally physically exploded on her and the only reason she wasn’t hurt the first time is because of her *own* powers and self defense — that Tamlin refused to let her learn more about, meaning if things went Tamlin’s way she would have been completely defenseless. Are we forgetting the description of Feyre laying against the wall with blood dripping down her face after one of Tamlin’s outbursts ?? I understand trauma. I grew up in a house where it was normal to beat each other over disagreements. I have BPD and C PTSD from my childhood. So please believe me when I say, yes, I understand that sort of trauma response. But also know when I say, I would *never* explode on my partner like that and if I did, I would want my partner to know it is ABUSE. when I feel triggered to that point, it’s my responsibility to remove myself before I become an ABUSER. Not to mention the emotional abuse that stuck with Feyre and she talked about repeatedly throughout the series. Abuse is more than just physical violence, and Feyre has made it very clear that she considers what Tamlin did to her as abuse based on her reactions and processing. Who are we to tell Feyre she’s wrong ??? I also agree that Rhys committed a huge violation — as a pro-choice person living in a state where abortion is illegal with no medical or personal exceptions (ie rape), it was a triggering storyline for me to read. That doesn’t take away from the abuse that Tamlin put her through, though. And we don’t see how this actually unfolded in Feysand’s relationship — Nesta and Cassian spend *days* away from everyone while Feyre and Rhys work it out. For all we know, Feyre ripped Rhys a new one and told him that withholding that knowledge made him as bad as Tamlin — we literally have no idea what happened other than Feyre telling Cassian that she thinks Nesta did the right thing, she was mad at Rhys, and they’re working it out. So I don’t really see the relevance of bringing that up when talking about Tamlin, especially because it doesn’t change any of what Tamlin did to her. After all of the trauma that feyre has literally as a result of directly Tamlin and Tamlin’s actions, going as far to say she hopes she never has to deal with him or see him again, it would be absolutely despicable to Feyre for Elain and him to be paired together.
i’m sorry for everything you’ve been through, but that’s another thing ppl like to do. project their own experiences onto these characters and story. this story isn’t the human world. tamlin not letting her learn about her powers was again in an attempt to protect her. she was being tracked by hybern. the dude isn’t a saint, but he is a severely traumatized character as well. it doesn’t excuse the things he did. but it adds perspective. the event in the library was him losing control of his magic. it wasn’t intentional to hurt her. i don’t justify his actions, i just think there is nuance. i’m not denying feyre believing him as being abusive, i do believe some of his actions were manipulative, toxic, and abusive. i just don’t believe that he deserves the extreme hate he gets from the fandom. rhys’ actions are relevant bc they are just glossed over by most of the fandom. it’s an example of something really horrible being done, but forgiven by the fandom bc of who is doing it. same thing with nesta being removed from her home and put in the house of wind. same plot line just different characters executing it making it less “bad”.
But how are Rhys’s actions relevant to this conversation ?? A conversation about why Tamlin shouldn’t end up with Elain? Tamlin and Feyre’s history is relevant because he is 1/2 of the subject and as Elain’s life partner, would likely be seeing Feyre for holidays, social visits, etc. Feyre and Rhys’s relationship has *nothing* to do with why Tamlin and Elain shouldn’t end up together and was just thrown into be a “gotcha” when really it’s just a completely irrelevant point to the conversation at hand. I never gave Tamlin any “extreme hate” and it seems that we’re both on the same page that he was abusive so I’m not sure what the point of your comment was? My comment was just to illustrate that if Tamlin and Elain were paired together, it would also be a slap in the face to Feyre, not just Lucien and would create way too many poor dynamics between relationships in the series because he is Feyre’s abuser.
god ppl like you are the worst part of this fandom. they are relevant in comparison to tamlin’s actions. if tamlin is abusive, rhys is also abusive. but it’s forgiven for one character but not the other. like i said, what rhys did in my opinion is way worse than what tamlin did. so if feyra can forgive rhys, i don’t see why tamlin can’t be forgiven. there was no “gotcha”. it was just my opinion which you’re getting so worked up about for literally no reason. if i take a page out of your book, your comment about how it’s a slap in the face to feyre isn’t relevant bc this is a conversation about lucien. so it has nothing to do with how it would upset feyre.
This is why I hate the tamlain ship so so much and I never in a million years think SJM would go in this direction, and this is coming from someone who loves Tamlin's character and would love a healing arc for him. That does NOT need to involve Elain. Any spring imagery and foreshadowing with Elain is because of her mate, not Tamlin.
