Eris Vanserra

Eris Vanserra
by morgana0anagrom
General Information
Full name	Eris Vanserra
Title(s)	General of the Autumn Court's forces
Age	500+
Species	High Fae
Powers	Fire Manipulation Winnowing
Home	Autumn Court The Forest House
Status	Alive
Physical description
Gender	Male
Eye Color	Amber
Hair Color	Red
Relationships
Family	Beron Vanserra (father) Lady of the Autumn Court (mother) 3 Unnamed Brothers 2 Unnamed Brothers † Lucien Vanserra (half-brother) 2 Unnamed Aunts †
Romances	Morrigan (former betrothed)
Series Information
Appearances	A Court of Thorns and Roses (first appearance) A Court of Mist and Fury (mentioned) A Court of Wings and Ruin A Court of Frost and Starlight A Court of Silver Flames
IMAGE GALLERY

Eris Vanserra is the eldest son of Beron Vanserra, the High Lord of the Autumn Court, and the General of the Autumn Court's forces.

History

Keir, in an attempt to woo the Autumn Court into an alliance, offered his daughter Morrigan's hand in marriage to Beron's eldest son, Eris. Morrigan decided to escape Autumn to lose her virginity before the wedding night with a bastard-born Illyrian named Cassian, so that she would not have to marry Eris. When Eris hears of this, he publicly refuses to marry her, claiming that she had been "sullied by a bastard-born lesser faerie," thus ruining Keir and Beron's fragile alliance.

In response, Morrigan's family (father, Keir) left her on the Autumn Court border stripped naked, having been tortured by them, with a note nailed to her womb that announced that she was Eris' problem. Eris, however, while out with guards, saw her and demanded them not to touch her, knowing that she would be stuck in Autumn, in a life she would never want and already did not choose, if they did touch her, according to Autumn laws. They listened, albeit hesitantly, and he left her there in the woods, where she was later found by Azriel and taken to Velaris to live with the Inner Circle.

A Court of Wings and Ruin

Eris and his brothers happen upon Lucien Vanserra and Feyre Archeron, who had just fled from the Spring Court and were traveling to the Night Court on foot until they regained their magic. Eris captures Feyre and places a gag and binds of fire on her, but Feyre notes that he isnt trying very hard, stating "I knew that these binds would burn--if Eris willed it." Feyre still evades him and kicks him in the balls. By then, Feyre and Lucien had managed to make it to the Winter Court borders and are then rescued by Azriel and Cassian. Eris and his brothers are overwhelmed and bested by the Illyrian warriors, but Feyre, however, decides to spare them. The Autumn Court sons flee back to their homeland relatively unscathed.

Later on, Eris allies himself with the Night Court, however slightly. Hungry for power and his father's throne, he strikes a deal with Rhysand. In exchange for his help in seducing Keir into an alliance with Rhysand against Hybern, Eris was guaranteed Rhysand's support should he decide to overthrow his father and claim his father's throne. During the course of the novel, Beron's support of the resistance toward Hybern fluctuates, and it is considered by the Night Court to kill Beron and crown Eris, earning a more steadfast ally. During the High Lord's Meeting, a Dawn Court alchemist named Nuan (a friend of Luciens who made him mechanical eye), is revealed to have created an antidote to faebane. Everyone agrees to use it during the war, including Eris. Beron gets angry at this and tell him that he will not use the antidote, Eris brushes him off and seems to be interested in it. Ultimately, Beron is forced to support Rhysand and aid the Night Court and their allies in the final battle against Hybern in the Mortal Lands, due to Tamlin dragging him out by his neck and forcing him to fight with them, gaining the Courts another army to help fight the battle, as well as a makeshift one that Tamlin gathered after his army was killed in the insurrection in the Spring Court that took place due to Feyre.

Eris also stated to Rhysand and Feyre that he refused to participate in the torture and death of Jesminda, Lucien's lesser Fae lover, that "it was the one thing I have ever denied my father." He says that when he refused, he was locked up and tortured and once he was finally released, he realized his father also planned on killing Lucien. Therefore, Eris chose to save Lucien's life by alerting Tamlin to his upcoming presence near the Spring Court border as he fled from three of their other brothers, on command of Beron to slaughter him. When Lucien reaches the border, Tamlin and Lucien kill two of the three brothers that try to attack and kill Lucien, as they had officially stepped over the border to Spring and were considered an unwanted threat that could be dealt with as Tamlin saw fit. The third brother runs home unscathed. Lucien defected to the Spring Court and is hailed emissary.

