Hyacinth (Tamlin's Healing Arc)

Chapter Twenty

Cin found herself measuring their days based on the deliveries Tamlin made to the water wraiths.

It took two deliveries before they finally ventured into the Rose Garden.

"Any luck with the fish?" Cin asked, settling onto the stone bench amidst the meticulously shaped roses and taking a swig of water.

"No one seems to know anything. I went to Surfinia and the nameless settlement on the other side of the hills south of the Mansion. They either don't know or have no interest in sharing the information with me. If I don't find any answers in the next four days, I'll set out to acquire fish eggs and repopulate the rivers myself." His voice carried across the courtyard as the sound of a sharp snip echoed through the space.

Cin wasn't surprised by the cold reception from the people or Tamlin's frustration. This investigation had consumed him for the past eight days since he made his promise. He still had ample time to solve the problem, but he wanted an immediate solution. Cin hadn't been able to accompany him on those trips; she was needed in Clematis, tending to Gaol's garden and trading herbs in the Fountain Market.

"What will you do once your funds run out?" she inquired. Though his coffers hadn't made a significant impact, it was something he needed to consider. "Do you have any other means of winning the people over?"

"Well, money was the only way I could think of helping. Without it, there isn't much I can do," Tamlin replied. Cin heard his footsteps on the loose gravel as he walked toward her. "Do you think I should hold another Tithe?"

Cin scoffed, the sound resonating loudly enough to make her mother roll in her grave at the indecency of it.

"What was that for?" Tamlin asked, curious.

Keeping her back turned to him, Cin replied, "The Tithe was a bad idea before, and it would be an even worse idea now. The people could barely feed themselves back then. What do you think they'll be able to offer? The money you just gave them?"

"Well, then what do you suggest I do?" Tamlin paced in front of the bench, waiting for her to turn around. "I don't know what I'm doing, Cin. I'm figuring it out as we go along."

"Listen, the Tithe was never a good idea, and it never will be. You should consider something else. Instead of hosting a Tithe, you could have a designated day, once you've regained your court, where our people can express their gratitude through voluntary contributions."

"That's the purpose of the Tithe," he responded, raising a golden brow.

"No, it's not," Cin shook her head. "The Tithe is a mandatory ten percent of whatever we have as a fee for your protection. Your aim should be to cultivate gratitude for protection. Gratuity is whatever individuals can afford to give, as much as they can, without starving or depriving their families."

"But my father held one every six months, and no one complained," he argued.

"Your father was a tyrant High Lord, Tamlin. Is that what you aspire to become?"

The memory of the last Tithe he held, before the war with Hybern, resurfaced. It was when Feyre, Cauldron-blessed, gave her necklace to a wraith, sparking a heated argument that echoed for all to hear.

It grated on Cin's nerves to hear how Feyre had addressed the High Lord, speaking down to him despite his elevated fae status, as if he were a child incapable of understanding starvation. As if she was incapable of explaining to him that traditions sometimes needed changing, and were amenable when it comes to your own court.

Tamlin was a lot of things but he wasn't stupid.

"Well, before we begin asking—for, not demanding—gratuities for protection, you need to actually protect us," Cin playfully teased, letting out a giggle.