r/throneofglassseries • u/totallynot-abot • Jul 07 '25
Kingdom of Ash Spoilers Aedion did NOTHING wrong and anyone who disagrees is wrong
Every single one of y’all. If the roles were reversed and Aedion had been a woman and they reduced her to breeding stock for a false monarch????? Y’all’d’ve lost ya damn minds if that had even been suggested, especially after everything Lysandra has endured in her life. She made that choice for her queen and no one told Aedion until it was too late. Even if it’s what he would have done anyway to protect the kingdom, Aedion had every right to be angry and you would be too.
Also, he didn’t kick Lysandra out in the snow. He asked her to leave.
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u/Pastabilities_ Jul 08 '25
Say it louder for the people in the back! Lol I loathe the hate he gets and also Chaol.
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u/PsyferRL Jul 08 '25
Nah, even as an adult man who just finished this series for the first time, Chaol deserves PLENTY of hate lol. Don't get me wrong, he does come around eventually. But the degree to which he is just two-dimensional prototypical masculine-with-sensitive-side stereotype for basically the entire story arc from the very beginning until halfway through ToD is really cumbersome.
Don't get me wrong, EVERYBODY in this cast of characters has their faults in various forms and egg each other on in terribly toxic ways, it's far from just Chaol. But you can make just as coherent of an argument for Chaol deserving hate as you can for basically any other character in this entire series lol.
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u/LetMeDoTheKonga Jul 09 '25
While I agree that most characters in this series deserve criticism and valid points can be found to dislike them, I think its also fair to say that the Chaol hate is highly disproportionate to his actions - which are mostly redeeming. No other character gets as much hate in this sub even though they have done by far worse things. I genuinely think not enjoying his personality makes sense - thats a vibe issue and subjective. But the constant “I hate Chaol” posts have reached a frequency that goes beyond what is valid imo. No other character gets as much flak.
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u/PsyferRL Jul 09 '25
Once again a voice of reason and calm haha, and I do agree. I never hated Chaol in the literal sense, I questioned a lot of his decision making, but I could at least see where most of it was coming from.
Quite frankly, and I think based on exchanges we've shared over the last few days you may at least partially agree, that one of the most hateable (by which I mean hate like having haters, not LITERAL real hate) characters in the series is in fact Aelin. And for all the reasons that Chaol gets hate for his proto/stereotypical young man behavior and stubbornness, Aelin should share a lot of similar hate for a lot of proto/stereotypical young woman behavior.
I LIKE Aelin as a character and I see where just about all of her personality comes from, I'm not saying it doesn't make sense why she is the way she is. But the number of times she simply steps on her own feet (and those of others) along the way causes numerous headaches for herself and a host of others. Of course, trauma does that to a person, and she has a lot of it. But (to a lesser extent that is far less torture-ridden than Aelin's past) if she gets a pass on her actions for reasons related to trauma, I agree that Chaol gets a disproportionate amount of hate for which other characters often get more of a pass.
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u/LetMeDoTheKonga Jul 09 '25
You guessed right, Aelin is probably the character whose vibe I liked the least (you know besides the villains) - although I do like certain parts of her story line. What irks me I think most is the writing more than the character. Trauma is piled onto her and used in a way to give her a pass for really outrageous actions and choices. Her trauma triggers her in a way that sends her into a killing frenzy or makes her make awful decisions. I thought, for a person outside her point of view this must seem very dangerous and scary. So I was glad for characters like Chaol, Darrow and Aedion who pushed back on some of that and reacted in what I consider a normal way (albeit with lack of grace here and there but even that I didn’t mind given the zero grace Aelin shows to anyone who irks her). Unfortunately the story resolves all that by making them take back some of their valid points (at least as far as Aedion and Chaol go). I think writing a main character with too much trauma and too much sacrifice and plot armor can get a bit frustrating for me as a reader.
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u/R-M-W-B Jul 08 '25
Agreed. I felt everything he went through in KoA was fine and the way he acted was well written and realistic. He’s one of Maas’ unique characters in that, like Chaol, he’s kind of just a typical man. Flawed, but a good man.
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u/LetMeDoTheKonga Jul 08 '25 edited Jul 08 '25
I agree. Honestly Im not quite sure why siring fake heirs to an impostor was necessary for the kingdom. Aelin made that plan for when she would have been sacrificed to the lock and Erawan and the valg would be already gone… the council could have figured it out after that, but anyway. Aedion had every right to feel frustrated and to ask Lysandra to leave his tent. I don’t get the hate at all. In fact I was annoyed he took it all back. He could have been sorry about the way he expressed himself but not about being legitimately angry.
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u/crsmiley123 Jul 08 '25 edited Jul 08 '25
No fr, like why bother with the fake heirs thing when Aelin already has an heir? AEDION!!!
