"He was a great man." Truly. "His greatest desire was peace for his people - for all people." How could she put this tactfully? "There were those...who took advantage of that desire."

The queen shook her head. The expression on her face said it all. "He claims to have lost hope long ago. His daughter's sickness will inevitably take her life; even the potion we seek to complete will not save her, but simply ease her pain as she waits for the end." She sighed, looking at the ground. "I do wonder if I did the right thing. Perhaps leaving the shopkeeper to his despair would have been less cruel than promising him that which we may very well not be able to deliver."