Dreams of Spring (Tamlin x Hyacinth Novella)

Chapter Five

Arm in arm, Cresseida and Cin strode down the grand staircase.

"I wish I could stay longer," Cresseida pouted, "but I am needed at home."

"Oh, I know," Cin sympathized, patting her friend's hand. Cresseida's visits were always bittersweet, squeezed between long periods of absence. Most of their communication was done through letters, leaving little reason to interrupt their routines to see each other. But Cin cherished every moment they had together. "I'll wait for your letter informing me of your betrothal."

"You and Viv both." Cresseida's singsong laugh echoed in the foyer as they stepped onto the checkered floor.

"How is Vivianne doing?" Tamlin appeared in the foyer as he strode from the narrow passageway to the side of the large oak doors, accompanied by Kenai and Castor, who vied for his attention.

"Her hands are full, as always, with their son," Cresseida replied diplomatically.

Cin had become fast friends with Cresseida and Aravi, but Vivianne was harder to impress.

When the High Lord and his Lady had visited the Spring Court with a delegation of winter court sentries, the flowers had spent the entire week listening to their complaints about the weather and the man who ruled over the region. The visit had ended with a promise of friendship between Spring and Winter, but the two courts still had a long way to go.

"She's annoyed that the Priestesses won't swear her in as High Lady," Cresseida added, clasping her hands against her belly as she gave the High Lord of Spring a questioning look. Cin knew that Vivianne's desire for the title was not driven by vanity, but by a desire for recognition of the feats she'd accomplished while Kallias was trapped Under the Mountain. It was well-deserved, but unfortunately out of her reach.

Tamlin forced a smile, a gesture that only Cin could see through. "Vivianne should leave them be. Her grief is with the Cauldron and the magic that governs the Winter Court."

Cresseida's lip curled into a menacing smile, and Cin could read the question on her face before she even asked it. She quickly squeezed the Princess of Summer's hand and said, "Well, Princess, are you ready to go? I'm sure your work in Summer has waited long enough."

Cresseida's eyes flickered to Cin's, and she chuckled under her breath before nodding. "I am as ready as I'll ever be."

At her word, the two sentries and two ladies' maids straightened their stances in the large open area between the two curved staircases. Lining up as Tamlin had instructed, they prepared to be winnowed to the warm, salty Summer Court.

As Cin pulled Cresseida into an embrace, Abina dashed into the foyer, weaving between the assembled line, and threw her arms around Cin and Cresseida. All three women erupted into laughter.

Abina stepped back and held up a small leather pouch, about the size of her palm. "It's gioia. For your blues," she said.

Cresseida's eyes softened, filled with an inner glow, as she gazed at the healer. "You remembered."

"Of course, I did. It just took a little longer to put together," Abina replied, pulling Cresseida into a second embrace. She saw a slight shimmer of a tear in Cresseida's eye. Despite her strong and bubbly exterior, the wounds of her city sometimes left her unable to get out of bed. It had happened once while they had been friends, and how convenient that Cin's visit to Summer had coincided with Cresseida's episode of her blues.

Abina stepped back again, and Cresseida blinked away the tear. Gratitude shone on her face like a beacon in the dark. She turned to Cin. "Send me a letter the moment your seamstress returns. I want to know everything you're planning, okay?"