Trouble at the Traveling Market

Oliver blinked, and his face went totally blank for a moment, save for a slight twitching of his nose, until suddenly he burst out in a rumbling laughter. He had never seen a Princess act so crudely! His hysterics died down, and he was serious once again.

"Alright then, Ma'am, why did you not take action against even the pettiest of problems? Don't get up on your high horse-" He paused, realizing that the arrogantly beautiful woman was a halfling, and that expression was politically incorrect. "What I mean is..." Oliver furrowed his brow, at a loss for words.

"Grow up." He managed to spit out before covering his mouth with his hands. Had he really just said that?

Oliver looked down at his feet, embarrassed. He took a step back, and looked the halfling in the eyes. She was right, of course. He had no business meddling in the affairs of this country. He tried his hardest to muster up a genuine smile.

"You are right in that assumption, I am a stranger to this land, and am not accustomed to your ways, nor do I have any authority. But these flowers..." He picked up the fullest, most beautiful, dusk colored rose on the table and presented it to the Princess. "Do you not see? It was a living, growing thing once, more beautiful and rare than the most precious jewels, and smelling lovelier than the most expensive of perfumes. I believe that you strongly underestimate the importance of all life, even the smallest and seemingly most insignificant parts of it. You are lucky. You can take things such as this rose for granted. You should appreciate and value every flower while you can." He finished his speech, and sighed. It really was a beautiful flower.

Oliver was taken aback. Her tone had definitely changed. He straightened his posture, rolled his shoulders, and looked her over. He bit his bottom lip as he considered her offer.

"Of course. What would you suggest?" He questioned in a graceful tone. His mind was going dark places...but how could he refuse the princess?

He shook his head. "Not at all. Forgive me, but I haven't caught your name. I'm Oliver." He offered up a toothy grin. He was genuinely intrigued by her. She had some sort of spark, a strange beauty that he was not accustomed to. He had never met a halfling before, and certainly hadn't expected them to be this...interesting. He laughed quietly to himself as they neared what appeared to be the entrance to the gardens.

"Antonella..." He whispered to himself, as though her name was some wondrous incantation. He gazed up at the setting sun, his eyes perfectly matching the picturesque sky. A small cat pounced out of a well-manicured hedge, and began to play with the ties on Oliver's shoes. He laughed, shaking his foot around and making a game out of it. After a while, he picked up the creature and held it out in front of Antonella.

"Do you know this cat?" He asked.

Oliver abruptly put the animal down, and shooed it away. "I'm so sorry! Are you alright?" He asked anxiously. He mentally slapped himself. He really wasn't good with girls. Scratch that, any time he'd even attempted courting anyone, it had quickly turned catastrophic. He slightly shivered as dusk grew closer.

"So!" Oliver announced. He was going to give this his best shot. "Where is your favorite area in this garden? It's quite a beautiful place. The sunset is pretty breathtaking from here." He crossed his fingers behind his back, hoping to conjure up some discussion instead of sitting in awkward silence. He hoped that there would be light in the sky, at least for a little bit longer. Silently he prayed that he would not simply dissipate into the darkness, like he had every night since the completion of his transformation. "please, don't make me disappear..."

...What did she mean by that? Oliver looked around. Sure, this part of the garden was pretty, but comparatively, it wasn't so special.

"What's so special about it?" He asked, head tilted. He didn't understand. Was Antonella blushing? She seemed nervous, and that put him on edge. He didn't like not being in the loop.

As Antonella began stumbling over her words, Oliver began to understand. He smiled widely. She was absolutely adorable when she was flustered. Oliver laughed a little, and turned to face her. Should he..? He sighed. He was definitely not the forward type, but his time was growing short. He glanced at the sky, which was quickly shifting from a dark lavender to a deadly blue. He looked Antonella in the eyes, and brushed away some of her dark hair. It was surprisingly soft to the touch. He stepped towards her, filling the gap between them. Gently, he encased her dainty hand in his...

and was tugged into the black night.

He coughed audibly, so she would know he still existed...but where?

"...I know..."He murmured. He was shocked that she hadn't thrown him out. Weren't they enemies? He wasn't sure of anything anymore. He laughed as she searched for him in the darkness, finding his other hand. That shocked him a bit. After all, he was the darkness. He bended into the shadows like watercolor paint.

"I shouldn't be here..." Oliver said with a voice full of regret.

Oliver had to laugh at that. Evil genius? Certainly not. He pulled Antonella closer, and whispered in her ear.

"I won't hurt you. Pinky promise." He smiled as he hooked his pinky finger around her own. Oliver glanced around. Was anyone looking? The Princess must look possessed. He looked up at the stars, which were exceptionally bright, and then back at Antonella. Sighing, he let her finger go and placed one hand on her shoulder.