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mother-above · 10 months

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The Golden Warrior | Chapter 1

Azriel x Reader

Summary: To you, love was a poison that slowly killed. It was something that could make the strongest of warriors and leaders weak and vulnerable. You had successfully evaded romance and relationships for a century until the day you realized it had been plaguing you from within.

Chapters: 1/?

Warnings: 18+, violence, and swearing

*masterlist*

A/N: Hello! This is my first ever ACOTAR fic and I hope I do Azriel and the other characters justice! This fic will follow the majority of the plotline from the 2nd and 3rd books but please note that I took some creative liberties in some parts and shifted from the plotline in the 5th book.

The towering mountains looked especially magnificent against the blue and pink-hued sky. Crisp morning air whipped around you as you whirled past the horizon, your white and gold-tipped wings beating hard and straightening into a glide. This was always the best part of your day, flying just before the sun rose.

You craved the sun’s soft warmth and glow against your skin. Keeping your eyes on the brightening horizon, you focused on the breeze that swept the scent of the wisteria, lilac, and honeysuckle that adorned the Palace. The beautiful home made from sunstone sprawled below you, its bridges, and towers glowing as it waits to be sun-kissed. You couldn’t believe you managed to protect the Palace for 49 years, a pang of guilt flowed through as your fae eyes focused on a rebuilding village miles away.

You were hoping to catch the sunrise today but then two sharp whistles came from somewhere within the castle. With a groan and a roll of your eye, you dove down with blinding speed. With a swoop, you land gracefully on Thesan’s office balcony. You slammed his door open and glared at the High Lord who perched on his desk.

“Did you just fucking whistle to get my attention? Like one of your birds? A simple shout of my name would have sufficed!” you snapped.

Thesan smirked, “Well it worked, didn’t it?”

You grabbed a decorative trinket from a nearby shelf and hurled it at him, “What are you doing up so early? I thought you and Callon would still be rolling in bed at this hour.”

He crumpled a piece of paper and threw it straight onto your forehead. "I may be your cousin but I'm still the High Lord. You can't say things like that!"

With a mischievous smirk, you sat on the couch and clasped your hands pleadingly. With the grace of a seasoned actor, you softened your features and gave him the most innocent look you could muster. "Forgive me, High Lord of Dawn, I was just wondering why you summoned me. You know I don’t like to be disturbed during sunrise."

Thesan wanted to scold you for being so dramatic, but he couldn't, not when you were his little cousin whom he loved fiercely. "Rhysand and his courtiers are coming for a visit in two days.” He held up a hand and gave you a pointed look. “Before you ask, I don't know how long they'll stay here."

All traces of your playfulness disappeared; the face of a hardened warrior took over your features. You jumped up and stalked over to Thesan, your power, and energy rolling off your body.

“Those evil little Night Court brutes are coming to the Palace. Why?”

Thesan looked at you coolly, deciding he was going to approach this cautiously when he noticed the absence of the usual jewels around your neck. “Rhysand wants to come by and have diplomatic meetings and spend some leisure time here in Dawn Court. I have no doubt he’s here for something else, but we’ll find out eventually, and please, when the guests are here, wear your siphons and glamour them if you want. I can’t have them catching a whiff of what you are.”

You grumbled as you waved a hand over your neck to magically place the necklace on yourself. The necklace had three sapphires strung together by a chain of diamonds, it was gifted to you by Thesan when you reached maturity. The largest jewel sat in the middle flanked by two slightly smaller counterparts. It was beautiful and fit for Dawn Court’s royal family, but it also had a purpose. It helped you contain and conceal some of your magic, you could even see your power thrumming underneath it if you looked close enough.

With your overwhelming magic mostly contained, Thesan lets out a breath and finally felt comfortable enough to bark out orders to you. He wanted you to check on all the wards, secure the vaults that held ancient artifacts, and make sure all the guards and servants were briefed about the Night Court. Even though your guests weren’t due for a couple of days, Thesan reminded you to keep your wings hidden just in case they popped by early. Only the Peregryn’s and a select few people in your court knew that you were half High Fae and half Peregryn. And even fewer people knew the extent of your power. Thesan had them partake in an unbreakable vow to never reveal your true nature until the day you decide to reveal yourself.

By the end of the day, everyone in the Palace was exhausted from their efforts to prepare themselves for the upcoming visitors. Callon, who was Thesan’s lover and the Captain of the Peregryn legion was pissed that your cousin had invited them to Dawn. He was running himself ragged and snapping at you the entire day to make sure the troops were ready and planned all the security around the Palace and surrounding villages. Callon was annoying you so much that you had to remind him that he was outranked by you and to watch his tone. He apologized and you just scoffed, he was, unfortunately, a man in love, and it made him a nervous mess. You expected better from the captain of the Peregryn legions.

The sun had set and you, Thesan, and Callon had settled down by the fireplace and shared multiple bottles of wine. They were laughing at a joke Callon made when you heard a faint whisper in the corner of the room. You look and see nothing; you were about to ignore it when another whisper was heard. You looked at the pair, but they were in deep conversation, and no one seemed to have heard it, you looked back again and saw these dark wisps moving from the corner and going past the half-open door. You excused yourself and quickly slipped past the doors keeping the black wisps in your sight. They were no longer whispering but moving faster through the halls, you keep your footsteps light hoping you wouldn’t startle whatever this was. You stealthily followed it around the castle, and it seemed to be looking for something, it wasn’t until it reached the doors of the vault was when you did something. Not exactly sure what to do, you quickly leaned down and wafted the dark wisps with your hand. It spasmed and you swear it was almost startled to see you, it lingered for a few more seconds before disappearing into thin air.

“Mother above, what in the hell was that?” you said out loud.

With the Night Court arriving in a few days, there was no way this wasn’t their doing. Bursting into a run, you screamed Thesan’s name as you bounded up the stairs hoping it gave Thesan and Callon enough time to separate themselves from whatever they were doing in the few minutes they were left alone. You opened the door and Thesan was already standing, his eyes big at the sound of your panicked voice.

“What?” his eyes looked for any bodily injuries. “What is it?”

“I saw these black wisps moving around the Palace. They were trying to go into the vault before I stopped them,” you said.

Thesan frowned and then his jaw clenched, something he did when was he aggravated. “That must be the Shadowsinger, it’s incredibly annoying that he got through the wards. We'll have to strengthen them now. I’ll take the first half of the Palace and you reinforce the wards in the back.”

You nodded and hurriedly made your way to the south side of the Palace. Shadowsingers were extremely rare, and courts coveted them because they were the best spymasters. People could train for years but nothing would ever beat a shadowsinger. Until now, you honestly thought they were this tall tale they’d tell kids to scare them into behaving. You began to feel uneasy, was the shadowsinger in the Palace or was it just his shadows that he snuck in? Either way, you hated that this person was able to infiltrate your court.

***

The day of their visit finally arrived, and you peered in the mirror making sure you looked perfect, you wanted to make a good impression, this was the first time they’d meet you. Your lavender silk dress hung over your body perfectly, you gave a little spin in front of a mirror and examined the low back. Just in case anything turned hostile, your wings will have no obstructions if you ever need it. You waved a hand over your sapphires and glamoured them to be invisible, they were glowing brighter these days and it was easier to hide them than explain why your sapphires are more than jewels. Reaching for a mauve-colored bottle, you reapplied the color onto your lips and considered dusting blush on your cheeks, but you decided against it.

You lifted your hand and tenderly brushed the scars on the right side of your face. There were two parallel jagged lines, one nicked the bottom of your eyebrow and dragged up to your hairline. The other ran across the top of your cheekbone. You weren’t thrilled that it was so prominent, but you never thought to hide it. It was usually the first thing people noticed when they looked at you, the day Thesan was freed from Under the Mountain, he tried to get rid of it but even the High Lord of Healing couldn’t do anything about it. You could glamour it to make it disappear, but you wanted it there. It was a reminder of what had happened when Amarantha ruled Prythian, of what you endured and did for the people of Dawn Court.

Smoothing down your dress one more time, you left your bedroom suite and walked to the entrance to join Thesan and Callon. You were admiring the wisteria that hung along the arches above when the air shifted. Darkness filled the air for a split second then the High Lord of Night and two other courtiers appeared in front of you. The High Lord’s power hits your senses before you could even get a good look at their faces, your eyes are drawn to the violet-eyed male standing in the middle. Your eyes shift to the female on his right and then swept to the even taller winged male on his left. The High Lord was attractive, his feline smile already told you what kind of man he would be. What caught your attention was the winged male, he was the most attractive person you had ever set eyes on. His hazel eyes flickered to meet yours and it took everything in you not to gasp, you didn’t expect his gaze to be so scrutinizing. Rhysand gives a delicate nod to Thesan and his courtiers bow to your High Lord. Thesan returns the nod as you and Callon bow respectfully to the Lord of Night.

Glowing gold and moving with grace, your cousin opened his arms and swept it to gesture to the Palace. “Welcome, Rhysand. Allow me to introduce you to my cousin who happens to be my 2nd in Command.”

A friendly smile graced your lips as you allowed your golden glow to shine through, it was more subdued than Thesan, but you preferred it that way. “Welcome to Dawn Court, High Lord Rhysand. I look forward to getting to know you and your courtiers.”

Rhysand took your hand and pressed a kiss on top, a customary gesture that was a sign of respect to females in your court. The smile he gave you had you fighting a blush that threatened to bleed onto your cheeks. “Please, call me Rhys.”

Thesan introduces Callon and like the tough Captain he was, his greeting was reserved as he sized up the males and female. Rhysand introduced Feyre Cursebreaker and you threw all propriety out the window when you grabbed her hands and thanked her for bringing your cousin back.

Rhysand then gestured to the tall muscular man next to him, “This is Azriel, my spymaster.”

It was then when you noticed the small wisps of shadows that surrounded the tall Illyrian, you did your best not to gawk at them. He was dressed in all-black formal wear, his clothes just as refined as Rhysand and Feyre. The only difference was he was the one strapped with a weapon, from the looks of it something special and much older than you. That handsome man was the shadowsinger, probably the same one that was spying on you a few days before. You’re not sure if he or his shadows know it was you that disrupted its spying, but he showed no signs of recognition as he stepped forward to kiss your hand. You noticed the significant scarring on the tops of his hands and fingers, averting your gaze, you focused on the way his lips pressed onto your skin.

“Lady Y/n,” he said, his voice low and heavenly.

While he wasn’t as outspoken or flirtatious as his High Lord, his hazel eyes held yours in curiosity. It was only broken when Thesan clapped his hands and gestured for everyone to enter the Palace and have lunch before the diplomatic talks started. You fell into step with Feyre who stared up at the wonder of the Palace. Her eyes traveled from the hanging flowers to the bridges and towers of the estate. She tells you that it was beautiful which filled your heart with pride. This was your home, a place that you bled and fought for.

Thesan had used magic to make the dining table smaller, he preferred his meals with guests to be more intimate. It also made it easier to read them if they were in proximity. Thesan and you sat at the ends, a reminder to Rhysand that he was still in your court, and if this bothered him, he said nothing. Callon and Feyre sat by your cousin which left you flanked by Rhysand and Azriel. The Palace conjured chairs suitable for wings for Callon and Azriel, the spymaster nodded in appreciation. With a wave of Thesan’s hand, a feast appears on the table and the smell of roast beef and stir-fried vegetables filled the air. Everyone eagerly dug into the food and compliments from Rhysand had your cousin smiling in thanks.

Casual conversation flowed and it surprised you, this was not what you thought Rhysand and his courtiers were going to act like. You were expecting arrogant bastards, and you bluntly told that to Rhysand’s face. Thesan almost choked on his wine and Callon’s face blanched. Rhysand’s violet eyes widened in surprise, no one had ever spoken to the High Lord of Night like that. Azriel and Feyre looked at you in shock, they couldn’t tell if you meant to be rude or if you were genuinely curious. You innocently looked at Rhysand waiting for a response, no one at the table breathed until a deep and genuine laughter came from Death Incarnate himself. A beat later, the sound of chuckles comes from Azriel.

“In the spirit of keeping up our alliance, I thought it’d be beneficial if we acted more like ourselves instead of the ‘arrogant bastards’ we could be,” said Rhysand, an amused smile on his face.

Content with his answer, you smiled at him and continued to eat completely oblivious to the situation.

Thesan took a deep breath and faced Rhysand. “While my cousin is a strong and competent second-in-command, she has the horrible habit of saying the first thing that comes into her mind. I profusely apologize for her comments, she has much to learn as a courtier. My cousin hasn’t had a lot of experience in court.”

You stopped chewing when you realized how rude your comment sounded. You apologized and Rhysand brushed it off, he told you that it was a smart observation to make. As mortified as Thesan was and embarrassed you were, that conversation ended up making the atmosphere more casual and friendly. You discover that Rhysand is an overconfident flirt, but his advances aren’t disgusting, you find yourself enjoying the banter. It also helped that the true object of his affection was the woman next to him. You had an inkling of his feelings after observing how he looked at her. Feyre was curious and asked many questions, and Thesan answered them patiently. It was Azriel whom you kept stealing glances at, he looked like the quiet type, but his silence was unnerving. His shadows were calm, but you could swear they twitched every time you looked at them.

