A Time of Tigers - From Peasant to Emperor

"Jorah, name your price, and I'll draw up a contract for you," Oliver said. "Any price. Your concerns are realistic ones, sensible ones. It would be to my great benefit to have someone like you in my employ, and so I am willing to make whatever accommodations you ask for, happen."

"12 golds, yearly wage. I want this year's in full, despite us being halfway through. I want 13 golds a year for Karesh, since he is more experienced, and 12 for Kaya, both with the same conditions as mine, upfront. Then, I want your word, before a God of your choosing, that we may refuse whatever orders you give us that lie outside of our duty," Jorah said.

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By the time he was done, he was half turned away, expecting that to be the end of negotiations.

"Done," Oliver said. "My retainer Verdant had a cabin a distance away, and likely knows more about these matters than I. Should we head there for the conclusion of business?"

"Wait wait wait, Ser… You're agreeing to that?" Karesh asked, incredulous. Anyone would think that he was the one paying.

"Is that so surprising?" Oliver asked.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"Well, yeah…" Karesh said. "Being honest with you Ser, we're not exactly the cream of the crop… 'cept Jorah. He's pretty smart. But he's smart in a useless way, y'know, so no one really sees it. This is the sort of gold you give to the best of men."

Oliver nodded at that. "Then I will forge you into the best of men," he said with a wolfish smile, a flicker of gold passing through his grey eyes. "If Oliver Patrick is to have an army, then these soldiers will be the most dangerous men on campus."

After those words, when he turned to go, the men followed behind without a single complaint, sharing looks with each other, as though they didn't know quite what to think.

…

…

"Well, I suppose it's quite doable, my Lord, even with the current state of your finances," Verdant said. Oliver had made it clear that he wasn't too bothered about the boy's hearing just how dire his circumstances were.

"But if your purse is only that large, how can you expect to pay us?" Jorah pointed out.

"That's the gold from Nebular?" Oliver asked, noticing a coin pouch on the table. Verdant had said he would pick it up. In response to his question, the priest nodded.

"They're all there, my Lord," Verdant said.

If the three yellow-shirted boys thought it odd that a noble of the Idris family was referring to Oliver as 'my Lord' they didn't voice it.

"Then I have all I need to pay your wages for the year. I will set that coin aside, and ensure you receive a monthly amount of the total, proportionate with the number of months that we have left. How many months are there left, Verdant?"

"Five of this year, my Lord," Verdant said. "Which would make the monthly wage for the two younger students 2 golds and 4 silvers. For the older one, it would be 2 golds and 6 silvers."

Oliver nodded in agreement. One of the few beneficial side effects of his mathematics lectures was that simple sums like this were becoming increasingly quick for him to solve, even if he still hardly understood most of the more complicated things that they were being taught.

"Then we'll pay them this month's wage once the contracts are signed, and then I'll set aside the rest of it somewhere, so even if my finances fall completely apart, you'll still be paid. Where would be a good place to set it aside?"

"There are banks," Verdant suggested.

All that Oliver had ever heard of banks had come from Greeves, and he'd never said a pleasant word to say about them. 'Bigger thieves than actual bandits' was one of the lines that Oliver recalled.

"I don't know how that works… Do you think you could hang on to it, Verdant? It's not like you'll ever run out of coin," Oliver said.

"But he's your retainer, is he not, Ser?" Jorah said. "Besides, it's not even the pay that I'm particularly worried about. I trust that you'll get that to us regardless, it's other things…"

"Lasha?" Oliver asked instead. The girl had been sitting quietly at the table thus far, sipping her tea. Jorah and the other two had wondered why she was there, and Oliver was still wondering the same thing, but she had yet to say anything, and neither Pauline nor Amelia showed any indication of getting her to leave. They were quietly watching the proceedings, feigning disinterest.

"Yes?" She asked, blinking at him daintily. With an appearance like hers, it was the sort of gesture that could make a man's heart shatter, but Oliver dismissed it for the illusion it was, knowing just what sort of awkward predatory little cat lay underneath it.

"Do you fancy acting as the intermediary there..?" Oliver asked. Even as he said it it seemed like a terrible idea.

"Oh? And why would I do that?" There it was, straight for the jugular, whilst wearing her most innocent face. None looked more pleased than Amelia. Oliver had to resist throwing the cushion he was sitting on at her.

"Do not worry, my Lord," Verdant said. "I can set it up with the banks. They'll charge a small fee, perhaps 2 silvers? But they'll ensure the money reaches them each month."

Oliver sighed. "I suppose that will do."

He heard Lasha tut. Hadn't she just refused him? Why was she acting disappointed?

"So, that's sorted, I suppose…" Oliver said. "What was the next part? You wanted me to swear to some God or other?"

For some reason, Jorah still didn't look happy. Karesh and Kaya looked equal parts excited and equal parts confused. They were glancing around the room, at Peter, at the tea that he'd given them at the table, and then at the two retainers that sat in the corner. Kaya's gaze must have lingered a bit too long, for Amelia caught him.