Briar sits on the edge of her bed, staring at the blank white vase on her nightstand, her eyes squinting with effort. She hears an amused scoff from the door as she whirls around.

Lucien leans against the archway, the picture of grace. His ruby red hair is partially tied up, and his golden metal eye whirrs softly as he grins. "What are you doing?"

She huffs and crosses her arms before sighing. "I was trying to project something on command."

"Ahh", he muses, going over to her. "I don't think it is so much commanding as it is a want or need. Certain types of magic refused to be forced. Like a stubborn teen. My flames can be like that, but they always come to my aid when I need them. You can't actually be forceful, you need to feel at one with them, as if they flow with you, not because of you. Like...intertwining vines. You work together.

Lucien waves a palm out gracefully and a roaring flame ignites within it, glowing softly, the burning heat of it upon her cheeks even yards away. He twirls his wrist around and it follows, twining around his wrist and fingers, coming back to rest in his palm. "See? No forceful effort, just...summoning it as if it's a good friend. It's a bit hard to describe, but I'm doing my best", he chuckles, closing his fingers into a fist as he snuffs out the flame.

"Wow", she breathes. "That was cool."

"Thanks." Lucien smiles and takes her in; pale green dress, hair down with a thin red floral wrap around the crown of her head, and cream-colored flats. "Phew, Tamlin is going to simply faint when he sees you. As much as you look good in other colors, I think pastels are your best. Goes with your complexion. Especially this green...he's going to go nuts."

Briar blushes deeply and tucks a piece of hair behind her arched ear. "You think so?"

"Oh, I know so", he smirks. "Plus, he has been stressed lately and emotions are running high...I think, no, I know...you calm him. I know you two aren't in any position to accept one another as mates, but that bond really helps to...tame him. I've never seen anything like it. He is more volatile by nature, but with you, he's softer. He checks himself more. It's a very good thing."

Briar smiles softly and looks out the window towards the gardens. "I think everyone deserves to be cared about. Even one person can make the difference."

Lucien glances down a bit. "I know. And I still feel bad about leaving without telling him. But I was in a lurch, it wasn't anything that was planned I—"

"I know, Lucien", she says softly, placing a hand on his arm.

"No. You don't." He takes a breath. "I explained to Tamlin, and he understood it. But it was the fact that I took so long to come back that what gets to him, and to me."

"You are making amends now. I've seen you working hard for the people here. Not only for the festival, but you've been helping with all the rebuilds, too I've heard. People make mistakes out of fear or whatever. It happens. What is important is how you make up for it."

Lucien looses a sigh and nods. "I know that. I hope it can make a difference to both the people of this Court and for Tamlin."

"It will. I know it will. Is Tamlin here?"

"He is finishing up breakfast. He decided not to wake you because you didn't get a lot of sleep last night."

Briar walks downstairs with him, Lucien folding his hands behind his back as he declines the stairs next to her; the perfect vision of a proper courtier.

Tamlin glances up as they walk into the dining room and his eyes widen a little as he gets up from his own seat, pulling one out for her. Lucien purposely fails to suppress a smirk as he glances toward him.

Briar blushes and takes a seat, the High Lord pushing her in carefully. "What would you like for breakfast?"

She looks up and locks gazes with him, smiling prettily. "Whatever there is, I'm not quite picky."

He stares at her for a moment before clearing his throat and somehow summoning the servers with his magic, that golden glow appearing around his body. Lucien takes his seat as well, looking between them.

Tamlin returns to his seat at the head of the table, his eyes not leaving her for a second until the servers come, setting hotcakes, fruit, and whipped cream in front of her and Lucien.

Lucien digs right in, a feline smirk on his lips as he chews and looks between them as if he is a bystander in a riveting drama.

Briar's eyes widen a bit and she tips her head back and giggles softly. "I don't know that I yet have the faerie stomach for a meal this large."

Tamlin grins, unsuppressed, and shrugs. "Well, I know magic burns through a lot of energy so you may just need it if you plan on practicing your abilities."

Her jaw goes slack and a look of confusion crosses her face. "How did you know I was practicing?"

"Aside from this bond between us and the sizzle of it in my chest?"

"Oh", she blushes. "Right."

His green eyes twinkle when he beholds her and Lucien wonders if this could be what finally turns this grumpy beast into a tamed warrior. He just hopes that it doesn't end in heartbreak. Though if he has learned anything, mate bonds always seem to draw two people together—whether for the best or the worst. In this case, it appears to be for the best.

