27 December, 1833
The Gates of Arendelle never opened. That was what Céleste had been told before she'd even come to the small kingdom. But she'd also been told it was a good place, and a safe place, despite its reclusive royalty.
That didn't mean she wasn't nervous. People were reclusive for a number of reasons, some of them better than others, and there was no telling what sort of skeletons King Agnarr might have buried in his dungeons.
Best not to think of that.
She only had a few things of her own personal ownership, and they were all in the pack slung over her shoulder and in the small bag given to her by her previous employer. Best not to think about that either. Too many cruel sons with harsh eyes and harsher words; she'd been more than happy to accept the offer from the Queen of Arendelle.
Céleste went over in her head again the things that she knew:
King Agnarr Árnadalr had come to the throne young, though there was some dispute on if he had ruled during that time or if the throne had been held by a regent. Queen Iduna was a commoner of no particular bloodline, and an orphan on top of it. She supposed there'd been some kind of minor scandal but the citizens of Arendelle seemed to be the sort to ignore such scandals when they liked their monarch.
They had two children, both girls. Both Elsa and Anna had been very beloved by the populace, and often the source of talk and wonder when they were younger, practically put under a microscope every time they left the castle. That is, until the day the castle gates closed for good.
After asking around, Céleste 's going theory was that one or both of the girls had gotten sick. There were any number of wasting sicknesses, some of which could last for years; both girls were still alive, though several conspiracy theorists tried to tell her that one or both of the sisters were long dead. One even had a wall dedicated to the theory with string and pins and maps; Céleste had very quickly backed out of that house.
There were other fanciful notions, some that she heard from townsfolk and others she entertained herself. Her personal favorite was that Princess Elsa some kind of spirit or Fae who'd ensnared the royal family and would, she half-hoped, seduce her into the Fae world. She was, after all, supposed to be beautiful and a frequent dream of Céleste 's was to run away with a beautiful girl and never be dependent upon the fickle nature of nobility and royalty again.
The idea of a dalliance with a woman was dangerous enough as it was, without taking into account that woman being a Princess or the peculiarities of herself, so Céleste put that notion where it belonged with other idle romantic fantasies.
Since the gates were closed, Céleste had to use a servant's side entrance. She was greeted by a friendly woman named Gerda, who quickly ushered her into the castle.
Céleste fumbled with the envelope tucked into her coat and held it out to Gerda. "I have my papers here, as well as the letter of recommendation from Queen-"
"Thank you, Miss Charron." Gerda smiled warmly at her, plucking the papers out of her grasps, "We've already received a missive and I'll file these away, and provide you with a copy tomorrow."
She hadn't expected that and nodded as some tension eased inside her chest, "Merci."
"Was the trip difficult?" Gerda gestured for her to follow, and Céleste picked up her bags.
"Uneventful. I arrived this morning but I wanted to get a feel for the country. I hope you don't mind."
"It's quite all right. We don't get out much, but it's still good to get the pulse of Arendelle."
As they walked, Céleste put to memory the layout of the castle. It was pretty straightforward, and she didn't think she'd become easily lost.
"That room there is Princess Anna's. She's an excitable sort and will be a bit of a handful having someone closer to her own age around. But the … well I'll let the Queen fill you in." Gerda opened the door to a room in a section of the castle that didn't at all look like the servant's quarters.
"How old are the Princesses?"
"Anna is thirteen, and Elsa is sixteen. And you are seventeen?"
"Oui." Céleste nodded, stepping into the room after Gerda. It was larger than she'd expected, larger than her last quarters and certainly larger than her house growing up. The curtains in the window were the same purple and green that decorated much of the castle, held open by golden rope. The window looked out into the courtyard. There was a large bed in one corner, a huge armoire, and she could see a little bathroom tucked off to the side with a thin door. On the north wall was another doorway.
A wave of dizziness washed over her. "This is for me?"
"Mm, yes." Gerda's smile was kind, and understanding, "Anna's rooms are directly across from you, and Elsa's next to yours. That door leads directly to them but for reasons of the Princess's choosing shall remain locked."
There was something in Gerda's expression that told Céleste she wouldn't get any answers from her. So she simply nodded, that overwhelmed feeling still making her reel and she was no longer certain what exactly her duties would entail.
"There are some new clothing for you, as well as a uniform. On the table by the bed is the castle schedule, as well as your own work schedule. We all share basic housekeeping but Queen Iduna will fill you in on your specific duties."
"Thank you, Madame." She inclined her head to Gerda.
"Well, the Queen wished for me to introduce you as soon as possible. If you would follow me?"
"Of course." She fell into step behind Gerda, feeling somewhat small and a little overwhelmed. Céleste kept telling herself that it was nothing, that she was used to such things but there was something different about Arendelle and this castle, and this Princess she was being assigned to.
