A Gwynriel scene...
"So there is where you've chosen to hide is it?"
Azriel turned from where he stood, hidden in shadow, near the shore of the river. The music from the party just drifted quietly to him at this distance, the faint trill of Mor's laughter, the sweet scent of chocolate...
He hadn't needed his shadows to alert him to her presence. The fact that they said nothing at all, relaxing suddenly in the cool night breeze off the sea was warning enough. He couldn't help the way his gaze raked over her again, lingering briefly on the necklace that hung from her throat.
He hadn't been the only one to notice it. Elain had spotted it as soon as they'd arrived, surprise flashing in her eyes before her expression turned carefully blank. She'd said nothing at all, but he could tell she wanted to. He'd hoped she wouldn't say anything to Gwyn, the priestess had been nervous enough to leave the Library. He didn't want anything else upsetting her, especially when he was meant to be the one escorting her back home later.
She smiled as she came to stand next to him, looking out over the sparkling city across the shore. As far as he knew, it was the first time she had been in the city proper. He wondered what she made of it, with it's vibrant lights and sounds and equally vibrant people.
"It's beautiful," she whispered, as though hearing his thoughts.
"It is," he said, still watching her face as she surveyed the city and the dark expanse beyond. The lights glittered, reflected in her large eyes, a soft smile curling her lips. Gods, she was beautiful.
It wasn't a new thought. He'd been aware of her beauty from the first time he saw her. Large, teal eyes like the depthless sea that seemed to see straight through the icy mask he wore to his battered soul. Coppery brown hair, smooth as silk that hung around her shoulders and shone like metal in the light. Pale freckled skin covering a delicate face and lithe body, and the most lush, pink lips he'd ever seen.
She certainly wasn't the only beautiful female he knew, she wasn't even the only beautiful female in the Library. Many of those poor females had unfortunately been targeted for a reason... But there was something about her particular beauty that drew one in. Not just him, she seemed to have the ability to draw everyone to her, whether she intended to or not.
He usually had no issue ignoring the looks and attraction of the females in the library, though he was not unaware of the ones who fawned over him during training. Those females had suffered enough at the hands of other males, he would not burden any of them with his attention, particularly unasked for.
But Gwyn...
"Is there something on my face?" she asked, a slight laugh in her voice. He'd been staring, he realized, but he didn't look away.
He shook his head slowly. "You look- very well, Gwyn. I'm proud of you."
Her smile transformed her face from mere beauty to something transcendent. "I'm proud of me, too."
"As you should be." Something dark flickered over her shoulder and he noticed his shadows playing in her hair. He didn't wish to draw attention to them, but silently called them back.
"So why are you hiding out here then?" she asked. "Not a fan of parties?"
He forced a small smile, unwilling to share the truth. That he was jealous of his brother's happiness. Both of them. He was happy for them, truly. They deserved it. They'd fought hard for it, had earned it. But it didn't stop him from coveting the same. Didn't stop the bitterness that poisoned his veins when he thought about the feelings he'd harbored for others that had never been returned. About Mor who kept him on a leash for five hundred years. About Elain who had not spoken to him, had barely looked at him since Solstice.
Mor had seen him, had seen his darkness and shunned it. Like him, she'd spent most of her younger years and in the dark and now craved the light. Elain had not truly known him, only the pretty picture he painted for her, the kinder parts of himself that he allowed her to see. She'd run at the first sign of hesitation on his part, which he did not blame her for. But he understood now that she had never been meant for him either. She was too good, too pure. She would not ever truly understand the darkness that dwelled in him. Could never fully accept it.
But Gwyn knew. She'd been there that night in Sangravah. She'd seen him slaughter those men, seen his rage, his power, his icy fury. His wrath. And yet, even though she still trembled in fear, she did not flinch away from him as he wrapped her in his cloak and handed her off to Mor. Even when they met again in the training ring, all those months together, the private lessons, the midnight encounters... she'd never been afraid of him.
