Astra Has a Hot Bath

"Not at all, my lady," Francis said as they walked in the direction in which he led them. "You are obviously not familiar with how metal expands when it is heated, but that is part of any smith's knowledge. I believe that I can heat the chains to the point where they will simply slip over your wrists, without being hot enough to burn you. They will only need to expand by quite a small amount to permit that.

"Now I think that we have gone far enough for you to safely introduce yourselves."

"I am Princess Astra of Aqualaria, this is Lord Frederigo D'Honaire of the Duchy of Suffex in Allaria, and Velus it seems that you already know."

It had been clear to the smith that these were people of quality, but from the look on his face he was surprised by just how highly ranking Astra, in particular, was. "Your Highness," he said, "I am indeed honoured."

Fred was beginning to think that, for a smith, this man was quite the smoothie. "Please just call me Astra," the princess responded. "This is not the place for formality."

Then they emerged into a cavern where hot springs fed a lake of steaming water. They couldn't see the lava, but presumably it must be nearby. Astra tested the water with her little finger. It was hot, but not unbearably so. "I won't just dip my wrists in but will bathe in it," she said. "It will be nice to be clean and to remove the kinks from my muscles."

So she jumped in.

1. And soon she was able to slide the chains off her wrists.
2. But the metal that the dragon had used expanded very little.
3. But neither the smith nor the water were quite as they appeared.

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