No, I didn't like him from the start. He naively thinks he can write poetry. What especially annoyed me was that when he saw the dead Tieru, he said he was late. Of course, he was late! While he was there composing poems and delivering pompous speeches, both in and out of rhyme, the entire Askhan could have been destroyed by demons, and he would have kept talking about how he didn't have time. Besides, he's not a follower of Silanna, but a fanatic. Silanna doesn't preach killing, but this guy, using the pursuit of harmony as an excuse, slaughters everyone left and right. I liked how Railag put him in his place. And Nicholas? He asked Faidaen, as a friend, what would happen to his soul, and he replied indifferently and blankly that he didn't know. He killed the poor guy. Where's the compassion?! He himself slanders them, saying that they are evil and cruel, but how is he any better?!

Well, regarding the poems, I can definitely say that it's far from the worst thing I've heard in my life))) And I've heard A LOT of poems in the 4 years I spent in the philology department... Here's one of the last ones I learned and successfully recited:

Lily of the valley, buttercups, tender affections
Swallows' chirping, a kiss of rays.
The greening forest. The blossoming meadow.
A bright, free, murmuring stream...

It's a very "elven" poem, by the way... Ugh, I'd rather hear about Cyris-Tall!

And regarding Nicholas... Well, I probably wouldn't be interested in the fate of a human-vampire who devastated my country, even if he used to be my friend. And what would have changed if he knew? "Your soul will suffer, so I won't kill you," or something? You need to be more serious))) He messed up - he has to pay! In my opinion, it would be even better to send Isabel after him, for greater harmony)))

And, by the way, he didn't really want to kill anyone. For the most part, he was just defending his country again from all sorts of evil... Can he be blamed for that? I don't think so.