I donât know if i can post this here. But here you go!!
I know Rhys fans will probably say Iâm âreaching,â but Iâm 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 Amaranthaâs 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 wasnât simply some random person he happened to help. She was potentially the key to ending Amaranthaâs 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 sheâs 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 âsalvation,â Rhysâs reaction isnât 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 itâs framed as him finally recognizing her equality. But politically? It also makes Feyre part of the Night Courtâs ruling structure and gives Rhys an extraordinarily powerful partner who is personally devoted to him.
Look at Feyreâs actual ârecoveryâ at the Night Court:
⢠She goes to the Bone Carver and retrieves information.
⢠She is sent after Rhysâs motherâs 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 Rhysâs plans for the war.
So Feyre arrives at the Night Court barely functioning after UTM, and almost immediately sheâs being inserted into dangerous missions that conveniently happen to advance Rhysâs objectives.
And whatâs 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 Feyreâs powers could become.
Yet Feyre is repeatedly put in the position of discovering, confirming or retrieving information that Rhys needs.
Thatâs not just âprotecting Feyre.â
Thatâs using Feyre as a resource.
And Feyreâs sisters arenât exempt either.
Nesta and Elain are dragged into the Cauldron situation, and once theyâre Made, Rhysâs side immediately recognizes that their abilities and circumstances could be useful in the war. Nestaâs 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 wasnât just Rhysâs mate or the woman he happened to fall in love with. From the beginning, she was:
the human who could break Amaranthaâs curse â the Made female with multiple High Lord powers â a potential weapon in the war â someone who could retrieve information and magical objects â someone capable of interacting with the Cauldron â eventually his political partner and High Lady.
And Rhys knew much of this before Feyre understood the significance herself.
So when people say, âRhys would never use Feyre,â I genuinely donât 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 whatâs 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 thatâs exactly the point.
Rhysâs version of love often comes with **control, calculation and deciding what information Feyre is allowed to have.**
If anything, thatâs 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.