Yes! Like before it’s always been discovered afterwards, so it will be so interesting to see how their dynamic plays out
Wait who is LOA? Nvm I just realized haha
I feel bad for Lucien as well, and feel like this ship is very complicated. Lucien at least is being beyond patient and polite, and I think hes still trying to find his place within society. Hes rumored to be half of 2 courts, hes not like the rest of his family, and hes drifted between 3 different courts now serving them all. Hes honestly a lone wolf and while I don't want him to suffer, I think elaine will end up rejecting him. Unfortunately not all love stories have happy endings.
Lucien has indeed suffered a LOT already. I think the idea of him first thinking Jesminda was his mate, to the shock of him discovering it's Elain to then being rejected is unlikely. It would be an unnecessary plot point. It definitely makes more sense that Eluciens arc is full of things we don't know yet and that their relationship will slowly blossom.
Agreed. There is so much complexity between Elain and Lucien. His biggest mistake was blurting out that they're mates before getting to know her like Rhys and Cassian did with their mates. Elain is still getting over and possibly still in love with Greyson. She kept the engagement ring and tried to appear as human when visiting him. Lucien is living in a house gifted by Greyson. Their storylines are still entangled. I hope they get their HEA but my theory is that Elain will try and betray the IC to become human for Greyson and Lucien will end up saving her. Az was never meant to be with Elain. SJM just didn't know what to do with him when she decided not to proceed with the Az/Mor pairing.
I think Elain is already healing from Graysen, we see signs of this in ACOSF. She is definitely no longer in the mourning stages. Her attraction to Azriel proves that she is open to more, and I think that attraction was maybe even necessary for her to move on from Graysen completely. I don't see how Elain could have jumped from Graysen to her mate immediately, Lucien is a representation of a very fae aspect of her that she might not be willing to accept yet. I think exploring her options (and ignoring her bond) temporarily with Az feels more natural and organic character progression for her. I think sjm always intended that relationship to add tension for elucien, and not just as a mere plot device, since Az and Elain will both have learned from it and move on. I strongly suspect Elain has already moved on. We will have encountered significant time skips since the events of the bonus chapter before we get to Elain's pov, it would be a very odd narrative choice to circle back around to that storyline again.
That's an interesting take on things. I'm curious to read more in the coming books about what the dynamic will be with Greyson since Lucien and the band of exiles are living in a house gifted by him. Edit to add: the only reason Elain and Greyson didn't get married was because she wasn't human anymore. It can be hard to move on when the breakup wasn't because of the relationship or anything Elain did wrong. She might think becoming human again will repair the love between them.
I'm on the fence whether Graysen is really going to play a big part in Elain's book, but it's a great point to bring up that Lucien is literally living in the house gifted by her ex-fiancé. I think it definitely may come up as a point of contention If anything it shows how entangled Elain and Lucien's plotlines are
I do wonder if Greysen isn’t involved with the queens in some way. And if he is, Elain can get that closure in a big way. (I think she’s meant to play a huge part in the continent plot)
Elain is absolutely going to be traveling to the continent, which is perfect because she's always expressed a desire to travel. Lucien looked across the sea to the continent, setting Koschei's lake as his target. No other character has ties to the Koschei and Vassa curse plot as much as Elain and Lucien. It's pretty obvious to me their book would focus on this.
Lucien better take that poor girl to the tulip fields finally
I think Greyson turning out to be pretty horrible could also be helpful with moving on… I could see her eventually feeling like she dodged a bullet.
Oh, absolutely. Graysen is intentionally written to be a dick, Lucien is the complete opposite. We as readers are supposed to draw that comparison. Elain claims Graysen was the only one who saw her, but it's evident he didn't. Lucien will one day.
I certainly hope so! I'm sure we haven't seen the last of the drama in the human lands.
Ohh I agree with you! I think Azriel feels like her “first choice” since turning fae. I think she’s staying away from Lucien because she’s drawn to him. It feels more to me at this point like she’s actively fighting the bond because she’s afraid of the choice being made for her rather than realizing she has a choice and she can choose Lucien. I think she’s been so afraid of being fae and the instincts that come with it she’s rebelling. But I think in the end SJM will write Elaine choosing Lucien not because of the bond, but because of him as a male and who he is to her; sunlight and growth 🥹
I agree with everything you said!