Tamlin could only be a metaphorical phoenix rising from the ashes for so long—and this last time he nearly gave up trying to rise again, submitting to the brambles of overgrowth. He had nearly let those sharp thorns of defeat and self-loathing sink into his soul and pull him into the cold underside of earth, instead of allowing the warm sunshine to illuminate his greatness. But that's what Briar has done since she got here. She's been the spread of warmth made of pure light that caught onto him unceasingly and infiltrated his darkened heart.

Finishing his breakfast within minutes, Briar gapes at him. He gets up from his chair and flourishes a bow to her. "Lady Briar." Then he turns to his friend. "Tamlin."

Tamlin rolls his eyes. "What are you on about, you have something planned, Fox?"

Lucien crosses his arms and grins. "Alright, you've caught me. I was speaking with Tarquin the other day and we had planned for him and Cresseida and some of his sentries to come here with pallets of seafood to bring to the mortal lands that are in need. He mentioned that Briar begged him for help, and he simply couldn't deny her request, knowing what desperation for your people feels like."

Briar squeals and jumps up from her seat, nearly knocking it back. Out of instinct, Tamlin uses his faerie speed to grab it behind her before it does.

"They're coming here? Today!?"

Lucien chuckles and nods "Yes. As is Jurian to help out. Vassa wishes she could but...you know. Her curse."

"Yes. That's unfortunate." Tamlin raises an eyebrow. "But did you forget one thing?"

"What?", Lucien asks, furrowing his brow.

"Oh, maybe to ask the High Lord?"

Briar interjects. "I did ask you last week when I first got here and you said it was okay. Don't get upset at Lucien." She looks a bit uneasy and shifts from foot to foot. Tamlin's face falls a bit.

"In this instance, it's fine. I was just being an ass. Please, don't...don't feel uneasy over what my reaction could've been..."

Her eyes reach his and she chews her lip. "I heard you two fight...last week. I don't want that for either of you. You both need one another and I think you always will, and I wish you'd just stop being so neurotic about acknowledging that. Both of you."

"We are...mending our friendship", Tamlin acknowledges. "We have long lives to do so."

Lucien nods. "Agreed. See, we are better now. Working towards where we once were decades ago before the curse."

Tamlin smiles slightly. "We had a lot of good times."

"That we did. Granted, we were quite irresponsible with our liquor and with the females."

He snorts and shakes his head. "You hooked as many as I did, and I'm the damn High Lord." He laughs deeply and waves his hand. "Go. Get the mortals."

Lucien smirks ferally, his white teeth gleaming as much as his golden eye does. "I will be back in a wink. I must say, I missed that crazy bastard and the lovely, yet very motherly Queen", he muses.

Tamlin glances at his hands. "They were good to me. I—I owe them. So we will help their lands however we can, too."

A wink of red hair and where he stood was no longer a male, but open air. Briar lets out a whoosh of breath. "Still not used to seeing that. Nor do I think my stomach would take it very well."

Smiling, Tamlin motions to her plate. "Eat. You have a big day today, Brambles."

Briar scrunches her nose mockingly and relents, eating her breakfast.

.

.

.

Lucien lands outside the Manor in the mortal lands and knocks three times—their code. Jurian answers the door and widens it for him to enter. "Thought you forgot about us."

"Never. I've just been run a bit ragged lately with all my jobs. I feel like I'm being pulled in every direction these days. But as long as it keeps the peace, I'm willing to be the connecting thread."

"You're nothing if not the scapegoat."

Lucien snorts. "Again, a price I'm willing to pay if everyone can get along. Speaking of working together, the Summer Court will be arriving in Spring today with those pallets. As you are the appointed voice for the Queen during the day, hopefully, the villagers will listen to you and this can happen without a hitch as long as they don't see me or any other faeries in their land. They still don't trust us. I'm hoping that will change soon, but...things take time and trust. Unfortunately, I will have to have Tamlin glamour me as a human so I can help out. Briar too, if she insists, which I have a feeling she will."

Jurian sighs. "This would be so much easier with Vassa here. I hate that haggard sea-bastard."

"I know", Lucien says softly. "Me too. There will be a resolution. And I pray that it is a good outcome. I know she's been afraid of what will happen to her. If he would rather kill all those females than release them. Much like the last evil", he mutters.

Jurian bares his teeth in silent fury. "I won't talk about this."

Lucien swallows and nods. "Apologies. I didn't mean to dredge up...anyway...are you ready to go?"

The man looks at his faerie counterpart and nods. "But this mortal girl that was also turned fae...she hasn't been cared off yet by Tamlin's...whims?"