Eris later lets it be known that he had actually ended his engagement with Morrigan because he knew she did not desire the union between them, not because he was disgusted at her union with Cassian, but he had to make a public show in front of Beron and his brothers, most likely so he wouldn't lose his position of heir. Eris needs to remain heir to change Autumn for the better when Beron finally dies.

A Court of Silver Flames

Eris meets with Cassian several times throughout the novel to let the Night Court know of his father, Beron's plans and alliance with one of the evil queens Hybern made immortal using the Cauldron, named Briallyn, to start a new war. Eris first meets Cassian when he visits the human realm and inquires if Vassa, Jurian, and Lucien know anything about a missing patrol of his men who have vanished. Eris later reveals that he knows they have been taken by the old queen, but wanted to see if the humans knew anything more.

Throughout the novel, Eris meets with Cassian in the Spring Court to keep each other updated with Beron's movements and what the Night Court has planned to stop him. Eris manages to get under Cassian's skin by constantly insulting him about his station and bastardry, which Cassian is more affected by than he cares to be. He also flirts with Nesta Archeron, telling her that when she's done playing with Cassian she should see how real Fae play. After some time meeting, Eris is invited to the Hewn City where he learns of Feyre's pregnancy and is gifted one of Nesta's Made daggers. He is surprised Rhys has left this weapon hidden so long, but gratefully accepts it because of their alliance.

During the celebration in Hewn City, Eris dances with Nesta. He is taken with her, and approaches Rhysand and offers him anything in exchange for her hand in marriage. He knows Rhys is using Nesta as a political pawn, but says he has his own reasons for wishing to wed her that he does not care to share. Eris leaves the celebration after Rhys tells him he will consider his offer and ask Nesta.

Later in the novel, Eris is captured by Briallyn after approaching some of his missing soldiers. He then is influenced by the Crown, and unknowingly sets a trap for Cassian and Azriel when they go to find him. Azriel manages to rescue him while Cassian is captured, and Az flies away with him to the safety of the Night Court.

Eris, recovered from the control of the Crown, meets again with Cassian to explain that he has not revealed their allegiance to Beron. He reveals that he always mixes some truth when he lies under his father's torture, to make it that much more believable, showing a wounded side to him. Eris squirms multiple times, most likely from lashes on his back which still have not healed, alluding to the assumption that faebane must have been used. While discussing this, he tells Cassian not to pity him over his torture by the hands of his father and becomes defensive. He again maintains that Morrigan knows the truth of his actions and tells Cassian that he isn't the person he wants to explain himself to, hinting that there is more to what Mor is telling them.

Appearance

He is described as having red hair, amber eyes, and pale skin. It is implied his hair is long because in A Court of Wings and Ruin, when he met the Inner Circle and Keir in the Hewn city Feyre notes that it was left unbound and describes it as a "silken drape over his well-tailored cobalt jacket."

Personality

Eris is a High Fae and, as the eldest of Beron's sons, he is presumed to be the heir to the Autumn Court.

Eris projects an air of arrogance and entitlement and can be antagonistic and violent at times. However, from the things he says and hints in the text, it seems there are deeper layers to him that reflect compassion, caring, and even true kindness at times. It is implied that his ruthlessness is a by-product of growing up under his father's cruelty, as well as having to constantly contend with his scheming younger brothers to avoid being betrayed and murdered by them in their quest to seize his position as heir. Like Rhysand, Eris appears to play-act to achieve his goals.

Although he has done many bad things in his life, Eris confessed in A Court of Wings and Ruin that he had no part in the execution of Jesminda, Lucien's lover, and that he had even alerted Tamlin to save his brother. Eris admitted that he had ended the engagement with Morrigan long ago because she did not want it. This shows his motives are sometimes benevolent, and that he is rather perceptive. It is a possibility that Eris pretends to be such a cruel, ruthless Fae due to being born into the Autumn Court, and sired by Beron.