A court of mist and fury rhysand and feyre

*This post may contain affiliate links, meaning we earn a small commission if you make a purchase through links on our site. This is at no additional cost to you.

If you’ve read the ACOTAR series, you’re probably all about the High Lord of the Night Court and his High Lady.

Because I adore this book couple, I thought it’d be fun to do a super in-depth look at one of my all-time favorite couples from the ACOTAR series.

If you’re anything like me, Rhysand and Feyre have one of the best relationship arcs throughout any of the books!

This post will spoil events in A Court of Thorns and Roses, A Court of Mist and Fury, and A Court of Wings and Ruin, so if you’re still reading through the series, just be aware of that.

Without further ado, let’s jump into some of my favorite Rhysand and Feyre moments!

Who Is Rhysand?

Rhysand is the High Lord of the Night Court and is first introduced in the ACOTAR series during A Court of Thorns and Roses. Rhys is introduced as a villainous character but turns out to be SO much more in the following books.

Rhys is known as “Amarantha’s whore” by the other courts of Prythian, and is believed to be working for Amarantha and Hybern.

We learn in A Court of Mist and Fury that everything Rhys did was to protect his true city and court, Velaris. Rhysand pretends to be the villain and cutthroat to protect his people who have been kept secret for centuries.

We also know that Rhysand is the most powerful high fae. His powers include powers overnight/darkness (he IS the High Lord of the Night Court after all), shifting (he can grow wings for a flight like his Illyrian comrades), as well as being a Daemati.

He is a very powerful Daemati and is able to look into people’s minds, change their memories, and even “mist” them, which basically just means shredding them apart into mist.

As the book series progress we see Rhys drop his swaggering bad boy facade and show his true self-sacrificial and sincere side as he grows closer to our leading lady, Feyre (who is his Mate)!

Who Is Feyre?

Feyre Archeron is from the human realm and was first brought to Prythian by Tamlin after killing a fae warrior.

She fell in love with the High Lord of the Spring Court in A Court of Thorns and Roses, and though falling in love with him is able to break the curse Amarantha placed over Prythian.

After the events Under the Mountain, Feyre is killed by Amarantha. Each of the High Lords gives her one drop of their own power and are able to bring her back to life; however, she is no longer human and is now High Fae.

While she is Under the Mountain, she strikes a bargain with Rhysand and has to spend one week with him every month. At the start of A Court of Wings and Ruin, we see that Feyre is very traumatized and that Tamlin is, in fact, a turd.

During the time she spends with Rhys in the Night Court, she slowly begins to heal which eventually leads to her leaving Tamlin and joining the Night Court. Feyre is not only High Fae now but has also been gifted power from each of the courts.

With the drops they gave her to bring her back to life, she took from them a kernel of their own power. Because of this, she possesses the powers of each court.

As she and Rhys fall in love and seal the mating bond, he makes her High Lady of the Night Court, the first High Lady in Prythain (Rhysand is a woke feminist king 😉).

Feyre is an actual lady boss in the court, both on the battlefield and off. She kills a bunch of Hybrun’s army and gets revenge on her ex-love! 

But let’s be so real…we’re all here for the romance anyways, so let’s dive in! 

When Do Rhysand And Feyre First Meet?

Rhysand’s first appearance in A Court of Thorns and Roses is in chapter 20.

Feyre leaves Tamlin’s home during the Rite after being instructed to stay home and stay inside. She finds herself in a precarious situation with a group of Fae males; however, a stranger steps in and pretends to know her.

“‘Thank you for finding her for me,’ my savior said to them, smooth and polished. ‘Enjoy the Rite.’ There was enough bite beneath his last words that the faeries stiffened.”

“Without further comment, they scuttled back to the bonfires. I stepped out of the shelter of my savior’s arm and turned to thank him. Standing before me was the most beautiful man I’d ever seen.”

~SWOON~

At the time, we do not know who this tall, dark, handsome savior is, but we later find out that it is The High Lord of the Night Court himself in chapter 26 when he crashes the Spring Court.

Here, he comes to threaten the Spring Court on behalf of Amarantha. Tamlin and Lucien try to hide Feyre with a glamor. However, Rhys, being the magic being that he is, is able to see Feyre through it.