You were about to ask Azriel about Illyrians, you had never met an Illyrian and you were so curious to ask about his species of faerie when Feyre cleared her throat.

“Were you there Under the Mountain?” asked Feyre. “I don’t think I’ve seen you before.”

Rhysand and Azriel leaned in, they’ve been to Dawn Court a couple of times over the past centuries, but they have never seen or heard of you. They were surprised when Thesan introduced you as his second in command, they were usually well updated knowing who held power in the other courts.

“My cousin,” you said as you shot a pointed look at him. “Is like an overprotective mother hen. He didn’t let me make a lot of public appearances in court until I was about 50 years old and whenever we had visitors, he made sure I was off somewhere doing some training or working with the other healers.”

Feyre’s brow furrowed as she looked at Thesan.

“While suffocating at the time, it was what saved me from being trapped Under the Mountain. I had broken my arm during training the day Amarantha invited the High Lords to that party. I didn’t feel like being a courtier, so I didn’t heal myself and used that as an excuse to stay behind. Only a few faeries knew of my existence, so Amarantha and her people never noticed my absence. The day she drugged the High Lords and used the spell, Thesan used the last of his power to put wards up to protect the Palace and send me a note with instructions,” you said as your eyes clouded thinking of the past 5 decades. “I went crazy the first year, the pressure of protecting the estate and the villages around it was too much. Everyone I knew and trusted was Under the Mountain, I was alone for a while. I raged when I realized I couldn’t leave the court for fear something might happen to it while I was gone trying to get my family back.”

You weren’t mad that he was protective when you were young. Yes, it was isolating but you understood why Thesan did what he did. If they knew the true extent of your power, you’d probably have the biggest target on your back. You sipped your wine and looked at your cousin as his remorseful brown eyes stared back at you. The day Thesan winnowed back to the Palace, you held each other and wept. He promised to never leave you alone again.

Azriel studied your side profile as you talked, he took in every curve of your nose, cheekbones, and lips. You were the female that caught his shadows, they practically ran to him in distress because they’d never been detected while spying before. All his shadows told him was it was a female who discovered them, they failed to mention it was Thesan’s 2nd. His eyes traced the jagged scars that did nothing to hinder your elegance. Your beauty rivaled Morrigan, he even dared to think that you may be more alluring than her. He watched you as you told your story, he could see your radiance dim as if the mere thought of the last 49 years had drained you. He could see the pain in your eyes, it was the same thing he felt when Rhys locked them in Velaris. At least Azriel had his family with him, from the looks of it, those closest to you were trapped Under the Mountain.

“I understand how you feel,” said Azriel.

All heads turned to him; it was the second time he had spoken out loud since arriving in Dawn Court. Amused, Rhys watched his brother lean closer to you as if he was captivated.

“Something similar happened to me, I can’t imagine not having your family there to help you.” He looked at the permanent marks on your skin. “Your scar—was that from one of Amarantha’s creatures?”

A low warning growl comes from Callon as he glared at the Illyrian, how dare he mention your scar. Rhysand almost spit out his food, Azriel was the politest and most well-mannered person in his inner circle. Azriel hated talking about his scars, yet he blatantly asked you about yours, he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Rhys looked at Thesan to see if he was mad, but your cousin was just as curious as how you would respond.

Your fingers went up to trace the jagged lines, and the memory of torn flesh resurfaced. “This happened about 20 years ago, a Bogge was slaughtering faeries in a village. I’m no High Lord but I was the next best thing for my people. I went and hunted for it or-- at least tried to drive it away but I barely made it out alive, if I wasn’t a gifted healer myself, the scarring would be worse.”

“How did you escape it?” asked Feyre, her mouth opened in shock after hearing that you encountered the wretched monster by yourself.

This was when you had to lie and tell half-truths to protect your other identity. You looked at Thesan and he gave a discreet nod.

“The Golden Warrior came just in time to drag me up into the air. Bogge can’t fly so it wasn’t able to reach me. With teamwork and a miracle from the Cauldron, we were able to kill it,” you replied.

Azriel looked at Rhysand, but his brother was already on it. “We’ve heard about your warrior-- the Golden Warrior,” said Rhysand. “We heard this faerie had deadly power, the ability to bring down armies onto its knees.”

All playfulness was gone from Rhysand’s handsome face, his demeanor was all business. Callon bristled at the change in mood, but the High Lord of Dawn just frowned.

Thesan tutted in annoyance. “You could have waited until tonight’s drinks to bring up politics, Rhysand.” He waved his hand, and the table cleared, and tea and pastries filled the space. “Please continue.”

“We were just curious about the Golden Warrior; his power is something that could be useful in the future.”

Thesan squinted at Rhysand. “You know something I don’t know… what is it? You wouldn’t be visiting me if something big had happened. Is Amara…” he trailed off; he didn’t like saying her name. Especially after he watched her kill one of his Peregryn courtiers and plucked the white feathers of their wings. The next day, she wore a feathered dress to dinner just to watch Thesan and his court try to hide their fury.

“The evil queen is dead and will stay dead,” reassured Rhysand. “I just wanted to visit my allies and make sure everything between our courts is okay. If something or somebody like Amarantha pops up again, I want to know if we can depend on Dawn Court to ally your foot soldiers and Peregryn legions.”

Thesan frowned again and looked at Callon who gave him a small nod. You bit down on your tongue before you could say something that would contradict Thesan in front of the visitors. Your cousin does not like conflict, he tried to avoid it at all costs. He looks at each of his guests who look at him expectedly, his gaze reached yours and you glowed a little brighter as if to beg him to say the right thing.

“My court knows how I feel about war but… historically, you know I’ve always been loyal to the solar courts,” said Thesan.

You exhaled in relief and Rhysand’s relaxed demeanor returned. It wasn’t a clear “yes”, but it was much better than outright rejection. After the table was cleared, you offered a tour of the Palace and its grounds. Feyre gladly accepted and Thesan let you take the lead as you walked through the Palace. Staff, visiting nobles, and citizens both winged and non-winged, waved at your group and you waved back. The Night Court would nod and keep quiet, curious to see how your court was run. They decided that while Dawn Court was a little bit more formal, they saw that they had good relations with their people, and parts of the Palace were open for the public to enjoy, such as the library and gardens.

Rhysand was itching to talk about politics so after leading them to Thesan’s office, they walked in before Feyre insisted you finish the tour while the males talked about some stupid hunt, they had attended in Autumn Court a century ago. The Lord of Night gave her a look of longing before everyone parted ways, it was subtle, but you noticed it. Once the doors were shut and you walked a good distance from the door, you looked at Feyre with a sly grin.

“Is there something going on with Rhysand?” you asked casually.

She looked at you in shock, “No! What makes you say that?”

You made your way to show her the bedroom suites her court would be staying at.

“I can feel the attraction, you’re both constantly looking at each other.”

Feyre’s cheeks turned red. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. He’s the most insufferable person I know, I’m not sure how you can handle all that flirting. Besides, I should be the one asking about your obvious interest in Azriel.”

It was your turn to look stunned as Feyre smirked. “I’ve never met a shadowsinger before, it’s hard not to stare at the shadows moving around him. It’s-- unnerving.” You weren’t lying, it was one of the most peculiar things you’ve seen in your life. It didn’t help that he was the most beautiful male you’d ever seen, but his shadow’s movements and his piercing gaze were hard to ignore. You were still mad he got through the wards, you were hoping to talk to catch him off guard one day and ask him about his spying.

You find yourself getting along with the Cursebreaker even though you knew there were ulterior motives for her visit to Dawn Court. The rest of the day was spent roaming around the castle due to Feyre’s “curiosity”, it was tiring but it was better that you were present instead of Feyre going off by herself. It was becoming obvious that they were letting Feyre look for something and used their meeting with Thesan as a distraction.

***

After dinner, you found yourself feeling extremely restless once everyone retired to their rooms. Wrapping a shawl around your shoulders, you walked out of your chambers for a stroll around the Palace. You were making your way to one of the courtyards when you heard a whisper to your right. Looking at the spot, you see this wisp of a shadow and you huffed in annoyance.

“Show yourself,” you commanded, eyes focusing on a spot in the shadows. You couldn’t see anything, but you swear there was a figure somewhere in all that darkness.

Azriel froze, no one ever saw him when he was in the shadows, he was supposed to be undetectable. The High Lord of Night himself couldn’t see Azriel unless the shadowsinger made himself known but somehow, you saw him. Quickly removing the surprised look on his face, Azriel stepped out of his shadows and was met with your calculating gaze. He couldn’t help but think how beautiful you looked under the moonlight.

“Why were you following me?” Your voice was cold, and all traces of the gracious and friendly host were gone.

As smoothly as he could, Azriel said, “I wasn’t following you, I couldn’t sleep so I decided to go for a walk.” Azriel wanted to cringe, he was capable of infiltrating courts, but he was stumbling.

Detecting the blatant lie, your eyebrow quirked up unimpressed by the spymaster’s skills. You sized him up and then jerked your head towards some cushioned seating in the courtyard. “Come and have tea with me, I need to talk to you,” you said already walking away from him.

His footsteps followed you and it was only until he adjusted his wings and settled down on the cushioned seat that you conjured tea and cookies from the kitchen. You prepared your drink in silence, the both of you eyeing each other in anticipation of who would break the silence. He seemed content to sit there, so you sipped some tea before clearing your throat.

“What is the night court doing here, Azriel? Between you and me, I don’t think the three of you came here to talk about alliances and politics.”

His hazel eyes met yours, he didn’t think you’d be so blunt. “What makes you think that?”

“Your shadows,” you said watching the wisps dance behind him. “I caught them looking around the palace, what were you doing?”

He inhaled slowly, keeping his handsome face neutral. “I was just doing reconnaissance. Making sure no surprises were waiting for us in Dawn Court.”

A muscle in your jaw ticked, “My cousin may be stubborn at times, but we have always been loyal to the solar courts. After 50 years of chaos, how would we even have the time or energy to launch an assault on the Night Court? I don’t know how it is back at Night but we’re still rebuilding most of our cities.”

Azriel’s shadows swarmed around him as he guiltily thought about Velaris. How protected his city was from Amarantha’s wrath. “I was just doing my job. I apologize on behalf of Rhysand; we didn’t mean to offend you.”

“I think you were looking for something the other night,” you continued. “You know…you guys can just talk to us, right?”

The shadowsinger shifted in his seat, squirming under your attentive gaze. “We think Dawn Court is hiding something powerful,” he admitted before realizing what he said.

Azriel wanted to slam his head on the table, he couldn’t believe he just said that. He cursed himself for revealing any information, Rhysand had lectured Feyre on how to deflect questions, who knew the spymaster was the one to need a refresher? He looked at you with this renewed sense of realization, there was something different about you. Were you a siren? A witch? He was the best spymaster in all of Prythian and here he was spouting whatever came into his head. Even if this was his first time meeting you, Azriel felt as if he could trust Dawn Court’s second-in-command.

Fuck. They know we’re hiding something, you thought. Stirring more honey into your tea, you forced yourself to be nonchalant.

“That’s quite an accusation, shadowsinger,” you said coolly. “Something that you shouldn’t repeat in front of Thesan if you want a solid answer for our allyship.”

This must have been the strangest situation you’ve been in in a while. You and Azriel stared at each other, gazes burning, waiting to see who would reveal their secrets. The visible scars on his hands and wings told you that he has been a warrior his entire life. He was probably the most dangerous faerie you’ve ever met. This male had infiltrated the Palace and spied on you, that act alone should have pissed you off and made you hostile towards the male, but it didn’t. You were only intrigued by the handsome faerie in front of you.

Azriel smirked, “So, you’re not denying that Dawn Court is hiding something?” His voice came out in a taunting purr.

You think about the glamoured sapphires around your neck and the wings that hide beneath your skin, of that dark power that you have. This was why Thesan spent decades hiding you, so other courts and faeries weren’t going to be sneaking around and finding ways to utilize your gifts.

With a bored huff, you lean on the palm of your hand. “We have nothing to hide, Azriel. I think everyone’s just a little on edge after what happened Under the Mountain, scared that someone like Amarantha is going to wreak havoc on our frail country. We’re all feeling vulnerable which is why I think we should call it a night. Politics should be discussed with everyone present in a meeting room, not over tea and cookies.”

The shadowsinger doesn’t respond for fear he would say something stupid again. You had found a way to graciously end what could have been an ally-ending conversation and he was thankful. Who knows what he could have said, he might have even revealed the existence of Velaris or irritated Dawn Court’s 2nd to the point of no return. He stood up and gave you a courteous bow, but not without taking one last look at the strangely magnetic fae with the sharp eyes.

This is going to be an interesting few days you thought as Azriel walked away.

As he sauntered toward the direction of the guest suites, he could swear he could feel your gaze sear through his back. He wished he knew if it was curiosity or if you were imagining driving a knife through his back.

