Chapter 27
Thomas felt like challenging that statement. "If you're sick of being so tall then give me some of your height. Just look at me. I could clearly use some of it." Thomas let go of the door and walked into her room. Her bed was huge and Thomas could see a hole in the ceiling with scorch marks around it. Jasmine was just staring at him. "Where's the bath?"
"The bath?" Jasmine then remembered what her mom asked her to do. "Right. The bath is this way." Jasmine brought Thomas down the pa.s.sage to another room. This one was filled with pipes and there was a tank with a scorched bottom that had been raised up over an empty pool. "Wait for a while. I'll get the bath ready."
Thomas watched as Jasmine turned a valve with her bare hands and water started filling the pool. After the pool was a quarter filled she turned off that valve and moved over to the one that was attached to the tank suspended over the pool. After filling the tank up with water she blew flames from her mouth and the water was starting to boil. Thomas noticed that whenever she breathed in before blowing out flames her b.r.e.a.s.t.s would expand beyond their already ma.s.sive size.
Jasmine then released some of the water inside the tank into the pool. After it was warm she lowered the rate that the water released to a drizzle. "Okay, here's your bath. The soap is over there on the small table."
Thomas smiled. "Thanks. I don't think that I could have turned those valves on my own. I'm just glad that there's someone as strong as you around to help." Jasmine didn't seem happy about the compliment.
"So what if I'm strong? It hasn't helped make anybody like me." Jessica was right about Jasmine being sensitive.
"What about your mother? She cares very much about you."
"My mother doesn't count. She would care about me no matter what I was like. I mean that n.o.body wants to be my friend. Everybody's afraid of me. I want a husband one day but who would even want a woman like me?" Jasmine had serious self esteem issues so Thomas decided to take more of a direct approach.
"Let me ask you a question. Do you think any less of me just because I'm short?" Jasmine thought about it and shook her head. "Then why do you think that I would think less of you because you're tall? I happen to think that you're a beautiful woman just the way you are."
Jasmine didn't believe him. "Prove that you're not just saying that because you feel bad for me. I don't want your empathy."
Thomas realized that nothing he said would be proof enough to convince her and that he needed to prove it physically. She likely wouldn't accept anything s.e.xual from him so Thomas had to try a different approach from the one he took with Estella. "Name your price. Tell me how much you want for your dowry. If I manage to pay it then that would prove that I'm serious about you, right?"
Jasmine finally accepted his terms and gave him a number she didn't think he could pay. Ten gold coins. For a small shop owner's daughter that was a huge dowry but Thomas could easily pay it. He'd just have to wait for night before he makes his move. With that thought in mind, Thomas took his bath so that his body would be clean for his and her nightly ritual.
After the bath Thomas changed into a red robe that was slightly oversized and put his boots back on. His old pair of socks were too dirty to keep wearing so he bought another pair. Thinking that Jessica might need help he headed back to the first floor and went to the store. Jessica was grateful for the offer but all of the bread was already baked and there weren't many customers to take care of.
Since he wasn't needed in the store he decided to go outside and try to gather customers. "Come inside and get some tasty bread. There's sour bread, b.u.t.tery bread, sweet bread, and regular bread. We've got bread for all types of customers. Not sure if you want some bread? Come inside and you'll definitely want to eat some of our delicious bread." Thomas's little advertising got him a sizable crowd due to his great voice and cute looks. Although most people that crowded around him left without buying anything he still pulled in so many customers that Jessica had struggled to keep up and they sold out within an hour.
Thomas's reward was a light chop on the head from Jessica. "You brought in way too many people. I've never had to sell that much bread in such a short amount of time before." Her hand changed from head chop mode to hair ruffle mode. "Well, you still helped. Usually we'd have some bread left over that we'd eat for dinner but thanks to you we sold out."
Thomas decided to prepare for his act a bit early. Jessica locked up the shop and went to get started on making dinner so Thomas had at least an hour to make his move. Thomas grabbed one of the empty flour sacks and made his way to his room before shutting the door. Jasmine said that her dowry should be at least ten gold coins so Thomas put sixteen in the sack. After that he filled it up with some copper and silver coins.
With this it looked more like his entire savings. If he was going to scam Jasmine then he might as well go all the way, right? Thomas placed the sack in his helmet and covered it with his chainmail. With this he just had to wait for tonight and he'd be able to gain a bride.