A Court of Love and Healing {ACOTAR}

Mail and Meet-Cutes

"Tam!", Lucien shouts, returning to the living quarters of the Manor.

"What? I'm coming, I was just changing", he grumbles, sauntering into the room.

"We both got a letter from the Winter Court. I wonder what they want."

Tamlin furrows his brow and grabs his letter from Lucien's outstretched hand, turning it over a few times in his hands as he scrutinizes it. "Who's handwriting?"

"I don't know either. Odd, hm?"

They both rip their letters open and Lucien's eyebrow arches in disbelief. "It's a request for me to be a Prythian tour guide", he pauses. "To the girl you saved from Hybern."

"The girl Feyre saved, you mean?", he mumbles.

"No, I know what I said", he replies, giving him a pointed look.

Tamlin looks down at the letter and the pretty, girlish handwriting upon the paper.

Dear High Lord of the Spring Court (Mr. Tamlin Demeteri),

My name is Briar Laverne. I'm not sure if you remember me, but I'm the woman (well I suppose female now) that you helped aid in escape at Hybern's war-camp island. I have been staying at the palace of the Winter Court for the last year or so, and they have taught me much about Prythian now that I am Fae. I wish to go on a personal quest to see where I truly belong here in Prythian. Kal and Viv say that all of the courts are beautiful, and I want to see for myself. They mentioned that you are rebuilding yours, so I do not want to intrude by any means. However, I am hoping that once I am finished touring the other courts that you may be gracious enough to have me as a guest in the newly build Spring. Of course, I seek your approval and permission before I step past your borders. I would love to extend to you my gratitude in person as well. I request a response either way. Thanks for entertaining this quite lengthy letter.

~ Briar Laverne

Tamlin draws in a long breath before exhaling, his eyes roaming over the letter wordlessly. Lucien stands quiet, swallowing before he speaks.

"From the way you're looking at that piece of paper, I'd say you were hoping to see her again."

"I was."

"So will you write back?"

"Are you going to accept being her tour guide? I wouldn't trust her with anyone else."

Lucien gives him an incredulous look. "You—oh, fuck."

"What?", Tamlin growls, crossing his arms.

"Is she the one...?"

"Possibly", he says firmly. "I don't know. As I said, I was hardly in my right mind then."

"Be careful, Tam. That's...all I can say without saying what you already know."

He sighs and runs his thumb over the ink softly. "If she is, gods help her. Nobody would want that fate. Being tied to me. She seems great, I don't know what she ever would have done to have gone in the Cauldron and come out tied to me. It's not fair for her."

"You're forgetting that you have the ability to be the kind of male that she could deserve. I know everyone is much too hard on you, and I know it doesn't make you want to push through the negativity and the bitter words. But you can. I've seen the friend that saved me from Beron. He's been around here and there for weeks. He's still inside you. He is you, if you stop letting them get to you. I stopped caring what anyone thought long ago, and I've been alright ever since. The only opinion I care for now is my mate's. So if she is, please don't fuck it up. You tend to live by extremes, and you scaring her away won't help you, and it certainly won't make her feel welcome."