"Three." The stall keeper declared as you asked after some underwear.
You frowned, three coins for something so basic seemed somewhat ridiculous; you were about to retrieve the money when you saw someone come into your field of vision. "Like Hel Stan, they are one and you know it." She snapped.
"Anna..." The man looked at her almost fearfully.
"If you do not give my friend the right price, here and now, I will call over a guard, and then tell your sister and mother." Anna threatened; a fire in her voice.
"Of course, a simple mistake on my behalf." He tried to laugh off nervously, but Anna's demeanour told him she was not the least bit convinced. "And something extra for my error." He threw in some stockings as well and handed the parcel to you. "Again, my apologies miss."
"I am not entirely sure the Allfather would agree with you trying to dupe some elves, it does not look well when he invites the Elvin merchants to trade agreements for our goods and for them to be sold off to us at a higher rate than they are to the Aesir." Stan went from looking slightly concerned to going pale and looking petrified. "Have a good day now Stan, and stop trying to swindle people." She half sang as she took you by the arm and brought you away. "Hello." She beamed at you.
"I have not seen you in so long." You pulled her into a hug which the other elf reciprocated.
"I know, I have missed you so much, we both have."
"How is Mya? How are you? Tell me everything." You asked.
"Well, Mya is working in the dining hall." You looked at her fearfully. "I know; that is not a good idea by any counts."
"She is adorably clumsy with plates and cups."
"She is, but amazing with children, she will be going to the nursery as soon as they are allowed take her, actually you have them annoyed."
"Me?"
"Yes, they were giving out they have to wait for Mya, while Prince Loki could just pluck you up at a moments notice." Anna explained, "But as Josephine said, there is a difference between the nursery head and Prince Loki."
"I didn't ask for it."
"We know."
"So what about you, where are you heading?"
Anna shrugged. "Not sure, I am doing okay at a few things, sort of 'a jack of all trades but a master at none' type thing, so they are thinking I am perfect for a bit of everything, helping where needed."
"How do you feel about that?"
"Good actually, I like variety, the idea of having to run around every day doing the same monotonous thing bores me." She sighed dramatically causing you to laugh. "Speaking of dull monotony, how is chambermaid life, what sort of odd things have you been asked to do?"
"You are like a sponge for gossip, aren't you?" You laughed as you stopped at another stall, eyeing a gorgeous dress you knew you could not afford.
"Yes, well, what can I say, you learn a lot when you ask the right questions," Anna stated in return. "That is pretty."
"I can dream right?" You gave a sad smile and turned to leave, bumping into someone as you did.
"Not really, get what you needed?"
You pulled back to see Wilhelm standing there, a ruffle in his tunic where you had unintentionally bumped into him, so you flattened it down. Anna eyed the two of you carefully, trying to figure out what was going on. "Yes, well I need to get one or two other things."
"Including non-work attire if I recall."
"Yeah, that." Anna cleared her throat next to you. "Oh Wilhelm, this is one of the elf's that came with me, Anna, Anna, this is Wilhelm, he is..."
"I am His Highness' hand servant." Wilhelm extended his hand and brought Anna's hand to his lips, kissing it gently.
Anna stared wide-eyed at the gesture for a moment. "So you two work together?" She asked.
You threw your eyes up, knowing what she was implying. "Only work, Wilhelm has been a Norn's send to me, he kept me from having my ass handed to me for incompetence."
"You reprimand yourself too often; you would not have been requested were you anything but brilliant." Wilhelm's eyes did not move from Anna as he spoke, something you noted, on turning to see your friend, you were unsurprised to see she too was looking only at him.
"Yes, well, we best get back."
"Sadly the only dress worth looking at is out somebody's budget." Anna shrugged.
"About that." Wilhelm reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bag, indicating for the merchant to come over. "Have that dress brought to the palace with your wife tomorrow Mikhail, we'll arrange for it to be altered accordingly there." He handed over the cost of the dress to the man.
"Of course Wilhelm, and send my regards to your brother, he saved us from quite the predicament the other night," Mikhail smiled.
"I had heard; how is the mare now?"
"Lame, but it could have been far worse had he not realised such. Will I tell Leah to have it ready for alterations then? And of course, a small discount." He handed some money back to Wilhelm. "A friend of yours and all that."
Wilhelm indicated to you. "Girlie here is the only chambermaid that is worth keeping, we have got to look after her."
"No better man."
"Wilhelm, I..."
"Pay me back when you have your chambermaid's salary, trainee maids money is a pittance." He suggested.
"Okay." you agreed.
"Deal then, now, how about I treat you two to a drink before we go back to the boring mundane work of the palace." He offered.
