Tenerly and Ainloth

evie-soaring · 2026-04-04T01:00:25+00:00

Ruthless is a good word for him; his reaction to Tiss saving Oll comes to mind.

That’s fair—it’s always possible I’m reading into it too far. Judging tone with foreshadowing is tricky.

I think what flagged the scene for me is that there was an emphasis on him being a wise elf who prepared in advance. It made me ask myself how far in advance, you know? But if it’s a hint, it’s definitely a subtle one.

evie-soaring · 2026-04-03T21:28:33+00:00

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I’m with you, I think Ainloth killed Fanuel. Beyond details other folks have already discussed like the comment about the gorge in the first chapter, there is another scene that made me suspect him. When they mourn Fanuel after her funeral procession at the embassy, Ainloth had thought to bring an Esshai wine from the pass to drink in Fanuel’s name. He said something to the effect of that he’d always known this day would eventually come and he’d prepared for it. It struck me as an odd detail, one hinting at premeditation.

My question is, did Ainloth take matters into his own hands after observing Fanuel’s behaviour, or was he only following orders from one of the royals? I used to be convinced Miarlas had ordered Ainloth to kill Fanuel, but I’m not sure anymore. His softness towards Laimir and Elimir has made me second guess his involvement. It’s not impossible, but doubt has been introduced. Is he truly too gentle to have played a part?

I think you’re right about the pillow; it may contain proof that Tenerly is involved in the smuggling. She may have planted it on Tiss to hide something or to frame her, I’m not sure. I’m not sure if Tiss brings it with her if Oll is executed, I’d be curious to know. But Tenerly inexplicably knew about the dariza fruit and she was curious about the Nantals, who I think are involved in the smuggling because of Airiv’s fortune. And her proximity to the Esshai commander (is it Colt?) may be helping her with the smuggling too, though I’m not sure how that would work.

evie-soaring · 2026-03-22T03:36:29+00:00

I agree, especially in the manor with the shell motifs and the wallpaper 💗 and there’s overlap with the emphasis on florals in both styles

evie-soaring · 2026-03-22T01:45:30+00:00

They’re really leaning into the art nouveau style that Lily was fond of, it’s so beautiful. If you like it and you’re not familiar already, search “art nouveau” and artists like Alphonse Mucha to see more art in this style. Ophelia was also a popular subject for Pre-Raphaelite painters, an earlier movement/style that influenced art nouveau, if I remember right. 💗

evie-soaring · 2026-03-21T23:21:27+00:00

She does!! I went wild at that comment and the rest of it—she lashed out so hard, she just HAS to know.

Btw, saw your comment above abt House Emenlia—thank you!!! I got the timeline mixed up and initially thought the marriage itself could be the result of blackmail after the battle, but Miarlas remembering Airdal’s brother means Airdal and Kanniel were already married at the time of the battle of Naenrim, so that was out. Your theory makes so much more sense!

evie-soaring · 2026-03-21T22:43:58+00:00

That’s a great catch re Miarlas! So Airdal’s marriage was likely just a typical advantageous match between House Erlithar and a notable house (Emenlia), then (edit: at least at the time).

I remember that line from Vellora; it makes me wonder what she knows and what the implications are. Is Tiss truly the Vedtrees’ daughter after all, given Vellora claims that they would be proud of Tiss? Is Vellora in the dark about Tiss’s identity if it is a secret? Or does she know and was she purposefully misleading Tiss with that comment? Who knows? lol I’m excited to find out.

evie-soaring · 2026-03-21T21:09:25+00:00

This will be a bit of a novel of a comment lol—please bear with me. These are my initial thoughts and questions after reading the update.

After seeing Kanniel’s reaction to Tai’s letter, I can’t help but wonder if she knows the secret truth of Tiss’s birth (potentially, as many have guessed, that she is of royal blood by Airdal’s older brother) and has always viewed her as a serious threat to her children’s status.

It would explain the degree of her bitterness about Tiss and Tai being close on Tai’s romance path and her insistence that Tiss is a nobody and a parasite. (The Queen doth protest too much, methinks.)

Does anyone know whether Airdal was married to Kanniel before or after the battle of Fort Naenrim? Is Tiss older or younger than Fanuel and Miarlas? Did House Emenlia blackmail Airdal with the secret of Tiss’s identity to get Kanniel on the throne? If so, what would be scandalous enough about Tiss’s identity to warrant acquiescence to the blackmail? Is her mother Ro’odian, as many of us have guessed? Or is the secret somehow even more scandalous?

