Author's Note: Okay, so my muse got it into my head to do a friendly ship between Kai and Helene the palace maid. (Her English VA confirmed the name on Twitter! WOOT!)
So I banged this out in about half an hour.
Helene knocked politely at Prince Kai's door, clean linen in her arms. "Pardon me, Your Highness. I've brought you clean sheets." She waited, but there was no answer, so she quietly opened the door and entered.
Oh. It seems his Highness is out. She felt a brief pang of disappointment, then briskly shook out her blonde hair and set to changing the linens. At least Prince Kai keeps his chambers mostly neat, she thought gratefully, grimacing to herself at the idea of Prince Licht's usual disarray. Keeping Prince Kai's chambers in order was a relatively simple task, apart from the occasional feathers she and the other maids often found thanks to the prince's love of animals and birds.
Humming to herself, Helene plumped the pillows, whisked the comforter back into place, and bundled the old linens up to be washed. Then she glanced over her shoulder at the clock on the mantel. Oh, dear, I almost forgot! Professor Heine asked me to bring tea to him today at four, and it's already half past three! Gathering her skirts in her free hand as she scooped up the linens, she hurried out of the room.
After leaving the linens with the palace laundress, Helene quickly made her way to the kitchens and collected the royal tutor's tea tray. Noting the two cups and the larger pot, she wondered if the tutor would be busy with one of his students, but a request was a request. Nodding her thanks to the cooks, she headed to the reception hall where Professor Heine often met with his royal students.
The door had been left ajar, and as she approached, she saw Heine look up.
"Ah, thank you. Punctual as always, madam."
"My pleasure, Professor Heine," she replied with a smile as she came in. Then she briefly stopped when she saw Prince Kai sitting opposite his tutor. "Oh. Good afternoon, Your Highness."
Kai looked down at his feet, but he quietly replied, "Good afternoon, miss."
Helene's face lit up with a radiant smile. She was so pleased, she missed the tutor's look of quiet satisfaction. "Your tea, Professor Heine. Excuse me." She placed the tray on the table, then quickly curtsied to the two men and left. He said 'good afternoon' to me! I had no idea Prince Kai was so kind! Humming in satisfaction, she practically floated down the hallway to attend to her other duties.
"Well done, Prince Kai," Heine said as he poured tea for himself and the prince. "You improve every day."
Kai blushed slightly.
Heine looked thoughtfully at the door through which Helene had departed. "Is that the same maid you mentioned speaking to the other day?"
"She is. And she smiled at me, too, Professor." As he stared down into his teacup, a faint smile touched Kai's lips at the memory. "She brings me tea. And she hums when she works. It's quite pleasant."
"I see. This is excellent progress, Prince Kai. So tell me, what was it you wished to speak to me about?"
The prince looked over at his tutor. "Well… as I said, she's often kind. I would like to do something for her. But I don't want to scare her like I did the guards, or the way I used to before." His face fell at the memory of how often the pretty maid had recoiled from him, misunderstanding his shyness as intimidation.
"Did you not see how pleased she was at your greeting, Highness?" Heine asked in surprise, and Kai looked up, startled.
"She was… pleased?"
Heine nodded and sipped at his tea. "Indeed. The palace staff are generally accustomed to not being thanked, as it is their duty to serve. But those few words from you made all the difference to her. I suspect that she considers your notice and your gratitude more than sufficient thanks for her work."
Kai thought about that one for a few moments, but then shook his head. "Perhaps, but it's not sufficient for me. Duty is one thing, but kindness is something more, Professor. Like with you." He set his teacup down, frustrated at the difficulty in expressing himself. "It is your duty to teach me, yes. But you are also kind. You encourage and you listen, which none of my other tutors have done, or even my teachers at the academy. I wish I could repay your kindness, but I think the best way to do that is to be the best student that I can, and by trying hard to be a good prince."
He looked at the door. "But with her, it's different."
Heine looked at his student with sympathy, keenly aware of the prince's struggle. After being socially isolated for so long, this was new territory for Kai, but Heine was grateful that his spirit had not been completely broken by loneliness. "Then if I might make a suggestion, Your Highness? We first agreed to work on greetings and 'thank yous'. Now it is time for your next lesson. Prince Kai… you are to ask the lady her name."
Kai went paler than normal, and for a moment, Heine feared that the prince would bolt. But once again, he had underestimated his student, for Kai swallowed hard, lifted his head, and nodded. "Yes, Professor."
After finishing his tea, Kai wandered out to the gardens, and stretched out in the shade beneath his favorite tree. The fountains' soft susurrus, along with the wind rustling through the trees, was like music to him. Nature had always been his refuge, speaking to him as people so rarely could.
Ask her name, he thought as he stared up at the sky. I wonder what it is. I hope it's something pretty. She deserves a pretty name. He closed his eyes and sighed in pleasure. The birds sound so nice today. They sound happy. He opened his eyes again as an idea came to him. Perhaps she would like a bird. She sings as nicely as they do. But birds can be a bit messy, and she's always tidying things. I wouldn't want to make more work for her. Bad idea.
He sighed again, opening his eyes to watch the clouds drift lazily across the sky. His fanciful imagination saw shapes among them. That one looks an apple… a bird… Professor Heine's cap…
"Did you not see how pleased she was at your greeting, Highness?" Deep down, he was gratified that his tutor was so pleased with him. He wanted to make Heine proud. And if that meant asking the maid her name, then that was what he would do.
That evening, Helene stopped by the prince's chambers again with his evening tea. Knocking politely, she called out, "My lord? I have your tea. May I enter?"
"Yes, please," she heard, and she stepped inside. Prince Kai was standing near the open window, looking out over the gardens.
"Good evening, Your Highness," she said with a smile as she approached the table to set down the tray.
"If… if I may…" The prince's murmur was so quiet that at first she wasn't even sure he had spoken at all.
"Yes, Your Highness?"
"I'd like… to know… your name."
My name? The prince wants to know my name?! Helene was so surprised that she almost fell over. "It's… it's Helene, my lord. My name's Helene."
Then the prince turned and looked at her, and instead of the scowl she was so accustomed to seeing, the maid was utterly astonished to see a look of wonder in his eyes.
"Helene. It's pretty." He paused for a moment, then bowed his head in a futile attempt to hide his blush. "Thank you… for the tea… Helene."
At her delighted gasp, Kai looked up in time to see the same radiant smile that Heine had noticed earlier. "Oh! You're very welcome, Highness! Excuse me!" She curtsied politely, and then all but forgot her dignity as she nearly dashed out the door. At first, Kai thought he'd offended her until she turned back to him as she reached the door.
"Good night, Prince Kai!" She gave him a small wave and then squeaked in embarrassment before hastily leaving.
She smiled at me again. Helene smiled at me. The thought warmed Kai almost as much as the tea.