Archeron Family - Tumblr Posts
This is amazing. We should recognize that people are so much more complex than they appear at first sight. It only makes sense to call someone “boring” after you get to know them. Even then, you may only think that because you don’t share the same interests. But I truly don’t think that anyone can be “boring”.
Can’t wait for Elain to break society’s stereotypes and show everyone that being feminine isn’t the same as being weak or boring.🥰
A Secret, Lovely Seer
This post uses the symbolism of roses to peel back the layers of Elain’s character. There are four layers I describe using textual evidence: (1) love and beauty, (2) strength through silence, (3) healing and balance, and (4) carrier of secrets and understanding. This symbolism comes from The Complete Language of Flowers: A Definitive and Illustrated History by S. Theresa Dietz. In the final layer, I predict where her story might be headed based on textual evidence and interviews with Maas.
A Loving Beauty
Elain has been associated with love and beauty since the very beginning of the ACOTAR series. It is no coincidence then that the rose—a flower widely connected to love and beauty—is one of her dominant symbols:
“I slung off my outer clothes onto the sagging dresser—frowning at the violets and roses I’d painted around the knobs of Elain’s drawer.” (ACOTAR, Ch 2)
“I marveled at it, actually—that those years of poverty hadn’t stripped away that light from Elain. Perhaps buried it a bit, but she was generous, loving, and kind—a woman I found myself proud to know, to call sister.” (ACOTAR, Ch. 29)
“Beautiful—she’d always been the most beautiful of us. Soft and lovely, like a summer dawn.” (ACOMAF, Ch. 23)
Delicate, loving, and beautiful. These qualities define the first layer of her character. They are also used to confine her to a role that Mama Archeron assigned to her at an early age:
“Elain is pleasant to look at...but she has no ambition. She does not dream beyond her garden and pretty clothes. She will be an asset on the marriage market for us one day, if that beauty holds, but it will be our maneuvering, Nesta, not hers, that win us an advantageous match.” (ACOSF, Ch 17)
Throughout the series, her family fights to protect that rare brand of beauty—an inner beauty that mirrors her outward loveliness—to the point of undermining her agency. They assume she desires to remain in her garden and find a suitable match. But from the very first book, we discover that Elain never intended to stay in her garden. Like her family in the Night Court, she is a dreamer. She dreams of places far beyond her garden. Places that require braving the sea to travel:
“These bulbs,” Elain said, pointing with a gloved hand to a cluster of purple-and-white flowers, “came all the way from the tulip fields of the continent. Father promised that next spring he’ll take me to see them. He claims that for mile after mile, there’s nothing but these flowers.” She patted the rich, dark soil. The little garden beneath the window was hers: every bloom and shrub had been picked and planted by her hand; she would allow no one else to care for it. Even the weeding and watering she did on her own...
“You should come with me,” Elain went on. “Nesta won’t go, because she says she doesn’t want to risk the sea crossing, but you and I … Oh, we’d have fun, wouldn’t we?” (ACOTAR, Ch. 29)
And she is more perceptive and courageous than we expect. When war comes to their doorstep, Elain sets those dreams aside. She conveniently finds herself a match who will offer her family the necessary protection even though she wasn’t particularly interested in the season. Is that a coincidence or the first hint of her quiet steel?