He uses his Daemati powers to go into Feyre’s mind and forces Tamlin to beg on his knees to set her free.

He is really playing the part of baddie here, but in chapter 54 of A Court of Wings and Ruin, Rhys tells Feyre what this moment was like for him, and it is a whole different side of the story.

His true intentions are to scare her back to the human realm so she can be safe. 

“And I decided that I had to scare Tamlin. I had to scare you, and Lucien, but mostly Tamlin. Because I saw how he looked at you, too.’”

Honestly, all of chapter 54 is SO good; very Midnight Sun getting to read all of Rhys POV from Under the Mountain and the events of the first book.  

Rhysand And Feyre Under The Mountain

Once Feyre returns to Prythian from the human realm to save Tamlin *gags*, she is brought before Amarantha Under the Mountain. This is where the you-know-what really hits the fan.

Feyre fights a big worm, her inability to read almost gets her killed, and she drinks a LOT of Faerie wine. I have some uhhh opinions on this whole section of the book (as well as the entire ACOTAR series), which I do get into in a different post! 

Rhys and Feyre’s friendship (if you can call it that) is greatly developed Under the Mountain. Feyre finds out that Rhys said her name was Clare (the name Feyre lied to Rhys about being her own) and that she was murdered by Amarantha.

We later find out that Rhys knew that this was not Feyre and that he gave the fake name to save her. After Feyre’s first task, she is greatly injured and Rhy strikes a bargain with her. 

The bargain is that Feyre will spend one week a month with the Night Court in exchange for Rhy healing her injuries in chapter 37 of A Court of Thorns and Roses.

“‘What have you done to me?’ Rhysand stood, running a hand through his short, dark hair. ‘It’s custom in my court for bargains to be permanently marked upon flesh.’”

“I rubbed my left forearm and hand, the entirety of which was now covered in swirls and whorls of black. Even my fingers weren’t spared, and a large eye was tattooed in the center of my palm. It was feline, and its slitted pupil stared right back at me.”

Through this tattoo, they are able to communicate. Because they can speak telepathically, Rhys helps Feyre complete her second task when she cannot read the riddle due to her never having learned how to read.

In chapter 40, after Rhys helps Feyre win, he also speaks to her through the bond for the first time. 

“Don’t let her see you cry. Put your hands at your side and stand up.”

In the same chapter, Rhys visits Feyre in her cell. This is one of my personal favorite early Rhysand and Feyre moments.

He knows that she needs to be comforted and distracted, and he knows just how to go about it.

What can I say, I’m just a Rhys fan girl at this poin!! The banter in this chapter is TOP tier, and when he licks her tears away I’m just like :0 

“The walls weren’t moving, and the room was open-gaping. No colors, but shades of darkness, of night. Only those star-flecked violet eyes were bright, full of color and light. He gave me a lazy smile before he leaned forward. 

I pulled away, but his hands were like shackles. I could do nothing as his mouth met with my cheek, and he licked away a tear.” 

Hehehehehehehehe

The chapter ends with Feyre saying…

“It took me a long while to realize that Rhysand, whether he knew it or not, had effectively kept me from shattering completely.” 

Couple goals!

Rhysand And Feyre’s First Kiss

This can be a pit of a two-parter. Their first kiss is technically in A Court of Thorns and Roses when Rhys catches Feyre and Tamlin having a sneaky hallway hookup and warns them against Amarantha seeing them.

Rhys kisses Feyre to cover up for Tamlin but it is not exactly the most romantic of first kisses (but don’t you worry that comes later ;)).

Chapter 42 of A Court of Thorns and Roses

“But before he could go on, his head snapped to the door, then back to my face. The wings vanished as quickly as they had appeared, and then his lips were crushing into mine. His tongue pried my mouth open, forcing himself into me, into the space where I could still taste Tamlin.”

Then big yikes: both Amarantha and Tamlin walk in!!!

Later in that same chapter, we get the first real glimpse of Rhysand’s character when he comes to Feyre’s cell to confide in her before her last trial.

Feyre’s Death

At the end of the third trial, Amarantha kills Feyre, but not before Rhys tries to kill Amarantha. Once Rhys goes for Amarantha his betrayal of her is revealed and this is the first glimpse the reader gets about his caring for Feyre.

