"Daphne, what are you holding? A stack of paper?" Princess Calia had just gone to see His Majesty. Seeing her father's worried face, as though he had aged ten years in just a few days, much of the resentment she had felt over his arranging her marriage had faded.
Father really has grown old!
Although he was only in his forties, years of hard work had left him truly exhausted. Fortunately, her younger brother had begun helping govern the kingdom in recent years, and her father's health had improved somewhat.
Sir Uther the Lightbringer had suggested several times that he could try helping her father channel the Holy Light, as its nourishing purification might improve his health, but her father had never agreed.
Still, having a Paladin for a son made him very happy!
"Your Highness, this is a novel Nicholas wrote about the Orcs' War. It's so good! Nicholas asked me to bring it for you to read. You'll definitely like it!" The little maid hurriedly set the stack of paper on the table, her smiling face flushed and full of...
Romance?
"Oh? Nicholas can write novels too? He's still a child. Perhaps he's jealous of all the gold Master Trouvere has earned and wants to try it himself? Writing novels isn't that easy. I wrote one about Uncle Turalyon last year, and even Arthas thought it wasn't any good!" Princess Calia casually picked up a sheet of paper.
She was a princess with a royal education and understood the etiquette expected of her. Since it had been sent to her, she naturally had to read it and form an opinion of its quality.
"That's not true! Nicholas's writing is really good! It's even better than Master Trouvere's!" the little maid hastily argued.
Princess Calia smiled. Has Daphne fallen in love? Does she like Nicholas?
That made sense. Nicholas was good-looking, could read and write, and was also an exceptionally gifted apprentice rogue with a bright future ahead of him. Over the past two days, she had already heard several noblewomen mention Nicholas. They all wanted to meet this talented young man and see whether he had enough potential.
"Hmm, his prose is this good? It really is no worse than Master Trouvere's, though the wording is a little plain." Princess Calia nodded, surprise filling her expression.
Never mind a fifteen-year-old boy-even those learned court scholars who spent all year shut away in the royal library probably only wrote this well, didn't they?
How impressive!
"Of course Nicholas is amazing! He's the best!" the little maid said defiantly.
Princess Calia smiled. She, too, had once been a young girl dreaming of love, but those days were long past. Because of that failed engagement, although she still yearned and longed for love, she knew very well that hardly anyone would dare ask her father for her hand. She might very well never marry!
"This passage about Sir Lothar bringing Stormwind City's refugees to Southshore is so well written! It unfolds so naturally, yet makes you feel as though you're really there. As you read, you can't help feeling as though you're seeing the scene back then. Did Nicholas really write this?" Princess Calia was thoroughly astonished and could hardly believe it.
Could a fifteen-year-old boy really write a novel like this? Even a twenty-five-year-old couldn't, could he?
"Of course Nicholas wrote it! I watched him write every single word! Nicholas must be a young scholar! Perhaps he's even a bard greater than Master Trouvere! I think he'll write an epic!" The little maid looked proud, as though she had written it herself.
"Remarkable, truly remarkable! This passage about Sir Lothar coming to the palace to meet Father leaves out quite a lot, but the broad course of events is entirely correct. It seems our little Nicholas has quite a background, to even know all this. Although it isn't exactly secret, it's still very impressive!" Princess Calia marveled.
Before she knew it, she had finished the last page. She reached for the next sheet, but there were no more.
"That's all?" Princess Calia paused, then smiled. "Of course. Writing this much in a single afternoon is already remarkable. It seems Nicholas didn't come up with it on the spot. Perhaps he finished writing this novel long ago!"
The little maid hurriedly widened her eyes and asked, "Your Highness, is it good? Tomorrow I'll go urge Nicholas to write the next part, then bring it to you!"
Princess Calia smiled. "Tomorrow, bring him along with you. Our little Nicholas had more in mind when he asked you to bring these to me! Even if I don't summon him, he'll come to see me tomorrow!"
Because there had been two assassination attempts, Princess Calia had assigned two more guards. Four guards patrolled around Jiang Jie's room. Even a high-level rogue would have been unable to slip inside without alerting them.
Jiang Jie finally had a good night's sleep.
Early the next morning, Jiang Jie took his remaining seven gold coins to the herb shop and bought a large pile of herbs.
These herbs were very cheap, since they were all common herbs, generally made into ordinary potions and sold to commoners to treat minor external injuries, colds, and the like. Their prices were low, nowhere near those of mageroyal or stranglekelp.
One gold coin bought him a large bag.
Back at his lodgings, Jiang Jie discovered a very serious problem:
There was no hot water, and he couldn't find a bathtub or wooden tub large enough!
With no other choice, Jiang Jie had to ask the little maid for help.
"What? You want a bath? Doesn't Lordaeron have several public bathhouses? What? You want an herbal bath? What on earth is an herbal bath? Bathing in these herbs? Little brother, have you gone mad? You'll get sick!" The little maid looked at Jiang Jie as though he were mentally ill.
"I'm not mad. Here's the thing: didn't I tell you I was an apprentice alchemist? My teacher developed a formula for improving physical fitness. Bathing in these herbs will make your body very strong!" Jiang Jie hurriedly put his mind to work and invented an explanation.
"Is that so? All right. Although you've already wasted ten gold coins' worth of lesser mana potions and another ten gold coins' worth of mageroyal and stranglekelp, I believe you! But this is the last time, and I have to watch it myself! If it doesn't work again, you won't be allowed to waste money anymore!" This time, the little maid was very firm.
"All right, all right, I'll do as you say, okay?" Helpless, Jiang Jie shrugged.
Only after Jiang Jie agreed did the little maid nod happily in satisfaction. "Her Highness happens to want to see you, so let's go to her place! She has a large wooden bathing tub. We'll ask to borrow it!"
Princess Calia wants to see me?
Jiang Jie was startled, but quickly understood. Does Princess Calia want to read the next part? And has she guessed my intentions? She's a princess with the best education, not a fool. On the contrary, she's smarter than most people!
Soon, the two arrived at the princess's residence.