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acourtofquestions · 1 month

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Sarah J. Maas really does a good job as a writer when it comes to guiding the reader into the opinion you want them to have for the best emotional investment in the story. … It’s never going to be 100% unanimous (often it’s fun in a way because everyone has their own interpretation, favorites, etc.) however I think her fandoms have more generally conclusive agreements & that’s a pretty impressive feat saying how often her characters & their relationships change; they are built, destroyed, & rebuilt again. The ability to twist the story (even starting with the Beauty and the Beast comparison within A Court of Thorns and Roses is impressive). And I say this as a fan who tends to be PRETTY loyal to my favorites, her books have been an exception.

Tamlin (the beast) is at first a VERY hesitation drawing character, by the time one finally starts to like him; it still feels off (& confusing because isn’t he “supposed to be” the main love interest? “Shouldn’t you” like the MAIN LOVE INTEREST?) then when you finally start to think you love him, your all in on the ship, it starts BREAKING YOUR HEART, until one page changes everything & you now LOATHE HIM FOREVER. 1 book, 7 chapters, & the reader goes through it WITH Feyre.

Rhysand (the beauty😂😊😘) goes from a “who is this tall dark “beautiful” stranger”, to holy**** he’s the one decapitating people😅 & now everyone is terrified of him (for & with Feyre), so the hatred officially starts, until it presses pause because it’s just straight up confusing (“what am I supposed to feel?”) and start getting confused by all the feelings for him; one second he’s annoying, then hilarious, then everyone is drawn to him, until you can’t tell if you like or hate (or love to hate) him. AND THEN SOMETHING IS DEF UP AND YOU NEED TO KNOW WHAT RIGHT NOW so you spend all this time guessing & waiting & brooding & pining—until you think you understand him & “even if it’s fucked up you love him” & then you REALLY do LOVE him and your just WAITING for Feyre to realize it too… And then EVERY shoe drops; you never knew anything, now you know EVERYTHING, & they are officially ENDGAME… until that gets too literal & now your crying CAUSE IT CANT END & thankfully it doesn’t! It just begins 80 times over for Fae Infinity (depending on how that whole death bet bargain goes😅).

Sam we fall for him (even knowing from DAY 1) how it ends; we fall for him because she did; and he did love her. Truly, steadily, from the beginning—to the end. They had something real, a beautiful promise (to be kept… & betrayed, not by them but by the very universe) born among sorrow but not out of it. Something good, built by them. We fall for the assassin, the boy, the best friend; the one that should’ve gotten to be the one or at least gotten more time… the first love, always love, & un-ended one because it’s ending came without a goodbye & before it even had a chance to begin…

Dorian the beautiful & forbidden prince — the good boy, to one day make a good king & a good man; the dreamer you fall for because he wants to make the world better & just might be a better benevolent ruler; ever-looking for his equal to rule by his side. The forbidden affair, yet always almost promised to be — the Daughter of Terrasen & the Son of Adarlan — enemies to friends to lovers (& friends again) burdened with glorious purpose & dark powerful pasts. The might have been; two sides, same coin… seen by all… seemed fit to be…

Chaol the opposites attract; magnets always in orbit always moving toward this; them. The love that brings life, back to-well-life. The guard & The Assassin; the killer & the protector; the prophesied end to evil rule, a woman scorned & hell-bent to burn the crown to the ground — the one who gave everything for an ideal, a good man, given to protect it at the cost of his very life & all he knew; the daughter of ruin & the fallen — the son of ruiners who destroyed to survive, yet survived nonetheless. A truly good man in a world of evil, a goodness that makes her believe again. A resilient sun, she blazes among deaths darkness, he watches her like Icarus. They are the goodness that came out of the ashes. Opposites yet the ones that understood (even to a fault). It was always meant to be… right?! — Their story. You see & fall for yet ANOTHER future, their “brood of children” & running away together. Until…

Rowan I have yet to meet him but from the little (trying to stay spoiler free) he is her match. Though I was strongly team Chaol… and Dorian… and Sam… I am sure I will fall once again…

There is something genius in that

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a-court-of-moonlight-and-ire · 2 months

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I got caught shoplifting a few weeks ago so Im gonna have a court proceeding (? if thats what you call it in english idk) in a couple hours and Im a little bit nervous but the shit I stole was only worth 7€ and it was my first time getting caught so I dont think it'll be too big of a deal. Honestly Im just glad I didnt get caught while I was stealing ~85€ worth of acotar books, because my punishment would not only be wayyyy harsher it would also just be embarrassing, imagine stealing sjm books when theres so many good books you could steal from a bookstore

Anyway, speaking of acotar books, its livebloggin time. Last time, Feyre and Rhysand came to this cabin in the woods/inn in the middle of nowhere and stayed in a room thats so small that you couldnt even have sex in it and then they had sex. not penetrative sex, they just fingered each other. Which is to say Rhysand fingered her vagina and Feyre fingered his wings because god forbid a man be on the receiving end for anything other than a blowjob. Also, I guess Mor, Cassian and Azriel are somewhere else? I didnt wanna say anything about them being gone bc I just kinda assumed they were staying with Feysand but they seem to be gone. whatever I dont care about those guys anyway

Chapter 49

Feyres internal declarations of love and wanting to be with Rhys forever feel very shallow when you consider the fact that 1) theyve only had like 3 months worth of non-traumatic interactions with eachother, and 2) she thought the exact same way about Tamlin and then she DIED FOR HIM and then she left him after barely half a year

'"You know exactly that I would do anything for my people and my family."' 'Your people' consisting of one (1) city

Feyre's pussy feels slightly raw from getting fingered hours ago?? thats not a good sign.

'"I'm not gonna turn away from you. Not from you," I promised him quietly.' honestly, i can believe that, if you can fully forgive someone for physically torturing and sexually assaulting you after like a month or two you can forgive them anything, I have no idea why Rhys would be worried about that

can you imagine if Rhysand got shot with poisoned arrows and he just died right here. Life could be a dream but alas, I live in a nightmare world

I actually really like Feyre going feral over her love interest like this (even if that love interest is Rhys) I dont we're gonna get much more of that in this series so I shall savour it

Yeah, now that she mentions it, how come one ash arrow was enough to straight up kill Andras but Rhysand gets hit by like a dozen and hes just fine after this. I guess it could be that Feyre shot Andras in the eye so it was more lethal than Rhys getting shot in the back and wings but still, afaik there are no longterm consequences from this, like hes not even gonna have to deal with idk, his back hurting at certain points or something

Im not a fan of Feyre being so murderhappy now when she was reluctant to even kill animals at the start of this book, like at a certain point Im not so much bothered by Feyre's character being retconned from ACOTAR but her character from start of ACOMAF

Damn I didnt think the sex would be anything other than a pointless diversion, but here it is, being plot relevant

How come these guys have been torturing him by just stringing him up and leaving the arrows while they whip him, if I was an evil torturer and had just gotten my hands on a guy with wings Im sawing those badboys off immediately. or should i say batboys ahahahha.hahha

Oh, just a splinter of ashwood can he deadly but of course Rhysand is gonna be pretty much fine after being impaled with seven whole arrows

'"And Elain would love [Velaris], I'm sure of it. Although she would probably cling to Azriel the whole time, looking for safety."' smth about that line feels icky to me, I think its the fact that I dont think Elain actually properly interacted with Azriel at this point and also, Velaris is a perfect paradisical city what on earth would she need his protection for there

ughhhh all this bullshit with the dresser is so unbearably annoying

I guess I'll see how this all actually pans out next chapter, but right now I gotta say I dont like the fact that Rhysand's wounds just heal on their own, I couldve used some good whump with him. And Im not just saying that because I dont like him and Im a sadistic little bitch, even though both of those things are true, Im saying this because I think seeing him in a vulnerable position for an extended time would make me like him more

#anti acotar #anti acomaf #anti rhysand #anti sjm #flames and darkness liveblog

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acourtofthought · 1 month

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is acotar third person limited? because i am seeing posts about feyre being unreliable and being influenced by rhysand. has the author said anything about what kind of POV the series will be having? i think a clarification from her could set some things straight about the series because i am seeing very valid yet conflicting interpretations of the series.

also can you recommend anybody who makes good character analysis in the fandom? this is more for enrich my reading experience with the books. thnx

The first three books are a first person POV and SF is a dual POV but from a third-person limited style of writing rather than a third-person omniscient POV

"First-person perspective typically takes on a limited perspective—the story is told directly, and only, from the narrator's internal thoughts, feelings, and personal experiences. This means the entire story has a limited view of how the character sees and experiences the world."

In third-person limited: "There’s a clue in the name of this point of view: limited. In third-person limited, you stick to one character’s perspective and are “zoomed in” on them.

The only way there's not going to be some bias to these characters' perspectives is if the style were written in third-person omniscient (which this series is not).

"In third-person omniscient, we still use third person (he did this, she did that, they did this). However, omniscient is “zoomed out”. The narrative doesn’t come from the point of view of any one character. It comes from the point of view of an external, godlike narrator, who knows everything about the story and its characters.

This means that the narrator can enter anyone’s mind, and is more detached from the story. This narrator can provide a perspective that the characters can’t. For example, they can give knowledge of future events that haven’t happened yet (to use a very hackneyed example: “little did they know, the worst was yet to come…”). They know everything about the characters and their situations."

While I don't think Feyre has been brainwashed by Rhys, I do think that it's evident she's seeing him through biased lenses, which is colored by her emotions at any given time throughout the series. At first he was evil, wicked, someone to fear. Later he was good, kind, self-sacrificing, etc. Tamlin was at first someone to fear, then someone to love, then someone to hate. Lucien was at first arrogant and vain, then a loyal friend, then someone whose training had "festered" and who had abandoned her, then he was back to being a good male, Elain was at first someone who didn't quite grasp things and never thought to get her hands dirty than later she was someone who was wise and generous, someone who does act with bravery when she has to.

The same can be said of Nesta, even from a third-person POV. At first she hated Feyre, hated Amren for siding with Feyre, thought Cassian was a bastard-born nobody, thought Elain was a dog, hated Rhys, he was a preening asshole and Feyre was only there spending her mates money. Later Nesta loved Feyre, realized Amren had only ever tried to be her friend, acknowledged Elain was the only person who had maybe truly grasped who Nesta was, wanted Cassian from the moment she met him, acknowledged that Rhys had only ever tried to help her (etc).

These characters opinions might be valid for them at various points throughout the series but it doesn't mean they're actually able to see the other characters as they truly are. The other characters aren't the ones who drastically changed over the course of Feyre or Nesta's stories, it's Feyre and Nesta's thoughts that changed because of the growth they have and that's reflected in how they view the world around them. But even now, we can see they're not capable of seeing things through a truly unbiased lense. For example, Feyre embraced the "Court of Dreams" nickname while making fun of the "Band of Exiles" for their name. There's really no difference between the two, it's two groups of people giving themselves a moniker yet Feyre insults only one and that's because she's experiencing emotions over the thought of Lucien choosing to live away from the NC which hurts her. Similarly, Nesta experienced this heartfelt moment with Rhys in SF, notes how he was showering her with mating presents, proclaiming she'd found her home in the NC, her home in the HOW, how she was finally where she belonged, but all of a sudden there's this weird tension between Nesta and the IC in HOFAS, how she's always in trouble with them.

At this end of the day, I think the reader has to step into the role of the third person "omniscient" narrator looking, not at the thoughts of Feyre or Nesta or Cassian, but the overall actions of all the characters to sort through their personal bias from what is actually true.

I am primarily be a Elain / Lucien blogger and most of who I follow are primarily Eluciens and Gwynriels so I'm not sure I could give any good recommendations of bloggers who deep dive into Feyre though @olenvasynyt has a few TikTok videos on her (but they're mostly in relation to her relationship with Lucien). However, I'll add on that if anyone who sees this can make a suggestion, please add a comment for my anon ❤️

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slightlysadfilter · 2 years

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SPOILER: ACOTAR, FOLK OF THE AIR SAGA

Honestly I hate people who think acotar and the cruel prince saga are anything alike.

They're both about fae. That's it.

To begin with, Feyre and Jude are polar opposites. Feyre is described as this incredibly pretty and talented woman (painting, hunting, fighting- and later on magic, literally anything) with a darkish past who doesn't seem to possess a shred of selfishness, and who is constantly thinking about sacrificing herself. But Jude is a damn antihero. Her dark past has become her routine, she's good at some things (like swordsmanship) and there's a reason for that. She doesn't think about sacrificing herself, she thinks about sacrificing others first. She'll fight for her loved ones, and that's it. The casual heroic moments (like saving that human) come of a place of hatred towards who wronged HER. Jude thinks logically, Feyre thinks emotionally.

