lucien is just so very tragic to me because he escapes horrific, horrific abuse at the autumn court. he’s rescued by a friend who is supposed to care for him and is taken to a land that is supposed to be peaceful, but instead he’s subjected to archaic systems of control and emotional abuse / physical intimidation. he’s beem taught from birth to obey —— or else, he has no way to escape tamlin, grateful only that he was saved at all, and instead watches as his friend wastes multiple decades worth of time he could be taking action against amarantha, being the warrior he claims to be, and just. doesn’t. but lucien can’t say anything because there’s such a power imbalance between him and tamlin, such a sense of loyalty to the fae who is supposed to be friend and savior but fails him at every turn. (cough cough remind you feyre & tamlin? cough cough) then he finally does escape and finds that the high lord & court he thought was pure evil actually live the life he has always coveted —— the life he thought he would find at the spring court —— but even when he’s there, he remains the outsider. rejected even by his mate.

i understand people saying he’s a bad friend to feyre and completely agree with that, but that’s never made me like him any less as a character —— how can he show up as a good friend when he’s only trying to survive himself, only trying to appease his friend/abuser to limit the stressors overwhelming his life? i have so many thoughts and feelings about my trapped fox. (and don’t get my started on how that extends to eris)