Once Amarantha has been killed by Tamlin and the curse broken, Rhysand (along with the other High Lords) all give Feyre a kernel of their own power and bring her back to life as a High Fae. 

Their bargain is still intact, which sets us up for the second ACOTAR book (and my personal favorite part of their romance to begin). 

In ACOMAF, we get enemies to lovers, we get close proximity, and we get soul mates. So many of my favorite troupes!

Rhysand Crashes Feyre’s Wedding 

Feyre is a HOT mess after the events from Under the Mountain. I mean, she did murder some innocent people, so there is that. Tamlin begins to really hunker down as a misogynistic alpha male, and Feyre is stuck and struggling.

On their wedding day, Feyre cries out in her mind for someone to save her and this is the very moment Rhys decides to act on their bargain from the previous novel. 

“I whirled, and through the night drifting away like smoke on a wind, I found Rhysand straightening the lapels of his black jacket. 

“Hello, Feyre darling,” he purred.”

I cannot!!

The “Will-They-Won’t-They” 

A Court of Mist and Fury is a beautiful slow burn as Rhys and Feyre go from enemies-to-friends to lovers-to-mates. When Feyre spends her time in the Night Court, Rhys both teaches Feyre to read and to use her powers, like her mental shields.

Rhys gives Feyre everything that Tamlin could not and would not give her, the most important of which is choices.

The final time Feyre leaves Tamlin and the Spring Court is in chapter 12 of A Court of Mist and Fury, when Tamlin uses magic to trap Feyre in the house and Mor rescues her. 

“‘You’re free,’ Mor said tightly. ‘You’re free.’ Not safe. Not protected. Free.”

At this point, Feyre joins the Night Court and her friendship begins with Rhys and his family.

Here are some of my favorite highlights from this section of the story!

Rhysand Shows Feyre Velaris

Feyre seeing Velaris for the first time is an important milestone in Rhy and Feyres relationship. With her being filled in on the well hidden secret of the Night Court, she gets to see the real Rhysand and his city.

Before Rhys shows Feyre the city, she also swears her allegiance to the Night Court and further cuts ties with the Spring Court and Tamlin. 

Chapter 13 of A Court of Mist and Fury 

“Rhys’s smile widened into a grin. ‘To Velaris—the City of Star Light.’”

As soon as Feyre joins the Night Court (and begins to live in the town house in Velaris), she begins to heal both physically and emotionally from her trauma Under the Mountain.

Rhys is also struggling in this same sense, and they slowly begin to confide in one another. From there, their friendship begins to develop!

Feyre Steals From The Weaver

Rhys sends Feyre on a task to retrieve a ring (we later find out it is her wedding ring) from The Weaver’s cottage.

Rhys sends Feyre to retrieve this object to test if her powers are able to track a magical item. This all so he can see if she will be able to retrieve The Book of Breathing from the Summer Court.

“‘So I am your huntress and thief?’ His hands slid down to cup the back of my knees as he said with a roguish grin, ‘You are my salvation, Feyre.’”

The Night Court Visits The Summer Court

Rhys, Feyre, and Amren travel to the Summer Court to steal The Book of Breathing under the ruse of creating an alliance with Tarquin, the High Lord of the Summer Court.

Here is when we first see Feyre become jealous and start to admit her feelings for Rhys. 

“I didn’t realize I’d been waiting for him until the barge docked at the at the base of the island-city, and I’d somehow spend the entire final hour alone…Rhysand and Cresseida were nowhere to be seen.”

In chapter 34, both Rhys and Feyre express their mutual jealousy.

“‘What got under my skin,’ Rhys said, his breathing a bit uneven, ‘is that you smiled at him.’ The rest of the world faded to a mist as the words sank in. ‘You are jealous.’” 

Also THE BEST RHYS AND FEYRE QUOTE OF ALL TIME can be found in this chapter as well:

“To the stars who listen—and the dreams that are answered.”

AAAAAHHHHHH!!!!

