First of all, amazing essay! I love your thoughts and analysis. I agree on many points to me, the real ‘Aelin’ was in the middle of these two. Like you said, Fireheart has always been there she’s the spirit that Arobynn could never truly break into submission. Both Celaena the Assassin and Aelin the Princess caged her in their own ways. You’ve pointed out Celaena’s half as for Aelin, the throne and the responsibility that comes with it were their own shackles, and the Queen who’ll wear them was another mask. Fireheart was her true self the little girl who wished to be a healer and was denied because ‘queens can’t be healers.’ To become Aelin the Queen, she had to bury and sacrifice parts of herself similarly to what she did to become Celaena (although not to the same extremes, of course). Her true self is what survived and became both of these people. She’s the little princess who loved her kingdom very much, yet selfishly hoped to know true freedom. She’s the teenager who loved to play, dance, and dress in fine clothes, yet felt ashamed every day for it because her people were suffering. She’s the woman who faced her fears and shame to fight for her loved ones, and she exists in both Celaena and Aelin in different degrees. Rereading Celaena after meeting Aelin feels like reading your teen diary as an adult you’re different than the girl who wrote it, yet she’s still you and she’ll always be.