Tamlin: After the War

Chapter 7 - Kaira

Kaira awoke to the smell of freshly baked bread. She jumped out of bed. If Tamlin was trying to bake again, there was a good chance the kitchen would be on fire. She took the stairs two at a time, and landed loudly on the floor, sprinting her way to the kitchen.

She reached the kitchen and skidded to a halt. There were two faeries in the kitchen. One female and one male faerie, both with pale skin and deep blue hair pinned back. They turned around to look at Kaira and she prepared herself to run.

"Ms. Kaira, please have a seat at the dining table. Lord Tamlin is waiting. Breakfast will be served in a minute." The female faerie explained happily, her round eyes were friendly and Kaira felt herself relax, slightly.

She trudged her way to the dining hall and found the High Lord of Spring slouched lazily in his chair, his fingers gently caressing the scars he'd left in the table as if remembering the reason behind each and every one of them.

"Good morning." Kaira announced with a bow.

Tamlin raised an eyebrow at her, "Morning, sit. I'm starving."

Kaira sat in the chair extended to her. Her hands folded neatly in her lap as the pale faeries brought scrambled eggs, freshly baked bread and hot coffee. Tamlin thanked and excused them.

Kaira stared at the food and Tamlin stared at her curiously. "Are you okay?"

"Are you firing me?" she asked suddenly. Her eyes focused on her lap.

Tamlin's brows folded in a crease, "What?"

"You hired kitchen staff. I'm your kitchen staff. Or I was. Are you firing me? Did I do something to upset you?" she asked, her voice nearing breaking point. Deceiving her as she tried to maintain a mask of coolness that the high fae so easily managed.

Tamlin sighed loudly and shook his head, "No, of course not. I can afford kitchen staff with everything we have sold and I figured you may not want to live as my servant."

"What am I supposed to do now? Where am I supposed to go?" Kaira asked, her voice just an octave higher than a whisper.

Tamlin pulled her chair toward him, "Kaira, look at me," She looked up at his green eyes, "You can stay or go, but I'd like it if you stayed. Help the staff. Walk the grounds. Fix my furniture. Do whatever you want, because you want to, not because you're paying me for a place to rest your head."

Kaira nodded, entranced by his eyes, by the High Lord's kindness, by the fact that most of the time he only spoke a handful of words to her. "If I'm not needed in the kitchen, then let me hunt. For the families who can't do it themselves."

Tamlin straightened his back, "Can you hunt?"

Kaira shook her head, "I can try."

"Can you use a bow and arrow?"

She shook her head again, "But I'm really good with a knife, and I'm quick."

"That I have seen," Tamlin breathed, concern etched across his face, "But a knife requires you to get extremely close and I would rather not purposefully put you in harm's way."

Kaira felt a warmth rush into her cheeks as it did whenever the High Lord said anything kind directed at her. She brushed it away. "I just want to be useful."

He nodded thoughtfully. "I can teach you how to use a bow and arrow, and how to build snares. We can start after breakfast. I promised a few families meat before the end of the day."

Kaira saw the exhaustion in his eyes, in the way his muscular shoulders slouched. She knew, from the screaming, that he still had nightmares. Most times a simple spray of her water shooter would wake him and he'd fall asleep after complaining about her methods.