Straw asked Apple for a favor. Apple ordered the guards and maids to do as Straw instructed, so they did. Since Straw could not talk to the maids because of Berryanna's rules, Straw told Apple, and Apple passed the message to the guards and maids.
Apple did not question it much. He simply called for them and repeated Straw's instructions one by one. The guards listened. The maids listened. Heads nodded, feet moved, and soon people were walking in different directions carrying trays, cloths, chairs, and candles.
Straw watched them scatter, her arms folded for a moment as she tried to imagine how it would all look once everything was ready. Her foot tapped lightly against the ground while Apple stood beside her giving the final orders.
None of them spoke directly to her. They spoke to Apple, and Apple spoke for her.
It felt strange.
But she did not complain.
