A Time of Tigers - From Peasant to Emperor

"Hm…" Oliver said. "Well, there's a different type of cunning, I do suppose. Perhaps you and Greeves might see eye to eye yet."

…

…

"And how was the journey?" Nila said. "Not as bad as you were complaining it would be, I suppose?"

"…Well, I wouldn't go that far. It was fairly miserable," Oliver said. "Can you imagine how I suffered, when it took that long to get there? The horse and carriage… That is something that we need to uninvent."

"Uninvent? Is that a word?" Nila said, giggling. "How would you even go about that? You would need magic like Francis', to make the whole world forget."

"I'm surprised you're able to even say his name. Just thinking about him makes me shiver," Oliver said. "But I suppose, yes, a magic like that, to rid us of the horse and cart, and then we can all make our way around strictly on horseback alone. There'll be a lot of freedom in that."

"Well, at least you're not using your potential magical powers strictly for your own convenience," Nila said.

They didn't have long together, the two of them knew. Dawn had broken half an hour before, and in another half an hour, their respective days would begin. Oliver was dressed, as a nobleman ought to be, having begun to shift his wardrobe towards warmer garments, with the air growing cooler.

His boots were knee high, just like Nila's, on account of the growing amount of mud with the wet rain, and his jacket was long enough that it almost fell down towards the top of those very same boots.

"Heavens no. Given such magical powers, the last thing I would do is abuse them," Oliver said innocently. "Something about that look you're giving me makes me think that you might be doubting me, though."

"Hm… I wonder why that is. Perhaps it's to do with you trying to erase the horse and cart from existence, just because you had to sit down for a few days of travel?" Nila said.

Oliver grinned. He liked meeting her here, in the vicinity of her old house. Though she had a new home of her own, closer to the village centre, she spent a fair bit of her time visiting her mother, and her younger siblings. In truth, she likely stayed here more often than she did at her own home.

And here, Nila was at her best. She was in friendly territory. The coolness that she showed him when she began to grow uncomfortable was a forgotten thing. Here, he could play with her, as if there was no one closer in the world to him than she.

"How was it, then, apart from the journey?" Nila pressed, taking a step closer to him, and poking a finger at his chest. "Did you start fighting with anyone?"

"I didn't. But even saying that, you don't believe me, do you?" Oliver said.

"No, I don't," Nila replied. "Someone like you – you're always fighting. You could be in paradise, and you'd still find a way to pick a fight with someone."

"You might be getting me mixed up for Greeves, or for Judas," Oliver said.

"At times, it's hard to tell," Nila said.

"Come, I'm not nearly as cut up as Judas is. Nor do I oil my hair like Greeves," Oliver said.

"Well, you're definitely far better looking than the two of them," Nila said. "But you're the same type of person, aren't you, deep down?"

"Hm… You seem too certain of yourself this morning for me to agree with you. If you suppose I'm as bad as Greeves, then maybe I am," Oliver shrugged.

"And now I want to take it back," Nila said, driving her shoulder into him playfully, giving him something of a shove. "Do you have to make me feel so guilty?"

"I can't make you feel anything you don't want to," Oliver said.

"You can," Nila said back quietly.

"How are you really, though?" She pressed.

"Haven't I already said?"

"You looked… sad… when you got down from the carriage. There were too many people to say anything. Did nothing truly happen?" Nila asked.

"Ah. That," Oliver said. "…Hm. Nothing happened. It's just… Being there… in that man's presence… I couldn't help thinking of Dominus."

"Mm..?" Nila looked up at him searchingly.

"It's hard not to get angry about the injustices that he suffered," Oliver said. "But that was the wrong time to do it. I had thought I would be fine. At least, I didn't think it would be that which got me. I thought I would just be too quick to reach for a sword. But the anger came with a degree too much sadness for my liking.

That sort of tragedy is hard to put to rest."

"Are there any that are easy to put to rest?" Nila asked.

"…No, you are quite right," Oliver said. "None of them have been… But at least, with Dominus, I can say that he died well. As a hero. Even in death, he's a person to look up to."

"I would prefer it if you did not plan your death already," Nila said.

"Hm…" Oliver grinned at her. "Why not? You can never plan too far in advance."

"You know that isn't at all what I meant," Nila complained.

"Is your mother not up yet?" Oliver asked.

Nila shook her head. "I think she knew you would be coming… If she's awake, she's pretending to be asleep. She's awfully thoughtful in the strangest of ways… But that just makes it embarrassing."

"Ah, and here I thought your red cheeks were from the cold," Oliver said, prodding a cheek with his finger, in retaliation for Nila's earlier prod.

She grabbed at her cheeks and glared at him. "They are not red," she said with assuredness. "You can't trick me, Oliver Patrick."

"I suppose I can't," Oliver admitted. "Have you spoken to Lasha yet?"

Nila went quiet, and shook her head. "I couldn't find the time… I can't help but think that the choice she made is in part my fault. I don't know how to feel about it."

"She's a Blackthorn, Nila. You've met the father. You should know what they're like by now. No one can push a Blackthorn in any direction that they don't want to go. Can you imagine telling General Blackthorn to go left when he would rather go right?" Oliver said.