Why the necklace represents Elain 🌹
Let’s begin with a review of the paragraph. “Its chain UNREMARKABLE. TINY enough that it could be DISMISSED as an everyday charm…. Designed so that when held to the LIGHT, the TRUE DEPTH of the colors would become VISIBLE. A thing of SECRET, LOVELY BEAUTY.
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 the colors would become visible. A thing of secret, lovely beauty.
Why is this Elain? Several factors. Outwardly, despite her beauty, many dismiss Elain as “unremarkable”. We can look back on how her own sister regards her as “uninteresting”. We know that Elain has a LOT to reveal and is more that surface valued beauty.
“Look who decided to grow claws after all,” she crooned. “Maybe you’ll become interesting at last, Elain.”
Elain’s eyes brightened with pain. Something imploded in Nesta’s chest at that expression. She opened her mouth, as if it could somehow be undone. But Elain said, “I went into the Cauldron, too, you know. And it captured me. And yet somehow all you think of is what my trauma did to you.”
Nesta blinked, everything inside her hollowing out.
But Elain turned on her heel. “Find me when you wish to begin.” The doors shut behind her.
Many write her off as “just Elain” “just there” “boring” but even Rhys says we don’t know all there is to her. “I think she is kind… but I also think we haven’t seen all she has to offer.”
Rhys asked, “Have you ever seen Elain act like that before?”
“No.” I chewed on my bottom lip. Rhys’s gaze tracked the movement. I mean, she’s been brave when she had to be, but she’s never been confrontational.”
“Maybe she was never given the chance to be that way.”
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.”
“That sounds dangerously close to what Nesta said about Elain finally becoming interesting.”
“Sometimes, Nesta isn’t wrong.”
I glowered at Rhys. “You think Elain's boring?”
“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.”
What we DO know is that Elain is often described as a “light”. That what she has to offer to the world is an undimmable hope. “A different kind of strength”. A smile can even shine a light on Azriel’s shadows which we know pull away and receded when he is comfortable/happy.
“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.”
What we have seen is that many just assume things about her. That she’s too fragile to partake in things. That she went mad when really she just needed someone to HEAR her and make sense of what she was seeing. Who actually SEES what’s within her? Azriel.
Lucien murmured to me, eye still fixed on Elain, “Should we—does she need …?”
“She doesn’t need anything,” Azriel answered without so much as looking at Lucien.
It made sense, I supposed, that Azriel alone had listened to her. The male who heard things others could not … Perhaps he, too, had suffered as Elain had before he understood what gift he possessed.
“If anyone can sense something amiss, it’s a mate.” And Lucien didn’t. He merely suggested sunlight, which we know didn’t miraculously cure her. What did help and bring her out of her room is Azriel. Meanwhile, “Lucien just stared and stared, as if he’d never seen her before.”
Nesta’s face drained of color. “What?”
Equally ashen, Lucien seemed inclined to echo Nesta’s hoarse question.
But Azriel nodded. “You knew,” he said to Elain. “About the young queen turning into a crone.”
Elain blinked and blinked, eyes clearing again. As if the understanding, our understanding … it freed her from whatever murky realm she’d been in.
“The sixth queen is alive?” Azriel asked, calm and steady, the voice of the High Lord’s spymaster, who had broken enemies and charmed allies.
Elain cocked her head, as if listening to some inner voice. “Yes.”
Lucien just stared and stared at my sister, as if he’d never seen her before.
So, who can see her true inner beauty rather than be superficial about it? Sure, Lucien has called her beautiful, but that was a superficial observation as a stranger to her. Azriel has spent time with her and would have a much better grasp on the beauty within her. As she for him.
“I...” He watched her swallow. She clutched a small gift in her hands. "I was coming to leave this on your pile of presents. I forgot to give it to you earlier."
Lie. Well, the second part was a lie. He didn't need his shadows to read her tone, the slight tightening of her face. She'd waited until everyone was asleep before venturing back down, where she'd leave her gift amongst his other, opened presents, subtle and unnoticed.
