A Queen's Request
Like a stranger peering through a secret opening at an unsuspecting subject, I watch with intoxicating amazement as thick ink spills across multiple soft ivory-colored pages and effortlessly fills the small black writing book. “‘To prepare is half the victory!’” the wrinkled merchant said as I pulled the book from the dusty shelf and tucked it into my basket. “Yes, of course,” I responded after a momentary stare without knowing why. I had stumbled upon his shop much by accident. Lost after incorrectly taking a left at the apothecary, the piles of neatly stacked books visible through the iron-framed window were a welcome sight.