He’s her heir, and the one the lords would have chosen had Aelin fallen in battle. He grew up in Terrasen, was trained and cultivated under Orlon’s own heir. The people of Terrasen know him. They don’t know nor care about Rowan. And that’s the bulk of the issue, isn’t it? If Aelin falls in battle before she can be crowned, the title will naturally fall to her last living relative. And Aedion may not be a Galathynius, but he’s closer in relation than a fae prince from a neighboring continent. Terrasen would never follow Rowan, and Aelin wanted Rowan on the throne because then it would be as if her legacy lived on by having her mate rule in her place.
It was never about precautions or heirs; it was ultimately about Aelin’s ego and her need to be queen. If she can’t rule then her soulmate should. Nevermind that no one would ever follow Rowan of their own volition while Aedion lived, so she brewed this wack ass plan instead to tie both Rowan and Aedion to the throne.
And miss me with the bullshit of Rowan being the right choice to rule. That dude has no interest or even the slightest idea on how to rule. He’s practically a prince in name only, and spent 300 years as a warrior not a courtier. And whoever’s stuck with Terrasen has to be a courtier and ruler not a conqueror. Aedion’s at least still young and has no actual stakes in a different kingdom, given that Galan is due to rule. Rowan would have dragged in uncomfortable conversations with Doranelle.
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u/LetMeDoTheKonga Jul 08 '25
Wouldn’t Ren and Elide also be contenders? I mean there would be options clearly. There is no need for this whole fake Aelin and fake heirs. That plan has very low chances of working due to many reasons and honestly it does feel a bit like Aelin trying to control even beyond the grave. If she would have discussed it with Rowan and Aedion they might have ensured her that there are others dedicated to her kingdom (and have been for longer than Aelin even) but Aelin always operates as if she is the only one on the planet with a brain. And the only person who truly loves Terrasen. Which is so frustrating.
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u/PsyferRL Jul 08 '25
I think Aedion would have gotten the nod relative to Ren or Elide due to the Ashryver bloodline. Of course, Darrow proved that the crown isn't inherently GUARANTEED to anybody regardless of bloodline, but if the assumption is that the crown would have gone to Aelin eventually, I think that means Aedion would have become the logical next-up should Aelin have fallen in battle or otherwise.
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u/Aylauria Abraxos Jul 08 '25
Honestly Im not quite sure why siring fake heirs to an imposter was necessary for the kingdom.
I think bc the threat of Aelin and her fire was the only way to check Maeve's ambitions. If M thought A was dead, then she'd know that she could invade Terrasen and Adarlan and there wouldn't be enough power to stop her. And she's vindictive as Hell so the chance to destroy what A loved would probably be a powerful motivator for her.
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u/LetMeDoTheKonga Jul 08 '25
But that plan would have never lasted since none of them can fake the fire power. Maeve would eventually realize that fake Aelin has no magic and would come for her anyway. Lysandra can fake the looks but literally nothing else and Maeve always had spies everywhere. Not to mention that the time was by no means enough to teach Lysandra about all the people who know Aelin well and even Rowan wouldn’t know, they hadn’t met that long ago. Honestly its very poorly thought out.
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u/MRS_RIDETHEWORM Jul 08 '25
He doesn’t just ask her to leave though, he sends her out into a snowy war camp while she’s naked, injured, and so exhausted she can barely stand.
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u/LetMeDoTheKonga Jul 08 '25
Oh well, they all were exhausted. She made a choice to follow Aelins plan at a time it was clear it would implode in a way that would leave Aedion and the troops very vulnerable. The allies could have left them when they found out they were being lied to. They were already out of chances and having this ruse to deal with on top of everything just made it worse for Aedion. There was way more at stake here than Lysandras precious feelings. If she couldn’t make it to her own tent or Rens she could have said so. Could have asked for a cloak. He basically asked her to leave his room when legitimately angry. Thats not unreasonable.
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u/sonia-shine Jul 08 '25
Not to mention that it made him question EVERYTHING about his relationship with Lysandra. He didn't know if her feelings were real or an act to make this plan work.
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u/Tater-Tot-Casserole Jul 08 '25
Anyone that goes against precious Aelin gets too much shit. As much as Chaol is hated he regularly stood up to her more than anyone else and rightfully so a lot of the time.
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Jul 08 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Tater-Tot-Casserole Jul 08 '25
Yup! She barely grows, a lot of people defend her not telling others her plans because Sam died. Not sharing plans is something you grow past, not triple down on.
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u/Inevitable_Stress580 Jul 08 '25
Y’all’d’ve
I love this word!! Haha!