A Quiet Strength
Time and time again, Elain surprises her family with hidden depth and strength. Roses also symbolize strength through silence, which rings true for our gentle gardener and stealthy assassin. She does not parade it around for all to see and it is often forgotten or overshadowed by others. Nevertheless, it is there, and we see it evolve over the course of the series as we peel back her soft exterior and find steel:
Elain, to my surprise, had a horse, a satchel of food, and supplies ready when I hurried down the stairs. My father was nowhere in sight. (ACOTAR, Ch. 31)
“I’ll do it,” Elain said, taking a deep breath and squaring her shoulders. She didn’t wait for either of us before she strode out, graceful as a doe. (ACOMAF, Ch. 23)
Cassian claimed the spot beside Elain, who clenched her fork as if she might wield it against him, and Rhys slid into the seat beside me, Azriel on his other side. A faint smile bloomed upon Azriel’s mouth as he noticed Elain’s fingers white-knuckled on that fork... (ACOMAF, Ch. 24)
“It’s already ended badly. Now it’s just a matter of deciding how we meet the consequences.” (ACOWAR, Ch. 49)
The girl screamed, but Elain moved. As Azriel battled to keep them airborne, keep his grip on them, my sister sent a fierce kick into the beast’s face. Its eye. Another. Another. It bellowed, and Elain slammed her bare, muddy foot into its face again. The blow struck home. (ACOWAR, Ch. 58)
“I’ll make sure you don’t have to,” I said, grass crunching as I stepped closer. Elain weighed my words … and slowly closed her fingers around the blade. (ACOWAR, Ch. 69)
Elain stepped out of a shadow behind him, and rammed Truth-Teller to the hilt through the back of the king’s neck as she snarled in his ear, “Don’t you touch my sister.” (ACOWAR, Ch. 74)
Those doe-brown eyes turned toward me. Sharper than I’d ever seen them. “And that entitles him to my time, my affections?” (ACOFAS, Ch 18)
“I still wanted to come,” Elain went on with that focused calm, the quiet steel building in her voice. “I wanted to see you, to explain” (ACOSF, Chapter 17).
Elain remained in the doorway, her face pale but her expression harder than Nesta had ever seen it. “You do not decide what I can and cannot do, Nesta.” (ACOSF, Chapter 21)
Elain cut in sharply, “I am not a child to be fought over.” (ACOSF, Chapter 21)
But Elain turned on her heel. “Find me when you wish to begin.” The doors shut behind her. (ACOSF, Chapter 21)
Elain held up a hand, wiping her eyes with the other. “You’ve never said such a thing to me!” She laughed again. “I think that’s a good sign, isn’t it?” (ACOSF, Chapter 58)
Over time, Elain’s quiet steel becomes more vocal and violent when needed. She is a fighter, and the coddling she once allowed no longer suits her. She does not hesitate to do what is necessary, and at every turn, that strength and bravery surprises her family: from welcoming fae into her home, to deceiving her ex-fiance, to fighting off the attack of a naga hound, to killing the King of Hybern, to finding objects of terrible power. She is willing to get her hands dirty to do what is necessary. And afterwards, she brushes it off and it is conveniently forgotten about it until the next surprise.
A Healing Presence
As Elain’s claws begin to show, Nesta observes that she is glowing with health and appears to be thriving (ACOSF, Ch 17). Is it surprising, then, that roses are also associated with healing and balance? She is a gardener and true to her love of living things, Elain’s first instinct after facing the horrors of a bloody war is to restore balance by bringing forth life:
“What now?” Elain mused, at last answering my question from moments ago as her attention drifted to the windows facing the sunny street. That smile grew, bright enough that it lit up even Azriel’s shadows across the room. “I would like to build a garden,” she declared. “After all of this … I think the world needs more gardens.” (ACOWAR, Ch. 80)
Even her scent—jasmine and honey—is compared to a “promise of spring” (ACOSF, Ch. 17). And what does spring signify? Renewal. The warmth, light and life of spring balances the cold, dark and death of winter:
“the lovely fawn, blooming spring vibrant behind her. Standing before Death, shadows and terrors lurking over his shoulder. Light and dark, the space between their bodies a blend of the two.” (ACOWAR, Ch. 69)
Jasmine, Elain’s scent, is consistently connected to the Night Court because it blooms at night and promotes sleep. It is the first thing Feyre smells when she arrives in the Night Court and it appears on official court property. Two Night Court spies, Nuala and Cerridwen, also smell of jasmine under the mountain when Feyre meets them for the first time. As Elain’s closest confidants, it is no coincidence that their name etymologies are also associated with new life, prophecy, and a legendary cauldron that combines transformation, knowledge, and inspiration. They are the perfect partners for Elain, a Made fae who brings forth life, has powerful sight, and is loved by the Cauldron. The Cauldron is arguably the most powerful ally of all: it is the creator of life, master of death, and spinner of fate. And of course it found her to be lovely and gifted her with powers: she is a healer and has a role to play in restoring balance to the realm.