"You are aware that it is rude to eavesdrop Mr Wilhelm." Anna playfully commented, following him.
"It would appear that I have forgotten my manners, how can I make it up to you Miss Anna?"
"I am not sure, but I will think of something, I have to get back, I was supposed to get a few things and return in time for supper."
"I will hold you to it." Wilhelm beamed.
"You better." Anna gave him a coy smile before embracing you and leaving.
After you said your goodbyes, you turned to Wilhelm. "That was mortifying."
Wilhelm stared back at you. "What?"
"You two, I have never seen two people so attracted to one another be so evasive about it."
"She is attracted to me?" There was an almost childish hope in his voice.
"Norn's, my mother was right, love is blind." You sighed in exasperation, making a note to assist the two flightless lovebirds in their seemingly abysmal attempts to flirt with one another.
"Anna was asking for you." You grinned as you placed Loki's new towels in his rooms and removed his old, used ones.
"You say such as though I should care." Wilhelm shook out the overcoat Loki wore over his armour, his demeanour showing that indeed, he cared greatly.
The actions were not missed by you, and you shook you head and laughed. "I could ask her if she is interested." you offered.
"I thought we were like siblings, you are supposed to be shooing suitors away, not encourage them."
"You have it wrong, the brother stops his sister from having any suitors, the sister prevents any unsuitable ones, and therein lies the difference." you corrected.
"Well, I do not have time, so..."
"She is really nice, and was a great help to me in settling."
"After...It does not matter, she would not be interested in a lowly hand servant."
"Because of course, a trainee maid is so high above you." You mocked.
"What is this of a trainee maid?"
You both turned to see Loki standing nearby having come into the room while you were discussing Anna.
"Nothing," Wilhelm stated sternly.
"Clearly, I need you to go to my mother and ask her for permission to pick some of her night flowers." He requested.
"When do you need them for?" The hand servant asked.
"Right away, she has a meeting with some ladies this evening, the kind I do not want to be anywhere in the vicinity of, so I need to get it done immediately." Not saying another word, Wilhelm gave a nod and walked out of the room. "Did you enjoy the market yesterday?" You turned to see Loki was speaking directly to you. "It was your first time, was it not?"
"Yes sir, it was. And I enjoyed it immensely." You gave a nervous smile. "I bumped into one of the girls I arrived here with while there, it was nice to see her."
"The trainee maid you were referring to just now I assume."
"Yes, sir."
"And Wilhelm likes her?"
"I believe so sir."
"And she him?"
"That I can confirm sir."
"Well, she is fighting an uphill battle for his attentions, and you with her if you are assisting her."
"I do not follow sir."
"Two hundred years ago, Wilhelm loved one of the other maids quite dearly."
"The one that married one of the guards?" You asked.
"He told you?" Loki seemed surmised at that.
"Yes sir, not many details, just the basics."
"Well it left a lasting effect on him, and myself it must be said, I realised there and then that women can be fickle."
"It is not a trait only applicable to men sir, though the reasons for fickleness tend to differ slightly. Men for youth and beauty, women for wealth and prestige, I think you are safe enough." You gave a small smile at that.
"You would think, but you see, there is one of greater standing than I, and that is the problem."
"Yes sir, but as you have stated in my presence, these girls, even if they wish to be are not prestigious enough for Prince Thor, though from what I hear, the ones that are so closely bred they lack functioning brain cells in many cases, it is better to be stuck with half an idiot than a full one."
Loki erupted in laughter at your words. "Norn's, that is brilliant, I am going to have to steal that."
"It is not stealing sir; I give my full consent to you using it. You can get away with saying that, I on the other hand, will not." You smiled.
"There is cruelness to your tongue." He declared. "I like it."
"Thank you, sir."
"Your work is very satisfactory, I am going to demand you are rewarded appropriately," Loki commended.
You waited for a moment, not entirely sure if he was jesting when you felt he was not, you immediately replied. "Thank you, sir."
"I am going to the country palace for a week soon, I want you and Wilhelm to accompany me for it, the other palace has a skeleton staff, but I want my belongings and rooms as I have them here, so I want you both to come also." He informed you.
"Yes, sir."
"While there, you will have more free time, so ensure you have plenty to occupy yourself." You simply nodded in return and went to continue your work. "And with regards this friend of your and Wilhelm," you looked at him expectantly. "If you require any assistance, please do not hesitate to request it. Wilhelm did not deserve what that wench did to him, and he should not be so cold because of it, he will never be happy if he holds on as he is doing."
"Yes, sir." You nodded, giving him a small smile and continuing with your work.