In the 50 years following the unpleasant dinner with Amarantha, the commander continued to send invitations to the Spring Court, inviting them to dine with her again. Amaryllis continued to find excuses and reasons to decline them, Tamlin attending them alone. With Amarantha breathing down his neck constantly, Tamlin was always on edge which made him slightly snappy and less patient with both his sister and his people.
Lucien bore the brunt of it, being Tamlin's best friend. This caused tension to arise between the sibling, being twins they knew exactly what to say to get under each others skin. Almost every week, shouting could be heard throughout the manor before the sound of wing beats or beastly snarls swept away, then silence would weigh on everyone. Nonetheless, the tension between the sibling did have an effect on their subjects. Tamlin was the High Lord of the Court but Amaryllis was the lady of the people. All of the conflict began to boil when they had their 150 year tithe.
They were held every year, in which the citizens of the court offered part of their livelihood to the High Lord in thanks for his protection. For the past 200 years the amount that people could offer was slowly declining. Not incredibly so, but enough that it was becoming harder and harder for Amaryllis to accept the gifts that were presented to them because she could see that they had been hard earnt and would be sorely missed. For some reason, their crop yields had been declining and dark creatures were beginning to prowl their borders, making hunting and gathering difficult. This was coupled with Amarantha's travelling between the courts, fostering good will between Prythian and Hybern. The Spring Court was one of her favorites, while she was a gracious guest, there was no doubt that her luxurious tastes brought unneeded expenses on their court.
So while the gifts offered at the tithe made the people living in the manors lives easier, Amaryllis could see the strain it put upon their subjects. Tamlin however had no such qualms. He took after their father in that respect, he was uncompromising in his rule.
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Amaryllis was sitting next to Tamlin, resplendent in a beautiful pink gown and rose gold jewelry. She looked like a true lady, surveying her people with a kind eye and a warm smile. But it was clear who was in charge. Her smaller seat, a simple chair hewn from oak and personally decorated with flowers and vines was dwarfed by Tamlin's huge throne of carved roses. He sat in it, straight backed, clad in a richly embroidered vest and pants with a golden crown on his head. Amaryllis wore a simple chain of wildflowers that she had been gifted by one of the dryads. Beside the dais, a large table was sat against the wall covered in the various offerings that were being presented.
The event had been going on for several hours and there was still many people to go. A wood nymph came forward with a basket of berries and fruits. She kneeled before them. "High Lord, a gift for your table, as a sign of my thanks." The nymph held the basket out to Tamlin. He nodded and one of the sentries strode forward and took it from her, placing it on the table. Once her gift was accepted, then she was free to leave. The next person in line stepped forward, an older looking fae. Amaryllis recognized him as one of the farmer who lived near the northern border.
In his hand was a small bushel of wheat, not nearly enough to satisfy the agreement of the Tithe. Amaryllis could see the displeasure on her brothers face at the substandard offering. The fae kneeled in front of the dais and held the wheat towards them. "High Lord, a-a gift for your table, as a-a sign of my th-thanks." He stammered out, sweating slightly. He knew that his offering was not enough to cover the Tithe... but it was all he had. Tamlin cocked a brow, "If this is what you offer for my protection, than I am insulted. Where is the rest of it?" He asked, offended. The fae swallowed hard. "My Lord, this harvest has been small, this is all I can offer, otherwise my family... we will not eat." He pleaded, wishing for some compassion. Tamlin waved his hand dismissively, just as their father would have.
"You have three days to bring forth what you owe or you will offer double next Tithe, is that understood?" He declared, both voice and manner hard as stone. Amaryllis got to her feet, placing a gentle hand on her brothers arm. "Please Tamlin, can we not reconsider? Our subjects do not deserve to starve." She said, trying to ensure the wellbeing of their people. Tamlin stood from his throne, descending the steps of the dais, his twin trailing behind him. Now in front of the poor man, he said again. "You will pay what you owe otherwise you will face the consequences... is that clear?" Tamlin said, face unchanged.
The man began to cry, fearing for himself and his family. Amaryllis couldn't stand the despair of her subject, so she tried once more to convince her brother to show mercy. Pulling his arm a little harder, she pleaded. "Tamlin, please... surely we do not need his offering if it will cause his family to starve. You do not want to be regarded as our father was, as a tyrant. You.." Before she could finish speaking, Tamlin had pulled his arm free of her grasp and backhanded his sister hard across the face. She fell back slightly, tears welling up in her eyes. Lucien came forward, as if to shield her before stepping back with an unhappy look on his face.
Through the tears, Amaryllis could see her brothers scowl. "Do not ever question my decisions sister. I am the High Lord, not you!" He snarled. Stumbling back, Amaryllis clutched her cheek before running from the court room, hearing the murmur of the assembled people before the doors closed behind her.
Avoiding the concerned gazes of the servants, Amaryllis ran to her room, shutting the door and locking it before sliding down to the floor. Her face was throbbing, she knew that there would be a bruise. A sob tore out of her throat, before Amaryllis could slap her hand over her mouth to muffle it. The tears began to flow down her cheeks, she couldn't believe that Tamlin had hit her. What had happened to the boy who promised that he would always protect her? Finally getting up, she crept her way towards her bathroom. Amaryllis gasped when she saw her reflection. A large handprint was clearly imprinted on her cheek, bright red with bloody marks where his rings had cut her skin. It looked horrible. It pounded now, a constant burning pain through her whole face.
Shakily walking back into her room, Amaryllis took a seat on her bed. Her emotions felt numb now as she slipped into a stupor, staring at the wall. A light knock at the door brought her back into reality. When Amaryllis didn't respond, Lucien opened the door slightly. Wincing at the painful looking mark on her cheek, he crept across the room and sat next to her on the bed.
"He didn't mean to do it... he's under a lot of pressure and something was bound to happen.." He murmured, trying to excuse his friends actions. Amaryllis rolled her eyes, swiping away the tears. "Just because he is under pressure does not mean he can treat me this way!" She exclaimed, Amaryllis knew her brother was under pressure but it did not give him cause to be cruel. Without her knowledge, tears began to flow down her cheeks once more. Lucien sighed and wrapped his arms around his friend, pulling her into his embrace. Amaryllis laid her head on Lucien's chest, feeling him lay a kiss on the crown of her head. The pair simply sat in silence, taking comfort in the others company.
But the damage to the twins bond had already been done and soon all the tension and resentment would come to a head and none of them were prepared for the changes it would bring.
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I do not own A Court of Thorns and Roses, I only own Amaryllis and her related plot changes. Everything else belongs to Sarah J Maas.
