new to the touch

"How did she react?"

"We'll just go out on Friday, she's got work tomorrow."

"Nice, I'll tell Lia the news."

A restaurant overlooking the city, a gentle breeze flowing beside them, large marble columns of the old building mostly protecting them from the wind's warmth. His blue shirt was the exception, just as the ears of his pit bull, Wayne, who was tired of sleeping in the car, decided to sleep on the grass by their table and checked up on the two from time to time.

"You know, the city lights could be different..." — said Lex.

"Huh?"

"Imagine if you were an emperor back in the day. Like Napoleon or some Chinese general. Right now we look over the city, and all the lights are electric, the sky is contaminated with the flood of them, bright, not warm, not natural..."

"I love your high mumbling."

"... But, back in the day..." — A piece of cheesecake went down Lex's mouth. — "... Imagine, your army has conquered a city a week ago, your generals occupy the castle, planning further moves, your army is doing some rebuilding in the city so that the citizens are at least not that mad that you conquered them (let's say you are a moralist conquerer). You decided to go out on a ride, looking over the city from the hills that surrounded it. You sit on your horse, and look over the city... Imagine it's this one... All the light there is actual fire. Be it from a lamp or a torch. Imagine how that looks. Especially considering the fact that you just conquered it..."

Yeah, it probably looked different. Looked grandiose. An emperor, a conquerer, looked majestic, always held his head high, sitting on his magnificent, royal horse. Whenever he led his army towards their next objective, whenever he gave a great speech in front of his people — he looked indomitable, larger than life. But, in that moment, when his generals were away, when his guards were not directly by his side, but further back... Did he hold his head high? Was his back straight? Did his horse look 'royal'? Likely not.

In the moment, the horse was just his horse. The first horse he ever sat on, the horse that taught him how to ride, the one he trusts to be fast and stable in any conditions, one that is his most trusted companion. And in the moment, it likely understood the thoughts of an emperor, burdened by his success.

"Yeah, it probably looked great..." — he said.

The emperor was almost always successful. As a child, as a young adult, in his studies and with ladies, later, in the politics of the court. Then, as a conqueror. Exceptional is what everyone knows his achievements as. Failure was not allowed...

He was cursed by his competence. Was he mediocre, a slight failure would be normal — everyone makes mistakes. He was not. His excellence was considered a normality: all mistakes, no matter how slight, were an anomaly, they planted seeds of doubt in his court. He was scolded for them by others' looks and by himself in his reflections...

"I like the smell of pine trees here."

"I do too... Wanna go home?"

"Yeah, let's go. Catch a taxi, I'm gonna pay."

Lex went out to bargain down to a not-so-egregious price for the ride.

Wayne was standing next to his owner as he was chatting up the owner of the restaurant. His eyes signalled a question.

"Tomorrow, Wayne, tomorrow. Lia is still probably waiting at home. You aren't going to be mad at me, are ya?"

"I'll sleep through it." — The dog's eyes said.