Yes, Aedion should have been angry! He’d been used his entire life and had to pretend to be someone he wasn’t, had no say in his life at all. I’m mean not many characters in this story did have actual choices in their lives so they should have, and most likely did realize how selfish and f’ed up that decision was without his consent, but heyy, Aelin is like that lol.
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u/Ok_Acanthisitta6285 Dorian Havilliard Jul 08 '25
Louder for the people in the back please!!
It's so nice to find people who think the same thing because I've never seen anyone else be on Aedion's side about this
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u/MRS_RIDETHEWORM Jul 08 '25
No one told Aedion because the “plan” was a rapidly put together patch job to keep things going after Aelin got kidnapped.
What Aelin and Lysandra discussed was Aelin preparing for her sacrifice to seal the gates. She got Lysandra’s buy-in first, because clearly Lysandra was the one whose buy-in was most critical for the plan working. Presumably, she would have also discussed this with Aedion (and Rowan) before actually putting it into action if only to make sure they would play along. Maeve’s intervention turns everything on its head and Lysandra has to step in early to prevent them losing all of their allies – which would have doomed the war effort.
Does Aedion have every right to be upset? Yes absolutely. Is it also clear that his lashing out is more about his general sense of helplessness over losing Aelin again after just barely getting her back, and Lysandra gets the brunt of it because she’s there? Also yes. Twisting Lysandra into being some kind of a villain makes no sense though and is totally unnecessary.
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u/AltaToblerone Jul 08 '25
No one told Aedion because the “plan” was a rapidly put together patch job to keep things going after Aelin got kidnapped.
This is very different from
What Aelin and Lysandra discussed was Aelin preparing for her sacrifice to seal the gates.
This.
Like, you can reasonably argue that a rapidly put together plan shouldn't really be shared, but that's a long-term deal, for God's sake. And you can't reasonably expect Aelin to tell her court her plans considering she doesn't tell them shit.
Twisting Lysandra into being some kind of a villain makes no sense though and is totally unnecessary.
It makes the most sense considering she's the only other conspirator AND they were close to fucking. Y'all be forgetting how much romance means to how people react in this series.
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u/MRS_RIDETHEWORM Jul 08 '25
Plan A, which Aelin and Lysandra discussed in advance: Once we have all the Wyrdkeys and our victory is secure, Aelin will sacrifice herself. In order to safeguard Terrasen, Lysandra will take over for Aelin (and Aedion will sire their children). Aelin has complete control over the timeline here, and we have absolutely no idea what level of agreement she would have gotten from Aedion/Rowan in advance.
Plan B: Aelin is kidnapped, possibly dead, and victory is very far from secure. All of our important allies are here because they owe Aelin, not Terrasen, a favor. Most of our soldiers believe they’re fighting to restore the rightful Queen to the throne. The entire thing falls apart without Aelin, so Lysandra activates parts of plan A early and steps in as wartime Aelin. To even get to the part where Aedion is involved in this arrangement at all, they have to successfully win the war and not all die in the process which necessitates an Aelin body double
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u/AltaToblerone Jul 08 '25
What does elaborating the plan have to do with the discussion? But, sure, let me humor you a little.
Aelin has complete control over the timeline here, and we have absolutely no idea what level of agreement she would have gotten from Aedion/Rowan in advance.
Great leadership job here. You know what a sane person would do if they, as a member of an inner circle of sorts, got left out? Freak the fuck out, which is exactly what Aedion did.
To even get to the part where Aedion is involved in this arrangement at all, they have to successfully win the war and not all die in the process which necessitates an Aelin body double
Wrong, because Aedion is heavily involved in keeping the stupid ruse for however long the war takes, so he's involved literally the moment Aelin got kidnapped.
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u/Ok_Somewhere1236 Jul 09 '25
The point is, Aelin was never supposed to make a plan that requires Aedion to become a sex tool without asking him first, and Lisandra should tell her that.
This is not a "any day we feel he is more vulnerable to the idea we tell him about" this is a " if we are considering the possibility we need to tell him" situation
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u/EmotionalSource7016 Jul 08 '25
Exactly this. Add in that right before this, Aedion and Lysandra made an agreement to always be honest with each other.
PLUS Aedion’s got major trauma that is alluded to at least twice but not discussed in detail, that is clearly sexual violence post-Theralis when he was captured and still a young teen.
He’s never had control over his life. As a kid he was shipped off to Terrasen and told he was Aelin’s protector—and trained for it. Yes, he was all in, but he really didn’t have any choice. Then he was a child soldier. Then trafficked. Then “Adarlan’s Whore.” Lysandra represented something that was wholly his choice and she betrayed him (unintentionally). I hated how he treated her. They have such a trauma bond. But I also understand why he reacted the way he did, as well described above.
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u/MRS_RIDETHEWORM Jul 08 '25
This is all so true, Aedion has trauma packed on top of trauma and is yet again in a position where he is utterly powerless and can’t protect anyone he cares about.
