Gertrude smiled awkwardly. She hadn't even considered that Yaya was [i]capable[/i] of amicably playing with children. What they would even do together was baffling to her, so she had simply assumed the girl was asking why Yaya wasn't in the tournament. This [i]really[/i] wasn't starting well. Thankfully, Elisandre allowed a change of subject.

"R-right. Well... we received word that the Duke's wits had vanished. Or perhaps... they had been stolen."

Gertrude figured a little showmanship wouldn't harm the telling. She tried to emulate how Aleksiya and Merilia used to tell her stories. She smiled as she leaned in, still not getting too close to Maletha.

"Even court mage Arken had attended the Duke, but was unable to discover the cause. No fault of his own, mind, it was simply that inscrutable. The knights split up to conduct research, and we came to the conclusion that the cause was likely fey in nature. Simply put, Thedric's insanity was too much like a depiction of madness in a [i]story[/i] to be true. Still, in his words there was occasionally a seed of truth. A clue. We had an appellation: The Moonlit Queen."

---

Gretchen smiled gently at Haizea as she continued patting Tyaethe's head. She was starting to understand why they had all been gathered like this, and concluded that she likely was capable of assisting.

"Of course, Haizea," Gretchen said, nodding, "I'd be happy to tell you about the entrants."

Perhaps if the woman could have fun betting on the outcomes of the fights with the information Gretchen supplied, she'd be kept too busy to rush the field herself. Keeping her entertained could only make their job easier.

"Fionn is daft enough to win," Gretchen started off, wanting to get the lout out of the way, "and enough of a glory hound to push himself well past where he should be going. He's also married to a Niyar, and incorporates fey magic into his swordplay."

Gretchen frowned.

"Fanilly is... mistress is quick, but she perhaps takes too much upon herself to be as lightfooted as she could be. I don't know if she wants to win enough to take victory, but her skill with a blade has been honed with a determination to live up to her title. I... admire her, a little."

Blushing slightly, Gretchen cleared her throat.

"Whether or not Renar wins depends on how... [i]creative[/i] he allows himself to get," Gretchen continued, avoiding saying specifically that the man was a complete scoundrel, "he's clever, calculating, and skilled. I don't think he'll lose to anyone short of a monster, if they're not apt to strategize."

That was about as diplomatic as she could put it.

"Rolan is an excellent shot with a crossbow. Whether or not he can use his alchemical supplies, I don't think he'll have much trouble in a competition of bowmanship. He doesn't have any particularly strong abilities as far as melee or horsemanship, though. I think he's best when on a team."

Which is to say, Gretchen had learned that he can make some very good shots on a distracted opponent.

"If you already know Fleuri, there's little to say except that he's vastly improved his skillset from the last time you've seen him. He probably won't lose the joust unless he unexpectedly goes up against a legend."

Then, lastly...

"Gerard is... he fights like a commoner, but in a good way," Gretchen said, having difficulty describing what exactly she was getting at, "he does the job, and he wants to win. He has a fire that could carry him far."

Had Gertrude been the one giving Haizea tips, it likely would have turned out as a roast that made all the knights look bad. Thankfully, Gretchen had less difficulty being honest about the skillsets of her companions.