Oh, Velaris... it calls us all, right from the first time we get to see it from Feyre's perspective. To many of us here, it is our home away from home. For years it was kept secret from the vast majority of Prythian. But was it perhaps kept from the public eye just a little too long? Let's debate, and take a look at both sides.
One could argue quite convincingly that Velaris was as special as it was because it was a retreat from the rest of the world. Somewhere no one else knew about. In its seclusion it was a haven. You could revel in that- revel in the knowledge that you were in no danger whilst inside its bounds. All the bad things around you couldn't find you while you were there. And that also added to its whimsy, and to how alluring it was. Its seclusion was a part of its magic, and to make it public knowledge could take some of that away.
The truth is that the seclusion of Velaris isn't just a welcome break from the world. There are people within that city- people of prominence included- whose lives would be put directly in danger if the city were to be exposed. There are races, little civilizations, that would be persecuted elsewhere. As nice of a retreat as Velaris is for some of its citizens, it is a necessary safehold for others, and to expose it to the world would be to put all of those people at risk.
Some might argue that Rhysand used this to the favor of his politics, but the reality of the situation is that hiding Velaris and only presenting the Court of Nightmares damages the reputation of the courts as a whole. That, in turn, can do some real damage to the citizens of the courts when they have to go out among other courts. They'll be ostracized, feared, looked down upon. It unwittingly traps them within the city or thereby forces them to face a lot of hardship up to and including physical damage- because we know some of the fae aren't against violence in their prejudice. Is it a great move for Rhysand to seem feared? Yes. But what of every other citizen in his court?
Here's the thing- Velaris' only allure isn't in its seclusion. It's a beautiful, beautiful city that offers a light and life that is incomparable to the rest of Prythian as a whole. Now, we know the gates are open now. People can come experience that now. But don't you think that there were some people- innocent people, less likely to harm the city than Feyre ever was- who could have used the comfort and light Velaris housed? The beauty, and the acceptance? It's a Hidden Gem, sure, but all gems are intended to shine. Velaris could be a force for so much good. Just as evil, wicked things modelled themselves around the Court of Nightmares, good things could take a lesson or two from Velaris. But no one was given that opportunity because Rhysand hid it- which isn't entirely fair to anyone.
I think that there was reason to hide Velaris for a while during Amarantha's reign, if only to preserve the beauty of it and the hope that it embodied. But once that threat was neutralized there really wasn't much of a reason to hide it from the rest of Prythian. In fact, I think a lot of Prythian could have benefitted from it, and an extension of Honest on the part of Rhysand could have done him worlds of good in preparing for a war against Hybern. It might have even solved some of his problems before they started- ie. the Blood Rubies, a lot of the Spring Court fiasco.
But that isn't to say that I don't think that ultimately a lof of us would do as Rhysand did. I think that if any one of us was in the position where we had to safeguard something so precious, we would likely to precisely what Rhys did and determine that it was safest if people didn't know that it existed.
What do you think, though? Was Velaris best kept hidden, or should people have known of its existence sooner?