The Unexpected - Part 2

"Tell that to the state that you left the faces of those poor gentlemen in," Nila said, almost scoldingly, but Oliver had been quick to see her hidden relief earlier. She'd come sprinting from her own matches to ask after him in a high voice, only to find him sat with his men, sipping his fruit tea, with hardly a scratch on his armour.

"You've done far better than I," Oliver told her, flopping a hand onto her head. "All the way to the finals you've gone, haven't you? I'm sorry I wasn't there to watch it."

She let him pat her head for a second, glaring him down with complete distaste, but Oliver knew she didn't hate it entirely. Then she swatted away the palm, and pointed a finger at him. "Don't act like that in public, you fool. You're going to embarrass all of us."

"Yes, yes," Oliver said. "Lasha, you've yet to tell me more than the fact of her success. How did she do?"

"…Well," Lasha offered. "She did well."