"They are mates. But don't tell Tamlin I told you that. He's still healing, and Briar...I think she is a big part of that. So please, don't say anything against Briar or anything even close to offensive. I know that your mouth gets you in trouble with humans, never mind fae. Not only is he a volatile shapeshifter, but he is now a protective mate. Whether he wants to believe it about himself or not. That thread and drive cannot and will not be lessened. I would know", he says, clearing his throat. "And I have much, much more control than Tamlin. Okay? So just don't be as..."

"...as...myself?", he chuckles.

"Yes. Sarcasm is fine, charm is fine. But your godsdamned foot-in-mouth syndrome should be trapped under an airtight lid here."

"I'll do my best, fireling."

"Mhh", Lucien mutters, rolling his eyes. "Off we go then." He grabs the man's arm and winnows again, Jurian's strangled shout echoing through the void before they land seconds later. Lucien snickers. "Scared?"

Jurian grunts. "I am not scared of winnowing. It just gives me a raging headache. Especially when it is a knee-jerk grab. So thank you for that; as if you aren't headache enough", he quips.

"Yet you enjoy my company."

"Short bursts", he counters.

Lucien scoffs jokingly and walks with him toward the village of Solaris. "He is grateful to you and Vassa, you know. For taking him in when he needed it. As gruff as Tamlin is, he doesn't forget when people help him out. I would've put it past him to believe he owes you both now."

"Well, I wasn't the best person when I first came back. I wasn't very...nice. You think I would have learned my lesson from my tragic past, but I just—I guess when I looked at him, I saw his disgusting father, and I know that wasn't a fair assessment. I know it was wrong, but he looks like him y'know. I suppose it triggered something in me to dislike him before I truly knew him. With everything else that others said too..."

"Yes, well...I can't lie and say that he has always been on his best behavior. But he has always tried. Whether the outcome was good or bad, he always tries. In that way, he is honorable if anything."

"I could relate to him being damaged when he was at the Manor...it was then that I realized he was not his father, and he was not as much of a monster as everyone else had made him out to be."

"He cares about the mortal land. He always has. Because of his father."

Jurian nods slowly, running a hand through his short dark hair. "It's good that he is forging a new path from the one his father tried to force on him. I know it can't be easy to come out of a situation you're seemingly trapped in. With Clythia, and losing Miryam I—", he sighs. "I understand Tamlin now. I misjudged prematurely. And I am not one to admit my wrongs easily but, I was...I was wrong."

"That's admirable in and of itself, Jurian. Not many males can admit their wrongs, so you're a step ahead of many in Prythian, even as a human", he smirks.

Jurian chuckles and shrugs. "What can I say, it may have to do with a certain orange-haired Queen."

"She is something."

"That she is."

Coming up the path towards the center of Solaris, Lucien and Jurian spot Tamlin standing next to Briar, speaking with a tall, white-haired young male and his female cousin, sentries off to the side, winnowing in pallets of seafood.

Tamlin's eyes shift to them and he puts on a small smile, waving a hand out to them as he alerts Tarquin and Cresseida to their arrival. Tarquin turns around and grins broadly as they approach.

"Lucien! There you are! And you have brought our mortal ally. General, how do you do?"

"Here I am", Lucien laughs.

"I am fine, thank you, Tarquin. How is everything in Summer? Overcome the learning curve?"

Tarquin sighs. "I like to think I'm doing well. I couldn't truly do it without my family though. Cresseida and Varian are like lifelines some days. Don't know what I'd do without them."

Cresseida smiles prettily at them. "You look well, LuLu. Sorry I missed you the other day, I was out in the city. Rebuilding, as you know is a lot of work. But it seems your mating bond is doing wonders for you. You're simply glowing. Though, not in the physical sense...this time", she smirks devilishly, as if divulging an inside joke.

Lucien clears his throat and Tarquin furrows a brow.

"Ah, always a pleasure to see you, Princess", he mutters, bowing politely.

"I bet", she chuckles.

Tamlin looks between them, an eyebrow raising in slight amusement.

Jurian can't help the words from falling from his mouth. "So, you two have history then? Maybe something about that famed pleasure barge?"

Lucien coughs as his face turns red, trying to deny it. Cresseida shrugs. "What's the harm in some fun between friends? It was centuries ago."

Tarquin gapes. "My cousin?"

Lucien's eyes widen. "Tarquin I—"

"Leave him be, Quinny. It was my idea anyhow. He's an attractive male, it was a gorgeous night, there were people everywhere and I trust Lucien. He's a very good friend of ours. I wanted some fun too. We were young, and you were still a teen." Cresseida rolls her eyes at him.

Tarquin makes a face. "Gods, please just—stop talking."