A Secretive Seer
The rose, as a symbol, is also a carrier of understanding and secrets. Elain has proven to be an excellent keeper of secrets like her family and friends in the Night Court. We begin to see hints of this skill set in ACOMAF and years later we find Feyre teasing Azriel, the Night Court spymaster, that Elain may be even better than him at keeping secrets:
Elain pushed, “We keep it secret—we send the servants away. With the spring approaching, they’ll be glad to go home. And if Feyre needs to be in and out for meetings, she’ll send word ahead, and we’ll clear them out. Make up excuses to send them on holidays. Father won’t be back until the summer, anyway. No one will know.” She put a hand on Nesta’s knee, the purple of my sister’s gown nearly swallowing up the ivory hand. “Feyre gave and gave—for years. Let us now help her. Help … others.” (ACOMAF, Ch. 23)
“My sister Elain can convince anyone to do anything with a few smiles.” (ACOMAF, Ch. 24)
Feyre smiled. “Elain was the only one who guessed. She caught me vomiting two mornings in a row.” She nodded toward Azriel. “I think she’s got you beat for secret-keeping.” (ACOSF, Chapter 21)
Elain not only demonstrates that she is willing and able to keep major secrets, but she is also several steps ahead of others—including those who are supposed to be cunning—in creating a plan. She uses her beauty and charm to disarm the staff and convince them to follow her directions. Oblivious beauty? I think not. Elain’s ability to understand others’ motivations, tuck them away for future reference, and resurface them at the right moment is demonstrated again by her recollection of Nesta’s battle on the dance floor. She speaks of her sister’s planning and execution with awe and this well-timed story informs both Rhys’s and Cassian’s strategies.
Elain continued, voice hushed with near-reverence, “The duke was vain, and Nesta played into that. The entire room came to a standstill. Their dancing was that good; she was that beautiful. And when it ended...I knew she was an artist then. The same way Feyre is. But what Feyre does with paint, that’s what Nesta did with music and dance. Our mother saw it when we were children, and honed it into a weapon. All so Nesta might one day marry a prince.” (ACOSF, Chapter 44)
“I’d forgotten,” Feyre murmured. “About this, and about her dancing.”
“Nesta never spoke of it afterward,” Elain said. “I just observed.”
Nesta was wrong, Cassian realized, to think Elain as loyal and loving as a dog. Elain saw every single thing Nesta had done, and understood why. (ACOSF, Chapter 44)
•
They moved on to far merrier subjects, but Cassian mulled it over throughout the evening. The fighting was only one part of it. The training would sustain her, funnel that rage, but there had to be more. There had to be joy...There had to be dancing. (ACOSF, Chapter 44)
•
Rhys leaned back, and Nesta frowned, the only one of them apparently not aware of what this meant. Rhys said to her, “You don’t have to do anything you don’t wish to. But Elain mentioned that you have particular skill on the dance floor. Skill that once won you the hand of a duke in a single waltz.” (ACOSF, Ch. 55)
Seers, like spies, gain access to hidden information—secrets. Elain has the advantage of both. She can secretly collect information in plain sight or “in the open” as Rhys calls it when he tells Cassian that Azriel is overwhelmed and needs support (ACOSF, Ch. 3). Who would suspect Elain of spying with her pretty face and doe eyes? And she can access knowledge, hidden to others, through dreams and channeling her sight. In addition to her information advantage, Elain is stealthy and patient. Not long after befriending two highly trained spies, Nuala and Cerridwen, Elain demonstrates newfound stealth when she steps out of the shadows and strikes the King of Hybern in the throat at the right moment. This stealth reappears in ACOSF as she often suddenly appears and startles members of the inner circle who are arguably the realm’s most powerful warriors.