And about the love interest and the whole enemies-to-lovers (skipping Tamlin, he doesn't matter). So Rhysand- a man with no faults. Tragic past and present, looks evil until he looks less evil and after the very exhaustive explanation before they fuck, the enmity feels like a long lost memory. If I went on with criticism about this notion this post would be too long, so here it is: the author wants you to think that he's actually a misunderstood hero. He's a reliable, kind, dominant man who's powerful and is secretly as selfless as Feyre, ready to die for half a citizen of Velaris. Valiant and whatnot. Cardan is a dick, and so he remains. There's a redemption arc, not a justification arc. We know he shares a dark past too, but ultimately his actions are never excused and it's about three books before Jude starts thinking of him on the more tender side, rather than with hatred or pragmatic scheming. He's certainly charming but, unlike Rhys, he's not reliable. He drinks, he parties, he participates in hedonistic scenarios with gusto. Responsibility be gone (he spends two and a half books getting drunk); he's all arrogant and smug till Jude claims she'll cut him and then it's downhill from then. Cardan is a sub, we should all accept and celebrate that. So basically, they're also polar opposites.

About the dynamic, acotar involves a relationship where the power never shifts. The power is given to Feyre, because there's a mating bond, because it happens to be Rhys who will suddenly act as the only feminist in Prythian, because she died and more powerful people decided to resuscitate her. It's always something that is given, and with which Feyre will work with a little, and that's all I honestly got from those two. The enmity dissolves and we're suddenly upon two heroes at the end of the third book. Jude, however, takes her power with a series of ponderate and perhaps cruel decisions. Cardan gives her the crown, but she's actually been the crown ever since she took the seneschal role. Cardan confirms her power but is, ultimately, powerless. He's been powerless ever since Jude got the geas and started drinking poison. He's been powerless ever since his birth. It's actually Jude who gives him power, lets him have it in the end. The enmity is very real, their bad actions remain bad actions, and learn to trust and long for one another without any morally higher justification.

The other characters. As they tend to be archetypes in acotar, shifting from something as simple as "the father" to the beautiful, never imperfect Fae. Femme fatale, muscular men, the good ones and the bad ones rendered in an almost cartoonish way at times. I like how in fota not everyone is pretty, with enchanting auras and exuding raw fae sexual tension at all times. Characters feel more like real people, rather than concepts.

Lastly, acotar fits in a vibe that I would call inexorably straight. It's like, if one of my mom's cool friends wrote a book which is actually a code for the desire she felt for that one six-packed surfist she met at a beach in her youth. There's just so much heteronormativity. Something I feel much less in Fota, because it's not there. Cardan and Jude are that one straight couple that doesn't feel straight at all.

And that's it for now. Might continue this one day

#acotar #fota #folk of the air #cardan greenbriar #jude duarte #feyre cursebreaker #feyre archeron #rhysand

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bookishfeylin · 1 year

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Hiya! Here's a question for you, if you had just finished the first book and someone said 'hey, there are seven more books in this series!' then how would you imagine the series progressing?

(without prior knowledge of the series - basically I'm wondering how you would rewrite the series after book one to avoid as many retcons as there are)

Hello! Sooooooooo I do have an idea of how I'd rewrite it, but I do plan on actually writing and posting my ACOMAF rewrite on Ao3 at some point, so I don't know if I truly want to elaborate too much right here.

But I will say some of the larger, non-spoilery concepts involved in my rewrite: the human heart/fae body would remain a central conflict of the series; there are many surprising revelations about the magic behind the mating bonds (we are doing a mass divergence from canon here while still remaining in line with the basic explanation for mating bonds we're given in ACOTAR 1); Feylin remains a thing if ONLY to prove Amarantha was wrong; Feyre does not have all the powers of all the High Lords but becomes powerful in a different way; there is actual! Worldbuilding!; humans aren't vilified for hating their slavers; Rhysand is chaotic neutral rather than straight up evil or good (like he's not even morally gray, he's just purely CHAOTIC); and more :)

#ask #anon #acotar #my fanfics

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rockislandadultreads · 8 months

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Banned Books Week: Let Freedom Read!

To celebrate our freedom to read this Banned Books Week, we will be shining a light on the most challenged books of 2022. First up, a four-way tie for 10th place!

This Book is Gay by Juno Dawson

Lesbian. Bisexual. Queer. Transgender. Straight. Curious. This book is for everyone, regardless of gender or sexual preference. This book is for anyone who's ever dared to wonder. This book is for YOU.

There's a long-running joke that, after "coming out," a lesbian, gay guy, bisexual, or trans person should receive a membership card and instruction manual. THIS IS THAT INSTRUCTION MANUAL. You're welcome.

Inside you'll find the answers to all the questions you ever wanted to ask: from sex to politics, hooking up to stereotypes, coming out and more. This candid, funny, and uncensored exploration of sexuality and what it's like to grow up LGBT also includes real stories from people across the gender and sexual spectrums, not to mention hilarious illustrations.

You will be entertained. You will be informed. But most importantly, you will know that however you identify (or don't) and whomever you love, you are exceptional. You matter. And so does this book.

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to the Spring Court - but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can't forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people.

Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms - and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future - and the future of a world cleaved in two.

This is the second volume in the "A Court of Thorns and Roses" series.

Crank by Ellen Hopkins

In Crank, Ellen Hopkins chronicles the turbulent and often disturbing relationship between Kristina, a character based on her own daughter, and the "monster," the highly addictive drug crystal meth, or "crank." Kristina is introduced to the drug while visiting her largely absent and ne'er-do-well father. While under the influence of the monster, Kristina discovers her sexy alter-ego, Bree: "there is no perfect daughter, / no gifted high school junior, / no Kristina Georgia Snow. / There is only Bree." Bree will do all the things good girl Kristina won't, including attracting the attention of dangerous boys who can provide her with a steady flow of crank.

This is the first volume of the "Crank" series.

Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

Greg Gaines is the last master of high school espionage, able to disappear at will into any social environment. He has only one friend, Earl, and together they spend their time making movies, their own incomprehensible versions of Coppola and Herzog cult classics.

Until Greg's mother forces him to rekindle his childhood friendship with Rachel.

Rachel has been diagnosed with leukemia—cue extreme adolescent awkwardness—but a parental mandate has been issued and must be obeyed. When Rachel stops treatment, Greg and Earl decide the thing to do is to make a film for her, which turns into the Worst Film Ever Made and becomes a turning point in each of their lives.

And all at once Greg must abandon invisibility and stand in the spotlight.

#banned books week #freedom to read #reading recommendations #reading recs #book recommendations #book recs #library books #tbr #tbr pile #to read #booklr #book tumblr #book blog #library blog #readers advisory

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zacksfairest · 2 years

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Wait. Now I have to ask, what are your thoughts on ACOTAR?

Oh. Ohohohohoho. This is a can of worms that hasn't been opened in a LONG time in a public forum. (It's opened pretty much daily in private with friends lmao)

the short answer? I fucking hate it lmao

The slightly longer answer? I loved the first book. I thought it was a wonderful Beauty and the Beast retelling with colorful, very human characters. It was also one of the first fantasy books I ever read, and definitely the first book I read that dealt with the fae.

I absolutely adored Tamlin and (human) Feyre. Especially human Feyre. She was so very human and her struggle to survive in a foreign land practically designed to kill her, all while Tamlin is trying to break a curse and winds up accidentally catching feelings for real? Beautiful. I also adored the side characters. Lucien was such a good second in command to Tamlin, and a fun companion for Feyre. The world seemed so promising, with all of the courts and their various magics.

And then the second book came out and it went to shit lmao

I despise everything this series is and has become now. The second book found us with characters that were absolutely nothing like the characters we had spent the entirety of the first book with. It was practically a brand new book for a brand new series! SJMess committed character assassination of the most heinous degrees—SPECIFICALLY with Tamlin, the love of my life—all because she got too much of a hard-on for Rhysand and absolutely cannot handle the idea of a character being ~evil~, or at least Not Good, and also the love interest.

So she vilified Tamlin and beat the entire fanbase over the head with outlandish ~abuse~ that was just not even remotely there in the first book, and all while Feyre got to play the pretty victim with the pretty trauma, and Tamlin's trauma from their same shared experiences was depicted as ugly and unworthy of the same help and support that Feyre got.

There is so so SO much more nuance to my hatred for this series, but it would literally take me a 200 page thesis to get into every single detail to break it down.

An added little bit to why I hate the series: it has devolved into absolute smutty garbage with absolutely no substance whatsoever. Every character is barely even a rough outline of the characters they once were. The world is some monstrous amalgamation of High Fantasy and Urban fantasy where the fae walk around in ugg boots and leggings and long sweaters as they go Christmas shopping while also saying things like "My lord." And, not to mention, SJMess' blatant Straight White Feminism and her distaste for people of color, the LGBTQ community, women over the age of 25, and any man who doesn't have cheese grater abs and "golden brown skin."

Oh, and it's a known fact that SJMess doesn't even have an editor anymore. Her publisher knows her books will sell no matter what garbage she shits out, so they don't bother anymore. They just do surface level edits to make sure it's readable (but barely lmao). And it's super apparent.

OH!! A QUICK ADDENDUM!!! She plagiarizes a lot. I can think of three specific instances off the top of my head that she ripped word for word from other works. She’s a fucking hack.

I read ACotaR through ACoFaS, though reading that novella was purely for masochism's sake, and I read the entirety of her Throne of Glass series. I am practically an expert on her shit and how much her shit sucks. And this is coming from someone who truly and completely adored the first ACoTaR and really had such high hopes for the series.

I have a lot of trust issues now with books because of it lmao

#serpenthyne #answered #anti sjm #anti acomaf #anti acowar #tamlin deserved better #[tap dances] fuck SJMess and fuck what she did to tamlin lmaooo

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highladyofprythian · 3 years

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Rhys picking Feyre up from univesity drabble

Thus Prythian was split into the seven courts…

When my eyes flutter open, the words in front of me are distorted, on the verge of blurry with my face pressed against the pages. There’s a sharp pain in the back of my neck and my thighs ache from sitting for so long.

Sitting up, I groan as I stretch out my legs, pulling my head to one side to relieve the pain there. Even still, the left side of my face is numb from being pressed against the table’s surface for so long. I scan the library quickly, my Fae ears not picking up the sounds of other students. Odd, considering I only started reading just as the sun went down, the library full of other students. But now, only the soft creek of settling floorboards and my breathing can be heard.

The room is dark, my faelight burnt down to embers, barely enough light to see three feet in front of me, let alone navigate the expansive library. Sighing, I stand up, willing my exhausted magic to fill the faelight again, just enough to guide me and pack my things away.

I pack my book away into the leather rucksack Rhys gifted me last Solstice, along with the charcoal pencils and paper scattered around. Studying, I’ve found, has left me prone to doodling while I concentrate. Little images of flowers, Nyx’s eyes, utterly random shapes. It’s difficult to sit idle, while some ancient wizened Fae drones on in the front of a grand lecture hall about the trade routes between Courts.

The clock chimes in the silence, frightening me so much I jump, pencils clattering to the floor. Grumbling, I bend to retrieve them, but snap back up when I only hear three chimes. Three? But-

Wildly, I whip my head around, determined that other students only left to eat dinner… I couldn’t have been asleep that long. But again, I hear nothing.

I’ve been asleep for hours… oh gods, Nyx.

I tug hard on the bond between Rhys and I, not caring if I wake him from sleep. I need to know if my son is ok.

Good morning, Feyre darling, his voice thick with sleep drawls in my head.

Before I can ask him, he calms my racing thoughts, my shield falling from my panic and lack of proper sleep. The baby is fine, he fell asleep hours ago. As did you, clearly. His dark laughter fills my head, only irritating me further.

You didn’t think to wake me up? I snap at him.

Couldn’t disturb you being so studious, now could I? His tone is amused as he goes on, And besides, I am capable of parenting our child without you.

I soften, melting at the image Rhys sends me of Nyx cradled in his arms, his head resting against Rhys’ bare chest as he bottle feeds him.

I hope you ate too, High Lord. I gripe back, still irritated with him. The stress of the baby’s birth and potential fallout with Autumn has put Rhys on edge, falling back into bad habits of forgetting to eat his meals.

Of course, High Lady. Couldn’t risk falling asleep in my study with the baby home. Infinitely amused, he continues to make fun of me.

If I remember correctly, you were the one to encourage me to attend university. Such is the life of a poor student… I lament, matching his dramatics.

If only because the thought of you sitting in a lecture halls and writing essays does wicked things to me.

What doesn’t? I retort, sending him a rude gesture down the bond. He just laughs, thinking of more creative uses for my hand.

Pig, I say as I finally find my pencil and tie my rucksack together. The faelight follows me as I walk out the grand double doors to the library, illuminating the path ahead.

You love it, his voice and my feet padding along the marble flooring the only sounds to be heard. Truly I somehow managed to sleep through students leaving for dinner, chatting amongst themselves. Even the Fae who do nightly patrolling of the library.

I doubt even the toughest of security guards would want to wake the High Lady, says Rhys. This late at night, I don’t bother putting up my shields, enjoying the simply intimacy of Rhys hearing my thoughts, sharing each moment with me. Even I don’t dare to do that, he continues.

I snort aloud, startling myself. Only when you wake me up creatively… I send him an image of us, him beneath the sheets, my hands gripping the pillow beneath my head.