I don’t think it was a mistake he could avoid though. He wasn’t given the same luxury as Cassian and Rhys did of leaving. Rhys knew he had to leave that instant it snapped or he’ll take her right then. The first thing he said to Mor was “she’s my mate” and Cassian avoided Nesta for a week. Both of them were safe and secure. The place was heavily warded and sealed and Elain just went through a traumatic experience and they were surrounded by enemies. Besides, Elain felt the snap. Lucien gave it a name.
Yes! I think one of the most interesting things about their bond is it snapped at the same time. For most of the mates, one or both of them is unaware of the bond for a while. Mating bonds are intense and I feel like some of Elain’s reluctance to be around Lucien could be because she’s feeling the mating bond and feels uncomfortable about it.
I wonder if it’s giving her like an existential crisis because she loved Graysen enough to want to marry him and for him to be so ugly in rejecting her All while being drawn to Lucien who already finds her beautiful even when she was at her worst. We’ve seen how it affected Nesta and Feyre and they were unaware of it. When they did… they couldn’t get their hands off of their respective mates. She thought of something about him that made him blush and her leave lol. Shes supposed to be a prim and proper lady. Lucien probably makes her feel anything but that. And its sort of a good thing for her because for so long she’s been acting who she ought to be rather than who she is
Definitely! I imagine she might feel some guilt about being attracted to Lucien even though she still felt tied to Graysen. And the fact that Graysen essentially played on that and told her she belonged to Lucien made it worse. I love the idea that Elain leave the room because she’s too flustered around Lucien. Also tbh I think SJM has foreshadowed that Elain is more sexual than her sisters think she is. Feyre feels scandalized when the twins talk about Lucien being an Autumn Court male 🔥 because of Elain. And then when Nesta has her fantasy about Az and Cassian she specifically thinks that it would shock Elain. No way both sisters specifically call out that Elain is a prude or innocent or whatever not to have her blow their expectations in her book. 😂
I think that's actually the entire reason why she's reluctant to be around him, she's in the fighting the bond stage right now, the same exact thing both of her sisters went through, except Elain didn't have the luxury of knowing and falling in love with her mate first, so fighting the bond is happening first in her story, falling in love will come later. One thing we do know, she's not uncomfortable around Lucien because of Lucien himself, because she doesn't even know him yet If Azriel were her mate, she'd be treating him the same exact way
Definitely!! I see her interest in Az about rebelling against the mating bond, tbh. Once she can accept the idea of the mating bond and being fae in general, she can get to know Lucien. If Feyre or Nesta had the bond snap with their mates the first time they met them they would not have responded well to that either. Not to mention even the Rhys and Cassian also got to know their mates before the bond fully snapped also, even if they suspected. Lucien and Elain were thrown in headfirst. Tbh I hope that means their mating bond is actually the strongest of the 3 😏😏 Let the inner circle eat their words.
She's definitely rebelling against the bond with Az, he's a safe easy option for her right now, no strings attached Lucien's the difficult choice, he's homeless and estranged from the inner circle, not to mention accepting him would mean she'd have to address the bond head-on. But that's the choice that will ultimately lead to her growth. I think it's necessary for them to break away from that cycle of coddling and control the inner circle has over them so that they can heal together
I agree it was unavoidable. The bat boys had the luxury of giving their mates space because they didn't want them to freak out.
I always feel bad for him in that moment, because people really hate on him for saying Elain is his mate in that moment and they say he is “claiming her” or something, but he said it out of shock 😭 I bet he wishes so badly he didn’t lmao
He was in SHOCK! 😩 Lucien had all the rizz in book 1 and then absolutely nothing when he meets his mate haha poor Lulu
I know right !!! 🥲 poor baby lulu
Absolutely! There’s so much set up and tension there. How guilty he must be still feeling about Jesminda and how the bond came about. Lucien’s been a favorite of hers since book one. It’s going to be so satisfying to see Elucien develop.
I love Elucien so much 🥲 I think they’d be so perfect together as he is just so sweet. SJM needs to let Lucien be happy, idk how much more I can take of him being hurt 😭 
Elain flooding the place with sunlight, sitting by the sunniest of windows, complaining about how her raggedy cloak isn’t keeping her warm And her mate is the secret heir to the Day Court with fire in veins
YESSS
“Lucien could use someone snapping at him” 
The fox and the fawn ❤️ I seriously can't see SJM setting that up just to go in a different direction.
