Late Morning Pampering

The warm morning glow filled the verdant gardens of the Spring Court, dancing through the panels of glass lining the halls as Selena padded through the manor with the fiery haired male stalking beside her with that vulpine grin of his.

“So what’s on the agenda today, oh Lady of the Manor?” Lucien mocked playfully, his golden red hair falling over his shoulder as he tilted his head towards the dark haired female next to him. He kept his arms folded behind his back and his footsteps were light, a sign that he was in a mischievous mood.

She lifted her chin as her plush lips pulled into a smirk. “Wouldn’t you like to know?” She teased back, her dark rose skirts swaying with each step. She gave a lazy shrug, tucking a silken dark brown strand behind her ear. “With the preparations for the reconstruction of Spring underway, there isn’t much besides helping oversee everything going smoothly.” She inhales deeply. “Although…”

His copper brow lifted with curiosity. “Although…?”

Her eyes darted away, biting her lip. “I’m worried… about Tam.”

Lucien nodded his head in acknowledgement. “Ah. So that’s it.” He shoved his hands in his pockets as they passed the intricate golden doors to the southern garden. “He needs time, Lena. You know that.” A beat. “But I get it, Tam’s been… he’s still a mess. If it wasn’t for your nagging and pushing him to crawl out of his pitiful state, he’d still be a golden beast prowling the forests, half feral.” He rubs the back of his neck, the morning light glinting against his golden eye. “Shit, I probably wouldn’t even be here right now, given months ago, the bastard dropped off my things like…” He sighed at the memory of nearly losing his home after being kicked out of Spring while his High Lord chose to throw himself into despair. The thought still made his stomach twist.

Their footsteps clipped against the tile floor as they continued to walk in silence. Selena continued to chew her lip before looking up at the red haired fox beside her, her eyes glinting with mischief. “Speaking of our High Lord’s pitiful state…” Her lips twitching into a grin. “How hard do you think it’d take to convince him to let me work some magic on him?” She playfully waved her hands in the air before her.

Lucien looked at her with suspicion before he mirrored her mischievous grin. “Work your magic, huh?” He leaned down conspiratorially to meet her eyes. “What did you have in mind, Lena?”

Selena stopped in her tracks as she noted Tamlin’s study just down the hall before them, then turned to Lucien. She pushed locks of her dark brown hair behind her shoulder before she spoke. “What about something simple? Something to maybe brighten his mood? I could… do his hair?”

That earned a sharp snort from Lucien and he moved to lean his shoulder against the ivory wall, crossing a foot in front of the other, a hand on his hip. “You want to do Tamlin’s hair?” He chuckled. “Gods, you really make it sound so simple, don’t you? You really think playing hairdresser will get that golden grump to stop brooding?” His sharp grin was down right wicked as his red brow rose.

She crossed her arms in slight offense. “Obviously it’s not a cure-all, but maybe, I don’t know, it’d make him smile for a little bit. Something positive in his life.”

“If you want to make him smile, just bribe him with a walk through the garden. You know he’d never refuse if you asked.” He teased.

She huffed in frustration as she turned her head away. “You’re impossible, Luci!”

His features softened a bit before reaching out and capturing her chin to look at him once more. “I’m serious, Selena. If anyone can talk any sense into that stubborn bastard, it’s you. If you think playing with his hair will help, then I’ll support it.” His hand drops as his playful smirk returns. “Besides, I’d love to see what you do with that golden mane of his. Though I do warn you, if you make that beast too handsome, we’ll have to barricade the manor from all those suitors from court that’ll be banging down those wooden doors.”

His words earned a giggle as she finally smiled again. “If anyone can protect our dear High Lord from unwanted attention from courtly ladies and gentlemen, it’s us, don’t you know?” Selena tilted her head in mischief.

Lucien couldn’t help but laugh in return, running his tanned fingers through his hair. “Alright then, if you truly plan to go through with this, you better have a decent bribery strategy on hand. I can’t exactly imagine Tam agreeing to getting his hair styled off the cuff like that.” He winked that russet eye of his.