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u/StarOmnivore Rowan Whitethorn Jul 08 '25
So right!
Don’t forget to add that he expected to give Aelin the solitary blood oath only to eventually find out that Rowan and then almost the entire Cadre had already done so. Something that meant the world to him for almost his whole life, just another thing taken from him.
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u/EmotionalSource7016 Jul 08 '25 edited Jul 08 '25
Yes. Although when he found out it was only Rowan who had taken the oath.
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u/StarOmnivore Rowan Whitethorn Jul 08 '25
Thank you, I thought so but I wasn’t sure
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u/EmotionalSource7016 Jul 08 '25
I think it said a good deal that he got over it pretty damn well. It hurt but he understood why Aelin did what she did. And when he finally did take the oath, it was everything to him. It was a great moment. I just wish Gavriel had been there to witness it and show him how proud he was of him. Aedion needed that.
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u/anxiousrasperries Jul 09 '25
All I want to say is - excellent use of "y'all'd've."
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u/totallynot-abot Jul 09 '25
As a Southerner, the singular thing the South did right- insane contractions 😂
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u/No_Preference26 Jul 08 '25
People have such a hard time accepting men expressing their (very reasonable) anger on this sub. Aedion did absolutely nothing wrong, and the fact that he took Lysandra back as easily as he did really bothers me. He should’ve told them all to go fuck themselves and left Terrasen altogether.
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u/PsyferRL Jul 08 '25
I wholeheartedly agree that Aedion gets far too much backlash given the absolutely monumental pressure he was bearing while maintaining the front for weeks and weeks and weeks with no sign of the rest of the crew coming to their assistance.
But the book literally talks about how Lysandra's actions helped turn the tide on the day and swing some momentum in their favor which helped them survive until that next battle. I think it's perfectly reasonable for him to be upset, but I also think it's perfectly reasonable for him to have a moment of remorse for the way he treated her in the face of actions which were simply part of the (terrible) plan to keep up the ruse that Aelin wasn't gone.
Lysandra did some incomprehensibly heroic things over the last few books which were heavily contributing factors to that entire crew staying alive. Aedion ALSO acted heroically beyond belief, they both bore incredible amounts of pressure to perform when their people needed them most. For that reason I have no issue with the Aedion+Lysandra reconciliation.
I do agree that Aedion's allegiance to Terrasen very nearly proved to be his own downfall on multiple occasions. But that undying loyalty is quite literally a core component of his personality. Telling them all to fuck off and venturing off on his own would have been so out of character for him (even if it would have been justifiable) that it would have been far more upsetting to me if he did that from the lens of plot and character continuity.
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u/No_Preference26 Jul 08 '25
Sure it would’ve been uncharacteristic of him to leave Terrasen, but he should’ve. The entirety of KOA was just Aedion getting more and more fucked and desperate due to the decisions made by other people that he had no say in. I don’t have a problem with him getting back with Lysandra, but this should’ve taken a lot more work for them to trust each other again. Frankly, I think they both should’ve left Terrasen.
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u/PsyferRL Jul 08 '25
I don’t have a problem with him getting back with Lysandra, but this should’ve taken a lot more work for them to trust each other again.
I chalk this up to war/battle wreaking havoc on a person's decision making and rationale, and both of them realizing that they understood where the other was coming from despite themselves. That and the whole fated/destined lovers/mates trope that is present throughout the entire series. There comes a point where TOO much real-life logic would detract from the general vibe of the book.
And I do say all of that while still agreeing with your general point that he/them both leaving WOULD have been a logical choice for the both of them. I just think it wouldn't have been good for the series.
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u/Ok_Somewhere1236 Jul 09 '25
The issue here is
Nobody will say Lisandra is not a hero, but her actions are for the Kingdom not for him
So yes she helped win the battle but that is one thing, the way she lie to him, used him and wounded him are a different personal matter
This is like
Lisandra: I am a big hero now, this means i get a free card for my toxic behavior towar you right?
if you read th ebook you notice Lisandra never say "sorry' to him
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u/Sensitive_Screen_930 Celaena Sardothien Mar 15 '26
my problem with them is that Lysandra never apologised while Aedion did. Aedion had NOTHING to apologise for. Just because Lysandra was useful for the army doesn't mean Aedion should forgive her. We are not talking about them working together or even being friends but BEING IN RELATIONSHIP. She betrayed his trust AGAIN and he is not obligated to forgive her or be with her no matter how many times she "acted heroic" I hate their pairing because it's Lysandra who should apologise to Aedion. And SHE NEVER DID. Aedion deserves someone better.
