The Ugly Duckling Of The Tiger Tribe-Chapter 334: The foundations were solid

As I sat on the cliff, the evening sun casting long organic shadows over the constructed road and the houses along the way that had been fully erected, I couldn’t help but miss him.

It had been a month. One long month without seeing his graceful body glide towards me, one long month of not feeling his warmth, and one long month of not seeing that smile he had whenever he looked at me.

Hah, a long month indeed. And now, I have to wait for one more month before he comes back to me. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Just as I was reminiscing on this, someone approached from behind. It was Thalor.

I didn’t even need to turn my head to know it was him. The humming of the crest was enough.

"Arinya," he called, and I looked over my head.

Thalor stopped. He didn’t sit down immediately but just stood there for a moment, the moisture from the sea air still clinging to his hair.

He looked a lot better than he did yesterday; that dry, gray tint to his skin was gone, replaced by his usual healthy glow, and the evening sun reflected exceptionally on his tanned chest. Makes me want to drool.

"Did you enjoy your time at the sea?" I asked, looking up at him from my spot on the grass.

He had left before dawn, mentioning some business at the coast. He hadn’t been specific, but I figured a month on dry land was starting to take a toll on him.

"It was... refreshing," Thalor said, his voice regaining that smooth, melodic ring. "The salt helps. I could feel the land drawing the life out of me these past few days."

"I noticed," I muttered, chuckling just a little to make my next words seem like a complete joke. "You were starting to look a bit like a piece of dried leather. I was worried you’d flake away before we finished the first house."

Thalor gave a small, quiet smile. Then, he reached into a pouch at his waist and pulled out a handful of smooth, blue stones that seemed to hold a faint chill even in the evening heat.

"I went for these," he said, holding them out. "They are from the deep shelf. If we put them in the walls of the sleeping rooms, they’ll keep the air cool during the peak of summer. Limestone holds heat, Arinya. You’ll need these if you want to sleep comfortably."

I took one, feeling the cold seep into my palm. He’d gone all the way to the coast and back just to find a way to air-condition the houses during the hot summers.

It was quite thoughtful. And I appreciated it.

"Thanks," I said, looking at the stone. "You’re getting pretty good at this ’building a kingdom’ thing."

"I told you I would be of use," he replied and stood by my side, but kept a respectful distance. "It has been a month. How is the heart holding up?"

"It’s fine," I lied, though we both knew the crest on my wrist probably told him otherwise. "One month down, one to go. Damar should be either heading back right about now or still negotiating with the Rabbits. Once the rabbits are ready, they’ll be coming back soon."

I looked toward the village. The first row of stone houses was actually standing. They weren’t perfect, but they were solid. Oryn and the beavers were already arguing over the roof pitch for the next one.

Cute.

"You have changed this place, Arinya," Thalor murmured, watching the workers head back for the evening meal. "A month ago, they were just beasts in the dirt. Now look at them."

"Yeah," I whispered, peering at the horizon. "Though there’s still a long way to go,"

The silence on the cliff was different now. It wasn’t the defensive silence of a month ago when I told him to ’wait for me’ and ’be by my side as so much more’.

It was heavy, settled with the weight of all the limestone we’d hauled and the roads we’d carved out of the dirt.

I looked at the houses standing in the distance. I looked at the white roads, and then I closed my eyes.

The foundations were solid.

The palace groundwork was done. We had moved past the ’impossible’ phase and into the steady grind of building a large home. And through all of it, Thalor had been there—my detector, my architect, my silent shadow.

I had made him wait. I had used his strength and his strange, deep connection to the earth to build my dream, all while keeping him at arm’s length.

"Thalor," I called softly, turning to him. "I’ve made you wait a long time, haven’t I?"

His eyes widened, the violet depths shimmering with a sudden, breathless uncertainty. He didn’t answer right away, his throat working as he searched my face for the catch.

He’d been the chief cornerstone of this entire project, the one piece I couldn’t have built without, but he was still just standing on the edge of the circle.

I didn’t give him a chance to overthink it. I reached out and grabbed his hand, the coolness of his skin seeping into my warm hand. And then, with a firm tug, I pulled him down onto the thick spring grass.

He came down easily, his back hitting the grass right away. He probably didn’t put up any resistance; that’s why it was so easy to get him down.

This fool.

As we lay there, the sun was already setting on the horizon, ushering in the darkness.

I shifted, pressing my head against his chest and listening to his heart beat. Or rather, I was hiding my face.

What would I have done without his help?

I would’ve probably looked for another way to get things done, but then it wouldn’t have been as fast.

"Thank you," I whispered. "Thank you, Thalor. For everything."

I could feel his heart pressed against my forehead. It wasn’t steady; it was frantic, a rapid thrum-thrum-thrum like a bird trapped in a cage.

He went completely still, his hands hovering in the air over me, hesitant. He looked like he wanted to wrap his arms around me, to finally hold the anchor he’d been following for weeks, but he seemed terrified that if he moved, the moment would shatter.

I didn’t wait for him to find his courage, though. I lifted my head, my eyes locking onto his. I could see the reflection of the first stars already glittering in his pupils, mixed with a raw, aching devotion that made my own heart squeeze.

Then, I leaned up and kissed him.

It wasn’t a tentative kiss. It was the answer to a month of waiting, a silent pact that went beyond limestone and roads.

His lips were cool, tasting of the sea and the evening mist, but as the shock wore off, they turned warm and desperate against mine.

His hands finally dropped, his fingers tangling in my hair as he pulled me closer. The crest on my wrist began to glow, a steady, pulsing blue light that matched the rhythm of our hearts.

The ’one week’ was long gone. The foundations were laid. And as the wind whistled, the West Way wasn’t just growing houses anymore, it was growing a family that I was finally ready to claim.