Rhysand’s Nightmare (Chapter 38 of A Court of Mist and Fury)

“Rhys still knelt, wings drooping across the white sheets, head bowed, his tattoos stark against his golden skin. A dark, fallen prince. The painting flashed into my mind. Flashed—and stayed there, glimmering, before it faded.

But it remained, shining fairly, in that hole inside my chest. The hole that was slowly starting to heal over.”

From here things start to get saucy!

We first see Rhysand and Feyre heat up when they visit The Court of Nightmare for the first time.

Here, Rhys and Feyre both play their parts: Rhys as the evil swaggering Lord of Court of Nightmares and Feyre as his little play thing.

Their purpose is to distract Keir while Azriel steals the orb

Chapter 42 of A Court of Mist and Fury

“‘You and I put on a good show,’ I said back. The person who said that, husky and sultry—I’d never heard that voice come out of me before. Even in my mind. His hand slid to my upper thigh, fingers curling in.”

AND I’m just gonna leave you hanging there. Go check out chapter 42 for yourself!

Starfall 

Starfall is one of the cutest Rhys and Feyre moments in my opinion. In Chapter 44, we see the court of dreamers celebrate the Valeris holiday, and Rhysand and Feyre go to the roof alone. I have three favorite moments in this chapter. 

“Smile again,” he whispered. I hadn’t smiled for him. Ever. Or laughed. Under the Mountain, I had never grinned, never chuckled. And afterward…”

“So I smiled at him, broad and without restraint. ‘You’re exquisite‘, he breathed.”

I mean come on! They are just so cute. At this point in the book, I’m just ready for them to be together already. 

Rhys then tells Feyre he wishes he could take back their first kiss Under the Mountain. 

“Because I didn’t make it pleasant for you, and I was jealous and pissed off, and I knew you hated me.”

“Rhys looked up, meeting my gaze. And whatever was on my face—I think it might have been mirrored on his: the hunger and longing and surprise.” 

The chapter ends with Rhys and Feyre going to join the dance, and me swooning.

“I am…very glad I met you, Feyre.”

Rhysand And Feyre’s First Hook Up! 

This is where Rhys and Feyre once again truly blunder the communication. They are staying in an Inn near the Illyrian war camps in the mountains, and let’s just say they get a little handsy as they cuddle up to keep warm.

However Feyre gives the whole “I want distraction” speech which leaves Rhys sad but also down to get down if you know what I mean… 

Chapter 48 of A Court of Mist and Fury

“‘What is it you want, Feyre?‘ He nipped at my earlobe.“

“I knew what he wanted me to say. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of it. Not yet. So I said, ‘I want a distraction.’ It was breathless. ‘I want—fun.’ His body again tensed behind mine.”

Poor Rhys 🙁 

Feyre Finds Out Rhysand Is Her Mate

Rhysand is taken by Hybern soldiers and is injured.

Feyre tries to trap Suriel once again to get information about how to help heal Rhys. The Suriel lets a little information slip and refers to Rhys as Feyres “mate”. 

Chapter 50 of A Court of Mist and Fury

“The Suriel’s stained teeth clacked against each other. ‘If you wish to speed your mate’s healing, in addition to your blood, a pink-flowered weed sprouts by the river. Make him chew it.’“

“MATE“!!!

“‘Say it,’ I gritted out. ‘The High Lord of the Night Court is your mate.‘”

“Rhysand was my mate.”

Once Feyre finds out that not only Rhys is her mate but that he knew, she is PISSED. Which I don’t personally understand, he was just being a gentlemale and gave her the spaced she needed, amirite?! 

As soon as she returns to Rhys, she takes the Suriel’s advice to heal Rhys and then rips him a new one about not telling her the truth.

“I suspected for a while,” Rhys said, swallowing once more. “I knew for certain when Amarantha was killing you. And when we stood on the balcony Under the Mountain—right after we were freed, I felt it snap into place between us.” 

Feyre makes Rhys winnow her back to the Illyrian camp, and then has Mor take her somewhere where she can be alone.

Feyre spends several days alone in the cabin in the mountains. Eventually she comes to terms with her feelings for Rhys before he comes to visit her. 

Chapter 54 of A Court of Mist and Fury

Rhys comes to the cabin and bares his soul to Feyre. He reveals to her his POV from their time Under the Mountain and when she was with Tamlin.

