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How I had cowered and raged and wept. How I had vomited, and screamed, and clawed at the mirror. Slammed my fists into it. And then curled up, trembling at every horrific and cruel and selfish thing I'd beheld within that monster— within me. But I had kept watching. I did not turn from it.
As the united Prythian army prepares for battle with the massive army of Hybern, Feyre has a brief conversation with Rhysand in Chapter 69. During their conversation, she acknowledges that she was able to enlist the help of the Carver, but she declines to tell him about her experience confronting the Ouroboros, a magical mirror. Staring into the mirror, she saw an image of a horrifying, clawed monster. The monster, she learns, is Feyre herself. Feyre reacts with horror to her reflection, privately recalling that she “vomited, and screamed, and clawed” at the mirror, reflecting her deep feelings of shame and self-loathing. Nevertheless, unlike those who have previously attempted to approach the mirror, she does not turn away from her reflection. By confronting her reflection in the mirror, despite its monstrous appearance, Feyre shows the bravery necessary for self-acceptance. Ultimately, she comes to terms with what she sees in the mirror, noting that there is great strength behind its rage. This experience marks an essential step in Feyre’s journey towards accepting herself.
Nephelle, who had been passed over ... She outraced death itself. There was not a foot of room between her and the water on either side of her when she shot up from the seafloor; not half of that rising up at her feet. And yet her too-small wingspan, that deformed wing ... they did not fail her.
In Chapter 29, when Feyre becomes frustrated after hitting a stumbling block in her attempts to learn how to fly, Azriel attempts to motivate and encourage her. He tells her a story that Rhysand once told him when Azriel himself was first learning to fly. Centuries ago, a faerie named Nephelle was barred from entering the army due to her small and poorly-formed wings. When Miryam and Drakon evacuated their people to the island of Cretea, however, Nephelle was able to rescue Miryam, carrying her through columns of water despite her “too-small wingspan.” For Azriel, Nephelle’s story proves that what an individual perceives as their greatest weakness can be a source of great strength, and he attempts to live by this philosophy of self-acceptance. Taking his message to heart, Feyre accepts that she has little natural instinct for flying and continues to make progress in her practice. Later on, when she rescues Elain from the Hybern camp, she is able to fly at a crucial moment, further attesting to Azriel’s philosophy.
I've known, since I was little more than a child, that I prefer females. That I'm ... attracted to them more over males. That I connect with them, care for them more on that soul-deep level. But at the Hewn City ... All they care about is breeding their bloodlines, making alliances through marriage.
In Chapter 66, Feyre and Mor have an honest conversation in the Prythian army camp shortly after the conclusion of their second battle with Hybern. Hoping to ease the tensions between them, they speak honestly with one another, and Mor confesses to Feyre that she is primarily attracted to females, rather than males. Feyre is surprised, as Mor has had casual sex with many male faeries. Mor explains that she has long known of her own preference but has attempted to conceal this aspect of herself from others. During her upbringing in the Hewn City, her family regarded her as little more than a means to extend their bloodline and, through marriage, serve as a political bargaining chip. She feels that her family could never accept her true identity, and she in turn struggles to do so. This confession marks a major step in Mor’s journey towards self-acceptance. She has spent many years in unfulfilling flings with male faeries in order to hide her identity and spare the feelings of Azriel, who loves her. Mor’s storyline in the novel suggests that shame and deception can prevent an individual from pursuing their true goals and desires.
