The doors opened again, and the exhausted maid walked back into the hall. Her hair was slightly damp from perspiration, and her arms trembled as she carried a wide tray stacked with honeyed pastries.
She approached the table with hesitant steps, her eyes darting between Rudy and the queen.
Rudy reached out and snatched three pastries from the tray before she could even set it down. He dropped two of them onto Niti's plate and stuffed the third one entirely into his mouth, chewing contentedly. "See? This is efficiency. You did an excellent job, whatever your name is. Go sit in the corner and rest."
The maid stood frozen, her mouth opening slightly in shock. She looked at the queen dowager, who simply closed her eyes and gave a microscopic nod of dismissal, utterly exhausted by the display. The maid quickly retreated to the back wall, sinking down against the wooden paneling with a sigh of relief.
