Romantasy
‘ACOTAR’: A Complete Breakdown of All the Elain Mate Theories
When it comes to the A Court of Thorns and Roses universe, no mystery stirs the fandom quite like Elain Archeron’s love life. She’s the softest of the three Archeron sisters—ethereal, dreamy, and often overlooked—but her romantic endgame? It’s become one of the most debated topics in the entire SJM fandom. From the mate she won’t acknowledge, to the shadows lingering at her side, to the (wild but kind of intriguing?) theories about a redemption arc in the Spring Court, everyone has a theory—and we’re here to break them all down.
So grab your roses, your shadows, your fire, and your beastly masks, and let’s dive into the contenders for Elain’s heart… and mating bond.
Lucien
Let’s get the most obvious contender out of the way: Lucien. His mating bond with Elain was first revealed in A Court of Mist and Fury, when she emerged, soaking wet, from the Cauldron—and he gasped, “You’re my mate.” Iconic. Unfortunately, Elain was a little… preoccupied at the time.
Since then, she hasn’t exactly warmed up to the idea. She hasn’t denied the bond, but she hasn’t embraced it either. It feels more like she’s resisting it than rejecting it outright—and Lucien, bless him, is trying to give her space rather than give in to the primal instinct to claim her.
Evidence:
*Elain is constantly described with floral imagery. Lucien may be Autumn Court, but he’s practically an honorary member of the Spring Court at this point. He lives with his bestie Tamlin, after all—maybe he and Elain are both searching for healing, hope, and new beginnings.
*The mating bond appears real. It’s physically painful for Lucien—he mentions it pulling on his ribs—and Elain is visibly affected the first time she really sees him: “But Elain was staring over Nesta’s shoulder. At Lucien—whose face she had finally taken in.”
*He left the Spring Court (and Tamlin!) for a chance to see her in the Night Court.
*Azriel can literally smell the bond: “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.”
Issues:
*Elain is a seer. If she sees the future and isn’t moving toward Lucien, does that mean he’s not in it?
*Lucien’s power is fire. Elain’s is foresight. SJM tends to match powers carefully, and these don’t exactly complement.
*The bond didn’t kick in until after Elain emerged from the Cauldron. If it’s truly primal, wouldn’t Lucien have sensed it earlier?
*Rhys knew Feyre was his mate when she was human, and even Cassian says he knew it when he first met Nesta as a human.
*If the bond is fake/glamoured by someone, it would be similar to how Lyria reacted to Rowan with his fake mating bond in Throne of Glass. “But he could understand now. Why Lyria had been so frightened of him for those initial months, why it had been so damn hard to court her, even with that mating bond, its truth unknown to Lyria as well.” Elain seems pretty freaked out.
*And let’s not forget the lingering tension between Lucien and Vassa. SJM rarely leaves anyone single by the final book—could this be a breadcrumb? They’re enjoying a lot of off-page time together, and Vassa is fiery and bold, which suits Lucien’s personality much more than Elain does.
Azriel
Ah, Azriel. If Lucien is the obvious choice, Azriel is the fan-favorite. Elriel shippers are out here with binders of evidence, and we have to admit: It’s compelling. If he’s not her mate, Elain might still reject her bond to be with him. That storyline—of a rejected bond—would be new territory for SJM.
But what if he is her mate? When Elain was thrown into the Cauldron, Azriel was on death’s door thanks to the King of Hybern. The Cauldron apparently liked Elain and wanted to give her a gift. Maybe it gave her a second mate, assuming the first wouldn’t survive. Only Azriel did—and now we’ve got a possible double mating bond situation.
Evidence:
*Rhys, Cassian, and Azriel are the most powerful Illyrians in history. The Archeron sisters are equally powerful. Power-for-power, right?
*Two of the three “brothers” are mated to Archeron sisters. Is Elriel the final match?
*Azriel is the only one who noticed Elain’s seer abilities right away. Their powers may differ, but they mirror each other: shadows that show secrets, visions that reveal the future.
*Their whole vibe screams Death and the Maiden: “I saw the painting in my mind: 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.”
*Azriel is connected to Rosehall, and Elain is associated with roses throughout the series.
*He tells Cassian he’d know if something happened to Nesta because of the bond. He describes it: “He tapped his brother’s chest with a scarred hand. ‘Right here—you’d know, Cass.'” Sounds awfully like “the emptiness in my chest” Feyre experiences when Rhysand briefly dies. How would he know that feeling unless he felt it, too?
Issues:
*Three sisters, three brothers? It might feel a little too tidy for SJM.