She faced him down everytime, with an irreverent twist of her lips and a quick word on her tongue. She knew who he was, what he was capable of, and she had never been afraid of him. More than that- she trusted him. Something he did not take lightly.
She trusted him- which was exactly why he couldn't do this...
Their bodies had drifted closer together as they'd stood there in the shadows, pulled together like magnets. The same pull he often felt when she was near, unlike anything he'd ever experienced before.
Her face was only a few inches away, her breath warming his mouth, when he leaned back, glancing away from the flash of disappointment, the embarrassment on her face. "I should head back." He stepped back, turning towards the party to give her a moment to swallow that embarrassment, much as it pained him to know he might have hurt her.
She'd get over it. They always did. Mor would look at him with something like love then pull away a second later, brushing him off as though nothing had happened. Even Elain had moved past his presumed rejection of her on Solstice Night quickly enough. No one ever wanted him beyond those brief, intense moments. As soon as he was out of sight, he was forgotten. Gwyn would be no different.
He didn't examine why that stung more than usual.
"I promised Nesta a dance," he explained. Which wasn't actually a lie. "Enjoy the party, Berdara. Let me know when you'd like to go home."
There was a slight tremor in her smile as she waved him off, giving him her back. "I think I'll stay out here a bit longer," she said quietly.
He nodded, though she couldn't see it, backing away a step away.
She said nothing else, just sank gracefully to the ground, her skirts flaring around her as she sat, still staring out over the water.
When he was a fair distance away he turned, hidden in the shadows of a nearby tree and looked at her. She sat with her knees curled to her chest, her beautiful face tipped up towards the moon. Her eyes were closed, but her face was not quite relaxed and as he watched, a tear slid down her cheek.
His breath froze in his chest as his shadows swirled around him uneasily. One tried to slink away, slithering over the ground towards her but he reeled it back in, stepped further into the shadows as she rested her forehead on her knees, shoulders shaking so slightly it was almost unnoticeable. She did not need to know her private moment had been observed.
Whatever she was feeling: grief, sadness, humiliation, anxiety; was not meant for his eyes, and yet he could not look away. He melted further into the shadows until he was invisible, silently watching over her until she gathered herself, wiping her face and rising to her feet. If she sensed his presence, she did not show it, did not glance in his direction even once as she strode past him fading into the crowd.
Something ached in his chest as his shadows urged him to go after her. To follow. To wipe away that broken expression he'd seen as she passed him.
Against his will, his mind conjured the image of her face just before he'd pulled away from her. The soft, hazy look in her eyes, the wisp of hair that fell across her temple, the way her lips parted in invitation... He wondered if he hadn't just made the biggest mistake of his long life...
He did not see her again for the rest of the night, and however she managed to get home, she had not asked him to take her.
---
He'd given the priestesses an extra day off training the morning after the mating ceremony, both to give himself time to get caught up on reports, and also to give himself a buffer in case he'd needed to recover.
Instead, he spent the entire morning thinking about Gwyn. The look on her face when she'd been so close to him, and the tear that had slid down her cheek after he'd walked away. He couldn't describe the pain in his chest as the remembrance of it. His shadows urged him once again to go to her, seek her out. But he couldn't quite make himself do it and wallowed in his own misery, alone in the House when he wanted to be somewhere else.
Gwyn was at training the next morning. She still spoke with the other priestesses, laughed with Emerie and went through the exercises, following every order he gave, but she seemed- dimmed. Her usual spark, that brash determination that was so thoroughly charming, was gone.
Her movements were still precise and technically impeccable, graceful as ever, but her eyes were dull, completely lacking enthusiasm, even when she smiled. Others seemed to notice it too. Not just himself and Emerie, but the priestesses who looked to Gwyn as an example. She was the reason many of them were even here. She had been to one to take that first step, to show them they could be more, could do more for themselves. The one who pushed them to keep going when they struggled and praised them when they accomplished something new.
And she had nothing to give them today.
Guilt swarmed in Azriel's gut, even his shadows did not seem to want to be near him today, practically avoiding him the way Gwyn dodged his gaze. She'll get over it, he told himself again. They all move on, she will too. She deserves better.
