Valencia Smitznerk

Valencia Smitznerk is the Twistatalaught family's cook, originally being Andromeda's cook. She is known as the mischievous, slightly mad cook who is always looking to reek havoc in the household.

Biography
Valencia Smitznerk was born in 1990, to Timorath and Aleksandra Smitznerk in the town of Zabki, Poland. Valencia grew up in a poor, but large family with 5 siblings - Ania, Monika, Silvia, Paoul and Raoul. Aleksandra and Timorath sent Valencia to London when she was sixteen, in the hope that she would set up a successful Polish cuisine business, generating enough money to support their whole family. However, when Valencia arrived in 2006, she did not set up a business but became an agency cook/cleaner. She was unable to find work until she was employed by Andromeda Merithel in 2015 (now Twistatalaught) as her cook.

Valencia is mentioned by Andromeda in Season 1 of Devonshire. However, it is not until "Tottington's Secrets" Season 3 that we meet her, opening the door to Sir Clemency's cousin, Sir Albert Tottington.

We recognise Valencia's mischievous nature in "The Devonshire Season 3 Christmas Special", when we see her singing the Christmas song Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer with some rather more obscene lyrics.

In the first episode of Season 4 ("The Butler and the Cook") Valencia and the butler Withersby grow some strong dislike for each other after Withersby frames Valencia for vandalising a picture of Andromeda, and Andromeda herself ends up having to intervene to stop them killing each other.

In the second episode ("I know what to do"), it is revealed to us that Valencia is in fact suffering from some mental illness issues, which, the Psychiatrist Dr Lembas believes, are down to some "minor, yet harmful" physical abuse. This episode also reveals to us her passion for Harry Potter and her friendship with Augustus Twistatalaught.

Dr Lembas - Do you like Harry Potter?

''Valencia - I love it! They were my favourite books! When I am sweeping the floor, I sometimes imagine sitting on the broom and flying up into the sky!''

[...]

''Dr Lembas - Oh. Little Augustus?''

''Valencia - Yes, Miss Andromeda's little boy. He's very good at Maths.''

Dr Lembas - Do you have a passion for Maths, Valencia?

Valencia - No, But I like people who are good at it!

Following this episode, Valencia takes on a much smaller role throughout the series, until she is kidnapped, alongside John Withersby, by the Drug Dealer Mr. Kokaina. She remains in the Drug Dealer's lair with Withersby until the end of the last episode, when Sir Clemency realises that, although he successfully defeated the Drug Dealer, he forgot to rescue her and his butler - a comical ending to the season.

Behind the scenes
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