Lucien's face remains near the shade of his hair as Tamlin barks out a laugh, deep and hearty. Briar blinks and looks over at him, a grin splitting across her face as she covers her mouth to suppress her own.

Lucien elbows Jurian in the gut, eliciting a grunt of pain from the male who holds the spot near his ribs. "I don't kiss and tell, bastard", he grumbles.

Jurian groans. "Foot-in-mouth syndrome. Starting to realize that now."

Tamlin finally simmers down and absently places a hand on Briar's bare lower back. She lushes but doesn't dare move from where he touches her between the panels of her pale green sundress.

"Alright, alright. Down to business. Shall we?"

"Yes", Lucien says a bit harshly before softening his tone. "Tam, you'll need to glamor me into a human, so I can help Jurian hand out the food in the villages. I know tensions have been lowered slightly, but not dramatically, and it would be best to shield them from my fae-ness so they will accept the food.

Something seems to shift in his gaze and his mouth turns into a frown for a split moment, but enough for Lucien to catch it, realizing quickly that he has not used his glamor on anyone since the curse.

"It will be fine. We will keep going until it is all distributed. But I need your help with this. I know—"

"It's not a problem", he interrupts. "Whenever you are ready to go. I will glamor you and the sentries so they can help carry them."

"Sounds like a plan."

"Me too", a voice pipes up.

All eyes go to the petite girl beside Tamlin. She raises her chin and sweeps her dark hair over her shoulder."

"No", Tamlin responds nearly immediately.

"Excuse me?", she retorts, turning to look up at him defiantly, her gaze unwaveringly boring into his. "I may be fae now, but those are my people, this was my plan, and I will be there to help."

The entire group is utterly silent, most likely suppressing their gasps at her gumption against the High Lord prone to losing control of that protective beast raging inside of him.

Lucien's gaze takes in the slight curl of Tamlin's lip and the claws that are partially poked through his knuckles. He dares to take a step forward and Tamlin holds a hand out to stop him from coming any closer, yet never taking his eyes off Briar.

Briar doesn't so much as glance away from his intimidating gaze, unblinkingly holding her ground against the High Lord. Not so much as a small flinch when his canines poke out and his eyes flash his beast's putrid yellow.

Through it all she holds his gaze.

"Your lame intimidation tactics won't work on me." She steps forward instead of backward, her chest in line with his torso as she places her palm flat over his heart. "I trusted you to take care of me last night. Trust me to take care of my people. I am not helpless or useless, Tamlin. I know your instincts are to protect me after everything you've been through, especially because of this bond. But I need to do this. I am capable. And...you can't stop me unless you choose to hurt me. Which I know you wouldn't choose to do."

His eyes fade back to green, and his claws retract. His face softens and he swallows, a look of worry replacing the brief stint of anger on his expression. "Briar..."

"I am capable of handling myself. Plus, Lucien and Jurian will be there with me, I am not alone." She placed her left hand on his chest as well.

By now their company is either grinning in amusement or gaping in shock.

"I need to see this through. I need to do this."

Tamlin's breath hitches and he takes a deep breath, closing his eyes to steady himself.

"I need to see this through. I need to do this. Because I love you, and I don't want to hide you anymore. We shouldn't have to hide."

The words echo in Tamlin's memory in a beloved young female's voice with hope in her eyes and love in her heart.

"No. That is a bad idea. You cannot tell your mother or Rhys about us. Nobody can know. My father would find a way to make both of us pay. That can't happen. There can't be any chance of our secret getting out."

He opens his eyes and looks at her. Briar notes the fear that resides within them. In lieu of embarrassing him, she squeezes his arm gently. "I will return safe and sound, High Lord. I may not be the best with my new powers, but I have them. I have to believe that they will serve me when I need them. And I trust Lucien. You should trust Lucien. But more than that, you should trust me."

Tamlin's heart feels like it is cleaving in two, knowing that every time he makes a decision it ends up in pain.

Tarquin steps forward. "I will have my sentries keep a keen watch as well. There will be enough power to cut down any foe that wants to cause them harm."

Cresseida nods and goes over, hugging Briar's side. "I'll go too. She's my friend. I won't let her get hurt. Though, this girl is a powerhouse in her own right. She is Cauldron-blessed, Tamlin. I know you can feel the pulsing power that lies within her, because I can. I think we all can. All of us here can understand your fear. We have all been through losses and have blamed ourselves. But you cannot let the past dictate the future. If any one of us did, we would never heal."

Going over to the sentries, she instructs them about the plan.

Tamlin looks to Lucien who inclines his head in duty, then nods to his friend.

"Alright", he sighs shakily, relenting. "Alright. Briar, this is your mission. I-I trust you. But I'm glad you will have the extra protection too."

