A Court of Hope and Healing

Part 5

     Lyra yawned as she sat up from the massive bed pressed against the wall, her long brown hair tangled in the sheets.
     She had been debating cutting it for weeks, but Tam liked how long it was. She knew he wouldn’t complain if she did chop it off, but keeping it long made him happy. And Lyra liked keeping her mate happy.
     She bathed and dressed quickly, humming softly as she slipped on a purple sundress. It showed off her tanned legs, Lyra smiling as she braided back some of her hair to form a sort of crown, leaving the rest down.
     She laughed at the sound of Tamlin in the kitchen. They employed people to cook and clean and all that jazz, but the last day of every week was a day that their little family raided the kitchen.
     The chef hated it, but appreciated the day off. She slipped into the room, another smile on her lips as she watched Tamlin chase their two kids, Theia and Bowie, around the large kitchen island.
     Theia’s brown hair was in a messy braid that her father had likely done, her teal eyes bright as she sprinted for Lyra, hiding behind her mother.
     Bowie screamed with joy as Lyra scooped him up, his messy blonde hair ruffled as Tamlin skidded to a stop. “There’s my beautiful wife.” He grinned, kissing her cheek.
     He scooped all three of them up, Lyra laughing as he twirled them around. He set them free pretty quickly, the kids running to the sitting room.
     Tamlin kissed Lyra gently, his hand on her stomach. “Everything okay…?” She nodded with a smile, giggling a bit. “Everything is fine, Tam.” He helped her carry plates to the dining room, getting the kids settled down as the majority of the staff joined them as well. Lucien laughed as Tamlin sat next to him, the males talking happily.
     There was nothing but joy in the estate. Sure, there were still hard days when Lyra missed her mother so much it hurt, but things were better now.
     Tamlin, Theia, and Bowie…and the new child who would be joining them in the winter.
     She would never be alone again.

A/N: This is more of an epilogue than anything, but it's so sweet. Lyra's story isn't about having a 'new family' that replaces her lost one, but more so healing from what happened and being able to move past it. She's no longer scared of losing the people she loves, because even though she doesn't need Tamlin to protect her, she's glad he protects their children. Tamlin is able to fulfill his need to protect with the kids, while also being able to let Lyra be free. Their dynamic works for them in a way that Feyre and Tamlin weren't able to.
     I imagine that Tamlin listens to his court much more now, and speaks up for the proper treatment of the lesser faeries. He's made amends with Lucien, Feyre, and Rhysand, and he's definitely a much selfless person.
     I wrote this because even though Tamlin fully deserves the hate he gets, I believe he deserves to grow and have a happy ending. Whether or not he finds love and has a family is not my choice, but I believe that given the right conditions, he would grow and change as a person.
     Tamlin is a complex character. He needs to apologize to the people he's hurt, but he doesn't deserve to roam the Spring Court as a beast his whole life. I also believe that in my story, he comes to love his beast form due to Lyra's love of it. It's stated in the books that Tamlin fully believes he's just a beast lord, but I think that someone needs to show him that he's loved.
     Thank you for reading this block of text! This part is only 367 words, but it's likely one of my favorites.
     Thank you for reading my story! Go into the world and be creative, and I will see you in whatever I write next!
         - Soul