Elain spoke from the doorway, having appeared so silently that they all twisted toward her, “Using me.” (ACOSF, Chapter 20)
She threw a nod toward Azriel. “Including Elain, who is more than capable of defending herself against the darkness of the Trove, if she chooses to. Don’t underestimate her.” (ACOSF, Chapter 29)
“You came,” Elain said behind her, and Nesta started, not having heard her sister approach. She scanned Elain from head to toe, wondering if she’d been taking lessons in stealth either from Azriel or the two half-wraiths she called friends. (ACOSF, Chapter 58)
What if our stealthy fawn has already started training in secret for something she has seen? Though she may be trying to hide them like Nesta, Elain’s powers have not disappeared. And they were intentionally given by the Cauldron as a missing piece of the puzzle in the Night Court’s inner circle. They are also a gift to Elain as they enhance her ability to defy the role she was assigned by Mama Archeron: she dreams so far beyond her garden now, even beyond the present. Perhaps it will be Elain, rather than Nesta, who will help the Night Court quietly out-maneuver their foes and help those in need. She may already be several steps ahead if she is using her sight and like both heroines in The Little Mermaid and The Wild Swans, two tales Maas wants to combine, Elain may not be able to reveal the truth until the right moment.
In her virtual chat, Maas even talks about planting secrets in ACOSF for the next book. She states that she is keeping the subject of the next book secret for now—something she told us she thought was obvious. Is that another hint for Elain, our keeper of secrets? Maas’s hints are not subtle. She provides several reminders of Elain’s connection to roses, a symbol of secrets, in ACOSF:
(1) Cassian touches Elain’s painted drawer, which was described as having roses in ACOTAR and ACOMAF, in their dilapidated cottage:
His fingers traced the twining vines of flowers on the second drawer. “Elain’s drawer.” (ACOSF, Ch. 55)
(2) Nesta finds Papa Archeron’s wooden rose that he carved for Elain. It is hidden in shadow and associated with the Mother before she places it on his gravestone in the final scene:
She plucked another figurine from the mantel: a rose carved from a dark sort of wood. She held it in her palm, its solid weight surprising, and traced a finger over one of the petals. “He made this one for Elain. Since it was winter and she missed the flowers.” (ACOSF, Ch. 55)
Her gaze shifted to the carved wooden rose she’d placed upon the mantel, half-hidden in the shadows beside a figurine of a supple-bodied female, her upraised arms clasping a full moon between them. Some sort of primal goddess—perhaps even the Mother herself. (ACOSF, Ch. 56)
Her father had died for her, with love in his heart, and Nesta held love in her own heart as she pulled the small, carved rose from her pocket and set it upon the gravestone. A permanent marker of the beauty and good he’d tried to bring into the world. (ACOSF, Ch. 80)
(3) Azriel gifts a stained-glass rose necklace with hidden beauty to Elain on the darkest night of the year:
The golden necklace seemed ordinary—its chain unremarkable, the amulet tiny enough that it could be dismissed as an everyday charm. It was a small, flat rose fashioned of stained glass, designed so that when held to the light, the true depth of colors would become visible. A thing of secret, lovely beauty. (Azriel’s Bonus Ch)
(4) Feyre and Rhys talk about Elain’s behavior and potential evolution. Feyre recalls Elain tearing her hands on a rosebush and indicates that she will be the focus of their next family intervention:
I whipped my head toward him. “You think I stifle her?”
Rhys held up his hands. “Not you alone.” He surveyed the study as he thought. “But I wonder if everyone has spent so long assuming Elain is sweet and innocent that she felt she had to be that way or else she’d disappoint you all.” He sighed toward the ceiling. “With time and safety, perhaps we’ll see a different side of her emerge.”
•
“I think she’s kind, and I’ll take kindness over nastiness any day. But I also think we haven’t yet seen all she has to offer.” A corner of his mouth tugged upward. “Don’t forget that gardening often results in something pretty, but it involves getting one’s hands dirty along the way.”
“And torn up by thorns,” I mused, recalling a morning this past summer when Elain had come into the house, her right palm bleeding from several gashes thanks to a stubborn rosebush that had pierced her gloves. The thorns had broken off in her skin, leaving sharp splinters that I’d had to pull free.
•
I sighed, absently rubbing my still-flat stomach. “Let’s focus on helping one sister before we start on the other.” (Feyre and Rhysand’s Bonus Ch)
And if our High Lady’s words weren’t indicative enough, three out of four of these connections are referenced in the final scene or bonus chapters to tease what (or who) comes next. Azriel’s bonus chapter created a figurative mess and has grave implications. Elain will need to work hard and maybe suffer for her happy beginning. Good thing, then, that our secretive seer, our stealthy kingslayer... enjoys getting her hands dirty.