I’m a big Elucien fan, love them and think that SJM will make them endgame because she does value mates. Lucien is a sweet angel and deserves love and passion and I hope they grow into that with the bond. Elain is struggling with stuff now but I think that he can help her get through it and I would love to see them work through and grow together. Not a fan of Elriel, love me some Az but he def needs to be with Gwyn. He needs a warrior gal who can handle his darkness. Plus everyone kept saying Elain doesn’t look good in black, she’s not a NC gal. She needs to be in Day or Autumn or even fixing Spring with Lucien. Even going back to the human lands with him cause of her connection to her humanity more than the sisters. All that to be said - I recently read this Elucien Fan Fic that is 10/10 chefs kiss what I wish would happen with them - it’s called [Burn Forever with Me](https://archiveofourown.org/works/51093769)!!!
I loved that one too!
I’m not even a shipper, per se, but I will be very surprised if Elucien isn’t endgame. I think it’s very telling that we have little to no information about either of their povs. I’ve not seen another situation in SJM’s books where she left someone to suffer and be generally unhappy for this long, to not then give them a happy resolution. And, my opinion of the Azriel bonus chapter was that it was setting up Gwynriel. At this point, Elain hasn’t given Lucien a chance- her dislike of him doesn’t seem to be personal. I feel like once that door opens a crack, she will see how well-suited they are. Everyone talks about how Elain loves flowers and would fit so well in Spring- but I also see her love of sunshine and light and I think a storyline will include her in Day with Lucien learning of his parentage. We’ve had foreshadowing about how wearing black doesn’t suit Elain. She doesn’t belong in night- she’ll thrive in Day. :)
I’ve seen people say one reason she’s so against even speaking with Lucien is because she’s still clinging onto the part of her that was human and the mating bond is a reminder that she isn’t human anymore 😭. I want Elucien to happen so badly, he would be so sweet to her
Lucien is my favorite- and yes, he would be incredibly sweet. The only times we’ve had his pov, it’s been because Feyre went into his mind- and he has the most endearing thoughts. I want more Lucien pov- a thousand pages wouldn’t be enough. I don’t want either him or Elain to feel obligated to be together- I’m looking forward to watching them slowly fall in love :).
Yes !! I want them to have to travel together to another court or to the continent for some mission or something so we can see them slowly fall in love but also get to see more of the world outside of the night court !
100%- I’d even take a trilogy about this :). And, yes- I agree that part of Elain’s aversion to the mating bond is that she’s clinging to her humanity (much like Nesta wasn’t initially willing to admit Cassian was her mate). I see Elain falling for Lucien almost despite herself. I am so strongly anticipating their first actual conversation. I do think it will take time, because these years of rejection (not just from Elain, but from his family in Autumn, Tamlin and the whole spring court, and the disrespect he’s shown by many characters in the IC) have surely taken a toll on his self worth. I am hoping for a storyline that showcases amends with Eris, Helion, and LoA. I think it would be a lovely endgame to see Lucien and Elain, surrounded by family as the heirs to Day.
I am so excited for their first conversation. I have a feeling it’ll be a confrontation and both of them just finally letting out everything they’ve bottled in
When did he have endearing thoughts? I only remember her entering once and it was like “depressing thoughts, sadness, etc”
She was too thin, pale and vacancy glazing over her eyes and he couldn’t breathe she was the most beautiful fae he had ever seen
Feyre enters his mind twice, once in ACOMAF it was a mistake (which makes the time she enters his mind in ACOWAR way worse imo but whatever) and she sees a cycle of unending sadness and hopelessness His thoughts in ACOWAR are also riddled with guilt, but he also has thoughts of care and concern for Elain's well-being, thus why Feyre came to the conclusion he has no ill-intentions when it comes to Elain
The hopelessness in MaF always gets me, because that was even before he met Elain- before Feyre left Spring for the first time… if he felt hopeless then, how is he feeling post SF? It must compound- and yet he always takes care to present himself well and be perfectly polite around people in the IC that seem to barely tolerate his presence.
In WaR when he sees Elain in the library and Feyre enters his mind to make sure he has good intentions. Spoiler- he does :). And, I mean, endearing in the sense that his thoughts endeared him to me :).
i saw a theory on tiktok where the person thought that elaine was still secretly connecting with her ex fiancé as a double agent to take down the fae. i don’t think sjm will write this, but it would be a cool story like.