I don’t think the guards would wake you up quite like that, his mental voice is a little strained. I can see through his eyes that he’s sat up in bed, the sheets pooled around his hips, revealing only a tantalizing shadow but no more.

I follow the path down the winding stairs, the sconces along the stone walls are blown out for the night, the gentle gold of the faelight flickering. The history in these walls is deep, thousand of years of Fae scholars shared this space, writing laws that still preside of Prythian today. Rhysand’s own family, High Lord’s of Night Court past sheltered together, the wards of Velaris being set up as they studied through the night.

And a painting comes to mind, of ancient Fae, gathered in a library of old, heads bent together, scroll after scroll of lore and history being recorded. One day, Rhys himself will stand beside them.

I like to think I’m not stuffy and old yet, darling. His voices brings me back, and I’m greeted by the sight of the university’s large, ornate double doors shut to the elements, no light peeking through the wood.

Yet? Says the five-hundred-year-old with bad knees, I tease as I pull on the large, iron door handle. Amongst the alumni it’s said that the iron handles and sconces were built into the building to ward away evil Fae spirits. However I, and other students have far fonder memories attached. And I’m reminded of my first week here, students rushing past me, completely bare as they ran through the ancient hallways, attempting to touch each piece of iron before their competitors, to then be greeted by a slew of cheers and applause when they completed the course. Even I partook in the spirit of unvieristy, and I’m blushing just thinking about it again.

Shame I wasn’t there, Rhys says, showing me a picture of his own days in the university. A buck-naked Illyiran warrior flouncing down the hallways, outrunning everyone, of course.

I could say the same. Though I don’t think we would’ve studied well together. The heavy doors open to an inky black night, the snow on the ground stark white in contrast.

“Considering your success at reading, I think we would have made exceptionally good study partners.” Rhys’ midnight voice floats through the air, making me jump again.

I huff at him, “You scared me! What are you doing up?” And another more pressing thought, “Who’s minding the baby?” I begin to run towards the river house, though the jog across from the university to the house would take thirty-minutes by foot.

Rhys behind me laughs, and I hear his wings flare wide before he takes me in his arms, pushing off the ground and up, up into the night sky. The air rushes past my face and I revel in the sensation, loving the icy cold against my faelight warmed skin.

Once we find a cruising altitude, Rhys answers me. “Mor is at the house, he’s fast asleep.” His voice caresses my neck and I shiver, though not from the cold. “And I’m here to pick up my star-pupil, lest she fall asleep on herself mid-flight. Again.”

“I had just had a baby! Your baby! And I didn’t fall asleep I simply closed my eyes.”

“And careened straight into a tree.”

I whack my palms against his chest in retaliation, but he’s not wrong. I was only two months post birth and pelvic-reconstruction. I needed to simply pick up something from the market and Rhys was out on business. So, I shifted into my wings and took flight; but that evening Nyx had been up crying and I only managed to sleep for an hour before he was up, happily chatting his baby nonsense about the sun being in the sky once again. I had closed my eyes briefly… and both Rhysand and Azriel still make fun of me. Azriel more so, between fits of chuckling telling me ‘I thought I trained you better than that,’.

I nestle into his arms, sleep clouding my eyes once again, but even after two years, the sight of candle-lit Velaris twinkling against the night sky, cradled betwixt the mountain rages, makes me sigh in wonder, never wanting to close my eyes.

“Sleep, Feyre. You have an early lecture in the morning, wouldn’t want the Professor to catch you drooling on the table.”

I snort weakly, partially asleep once again. “Reminiscing about your own days at university, old man?” His laugh rumbles in his chest, lulling me fully into sleep.

When we land, I wake just enough to kiss Nyx’s little forehead while he sleeps soundly before Rhys picks me up again, places me on our bed and I dream of Rhys after his first war, young by Fae standards, studying the night away in the very same library I slept.

#Feysand #feyre archeron #Rhysand #Nyx #Feysand baby #feysand drabble #acowar #acofas #post acofs au #sjm #sjm books #acotar fanfiction #feysand fanfiction #feysand fluff

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flowerflamestars · 4 years

Note

Okay okay I just read your jaw dropping post about how acotar would be with Nesta Under the Mountain and now I’m curious: does Rhys meets Feyre? Cassian and Nesta’s first encounter, how does it goes like? LUCIEN AND AZRIEL SLOW BURN “STRANGERS” TO LOVERS? Nesta wouldn’t be stupid to let her sisters be kidnapped by Hybern, so how do they get changed into Fae? And DO they get changed? I’ve got a thousands questions now

OKAY YES- Nesta Under the Mountain, acomaf remix:

First, I just want to pause to highlight the chaos factor here. What happens after Amarantha and Tamlin die? Rhysand, bound by magical contract and also Dramatique, nopes out, bringing Lucien and Nesta.

And he’s a mess. It’s relief, it’s half a century of unimaginable torture. He needs a bath. He needs to lay in bed for a week before he speaks to another living person. Instead, he takes them to his moonstone palace.

Does he rest? Plan? Go find his friends who are screaming at his mental shields?

No. He gives Nesta and Lucien rooms, and proceeds to have breakfast with them while flirting with Nesta, so he can pretend everything is fine.

To say Nesta is feeling A Lot is an understatement. She has zero Tamlin murder regrets- and many, many, I came back to life and got kidnapped again regrets. She does take a bath. Washes off the blood, braids her hair, tries not to look at her freaky faery face, looks for clothes. Is unimpressed beyond measure at crop top sheer ensembles, and goes looking for Lucien.

Swathed in turquoise silks, doing that thing where he’s grinning but his eyes are flinty and just waiting for the next attack, he’s no better off. The robe in Nesta’s bathroom was a lace confection- the one in Lucien’s in quilted green silk. Nesta wears that.

Is still wearing it, when they show up to breakfast, Rhysand flirts- and because Nesta is an Archeron, she throws a teacup at his head.

(Lucien, beside her, buttering toast: yeah, that doesn’t work on her)

What really happens in acomaf? Love, trauma journey, betrayal. But Tamlin’s dead- and guess what family promptly sails back across the sea to seize power of Spring? Guess. No one is out here calling Nesta the Savior of Prythian. She’s not the mother, she’s the crone. Women love her, men fear her. She’s not the blessing, she’s the punishment.

Morrigan tracks down Rhys, and this is what she finds: 1 autumn prince, wearing a crop top and acidly explaining that he doesn’t give a single fuck if Spring burns. 1 devastating faery lady wearing nothing but a robe. Rhysand, with tea dripping from his hair.

Tears! Reunion! Nes & Luc, exit stage left faced with Emotions.

Nesta doesn’t need to learn to read- and she doesn’t need Rhysand’s fucking help, as she keeps saying, as he keeps doing nice things for her. Fuck off, she says, fixing her hair with the diamond pins that have mysteriously appeared on top of her book. Do not look at me like that, she threatens, catching him grinning at some insanely offensive thing she’s said about Beron.

Rhys likes Nesta. It’s not willing. Nesta...kind of hates Rhys still. Rhys is also still, A Mess- and Nesta just happens to be the sexy project in front of him.

You didn’t make a deal for me to be a permanent house guest, she tells him.

Morrigan, to herself, a respectable wlw who, you know, met Nesta in a robe and learned ten seconds later she killed a High Lord as a human: PLEASE STAY FOREVER

Rhysand takes them to Velaris.

Lucien is devastated by the prosperity- Nesta goes straight for Rhysand’s throat- you protected one city? Rhysand says, one city, and four people. It’s the closest Nesta ever comes to respecting him, lasts three seconds.

It takes one night for Nesta and Lucien to vanish. Dangerous and disconcerting for a few reasons- Prythian is singing songs of Nesta, and they’re songs of destruction. Lucien has a price on his head.

But they’re not courting danger- they’re over the wall. Nesta knows a war is coming, knows she’s painted a target sky high on her back. She leaves letters for her sisters- she’s alive, she can’t come home, she’s sorry, she loves them, please please please be careful- and they spend ten hours straight setting wards around the slumbering Archeron manner.

With his usual sense of good timing, the next morning is when Rhysand trots out his work for me plan.

Hybern wants a war, and Nesta is a weapon. Lucien, who has been a rapid fire, info dump strength been trying to tell Nesta all the shit she needs to know now that she’s a faery, tells him to go to hell.

Rhys feigns very much like that was uncalled for, unravels a few more layers of the I’m only bad as a ruse lifestyle before their eyes.

Nesta more or less ignores him, but explains Lucien’s comment for them both: no fealty. No oaths. No games. No more fucking tattoos.

Rhys, eventually, repeats himself: work for me, I’ll pay you, you don’t need to belong.

Nesta demands a contract. Exact terms. Proof of salary. Tells Rhys, casually, that she killed one High Lord human and she’s perfectly willing to try for a second with immortality on her side.

Nesta and Lucien, private contractors. Nesta and Lucien, who also don’t really believe a word Rhysand says.

But then it’s time for dinner. To meet the Court- Nesta repeats Court of Dreams to Lucien with such lofty disbelief he’s still giggling to himself every few minutes when they get to the House of Wind.

A pause, a step back: Cassian. Cas lost his shit when Nesta died- Cassian felt her come back to life- Cassian, who has never met her, has no idea what that means. He’s been rattled around, feeling more than a little crazy- tense, unfocused, walking the streets of Velaris like he forgot something that can never be found- he also didn’t tell anyone.

Nesta Archeron walks into the House of Wind beside Lucien Vanserra, and everything stops.

It’s Rhysand’s stumbling, lightening struck, immediate oh-shit reaction, just on a very different balcony, with circumstance more different that Cassian allows himself to believe.

There she was. There was what he’d been looking for- there she was, taking a glass of wine out of Lucien’s hand.

There’s no personal story time at this dinner. There’s Cassian, dumbstruck, silent, staring. Azriel, whose good manners kick in and make him speak. Lucien, drinking. Nesta treating it like a business meeting and directly trying to establish what everyone’s jobs are.

(Also Nesta, meeting Amren, recognizing her name from fairytales she read trapped in Tamlin’s house: Do you really drink the blood of men?

Amren: Only very, very bad men who ask nicely.

Nesta’s nod in response took years off Cassian’s life.)

Nesta, child of every court. Nesta, who Rhysand keeps comparing to the Courts universal holy objects while she bites her tongue bloody. Locate, read, utilize, steal- Nesta wants it done now, wants to hamstring Hybern before he can set foot on their island.

But research takes time. So Nesta’s learning to be a faery- and breaking a ridiculous amount of things along the way- Lucien is hanging out in her shadow, free as he’s ever been in his entire adult like but also just waiting, waiting, for the axe to fall.

Everyone thinks they’re sleeping together- more importantly, even if they’re not, they’re In Love.

There’s no weaver in the wood moment- because frankly, Rhysand doesn’t want to risk that Nesta will somehow befriend her. Less Rhys in general, because Nesta doesn’t want to spend all that much time with him.

Nesta is just in Velaris, waiting for the damn job to start. With Lucien. Sometimes Amren, or Morrigan. Often, extremely often, Cassian.

In canon, when they meet, Cassian is all set up to hate her- she didn’t protect her sister, she’s disloyal she’s- all of these terrible things that have to be proven untrue. That clash, that fighting shapes...basically everything.

This Nesta, he has every reason to admire, and it’s killing him. She saved Prythian- she killed a High Lord with her bare hands and knife Cassian wouldn’t want to use to cut an apple. She’s incredible.

She’s also the unfortunate, perfect receptacle for all of Cassian’s self worth issues. He can’t look away, which means she’s not looking. Of course she loves the son of a High Lord, who fought by her side- they survived together, they’re the same species.

So. He’s just going to quietly, miserably, love her forever. But he doesn’t actually talk to her- this is the only Cassian who has ever been quieter than Az- he just can’t. But he’s always there- passing messages from Rhys. Flying her to the House of Wind. Present.

So he also ends up around when Lucien and Nesta decide to move on from magic training to physical training.

And Cassian absolutely falls over himself asking to help. To train her. To make her stronger. To maybe, you know, punch him in the face.

The offering goes as badly as can be imagined, all the wrong words and blushing fury. Insulting. A mess.

Nesta does what Nesta does best. Asks him, you’ve trained how much of your own army? Cassians answer is halting but true- yes, yes the Legion’s are his lifes work.

And look, Nesta is mad at the implied insults to her and Lucien both. She’s also mad this asshole who clearly doesn’t want her here, doing the job she was hired to do and has made that clear with the silent treatment, is now intruding on her personal business.

She gets in his face. I’m not an Illyrian. I’m not a man. I will never be a soldier under your command and I don’t need your help.

(the vicious cultural sexism has, in fact, trickled down to Nesta’s knowledge quite easily. She doesn’t know Cassian’s back story.)

The knife sinks oh, so, fucking deep. Cassian who also, has never learned to back down, doesn’t fuck off. So he’s around, brooding and training himself, while Lucien teaches Nesta evil little tricks and how to move like lightening, to use weapons and magic as one.

Nessian keep fighting. Cassian also keeps finding every even slightly plausible excuse to be in her company-because now she’s looking at him.

