She remembers Spike's presence though she doesn't care enough to act differently than she does in private. It would be polite not to ignore guests however, so she leans back to look his way with a faint smile, amusement dancing at the edges.

"The sister took her golden garter and placed it round the little deer's neck," and she traces Joshua's in the meanwhile, marking a line across his throat. "And by it she led him through the forest until they came to an empty house. She found leaves and moss to make a soft bed for her brother, and nightly she laid her head on the deer's back, and was content.

"Eventually, the king heard tell of a deer with a golden collar roaming the woods and set out to find it, and in the chase it led him to that little house. There he found the sister, now grown into the loveliest woman he has ever seen, and he asked for her hand that she might be his queen. And he took both brother and sister to his palace and there they lived without a single worry on their mind."

She sighs, now leaning back on her hands and looking up again to watch their guest and gauge how much patience he has left to suffer this stalling. "And when the stepmother came to claim her share of the fortune, well, it was only their chance at revenge. As the witch's ash scattered in the wind, the brother turned back into the most gallant knight. And the people loved them and all was well."