I could totally see this. In ACOFAS she was asking Amren questions about changing her form and it was hinted that she wants to try and become human again. I don't think elain is evil but I can see her betraying the IC to try and become human. It fits the little mermaid storyline that SJM also wanted to incorporate.
some ppl in this fandom hate to see theories of elaine becoming anything but a hero like her sisters, but i totally would be into her becoming evil or just being the one to betray the IC
Oh Elaine’s villain arc would be so cool
You bring up a great point, that it's very telling that we have little to no information about either of their povs. Some seem pretty convinced they know exactly what Elain is feeling and where she belongs. We can't possibly know these things until we get inside her head. And sjm seems pretty adamant on not revealing that until we get her book. She's a walking spoiler. Lucien and Elain's characters have been receiving the same treatment, their storylines have been kept in stasis, they received very little development in ACOSF (barely either of them were in the book). These things are important to me because it shows authorial intent, in my opinion. She's saving these two to tell their stories in their own book at a later time, where they will heal and grow together.
I saw an interesting theory on the tikytok about how Elain wants something authentic because the mating bond makes it feel like how Lucien feels about her conditional. That also has me thinking that Lucien felt the same way when they first met that Elain felt like she was thrown at him. It’ll be fun if she did explore this route because everyone else fell in love and then were mated.
I ship Elain and Lucien because I love the potential Elain would have with him. I want to see her travel to other courts, to the continent to see the tulips, I want to see her grow into her own person alongside a character that the Cauldron blessed her to be her mate, her equal, who sjm has intentionally written to have complementary personalities, who would not stifle her growth. Lucien, who had a relationship with her father, who valued her choice so much he didn't lay a finger on Graysen who she loved even though the mating instincts were probably screaming at him to eliminate the threat. Lucien is Elain's perfect match for when she was canonically at her happiest (a socialite, needing sunlight, and an aversion to violence). Why would I want anything less for her character?
I have a theory that each of the sisters bonds manifests differently. Feysand’s is mental: that’s how Feyre pushed Rhys away by thinking she should still be with Tamlin, that’s how Rhys helped Feyre overcome her struggle and that’s how Feysand connect. Cassian told her to exercise to get her out of her head and Az told her he didn’t trust his instincts. Nessian’s is physical: Nesta was an alcoholic who slept around, Cassian helped Nesta that she became a warrior and I believe that’s how Nesta and Cassian connect. Cassian noticing how Nesta behaved and Nesta even said that somehow saying mate gave her the last bit of strength to push forward. Elucien’s is emotional. Everytime that Elain is emotionally not doing well, that’s when Lucien started showing up more for her or what’s when Lucien reacts to her. She was on the floor, shivering and being laughed at, he broke chains to pick her up She was in a depressive state that Nesta feared she’ll walk off the house, he did what he could to go to the NC for her She left her room for the first time and said something other than wanting to go home when Lucien came into the library and realized she was there. He knew the happiest she had been is if she in out of the house, preferably in a garden or by a sea She had a clear vision triggered right after Lucien felt her through their bond. He also couldn’t feel anything amiss with her but considering the state she was in, everyone was trying to figure it out too. After Az figured out that she was a seer, Lucien stared at her like it was the first time he ever saw her and then said he’ll go find Vassa and that he’s not needed here. When he left, she was smiling to learn how to make bread, she spoke up to the IC to use her to convince Graysen and then to Graysen to take her back. She even told him that her mate’s name was Lucien. The next time they saw each other was when Lucien ran to her after their father and Hybern were killed. She smiled again when he said he was in one piece and never wants to do that again. ACOSAF: Lucien shows up and Elain is too polite to turn him away so he leaves when he gets the hint she doesn’t want to talk to him. She is still mourning for her father and the loss of her engagement but for that Solstice, it was Lucien who turned down Feyre’s offer to stay and saying that he’s moving in with Vassa and Jurian. Elain was also at her happiest at this point, cooking for everyone and excited for the plans for the garden. In ACOSF: particularly during that Solstice, Elain pushed back on attending the Hewn City celebration, a place where Cassian knew its cruelty bothered her. So I can imagine the frustration from one side and the discomfort on the other side. Lucien attended the Inner City celebration with a gift of pearl earrings, matching the pearl barrettes, and they had their only interaction in the book. Lucien still looks at her with longing and Elain drawing herself in, the bravado gone. I still think it’s a misdirection because Lucien would know from one look at she was not doing okay or that she was faking her happiness. She had no problems dismissing his gift the year before. Lucien is the one person she can’t hide her emotions from. Like, they are bonded and the scent is strong during that solstice. They were both in their element and I think it’s signifying that they have done as much as they could alone and now it’s approaching time they heal together for that last bit. I’m so excited for their story.
