Four people, one mating bond, several loaded glances, and a fandom that has absolutely known no peace.
Okay, coffee down. Phone away. We need to discuss the romantic crime scene Sarah J. Maas has left sitting in the middle of Prythian.
Because Elain is Lucien’s mate. Yet, Elain wants approximately nothing to do with that information.
Azriel very clearly has thoughts about Elain.
Gwyn exists, Azriel behaves interestingly around her, and half the internet has produced a 73-slide presentation explaining why this is significant.
Perfectly normal reading behaviour….. So before the next ACOTAR, let’s separate what we actually know from what we’ve collectively decided after examining every eyebrow movement under laboratory conditions.
Major ACOTAR spoilers ahead, obviously.
Elain and Lucien: The Mating Bond Nobody Ordered
This part is canon.
Lucien realised Elain was his mate after she emerged from the Cauldron.
Romantic, right?
Except Elain had just been traumatically transformed into High Fae, lost the human future she’d expected and was in absolutely no position to receive a supernatural relationship assignment.
Since then, Lucien has tried to navigate the bond while Elain has kept her distance. And this is why I find them interesting.
A mating bond in ACOTAR is powerful, but does that automatically make it love?
If Elain eventually chooses Lucien, their story could become a gorgeous slow burn about discovering the person behind a bond neither asked for.
But if she rejects him? That could be even more interesting.
Elain and Azriel: We Did Not Imagine That Tension
Then we have Azriel.
Elain and Azriel have shared quiet moments throughout the books, and A Court of Silver Flames made the attraction considerably harder to dismiss.
Azriel’s bonus chapter confirms that his interest isn’t merely fandom collectively hallucinating because we’ve been waiting too long between books.
There is desire there.
There is also Rhys essentially saying: absolutely not, please stop creating an international incident with your penis.
Fair concern, considering Elain is mated to Lucien.
But Elain choosing Azriel could give us something ACOTAR hasn’t really explored fully: choice versus fate.
Two Archeron sisters accepted mating bonds.
What if the third doesn’t?
Now that is a story I want.
And Then Gwyn Walked Into the Bonus Chapter
Naturally, things couldn’t remain that simple.
Gwyn and Azriel already know each other through Valkyrie training, but the bonus chapter gave Gwynriel supporters plenty to work with.
Azriel’s interaction with Gwyn is lighter. Something about their exchange affects him. And the infamous necklace ultimately finds its way toward Gwyn.
Does this confirm Gwynriel?
No.
Does it mean nothing?
Also no.
Sarah J. Maas knows perfectly well what happens when she puts two attractive characters together and starts describing smiles.
She has met us.
So Who Is Actually Endgame?
Here is my deeply inconvenient answer:
We don’t know.
Elucien has the mating bond.
Elriel has established attraction and a potentially fascinating choice-versus-fate storyline.
Gwynriel has chemistry, narrative possibilities and enough intriguing details to keep theorists employed indefinitely.
And there are still enormous pieces of Elain’s story we haven’t seen because we haven’t actually lived inside her head yet.
That’s what makes declaring any ship unquestionably canon right now feel premature.
Fun? Absolutely.
Evidence-based? Bestie, sometimes we’re analysing punctuation.
Elain Is More Important Than Her Ship
This is the part I desperately hope the next books remember.
Elain isn’t a prize Azriel or Lucien gets for completing the correct quest.
She’s Made. She’s a seer. She’s connected to the Cauldron.
She’s spent much of the series being underestimated because she’s quiet and traditionally feminine.
I want her romance. Obviously. I am not here reading fantasy romance for responsible financial planning.
But I want her story first.
Who does Elain become when everybody stops deciding what she needs?
Then she can kiss whoever she likes.
Preferably after making us suffer for several hundred pages.
FAQ: Elain, Azriel, Lucien and Gwyn
Are Elain and Lucien mates?
Yes. Lucien identified Elain as his mate after she was Made by the Cauldron.
Does Elain have to accept Lucien as her mate?
No. The series establishes that mating bonds can be rejected, although doing so may have consequences.
Does Azriel like Elain?
Azriel’s bonus chapter in A Court of Silver Flames confirms his attraction to Elain.
Are Azriel and Gwyn mates?
This has not been confirmed. Gwynriel remains a fandom theory based on their interactions and possible textual clues.
Who will Elain end up with?
At present, we don’t know. Elucien, Elriel and Gwynriel all have arguments surrounding them, but fandom theory should not be confused with confirmed canon.
And if this entire supernatural relationship disaster is exactly why you love fantasy romance, welcome to my problem too.
My Untamed Hearts of Rowan Grove series has witches, supernatural relationships, danger and people whose romantic lives would benefit enormously from one sensible friend.
You can start with Witch, Unleashed at SoniaMRompoti.com.
Until then, I’ll be over here refusing to choose a ship until Elain herself gets to tell me what the hell she wants.
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