Introducing the Witch to Her New Habitat

As I predicted, Chika received a cold welcome in the palace. News of her appointment arrived weeks ahead of us, but only a small, dirty room at the periphery of the castle had been prepared for her. There were also no servants to carry her things, which was a problem, as she had come with an entire wagonful of strange possessions. Undaunted, she began unloading the cart herself, and when some of the soldiers from the caravan noticed, they offered to help.

To keep up appearances, I pretended to be distraught at the sight of lowborn soldiers stomping down the decorated hallways of the castle, but secretly, I was happy to see them going out of their way to repay Chika for saving them from the vormarnok. What truly warmed my heart, however, was Chika’s reaction to her new accommodations. Dark and empty, the room contained a single piece of furniture.

“Is that a bed?!” Dropping her things on the floor, Chika ran to the other side of the room and jumped onto the bedding. Rolling onto her back, she kicked her legs up and down, a blissful smile on her face. “It’s so comfy! If I had known, I would have begged the emperor to hire me years ago.”

Her behavior was highly improper, especially in the company of men, but none of us could bring ourselves to reproach her. I did, however, see fit, to give her some friendly advice.

“If the others see you so excited over something as simple as a bed, they’ll ridicule you for being a commoner. You would do well to pretend you are accustomed to luxury.”

“I know that they’re trying to bully me by giving me a room like this. The servants’ quarters are probably cleaner and better furnished, but whoever arranged this wants me to be upset. Joke’s on them though: This is perfect for me. Now I get to decorate how I want, and there’s lots of room for my things. I even have a bed, for the first time in nine years. How could I not be happy?”

Hopping off the bed, she grabbed a broom and began sweeping all the dirt on the floor into a pile. As with everything she owned, the broom was unusual, sporting a unique flattened shape. I had to admit, however, that it was more effective at corralling dust than any broom I had ever seen.

It was at that exact moment that the head maid came storming into the room.

“Lord Thelian, what are you doing in a woman’s bedchambers?”

“Supervising these soldiers, so they don’t make a mess of the castle.” I feigned an expression of disgust and exasperation, and the head maid’s eyes widened in the realization that her decision to leave the room unfurnished had caused me trouble. “I know we’re short on servants, but is this really the best you could manage with three whole weeks’ notice?”

“I—I apologize, Lord Thelian. It was not my intention… There must have been a miscommunication. I was not informed of the need for a room until just before your arrival. I promise, I will have people sent to clean and unpack shortly.”

Setting her broom against the wall, Chika walked over to join the conversation. “That’s quite alright. I can manage to do those things on my own. I wouldn’t want to cause any trouble on my first day, especially if there’s more work than you can handle right now.”

The two of us were putting into practice a strategy Chika had called “good cop, bad cop.” I would show obvious displeasure at those who violated the norms of high society in order to trouble Chika, and she would step in to defend them from my outbursts, thus endearing herself to them. In this instance, however, Chika had insulted the head maid by implying that she was incapable of carrying out her duties. At first, I thought this had been inadvertent on Chika’s part, but then I caught a gleam in her eyes, and I realized she was playing a different game.

“Please, I insist, er…”

“You speak to Yasutake Chika,” I said. “Lady Yasutake Chika. She has been appointed by His Majesty the Emperor to his council of advisors. Chika, this is Nalindra, who is in charge of all aspects of housekeeping within the palace. As she often bends the ears of the emperor’s wives, you would do well to remain on friendly terms with her.”

“Of course. I hope to get along with everyone in the castle, which is why I would never dream of troubling you, Lady Nalindra.”

“It’s no trouble at all, Lady Yasutake Chika. In fact, it’s my job. Please, allow me to be of assistance.”

Though she outwardly appeared calm and compassionate, Nalindra was surely panicking. Any normal noble would have sought her out, complaining and demanding service, thus validating her importance. By instead telling her that she wasn’t needed, Chika had brought Nalindra’s position into question.

Now that she had Nalindra desperate to save face, Chika pressed her for what she truly wanted. “If you insist, I suppose I can’t do everything myself. I could use someone to show me around the castle, especially places where men aren’t allowed.”

“Places where men aren't allowed?” Nalindra repeated. “You mean like the bath?”

“Bath? Why, what a wonderful idea. I’ve been on the road for so long that I could really use one. Let’s go, right now.”

“Now? But we’ll need to find some attendants to assist you. Perhaps this evening…”

“That’s OK. I can wash myself. Just show me the way.”

“N—No, that… it might be fine for today, but you’re going to be very busy with your duties. Having attendants makes bathing so much quicker.”

Though she was merely fishing for Chika to ask for her help, Nalindra had made a valid point. Sensing an opportunity to raise Chika’s profile while providing cover for her scheme, I agreed.

“That’s true. You’ll need bathing attendants, but I can’t imagine any will want to touch a witch. If we’re not careful, some of the maids might run away, and then we’d be truly understaffed.”

“I’ll do it myself if I have to,” Nalindra said through gritted teeth.

“My, how kind of you, Lady Nalindra,” Chika exclaimed. “Let’s not waste any more time then. Off to the baths we go.”

Chika practically pushed Nalindra out of the room, following her down the hallway in the direction of the bathhouse. It wasn’t long before the sound of her forked-tongue compliments faded into the distance. I lingered just long enough to supervise the soldiers and escort them out of the castle. On my way back to my own chambers I heard a booming voice reverberate through the corridors.

“WHERE’S THE WITCH? BRING HER BEFORE ME.”

Only Lord Thundrakar, the Chief Minister of War, would make such a racket. He was an elderly, retired soldier, but he still acted as though he were in his prime. Of all the palace’s residents, he was the only one Chika and I could not devise a plan to win over. He was simply too unpredictable. With any luck, he would view her as a military asset, especially since she was popular among the rank-and-file.

Rounding a corner, he scanned in all directions before his eyes fell upon me. “LORD THELIAN, WELL MET! HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT—”

“The witch. Yes, I could hear you from halfway across the castle. What business do you have with her, if I may ask?”

He eyed me with skepticism, but mercifully stopped shouting. “Isn’t it obvious? It’s not every day one is afforded an opportunity to test their skills against a magic user. I intend to challenge her to single combat.”