A creaking noise announced their arrival. The first thing that sprang into their view was Grettel, who was instructing one of the castle’s servants. She was using her index finger to point and taunt her new slave. She instructed “Remember! He needs feeding a lot! So give him lots of meat and thick stew… If his bone doesn’t heal right, it’ll be your fault, you hear!?”.

The servant didn’t seem bothered by her behavior and only nodded slightly. Then Grettel turned her head around like a vicious viper. Her small eyes narrowed as she took in the intruders.

Then she cackled “Nice to see that you were concerned enough to visit us… But where is that stubborn husband of yours?”.

Vanessa pushed her kids inside as she replied “Oh, he is resting today… You know… Sleeping off the good old troll-brew”. William’s mother headed over to have a look at the patient. Harvick seemed more awake today. This made her relieved.

She began taking out the goods that she had brought and asked “So, how is Harvick doing? Is this servant meant to take care of him?”.

Grettel glanced at the servant, while she forcefully took a piece off the bread Vanessa had brought. She then talked while chewing “Hrmf, yes… I have other children to look after. He’ll be fine… Probably. So this here servant will make sure he eats and will change his bandage when necessary… And while we’re at this topic… I seem to have heard some rather interesting news… That you have come here to fetch a servant for yourselves?”.

Vanessa smiled proudly and said “Correct. Like in our deal, we have been given the privilege of being Harvick’s uncle. Thus we can also loan a servant from the lord…”. Spitting out the word ‘servant’ so many times, made Vanessa look at her own daughter.

Something faint started to become clearer.

A glint of hope flashed in her pupils, as she asked Grettel “Actually… Grettel, can’t you also get a servant to help you with the housework at home?”. 

The old hag chuckled as she took another bite “Why, of course! It’s the servant you see before you. Once Harvick has healed, they will come to serve us at home”. Vanessa couldn’t help but interject “So, why don’t we change the deal you and my husband made?.. You obviously don’t need a little girl to serve you, now that you have a proper servant at your hand… Why don’t we change Mirabelle’s service into something else? Something more desirable?”.

This proposal made both Joss and William perk their ears.

Beforehand they had been indulged in giving Harvick his well deserved attention. Like patting his head to soothe the pain or telling him something funny. Now, all of them were waiting for Grettel’s response. The old lady took her time gnawing and swallowing the bread meant for her son.

She wiped her mouth off in her sleeve and stared Vanessa in the eye. Then she replied “Why would I not want your daughter?.. Just look at how cute and obedient she is. I’m an old woman who’ll only experience having son’s in my entire lifetime. So of course I’d like to have your daughter! She’ll keep me company till the day I die. Right, Mirabelle?”.

Grettel made it sound like a heartfelt speech, yet the aura she emitted was cold and arrogant. She clearly didn’t have such kind intentions towards William. And that was true.

Inside Grettel’s head, William still had many uses. He could be a bargaining chip in marriage, or gifted to one of her sons if they couldn’t find anyone else. She could also sell William off or use him as a sewing machine to produce products, that they could sell on markets. Really there was nothing that could beat extra manpower. After all, money and objects were a fickle thing.

William who was supposed to answer that question, kept his mouth shut. This made Grettel laugh as she spoke “It seems she still has some manners to learn… But don’t worry about that. Once she is my daughter, I’ll teach her plenty”. Vanessa clenched her fist beneath her sleeve and pleaded “Then how about one of our sheep? It is much more worth than our daughter… I ca-”. A cough came from the old woman, interrupting Vanessa.

Grettel was choking on the bread. She spat some crumpets out as she cleared her throat. Then she smirked “Excuse me… But shouldn’t your husband be the one to decide this? If I know him right, he would never switch out one of your precious sheep for your daughter!.. What I’m trying to say, is that you should know your place for once, Vanessa!”.

Vanessa sneered as she backed out of the room.

She bid her goodbye by saying “Likewise… I hope that Harvick recovers… We’ll fetch our servant now. I’ll await the good tidings…”. Joss saw his mother retreat and knew that it was time that they went as well. William followed suit. Although he wanted to know more about Harvick’s condition, he was afraid to stay with that insane woman…

****

The headmaster seemed a bit confused at first, when he heard of their request. Then Vanessa showed him the Blaise seal on a dried bunch of thistle. The headmaster lifted one of his eyebrows and submitted.

They were guided into the servant quarters, which was rather simple, compared to the rest of the castle. It was located near the livestock and dinosaur pens. Yet they didn’t get a glimpse of any of the dinosaurs.

This made both children feel a bit disappointed. Especially Joss who commented “Shucks! I wish we could have seen them… I’ve heard that in the past, they usually rode out of the castle into the mainland to cultivate! In those days you would see them quite often. But it seems ever since the lord’s eldest sons died, there haven’t been any bonded pairs that needed cultivation… Father told me, that they held an event last year, where the eldest sons’ dinosaurs were killed off by the lord’s very own… Something about them being waste or useless without an owner? I don’t really understand why they did that… Argh! Truly a shame!”.

William agreed to this. Why would you kill off such valuable specimens!?

While Joss and William talked about what Blaise castle’s dinosaurs might look like, they arrived at their destination. The headmaster went around grabbing a handful of servants and made them queue up for Vanessa to judge them.

Her eyes quickly wandered over the servants lowcasted faces. One of them seemed to catch her attention. She went over to the female servant and inspected her face. Then it dawned on her.

Vanessa’s hand quivered as she touched the shoulder of the servant. She muttered out a name “Jaqueline?..”.

The servant slightly lifted her face. Her golden brown hair shifted aside like a curtain. Beneath it was a nose that had a wide nose-bridge. She had deep brown eyes that seemed like a deers. Fine eyebrows decorated her forehead and a pair of plump nude lips were somewhat smiling. Both women inspected each other. A few seconds went by, before a mutual recognition occured.

The servant called Jaqueline bowed and answered “Yes, it is I. And you must be Vanessa?”. Vanessa’s smile grew wider as she pointed to the woman. She then told the headmaster “This is the servant we’ll borrow. Please tell your master”.

And thus Jaqueline went home with them.