A court of Unshed tears

Chapter #13

"Now you fold the berries in," Violet instructed as I added the blueberries to the batter.
Which was all over me at the moment. I looked over at Tamlin who was spotless and mixing his batter with ease.
He turned to me and snorted looking at my face which was covered in flour.
I was going to smack that smile off of his face.
"How is it that you are so good at this?" I was annoyed at his perfection.
"I don't know? This is the first time I have made muffins. I must just be a natural," he teased, and I narrowed my eyes at him.
I turned to Violet, "he truly has never been allowed in the kitchens before," she assured, but it didn't stop me from being grumpy that his batter looked better than mine.
"You really suck at cooking," Tamlin observed, eyebrows scrunched.
I smacked his arm.
"It's hard," I argued looking up into his eyes.
Cauldron, they looked the most beautiful right now. There was so much light dancing in them.
They seemed to calm my anger.
"My brother has always been the better cook," I said not wanting to say Rhys' name just in case Violet would pick up on who I was.
"He cooks?" Tamlin asked and I could see the surprise in his features.
His eyes seemed to widen and his lips parted slightly.
He had very nice lips.
What?!
I nodded and turned back to my disgraceful bowl of batter, trying to focus on what we were talking about.
"We are a normal family, you know. My mother has cooked us dinner most nights ever since we were little. She tried to teach me how to cook, but as you can imagine that didn't turn out super great. So I set the table instead."
I looked up at him to find he was staring at me.
"What?"
"It's just—- don't you have servants for that? The cooking and setting the table?"
"Not normally," I said, not wanting to get into the specifics of our home in Velaris.
"And your mother cooks?" He asked like it was the craziest thing he had ever heard.
"Yes. She used to be a servant of some sort, so she knows her way around the kitchen."
I didn't say anything about the Illyrian mountains where she worked because Violet was still down here putting our muffins in the oven.
"I have to take my leave if that's alright with you, your mag— Tamlin," she corrected and I watched Tamlin smile.
It made something in my chest tighten.
"Of course, thank you so much Violet."
She bowed, "take the muffins out in about thirty minutes and don't forget to let them cool," and then she was gone.
Tonight had been very strange. The restless sleep I was pulled awake from brought me here, to spring court, to Tamlin.
I didn't understand why the past couple weeks without seeing him felt wrong. It was strange needing someone you had barely known.
Hopefully the need for him would go away. Because Tamlin was right. We were enemies. Not him and I specifically, but our courts, our beliefs.
"Is Violet a slave?" I ask not to be able to help myself.
He nodded but his face looked grim.
I let out a frustrated sigh.
"I try to treat them as best I can—
"That is not enough," I stated firmly, looking directly into his jade green eyes.
"I know," he whispered softly.
I was so caught off guard that he saw my surprise.
"You think it's strange that I can own up to the wrongdoings of spring court."
I shook my head, "I find it strange that you find anything in spring court wrong."
I thought he agreed with everything his father did, including slaves.
Why did I want to befriend him again?
"Of course I find things in spring court wrong," he sighed leaning against the counter and somehow he managed to look relaxed and stiff at the same time.
"If I was ever to rule I would abolish slavery, but I am not the heir and I have no say in what my father does."
Anger built in the pit of my stomach, "of course you can do something about it—-
"I have learned not to question my father," he said and each word was clipped.
"Because he whips you?"
Tamlin looked down at the floor not speaking.
I still couldn't believe his father whipped him. That is not what family does.
Though my dad was an ass, and almost every one of our conversations were arguments, he never lifted a hand against me. Never dared harm his own kin.
What kind of evil infested the Lord of spring enough to whip his own children?
I suddenly felt so angry towards the lord of spring.
He whipped Tamlin, he hurt Tamlin.
I felt my fists clench at my sides trying to tame the endless anger.
"Luna," I felt his hand on my shoulder.
The touch made something inside me shift.
"You alright?"
I nodded and was about to ask about the whipping but—
"Muffins are ready to take out," he said with a smile I knew was forced.
I watched as Tamlin took out the muffins. His batch looked perfect. Of course. Anything would, in comparison to the sloppy mess of mine.
I watched him use his wind powers to quickly cool the muffins down.
His ability to manipulate wind always fascinated me. It wasn't like the other elements: water, fire, or earth. It wasn't even like my powers of darkness. You could not see or touch it, but you could feel it.
"So impatient," I murmured, taking a seat at the table in the corner of the kitchen.
He just narrowed his eyes at me and I let out a lazy laugh.
Everything with him was so natural. I didn't understand that, maybe that's why I was so drawn to him?
He brought two muffins over. One of mine and one of his.
I took mine from his hand and frowned at it.
He laughed, and it was music to my ears.
"It's not that bad," he suggested sitting down next to me.
"O really, then you try it," I challenged, holding it out to him.
"Fine," he said, taking the muffin out of my hand. Our eyes locked as he took a bite then—-
Something inside me clicked into place.
Mine.
He was mine.
Mate.
Tamlin was my mate.
Tamlin Aviva, son of spring, was my mate.
His green eyes froze on me as if he had just realized the same thing.
All I could do was blink.
—-
And that was how it all started...