Briar smiles and peers up at him, those pale blue eyes shimmering under her dark lashes. "Thank you", she says softly, reaching down and squeezing his hand. Tamlin looks down at their hands and a faint blush paints his cheeks.

"You had better come back happy, safe, and a bit overworked", he smiles weakly.

"I will. I pr—"

His finger flies up to her lips as he shushes her. "Don't. Those are the words of the damned when entering into the unknown."

Briar nods and playfully shoves his arm down. "Got it." She sends him a teasing smile then moves up on her tiptoes and pecks his cheek. "Thank you", she whispers. "I know that it was very very difficult for you to relent."

Tamlin's jaw ticks nervously and he glances at her lips. "Just...please. Stay close to the group and be careful. My glamors are reliable but...just in case."

"I will", she murmurs, glancing at his lips as well. "I'm a fighter, Tamlin. I was raised that way, and I believe that's why I am mated to you. We are both fighters."

He swallows hard and nods, the bond simmering between them. As he begins to lean in, a twinkle of mischief appears in her eye and she steps away, leaving him hanging. He scoffs and can't help the amused smirk that comes to his face.

She flashes him a seductive smile over her shoulder before taking a deep breath and going over to the large trays of prepared food.

"Wow, Tarquin...I don't know how to thank you."

"No need. If it helps the tensions, I'm glad to help in small ways."

Briar nods. "You're a great High Lord, you know. I've heard about how new you are to all of this, and I've said it before but I'm really sorry about your family...I can't imagine all this responsibility being thrust onto me after something so tragic. But you're doing perfectly. Really. Your court seems to be healing and thriving. It takes a lot of work to keep broken people together and with their hopes up. And you've done that. I commend you."

Tarquin looks at her for a moment, his eyes misting. "Thank you. That...", he pauses and swallows. "That means a lot."

"Keep up the great work. You deserve all the benefits that come with your efforts."

He smiles at her and shakes her hand. "Thank you."

Lucien, Cresseida, and Briar go over to Tamlin, and he imbues all three of them with a glamor, as well sat the Summer Court sentries. Briar grins and hugs him around the middle. He freezes for a moment then pats her back awkwardly.

"Yes well...you all had better get going."

She nods and smiles up at him once more, before moving with Lucien and Cresseida to carry some pallets of food. Lucien is going to winnow them to a quiet area where there are no humans, to begin their trek through the mortal lands.

Tamlin and Tarquin watch as their friend disappears in a wink and Tamlin sighs.

"They'll be fine. However, I heard that you have done rebuilds too. The festival is tomorrow, is it not?"

Tamlin nods. "I have and it is. I can't believe it's finally happening after nearly nine months. It will be good for my people. And because of Briar and the rest of them, hopefully, we can begin to make peace with the humans too."

"I'd love a tour of your new and improved Court, if you don't mind, of course."

"Of course", Tamlin nods.

"By the way, your people that had taken up asylum have been spoken to by my Refuge Legion. We have assessed that ninety-eight percent of them desire to come back home. I would assume that they could come back to stay starting tomorrow at the festival, and that their houses have been rebuilt?"

"Yes, I have been meaning to speak to you about that. I'm sorry, it seems I've been a bit hounded lately."

"Understood. That's why Lucien did for you", he chuckles. "That male is always on track. It's a wonder that he wasn't destined to be a High Lord."

Tamlin chuckles as well. "I say that a lot. He's more...put-together than I am. This was simply thrust upon me, no choice. But you'd know all about that."

"Yes...I wonder why Varian wasn't chosen. Or my other cousin, Narlon. But apparently, my magic was a tad stronger, and well...that's where that story began."

"It's never easy, not knowing. Fuck all the ones who got to be trained and shit."

Tarquin laughs genuinely. "Oh yes, fuck them. We're just out here trying our best, going in blind."

Tamlin smirks and nods, showing him around the different villages, both High Fae and Lesser Fae towns.

Many of the citizens bow to them and shower them with compliments. Tarquin's lips turn up into a perpetually amused smirk, but he takes the time to speak with all those who speak to them, as does Tamlin, needing that connection and stronghold with his people, still trying to mend fences, so to speak.

Hours later they make their way back to the Manor from the opposite direction, passing by many fields and rivers. They approach a large, wide-mouthed river where water sprites are swimming and flying about. One of them, in her haste to evade some smaller, child sprites, flies backward in a rush, directly into Tarquin's side. The children gasp and flitter away, hiding as the other adult sprites gape, eyes widening.

Tarquin turns to the female with shimmering wings and blue curly hair and their eyes lock.