Dreams of Spring (Tamlin x Hyacinth Novella)

Chapter Seven

"Two sentries will be assigned per child, rotationally," Enzo said confidently. "Their task is to remain inconspicuous, alert, and silent at all times. I doubt the sentries' presence will even be noticed."

Cin rubbed her forehead nervously, "I bet you that at least one sentry will be detected by tomorrow. These children have lived on the streets for too long not to know when they're being followed."

Enzo's eyes sparkled mischievously, a sight that Cin had not seen since they left her father's house for the last time. "Same wager?"

"You bet," Cin said, trying to shake off the anxiety. She didn't want to scare them into doing something stupid, like running away.

Tamlin interjected with a furrowed brow. "Am I missing something here?"

"I'll explain later," Cin said, tugging at his elbow so he'd bend over low enough for her to drop a chaste on his cheek.

Enzo added, "And then there's the matter of the number of sentries for the procession. My Lord, I know you said four should work but I can spare up to eight."

"The sentries are more for Cin than they are for me," Tamlin explained. "She'd had enough of a target on her back when the court realised we were courting, I imagine our betrothal will all but announce the best way to hurt me for my past."

Enzo shouldered the blame for the attack, though they all shared it. Nobody had foreseen that Cin might become the target, given that the fae pointed fingers at Tamlin. A mere few months after her birthday and during her visit to Clematis to sell her father's home, the assault occurred. It left Cin injured, her arm broken, a grim message meant for Tamlin: leave.

Needless to say, Tamlin refused to leave. And there had been nothing Cin could say or do to halt the violence he had unleashed upon those men. Following that incident, the decision was made: she would never be without a sentry, not even within the Mansion.

Cin had dedicated hours to hunting down the fae who harbored lingering resentment toward Tamlin. However, he had forbidden her from any action. He aimed to earn their respect, and targeting them would only breed distrust in his court, undermining his efforts.

Besides, he'd reasoned, I can't punish them for the way they feel about me. I can only act when they've actually done something.

"I know the procession is important but is announcing your betrothal truly a good idea?" Enzo tentatively voiced his concern, walking the line between questioning Tamlin and remaining loyal to him. Cin had always been like a sister to Enzo, as long as he had been friends with Bron. Her safety was not just a priority because she was betrothed to his High Lord, but because he saw Cin as his own kin.

"Yes," Cin replied. "It's about transparency. If we start keeping secrets or making unilateral decisions without the fae's knowledge, it will only show that Tamlin views himself above them, again. It will indicate that he doesn't need to answer to them, and that is not the kind of Spring Court that we are trying to build."

Cin's mind wandered back to one of her earliest conversations with Enzo, shortly after Tamlin had appointed him as Captain of the Household Guard. Enzo had assumed that Cin had persuaded Tamlin to give him the position because of their shared history, but she hadn't. She knew how important it was to all of them that their High Lord chose them on his own, without any influence from her.

Tamlin had indeed shown favor to Bron's circle of friends, but it had no connection to Cin. Those fae were some of the most accomplished sentries he had ever trained. Their favor was earned through their own abilities.

Enzo had looked at her, bedecked in sparkling dresses and adorned with jewels, and still saw the woman she was beneath all of it. He remembered the girl who had prepared meals with the vegetables she had grown herself and fed all of the merry men who came stumbling in drunk. Though Bron had insisted that Cin deserved the life she now lived, that she had earned it. It was the appreciation she saw in the merry men's eyes that had made her finally believe it.