Chapter 6 In Which Gretsella Assembles Her Troops
In Which Gretsella Assembles Her Troops
Having left a highly astonished Herman in the stableyard, an even more than usually smug Gretsella proceeded back to her room, where she was swiftly waylaid by a small, pink-cheeked, and crisply beaproned young girl. “Hello! I’m Trudy!” the girl said. “I’m your new lady’s maid, ma’am.”
Gretsella squinted at her. “Do you have much experience as a lady’s maid, Trudy?”
“No, ma’am,” Trudy said. “But I’ll work very hard at it.”
“I think you’re supposed to curtsy,” Gretsella said. “And witches don’t have lady’s maids. You can be my assistant instead.”
Despite Gretsella’s protestations, Trudy insisted on inserting herself into the process of Gretsella getting dressed, all the while peppering her with questions about what would be expected of her in her new role as a witch’s assistant.
Gretsella was tempted to tell her that maids shouldn’t ask so many questions, but unfortunately, she had already said that Trudy could be her assistant, and there was nothing more important to a witch’s success than being infuriatingly inquisitive whenever those around you would vastly prefer you to sit down and stop talking.
Thus, as Gretsella’s word was her bond (except when she was intentionally telling shocking falsehoods because it pleased her to do so), she set about giving Trudy a rudimentary introduction to the basics of witchery while Trudy vainly endeavored to put Gretsella’s hair into a chignon.
Unfortunately, some of Gretsella’s curls had absorbed a bit too much magic over the years and now regarded hairpins as an invading force to be resisted with extreme prejudice.
After Trudy nearly lost an eye for the second time, she gave up, grimly stuffed Gretsella’s hair into a snood, and sent her on her way.
When Gretsella arrived in the great hall, it was already packed full of extremely jolly-looking merrymakers.
This worked out nicely for Gretsella: Merrymaking made it easier for her to observe people from the shadows undetected.
She lurked her way around the perimeter of the room, then advanced to the head of the table, where she accepted a kiss on the cheek from Bradley.
“Hello, Mother,” he said. “Won’t you sit down and have something to eat? ”
Gretsella sat down and had something to eat.
Specifically, she had a small bit of every kind of sweet on the table, which resulted in a plate of food even bigger than the biceps on the knight who was currently making repulsive moon eyes at Bradley while talking loudly about all of his successful quests.
Gretsella used some of the herb garnishes from a nearby platter of roast boar to curse him with watery bowels.
Then she abandoned her station to turn herself invisible, creep around the room, and listen in on strangers’ conversations, which was always her favorite part of any party.