Gerda stopped in front of Elsa's door and knocked twice. There was no answer, and the silence stretched on for nearly a minute before the door finally cracked open. Céleste got a glimpse of piercing blue eyes, and blonde hair, and then the door opened more fully. Princess Elsa stood in the doorway. She wore a blue velvet dress with matching gloves, and her hair was curled up into a golden, crown-like braid. But those eyes once again drew Céleste 's attention. They were stunning, but a little sad.
"Princess, allow me to introduce you to Céleste , your new maidservant. She will be attending to all of your needs and has taken up the room next door to you."
Céleste took a step forward, curtsying, "It will be a pleasure to serve you, Your Highness."
Elsa looked at her, stepping back a little. A shadow passed across her face and some kind of conflict waged in her eyes, but then something like a wall slid into place, rendering Elsa's expression a stern sort of neutral. "No, thank you. I don't need any help, I'm fine on my own."
She closed the door. As the echo of that sound reverberated through the hallway, Gerda tilted her head, and then clucked her tongue, "Well, that certainly went better than I expected."
"Pardon?" Céleste couldn't imagine how it could have gone any worse. How was she supposed to do her job if the Princess shut the door in her face?
"Her Majesty the Queen will have some more details for you, but it was a good sign that she was willing to open the door. It may mean she was curious."
She was led out of the living quarters, puzzling over that brief interaction. Céleste couldn't say she had any idea about what Elsa was like just yet, but the reception had been just a little frigid. By the time they reached the Queen's chambers, she hadn't figured anything out. It was too soon to make any judgment calls, and the real test would honestly be the next few days.
"My lady, the new servant girl has arrived. I've already shown her to her quarters, and we briefly met with Elsa."
Iduna got up from the chair she was sitting in, and walked quickly over to them. At first glance, the family resemblance to Elsa was remarkable. Her coloring was darker in every way, but she could see Elsa in the shape of her nose and in her eyes, "And how did that go?"
"She opened the door."
Iduna smiled, "Well, that's a good start." Turning her attention to Céleste , her smile only widened, "It's nice to meet you, Céleste ."
Céleste dropped into a deep curtsey, "The pleasure is mine, Your Grace."
"Save the formality for when the King is around," Iduna said, eyes sparkling.
"Of course, Your Grace."
The Queen laughed, "I like this one." She nodded once at Gerda, who bowed lightly before departing and leaving Céleste alone with the Queen. Anxiety threatened to crawl its way up her throat and then around it, but she forced it down.
"Relax, please." Iduna put her hand onto Céleste 's shoulder, squeezing lightly. This only made her more tense, but she forced herself to at least appear to relax.
"I wanted to talk to you before you got started, but after you'd already met Elsa. What were your impressions about her? And please be honest, nothing you say will make me angry."
A dozen words, none of them polite and most of them in French, ran through Céleste 's head. She was used to being put on the spot but this was somehow the worst possible spot to be in. Her throat bobbed, but she chose truth, "She seems reclusive. She was polite but … short. I got the sense that she is… sad? Non, not the right word but close enough I think. For a moment I thought she might have opened the door further, but then it was like a wall."
"And then the door shut." Iduna tapped her lip with one of her fingers, "We are understandably worried about her. No matter what we try, it's impossible to convince her to let us in."
"Have you … do you know the root cause, Your Grace?" Too late, Céleste realized she might be out of order, but the Queen didn't seem to notice.
"Yes, but the solution to that still eludes us. All we can do for the time being is attempt to draw out that warmth I know is inside her."
Céleste searched Iduna's eyes, then exhaled slowly, "You are hoping I can coax her out of her shell, non?"
"Yes."
It was a tall order and Céleste wondered why that wasn't Anna's job. But maybe a fresh outlook might at least help and maybe she'd understand more once she met Anna and got to understand Elsa more. Nothing could be solved in a day, and she above all wanted to be worth the Queen's faith in her. "I'm grateful for the opportunity you've given me, Your Grace. I don't know if I'll be able to do anything more than serve the Princess, but I will try."
"That's all I can ask of you." Iduna's smile was warm and reassuring and brought to mind Céleste 's own mother. Old pain shot through her chest, but she set it aside as she usually did. There was a time and a place for such feelings, and this was not it.
"Is there anything you need before I settle in?"
"That will be all. Welcome to Arendelle, Miss Charron."
Bowing more deeply than Gerda had, Céleste backed out of the room, and then returned to her own chambers at an above casual clip. She would have to see in the morning how difficult Elsa would be, but she had a few ideas on how to make herself indispensable. Or at least, annoy Elsa into letting her do her job.
She'd just opened her bags when there was a knock on the door. Curious, Céleste approached it, and then pulled it open. Elsa stood on the other side of the threshold, eyes down on the ground between them while she worried her hands together.
Céleste tilted her head, " Your Highness, is there something you need?"
"I uhm…" Elsa sighed, then lifted her head, "I could use a little help, actually. My dress is stuck."
Understanding how much this must have taken out of Elsa, at least on a pride level, Céleste only nodded and smiled, "Of course, Your Highness."