Acquiring a job in the palace proved to be somewhat more difficult than Anna anticipated.

"Please, you've got to give me a chance," she pleaded, hurrying after the butler, Mr Christian, as he descended the stairs. For such a portly man, he was fast.

He chuckled dryly. "My dear girl, I think you'll find I don't have to give you anything." He paused, twisting towards her. "—And how did you get in here anyway?"

"Uh."

He waved it away. "I don't care. Just leave me be."

The doors clanged; they burst into the bustle and controlled chaos of the kitchen. Pans sizzled; servants juggled plates; a woman budged past her with a tray of freshly baked rolls. "You're blocking the way, luv." Anna followed the butler through the miasma of steam, ducking underneath a man with a whole turkey.

Christian ran his finger across the preparation table. "Franz! Clean your work surfaces properly," he bellowed. He turned his head over his shoulder briefly to find Anna still trailing him. "Why are you still here?" he said.

The words burst from her: "Please, you have to give me a job!"

"And tell me, what do you have to offer? Besides your alarming persistence, I mean?" He picked up the lid of a saucepan and peered inside to give one, long, sniff. He wrinkled his nose. "Can you cook?"

"Well…" she hesitated.

"Do you sew?"

"Not really, but…"

"Have you ever been in any paid employment in this line before?" he demanded.

"That's…" she said, wilting.

He turned to face her. And to her alarm, snatched up her hand and inspected it. "I thought as much," he said, as he turned her hand over. "Young lady, you haven't done a day's work in your life, have you?"

"Of course I have—" she protested hotly.

"Don't. Lie." His eyes bored into hers.

Anna snatched her hands away. She held her head high. "Alright. I haven't. But I can learn."

"Maybe you can. Perhaps you can't. What I want to know is why a well-bred lady like yourself wants to do menial labour."

"I'm just an ordinary girl from the country—" she said, but Christian laughed aloud. He drew in closer to her and lowered his voice.

"I've worked in this palace for forty years. I can tell a nobleman or lady when I see them. I can smell it on them." To demonstrate this, the butler's nostrils flared; leaning in close enough for Anna to count his long, black nose hairs, he took a deep sniff.

Anna leaned back out, wrinkling his nose. "Ew."

He waved her away. "Go home to your mother and father and let them take care of you. You wouldn't last a week here."

He turned away from her and headed towards the servants' quarters. Anna ran after him.

"My mother and father are dead," she said.

He didn't look back. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"I'm not leaving," she said, "until you give me a job."

"And if I call the guards?"

"I'm not leaving," she said again.

Christian paused. Shrugged his shoulders. "Alright. You're hired," he said.

Anna blinked. "I… am?"

"I admire your persistence."

"Really?" said Anna.

"No. It'll amuse me to see you cry when you get dirt under your nails," he said, quite candid.

"O-oh."

"I'll keep you for week on trial. One week. Don't screw it up."

Anna tried to ignore what he'd said about the dirt under her nails and clasped her hands together. "I won't! Thank you so much. I—"

"Evelyn will show you the ropes," he said, before he left.

Evelyn, when Anna finally found her, turned out to be a large heavyset woman with an imposing jaw, who bared her teeth at her and said, "Fresh meat, huh?"

To maintain the upkeep of the palace, the servants quarters, tucked behind the kitchens, housed more than fifty maids alone. Anna followed Evelyn through a sea of curious eyes to the back. There the woman withdrew a heavy keyring with dozens of keys, and with it unlocked a chest. Then she turned to look at Anna.

"You're a skinny little thing, arne't you? Guessing you take a small?" she said.

"A small?" All her clothes were tailored to her own size, of course, like everybody else's.

"Yep, you look like a small to me," said Evelyn, tossing her a neatly folded square that looked like it might be smock. "Try that out for size."

Anna looked around. Raised one eyebrow. "Here?"

Evelyn crossed her arms, waiting.

"Fine… that's no problem…" Anna muttered, hurriedly pulling her dress from her head. She tried on her uniform: a neat looking dark smock with a white, starch-stiffened collar and an apron that could be detached. She tugged at the waist, where it was a little loose. "It's baggy," she said.

"What do you expect? Cinch it in later tonight when you've got time."