So what, if she’ll never love him back? So what, if fucking Lucien Vanserra who flirts with everything that moves somehow earned her loyalty? Cassian is never-will never- judge or undermine her choices. Never.

He just wants to be around. To speak to her every day. So what, if the angst is burning him alive?

Interlude: the Summer Court. Rhys and Nesta go alone.

Nesta likes Tarquin. Tarquin...is kind of more afraid of Nesta than Rhys. There’s no flirty montage, Nesta goes to hang out with Cresseida. Knows her for about a day, comes to understanding that Cresseida was the one who held Summer together under Amarantha.

Nesta tells Cresseida everything. Hybern’s coming back, they’re already making plays. They want the Cauldron, but control can be stolen with the Book. Rhysand thinks I can read it- all I want is Hybern dead.

It is, in the end, compelling. Helped along by the fact Nesta peppers in that Rhys isn’t going to ask.

There’s a fight, a battle, conditions: in the end Tarquin gives the book to Nesta. Only Nesta. For Rhys, this still works- for the Summer Court, the distinction is important. Nesta Archeron, Cauldron-blessed, the Sword of Prythian, will wield the book.

Not the blessing, the punishment.

Rhys says something very Rhys, and Nesta leaves. They’re winnowing to the same place, she can now, it doesn’t matter- but what matters is this: Nesta goes back to the House of Wind, and runs into Cassian.

She’s just carrying half the book- like that isn’t an insane, miraculous thing, and Cassian congratulates her, without saying anything stupid.

But then Nesta sprawls down in a window seat, and starts looking at the book.

(Cassian is GOING THROUGH IT. he thought being around her was bad? Knowing she’s in another court where he can’t make sure she’s safe or okay or not having a bad day made him LOSE HIS MIND)

Which is fully what he blames for the fact that Cassian also, does not leave. Crosses his arms. Leans in the doorway like it doesn’t matter. Asks, like a moron, why Nesta isn’t looking for Lucien.

(Cassian to Cassian: SHE WAS GONE DAYS- SHE COULD HAVE BEEN HURT? WHERE IS THE CARE? THE CONCERN? THE- LUCIEN WAS AT A BAR WITH AZRIEL LAST NIGHT)

Nesta: No, I’ll see him later.

Cassian: Reunions...are important. The war is going to come faster than any of us think.

Nesta: I know?? that’s why I just spent a week in fucking sand- I’m doing my job-

Cassian: We all have so little time-

Nesta: You think I don’t know that??

Cassian: I just. I don’t understand- you have options. You have the entire world. You are the entire world, and you deserve-

Nesta: What. Exactly. Do you think I deserve?

Cassian, miserably ferocious: someone waiting when you come home. from battle. from stupid shit Rhys makes you do. You deserve everything.

Nesta, rising from the window seat, walking across the room: You’re here.

Cassian:

Nesta, rolling her eyes as she sweeps past and away: You. Were here. When I got back.

I’m going to cut this here and then post a part two! Thank you so much for asking, stay tuned :)

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thesurielships · 4 years

Note

“we’re...just friends” for some feysand angst please!

7 Days Writing Challenge Day 2: delicate

note: oh you are evil hahahahaha. i’m sorry if this sucks, i wrote it and edited it the best i could; anymore than this and i’ll have my second mental breakdown of the day (tmi? hahaha). without further ado, enjoooy :D

Challenge masterlist | Masterlist | ao3

Feyre didn’t understand what Rhysand was so pissed about. They’d just been having a pleasant dinner in their favorite hole in the wall restaurant, celebrating her finishing her first painting after a long hiatus. The ambiance had been lovely, the conversation flowing and the laughter endless. It was all so perfect that she’d pretended not to notice the new waiter’s obvious attempts at flirting with her.

Rhysand had progressively grown more and more restless throughout the evening, up until the waiter executed his finishing move.

His number on a napkin.

She’d let out a forced laugh, reminding herself that this was their favorite restaurant and she could take a couple unwanted advances if it meant keeping this little piece of heaven they both shared.

Two seconds later, Rhys had stormed off the restaurant.

She’d hurriedly followed him, Rita shooing her away and telling her to pay later. She’d found him in the car, and he’d sped off the moment the door was closed.

An awkward ride later, they were in front of her apartment complex.

She got off, thinking he would just drive off, but he climbed off as well.

He joined her on the sidewalk, and finally he spoke.

“So… will you call him?”

She crossed her arms defensively. “And what if I do?”

Maybe if this had been a year earlier, she wouldn’t have noticed the small dent in his cheek where he must be unconsciously biting it. Maybe then she would have believed him to be as impassive as he pretended to be.

“Rhys…” she hesitated to voice the sneaking suspicion she’d been rejecting the entire drive home. “Are you jealous?”

He didn’t answer.

“Rhys,” her exasperation was evident in her voice. “We’re just… friends.”

“Friends?”

She merely nodded.

“Friends.”

He huffed a bitter laugh, aggressively running his hand through his hair so it stuck up in every direction.

An image came to her mind, completely unbidden.

Rhysand’s face between her legs, a self-satisfied smile on his lips, a mischievous look in his eyes and an utter mess of hair on his head.

She blinked the image away, staring at the current Rhysand under the streetlight in front of her house.

The same streetlight they’d made out against more times than she could count.

His jaw was set, his muscles were taut, his hands were shaking with barely repressed fury.

She had never seen Rhys so angry.

“Sure.” He shrugged. “We’re friends,” he said the word with so much derision that she flinched. Something like hurt flashed through his eyes, so quickly she almost thought she’d imagined it. “Friends who fuck each other every other night, who wake up tangled in each other’s arms, who kiss each other good morning and good night, who –“

“That was the agreement,” Feyre interrupted, her blood starting to boil. “We agreed on this from day one, Rhysand. Just sex.”

“The agreement,” he repeated, his eyes sparking. “Because the high and mighty Feyre Archeron would never break the rules she set for herself. You’re just so perfect, aren’t you?”

Feyre had never been so angry, either.

“The definition of an agreement, Rhysand darling,” she practically spat the endearment in his face, “is that both people agreed. You were as much part of that decision as me. It’s what you wanted, so don’t go blaming your change of heart on me.”

He put his hands in his pockets, nodding vehemently. “Yes. Yes. You’re right. I can’t blame you for my own foolishness, after all. I should’ve known being fuck buddies with the girl I love would only lead to disaster.”

Feyre’s heart sputtered to a stop. “Love?”

“Yes, love.” He threw his arms up. “I am so fucking in love with you; I don’t even know what to do with myself anymore. You’re on my mind 24/7. I look forward to seeing you all day long and I miss you the moment you’re out the door. Why? Does this terrify you, Feyre darling? Is the notion of having me love you too much to fathom?”

Feyre’s world tilted on its axis.

No, no, no. This was all wrong. She could feel a wave of nausea and hysterical laughter bubbling up her throat. Rhysand was looking at her expectantly, but she couldn’t speak, couldn’t even think -

The silence stretched between them, long and taut.

All the anger seemed to drain out of him at once. His face went blank, his shoulders slumped and though he tried to summon his usual arrogant self, the overall impression remained flat. In contrast to the Rhys who always shone brighter than the stars themselves, he seemed… dim.

Feyre’s throat was thick as she watched him turn away from her, his steps heavy as he lumbered to his car. He climbed in and put the keys in the ignition.

She waited for him to leave but he didn’t.

His gaze was fixed straight ahead, resolutely avoiding her.

And yet she couldn’t look away.

Many long heartbeats later, his eyes finally met hers.

Something foreign and strange bloomed in her chest.

Her heart began an unfamiliar dance to music only it could hear.

She willed her feet to move, to take her away, away, away from this life altering moment, from these new emotions that were threatening to swallow her whole.

Eventually, they did.

She strode to the doors of her building, Rhys’s gaze a burning brand on her back.

She didn’t stop until she was in her apartment, the door locked, the lights on.

Only then did the engine down on the street come to life, the wind wafting in through the open windows carrying its sound long after it was gone.

=> Part 2

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#7 days writing challenge #feysand fic #feysand au #feysand #mine #prompt fill #feysand angst

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ahsokasanity · 3 years

Text

Chapter Five

A Court of Shadow and Ribbons

Don’t start here! Start at Chapter One

They had not spoken since then and it was good. It was better. The few months had passed quickly – contentedly. Azriel thought that Elain was at a place where she could begin to heal and to find what she wanted. A little voice whispered that she had always wanted him, but he knew that was untrue. She wanted choice, she wanted to not have a mating bond, and she and he were thrown together in circumstance over and over. Watching their mated sisters and brothers just added another level of convenience to a relationship between them. But they could not have it and it was getting to be bearable for them both.

The court had enough to worry about with Briallyn, Koschei and the Autumn Court backed up by daily reminders of Feyre’s growing babe and his difficult wings. Azriel stopped worrying about Elain and about Gwyn and about his male needs as the trips to the pleasure house become unnecessary. He was working at finding out what was going on in the other continent and helping Mor whenever he could with the treaty.

So ridiculous that having power made other lands stay in line, but that same power would give rise to jealousies and fears that the Night Court would attempt to take over the islands using the skills and the Trove that they sought to protect from enemies.

His birds swooped low through the door to the veranda and three of them perched on the back of his chair. Thank the cauldron, he’d been waiting for something to do, something to know and add to the bundle of information about the continent and their allies. They squabbled but finally one held sway and sang to Azriel

“Shit” he stood to go immediately to Rhys, to tell him at least. Eris had been captured and taken to the continent. Those were his thoughts as Feyre yelled to him using daemanti skills.

“Get to Emerie’s shop in Windhaven. They’re gone. We’ll meet there”

Az tapped his visible siphons, and his gear and the rest of his power covered him head to foot. He ran out of the House of Wind and across the training area flapping his wings and wondering who’s gone?

The truth was more painful than he could admit and worse than Cassian could stand. Nesta, Emrie and Gwyn has been abducted and dropped into the middle of the Blood Rite. There was no possible way to get them out without killing themselves and the women.

Azriel thought of the months in that training ring. The stories that Cassian had told him about the three of them spending evenings going through battle manuals and war text books. The day they each cut that ribbon and months later when they proved to the despicable Illyrian lords that they could qualify for the Blood Rite. He didn’t have any doubt that it would be a struggle mentally and that the bastards who dropped them in would have separated the three, just as he, Cass and Rhys had been separated. A part of him struggled to undo the knots in his chest at the thought of Gwyn, or even Emerie and Nesta facing any more trauma than they had already experienced, but a larger part could see them finding each other and succeeding. There was no other choice.

And Eris. He and Cassian would have to get him out.

Azriel held tight to a struggling Eris – despite the fact that if Eris succeeded he would drop hundreds of feet into the ocean. Not a great loss as far as he was concerned but also not much of a rescue.

He flew the son of the Autumn Court directly to the night court in the north of Prythian and into the Hewn City. Eris was not helpful, yelling and struggling against Azriels’s shadows who seemed to have a more corporeal power here in the dungeons.

“Shut up Eris” Az mumbled “You have got no idea the heaping pile of crap you are in”

“I should not be here and you know it you worthless bastard” Eris gritted his teeth and hissed at Azriel.

“So, still under the Crown’s power Eris. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure that no one kills you before you snap out of it” In his head he added I can’t promise anything after that.

He just needed to get Eris contained and kept quiet. Lord Beron decidedly did NOT need to know about this. Bloody Keir would need a gag order from Rhys too.

Az shoved a bound Eris through the door of the most remote cell and turned, locking and warding it. He stalked back down the dark hall calling over his shoulder “Simmer down Copper Head, you’re now at the bottom of my priority list”

Azriel knew that the Blood Rite would end in a few hours and he couldn’t bear to spend it here with Mor’s awful family and that piece of shit. He headed straight back to the night air and took off heading east to Velaris. He knew that Rhysand and Feyre would be close to home awaiting news and staying safe

He winnowed in spurts, checking the country of the night court as he went. His path did not take him near the Illyrian Mountains or Ramiel, but his thoughts tugged him that way. Cassian was another matter.

He needed to find if anyone had any news, if he could put together a legion or two to head across the ocean to find his brother. It might take days to get organised, and if Cassian was already in thrall of the Crown, well, what could they do?

Az shook the thought from his weary overwrought mind. Nesta and the girls would need rescuing, if not emergency treatment as soon as the sun crested those highest of peaks. Then would he concentrate on getting Cassian back. The Gods only knew what Nesta would do, should do, were she found alive. She would rent the earth to return to his side. No matter that she had run from him, from the mating bond. Cassian had told him all. Cass’s blundering explanation and anger and then dismay, followed by Nesta pulling out that stupid bargain and using it to get away and to shackle Cassian from following. She little knew that evil stalked her. Perhaps she would have been abducted from the House of Wind anyway, but he doubted it. Whoever took the girls must have planned this. They just got lucky with Nesta and Gwyn both spending the night at Emerie’s. There was so little protection there.