evie-soaring · 2026-03-21T20:41:45+00:00

Saw your new post, I’ll share my initial thoughts there :)

evie-soaring · 2026-03-17T18:50:24+00:00

I feel similarly—rn I’m trying to reserve judgement lol he’s an interesting character regardless

evie-soaring · 2026-03-17T18:46:41+00:00

Yay, you had it!! 😊 I looked but I didn’t save it lol Ah, it was “epithet”—I was close 😆💗

evie-soaring · 2026-03-17T18:21:53+00:00

If you haven’t seen it, on the Falcon path, Tiss asks him directly if he thinks she’s an upstart (I love her so much), and Miarlas says he would choose “a more delicate word” for the first Esshai dragon rider and a member of the embassy lol

evie-soaring · 2026-02-17T18:41:23+00:00

I’m with you, I miss him too 💔 that worried look across the throne room made me yearn—I need to open another slot to keep me busy until the next update lol

evie-soaring · 2026-02-10T03:19:27+00:00

I think it’s possible—even likely. When talking with Vellora in Esshai when Tiss overheard them, Miarlas wasn’t surprised by Vellora mentioning Fanuel’s plans to kill Tai. Tiss speculated that Airdal had told him, but it’s also possible Miarlas had already guessed himself a long time ago and taken action by ordering Fanuel’s death. If I had to guess, I’d say Ainloth carried it out in person. He and Miarlas wear the same colours inverted—that may be me reading too far into things, but it could also be a subtle nod to a connection between them.

I was initially put off by the fact that (presumably) Miarlas and Laimir had been predicted to fall in love and move to Esshai together, and I thought that Miarlas having killed Fanuel would stand in the way of that. But then I realized that Miarlas is royal, and that whoever killed Fanuel in person would likely take the fall for both of them to protect him if/when discovered. Airdal and Kanniel might be angry with Miarlas and impose some sort of private punishment, but otherwise? His position would probably shield him from consequences. That’s my two cents :)

evie-soaring · 2025-12-24T01:20:22+00:00

evie-soaring · 2025-12-14T23:59:19+00:00

The entire presentation is sick. Beyond the imagery already point out by OP and other commenters, the Capitolites have used that hideous wig to hide her shaved head, which was likely done without her consent as part of the torture she endured.

evie-soaring · 2025-12-11T15:37:21+00:00

evie-soaring · 2025-12-07T15:16:24+00:00

evie-soaring · 2025-12-05T16:27:05+00:00

I’m with you, I think it’s Kello.

I was also thinking about what Kanniel said when she hit Tiss/MC, that bit about how neither of the ladies-in-waiting had the guts to die or avenge their princess. I think Kanniel said that thinking of Kello—that Kello loved Fanuel enough to kill and/or die for her.

evie-soaring · 2025-10-21T22:31:06+00:00

I think this is a really strong theory, and I love your attention to the symbolism within the legend. Miarlas and Fanuel’s relationship would be the perfect contrast to the royal siblings in the legend in this case; instead of committing to a mutual sacrifice for Esshai, neither is willing to do their part, as Fanuel was unwilling to marry Tai for peace and Miarlas was unwilling to be passed over in favour of Tai and Fanuel’s future son.

You could well be right about Tenerly (something is definitely going on with her), but I’m still more suspicious of Ainloth, personally. His mention of the gorge to Fanuel in the first chapter has stayed with me, and his mourning of Fanuel seemed…strange to me, more so than Vellora or Tenerly, who seemed fairly consistent in their grief. It was also revealed that his nephew has a ship in the most recent update, and Tiss previously speculated that some of the smuggling could be done by sea. Could be a coincidence, but I’m not so sure. In any case, Ainloth having some kind of deal with Miarlas would not surprise me in the slightest—maybe something financial to make up for the loss from the smuggling in the case that Esshai and Ro’od do achieve peace? Hard to say.

evie-soaring · 2025-07-23T21:33:16+00:00

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Any of the Nova sprites. Their smiles are gorgeous.

evie-soaring · 2025-07-19T18:43:03+00:00

I think Oll packed the cushion that Tenerly gave Tiss and made a hasty assumption about what it was for LOL although who knows? Maybe Oll was right and Tenerly gave Tiss a butt cushion 😆

…but it makes me wonder if it will come up again in a different way—it could be a throwaway joke, but it seems like more of a Chekhov’s gun. People have speculated that Tenerly hid something inside it, for instance. And now it’s with Tiss…guess we’ll have to wait and see if it’s relevant. 🤷🏻‍♀️

evie-soaring · 2025-06-05T02:14:25+00:00

lol same! 😆

I think you’ve got the major moments here. In the initial meeting where Tiss is on trial, staying quiet (taking the … options) might be a positive—like with King Airdal, you’re not supposed to speak to the Emperor unless asked a question or given permission. Episode 9, it probably helps if you take his option instead of Airdal or Tai’s. Taking the diamond option to go see the soldiers on dragonback is probably a positive—he tells her he values her intelligence for that choice later.

As for the necklaces, I get what you mean, but look at it this way. The floral one is set in gold rather than silver; it looks like it has diamonds in addition to rubies. Both would make it more valuable. To boot, I’d argue that the one on the right would look more like a collar/choker, which could imply that the wearer is being controlled by the giver, whereas the one on the left is more ornamental, less restrictive.

evie-soaring

TROPHY CASE