*Elain is repeatedly described as washed out by black, the color of the Night Court. Azriel is the Night Court. Aesthetic mismatch?
*Nesta gave herself and Feyre the ability to bear Illyrian children—but not Elain. That might be significant.
*And then there’s Gwyn. Precious Gwyn, who’s already endured so much. The chemistry between her and Azriel is undeniable—so what gives?
Tamlin
Yes, we’re going there. Tamlin. The “hear us out” theory to end all “hear us outs.” Once Feyre’s fiancé and now… maybe Elain’s mate? There’s a theory that Lucien’s sudden mate claim was a magical misdirection—perhaps even caused by his (real) High Fae daddy, Helion. Glamoured bonds aren’t unheard of in SJM’s universe (hi again, Maeve).
Evidence:
*Elain loves her gardening—although she elected to grow flowers over vegetables to feed her starving family. She is always described with flowery, blooming imagery. Feyre goes as far as to say it herself, “Elain would love this place. So many flowers, all in bloom, so much green—the light, vibrant green of new grass—so many birds singing and such warm, buttery sunshine. Nesta felt like a storm cloud standing amid it all. But Elain…The Spring Court had been made for someone like her.”
*Tamlin’s story doesn’t seem to be finished yet, it is giving a redemption arc in the making. He’s brooding in beast form right now, but isn’t that just classic redemption setup?
*ACOTAR began as Beauty and the Beast. Maybe Elain—not Feyre—was the real “Beauty” all along.
*Feyre painted her sisters drawers: flames for Nesta, stars for herself, and flowers for Elain. Two have come true. That last one? Spring Court coded.
Issues:
*Tamlin is her sister’s ex—and not just any ex. He was emotionally abusive, controlling, and dismissive. It would be… a choice.
*He’s still a hot mess. The beast form, the broken land, the self-isolation—it all screams “not ready for love.”
*In terms of a redemption arc, Tamlin kind of had one when he chose to save Rhysand for Feyre. Maybe Tamlin’s time is done.
*Do we really want family dinners that awkward?
Eris
Let’s end on a spicy note: Eris. Yes, that Eris. Some fans are shipping Elain and Lucien’s brother, and while it’s definitely more chaotic neutral than canon-compliant, it’s not without intrigue.
Evidence:
*A redemption arc has been teased for Eris for years. He was interested in Nesta, but maybe his real match is the softer, more intuitive Archeron sister.
*Honestly, SJM does love putting Lucien through it. (Sorry, Lucien.)
*Lucien’s mating bond could be fake. If that’s the case, Eris being Elain’s match could be an extra SJM-style twist.
Issues:
*Well, she’s supposedly mated to his brother…talk about keeping it in the family.
*Eris wanted Nesta for her power. Would he see Elain—gentle, soft, but still powerful—as enough for the Autumn Court? Still he has noticed her: “I hear our little brother’s mate is quite the beauty.”
*If Eris takes Elain from Azriel after the whole Mor debacle, Azriel will literally kill him. Bye bye mate.
*We should also mention that Eris is also shipped with…Azriel. Yes. It’s kind of an enemies-to-lovers fantasy based on their snarky comments to one another, the desire for a queer relationship in ACOTAR, and general horndog behavior. Fire versus shadows, Eris and Azriel? We’ll believe it when we see it.
Bonus: no one
There’s a rare but passionate subset of fans who believe Elain will reject all the mating bond drama and choose herself. She’s the most underestimated sister and choosing solitude or non-romantic fulfillment could be SJM subverting the “everyone gets a mate” trope. Think: healing arc, spiritual journey, or leading the enchanted gardening movement of Prythian.
So… who is Elain’s mate?
Well, right now we have to believe it’s the obvious choice: Lucien. SJM has said that the answer is right there in front of us. And yet…this wouldn’t be the first time we’ve been led astray. Whoever it is, SJM is clearly saving her story for something big. Whether she chooses the bond, rejects it, or breaks all the rules, Elain is not just a background character anymore.
And honestly? We can’t wait for ACOTAR 6 to finally find out.
Keep in mind that it might not just be Lucien who did a glamour, as Elain’s seer powers and her connection to the Cauldron might tie into Koschei (who’s still looming). What if Elain’s bond with Lucien was manipulated as part of Koschei’s schemes—or if Koschei sees her as a threat? This could reframe the whole debate and set her up as a more pivotal figure than just someone’s future wife.
So…who gets your vote to sweep our garden-loving goddess off her feet? Let us know your thoughts and theories in the comments below.
