The Princess and The Sorcerer

6- The Little Project

Chapter 6

After Zorander has been gone from the castle for a week, Annaliese decides she is ready to visit his lonely tower. She promised to keep it in order after all.

At the top of the stairs she removes the key hidden in the gargoyle's foot and unlocks the heavy door. The room is basically as she had last seen except there is a quiet she finds disheartening.

A few books are missing from the shelves. His table is still a mess of various instruments and vials and she vows to make sure that it will be clean when he returns.In the center of the table however is a stack of parchments, neatly gathered. She approaches and on the top sheet finds a note addressed to her.

Princess Annaliese,

If I know you, I've only been gone a few days before you have come to look through my lair. So, to keep you busy while I'm away, I have left a little project for you. Each page here has the steps you need to take each day to create a potion. It will take you almost 11 months to complete if you do everything perfectly. Consider this a sort of Birthday Present for next year. But to be ready by then you probably need to start right away...

Zorander

Annaliese's eyes widen as she reads. A gift! For her! All that "preparing" for the council he insisted he had to do. This must have taken a large portion of his time the last 6 weeks before he left. Her eyes grow wet but she blinks away the tears and removes the note from the pile, revealing the next page with more text.

Day 1

In my medium size cauldron mix together in precisely this order...

She reads on. A recipe for an unknown potion! She is delighted beyond words. Annaliese immediately sets to work gathering the ingredients to begin her potion. Once the items are in the cauldron as instructed, she summons a small flame and sets the cauldron atop its heat. Satisfied she is complete she looks back to the bottom of the parchment.

Don't look ahead at the pages that follow or you might ruin the surprise. Everything you need is in my workshop. You made sure of that with your timeless gathering runs in the garden these last few weeks. If you were anyone else I would think you might be tempted to peek but I trust you to follow instructions throughly. Turn the page tomorrow and we will continue this lesson.

Annaliese desperately wants to turn the page, to flip through the stack, but he is right. He knows her and he knows she won't if he clearly says "no".

Closing the door behind her, she turns the key. She hides the key back in the old statue and takes off to the gardens for a stroll, her eyes sparkling.

Days turn into weeks and Annaliese is diligent with her potion. Every day, as early as possible, she runs to the tower, eagerly turning the page to her next instruction. Some days are less exciting than others:

Day 11

Stir the cauldron.

Yes really that's it. Until tomorrow then.

Others more complex:

Day 23

You must add EXACTLY 3 drops of the red vial I left labeled "Day 23". Don't ask what's in it. You would probably prefer not to know. After that is done, stir for precisely 1 minute (use the hourglass with the brass handle, not the silver one). The color should turn to a soft blue. Not as bright as the sky. Greyish I guess. Once it stops changing, cover the cauldron with the green cloth I left by the bookshelf and leave it for at least 3 hours. Come back, remove the cloth, stir another full minute exactly, and then let it rest untouched for 12-20 hours. No more, no less.