In Response to 'Why I Am Team Chaol, And Why My Ship Will Sink,' by Reviews from a Bookworm

Ok, I came across this posting because I straight up googled, 'Team Chaol', hoping to find out if there was something truly wrong with me, or if others felt the same. I have encountered this with quite a few series and it drives me CRAZY! Even with all my efforts to try and look at things objectively, I can't help but feel that the authors decide they want another ship to work and therefore they start turning the 'Chaols' into some spiteful person that NEVER showed up until the author needed reasons for them to be 86'ed. 

I can't get behind the whole, 'he was right for Celaena but not for Aelin,' concept. Aelin could not be Aelin without having been Celaena; that integral HUGE period of her life is wholly responsible for how she was able to survive, plot, rescue, etc. The development of Celaena and Chaol's relationship was SO REAL. Yes, he was shaken by what she was able to do...but in my opinion, he loved her, and when he saw what she was able to do, he felt pain for her... as if he wished he could take away all of the hardships that forced her into the cutthroat mentality she so often needs to possess. 

HOW ARE WE FORGETTING ABOUT THIS..??

“Two black boots came into view, then a pair of knees as someone crouched on the edge of the ring. “Get up,” Chaol whispered. She couldn’t bring herself to look him in the face. It was over.(...) “Get up,” Chaol said again, louder. She could only stare at the white line of chalk that marked the ring.(...) “Celaena,” Chaol said gently. And then she heard the scraping noise as his hand came into view, sliding across the flagstones. His fingertips stopped just at the edge of the white line. “Celaena,” he breathed, his voice laced with pain—and hope. This was all she had left—his outstretched hand, and the promise of hope, of something better waiting on the other side of that line. Moving her arm made sparks dance before her eyes, but she extended it until her fingertips reached the line of chalk, and stayed there, not a quarter of an inch from Chaol, the thick white mark separating them. She lifted her eyes to his face, and found his gaze lined with silver. “Get up,” was all he said. And in that moment, somehow his face was the only thing that mattered. She stirred, and couldn’t stop her sob as her body erupted with pain that made her lie still again. But she kept her focus on his brown eyes, on his tightly pressed lips as they parted and whispered, “Get up.”

That is one of the first moments we see Celaena hit the bottom, and Chaol’s is the face that is the promise of hope for her. The promise that there is ‘something better waiting on the other side of that line.’  Of course, one could argue that there are always relationships in our lives that are integral to our development, even when they don’t work out. But typically, these are the relationships that teach us something about ourselves in the midst of the hardships we face while in them. (Typically.) In the middle of the ring, where the essence of Celaena is full out there, Chaol is the one who brings CELAENA back to life. He understands the necessity of what she had to become, and urges her to FIGHT, to not give up. 

I think its BS… this whole, ‘he serves the king’, idea. He was born into his life, just as ‘Aelin’ was born into hers. He no more supports the king than Dorian does, he just does his job. He even admits to not understanding the decisions the king had made, to being raised to believe that what they were doing was for good. Just as Celaena grows into Aelin, Chaol develops and grows into a person who begins to ask questions, and instantly he begins to make decisions that put his life in danger. As soon as the truth becomes apparent to Chaol, he stops ‘serving the king,’ even while he still holds his position. And I’M SORRY but Celaena is still the kings friggin champion the whole time too! 

Are we also forgetting that Chaol sacrificed what he LOVED for her. Rowan is wonderful, don’t get me wrong, LOVE HIM… but swearing a blood oath to her was like the best news ever for him. He would’ve done anything to escape Mave. 

Chaol not only gave up being with her, KNOWING there was a solid chance he could lose her if he sent her away, but he risked and sacrificed his position at the castle. Letting her go, he singlehandedly set into motion the chance for her to become Aelin... and letting her go, to keep her safe.. I mean.. that is LOVE.

The whole Nehemiah thing was so over the top ridiculous. He didn’t WARN her?? They’d been aware from the START that there were rumors of her supporting the rebels. With everything going on, I’m sure he assumed had he mentioned to Celaena, it would’ve done more harm than good. What the heck would’ve happened differently? It happened in the middle of the night. Celaena would’ve been asleep in her room. It just doesn’t make ANY sense that she loses her nut over the whole thing… and at him. I get why she would take it out on him initially, but she should’ve directed her anger elsewhere. And when she realizes Nehemiah constructed the whole thing… even making sure SHE WASN’T IN THE CASTLE. Like… does she really believe that had Chaol warned her, things would’ve been any different? Nehemiah was a mastermind. And 86’ing Chaol does a dishonor to her sacrifice. 

After that moment, it seems as if Chaol continuously gets blamed for EV-UH-REE-THING. It breaks my heart. That guy sacrifices everything and continues to get the short end of the stick. Then, when she comes back and he starts calling ‘Aelin’ a liar and all this… ugh, come on. She does turn into a selfish brat, and who can blame the guy for feeling like she is stamped all over his existence and has now STOMPED all over his existence. 

If Aelin wanted to leave Celaena behind, then why is it so weird for her to accept that Chaol wanted the same thing for her? Not to deny or forget who she was or what she’d been through, but to be able to feel again, to be able to have life behind her eyes… the kind that was there when she was with him. 

I think the most telling scene between the two of them is the waltzing. Good GODDD I nearly fell into pieces. I immediately youtubed waltz music and let it play in the background while I finished the chapter. GODDD this part is so absolutely EVERYTHING. Theres no need to even write about the symbology that occurs there… anyone who cares enough to post here / read these comments already understands. Over and over again Chaol toughens her up for the fighting she must do in the present, and over and over again he allows her these moments, to be her free and complete self. Just… ugh. (I don’t even want to get into the kiss that ‘obliterated her.’ I think I’ll be obliterated all over again if I dwell on it. But, let’s just melt for a bit about how Chaol kicks the door closed behind him when they go into her room…. omgggg the sexiness).

If anything, Maas makes a point in Heir of Fire that Aelin doesn’t want to depend on Rowan completely, or be able to not survive without his presence. I don’t think she ever gets there. Yet, with Chaol, she seemed to be able to discover, grow, question, and find herself back in his arms when she needed him there. Not for one minute would I argue that Rowan is not IMPERATIVE in Aelin’s acceptance of herself and the power she possesses. But all the more reason to make her feel as if she could finally return and truly give Chaol what he deserved, the whole her. Relationships are meant to help two people grow and develop together…I could be wrong about this.. but I wish Maas would’ve at least spent a bit more time on how Aelin helps Rowan develop as a person… it really isn’t obvious much past being able to let go of his long lost mate. 

And lest we forget this confusing, amazing part at the end of QoS… when Chaol asks to ‘see it’. When the flames ignite in her open hands, and he simply says, ‘beautiful.’ 

But lets go ahead and let him sacrifice himself entirely for her and Dorian… oh wait, that’s FAR too attractive and noble… so let’s cripple him. WHAT! Like… WHAT. And I’m sorry, but it feels painfully obvious to me that it is not truly in Chaol’s heart to move on and start a life with Miss 'Straight Shooter.'

But alas, I feel as if this ship has indeed gone down. What reason can Maas give us for Aelin to leave Rowan? He dies? And then what? Straight Shooter dies? And THEN Chaol can be with Aelin? I mean, if thats how it ended, (sad as I would be to lose Rowan's character), I would do a backwards somersault and just lay face down in the carpet with a permanent smile until my nose started to itch. 

It’s wishful thinking.