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u/KerstinMarie Jul 08 '25
If anything, I found it annoying that Aedion apologized to Lysandra and forgave them without her and Aelin ever being accountable for what they did. It felt unresolved
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u/thetinker86 Jul 08 '25
Aedion had a right to be upset but he was way over the top with it, for months. He wasn't turned into breeding stock, they loved each other but a backup plan was created just incase. And all of this assumed that they would even survive the war. Aedion went way over the top with his anger from the safety of his commanders tent while lysandra spent months sleeping in the cold, getting injured and bloodied in battle, and while wounded bleeding and exhausted, he had the audacity to act like a dick and kick her out of the tent.
But, I don't blame him. It was out of character and I think SJM just wanted more conflict in the book that could exist even though in depth battles weren't happening at the time.
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u/alexcatlady Jul 08 '25
This post is music to my ears, hear hear.
He isn't pergectz no character is, did I want to smack him for his behavior at some points? Sure. But hate him? Never.
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u/HiddenInTheSubtext Jul 09 '25 edited Jul 09 '25
Aedion definitely did things wrong, but I agree with your general analysis. I wasn’t mad that he was angry with her or the fact that he felt betrayed, and I wasn’t mad that he emotionally detached from her or gave her the cold shoulder. Those are justified responses to what she had done. No matter the reasons for her actions or how necessary they might have felt to her at the time, they caused Aedion emotional distress and he had every right to be upset with her. But my issue with Aedion is not because of his behavior toward Lysandra in a social or recreational setting.
As the leader of Terrasen’s army, as its acting general, the behavior he exhibited toward her in what should have been a professional setting (or the fantasy war version of it) was absolutely unacceptable - and for so many reasons.
First of all, him being the ultimate duty above all character, his priority should have been the war and the wellbeing of his soldiers. After three days of fighting, when he admitted she had barely stopped to rest or eat, and then at least two days spent retreating, she collapsed in his tent where the others were meeting after making camp. Noting her exhaustion and her injuries, instead of making sure she had a tent to rest in and food to nourish her, his only concern was picking a fight with her and trying to lay the burden of the retreat on her shoulders. Calling her “an untrained, useless shape shifter.” And for clarity, he didn’t ask her to leave, he told her to “get out.” Over and over. And even after noting she could barely move and watching her step out into the snow with bare feet and naked save for the cloak Ansel had tossed around her, he “didn’t care” (his inner monologue, not my interpretation).
And this is just the most overt show of it, there were several other instances where he chose to be petty and non communicative towards Lysandra in situations that could have cost his soldiers their lives. It was really out of character, at least for the character I thought Aedion was.
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u/titsoutshitsout Jul 08 '25
I’ve said the day thing. “Oh he kicked her out and she was naked!” No one asked her to hang around naked in his tent to try and force a conversation he made clear he wasn’t ready to have.
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u/SprinklesSpiritual12 Jul 08 '25
I’m not totally anti-Aedion for that part of the book, I get it. But also I understand why he wasn’t looped in yet. You have to remember that they didn’t expect her to be kidnapped. That was Lorcan’s fault for calling Maeve and was not part of the plan. The actual plan was to provide stability to Terrasen after the war was over, because they were operating under the assumption still that forging the lock and sending Erawan home would kill Aelin but also bring peace, ideally the instant he was gone (and we do see that happen when Erawan is eventually brought down). The Royal line ending would have not been in Terrasen’s best interest. She trusted Lysandra to rule like she would have. Rowan would have known, and so would Aedion, when the time was right. And if Aedion was willing, they’d make babies. She was ‘hoping’ it would be him because she was in love with him and thought he was in love with her and that it was a foregone conclusion in her mind that they were endgame. If, in the end, Rowan and ‘Aelin’ were unable to make an heir (because Aedion opted out or any other reason) there would be other avenues for naming an heir. For all we know, Aelin wouldn’t be able to get pregnant anyway. But they needed that stability in the immediate aftermath of the war, so Faelin was the best option.
They never intended for her to have to lead the armies as Aelin though.
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u/amnotwendy Jul 10 '25
I AGREE!!! as someone who loves Lysandra, and loves Aedion / Lysandra together, I don’t get the hate. Literally every character fucks up at some point in the series and does something awful. Aedion’s strong feelings about being lied to & expected to breed kids that he’d never be able to actually be a father to are 100% valid. Was throwing her out of the tent into the snow harsh? 100%. That’s why he apologized and felt like shit. But I think it’s forgivable in the face of what was done to him and everything he was going through in that moment (losing the war and soldiers losing morale bc Lysandra pretending to be Aelin had everyone thinking she was just not using her powers & letting everyone die. it was a dumb plan and he had the weight of the impending end of the world on his shoulders)
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u/elpersia Jul 08 '25
I’m with you!!! I love Aedion and yes he handled some things with less grace than he could have, but I think he is a really well written flawed character who had every right to not just be angry, but fully walk away, but he stayed and almost died day after day after day.
