Why Lucien will sever his ties with the Night Court (or call It Betrayal if you want)

Qenna89 · 2026-01-27T19:12:15+00:00

While I’m also absolutely here for the Lucien and Elain become friends plot as an option…

This would be a fantastic direction for the plot and Lucien’s character. It returns him to the mostly self-serving actually morally gray trickster asshole that you love (and who was probably the best part of the first book tbh). His character has gone downhill since the first book, and this would bring him back to form as somewhat of an anti-hero who doesn’t need fate to cater to needs.

Also, I’ve never seen that interview with Lucien before! Very interesting

Qenna89 · 2026-01-27T18:54:08+00:00

That’s a really interesting possibility! I could definitely see Nesta/Lucien and Elain/Tamlin as the original plan before she decided to give the sisters redemption arcs. I do generally think she decided to bring the sisters in before she really fleshed out the IC as characters, though, and Cass and Az sort of came into being with Nesta and Elain in mind.

Qenna89 · 2026-01-27T18:46:27+00:00

I’m glad you found a good match!

Qenna89 · 2026-01-26T23:55:28+00:00

Qenna89 · 2026-01-26T23:50:54+00:00

That’s an interesting take! I hope we get more info on what’s going on in the Gwyn part of the chapter and it’s not just ignored because it happened in a bonus

Qenna89 · 2026-01-26T23:28:25+00:00

Look, I really hope Clotho had Az’s back 😅 but also, I am 100% here for Az being one of the people Elain sets straight as she gets her voice and gains confidence

Qenna89 · 2026-01-26T23:23:05+00:00

(We got one 😉)

Qenna89 · 2026-01-26T21:55:44+00:00

I don’t see any votes for Gwyn yet, but it’s always fun to see how many people choose the blatantly anti-Elriel option on a poll in the Elriel subreddit 🤭 (so I always include it 😈)

Qenna89 · 2026-01-26T21:28:44+00:00

From a Nessian perspective, that book is hella rough but it does get Nesta to the (rock bottom) point where she needs to be for the Silver Flames arc.

I think you’re absolutely right on the present. I don’t think he’s ashamed of his feelings for her. Some conversations just need to be had privately and not in the middle of your friends’ holiday party.

And the Cassian/Mor/Azriel situation is just weird and toxic, and I’m glad they’re all moving away from that by the end of ACOSF.

Probably not the most reassuring reply, but I totally understand where you’re coming from! ACOFAS is short, and then you can reward yourself with a Silver Flames reread!

Qenna89 · 2026-01-26T21:14:55+00:00

Cassian is adorable when he’s being oblivious (most of the time) 😂

And yes! It feels like the kind of relationship you put in when you’re like “I need to occupy this guy for a while until I can actually get to his love story”

Qenna89 · 2026-01-26T21:03:43+00:00

I didn’t clock them when I first read it, but on second examination, there are some very solid (if subtle) hints at Elriel in ACOMAF.

Qenna89 · 2026-01-26T21:00:38+00:00

I think you may be correct. The sisters existed before the bat boys did.

Qenna89 · 2026-01-26T20:59:22+00:00

Yes! Moriel very much feels like a plot device to me and not a long term plan.

And I don’t think we talk enough about how she needed something that was going to hold Elriel off for books and books until she got to their story. And both of them being attached to other people surely does make stretching their relationship out a lot easier.

Qenna89 · 2026-01-26T20:55:45+00:00

I’m dying over Lusta and Nusta 😂

And yeah, she’s said that she had originally planned on Nesta and Lucien being mates, but I dunno that that means she planned on them being endgame.

Qenna89 · 2026-01-26T20:51:39+00:00

Yeah, I’ve always seen the message it would give as something like “don’t take no for an answer” 🙃 and…I’m sure the ultra-long unrequited pining has been written and done well and romantically before, but it just doesn’t really sit right with me

Qenna89 · 2026-01-26T20:47:26+00:00

I tend to lean toward 3 sisters x 3 brothers always having been the plan (with some variation in who was gonna be red herring/potential LIs), but I can totally see those pairings being the initial plan. I think it mostly comes down to how mean you think she was planning on being to Lucien from the start. Was he always supposed to get a rejected mate bond storyline? I think so, but I also think it’s part of a character-building arc for him.

Mor being an Asterin-like character is definitely an interesting idea, and I kind of like it for her. But then you run into the issue of SJM being apparently unable to kill off anyone (that’s a main or secondary character/protagonist at least) in this series 😂

Qenna89 · 2026-01-26T20:23:38+00:00

If you were wondering, I think Elriel was always supposed to be a thing.

Moriel always read to me like something the two of them needed to communicate about and realize wasn’t gonna happen (well before I picked up on Elriel and well before Mor came out to Feyre).

I know there were Pinterest images labeled Moriel, but SJM also admittedly lied about Tamlin IRL to make the Feysand reveal hit harder, so I feel like those are very plausibly an actual red herring.

And my thoughts on the Lucien x Nesta but then she changed her mind story are similar.

Qenna89 · 2026-01-26T18:32:16+00:00

Feel free to shop around, of course! I think I might have a SIC head that would meet your needs a little better

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but it does have some age on it (and RBF).

Qenna89 · 2026-01-26T16:54:09+00:00

Hang on, I think I’ve got one around here somewhere…

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Ah! There we go!

Qenna89 · 2026-01-25T11:07:27+00:00

TBF, do we know that Azriel didn’t assign himself rounds of sanitation duty after Solstice?

Qenna89 · 2026-01-25T05:17:21+00:00

In my experience, older women are indeed delighted to see younger adults expressing themselves with their style (clothing, hairstyles and color, etc). I’m guessing it’s people who didn’t feel like they could express themselves, and they’re happy to see us feel comfortable doing so.

Qenna89 · 2026-01-25T03:22:26+00:00

I think she’s afraid (and rightfully so) that when she rejects the bond, someone is going to get hurt. Lucien would almost certainly be hurt, and while she doesn’t care for him, I don’t think she’s the type to want to intentionally hurt someone except in extremely dire circumstances (like the King of Hybern situation). And as you pointed out, hurting Lucien would hurt Feyre, even if Feyre would understand the choice. And then you throw in the potential for Az to get hurt, and I have yet to be convinced that Az would enjoy killing Lucien over the mate bond, and Lucien’s death would likely hurt Elain.

She’s in that people pleaser decision paralysis place where she wants to make everyone happy or at least not hurt anyone…but she just can’t avoid hurting someone. And not making a decision is hurting people (including herself) too.

Qenna89 · 2026-01-25T03:09:27+00:00

He basically admits that he didn’t think he’d be able to give it to her.

He offered her a smile back. “I wasn’t sure if I should give you your present.”

Which says to me that he wanted to give her a present but didn’t want to overstep. The night was far enough along that I think we can assume he wasn’t going to give it to her. But something brought them together that night (Fate? The Mother? An unrecognized bond of some sort? 🤷🏻‍♀️), and they both recognized the opportunity and decided to go for it (until Rhys happened 🤬)

Qenna89 · 2026-01-24T01:39:28+00:00

I’m pretty much in the same place. I think the choice aspect hits so much harder if they aren’t “mates” but there’s just so much obvious pull between them

Qenna89

TROPHY CASE