A Time of Tigers - From Peasant to Emperor
Chapter 1371 - 1371: Secrets of the Past - Part 1

"A very muddy game from the looks of it," Oliver said. "Would you not say our splashing in the mountain stream was a game as well? If I recall, you were quite unhappy to get your feet wet."

Nila pulled a face. "Maybe… It was certainly fun. But that seemed just like us being silly, rather than a game."

"I wonder if there's really at all a difference," Oliver said, resting his chin on his hand. He frowned all of a sudden, recognizing the strange direction the conversation had taken. "I wonder why it felt like I was saying something so profound there, when we weren't truly saying anything at all."

The little red-haired woman shrugged, as she came once more by his side. "Isn't it fun to think on strange things sometimes? As busy as I am these days, it seems like everything has a routine. It's rare that I will start a day not knowing what am I going to do."

"And what do you intend to do tomorrow?" Oliver said. "For right now, you look about fifteen minutes away from ending up the same way as Lasha."

He pointed to the Blackthorn woman, who was by now fully curled up on the sofa, her chest rising and falling in the slow rhythms of sleep.

"Tomorrow…" Nila said, stifling another yawn. "Well, I suppose if I'm going home early now, I'll come and visit you tomorrow, perhaps around mid morning. Do you suppose that you'll be free?"

"I ought to be," Oliver said. "It depends on Volguard, I suppose… and Greeves seems like he might want my attention at some point. But for now, mid morning seems like it might work. I'll have the servants cook the rabbits you brought, eh? How does that sound."

"It sounds delicious," Nila said with a giggle. "Okayyyy, I really am tired after all. I'm going to escape, Ser Patrick."

"Ah… I would prefer that you did not call me that," Oliver said, whining ever so slightly, as she jokingly called him by his full title. It brought to mind too much the coolness that she showed him, when her fear was at its worst.

Nila bit her lip guiltily, but forced a smile back on her lips. "True. I'll call you by who you are, Oliver. I'm going to go now. Don't stay up too late, okay? It will be unfair if you're all sleepy in the morning."

"Good night, Nila," Oliver said back.

Just as Nila reached the door, Blackthorn's attendants in Pauline and Amelia came knocking. The two crossed paths, and exchanged the smallest of bows. Nila put a finger to her lips, and pointed to the sleeping Blackthorn on the sofa, and warned them to keep quiet.

Amelia raised her eyebrows, and tiptoed in curiously, to catch a glance at her sleeping Lady, whilst Pauline heaved a heavy sigh, seeming disgruntled to have to clean up another one of her Lady's messes.

"Has she been asleep long, Ser Patrick?" Pauline asked him quietly, as Amelia grinned at the sleeping Blackthorn.

"Only a short while," Oliver told her.

"…Even if you are her Lord, I do not think it would be appropriate to leave her sleeping here with you," Pauline said.

"Ah, but it would be a shame to move her so soon. She's finally found the perfect spot," Oliver said.

"I wonder if you realize how much you make my Lady sound like a cat?" Pauline said, wrinkling her nose.

"You two can join us, can you not? There will be no issues in conduct then," Oliver said. "It will merely be a cat sleeping by the fire, and her two owners watching over her."

"I take a thousand issues with what you just said, Ser Patrick…" Pauline said, just barely managing to refrain from shouting. "But… It would seem that I have no other option… The Lord my Lady has chosen to serve is as troublesome as she is. Ah… How did this all happen?"

Despite what Nila had said, Oliver did not sleep until late, and he did not sleep well in the least. He awoke with a groan, holding his head, feeling like he had spent the night drinking. Dawn was already here. If he stayed in any later, he'd soon enough have a servant knocking on his door, informing him of the various meetings he would have to attend.

He had stayed until late in the living room, reading the first volume of the First King's books. He'd begun his reading right in the heart of the third volume – since that was where Skullic had been reading – and only after spending a few hours delving into that had he worked up the interest to start from the very beginning.

There had been such a spark of comfortable pleasantness that he'd been unable to tear himself away from it. Blackthorn had not stirred in her sleep for several hours, even when the servants came in to restock the fire right in front of her. It was amusing to see them walk on their tiptoes, with the greatest amount of gentleness, fearful of awakening the sleeping Lady.

But all of them – even in their fear – had not been able to hold back their smiles. With an arm draped her eyes, hiding most of the light from them, Lasha Blackthorn had looked more innocent and defenceless than she had ever looked.

But she had not truly been thus. Amelia had watched any newcomers like a hawk from the chair that she had pulled up, but that had only lasted a few hours. Soon enough, she had fallen asleep as well, leaving Pauline to complain to Oliver, before, just past midnight, she had fallen asleep as well.

When Pauline had finally jerked awake, a few hours before dawn, and realized how late it was, and started to move with a frenzy to get Blackthorn and Amelia into their proper beds, Oliver had finally laid his reading to rest, and gone to bed himself.