The alps could smell the stew and the bread before they even entered the house and by the time they reached the table, their mouths were watering. After hours and hours of working in a mine, it was very nice to come home to a hot meal. Especially one cooked by Alastor. Even Blitzo had to admit that he was culinary magician. Every meal he had ever served them was one that couldn't be described as anything but sensational to their taste buds.
"Hey what's taking so long kid? We're hungry!" Blitzo complain.
"Have some patience you hopeless glutton." Alastor said trying to shake the flour from his hands and apron. "Supper's not quite ready yet."
"How much longer?"
"About five or ten minutes."
"Plenty of time for you all to wash up." Charlotte said.
"Wash up?" Blitzo replied. "Wash up what?"
"You know, wash your hands before you eat. Don't you all do that?"
"I do." Alastor said.
"So do we." Millie answered for herself and her husband.
"But he never washes." Moxxie said. "Which is why we never let him cook."
"Why should I wash?" Blitzo asked. "I ain't goin nowhere and it ain't the new year or something."
"But you've been digging around all day in dirt. Your hands must be terribly filthy." Charlotte said.
"Don't waste your breath my dear, he's probably never washed a day in his life." Alastor said. "He definitely smells like it."
"Hey!"
"But washing up is common decency. Now really Blitzo, Alastor and I were decent enough to wash three times before, during, and after we cooked dinner. Surely you can at least wash once before eating that meal."
"Not happening Princess." Blitzo said defiantly.
But Charlotte was going to have to put her foot down this time. She was willing to tolerate a lot of things from people. Rude behavior, a nasty temper, even a few insults, but she would not stand for filth. She absolutely refused to eat at a table with someone who has grubby hands and dirty fingernails. Absolutely not.
"I'm afraid that will never do for me." She said. "Wash up or you'll not get a bite to eat."
"Yeah right. I don't have to listen to you."
"Wanna bet?" Alastor said. "She's the princess, what she says goes and I'll make sure of that. So if she wants you to wash, you'll wash or you'll never eat any of my food again. That's a promise."
"Oh really? And just how will you stop me from eating any of that food whenever I want to?"
Alastor only replied by getting up from his chair and standing real close to Blitzo, towering over him. Silently reminding the stubborn alp that he was two feet taller than him.
"Oh. Right."
So while Charlie kept an eye on the stew and set the table, Moxxie, Millie, and Alastor went into the next room wash their hands. They filled a bucket with water from the sink pump and using soap and rags, they soaked and scrubbed their hands. The alp couple had to scrub especially hard because their hands and even a little way up their arms, were covered in grime, ash, and dirt from spending hours in mine. Alastor didn't have wash as hard because his hands only had flour on them but he still did it anyway. Anything to please the princess.
"I knew this would happen!" Blitzo said. "You let a royal in here and the next thing you know, they takeover."
"Oh don't be ridiculous." Millie said. "The only thing she's insisted on is that we all come to the table clean. Now I don't think that's asking too much."
"I'm warning you, give that girl an inch and she'll walk all over you." Blitzo said. "Why the next thing you know, she'll have you all wearing dresses, and bows, and perfume."
"What's wrong with that?" Millie asked. "Personally I'd like to have a nice petticoat to wear once in awhile."
"Blitzo will you please just leave Charlotte alone." Alastor said. "You don't even know her."
"I don't have to. She's no different from every other royal pain in the ass I've known in the past. Hell, she's probably the worst one there ever was. Hiding a haughty nature behind that sickly sweet face of hers."
Now that did it for Alastor. He didn't care if Blitzo was technically the head alp around here, he was not going to let him insult Charlotte. He didn't have to like her but he was going to treat her with respect.
"Moxxie, Millie." Alastor whispered to them. "I'm just about over my limit in regards to Blitzo's attitude. Ever since Charlotte has arrived here, he's done nothing but complain and I've had enough."
"I know dear." Millie whispered back. "But what can we do?"
"I say we clean up his act."
They huddled up together and Alastor whispered the rest of his plan to them. Then they slowly walked toward Blitzo, whistling casually until they had him surrounded.
"Get him!"
They grabbed Blitzo and forced him into the tub, forcibly scrubbing him with soap and water.
"Let go of me you fools!" Blitzo demanded. "Release me this instant! I am your leader!"
But Alastor gave him another soapy run down and decided to add further insult to injury.
"Millie, hand me one your dress laces."
Millie handed him her lace and he used it to tie a big bow onto Blitzo.