He cursed himself again for not realising the danger they were in. All together after showing up the Illyrian Lords with their near perfect course a scant week ago. Damn it he needed to see them, and he needed Cassian. He could only imagine Cassian’s rage and frustration if he was in Briallyn’s clutches and still not able to get to Nesta.

Velaris winked in the distance and he could all of a sudden feel Rhys. Not a particular word or feeling. He felt a terror that he couldn’t place. An unknown threat upon them all.

He flapped hard and brought his wings together behind his back to spear the last of his journey straight to the River House. It was set apart even from the other estates in that area and the Sidra sparkled with city lights as it made a tight loop around the mansion.

At least the house had great landing sites, part of the original plan to make it easy for Rhys and his brothers to get home and a good place to teach the fledglings ……. Well, that was the plan.

Rhys was pacing the living area and Mor was with him. She looked wrecked, so unlike the always put together impeccably female that he knew.

“But will she be OK Rhys” Mor spoke quietly as if Rhys were some injured animal that she was trying to calm.” Will you both, … All of you be alright? You have to be” She pleaded

Azreil strode through the back door closing it behind him, assessing the desperation written on both their faces. “Where’s Madja?” Azriel asked. Rhys shook his head

“She’s here with Feyre in our bedroom” Rhys stifled a sob “The babe has begun to be born, it’s too early and he’s breach, I have to go back to be with her” Rhys left Mor and Azriel together and they embraced.

“Eris is safe in the Hewn City” Azriel made a show of being grateful for that at least.

Mor looked down and he could see her mouth working but no words came out.

“Cassian is probably with Briallyn, I’m sorry I could not get him free too, but Eris was accessible, Cass wasn’t”

They looked at each other and a purely spontaneous thought occurred

“Nesta” They both said at once

Azriel nodded, “If we get to Nesta, we probably have a better shot at rescuing Cassian. Then if we’re all here together? Maybe….”

Any more Chapters? Check the Chapter Link

Azriel’s hand went to his mouth before the words could spill. How could they help Feyre and Rhys, what could be done for their High Lord, Lady and heir.

#Gwynriel #spoilers #acosf #acotar #Feysand #Nessian #disasters #Nyx #Eris #night court #drama

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harmonyindark245 · 4 years

Text

Secrets [1]

Summary: King's Archeron's kingdom is made up of secrets, which include both betrayal and treason. When the Prince of Velaris and his Inner Circle visit the kingdom, these secrets start revealing themselves. How will these affect the 3 Archeron Princesses, who themselves have a very deadly secret?

Word Count - 1.5k words

AN: All characters belong to Sarah J. Mass

Warnings: A bit of mature language

Hope you all enjoy :)

Masterlist

Rhysand stood in front of the palace gates, gazing at the massive doors and the beautiful carvings on them. He had never seen such beautiful doors in his kingdom.

Well, maybe that had to do with the fact that his father hated decorations of any sort. Rhysand thought he was a prick.

“Hey prick, you do know you can help us right?” Ah, that would be the other prick, whom Rhysand did not hate that much. Rhysand turned around to see Cassian, his brother of sorts, tugging huge sacks along with him.

“And you do know that we have servants to help with those?” He pointed out.

Cassian let go of the sacks and behind him, Azriel very nearly avoided tripping over them.

“Ah, the most powerful Illyrians in our kingdom and yet they are unaware of the usage of servants and tripping over sacks.” Mor said. “Such a pity. Isn’t that right Amren?”

Amren just waved her hand around. “That isn’t surprising. What is surprising though, is that we have been forced to come here to the land of mortals. Why is that?” She asked, glaring at Rhys.

“We were invited and dear old father thought it would be good to connect ties.” Rhys said, giving the same reason his father gave him.

“That is the job for a Prince and his royalties. Why the hell did you bring me? Or this uncultured brute?” She pointed towards Cassian. He just walked up and slung his arm over her shoulder. She shrugged it off almost immediately.

“Because dear Amren, he needed some source of entertainment for his month-long duration in this colorful drab kingdom.”

“Colorful drab?” Rhys asked, definitely amused by his friend’s choice of words.

“Why yes, isn’t that perfectly applicable here? It is filled with colors, but at the same time, the life here seems so drab.”

From behind, Az spoke up, “I highly doubt you’d be saying that when you meet the three princesses.”

Cassian flipped his head to watch Azriel who in turn was looking at Cassian with careful eyes.

“Three, eh?” Cassian tilted his head. “Perhaps, I’ll spare one for you and Rhysie each.” He turned around and walked towards the gate.

Mor just laughed and followed behind Cassian. Amren also moved ahead, leaving Rhys and Az behind. The Prince looked at his Spymaster and said, “You know what to do, don’t you?”

Az just nodded. “And I’ll also ensure he doesn’t get kicked out of the kingdom.” He started walking away too as Rhys held his hand to stop him.

“What do you know about these princesses?”

Az smirked at the prince as he answered, “Each is too much for us to handle.”

-----------------------------------

Elain was pacing in the great hall. She had managed to convince her father to let her welcome the guests from Velaris. Her father thought it was due to her generosity.

In truth, it was so Elain could avoid Prince Lucien. If it were up to Elain, she would’ve stayed away from him since the first day. Once she had even contemplated slipping a tonic into his potion which would result in him not being able to leave his chambers for more than ten minutes. However, Elain couldn’t. She was supposed to be the nice sister, even though her thoughts ran far more violently than her sisters.

“Oh do stop pacing. You’re giving me a headache.” Nesta said aloud from her seat without even looking up from her book.

“Nesta, they were to arrive an hour ago. The sun is about to set, all the preparations! And Feyre! Feyre is not even here!” Elain exclaimed.

Nesta finally kept her book on her lap. “You do realise that I do not believe for one second that you are this frustrated because some Prince is coming to visit. Now tell me what happened, or else you’ll end up wearing down our carpet.”

Elain let out a breath. “Prince Lucien finally proposed.”

Nesta was taken aback. “He has asked for your hand in marriage?”

“Not exactly. I don’t know.” Elain leaned against the wall. “He said he would be honored if I chose him, whatever that means.”

Nesta laughed. “I see. Seems like someone fancies you. I bet he doesn’t know you at all.”

“That’s not all. I keep seeing flashes of this man with a dagger and shadows swarming around him.”

“Well, if he ever happens to confront you, ensure he can handle his liquor as well as you.” Nesta taunted again.

Elain glared at her. “Make fun of me all you want. Once I meet him, and I assure you I will, he will be the most perfect man to ever be alive.” She raised her chin.

Just then the front doors opened and a group of well dressed people entered. Elain stood up straight as she saw the man standing behind them all.

Mother’s tits. It’s him.

-------------------------------------------

Nesta was very unhappy when her father had told her about the prince’s visit. She knew that he had avoided telling her due to some reason and Nesta was willing to bet it was because he wanted to get her betrothed to the prince and knew that Nesta would strongly object.

Luckily, Lord Thomas had not hounded her for another chance. She was fed up with being seen as an attainable object. A prize that would lead them directly to the throne.

Elain’s pacing and fantasies did not help at all. And Feyre was infatuated with the Captain and did not see sense regarding him. Nesta obviously despised him. As a child, he had told her that she could not handle swordsmanship. She responded by slitting his tendons, accidentally, obviously. He did not walk for a month and Nesta revelled with pride.

The door opened and five people, two ladies and three gentlemen, entered the great hall. Elain stood straight and stared at the man standing in the back. He looked quite handsome. As Nesta looked at each one of them properly, she realised, all of them looked well, in their own manner.

The tall man in the back stood in a way that suggested he was carrying much burden on his shoulders. The lady in front of him was in a bright red gown with golden hair. She smiled as if she hadn’t seen a single bad day in her life. Nesta didn’t like her. There was a short lady standing right beside her with short black hair. She had a scowl embedded on her face. Nesta considered her as a potential friend.

The one standing out the most was obviously the prince. His clothes screamed elegance. If Feyre were here, she definitely would’ve made him stay still until she could complete a portrait of his.

There was another man. He walked at the head of the group, wearing normal clothes. Nesta couldn’t look away from his unkempt hair, reaching his shoulders, and his rugged face. His eyes were hazel and they clearly spelled out trouble.

The man caught her eye and winked at her.

Oh, Cauldron help her.

-------------------------------------------

Feyre was in the weapons room, polishing her personal sword. She knew Elain would bite her head off for abandoning the so-called ‘welcoming committee’ but Feyre truly did not want to be there. Tamlin’s words from the previous day had not left her mind and the last thing she needed was an arrogant prince commenting on her kingdom.

She looked at the sword. Holding it as if she were cradling it. Was she truly not capable of protecting herself?

Tamlin walked into the room and was surprised at seeing her there. “Feyre, what are you doing here? I thought you had some event to attend.”

Feyre didn’t move her gaze from her sword. “Not an event. I had to go welcome the Prince of Velaris. Not that exciting.”

Tamlin’s expression tightened. “The Prince of Velaris is here?”

Feyre looked up at him. “You were not aware?”

Tamlin closed his hands into fists. “No. His Majesty never mentioned anything of such.”

Feyre moved towards him, his expressions unsettling to her. “Tam, are you okay?”

“Feyre, do you love me?” he asked abruptly.

“Of course I do. You know I do.” Feyre said without a hint of doubt.

He looked into her eyes and said, “Then marry me.”

---------------------------------------------

“Your Majesty, you have a message from the mortal lands.” The servant said with his head bowed down.

“Very well. Hand it to me and go back to your position.” The evil king said.

As the King read the message his spy had sent, a smile formed on his face.

“Why the smile, your highness?” The lady behind him crooned.

“King Archeron thinks he can protect his kingdom from us. How naive of him.” The King laughed. “Little does he know that i have been planning this for a very long time and there will be nothing stopping me.”

“It appears he has done his job well. Perhaps, give him a reward of some sort?” The lady now stood beside him glancing at the letter.

“Not so soon, my lady. Not so soon.”

#feysand #nessian #elriel #feyre archeron #nesta archeron #elain archeron #rhysand #cassian #azriel #mor #amren

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typicalmidnightsoul · 3 years

Text

𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓒𝓻𝓸𝔀𝓷 𝓟𝓻𝓲𝓷𝓬𝓮𝓼𝓼- Chapter 11

𝕀𝕥 𝕚𝕤 𝕞𝕪 𝕘𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕤𝕥 𝕙𝕠𝕟𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕥𝕠 𝕓𝕖 𝕙𝕖𝕣

I am not a victim of my life, what I went through pulled a warrior out of me and it is my greatest honour to be her- Rupi Kaur

IT HAS BEEN SO LONG AND MY LAZY ASS ISTG I AM SO SORRY I APOLOGIZE DEEPLYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!! hopefully I will start to update more frequently <3 <3 i LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH

Annabeth needed answers. She sat on her prayer mat. The room she was in was made and used only for prayers and readings of the holy book, there roof was able to disappear on command so it could be used to talk to the owner of the skies. Annabeth looked up at the night sky filled with stars and whispered. “Oh Lord of the skies, you see all, you are omniscient, please only you can provide answers to a grandmother wanting to protect her grandchild. Only you.” She picked up the dagger Nesta had gotten from Cassian. A dagger she had kept all these years, she had taken it from Nesta’s armoire. This was the first gift between two mates. The first offering, albeit it was unknown to the both of them but it held a significant meaning. She touched it and instantly went into a trance.

Devlon stood in front of Cassian. “Don’t lie to her Cassian.” “You saw the threat, Devlon.” Cassian’s voice broke. “She is in love with you,” Devlon’s voice was disbelieving. “I know…I know.” “You are going to hand her over to that-to that monster?!” “I don’t own her… she’d never forgive me if I didn’t” his final whisper rang out the vision.

Annabeth was pushed out as a voice said, “Let it be, Mamma.” Annabeth let out a cry, “Addie!! Adelaide…are you here?!!” A figure made of some light stood in front of her. It was Adelaide Archeron’s ghost.

She smiled as her image stuttered a bit the blue glow around her fading.

Annabeth walked forward, “Is it really you Addie?”

Adelaide nodded, her image stuttered again this time more violently, “I can’t stay long Mamma. I-I’ve spent most of my energy protecting Nesta through the transition.”

“That was you..?” Annabeth stepped towards her but a fear in her daughter’s eyes held her back.

“Addie what have you given to be here?”

Adelaide smiled sadly, “My family needed me. I had to do it. I… I can talk to you for a short time only if you need me…But whenever I touch anyone living who I love to protect them with my powers…It pains me…my aura dims.”

Annabeth shook her head at the cruelty. Adelaide had to protect Nesta through her… ‘transition’ as she called it and the only way she could’ve been able to protect a living person was only if she touched them.

She would not let her daughter’s sacrifice go to waste.

“I need answers my love, what should I do?”

Adelaide’s smile died, “You know what you need to do, Mamma. You have been avoiding it because you fear what happened to me will happen to Nesta.”

Annabeth stiffened, “Is it wrong I want to protect my grandchild?”

“Yes. If you never let go then she won’t be able to survive this. You tried to stop the prophecy before and you not only tried to stop the inevitable you were punished…I died and you never found out. Don’t let that happen to Nesta. She grew up alone just keep on reminding her that…I-” a tear slid down her face-“That you are there for her.”

