Into The Woods

He hated that she got in his head like sap and stuck there. All because of some stupid book his nicked off someone that he thought he was going to be able to sell for enough money to maybe get himself a few days food and ale. But then she had to go and say all those things... all those things about him having potential. No one ever said nice stuff like that to him before. He was just a petty thief, a little rat who lived on the streets and stole to survive and lived in a tree-top shelter in the woods when he was between villages.

Not everything he'd told her had been true, but most of it hadn't been complete lies either, so that was easy to talk his way out of if he had to. He'd learned early it was always best to stay as close to the truth as he could

But she, that noblewoman... correction, that Queen lady... she said that she thought he had potential and he could learn to read. ( If he knew how to read he could probably be of better use as far as what things were worth.  )