She leaned in playfully and let out an amused huff. “No worries, my darling fox, I always have something up my sleeve.”

After Lucien’s departure for his patrol duties, Selena made her ways to the kitchens to grab a little snack. She carefully tiptoed around the kitchen fae busy preparing for meals throughout the manor as she made her way to the chef. She clasped her hands in front of her skirts before politely asking “Sorry to bother you, chef. I wish to have something prepared for the High Lord, if that’s okay. Tea and something sweet?” She smiled.

The plump old chef looked up at the brunette standing before her, her deft long fingers stilling on the mixing bowl she was using. She gave a silent nod before waving a hand to summon a kettle to heat the tea. “For the High Lord? Then how about a lemon blueberry tart this morning, my lady?”

Selena perked at the mention of tarts, clapping her hands together “That would be lovely. Thank you!”

With a nod from the chef, Selena moved to wait by the door so as to not to disturb the staff until a young thin fae with mossy green hair brought over a gilded tray holding a porcelain teapot, a pair of cups, and that fresh warm tart. Selena took the tray from her slim hands with a quick ‘thank you’ before making her way down the hall once again.

Tamlin was sitting in an ornate rosewood chair with plush crimson and ivory damask cushions behind his study desk, papers stacked and scattered atop it. The warming mid-morning sun illuminated the Spring Court crest seal leaning on an open ink pad and the empty porcelain tea cup from some time this morning from a minimal breakfast. A growling sigh escaped him as he scanned reports and glanced over budgets. He ran a rough, golden tanned hand through his mused gilded locks. Reviving the Spring Court was a tiring task that had the Spring Lord eluding sleep, not that he would have slept regardless. Terrors still haunted his mind of memories behind him under that once sacred mountain tainted by that blood haired sorceress who once coveted him like a rare jewel.

“Cauldron spare me… With the reduced sentry forces, we’re spread so thin as it is…”

His mind was consumed with logistics. The pressure to keep the Spring Court safe for the citizens that remained in the territory loomed over him. With the added complication now that the Wall was destroyed, he simply didn’t have the manpower to protect the border between Prythian and the Human Lands.

Despite the shadows that clung to his mind, citizens had been returning to his lands, progress had been made, and the manor… The manor was no longer a husk of itself. Tamlin let out a heavy sigh.

Before his thoughts could completely consume him, the rattle of handle to his study door roused him. His gaze shot up as he bristled at the sudden intrusion, but as the door pushed open, the familiar scent of ripe strawberries, peach nectar, and peony blossoms mixed with a warm scent of lemon verbena, mint, and blueberry.

Selena walked into the study with the metal tray in hand before setting it on the oak coffee table. Her voice hummed, “I figured you needed a break and something to give you an energy boost.”

Tamlin straightened in his chair as he watched her come in, clearing his throat, voice coming out rough from hours of silence “Thank you…” He watched as she prepared his tea the way he likes and cut him a slice of the tart. “You… didn’t need to do this.”

She just chuckled and rolled her eyes as she served him, “Of course I did. Knowing you, Tam, you would have worked through lunch without a second thought if I wasn’t around to drag your but to the dining room these days.” She prepared a cup for herself before sitting on the couch, “And a High Lord who neglects himself is no use to his court, you know.”

A short, huffed laugh escaped his lips before sipping his tea. Warmth spread through his body as he breathed in deeply, a rush of calm settling over his aching muscles at the scent of lemon and mint. “She’s always like this,” he thought to himself, “Making sure I don’t brood myself into oblivion.” He took a fork full of the lemon-blueberry tart, the citrus custard hitting his tongue with a refreshed sigh.

Selena hummed into her tea before setting it down with a clink, “So I had a request…”

“Oh?” His brow raised, curiously.

She cleared her throat “I would like… to do your.… hair.”

Tamlin’s emerald eyes widened as he blinked at the female before him, “Excuse me?”

She traced her fingers over the embroidered fabric beneath her, cheeks beginning to heat. After a deep inhale, Selena looked up at him once more, “I think it’d be a good way to relax. And I like your hair… so I thought that maybe, if it’d be alright with you, I’d like to play with it.”