"You know I'd say that the bow is actually a nice improvement." Alastor chuckled. "That color really brings out his eyes."
Moxxie and Millie couldn't resist laughing.
"I'll get you for this!" Blitzo declared, glaring at Alastor.
"That's what you always say." Alastor replied with a smug look, as he made his exit. With his final words in that moment being. "And you never do get me because I'm always one step ahead of you."
Blitzo became even more angry.
"And you two!" He snapped at Moxxie and Millie. "You traitors! How could you do this to me?!"
"With all due respect sir, you brought it on yourself." Moxxie said.
"Yes, you shouldn't have insulted Charlotte like that. Especially in front of Alastor." Millie added. "You can't blame us for this, you were basically poking a sleeping bear."
"I don't care! I am the leader here! You two are supposed to listen to me!"
"Not when you're wrong sir." Moxxie argued. "Truly, have you learned nothing from history? Take the Turks ransacking Constantinople and The Roman crusades for example. All those soldiers followed their horribly misguided leaders, ignoring their own morality and what happened? They slaughter hundreds of innocent men, women, and children."
"Turks? Crusades? What the hell are you talking about?! We're not at war!"
"What he means is, we'll always follow your orders if they're for the right reasons." Millie said. "In other words, we believe in loyalty not blind obedience."
With that said, they all went into the kitchen to have supper. The stew and bread had been cooked to perfection, seasoned to where it was not too spicy or too bland. The bread was buttery and savory, and the herbs and mushrooms in the stew gave it an incredible blast of flavor.
"Mmmm..." Moxxie moaned with delight. "Alastor you always make the best stew."
"Thank you Moxxie." Alastor said.
"What do you put in this anyway?"
"Ah-ah, you all know that I never give away my cooking secrets." Alastor said wagging his finger. "After all, if any one of you ever learned to cook as good I as could, Blitzo would finally have an excuse to get rid of me."
"Nonsense." Millie said. "Good cook or not, you can stay with us as long as you like. That goes double for you Charlotte."
"Thank you. You're all so very kind." Charlotte said. "I wish I could do more to repay you. Maybe after a few more lessons from Alastor, I could cook you all a big thank you dinner, and very special dessert. Now I know Alastor never did have much of a sweet tooth but what about all of you?"
"Oh we simply adore sweets." Millie said. "Apple dumplings are my favorite."
"Mine too!"
"Mine is plum pudding." Moxxie said.
"Can you make gooseberry pie?" Blitzo asked gleefully. "I love gooseberry pie! My mother used to make it for me all the time! It was my favorite thing to eat in the whole wide world!"
Alastor, Moxxie, and Millie all looked at Blitzo in amazement. They had never seen him like this before. He was like an innocent and happy child in a sweet shop or bakery, just eagerly waiting for a treat to be given to him. When Blitzo finally realized how out of character he had just acted, he quickly regained his composure.
"What am I saying? We can't have sweets. Sugar is much too expensive. More expensive than salt and we're already paying for that with half of our earnings."
"Maybe I could help with that." Charlotte said. "I could find work as a maid somewhere."
"No household in these parts can afford a maid."
"Maybe another way then." Alastor suggested. "One that applies to her musical gifts."
"My musical gifts?" She replied feeling shy.
"Yes. You're a wonderful singer Charlotte. Why don't you perform in the square next week? With your beauty and voice, you could earn plenty of coins."
"For once you might have a good idea." Blitzo said. "She certainly is pretty enough to draw in a crowd, but how good of a singer is she to keep a crowd?"
"The best! I assure you!"
"I...I...I don't know." Charlotte started to play with her hair nervously. "I have a bit of stage fright."
"Oh performing on stage is nothing to be scared of." Moxxie assured her. "Besides, you won't be alone up there. We'll be right there with you and before you know it, your fear will be gone and you'll be having a good time."
"Well..." She said taking a moment to think it over. "Well I guess I could gie it a try. But only if Alastor can come too."
"What?!" Alastor said getting nervous.
"You said you would think about coming."
"Yes! I said I'd think! I didn't say I'd automatically go! Charlotte I really don't think that's a good idea. How would everyone react if they saw me? I mean yes, I could always wear a cloak or some form of disguise, but what if it falls off? What if someone sees through me? What if my hood falls off? What if-"
Charlotte giggled and cut him off his babbling with a peck-like kiss on the cheek.
"Then again I guess we all need to step out of our comfort zone once in awhile." He blushed.
"Oh brother." Blitzo said rolling his eyes. "What a sap."