Page 34 of The Prince and His Stolen Throne
Delilah pulled the string apart to loosen the opening and peered inside. Teeny, tiny boxes piled on top of each other, somehow remaining stabilized even when she shifted the bag for a better look. “What is this?”
“Icertainly did not want to be responsible for carrying a small fortune’s worth of potions through a busy shopping center. The bag was a little expensive, but the total price for the potions was two-thirds what the other apothecary quoted you,andthey provided me with samples to check the quality.”
“They charged you less and gave you better service?” Delilah asked, her brow furrowed. “Why would they do that?”
“Shopkeepers use different tactics to make a profit. Sometimes, they have high prices to earn more money on a single sale. Other times, they charge fair prices, but provide good service, which earns them repeat customers. This apothecary”—Angelica nodded to the nearby shop—“saw my expensive clothes and guessed I was an important guest of the royal family. They gave me a business card, hoping that I will put in a good word for them at the palace. One moderate sale to me may not earn them a large profit margin, but a new contract with the Royal Family? They’ll be set for life.”
Delilah begrudgingly admitted that Angelica may have some useful qualities after all. But she didn’t say so out loud. If she kept quiet, maybe Angelica would strive to prove herself further and stop making so many nasty comments. They’d get better deals, and Delilah wouldn’t have to put up with her attitude. It was a win-win scenario. “What should we tackle next on the list?”
Glancing over it, a genuine smile spread over Angelica’s lips. “Weapons.”
Chapter Eleven
We dragged our shopping haul toward the food stalls in the center of the plaza. Enticing scents drifted from every corner: frying meat, baking bread, sweet drinks. My mouth watered as I spotted a stall named Noodle Slurprise. A long line stretched from it, winding around tables.
Ahead of us, a family vacated a large table. Fitz sped up, throwing himself into an empty seat to claim the space. Another person aiming for the table scowled and flipped him off then shuffled away to find somewhere else.
“I’ll hold down the table,” he said. “Maximus, you’re taller than either of us—see if you can find the girls somewhere in the crowd.”
Maximus nodded, expression set like he’d been given a serious mission.
“Trey, buy us some food.”
“What am I getting?” I asked, eyes wandering back to the noodle shop. The line had doubled since we’d first passed it.
“Anything, just choose wisely,” Fitz cautioned. “Long lines mean the food will be good, but my stomach is threatening to revolt if I don’t eat soon. No line means no one wants the food.”
I wandered off, hands in my pockets as I analyzed the lines. Many of the stalls sold normal foods: grilled meats, fried fish, pasta. A few sold more unique things, like squid tentacles or deep-fried butter, whatever that was.
One line had only four people, so I joined it. In only a few minutes, it was already my turn to order. Not knowing what anyone wanted, I chose one of everything that looked appealing.
The salesperson wrote it all down, took my payment, then called out, “Next!” while workers in the back busied themselves preparing the food.
In less than ten minutes, I had a full platter to carry through the thick crowd. I stepped carefully, keeping an eye on everyone. Unfortunately, the rest of the crowd didn’t show the same respect. Someone shoved their chair backwards, right into my path.
I stopped short, lifting the platter up and away so they wouldn’t bump into it and spill it everywhere, but I’d overcompensated. I started falling backwards and didn’t have any extra hands to catch myself.
A gentle hand pressed against my back, keeping me upright.
“Tha—”
“Meet me behind Almace’s in one hour,” a familiar voice whispered in my ear.
“—nks.” By the time I turned around, the apprentice had already disappeared into the crowd.
When I turned back, Maximus stood in front of me. I jumped in alarm and would have spilled food everywhere if he hadn’t grabbed the platter to steady it. Dark brows met in a concerned frown. “Are you alright?”
The back of my neck still tingled where the apprentice’s breath had brushed against it, but I shoved the feeling away and gave Maximus a tight smile. “Fine, yeah, just trying to make it to the table.”
Maximus took the platter from me and cleared a path through the crowd.
Sometime while I’d been gone, Angelica and Delilah had joined Fitz. Instead of coming back tomoreshopping bags, I’d somehow come back to fewer. Now only one small, pink leather pouch sat in the middle of the table.
Fitz had a new book in front of him, already deep into his research, so he didn’t notice my arrival.
Delilah shoved the bag aside, giving Maximus room to set down the platter. “What did you get?” she asked, leaning forward to sniff the individually wrapped sandwiches. She snatched one up and crowed with delight, “Tuna!”
Angelica poked at one of the sandwiches, pushing it around until she could read the label, then reared back in disgust. “Please tell me that’s code for something and not the actual contents of this sandwich.”