Laughter rumbled out of him in disbelief before leaning back in his chair, gripping the arms. “Your idea of a break is… to play with my hair?” He chuckled, “Gods help me, the ideas you come up with.”

“Is that a no?”

“No,” he grinned.

She sat up and smiled brightly “Good! Then afterwards, we can go for a walk in the garden. How does that sound?”

“Lovely,” he nodded.

The pair made their way to Selena’s chambers in the East Wing of the manor. She swung the door open and gave a slight bow as her other arm extended to direct him towards the chair in front of her vanity, “Please take a seat, my Lord.” She chuckles, watching as he sits, the mischief in her eyes already beaming at the thought of touching those golden strands. She took her place behind him and carefully removed the tie that bound his hair lazily in a half done messy bun earlier while he had been focusing on court documents.

Selena smiled as she worked her fingers through his silken strands “Just relax, alright?” She massaged his scalp before picking up her brush from the vanity and began brushing back his soft waves.

A sound mixed between a groan and a sigh rumbled from Tamlin as she worked, his posture loosening almost immediately, “Mm… If I had known this came with a massage, I would have let you corner me into this silliness weeks ago.” His eyes fluttered shut as she relaxed into her touch.

The brush moved through his hair with practiced strokes. Glancing into the mirror, she couldn’t help but admire how handsome he looked with his hair down, flowing just to his shoulder blades.

A smile stretched on her lips as she worked, brushing his hair into a slick back style with gentle ease “Your hair is soft…” she murmured softly. “Now let’s see what style I think will suit you best.” She guided her brush down through his hair, watching as it moved beneath her hand, all the way down between his shoulder blades. For a male with a body toned to be a honed warrior, there was a softness to him that she appreciated. Tamlin could be gruff, broody, stubborn, and grumpy as a beast some days, but he could also be quite lovely when he was comfortable. A quiet charm that only his closest friends seemed to witness, because in truth, despite all the training and fighting, Tamlin had the heart of a bard. If fate had been different, he and Lucien would probably be traveling through Prythian right now. Tamlin with his fiddle and poems, and Lucien with his wit and the cunning way he spins engaging tales. They would have been the talk of the taverns if things were different. Selena knew though, in his heart of hearts, her beloved longed to feel that peace for a moment between duty and expectations of the court, and if this moment of playful mischief could give that to him, so be it.

She put the brush back down on the vanity before gently opening a small wooden jewelry box of trinkets. “I had Alis find a few things that might suit you.” She picked up a golden hairpin designed to look like vines of laurel leaves. Her nimble fingers begin to slowly weave the hairpin into the back of his hair, gathering the golden threads she just brushed out. His hair was still mostly down, but his hair was slicked back and partially pulled back to be out of his face with the laurel hairpin holding everything together. She picks up a hand mirror and angles it just right behind him so he can see himself at every angle with the trifold mirror “How does the first style look?”

His golden hair gleamed under the late morning light dancing through her windows, swept up and half-bound with the laurel pin. Elegant and regal, but it didn’t make him look delicate; more like a fae lord from a ballad.

He studied his reflection with quiet thought. “It’s strange,” he finally spoke, “how something so simple can change how I see myself…”

She chuckled as she placed the hand mirror back on the vanity table, “Well, this is only the beginning so sit tight. I have some other styles I want to try.” She picked the brush up again and started removing the laurel pin before slowly gathering his hair once more. Sectioning off some strands on the side, she pushes the rest over his shoulder to stay out of the way as she begins making braids on either side of his head. As her fingers weave the silken gold, she lightly hums to herself happily. Once the braids were done, she took a verdant hair tie into one hand as she gathered all his hair together into a sleek high ponytail, and using the glimmering hair to hold it together. She left some of his hair to create a sweeping bang and a couple of strands fell near his delicate arched ears. She picks up the hand mirror once again to show him.

He stilled under her careful touch before observing her work once again in the mirror. A small grin tugged on his lips, “Well, if I didn’t know better, maybe I should hire you to do my hair every morning.” He turned his head to get a better look at the braids, “Is this what you’ll be parading me around in the garden or are you saving your best work for last?” It was a strong look that would probably be excellent for sword training with the sentries.