I can’t quote this whole chapter so PLEASE go read chapter 54, because it is total dreamboat Rhys just talking about how much he loves and wants to save Feyre.

“‘I almost told you then, but…You were so sad. And tired. And for once, you look at me like…like I was worth something.’”

“‘I knew…I knew I was in love with you that moment I picked up the knife to kill Amarantha.’”

Okay, now let’s talk chapter 55.

Chapter 55 of A Court of Mist and Fury

First off, we begin with Feyre feeding Rhys. This is not a euphemism; she straight up gives him a bowl of soup. But for the Fae, feeding your mate is apparently a big deal!

From here, Feyre feeds him again….now this time I am using it as a euphemism. Look you filthy animal, go read chapter 55, take a cold shower, and then come back and we shall discuss the rest of Rhysand and Feyre’s relationship!

This chapter is the first time they “sleep” together and there is paint involved, and Feyre for some reason keeps getting a “dry mouth”, and THAT is all I am going to say.

Anyways, now that Rhys and Feyre are mated and happy, of course some chaos must ensue.

They plan to go after the king of Hybern. However, this does not go well, as Tamlin (pos) has teamed up with Hybern and betrayed Feyre. He does believe that she is trapped under Rhys spell, but also he sucks sooo… 

Feyre pretends that the mating bond is severed by the King, but it is in fact just the original bargain/bond they struck Under the Mountain that the King is able to break.

Feyre pretends to be “free” of Rhys’ spell and goes back to the Spring court with Tamlin. And this is where the book just about ends!

Let’s talk about the ending of ACOMAF, the big reveal of both the marriage, the sealing of the mating bond, AND Feyre becoming the High Lady of the Night Court!

The last two chapters of A Court of Mist and Fury are a Rhysand POV, and then we end back in a Feyre POV. In Rhys’s chapter, he reveals that Feyre is now the High Lady of the Night Court. 

Chapter 68 of A Court of Mist and Fury

“‘She is my mate. And she is my spy,’ I said too quietly. ‘And she is the High Lady of the Night Court.‘”

“‘Not consort, not wife. Feyre is High Lady of the Night Court.’ My equal in every way; she would wear my crown, sit on a throne beside mine. Never sidelined, never designated to breeding and parties and child-rearing. My Queen” 

Rhys is my feminist icon!

Also, what a way to end a book! SJM leaves us needing more!

Do Rhysand And Feyre Get Married?

Why, yes they do!

Though it is not traditional for Fae to get married (or be husband/wife), Rhysand and Feyre both get married and seal the mating bond. 

A Court of Wings and Ruin

This book has significantly less Rhys and Feyre relationship build up. The previous book in this series, being more romance focused, leaves this final book in the original series as much more plot heavy.

In another post at another time, we can get into the nitty gritty of the Hybern war, but this post is all about the relationship between The High Lord and his High Lady, so no war stuff! 

The third book in the series starts off with Rhys and Feyre separated in different courts. Feyre is playing spy in The Spring Court and is causing a ruckus within Tamlin’s territory.

Rhys and Feyre have some very minor communication between the mating bond during her time in the Spring Court, but she fears that this communication could be detected, so she keeps it to a minimum. 

Feyre and Rhys are not reunited until chapter 14.

“Rhysand leaned against the archway into the sitting room, arms crossed, wings nowhere to be seen, dressed in his usual immaculate black jacket and pants. And those violet eyes met mine, as that familiar half smile faded…” 

Rhys and Feyre then reunite in the way that only two mated/married Fae would… 

The Bone Carver Appears As Feyre And Rhysand’s Child

In chapter 22 Feyre visits The Bone Carver to ask him to join them in the fight. When she gets there, she realizes that the form he is choosing to appear as is the child of her and Rhysand.

“Dark-haired, with eyes of crushed blue. I stared at the child’s face—what I had not noticed that first time. What I had not understood. It was Rhysand’s face. The coloring, the eyes…it was my mate’s face.”

In chapter 40, Feyre tells Rhysand that this is how The Bone Carver appears to her. and she uses her Daemati powers to show them what their son would look like. 