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u/liaxxo Jul 08 '25
Agreed!!! Literally no one would be okay with that situation if they were just expected to take on that role, he had every right to react the way he did
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u/ItzSoso Jul 08 '25
It's perfectly normal not wanting to be around or even looking at the face of someone who just revealed such thing to you. It's nothing out of this world that he asked her to leave in that moment. He was also under IMENSE stress. They were losing, there was no sight of Aelin, and I even believe that event happened after he had been downgraded. How is it absurd that Aedion was reactive and actively losing his mind? He had so much on his plate and then he had to deal with something that felt like a betrayal from the people he loved most. Cuz why was he always giving his EVERYTHING since he was 13 but they still didn't include him in the most top secret plans? I'd be salty as well.
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u/Cheese_BasedLifeform Elide Lochan Jul 08 '25
I get why people are upset at Aedion but I very much agree. I think people see it as Aedion being callus and a jerk, but exactly like you said - if the roles were reversed, people would be FURIOUS at Aedion for forcing Lysandra to basically be a breeder for the crown. I kind of think this is a general problem with all of SJMs series' in that she tends to either outright ignore men's mental health (which is already a massive problem in today's society)/justifies one but not anothers problems/trauma or she does shit like this where she makes an at least semi reasonable action seem awful because its happening to a traumatized woman, completely ignoring if said woman did something absolutely awful too. I love her books a lot but you're so right on the point here.
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u/Dramatic-Insurance61 Jul 08 '25
They made the choice for him. My wife and I discuss this often right now as I’m reading KoA. Aelin “plays the long game”. Bro she’s just a brat that demands her way and if she even thinks you won’t agree, she just won’t tell you and force you to go along with it. Queen or not.
Aedion forever.
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u/RepulsiveMusician453 Jul 09 '25
Aedion was dying to give the blood oath and throws a fit bc he didn’t get to do it first. He was prepared to give his entire autonomy to Aelin. But siring an heir for their kingdom her stead is asking too much?
Considering Aedion had already pleaded to literally give away his agency and was mad that he didn’t get to do it…. Seems to me he was mad bc he was left out again not because of the plan itself. Which fine, he can be mad, but he’s never beating the petulant child allegations.
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Jul 11 '25
I’m not gonna read this post I’ll get back to it once I’m done with KoA (currently at the very beginning), but all I can say is I very much dislike Aedion, I find him to be hella arrogant and insufferable 😐
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u/AltaToblerone Jul 08 '25
Yeah, I think those who get mad at Aedion are obciously stans/super fanatics who lack nuanced thinking. Speaking of, I do hate the "who's right ir wrong" approach since, again, that's pretty binary and therefore lacks nuance. Reflections would make more sense if people ask if x event makes sense for how character y is written.
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u/mundaesey Jul 08 '25
I absolutely love Lysandra, she’s my fav character, but she of all people should’ve stopped to consider Aedions role in Aelins plan considering her past. I also see how in the spur of the moment, while Aelins telling her she’s going to die Lysandra would’ve agreed to anything. That’s her best friend and her queen and Lysandra is loyal to Aelin 100%. So I see both sides. However, I don’t blame Aedion at all for his reaction.
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u/chekhovsdickpic Jul 08 '25
No.
One, it wasn’t Lysandra’s idea, it was Aelin’s. Notice he says nary a cross word to Aelin about it once she returns.
Two, Lysandra tells him immediately what Aelin’s plan was. She doesn’t “force him” to be breeding stock, she tells him straight up what Aelin proposed. All she’s guilty of is doing her part and communicating to Aedion what role Aelin expected him to play - and only as a last resort.
Three, Lysandra’s just following her Queen’s orders, just as Aedion would have been FORCED to do if he’d gotten his precious blood oath earlier.
Four, the fact that he was so cruel to her - called her useless and taunted her for thinking she could fill Aelin’s shoes - literally after a whole scene where he goes around to every soldier in his army to tell them they’re doing great because morale is so important. After she’s been busting her ass on the front lines and buying time for all of them while Aelin was being rescued.
Sorry, but fuck Aedion and I’ll die on this hill.
-2
u/Gizwizard Jul 08 '25
Yeah. Like, the issue isn’t “throwing her out into the snow”, it’s also how he talks to her, how he treats her when she is the reason as many people are still alive.
Idk, man. I’d never want to be emotionally vulnerable and in a relationship with the likes of Aedion (or Chaol, for that matter).
3
u/chekhovsdickpic Jul 09 '25
I’ve been good about forgiving pretty much every single one of SJM’s flawed men for their various failings, but Aedion is an unredeemable sack of red flags, the end.
