Batta acts as nurse to Orual and Redival when they’re children, frightening them with stories of what an evil stepmother they’ll have. Later, the King assigns her to guard Redival to keep her from getting into trouble with men, and she and Redival are the best of friends one moment and at each other’s throats the next. Eventually Batta grows close with the King because she flatters him. She’s a hopeless gossip, and is often cruel. Orual never likes her. Once Orual becomes Queen, she finds out that Batta has always blackmailed the other servants into giving her valuables, so she has her hanged. It seems likely that Orual hates Batta so much partly because she sees herself in Batta’s cruelty and doesn’t want to admit it. At one point, Psyche actually likens Orual’s actions to Batta’s, which angers Orual.