Chapter 69 of A Court of Wings and Ruin

When Rhys and his crew see the destruction to the human realm that the Hybern army has inflicted, they are all feeling pretty downcast. This leads to an inspiring speech, and one of my favorite Rhysand quotes!

“‘And if I had not met my mate…’ His words failed him as silver lined his eyes. He said down the bond, I would have waited five hundred more years for you. A thousand years. And if this was all the time we were allowed to have…The wait was worth it.“

I am really living for all the telekinetic mating bond secret conversations…they’re just so romantic right?!

From this point on in the book, there are really only two more big events that affect Rhys and Feyre’s romantic relationship.

Of course, the whole war (and possible ending of the world as they know it) is a factor in their relationship *trauma bonded*.

However, other than the fact that both characters are facing many different perils, throughout the majority of this book, they are a united front!

Does Rhysand Die In A Court of Wings and Ruin?

Yes! He does die in chapter 76, after sacrificing himself to heal the cracks in the Cauldron and lock it away. However, he comes back to life in the following chapter much like Feyre in A Court of Thorns in Roses after she was killed by Amarantha. 

Each of the High Lords and Feyre (the High Lady of the Night Court) give one drop of their power to bring Rhysand back to life. Surprisingly, Tamlin (the crap bag) also gives a drop of power. 

“Stay with the High Lord.”

The book ends with them literally flying off into the sunset together.

A Court of Frost and Starlight 

If you haven’t read this novella that bridges the gap between the first ACOTAR series and the next, you are honestly not missing out on much in regards to any development between these characters.

I have said it once (and I will say it again), but this book reads a bit like fan fiction of Rhysand and Feyre’s big Christmas celebration (of course, they call it Winter Solstice, but come on it’s basically Christmas).

The majority of this book is following up on post-war rebuilding and the foreshadowing that the Valeris house is too small.

This book sets up some minor details for A Court of Silver Flames, so it is worth the read in that regard. But let’s talk about what goes down between Rhys and Feyre! 

Feyre’s Solstice Gift For Rhysand

Feyre gives Rhysand a self portrait of what she saw in herself when she looked into the Ouroboros mirror in the previous book, as well as telling Rhys that she feels ready for them to have a baby, which leads to some baby making activities… 

Rhysands Solstice Gift For Feyre

Rhys gifts Feyre by showing her the land for a new home for them with “room for a nursery”, and she can decorate it to her heart’s content!

This home in the next book is coined the “River House” (or estate). 

A Court of Silver Flames 

Rhys and Feyre are now side characters and not the main plot of the series. We see very little of the High Lord and Lady in this book and we focus on her sister, Nesta, as well as Cassian.

We do finally learn of Feyre’s pregnancy in chapter 21 when Feyre tells Nesta, Amren, Cassian and Azriel (we also find out that she has already told Elain).

She tells Nesta that the baby will be a boy and that she is the first person she wanted to know after Rhysand. 

Does Feyre Die In A Court of Silver Flames?

Feyre does not die in A Court of Silver Flames. She does come close however while giving birth to her and Rhysands son, Nyx.

Because the fae child was conceived while she was in Illyrian form, the baby has wings, and Feyre does not have a wing birthing womb!

Basically, the whole book they’re afraid that both the baby and Feyre will die in the birth. We also find out that Rhys tied his life to Feyre’s life so if she dies in birth ALL THREE of them will die.

Nesta, however, saves Feyre and Nyx (and I guess Rhys because he is an idiot) by using all three Dread Trove artifacts. She makes a bargain to the Cauldron that she will give back what she took from it if it will spare her sister.

The end result of this is a miraculous new womb for Feyre and the birth of Nyx! 

And that’s where we leave off with the story of Rhysand and Feyre. I cannot wait to see what comes next for them and the rest of the cast of characters in this series!

It will be very exciting to see who the next ACOTAR book will follow. I am definitely here for some more Azriel myself hehe, or even to just go through every Rhysand POV (but that might just be me)! 

Did I include your favorite #Feyrhys quote? If not, drop it in the comments and let’s fan girl together!! 

Do Rhysand and Feyre get together in A Court of Mist and Fury?

Does Feyre fall in love with Rhysand?

Do Feyre and Rhysand end up together?

What book does Rhysand and Feyre marry?