He left the rest unspoken. Because her mate was here, sleeping a level up. Because her mate had been in the family room and Azriel had needed to stay by the door the whole time because he couldn't stand the sight of it, the scent of their mating bond, and needed to have the option of leaving if it became too much.
Elain's large brown eyes flickered, well aware of all that. Just as he knew she was well aware of why Azriel so rarely came to family dinners these days.
They read each other WITHOUT WORDS. Now let’s breakdown the symbolism of stained glass outside of acotar. “When the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light within.” We know there is an existing trauma within Elain while she also represents hope.
A step further, let’s analyze the Hebrew >>RELIGIOUS<< meanings behind Elain’s and Azriel’s names. “God is my help” “God has heard”.
Elain is practically Azriel’s light, HIS salvation. Rewind back to the bonus “ Designed so that when held to the LIGHT, the TRUE DEPTH of the colors would become VISIBLE. A thing of SECRET, LOVELY BEAUTY. “ versus the representation of what light shining through stained glass:
As for the significance behind the necklace itself: two things. The first: the repetitive motif of roses. We know Elain is connected to roses (that’s what’s painted on her drawer). That she will MARRY a for LOVE and BEAUTY. (As per mama archeron. And what do roses represent:
TRUE love. What else has Elain said? I don’t want a MALE. I don’t want a MATE. She wants TRUE love. She will not settle for less. Perhaps this is specifically why she ignores Lucien. He’s sabotaged his chance of “true love” because he’s … Cassian’s words.. SHACKLED her to him.
Any affection she shows him could easily be influenced by a bond that she has no control over. This goes against a chosen, true love.
The second thing the necklace represents is something cassian has brought up:
Most males bought their wives and mates jewelry for an outrageous Winter Solstice present.
Rhys had bought Feyre a palace.
>>Azriel<< who respects >>tradition<< specifically went out of his way to get her a very significant gift likely knowing aware that Elain also knows this importance (as seen through her demonstration of explaining fae traditions). This wasn’t a merely “I like you”.
This was an I wish to COURT you. This is why the “rejection” is so painful to Elain because it SEEMS like Azriel backtracked on that major step by saying “this is a mistake”. Why would she keep such an important item if there’s no intention behind it anymore (as per his actions).
We KNOW that for these two, actions are stronger than words. They are both rather quiet and recluse. Feyre even said Elain would cling to Azriel for some peace and quiet. Even if she suspects Azriel of lying about it being a mistake, she wants the actions and the words to match.
And honestly? Go her! Why would I accept a mixed signal? So what happens thereafter? Azriel gets rid of the necklace in a way he cannot easily retrieve it and retract his statement. He gives it to another.
If you want to argue it represents a LIGHTSINGER instead you have to navigate around this. Ethereal, LURING beings.. “appearing as friendly faces when you are lost.” WHICH Azriel WAS. His >>shadows<< may have been settled, but he never did.
“There are lightsingers: lovely, ethereal beings who will lure you, appearing as friendly faces when you are lost. Only when you’re in their arms will you see their true faces, and they aren’t fair at all. The horror of it is the last thing you see before they drown you in the bog. But they kill for sport, not food.”
“Look, I…” Az searched for the words, his voice becoming quiet. “If there’s another priestess here who might appreciate it, give it to them. But I’m not taking that necklace with me when I leave.”
He waited for Clotho's pen to finish writing. Your eyes are sad, Shadowsinger.
He offered her a grim smile. “I lost the snowball fight today.”
Three days passed with no word from Cassian. He’d been replaced in training by a stone-faced Azriel, who was more aloof than usual and wouldn’t even give her a smile.
“Only when you’re in their arms will you see their true faces, and they aren’t fair at all.” So the beauty WITHIN Gwyn.. being that she’s a lightsinger… is not “secret, lovely beauty”. Merely speculation based off Cassian’s assessment of lightsingers. Interesting how it mirrors:
That’s the story time ! If you think Sjm doesn’t look into symbolism as she writes things, I think you are kidding yourself!
