A Time of Tigers - From Peasant to Emperor
Chapter 1887 - 1887: Blessings and Curses - Part 4

Oliver himself knew it to be a temporary high. He knew, even with all that they'd gained, as soon as the speed of it all wore off, and he was alone again, the pain would find him. As soon as he properly dwelled on the loss of Tavar, the grief of it would cut at him like a shard of glass against his heart's ventricles. And he would feel the guilt too, of having cut down a King. He would be assaulted by the chaos that he had brought, and in the weeks to come, if he was feeling particularly pessimistic, he might even come to doubt the path that he'd set out on. Even knowing that, he ignored it. He set those things aside from his mind, and would continue to do so, until he had carried out the full extent of his duties, and no more problems were there to distract him from the weight of those murkier issues.

"I feel it to be my duty to inform you properly of the situation of Ernest, and our situation," Oliver said to Prince Hendrick, speaking more seriously. The Prince straightened up expectantly.

"It would be good to know the reason behind your smile, after all…"

"The remains of Tavar's army have seen fit to join our cause," Oliver said. "The Treeant soldiers fight under my banner, and the rest of the men have declared themselves to be subordinates of Minister Hod."

Oliver didn't pause, even as he saw shock dance across Prince Hendrick's face – a man that had been trained since he was a child to keep his emotions hidden in discussions like this, and yet he stood not the slightest chance against that bombshell.

"Thusly, we see our strength increased, and naturally, you see the increased optimism with which we pursue our victory."

"Naturally…" Prince Hendrick said, hardly thinking about what he was saying. His mind was a complete whirlwind, and the speed with which Oliver spoke did nothing to settle it.

"Which points to your position all the more strongly, Prince Hendrick," Oliver said. "You have ten thousand men here, with yourself and a good trusted General. Surely you begin to see that the war swings against you? Perhaps it is time to make a decision."

"...Make a decision?" Hendrick said doubtfully. "You want me to fight with you? Fitzer would never agree to it."

Oliver pointed at him with a smile. "You know very well that isn't an excuse. You are his Prince. Whatever you say or do, he shall obey you without question."

"Then you should know it is the King that I obey, and without his orders, how am I to do something as drastic as plunging my House into war against the High King? You ask me for an impossibility."

"There is indeed something else that you might do," Oliver said. "I believe that we've built up a trust between us by now, have we not?"

"...I do not like where this is going. You have the look of a man that conspires to make another do their bidding."

"I do not conspire," Oliver said easily. "I am telling you to your face what it is I intend, and what it is we would like to have from you."

"Then why is it you that is asking me, why is it not Minister Hod, or General Blackthorn?"

"They both agreed that it is me you ought to deal with, for you and I have something of a rapport, do we not? You have shared these residences with me for a good while now," Oliver said.

"You cannot call me being held prisoner an establishing of rapport…" Hendrick said.

"No. But I think the lives of your men, that I have not used as leverage against you, nor threatened you with, might mean something?" Oliver said.

"Now you're using them as leverage," Hendrick said.

"Only in pointing out that, in a deal made between you and I, no matter how convenient it may be for me to do otherwise, I shall uphold my word," Oliver said. "Have the stakes not been as high as they could be? We almost lost the siege against Tavar for the prisoners in your Emerson colours that I have kept here. It was a tightrope that we walked in claiming victory despite that."

Hendrick pursed his lips. "...What of this position that you would ask of me, then?"

"Do you find that all things seem to happen together?" Oliver said. "Oddly enough. A large event doesn't seem to be independent. The Gods never seem satisfied with that. There's always a collective movement at once, as if they themselves are tired of stagnation… Well, forgive my tangent, but I just had to wonder why it was that today of all days we were to receive our letter from Queen Asabel – anytime before, we'd have had nothing we could do with it, for we were trapped under siege, and quickly running out of men. Any time after… and well, the thrill of victory would have begun to wear off, and the men would have been in the middle of resting. As it is now, tomorrow, we will be set to march, and I ask that you come with us. Greeves will see your men outfitted, ready for battle."

"I refuse," Prince Hendrick said. "On the grounds that you have presented to me, I refuse most strongly. I have already said, haven't I, that I refuse to get involved in your war against the High King without the permission of my father."

"Yes, indeed, you have said that," Oliver said.

"And you suppose you can threaten me in the opposite direction, is that it?" Prince Hendrick finished for him.

"Not at all," Oliver said. "I do not ask you to join me as an ally, but an emissary, dealing in the honourable duty of escorting a Queen against all the dangers that she might face upon the road to your Kingdom."

"Pardon?"