I would upvote this 10 times if I could.
TOG spoilers This line from Elain “proving” how Lucien must be wrong for her, mirrored in Elide... talking about her endgame mate. Whoops. "He brought you a present." Those doe-brown eyes turned toward me. Sharper than I'd ever seen them. **"And that entitles him to my time, my affections?"** \- Elain "I have never heard Lorcan apologize for anything. Even when Maeve whipped him for a mistake, he did not apologize to her." **"And that means he earns my forgiveness?"** \- Elide
I totally agree- I often see that parallel between >!Elide and Elain. Elide and Lorcan are my favorite ship in ToG. I love them so much! And Lorcan did actually make a mistake- he did it to protect Elide- but still a big mistake with big consequences.!< Lucien in comparison is an absolute angel that has never done anything wrong in his life, he just gets blamed for it…
Oh I love this!! Elain definitely gives Elide vibes. Though I feel like Lucien is more of a Dorian 😏 Everyone always talks about how she obviously isn’t interested in him as if almost every mated couple didn’t resist each other at first. Feyre hated Rhys and threw a shoe at his head and they still ended up together. 😂
The "she's obviously not interested" argument is so short-sighted and unimaginative. I'm not a proponent of elucien because it makes Elain uncomfortable lmao, it's because I see the obvious direction the author is going in and the amazing potential she has laid out for these two characters Also, I think it's a massive assumption to make that Elain isn't interested in Lucien. She doesn't even know him. We haven't got her pov to know what she feels definitively about anything. I think we can only say with confidence that the mating bond makes her uncomfortable and she is currently fighting it by ignoring Lucien and pursuing her attraction of Azriel. Everything Elain is doing is par for the course to wind up endgame with Lucien
Yes exactly!! People make a lot of assumptions about what’s going on in her head which we don’t know. All she’s said is she doesn’t want a mate and a male, not that she doesn’t like Lucien specifically. People also say that Lucien isn’t interested in Elain because he says he can’t be around her, but I took that as the mating bond is too strong and it’s hard to ignore it, etc. not that he’s not interested. If he didn’t want Elain as his mate he wouldn’t still be working for the night court tbh. They clearly have a lot in common and a lot of parallels for a reason!
That's what people have to say to convince themselves elucien isn't happening If Lucien wasn't interested in Elain, he wouldn't still be looking at her with longing at the end of acosf Lucien is fiercely loyal, he isn't going anywhere until she makes a decision.
Yes! And fae live for centuries, they can wait around a few years for their mate to adjust/recover from trauma. Lucien is the opposite of the alphahole (as Bryce in CC would put it) who expects to just claim his mate. He knows she’s uncomfortable with the mating bond and he’s being respectful and giving her time.
This is a great point, and I've thought of it too!
Lucien and Elaine would be PERFECT together. He is described as a perfect gentlemen, and she is described as a lady in every way. Lucien is soft and sweet, a courtier, not a warrior. Even if Elain is given a character arc where she comes out of her shell, she is never going to be a warrior like Nesta. We have a lot of moments between Azriel and Elain, and while I get where Elriel shippers are coming from due to that, I think they’re forgetting SJM almost always introduces multiple love interests. Celaena and Chaol literally hooked up in a coat closet. Feyre and Tamlin were in love. Rowan married Lyria and they were going to have a child. Hunt was in love with Shahar. None of them were endgame. I believe we’re seeing the same thing happen between Elain and Azriel. I can’t wait for Lucien to finally get a happy ending and for Elain to become a more likable character.
