#azriel is NOT gonna ditch his shadows for elain

[mycadences]

Friendly reminder that in the same chapter we find out Azriel's shadows keep him company "as they always had, as they always would", we also find out that his shadows sing and dance for Gwyn while "they'd always been prone to vanish" around Elain.

Literally foreshadowing ✨

Also, "his shadows had not warned him" that Gwyn was in the training ring. The other side argues that Gwyn is evil but do you honestly think his shadows wouldn't have warned him about her presence if she was really evil? Oh wait, I know, Azriel is an evil shadowsinger too!

"His shadows peered over his wings at her."

"The young priestess smiled -- and Azriel thought it might have been directed at his curious shadows."

"Her breath curled in front of her mouth, and one of his shadows darted out to dance with it before twirling back to him."

"Even his shadows had calmed. As if content to lounge on his shoulders and watch."

"Could have sworn his shadows sang in answer."

If you take these quotes and show it to any random person, I guarantee you nine out of ten of them (the one in the ten is an Elriel lol) will agree that his shadows like Gwyn or, at the very least, definitely do not think she's going to harm Azriel. Regardless, the wording implies that his shadows do not see Gwyn as a dangerous threat at all.

For instance, SJM could have easily changed "curious shadows" to "cautious shadows" and we would know his shadows are wary of her. BUT SHE DIDN'T. Instead, curiosity implies a degree of interest. In one chapter, his shadows show more chemistry and interest in Gwyn than Azriel and Elain ever had in "four books of build-up".

Btw, I've said it before and I will say it again:

When a side character introduced in the latest book can threaten supposedly "four books of build-up" is how you know there actually isn't any "four books of build-up".

#gwynriel #pro gwynriel #let's be serious #azriel is NOT gonna ditch his shadows for elain #wouldn't you rather read a story where his shadows love his partner? #instead of running away from them like they're the plague

[shadowqueenjude]

So continuing on the rejected mates trail… I think I’d find Gwynriel more compelling if it was a rejected mates story. Hear me out, this is pro Gwynriel:

Because Azriel has spent so long obsessing about that mating bond, imagine. Imagine he had to come to terms with the fact that maybe the bond isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, that what he was so jealous and bitter about isn’t worth it.

Azriel waiting centuries for a mate then whining when a superior man got one before him and grumbling about him not having one… And gwynriels take this as a point in their favor that az would ditch elain as soon as he found a mate, and while I believe according to SJM world this is absolutely correct, this is, in my opinion, exactly why his mate should be someone he can’t love. Bc it’s hard to find a mated romance compelling for Az when it’s so obvious he would accept his mate immediately bc his ass is so desperate for that bond. I know Gwyn is gonna know they’re mates and reveal it to az in the end bc az has to fall without knowing about the mating bond but we’ve already had that plotline like 100000 times.

But imagine the reason Azriel resents the Vanserras so much is because (unhinged i know) his body subconsciously knew his mate is Beron Vanserra. He could never love Beron Vanserra so he rejected the bond. And then he had to deal with the disappointment of the mating bond while he falls in love with Gwyn.

We can explain the dancing shadows and light with Gwyn being a lightsinger. I love this theory except when it’s used to vilify Gwyn. But imagine how compelling it would be for her to have to come to terms with her “evil” powers, and this way she matches with Az’s “evil” shadowsinger powers.

Imagine the reaction in Sangravah is because Azriel has experienced something similar before. Maybe even at the hands of Beron himself.

I don’t know, I just think this would really get me to root for Azriel. The character development🤌🏽🤌🏽🤌🏽🤌🏽🤌🏽

#azriel #gwyneth berdara #pro gwyneth berdara #gwynriel #pro gwynriel #beron vanserra