It didn't make him feel any better.
He had intended to hold her back after training so they could speak but she'd somehow snuck past him and back into the library before he could catch her. Emerie appeared at his side, glancing around with a frown. "Where did Gwyn go? I had a book for her."
He shrugged. "No idea. You can leave it with me if you want. I'll make sure she gets it."
Emerie glanced at him. "Do you know what's going on with her? She disappeared at the mating ceremony too. Had Morrigan take her home. Did something happen?"
Azriel's heart stopped for a moment at the suggestion. There hadn't been any disturbances that night as far as he knew. Surely, if something had happened, he would have heard about it. "Not that I'm aware of."
Emerie hummed quietly to herself. "Maybe it ended up being too much for her..."
Azriel had nothing to say to that, so he turned, offering her his hand instead. "Ready to go home?" She shook off her frown, nodding and he picked her up, carrying her back to Windhaven where she left him with a book to pass on to Gwyn.
With a perfect excuse to seek her out, Azriel headed straight to the library when he returned. Clotho explained that Merrill had specifically requested that she and Gwyn not be disturbed as they were behind on work with Gwyn taking a day off for the mating ceremony. She asked if he wanted her to give the book to Gwyn instead. He hesitated, about to hand it over before changing his mind. "That's ok, I'll check back later."
He could see Clotho's lips tilt up under her hood as he turned back for the door. He was far too wound up to get any work done at the moment and decided one more day off wouldn't hurt. Cassian was about to be gone for several weeks after all, he could have this. Instead he headed back up to the training room, surprised to find Rhys there, leaning against the wall, with an unreadable expression.
His steps faltered for a moment as he wondered what could have brought the High Lord here. "Rhys. Is everything alright? Nyx? Feyre?"
"They're both fine," Rhys canted his head, studying Azriel. "I'm here to see you."
"How can I help?" he said carefully.
"I heard tell you were rather- cozy with a certain priestess at Cassian's mating ceremony."
Azriel paused several feet away from his brother. "Oh?"
Rhys' shrewd gaze pierced him as he casually strolled closer, hands in his pockets. "Feyre said she noticed the lovely Gwyneth wander off through the garden, only to see the both of you return a few minutes later, separately. She noted Gwyneth seemed a bit- agitated, and left shortly after. Curious that."
Azriel worked not to react, crossing his arms and giving Rhys a bored look. "And?"
"And-" Rhys pulled a hand from his pocket, inspected his nails. "I've been keeping a particular eye on Gwyneth for some time. Particularly after she befriended Nesta... Cassian tells me she's very clever, a natural born leader."
"She is. Is there a point to this?"
Rhys shrugged, looking him in the eye again, his expression almost cold. "I've been considering the possibility that she and Nesta's friend, Emerie, might be assets to my court. And now, I'm wondering if there might be extenuating circumstances that might prevent that from happening."
"I'm not fucking her if that's what you're asking," Azriel said, his teeth on edge.
Rhys' eyes were ice. "I should hope not. I remember very well how she came to be here. I think she deserves more than to be a way for you to blow off steam."
Azriel bristled. "Watch yourself little brother."
Rhys smirked, looking amused. "So there is something there? Have you told her how you feel? Or will you hide from this one too and just stare longing across the training room?"
Azriel's fist shot out, but Rhys winnowed away before he could touch him, like he'd expected it. He whirled, finding Rhys behind him now, wearing a shit eating grin. "Interesting." He winnowed away from another punch, appearing behind him once more. "For what it's worth, I approve, brother."
"So glad to have your blessing," he said drily.
Starflecked darkness burst through the ring, surrounding him as Rhys' chuckle echoed all around. When the darkness finally dissipated, Rhys was gone.
And Azriel suddenly had much to think about...
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I am seeing a lot of gwynriels getting hate lately because we’re excited about new character information about Az and a lot of people believing that Azriel’s book is next.