She grinned as she looked at her work in the mirror, twisting the ends of his ponytail between her fingers as she leaned in from behind him “oh, my love, I’m just getting started. Bron and Hart might not recognize you by the time I’m done,” her tone teasing.

Tamlin huffed a laugh, low and amused. The high ponytail pulled his features tighter, sharper; making his cheekbones more defined, and jawline more pronounced. He looked striking in a way that didn’t just say High Lord, but commander, warrior, leader, with just enough softness to hint at the poet beneath the surface. “If Bron and Hart don’t recognize me, I expect you to take full responsibility for any confusion among the ranks,” he smirked into the mirror. He tilted his head, admiring her work, “I may have to wear this one again the next time I’m in the training ring.”

She laughed and shook her head, positioning his head just where she wanted it to look forward in the mirror, “Now now, enough jokes. Time for the finishing style.” Determination as she gripped the brush. She readjusted the braids she previously put in as his hair fell from the ponytail. She took the braids and loose hair to weave them all together into a long elegant braid. She tugged on the hairs to make it nice and full as she went before tying it off with a hair tie with a gilded floral charm adorned with an emerald in the center of the bloom. “This charm is nice because the emerald matches your eyes.” She hummed as her fingers continued to work, adding gold rings, clips, and jeweled charms to the braids throughout his head. Once she was done, she carefully laid the braid over his shoulder to fall over his chest. “Simple but lovely, with a bit of sparkle.”

A warm, amused huff escaped him, “Mother above, you want me to sparkle now?” He scanned the new look in the mirror and gave an approving nod, “You did well. Definitely says High Lord of Spring, wouldn’t you say?” He rubbed his chin with a large hand.

Selena placed her hands on his shoulders and leaned into his back, smiling into the mirror. “Wonderful! Now, Tam, shall we go on our stroll and maybe even have our lunch brought to the garden today for a picnic?”

“Well, well, well…” a familiar amused chuckle from the fiery haired fox met their ears as Selena and Tamlin walked into the lush blooming garden. Lucien had been waiting for them, eager to see the results of Selena’s handwork that she promised. He took a lazy step towards Tamlin before circling him once as his golden eye whirred, taking in each detail of the braised and assorted accessories, “Well I’ll be damned, Tam. You really let her do it, huh?” He put a warm hand on his long time friend’s shoulder, giving it a soft squeeze, “You look good.”

Tamlin’s gold flecked eyes rolled at the amusement in Lucien’s voice, smugness creeping into his smirk. “Jealous?” he teased.

“Jealous?” he laughed, shaking his head, before fingered lifting the delicate golden braid over Tamlin’s shoulder, letting it fall back on to his chest, “Now what makes you think that?”

Tamlin straightened, feeling a surge of confidence he hasn’t quite felt in a long while. He flashed a fanged grin at the red haired male, “Maybe because after seeing Lena’s handiwork, you already can’t seem to keep your hands off me.”

Lucien’s jaw dropped the second the last word of Tamlin’s joke left his lips. He burst into laughter again, combing his vermillion locks back in astonishment, “Cauldron boil me. Are you trying to turn Tam into the court’s next heartthrob, Lena? Because if the courtiers see this, there will be duels.”

“Lucien…” the golden beast rumbled, but there was no real annoyance.

Selena gave an exasperated huff, hands on her hips, “You’re a menace, Luci. And I say that with complete love.” She placed one hand over her heart. “Maybe I should do your hair next?”

The two males exchanged a look and laughed before each extending an arm to Selena.

“Now, shall we go on that stroll?” Tamlin’s smile softened towards her.

“Ah yes, I heard the servants saying we were having lunch in the garden today. This should be interesting.” Lucien grinned down at her.

She hummed and looped her arms with both of them, squeezing their toned biceps, “Yes, let’s be off. I can’t wait to see what the kitchen has prepared today!” She let out a small giggle before the trio set off towards the fresh blooms of roses, hydrangeas, and irises that seemed to just get brighter around them.

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