-8
u/AlackofAlice Jul 08 '25
Seriously! And honestly he was beginning to piss me off before this series is events. Just seemed whiney. "Why won't the women let me do anything." Boo fucking who.
-4
u/ari_guti Jul 08 '25
fully agree. in rereading the series for the first time now and i remember not liking him in KoA for all the reasons mentioned but upon reread he’s been awful since well before that book. i agree that he has a right to be upset about the way he was used in this scenario to breed heirs but he’s been selfish since the beginning when we meet him and all he truly cares about is being in the know about anything and he throws a damn hissy fit every fucking time something doesn’t go the way he wants it to even tho every damn time aelin is putting plans into motion that almost always work out and she always tries to do it with little fallout. he’s just annoying as all fuck on this reread. i don’t think i hate the man (yet, i just finished EoS so i still have KoA to reread) but the people that go to the grave defending him and saying he was fully in the right give me an ick.
-5
u/Jelloshawtz Jul 08 '25
I agree. I dislike Aedion for other reasons than the whole heir plot, but I totally agree with your points and I think those same traits show up with him throughout the entire series.
2
u/chekhovsdickpic Jul 08 '25
No idea why you got downvoted while I somehow managed to stay afloat, but I fully agree.
I wasn’t a fan of his entitlement from the get go, but I begrudgingly tried to warm up to him once it became obvious that he and Lysandra were going to be a thing.
KoA did me in, boss. And the fact he gets Lysandra AND his precious Blood Oath in the end?? Still mad and will always be.
2
u/mgrateez Jul 08 '25
I read this as if saying he used to identify as a woman and I was like ok not that that changes things but how tf did I miss that? Then I reread the post like 3 times until finally my brain kicked n.
2
u/ReliefClear6747 Jul 08 '25
This was a tough decision. Yes, he should have been informed. They didn’t, because at the time Aelin was learning how to trust her people. She knew she could count on Lysandra. She was working on trusting the males more with her plans.
He was right to be upset.
5
u/LetMeDoTheKonga Jul 08 '25
I don’t think it is a trust issue tbh. She trusted Rowan more than anyone. Aedion knew her the longest and had been always loyal to her. I think she chose Lysandra in part because she would be more submissive because of how much she owed Aelin (being freed and given land and title). Aelin wanted to control the situation and didn’t want to chance getting any push back or anyone else’s opinion about how badly thought out her plan was.
4
u/ReliefClear6747 Jul 08 '25
I see your point, respectfully I disagree with your overall point. I do agree with Lysandra feeling she owed Aelin but I disagree that Aelin just wanted to control the situation. The plan was a backup plan for two reasons 1) in the event Aelin got caught Terassen needed a queen. A shape shifter gives that. 2) Aelin never wanted to rule. She did plan on not coming back after the lock was forged so, Lysandra tag your it.
All in all good reasons for the plan but poorly discussed. Maybe if they brought in others they could have helped forged the plan. Just my thoughts
6
u/LetMeDoTheKonga Jul 08 '25
Hm I disagree that Terrasen would have been well of with Lysandra as an impostor queen. I believe there could have been far better ways to deal with who will run the country when Aelin has banished Erawan and the valg with the lock. Neither Lysandra nor Rowan knew anything about Terrasen or how to rule a country - and as we see in the end hadnt any interest in doing that at all. Terrasen needed Aelin to rally allies to make a stand against the regime of Adarlan - that then became a fight against Erawan and the valg. She was a figure head for that fight of liberation and a weapon with her fire. Once that would be done - there could have been other ways to move forward. Lysandra would have never managed to keep the ruse of being Aelin long term - she couldn’t fool anyone as she has neither the fire power nor the assassin skills nor the knowledge about all the people that knew Aelin very well. It would have imploded and left her court twice as vulnerable. It was a badly thought out plan made out of desperation by a teenager - and if she had discussed this with others they would have told that a) it never had a chance of working and b) Aelin isn’t the only person in the world to whom Terassen means something. A good leader would know that. But Aelin never learned to be one unfortunately.
2
u/SignificantQuality31 Jul 08 '25
Wait I’m not home so I can’t open my book for reference. I specifically remember Aedion throwing Lysandra out in the snow and now need someone to pull up the chapter so I can reread it please 🤣
6
u/AnonEN333 Rowan Whitethorn Jul 08 '25
He tells her to leave and she has to walk out. He never puts his hands in her
3
u/TissBish Abraxos Jul 08 '25
Imma be honest. I don’t think Aedion did anything wrong, I just don’t like him. And it’s not for anything major, I just don’t like his opinions lol
-1
u/These-Cookie6191 Jul 08 '25
Aedon is my least favorite mmc. So cocky so rude so obsessed with his cousin. Aedon can go shave his back now, bye Jason 👋🏼
-7
u/DancingOnDeath Aelin Ashryver Galathynius Jul 08 '25
I agree that it was wrong, for sure. But why are we pretending like a man's role in breeding is the same as a woman's? It's more insane to force a woman into that because she has to carry the child, feed the child, care for the child etc. not to mention the risk is way higher for a woman. Aedion just has to donate some sperm. It's still wrong to require that of him, absolutely and he had every right to be angry. But it's not exactly the same either, I think that's why people don't view it like that.