"Oh. Right…" A memory stirred to the surface of her consciousness. Her mother trying to teach her to embroider.

Anna, that's not bad. Is it meant to be one of the groundskeeper's dogs? her mother had asked, peering over at her handiwork. It's a horse, she'd said.

Some memories, maybe, were best left undiscovered.

Evelyn gave her three smocks, informed her it was up to her they were washed and she was tidy and presentable at all times, and showed her the room she'd be sharing with three other girls.

And then she set her to work.

"Direct orders from Mr Christian. You're to clean the bathrooms," she told her.

"Okay," said Anna, pumped and ready.

As though she hadn't quite understood, Evelyn reiterated, "All the bathrooms."

Anna paused. "How many… exactly…"

"Twenty-three," said Evelyn.

"R-right."

An hour later and Anna was still cleaning the toilet in Bathroom Number One. She'd used a whole bottle of bleach and didn't know if that was right or not, only that right or not, that particular stain had to go.

Crouched on aching knees that were unused to kneeling, she craned her head round when she heard to door creak open.

"How's it going?" Evelyn asked.

"Fine," said Anna. "Absolutely fine."

Evelyn peered over at her. "You know that's iodine you're putting on the toilet, not bleach, don't you?"

Anna stared at the two bottles and their labels.

"Right… I knew that," she said.

By the time Anna got to Bathroom Number Five, her entire concept of time had vanished. All she knew was that her knees hurt, her eyes stung from cleaning fumes and she was so hungry it felt like her stomach was in the process of eating itself. In her dreams tonight, she imagined all she was going to see was porcelain white loo rims.

It didn't help that people kept interrupting her work to use the facilities. Worse than that, they were so rude. They acted like she wasn't even there. One man, literally, acted like she wasn't there and did his business right in front of her while she was scrubbing the bathtub.

She was beginning to wonder if this was really going to work. After all, how was supposed to get close to Elsa when she was stuck cleaning bathrooms? For a second, Anna imagined Ada and Queen Matilda having a good, hard laugh about the princess of Arendelle on her knees scrubbing loos.

She grit her teeth when she heard the door go. Not again.

"If you'd please wait just one second," she said in a calm, deliberate measure, "I'm very almost done."

"That's alright. I can wait."

Anna's head snapped round so fast she heard it click. She was forced to swallow down the call that wanted to burst from her throat: Elsa!

Her sister stood in the doorway, looking pensive. Anna forced herself to remember: that for all intents and purposes, she and Elsa were strangers now.

"Lady Elsa." Anna pushed herself up off her screaming knees. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I've heard a lot about you."

Elsa tucked a strand of hair behind her hair. Since when had Elsa started wearing her hair loose?

"It's a little unnerving," she said.

Anna paused. "What is?"

"Everyone's heard of me. Everyone knows my name. I'm not used to it."

Those words, from the Queen of Arendelle's lips, were so bizzare that for several seconds, Anna found herself staring blankly at her sister.

The awkwardness was palpable. "Right…" said Elsa. "I just came for a bath. I'll come back later."

As she turned to leave, Anna said, quickly, "I'll run you one." She grabbed a bottle of strawberry smelling bubblebath from the side. "Strawberry, right?"

The corners of Elsa's eyes crinkled. "How did you know?"

Anna smiled; shrugged. "A good guess," she said.

She poured Elsa her bath, sitting at the head of the claw-footed tub to mix in the bubblebath with her hand. Her eyes roamed over to Elsa, who stood by the mirror, adjusting her hair.

"What do you think?" Elsa said, lifting a portion of her hair. "What would look better? If I put my veil here, or tucked it under here?"

Oh geez. Has Elsa caught wedding fever now?

"Maybe if you braided that part and wove the veil under it," suggested Anna.

"Like this?"

Anna stood. Her hands reached instinctively to Elsa's hair. She hesitated just in time. "May I?"

"Of course," said Elsa. Anna frowned: that wasn't right, either.

Anna braided her hair and held it in place to show her what she meant. "You'd just need to thread it through this part," she said, as she thought, Elsa would never let a stranger touch her like this.

"Ah. I see. You know, that's a good idea," said Elsa, offering Anna a smile. "Thank you."

