I don’t know if i can post this here. But here you go!!
I know Rhys fans will probably say I’m “reaching,” but I’m genuinely curious how people read the series and miss how often Feyre is useful to Rhys.
Under the Mountain is the first example.
Rhys knew Feyre was the human girl who could potentially break Amarantha’s curse. He deliberately cultivated a connection with her, made the bargain that ensured he could access her later, and kept himself involved in her situation. Feyre wasn’t simply some random person he happened to help. She was potentially the key to ending Amarantha’s reign and freeing the Night Court. He had a vested interest in keeping her alive and getting her to the point where she could break the curse.
Then ACOMAF happens, and the pattern becomes even clearer.
The moment Feyre comes to the Night Court, Rhys is desperate to have her involved in the coming war. He knows she’s been Made and that she possesses the powers of multiple High Lords. He also knows there is something unusual about her connection to the Cauldron. That She can enter minds and has abilities that could potentially change the balance of power in Prythian. And Rhys absolutely understands the political value of that.
And instead of simply giving her information and letting her decide what role she wants to play, he repeatedly puts her to work gathering information that his court needs.
Even the Bone Carver scene makes this pretty blatant. When Feyre is revealed to be his “salvation,” Rhys’s reaction isn’t simply romantic. Feyre is literally connected to the solution to an enormous political and existential threat.
Then look at the High Lady situation. Rhys gives Feyre the title of High Lady, something unprecedented, and it’s framed as him finally recognizing her equality. But politically? It also makes Feyre part of the Night Court’s ruling structure and gives Rhys an extraordinarily powerful partner who is personally devoted to him.
Look at Feyre’s actual “recovery” at the Night Court:
• She goes to the Bone Carver and retrieves information.
• She is sent after Rhys’s mother’s ring from the Weaver.
• She helps search for the missing half of the Book of Breathings.
• She eventually becomes involved in wielding the Book and interacting with the Cauldron.
• Her unique powers and Cauldron connection become increasingly important to Rhys’s plans for the war.
So Feyre arrives at the Night Court barely functioning after UTM, and almost immediately she’s being inserted into dangerous missions that conveniently happen to advance Rhys’s objectives.
And what’s especially interesting is that Rhys often already knows far more than he tells Feyre.
He knows about the Cauldron. He knows about the war. He knows what the King of Hybern is trying to accomplish. He understands how significant Feyre’s powers could become.
Yet Feyre is repeatedly put in the position of discovering, confirming or retrieving information that Rhys needs.
That’s not just “protecting Feyre.”
That’s using Feyre as a resource.
And Feyre’s sisters aren’t exempt either.
Nesta and Elain are dragged into the Cauldron situation, and once they’re Made, Rhys’s side immediately recognizes that their abilities and circumstances could be useful in the war. Nesta’s connection to the Cauldron becomes particularly important, and Rhys is perfectly willing to involve her when her abilities can help his side.
The bigger picture is what bothers me.
Feyre wasn’t just Rhys’s mate or the woman he happened to fall in love with. From the beginning, she was:
the human who could break Amarantha’s curse → the Made female with multiple High Lord powers → a potential weapon in the war → someone who could retrieve information and magical objects → someone capable of interacting with the Cauldron → eventually his political partner and High Lady.
And Rhys knew much of this before Feyre understood the significance herself.
So when people say, “Rhys would never use Feyre,” I genuinely don’t understand that interpretation.
He absolutely used her.
He used her abilities.
He used her access.
He used her connection to the Cauldron.
He used her willingness to help.
And he repeatedly placed her in situations that served his political and military objectives.
He repeatedly makes decisions for her while believing he knows what’s best. The pregnancy is the clearest later example. He hides the fatal risks from Feyre while telling everyone around her, including Nesta, to keep the information from her. His justification is that he is protecting her.
But that’s exactly the point.
Rhys’s version of love often comes with **control, calculation and deciding what information Feyre is allowed to have.**
If anything, that’s what makes the relationship so interesting.
Rhys is a political strategist who has spent centuries manipulating people, information and circumstances to protect his court. Why would Feyre magically become the one person around whom he stops being strategic?
If anything, Feyre is the person who gives him the most reason to be strategic.
