Chapter no 23 – 24

Chapter no 23

The next afternoon, the protagonist and Tamlin spend time together in a serene, ordinary glen, basking in the simplicity of nature. Lucien’s absence leaves them alone, and the silence between them feels easy and comfortable. As Tamlin dozes beside her, she marvels at the beauty of the setting and begins to consider how to incorporate the golden sunlight and the weeping willow’s grace into her next painting. Their quiet moment is interrupted when Tamlin remarks on the willow’s “singing,” a concept foreign to her human senses.

Tamlin offers to show her the world as he experiences it, but only in exchange for a kiss. Though hesitant, she agrees, curiosity overcoming her resistance. With a kiss placed on her eyelids, the glamour of the world around her fades, and she is overwhelmed by the vivid beauty and magic of the glen. Birds sing in layered melodies, the brook shimmers with rainbows, and the trees radiate an ethereal glow. The sight and feel of such unbridled magic stir a profound sense of awe and heartbreak within her, knowing she could never capture its entirety in her art.

Tamlin himself is transformed in her vision, his High Lord radiance on full display. He gleams with a golden glow, his eyes shimmering with every shade of green imaginable. She reaches for his mask, desperate to see his face fully, but it remains fixed, unmoving. Tamlin explains that while the mask is magically bound, the rest of his radiant form is hidden by a glamour of his own making to blend in better. Though the protagonist reassures him she simply wants to know what he looks like, their banter softens the tension, her descriptions of his imagined features eliciting his broad grin.

When Tamlin asks for his promised kiss, she mischievously plants one on the back of his hand, eliciting laughter from him. The glen’s magic and tranquility begin to lull her to sleep, and she collapses into slumber under the willow’s enchanting song. As she drifts off, Tamlin lays beside her, stroking her hair and murmuring tender words, revealing that she, too, is exactly as he dreamed she’d be. The moment solidifies their growing bond, blending warmth, magic, and vulnerability into an intimacy neither openly acknowledges.

The scene highlights the tender, magical connection forming between them. Through the glamour-free vision of Prythian, the protagonist glimpses not only the depth of the magical world but also the full weight of Tamlin’s power and beauty. Yet, their bond remains human in its playfulness and quiet longing, with both characters finding comfort and solace in each other amid the enchanting wilderness.

Chapter no 24

The protagonist wakes to a buzzing sound and finds a faerie with bark-like skin in her room, only to discover it’s Alis, now revealed without her glamour. The realization that she had been shielded from the true appearances of the faeries in the Spring Court unsettles her, as the glamour was designed to keep her from cowering in fear when she first arrived. Her unease grows when she ventures into the hallways, where numerous faeries, some humanoid and others far from it, now bustle openly. Tamlin explains that these faeries had always been present, concealed from her by his magic, a revelation that leaves her feeling both foolish and shaken.

During breakfast with Tamlin and Lucien, the conversation turns to her encounters with faeries outside the Spring Court’s protections. Tamlin explains that his glamour didn’t extend to creatures like the naga or the puca because they weren’t part of his court. He warns her to avoid engaging with any faeries she might encounter, emphasizing that the growing blight is freeing more dangerous creatures. His concern for her safety reassures her, but it also highlights the increasing threat looming over their world, leaving her unsettled.

The next morning, the protagonist stumbles upon a gruesome scene in the garden: a male High Fae’s severed head impaled on a statue, blood soaking the area. The head bears the sigil of the Night Court, a message from its High Lord. Tamlin and Lucien grimly confirm the act as both a threat and a cruel joke, characteristic of the Night Court’s sadistic nature. Tamlin reassures her that the Spring Court’s defenses still stand, though the proximity of the attack raises concerns about the blight weakening their borders. The macabre display serves as a stark reminder of the dangers surrounding them.

As the protagonist reflects on the violence and political games of the faerie courts, she confronts the dark history of the fae’s enslavement of humans. She questions Tamlin about the fate of the humans freed during the Treaty, learning that while they were happy to leave, they struggled to adapt to the mortal world. Tamlin’s visible discomfort when discussing his father’s cruelty and the role his family played in the enslavement contrasts with his own actions, which have been respectful and protective toward her. Her quiet acknowledgment that he is nothing like his father or brothers strengthens their mutual understanding.

Though Tamlin’s reassurances soothe her fear, the weight of the day’s revelations and the bloody message in the garden leave the protagonist unable to paint. The horrors of the fae world, past and present, press heavily on her, mingling with her growing awareness of the dangers posed by the blight and the political tensions between the courts. Despite her unease, she finds comfort in Tamlin’s efforts to protect her and his acknowledgment of her humanity, deepening their bond in a world fraught with danger and uncertainty.