Under Elsa's gaze, Anna felt her cheeks colour. "It— it was nothing," she said. She quickly set her back to her and pretended to check the bathwater level.

What was wrong with her?

"What your name?" Elsa asked.

She spoke without thinking. "Ann—" She froze, kicking herself. What am I doing? I can't give her my real name!

"Ann?" Elsa said.

"Uh, yeah," said Anna, hiding a grimace.

She finished pouring the bath. Turning off the faucet she turned round to tell Elsa it was ready, and got such a shock her eyes felt like they would pop out of her sockets. Elsa had taken off her icy dress and was stood in her corset, peeling off her stockings.

"I— I should leave you," Anna stammered.

Balancing her hip against the sink she as rolled the stocking off her foot, Elsa glanced up at her. "Come help me with my corset, would you? I can never undo the hooks on my own."

Elsa offered her back to her, and with fumbling fingers Anna undid the silver clasps, all the while thinking: This isn't right. This isn't Elsa. For years, her sister acted like a germ freak. Even now, she was reticent around people. The only one she didn't mind touching her was… Well, me, I guess. And even then, she'd never stripped off in front of her quite so brazenly.

She helped Elsa out of her tight corset, and as she stepped out of her bloomers, looked away. But as Elsa stepped into the bath, she couldn't help but sneak a peek back. She'd always admired Elsa's skin. While her own was mottled with annoying freckles and she sometimes got spots, Elsa's skin was flawless. It was clear and perfect as moonlight. Or snow.

And somehow, on her, Elsa's freckles looked kind of cute.

Knelt by the head of the bathtub, Anna helped her wash her hair, kneading the shampoo into Elsa's scalp as she released a little sigh of contentment.

She couldn't think what on earth to say. Normally, she could garble on about almost anything, but her head felt empty. If she was at home she'd just slap a handful of bubbles on her face and say ho-ho-ho, and Elsa would roll her eyes at her with a smile in her eyes, and they'd wind up laughing.

But this wasn't Elsa. This was somebody else.

Anna squelched another handful of shampoo into her hand and buried her hands in her long locks.

"Say, have you worked here long?" Elsa asked.

I have to stop thinking about Elsa as my sister. Otherwise this isn't going to work.

"Since today, actually," she said.

"Today?" Elsa said in surprise.

"Yeah. And today's my first day in the Spring City, too."

As she'd hoped, Elsa asked where she was from.

"Arendelle," she said.

Elsa twisted in the tub to look at Anna. "Arendelle?"

"Maybe you've heard of it?"

A shadow of something passed over Elsa's face. Her eyebrows burrowed together like furry caterpillars. "No… I don't think I have. Is that where your family is from?"

"My mother and father passed away a few years ago, but my older sister still lives there."

"Ah, I'm sorry…" she saw Elsa bite down on her lip. "My parents are also no longer with us, so I understand."

"It's fine. It was… well, a few years ago now," said Anna.

There was a slightly glazed look in Elsa's eyes. "What's it like there? Arendelle?" she asked.

So Anna told her. About the snow-capped mountains and the morning light on the fjord and the long summer nights, when it never got dark. She was sure she could see some semblance of memory stirring in Elsa's eyes as she spoke.

And then it was gone.

"That sounds wonderful. I'd love to visit it one day," she said. Sighed. "Though there are a lot of places I'd like to visit… you have an older sister still there, you say?"

"Yes, though she's not well. I got a job here at the palace to send money back home for her."

"She's not well?"

No, she's not…

"You have my sympathy. I can only imagine how hard that must be." To her shock, she felt Elsa's wet fingers slide between her own as she squeezed her hand. "That's kind of you, to do all of this for your sister."

"Well, that's… it's nothing really…" under Elsa's eyes, she found herself flushing again. Her heart beat fast under her chest. Elsa's hand was wet and soft.

Her stomach took this moment to rumble. Loudly.

Elsa slid her fingers from her own and laughed, covering it with her hand. "When did you last eat?"

"Uh, well…" she thought back, and said, "since breakfast. Mr Christian wanted me to clean all the bathrooms and I haven't had a break since then."

Elsa's dark eyebrows were up in her hair. "All the bathrooms?"