I feel like it’s fair, as readers to point out how the author is deliberately bringing a lot of attention to Azriel at the moment. It’s absolutely fair to believe that Azriel’s book is going to be next. We all know that Elain and Azriel’s stories are going to be told and it’s just a matter of when. A lot of people just think that it’s Azriel next and that’s fine if you disagree, but gwynriels shouldn’t be attacked or called delusional if they think that.
But being called delusional when we think that when SJM has build on Azriel’s character arc purposely since we’ve seen him on page since acomaf, gave him a bonus for acosf, then had him feature in cc3, then have him apart of a bonus again for cc3 is crazy. Especially since we learned more about Azriel in cc3.
Then people are dissing the hell out of Gwyn. Oh she’s just a side character, she isn’t important. Isn’t everyone a side character at the moment besides feysand & Nessian? Since they already had their stories told. And wasn’t Gwyn the one to introduce the valkryie storyline in acosf & became the first valkryie when the valkryie plotline is a huge plotline of acosf to the point where SJM named the different sections of acosf valkryie titles? And SJM could have easily had nesta become the first valkryie.
Gwyn can absolutely have a pov with Azriel in the next book. SJM herself stated she has two more acotar books (I’m not sure if she’s contracted for more). She said for each book, a couple is going to come together. That leaves 2 pov besides Azriel and Elain because we know she’s going to give them one. For Azriel’s counter part, it could easily be Gywn.
Gwyn is still in the library. The valkryies are still training. Gwyn has a autumn court ancestry, no matter how many people claim she doesn’t have a firm claim for it. Gwyn’s powers are a very popular controversial topic in the fandom on the daily. Gywn’s story is left opened and SJM didn’t add all that to Gwyn’s backstory for no reason. She retcon the sangravah story so Azriel was the one to save Gwyn. SJM dropped mate language in her BC with Azriel and Gwyn and yes, SJM references her bonus chapters in text. She did so in acosf when it came to cassian’s & nesta’s bonus chapter for acomaf, titled wings and ember.
Yrene in tog, was really fledged out in tower of Dawn and became a really important factor in the next book in the series, kingdom of ash. Why couldn’t the same thing be said for Gwyn? Just because she was introduced in acosf, doesn’t mean that Gwyn can’t have a pov in the next book.
There are different plotlines for Azriel to go through in his story. It’s not like he has 0 plotlines to filter through. SJM would be the one to decide what plotlines have the sense of urgency for the next acotar book.
CC3 can be used for evidence, because the author herself stated that cc3 will set up future acotar books. You know what acotar 5 is? A future acotar book since it isn’t out yet. From what I’ve seen, since I haven’t read cc3 yet, Azriel is a prominent figure besides nesta in cc3 when it comes to the acotar characters. If SJM herself is stating that cc3 sets up future acotar books, why wouldn’t we use cc3 of evidence for Azriel, especially since nesta’s story has already been told? So yes we can use that as evidence. We shouldn’t be talked down about and called delusional for it.
Yes CC is a separate series. But SJM recently stated that we should read acotar before reading CC now, at one point of time she said we didn’t have to. See how things have changed?
If she’s telling people to read acotar before cc, does it matter if she’s not telling people to read cc before acotar 5, when she’s already stated to read acotar before CC so no matter what readers are understanding what’s going on in both series no matter the order since acotar 5 isn’t out yet? She’s telling us to read both series regardless.
I get it, some people might not want to read the CC and they don’t have to, but I have seen people who said they aren’t going to read CC but are still asking for information about the acotar characters in it, and with people talking about it, they are going to find out about the information of acotar characters in CC anyway, whether they read the full book or not.
And I’m sick of e/riels claiming that since Azriel is being brought up a lot, it’s going to be Azriel and Elain’s next. To the point, when new fans are asking about who’s the next book, they’re “confirming” it’s Elain and Azriel’s. Which is ridiculous. Because when it comes to the two, Elain would be the one to strong hold the book, not Azriel. SJM hasn’t brought Elain to the forefront as she’s doing Azriel lately, if anything, it just shows to me how SJM isn’t going to have a book with BOTH Azriel and Elain together. Just not happening.
