A Time of Tigers - From Peasant to Emperor-Chapter 2106: My Kingdom - Part 2

"Point taken," he said, feeling quite unwell.

"Might have been nice if you hadn’t put so much in. Thank goodness you didn’t put it all in the cookpot."

"Well..."

"You did?" Blackthorn said. "We’re just about out of supplies, Your Majesty, and you’ve wasted a full pot of stew!"

"Well – I didn’t yet. I was just about to, before you came over."

"Give it to me," she said, taking the green leaves of wild garlic from his hands. "We just need a little bit."

She sprinkled some into the main pot, then tested the stew, before sprinkling in just a slight bit more. Then she motioned for Oliver to try some, and he did. With a nod of his head, he had to admit his defeat.

"That’s a good deal better..."

"It wasn’t a bad idea though," Blackthorn said, before Oliver could grow too sullen. "It really does make the stew better."

"Indeed," Oliver said, enjoying the bowlful that she soon enough spooned out for him. "In a few weeks, this forest will be rich with bounty. That the wild garlic is out already, despite us only just leaving winter, that seems special to me. Elsewhere, it will take another couple of weeks."

"...True enough," Blackthorn said, glancing around. "It is a rather pretty place."

"Right?" Oliver said in his excitement. "A little way over there, there is a river. It might be the most beautiful place I’ve ever been to."

"Hmmmm..." Lady Blackthorn said thoughtfully, eyeing him out of the corner of her eye as she ate. "You do seem to be better off for your nighttime walk."

"I suppose so."

"But a King ought not to be wandering off alone," Lady Blackthorn said. "Especially not in the woods in the dead of night. If something were to happen to you, what would the rest of us do?"

"Nothing is going to happen to me," Oliver said.

"But if it did," Lady Blackthorn said. "There’s no one else, Your Majesty."

"I have a feeling you’re not going to like my plans for the day, then..." Oliver said.

She glared at him icily. "What are you intending to do?"

"Well, these men are not going to be moving anytime soon," Oliver said, pointing at the men that were still resting beneath their wool blankets, and the others that were up and about, but groaning from every step of movement that they took.

He did not see the point in pushing them recklessly. Yesterday, perhaps he might have. But today, things seemed brighter. There were other routes to progress that did not involve inflicting the highest level of suffering that he could on those men that he was training. Remembering how Dominus taught him told him that. Dominus was harsh, and at times what he made Beam do was difficult, but in memory, Oliver had found it rather fun. Dominus had taken care of his health, in his own quiet way.

"And?" Lady Blackthorn said. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

"I was intending to let them have the day to rest. To explore the forest – as long as they do not sully it. I will not have them cutting down greenwood pointlessly. There’s any number of dead standing trees they can use if they need wood."

"You say that as if you mean to go elsewhere," Lady Blackthorn said.

"I do intend that much," Oliver replied. "A little ride. I wish to look at this Kingdom that I have acquired more properly."

Lady Blackthorn stared at him. Her look wasn’t as harsh as what Oliver thought it might be. There was a thoughtfulness to it. An edge of relief that sat there, as if she was reading something else into Oliver’s words, other than what he’d said.

Her approval was given with a sigh. "Very well. If you are taking Nelson with you, then I suppose you shall not be so alone. And at least you are not doing it in the dead of night this time. I will take care of the men here if you wish me to."

"I was going to ask you just that," Oliver said. "You are in charge whilst I am away. It’s more men than you’ve commanded before, but I am sure you shall manage."

"If all we are doing is resting, then it shall not be a difficult task."

When he’d finished his bowl of stew, Oliver went off to see to Nelson. He’d supposed – quite rightly – it would be better to leave before the whole of his unit was off. He slipped away quietly, with practically only Lady Blackthorn looking at him.

It took a full twenty minutes before someone else made an enquiry after him. Edward came up to Lady Blackthorn with a bleary look in his eyes, cradling his neck from where he’d slept. He still looked thoroughly exhausted, yet he favoured her with a slight bow. "Good morning, Lady Blackthorn," he said. "I was wishing to speak to His Majesty, if you would permit it?"

"You will have to wait until this evening then, he is not here," Lady Blackthorn informed him.

The servant of Claudia looked rather shocked at that, and certainly, Lady Blackthorn did sympathise. "By himself, my Lady?"

She said nothing, but that was as good as an affirmative.

"But he’s the King of all these Emerson lands! And the entire country looks for his head. Is that not dangerous?"

"Perhaps," Lady Blackthorn said, not favouring him with the fullest of her attention. She stood watch, leaning against the tree, keeping a mild eye on the entirety of their encampment, taking the duty that she had accepted from Oliver as seriously as she could. "But he is not the sort of man that could stomach being chained up. If we wish for him to be our King, we must allow him too his freedom, as much as we can."

"..." Edward looked puzzled by that. He’d never heard it spoken from that direction. It was always what the King wished for from his subjects – never the subjects that wished for a certain man to continue being their King. It wasn’t the first time that he had thought it. He had seen it in the other Patrick men. But he did have to wonder, just who King Patrick was exactly, to command such loyalty from those that served him. Edward thought he had caught glimpses, but in talking to Lady Blackthorn, he was sure that he was still far from seeing the real thing.