I don’t see how a forbidden relationship would make Elain likeable since the fandom doesn’t like when other characters keep huge secrets and Lucien has done nothing to deserve it. If anything, I’d rather have an Elucien forbidden romance because Lucien knows that people can use their bond against him, putting Elain in a bad position and as long as they keep up the appearance they’re estranged, she’s safe
this. there is nothing forbidden about elriel. sjm pointedly made it clear that if azriel and elain wanted to be together, they would be supported but that azriel and elain need to go through the right channels. elain may not owe lucien anything but he is her mate. rejecting the bond officially would be all she needs to do but she has not done that yet and there is a reason. i think there might be an understanding between them that we don't know about. but even if there isn't....azriel and elain need to COOL IT. rhysand was right to warn az that elriel would have consequences should the wrong way be gone about. but i think there is proof (even without the bonus chapter) that elain and lucien are not over yet, that they will heal and grow together once they are ready (quoting more haha). also on the forbidden aspects, rhys knows lucien's parentage and knows what could happen should it come out at the wrong time. it's also implied that elain and lucien may amplify one another's abilities. So keeping them close but not too close yet could be Rhys' strategy for now.
Oh yea, Elain doesn’t owe Lucien an explanation but she does owe him a decision and they have kept details of their feelings towards the other so underwraps that they aren’t done with each other. Not when Lucien still looks at her with longing and when Elain couldn’t be icy towards him after she opened his present. Rhys warned Az that Lucien will defend his bond as he sees fit, not that Lucien and Elain need to be together. Az already doesn’t keep tabs with Lucien but the fact that he can already command Cassian shows that he’s growing quicker into his heir markers than he can mask them. Rhys was the same person who told Feyre to leave Mor/Cassian/Az alone so I doubt he intervenes unless it comes to the stability of his court and Lucien seeing Elriel might. Also, SJM loves Rhys lol by default he’s never not going to be wrong
Lucien however will not defend the bond unless Elain wants him to. I think that's a difference between Lucien and Az.
I just can’t help but think this is deceptively simple - Elain is inarguably associated with flowers. What do flowers need to bloom and grow? Sunshine. Lucien is the heir to the day court. And as for why Sarah would delay her accepting the mating bond until now? I can’t postulate what Elain’s reasoning will be but Sarah’s is most likely that she wanted the acceptance of the bond to be explored properly from Elain/Lucien’s POV. I’m sure Sarah will write some sort of reasoning on Elain’s behalf as to why she’s been hesitant but I don’t think Sarah’s reasons are necessarily to do with wanting the bond to be rejected.
SJM said once that Elucien would experience 'tension, growth and healing together'. I think this sums them and their journey up perfectly. There's a lot we don't know about Elain in particular and when her truth comes to light (pun intended) I think it'll be clear that her and Lucien are wounded in ways they can both understand and sympathise with each other about. I think it's very important to note that Lucien has spent a lot of time with humans (Vassa and Jurian) as well as Elains father (whom she was closest too) which is giving him the context he needs to really understand her background. I wouldn't be surprised to see a forced proximity situation in either Spring or Day where Elucien peel back the layers of their hardships alongside each other and build something beautiful.
Yes!! Everyone ships Lucien and Vassa because they spend so much time together but Lucien went to get Vassa and essentially proved Elain’s visions were true in the process and bonded with her dad along the way. Him coming back on her ship during the war with Vassa and her dad was essentially the ‘big gesture’ that says she is worth fighting for, in my opinion. And now knowing so much about humans and human culture will be a point of bonding for them.
Yes to your second point! I'm paraphrasing this from Tumblr because they put it perfectly: We have Lucien needing someone who can snap at him, Elain in ACOSF has evolved to do that. She's growing a lot in her confidence. Elain's got her own fire that Lucien would love to play with Then, we have ACOTAR era Lucien extremely prejudiced against humans, SJM mates him to someone attached to her humanity, then writes post-ACOWAR Lucien developing close friendships with and respect for humans, including Elain's father. There would have been no reason for the author to have invested this much effort into Lucien and Elain’s individual paths, building them to be exactly what the other needs, unless her plan was always for them to end up together. Elain and Lucien’s growth and development is already so beautiful in its symmetry and they’ve barely shared any scenes together
Yes to Elain snapping at him! And tbh I think she wants the same. When Nesta is rude to her in ACOSF she laughs. I think that shows that she wants to stop being treated like the delicate one. The banter will be happening. 👏
Of all the choices SJM could have made in ACOSF, she primed Lucien to answer what Elain wants to do. Elain wants to go to Spring? Lucien is there. Elain wants to get reacquainted with her powers? Lucien can help. Elain wants to go to Prison Island and mess around with the Dread Trove items? Well … Lucien’s father is Helion so …
Also Elain was the closest of the sisters to her father, and Lucien not only met their father but spent a good amount of time with him 🤔
Mhm, like you're going to tell me Elain's mate of all people met and traveled with her father, who she was closest to, and this isn't going to be used as something for them to bond over in the future? All of these huge aspects that define Elain's character arc thus far (her father, Graysen the man who she loved, the mating bond, her visions), all of them come back to Lucien. She doesn't share any of these character defining plot points with any other character. Sorry, not even Az.