But I need people to stop being mad/upset at gwynriels because we’re pointing out things from textual evidence that the author has set up. We could be wrong, I agree, but stop making it like we have no standing, that were dumb & delusional.
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From someone who read Azriel’s POV bonus chapter without having read any of the ACOTAR books beforehand:
Couple of months ago I stumbled upon Azriel’s POV bonus chapter and I have no idea how or why because I hadn’t yet started reading the books. I had some basic knowledge of the story and the characters thanks to TikTok and it was probably one of the ship war videos that made me search for the bonus chapter because I was intrigued what the heck was going on that was making everyone go to war over. So, I read the bonus chapter without being influenced by liking one ship or the other, just wanted to see why everyone was fussing over Azriel.
The first part of the bonus chapter with Azriel and Elain made me SUPER UNCOMFORTABLE. I read a lot of smutty books and dark romances so sex talk is not something I shy away from. But the way that scene was written made me physically uncomfortable and not just because of Azriel’s thoughts, but Elain’s behaviour also. I can’t explain it, but both of them felt so cringy. I kept reading because I wanted to understand the fuss over the other part of the bonus chapter but if I had to decide on entering the world of ACOTAR based on that first part I would have thrown it in the trash. Needless to say I was super happy when Rhys interrupted them.
And then came the second part of the bonus chapter with Gwyn and oh my God but what a change. Azriel transformed from a creep (sorry but that was the vibe he was giving me in the beginning) to romance books hero in 2 paragraphs just by changing the scenery and the female protagonist. His scene with Gwyn felt so genuine and warm and just like he felt something restless settling inside him I felt all of the uncomfortable feelings leaving me from the first part of the chapter to give room to this warmth I felt for the 2 of them. And then for me it was pretty obvious that the author was telling the readers: this is his girl. The scene, the way it is written, the words used for the training scene but also at the end in the library, for me it was pretty damn obvious they were gonna be a couple. And then I understood that the first part of the bonus chapter was supposed to make us feel uncomfortable so we could see the contrast with the second part, literally obviously saying: The first girl ain’t it. The second girl is who you should be looking at.
So all of this without having read the books. And no, I’m not lying about it. I’m 27 and have better things to do than make stuff up for a ship war.
And then I read the books and entered the SJM world (TOG, ACOTAR, CC) and I was super confused with all of the E/riel fans and their theories and arguments that made me question whether we read the same books. I saw no ‘build-up for 4 books’ (which he spent mostly in love with Mor), sure little cute moments here and there but without that bonus chapter I would have even said Azriel looked at Elain as a little sister to protect. The bonus chapter only told me he has deep personal trauma to heal. Sorry but the fact that he hadn’t thought about a future with Elain but just sex is no way in hell romantic. So, 4 books of build-up led to, well, that? And the fact that Elain was willing to kiss another guy in the same house where her mate was sleeping (whom she hasn’t rejected yet) doesn’t speak volumes of her either, only that she also has a lot of stuff to deal with.
When Sarah in her interview said that she thought it was pretty obvious about who the next book will be and that she left breadcrumbs in the bonus chapter, for me it was pretty obvious it would be Gwyn and Az (I felt that literally by having read only the bonus chapter before the books). All of their little moments in ACOSF, how Sarah wanted us to pay attention to their reactions to one another, left no room for doubt in my mind, just like I saw it instantly with 2 glances the first time Nessian met, and I felt the chemistry right away.
I could go on ‘till tomorrow but probably should stop here. Just had to write this out of genuine confusion at how people try to deny the obvious (literally what Sarah said) by using theories and arguments that only show they probably haven’t even read ACOSF or other SJM books, because she couldn’t be more obvious than that with her writing.
P.S. This feels the same like when season 1 of The Vampire Diaries aired and I instantly knew Damon and Elena were it. Didn’t even need proof, just had a gut feeling. And Stelena fans then were also aggressively explaining there was no way Delena would be a thing much less endgame, but oh, guess which ship won in the end?
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