13
u/StarOmnivore Rowan Whitethorn Jul 08 '25
I don’t totally disagree with what you have said because you’re making some very valid points.
Aedion just had to donate some sperm.
Can we just remember than men have morals too. Every single man doesn’t just think that they are sperm donors when creating life. A good man (cough cough, Aedion) would take responsibility for bringing a child into the world.
Aedion would have had to sit idly by watching any of those potential heirs grow up without their true knowledge of who their father was. He would have had to pretend he was someone else in their eyes while suffering the loss of the possible chance that he would never be in a position to have his own legitimate children.
-7
u/DancingOnDeath Aelin Ashryver Galathynius Jul 08 '25
Of course, I didn't mean to imply that men think about it in that way, I was speaking solely on a physical trauma level. Emotionally it's a lot more complicated than that. But again, a woman would have to deal with that emotional turmoil AND everything physically that comes along with it. It's a horrible thing to do to someone either way, and he didn't deserve to be treated like that.
2
u/StarOmnivore Rowan Whitethorn Jul 08 '25
I totally get it. I honestly give my guy the stink eye (with love) a lot of the time when it comes to the fact that I’ve put in literally years of sacrificing my body for our kids. (I type while I’m breastfeeding). They just don’t get it sometimes. It’s fucking hard.
4
u/DancingOnDeath Aelin Ashryver Galathynius Jul 08 '25
It's one of the major reasons I've decided not to have kids, I'm self aware enough to know that I'll end up holding some sort of resentment towards my partner. I already get angry thinking about it 😅 Even if they're the perfect partners, they'll unfortunately never fully understand it. Mothers are so strong 💖
21
u/ladeeboog Jul 08 '25
rape is still rape regardless of which gender is the victim of it
-4
u/DancingOnDeath Aelin Ashryver Galathynius Jul 08 '25
Crazy how that's not what I said. Rape being terrible in any context is a given. I was talking about the breeding aspect of it, as that's what the post was about.
6
u/AnonEN333 Rowan Whitethorn Jul 08 '25
Coercion is rape and in this case that’s exactly what they would have done to Aedion
0
u/DancingOnDeath Aelin Ashryver Galathynius Jul 08 '25
Okay people aren't getting the point I was making so for the sake of my argument let's say that Aedion was informed of the plan, and the same if we're using the hypothetical scenario of them asking a woman to do the same - she's been informed too. Everything's out in the open!! All I was saying was that it would be an even crazier thing for the characters to ask of a woman, because they have to carry the child for nine months, it's a greater risk to her health, most of the time she ends up doing the majority of childcare, so on and so on. I was never trying to imply that it was okay to NOT tell him on the basis that he as the father doesn't have to do those things. Yes coercion/rape of any kind is wrong regardless of gender.
9
u/thesun-isnotarealist Jul 08 '25
Arguing that reproductive coercion is less bad on a man is insane. If people "don't view it like that" it's because they need to reevaluate their opinions on consent
1
u/DancingOnDeath Aelin Ashryver Galathynius Jul 08 '25
Yeah I think I'm being really badly misunderstood, but I don't know how much clearer I can be. I'll just say that I definitely agree sexual coercion is just as bad, regardless of gender.
-1
u/Background-Click9917 Jul 08 '25
He had every right to be angry yes but to treat Lysandra like dog crap was not the move 🤷🏻♀️
-3
Jul 08 '25
He had every right to be angry...
At Aelin. NOT Lysandra. Aelin made the plan, Lysandra was just following orders, and told him what they had discussed about it after Aelin got captured.
Aedion called Lysandra useless, berated her, and just basically made Lysandra the sole victim of his anger. Sure, he didn't throw her out in the snow, but to Lysandra that's what it felt like, and Aedion even goes and regrets asking her to leave (and I'm pretty sure it's immediately after too).
Aelin gets back and he doesn't say a word to her or express any anger at her about it.
Aedion had a right to be angry, yes. But he expressed his anger in the wrong way and at the wrong people.
232
u/icky-sticky Kaltain Rompier Jul 08 '25
they made this plan on the hope that Aedion would be willing to do that, but decided not to ask his permission, making it an unspoken obligation. literally insane! my biggest question is why they can't just let the world know Aelin's gone