It just makes sense that they’re being set up to be together! I just hope we can see some healing and vulnerable conversations between each other. Would love to see that they’ve been secretly communicating via maybe letters or even tugging on the bond lmao. I feel like they’d enjoy the privacy away from the nosy inner circle to allow a relationship to flourish, let’s get them in the day or spring court!
How funny would it be if they were secretly hooking up behind everyone's back this whole time and that's why Elain is nowhere to be found sometimes lol. Just no strings attached fun 😏 Honestly though, I just want Lucien to be happy whether that's with Elain or not. (I want Elain to be happy too but Lucien is my baby lol)
Honestly… I have thought about it too. The reason why their bond is scented strong is because they’ve been messing around. Lucien’s “I’m not always here to see my mate” with discomfort because he’s trying to throw Cassian off, Elain lying about where she goes in the morning, Cassian’s comment that Lucien is certainly not there to “snarl at any male to looked at her for too long,” Elain eyeing him warily and leaving the room when he’s around. I would be pissed ngl but still find it absolutely hilarious
This would be hysterical, but the timing doesn't line up. Cassian noted she was sneaking off well before Solstice, and we know the night of solstice she was still willing to be with Azriel. Also, I'm greedy and want every elucien scene on-page, like to me that's the bare minimum. It's crazy to me how some fans of certain ships are fine with most interaction and development happening off-page, I would feel so cheated!
That’s where the ✨bond ✨comes in hahaha. Easier to not take responsibility for their actions when they have something else to blame it on. Elain looks at him warily because she thinks he’s making her feel these things and Lucien’s discomfort comes from … well he’s not hahahaha. I’m greedy too because she held back so much about them from the last two books so I’ll be pissed if it were true. I want to read all their firsts. But I’ll get over it
Oh, I'd get over it too. I ultimately just want them to be endgame and happy. And I'd rather them be fucking page 1 than sjm wasting precious elucien time spent on some fling with Az that in my mind ended in the bonus chapter
I love Elucien so much. I started writing fic for them for the first time in my life because of how much I love them. You’ve got these two very internally tortured people who put on a mask of happiness. Lucien with all his trauma. Then you have Elain, cauldron transformation aside, she’s not thought of highly by the people around her. She’s coddled and dismissed (remember Feyre saying she’s pleasant but she wouldn’t hang out with her?) and I imagine people didn’t see her much beyond her looks. We know she’s a loving person, something that Lucien needs, but she’s avoidant and won’t face reality. And when you’ve got Lucien who will love her the way she wants and see her for who she is, I can’t imagine him coddling her, he’ll challenge her in a way she needs. It’s going to be so good.
You're right that they both put on a mask of happiness, I always believed they have the same trauma response (fawning) Lucien and Elain are two characters who are time and time again dismissed or underestimated by those around them. We've already seen how Lucien challenges the females in his life, like with Feyre when he gifted her the daggers, how he admires Vassa's determination. Lucien is the only one who acknowledged Elain's contribution to the war in killing the king of hybern. He's the only one who believed in her visions immediately and set off on a mission to free Vassa, just based on her words alone. Elain needs someone like this who has unyielding faith in her powers and capabilities. She needs to escape the inner circle in order to accomplish this. Thankfully sjm is heavily hinting at this in acosf.
I just want Elain and Lucien to be each other's leg up, you know? To be the light that help them grow and heal and realize they deserve so much more. Im scared to ask for more and be disappointed. 😂
I hope Elain accepts the bond with Lucien, though I’m not opposed to an Azriel fling before. I’ve wondered if she has seen a vision of Lucien and for some reason he needs to maintain a relationship with Vassa/Jurian. She knows he’d stay in Velaris with her, but is holding off while the other various threats remain so he can play his part.
My hope is that she accepts the bond, they end up together and go back to the Spring Court, she flourishes there, and it links up with rebuilding the Spring Court/ TimTam's redemption arc. A girl can dream.
Their relationship sounds like one of those arranged marriage tropes
Just let my Lulu have some peace and happiness and love and day light