"Yep. I've, um, still got a few left to go."

"How many?" Elsa demanded. Anna paused, taken aback by the force in her voice.

"Maybe like, eighteen?"

"That's ridiculous," she said firmly. "Come with me back to my room. I'll get you something to eat."

She was about to say something when Elsa stood, sending flecks of water flying. With one hand, she swept a dressing gown of ice over her shoulders. "Come," she said. She held out her hand.

Anna hesitated only a second before she took it.

Anna's mouth was watering as she took in the glorious sight before her.

On the boudoir table, about the size of a child's hula hoop sat a tray stacked with individual, delicious, delectable, divine looking chocolates. Anna was worried she might actually start dribbling.

"My fiance heard how I like chocolate and brought me these this morning. But, as much as I love chocolate…" her voice was a little embarrassed, "… I don't think even I can eat all these by myself."

Anna's eyes were saucers as she oogled the mountain of chocolate. Misinterpreting her silence, Elsa added quickly, "Or I could ring the bell the get someone from the kitchens to cook you something properly. You probably want some hot food since you've been working all day—"

"No. No, that's fine," Anna interjected. She grinned a huge grin. "I am, ah, more than happy, my ladyship, to help you with your dilemma of having too much chocolate."

That said, she picked up one square and sampled it, feeling the liquid silk caramel ooze into her mouth. She heard Elsa's giggles as she stuffed one after another into her face.

"Thi-ssh ish abshlutely delishous," she moaned, mouth full of toffees.

"I never thought I'd find someone who loved chocolate more than me, but I think I've got to admit defeat," Elsa laughed.

Too busy cramming her face full of as much fudge as she could, she didn't hear the knock at the door, or Elsa call for her visitor to come in. Anna thought her heart was going to stop when, smothered in chocolate with sticky fingers, she saw Christian stood in the door, arms folded, unimpressed.

"…Shhalted caramel?" she offered, cheeks popping like a squirrel's.

"Dorit told me you were harassing Lady Elsa, but I didn't imagine it would be as bad as this," he said drolly. "Now come with me and stop pestering her ladyship."

Anna swallowed, trying not to choke. "Of course, s-sir." Her heart sinking, she wiped her fingers on her apron and made to follow the butler.

"Wait just one minute." Anna looked back at the voice. Startled, she saw it: in her regal tone, her high head: Queen Elsa. "The only reason this young lady is here is because, as she's informed me, she hasn't eaten anything all day. As she's in your responsibility, don't you think it's you who's failed in your duty of care? This is unacceptable."

Christian looked like he'd just swallowed something rotten. "I never actually expected to try and clean all the bathrooms," he said, adding grudgingly, "she has determination. I'll give her that."

But Elsa was unrelenting. "You'll give her three square meals a day, that's what you'll give her. As I expect all the staff here to receive. Unless you want me to speak to the Queen? As you might know, we're becoming fast friends."

The butler's face soured like an old yogurt. "That won't be necessary. I'll personally make sure she's looked after."

"Excellent," said Elsa, and she dropped the regal tone to squeeze Anna's hand. More gently she said: "Come see me again, when you've got time."

Struck dumb— and this time not from the toffee— Anna could only nod.

"Well, you got yourself in with the Lady Elsa very fast," Christian remarked, as Anna followed him down the hallway towards the servants' quarters. He looked her over with a suspicious gaze.

Anna shrugged.

The butler raised his eyes as though to ask for mercy and said, "Well, just don't make too much of a nuisance yourself. Lady Elsa's the Queen's new favourite right now."

"New favourite?" she enquired, trotting up alongside him.

He gave her a withering look. "Go see Emma. She might have some stew left over from dinner you can have."

Laying in the rough woollen sheets in an unfamiliar bed, Anna tossed and turned. An hour it'd taken her chatty roommates to settle down, and when they did Elin started mumbling in her sleep and Helen snored like a steam train.

It must be past three in the morning now, she thought.

Come see me again, Elsa had said. The warm feeling of her hand in hers. She wished she was here with her right now, so she wouldn't be so alone.

Anna gave up trying to sleep. Rolling onto her back she opened her eyes and stared out into the darkness.

To be continued.