The door opened softly and Vera stepped in, Adelaide smiled at the sight of her mother-in-law.

“Hello Addie, I sensed you were here.”

Adelaide smiled, “Hello Mama Vera.”

Vera smiled sadly, “It’s time isn’t it?”

Adelaide nodded at her and turned to her mother as her image started fading.

“It’s time you told Nesta the truth Mamma.”

“You need to tell her the prophecy.”

The blue glow was the last thing left in the room, the remnants of a person who does not live.

-----------------

6 Months Later

Feyre was expecting the Royal Family of Rask to come to the River Estate. She smiled as she expected Nesta to be in front of the door but there was only a frantic Jonah.

“Nesta is gone.”

Feyre hadn’t seen Nesta since the… outburst in Illyria. But she expected her to be in Rask at the least.

“What do you mean she’s gone?”

“Gone…disappeared. Poof.”

“Jonah Astor Archeron you are a mated male, a husband and a father. I do not expect you to use the word ‘Poof’.”

His mate Caroline came up behind him. She turned to Feyre,

“There is an explanation to Nesta’s disappearance.”

“An explanation that no one has told me! Where is she Caro?”

Jonah was exasperated, to say the least. He turned to Feyre,

“Can’t you use your voo doo magic to find her?”

Feyre tried to find words to explain her ‘voo doo’ magic-

“OK FINE! Another person who doesn’t give a shit about Nesta! I’ll just go to Helion or Eris.”

Feyre and Caro both exclaimed at once “HEY”

And Jonah turned around, “What?”

Caro spoke first “we get you’re worried about Nesta… we are too.”

Feyre added, “And I am worried about her…it’s just…if Nesta wants to stay lost to us then she will. We can’t stop that.”

Jonah sneered, “Is that what you told yourself when you exiled a rape survivor to a sexist camp where what a male says goes?”

Feyre felt night flicker behind her as Rhysand appeared, as her whole family did.

Elain said, “Jonah that is not fai-”

Annabeth winnowed next to Jonah.

“Now, now children. Let’s not fight.”

She turned to Feyre as Vera gave a nod and look of heavy approval to Jonah’s comment.

“We need to talk.”

------------

They all sat down as Rhys waved a hand at the book in Annabeth’s hand.

“What is that? Its power is interfering with mine.”

Annabeth smiled “this is the holy book.” Her smile died “It holds a prophecy that holds the destiny of everyone in this room.”

Well straight to the point then. Audrey thought.

The colour drained from everyone’s face.

Vera said, “Nesta asked us to not tell you because and I quote ‘they’ve been through too much with the war’-”

“She did?” Elain asked, astonished.

Vera nodded, “Yes she did but we… well we don’t really care.”

“No!” Annabeth said, “We do care but we feel it is necessary for you to know.”

“Sure.” Vera said under her breath

Annabeth touched the covers of her book.

“Brace yourselves.” Was the only warning as she opened the book and a glow appeared a voice that seemed like time itself spoke.

When the moment comes that rivers run dry, a surrender shall usher forth the return of dragons. Once the sky burns with fire, the banished one shall bring the rise of hope and an age of magic.

When the time comes that lightning strikes twice, a challenge shall bring forth the rise of a new evil

It shall be on the day that rivers run dry, a silver haired woman shall usher forth an age of tranquillity and an age of anarchy. Upon the day the moon turns bright, the accused shall bring forth the return of monsters.

Once what's shrouded is revealed, the lost one shall bring forth the end of peace

Two kingdoms of brutality and riches and culture will join in matrimony and grandeur.

There comes a day when the dark one returns, a broken heart shall bring forth the rise of a kingdom and a shift in power.

Feyre shivered.

“It’s not talking about Nesta is it…?”

“I am afraid it is.”

Jonah let out a breath, “When-when I saw her in the market…she had the under layer of her hair coloured silver. I asked her if she got it dyed but…”

Caro held out her hand squeezing her mate’s,

“That wasn’t a choice baby.”

He looked at her fear shining in her eyes,

“It’s started? My sister…”

Elain let out a jagged breath and turned to Azriel.

“The last line of the prophecy, ‘When the day comes that what's shrouded is revealed,’ do you think that’s the coffin I saw in my dreams?”

Everyone stilled.

Feyre stood, “You’re having more dreams?”

Elain nodded and took a pen and paper from a nearby table.

And wrote ‘ignis caelestis’.She handed it to Vera,

“That is what was written on the side.”Vera’s hands shook as she passed the sheet to Annabeth.

“The celestial fire.” She translated.

Feyre shot a questioning look at Rhys who shook his head. He didn’t know.

Before Feyre could ask a knock broke the silence.

Luna stormed in, Lily and Audrey behind her.

“We found Nesta-“

“Where?!” Vera demanded shooting up.

All colour drained out of Audrey’s face and Feyre noticed the shadows that had settled over the days of searching for Nesta.

“Last we heard she was talking to Helion. She was showing him the scroll of the prophecy.”

Vera smiled and turned to Annabeth, “See Anna. I told you my granddaughter wouldn’t do anything stupid.”

She turned back to Audrey, “Well come on then let’s go.”

“We can’t,” Lily said.

“Helion has shut the golden city. Everyone except him and his ministers and Nesta have been evacuated with immediate effect.”

------------

Cassian slammed the wall. He shouldn’t even have been in Velaris today but after hearing the Rask royal family were coming for dinner he had forced himself to go. The coiling feeling of unease in his gut begged him not to.

He should’ve listened.

And now…God knows what was happening.

A little messenger boy came bustling in as if he had been forced to do send the bad news.

“Um my King, I-I-“

Cassian tried a grim smile, “Can I help you?”

“Um- there have been sightings of the High Lord of Dawn and Autumn and the Princess of Adriata entering the golden city.”

Cassian furrowed his brows, “I- just the princess of Adriata? Not the High Lord? Are you sure of this information?”

“Yes sire.”

At the same time Azriel winnowed into his office Lady Vera at his side, and nodded at the boy.

Cassian knew he had bad news from the look on his face.

“What now?!” He fumed.

Azriel’s eyes were filled with sadness as Vera said.

“Cassian we need you to come with us. Please don’t say no. We need to see your father.”

@mis-lil-red

@wannawriteyouabook

@absolute-dissapointment

@skychild29

@aesthetics-11

@perseusannabeth

#nessian fanfic #nessian #nesta archeron

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thegoddessofliterature · 4 years

Text

A pretty long spoiler-filled reveiw of ACOMAF

-posted this reveiw on my goodreads around June and decided to share it now on Tumblr.

Reread this gem and love it even more than the first time. Of course, reading a good book for the first time is always special and you don't know any of the plot twists and turns. Not knowing what is gonna happen in a story is my favorite thing about reading. Sarah blew me away with her captivating writing style and amazing world building that left wanting more .The is the first book that made me cry and I don't easily cry in books which just proves my love for this book. Rhysand stole my heart. I just love him so much. I know most of you probably didn't like him in the first book but once you read this one you will change your mind. You can thank me later.

Moving on, let's dive straight into spoilers, if you adored this book as much as me. Most just me gushing over our precious bat boi.

Sarah did a great job at fooling me. Just like Feyre, I was blind to the red flags that displayed the unhealthy and toxic relationship between Feylin. Upon my second read, I could clearly see all the signs and read between the lines and kept thinking "why didn't I realize this sooner?''

I really liked the lesson that the author taught us about unhealthy and healthy relationships. You usually don't see the latter in most NA or even YA. And I despise Tamlin. He is everything that I hate in a man,controlling,abusive and anti feminist. I was so pissed at him for lying to Feyre that Rhys killed his family. The tool himself, had murdered Rhys family and I will never forgive him for that

Me to Tamlin “ I hope that burn..”

I could write a whole essay on professing my love for Rhysand but even that wouldn't be enough for me.

I LOVE HIM SO MUCH. He is no 1 on my fictional boyfriends list. No other male character can compare to him.

Just like Feyre, I wasn't expecting him to be the good guy. And, just as she was unaware of falling for him,I was too. I didn't even realize how attached I grew to Rhys until I got a spoiler that he was going to die. I legit got an ache in my heart and felt like crying. That's the beauty of books when a character feels real even they sadly aren't. Thankfully, he survived and if he didn't then I wouldn't have been able to forgive Sarah/

Why do I adore the Highlord of the Night Court?

He is so precious and a major feminist. He is humble and strong ( even when he has been through so much). My heart breaks for him. His story is too emotional for me to read without crying (on my second time reading). Not only did he lose his parents but his sister too. We never got to know how old she was but she was young. We never got to see his mother and baby sister. That makes my heart shatter in a million pieces but as if that wasn't enough, He didn't see his friends for 50 years. He was trapped under the mountain for so long and raped by that bitch and he endured it just to protect his city and family (the inner circle). As if he didn't have enough on his plate, he watched Feyre be taken away from him twice. He watched the girl he loved be in love with another man (his enemy who had killed his parents and sister) and yet he let her be happy (even if she was mate). After all of this torture and pain, he is still so kind and sweet and caring. He still think he isn't enough even though he sacrificed so much. He would rather put himself in torture than let something happen to Feyre or the Inner Circle.

And what I love most about him, is the freedom he gave Feyre. He isn't controlling like most men. He trusts Feyre and believes she can fight for herself but he will be there to protect if she needed him. Of course he cares for but isn't overprotective. Their relationship is so pure and healthy and I love it. I love how humble he is. Being the most Powerful HighLord of all the seven courts, you would expect him to be a rich snob but he is far from that.

I loved how much Feyre grew from that naive girl to a strong and badass woman. I could barely recognize her while rereading Acotar. It felt as there were two seperate girls in the two books. This is one of the best character development I have ever seen. My heart broke for what she went through. I could relate to her about some stuff minus the under the mountain scene (ofc). And I was so happy when she survived her depression and ptsd all because of Rhysand.

And I got so attached to whole inner circle, as if they were my family too. And I love Mor more than Amren because I could relate to her too besides the fact how sweet and strong she was

The whole book was a pure joy to read but my favorite parts were Starfall, The Summer Court and Court of Nightmares.

Starfall: It was such a beautiful celebration. Unlike, the ones in the spring court despite its pretty name. I loved the idea of stars falling down from the sky. Everyone was at their happiest. It was also sad to read knowing this was the first Starfall Rhys had after Amrantha. The fact that she knew how much it meant to him and yet she made him service her without his consent and on purpose. My hatred is like a burning sun. Moving on, I squealed at the moment when Mor and Feyre were talking and then Rhys came up behind them. My heart burst of joy when Feyre heard his voice and turned around. He took her to the balcony for her to experience Starfall at its prettiest. They had their cute moments and it was the moment when they were falling in love but didn't admit it yet to each other. Rhys hadn't laughed like that in ages, pure and a real laugh like Feyre hadn't smiled filled with pure joy ever since she was turned into a fae.

Summer Court: I loved Tarquin too. And I enjoyed the feysand moments at the court. Their constant back and forth banter and flirting. That's where the famous quote " To all the stars who listen and the dreams that are answered came from.

Court of Nightmares: This scene was so sexy and made my cheeks turn a deep shade of red. I loved how Rhys gave Feyre a choice whether she wanted to join him and the play the part or stay at home. It was her own choice that made her say " I wanna do it" and yet Rhys still felt guilty. Even when it wasn't like he forced or anything. He would never do that. I enjoyed them teasing each other. I was captivated by Rhys beauty. I love the real Rhys but I lust for the "evil" Rhys, the mask that he wears to protect his loved ones.

And that ending, I wasn't expecting that. I feel bad for those who had to wait a year or more for the next book esp after that gripping yet lovely cliffhanger. I didn't had to since the whole serious was already out. It was emotional even when Feyre was pretending to be in Rhys control. They work well so together. Rhys understood her plan through that bond and he acted so well. ( he actually deserves an oscar for his great acting of a bad guy). Tears rolled down my cheeks when the bond snapped and Feyre fell down to her knees, screaming in pain. Even Rhys. Sara tricked us but I was so grateful for that. That chapter in Rhys pov (the only chapter) was so precious. I was shook when he declared that Feyre is his Highlady and equal and the bond was never broken. It was just the bargain. And I loved how cunning Feyre. She is so smart and badass. Pretending to be in love with Tamlin (her ex), only to take him down along with his court.

This book brings me pure joy and reading it for the second time gave me a different perspective. I noticed things I didn't before. This time, I knew about Rhy's backstory so it was more emotional than the first time. And I didn't think of this sooner but I have a theory that Jurain knew all along that Rhys wasn't Amrantha's whore but was raped by her (sobs and gets angry). Esp, when he mentioned that he was forced to watch everything that bitch did due to the ring she made out of his eye. And he was the only one who was shocked when Feyre was pretending to hate Rhys. He knew since he screamed "What?'' when she told the king to break the bond.

Damn, this is the longest review I have ever written. No regrets though.

If you have read this far, be sure to follow my goodreads for more reviews. Link in my bio.

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