Hyacinth (Tamlin's Healing Arc)

Chapter Thirty Two

Cin had no clothes at the Rose Mansion, except for the dress she had worn the night before.

Staring at the empty armoire and wardrobe, Cin let out a sigh. She realized she should have packed a bag of clothes before her conversation with Bron. On some level, she knew where that conversation would lead. Consequently, Cin decided to wait until midday to retrieve her clothes from home. By then, Bron should have left the house.

She figured that if he showed up for the birthday ball, they would have the opportunity to discuss their views. And if he didn't, she would give him a week to cool off before approaching him. Either way, she was determined to live in the Mansion, and Bron would have to come around, even if it took weeks.

Amidst her sobbing and subsequent morning bath, Cin understood that Bron's hurtful words were spoken in a fit of simmering rage. However, it didn't change what he had said. To dismiss her as nothing more than a lesser fae, especially when that term was no longer used in Spring, and to belittle her magic in such a way...he had crossed a line that couldn't be uncrossed. Her magic may be weak, but it made a significant difference to the impoverished villages, something Bron failed to acknowledge.

Using a cotton towel, Cin gently scrunched the water out of her hair, maintaining the curl clumps. Continuing to scrunch, she walked to the balcony overlooking the rolling green hills behind the Mansion. The hills were mostly covered in spring green grass, with a few patches of white flowers too distant to identify. Tamlin had mentioned a nameless settlement that had sprung up just beyond the hills. Four families had built their homes along the gentle slopes, with ample space for their own gardens to flourish.

She could...

KNOCK! KNOCK! The sound interrupted Cin's musings, causing her head to snap towards the still-closed doors. Nienna had closed it after collecting the mug from her bedside table.

Cin hung her towel over the arm of the sofa beside the balcony and made her way to the door. The knocking escalated to pounding, prompting her to hurry across the room. Almost ripping the door from its hinges, Cin swung it open. "Relax, Kenai—!"

But it wasn't the maidservant at the door. It was Tamlin, standing there with a sheepish grin and a closed fist still poised to knock again. "If Kenai knocks on your door like that, we may need to reconsider his employment here."

"You nearly broke my new door." Cin leaned against the door, arms folded across her chest. "What are you doing back? I was expecting you tomorrow."

"Things were resolved in Calla much sooner than anticipated. Although, if I had known you were waiting for me, I might have returned home earlier." His gaze briefly dropped to her mouth before meeting her eyes. Am I the only one feeling this? Is there something between us? A million thoughts flooded her mind.

"Join me in the Great Hall for breakfast?" he asked, pushing her door open a little wider, not to enter the room but to invite her out.

"Sure." A tingling sensation coursed through Cin. "We haven't officially established my role in the Mansion or your court."

"What do you mean?" he asked, his eyes surveying the empty walls along the hallway. Tamlin had expressed his desire to adorn the hallways with paintings to infuse life into the Mansion. The foyer and its adjoining public halls and rooms boasted Ionic stone pillars, grand chandeliers, and pastel-colored statues. However, the hallways in the living quarters, both for the High Lord, his guests, and the staff, lacked any homely touches.

Cin understood that it would take time. Tamlin could only sculpt and create so many things before being called away to assist the villages that needed him more than the Mansion. She also knew that rebuilding the villages was the priority for now, but once they were rebuilt, Tamlin would need to find a way to bring prosperity to Spring. Otherwise, all his efforts would have been in vain.