Elsa awoke to the morning of her third day as Princess Anna's personal slave.

Dawn sunlight poured in through the tall, single window of the study. Outside, the walls and towers of the castle floated, rimmed in gold, above a cloud of drifting morning fog, giving the scenery beyond a dreamlike, disembodied quality. Still drowsy and wrapped in her blanket, she curled herself into the comfy chair in front of the desk and watched the sunrise for several minutes, her thoughts relaxed and meandering, mind turning inevitably towards home.

She'd been gone from Northuldra for well over a month now. Had her journey to the Southern Isles gone as planned, she would have expected to return home days ago. By now, her closest advisors must suspect that something was wrong. She wondered if they had yet learned that her ship had been captured and boarded by the Arendelle Navy. Elsa could only imagine what paroxysms of despair that news would cause within her inner circle, or even worse, were it to become widely known within her court.

Surely Honeymaren was already beset with worry over her failure to arrive, and was no doubt quietly gathering every possible resource that could be used to search for their missing Ice Queen. As the captain of her personal guard, Honey had been furious to be left behind in the first place, but Elsa had insisted that she needed people she trusted to stay back and manage things while she was away. When she did finally make it back home, the other woman would probably scold her in private for hours. Having to explain how she had been taken captive and turned into a slave would be… humiliating, to be sure, but she would gladly suffer the indignity if it meant she was safely back home with her people.

Elsa forced herself to turn her thoughts away from her poor, beleaguered kingdom. Her clan chiefs were strong, her advisors and ministers well-chosen and sensible. It would take more than a few weeks, or even months, for things to fall apart. The best she could do for them was find her own way back to Northuldra before Arendelle learned that the Ice Queen was no longer there to protect her kingdom.

Finally unable to ignore the complaints of her full bladder, Elsa shook off her dark thoughts and stood, gathering up her only clothing where it was folded beside the cot. Her nose wrinkled when she lifted the neat pile to her nose and sniffed it. She had slept in only her shift, but there was no denying that her meager clothing was beginning to foul after several long days of continuous wear. She really would need to see about getting herself a change or two of clothes. She may be a slave, but surely they couldn't expect their beloved Princess Anna to be attended by a slave who wore dirty, stinking rags?

Still wrapped in her blanket like a cloak, Elsa clutched the soiled bundle to her and stepped out into the sitting room, crossing to the Princess's closed door while being careful not to step on her dragging hem. She paused at the door and pressed an ear to it, listening.

It was completely silent within. Anna must still be asleep and dead to the world. It really was incredible how soundly that girl slept in the mornings. Yesterday, she had nearly had to flip the bed over to get the princess to finally wake up enough to be sensible. If that was any indication of how she was normally, then Elsa could probably walk through her room shouting traditional Norstla war chants and not risk waking her.

Shaking her head and smiling at the thought, Elsa turned the ornate brass knob and pushed open the heavy door. She slipped into the princess's bedroom and immediately headed towards the open door of the bathing chamber, hardly sparing a glance for the bed in the center of the room. When she did glance, however, her steps paused and she found herself turning to look with more interest.

Well this was… different… from yesterday.

Anna was sprawled nearly sideways across the center of the bed in a snarl of sheets, blankets, and pillows. Her red hair was a wild tangle, and she had one arm flung wide while the other was bent up over her head in a way which looked like it should be uncomfortable, but clearly wasn't, given the soft snoring that could just barely be heard as the girl slept deeply. It looked like a small whirlwind had torn through the room, disturbing nothing but the bed and the girl at its tossed center.

Elsa's eyebrows rose as she took in the scene further.

Something about the way the younger girl was spread out within the chaos of pillows was a bit… lewd. It was exactly as she might imagine her looking after a long night of hot, unfettered, passionate sex. It made heat rise in Elsa's cheeks, and reminded her viscerally of some of the sexual fantasies she had so impulsively indulged in the previous night. It didn't help that Anna's nightgown was only just barely covering her, exposing tantalizing, never-before-seen lengths of her thighs to Elsa's hungry gaze.

How had she managed to fall asleep, mostly uncovered as she was? Elsa might not feel discomfort from cold in the same way as normal people, but she could still tell that the air of the room had grown decidedly chill this morning. She found herself taking a few steps closer to the bed, and before she realized it, she was standing directly over the younger girl, looking down on her. There was indeed gooseflesh dimpling the soft, creamy skin of her upper thighs, she could see. The nightgown was just as thin and sheer as she remembered, revealing the soft swells of her shapely young breasts and the tantalizing hint of her small nipples under the cloth. The ties at her throat were loose and undone, allowing the neckline to hang low and open, exposing the delicate lines of her collarbone and the light dusting of pale freckles that adorned it. Elsa couldn't help but stare at the other girl for a long moment, licking her suddenly dry lips.

The temptation never ends. This girl is determined to ruin me.

Anna mumbled something, her eyelashes fluttering, but Elsa didn't so much as flinch. It was obvious the girl was still deeply asleep. Yesterday, the first few times she had tried waking her, the princess had even answered her and spoken to her a few times, all without ever truly waking up. She had been amused when later during breakfast Anna claimed to have no memory of it. Now, the girl mumbled nonsense and shivered a little, drawing her sprawled limbs in closer to her body in search of warmth.

The movement did not help the scandalous situation with her nightgown. Elsa felt her blush spreading as she forced herself not to look too closely.

She was a queen – not a creep.

Gently, Elsa set down her clothes on the floor and unwound her own blanket from her shoulders. Careful not to look lower than the princess's waist, she draped the blanket around her feet and slowly drew it up all the way to her chin, tucking the other girl in so that only the top of her head and the mane of her red hair was now exposed. Anna seemed to sigh in contentment as the warmth of Elsa's blanket enveloped her from head to toe. She regarded her handiwork for a long, tender moment, smiling softly down at the girl, then picked up her clothes again and crossed back over to the bathing chamber, leaving her to her sleep.

Not wasting any time, Elsa made use of the facilities while letting the warm water from the tap run into the tub. Once she was clean and wrapped in a towel, she considered her dirty clothes with distaste, thinking carefully. Making new clothes to wear with her powers was of course tempting, but it would be far too risky here. Maybe there was something else she could do?

Might as well give it a go, she thought, shrugging.

She decided to experiment with her underclothes first. Hell, if this didn't work, she could always go without them for the day. Wouldn't that be a scandal, if anyone were to find out? She could already hear the new rumors; not only is Princess Anna's new slave lazy and arrogant, but she also doesn't wear any panties! What a savage!

Elsa laughed to herself as she scrubbed the small scrap of cloth with soap in the leftover water of her bath, then ran the tap again to rinse it clean. Holding the item up before her, she focused her magic on the water streaming from the fabric. Instantly, she held a long icicle of frozen underwear in her hand, which was really… something. Unable to help another giggle, she waved her hand again, and her magic flowed in feathery sparkles of blue and silver energy that danced in the air around her fingertips. Instantly, the ice dissolved into puffs of fluffy snow, which she then dispersed into a soft, dissipating cloud with a focused blast of cold air. Elsa gave the little garment a swift flick with her wrist, causing another small cloud of snow to burst loose, then regarded her handiwork.

Well, that certainly seemed to do the trick. It was now mostly clean and completely dry, if still a bit cold. Smiling with her moderate success, she repeated this process with the rest of her clothing piece by piece. By the time she dusted off the snow from her skirts and pulled them on, the scenery of the tiled room had become rather wintery, and shooting, chasing sparkles of her magic were swirling around her in giddy spirals, like small children happy to be let out to play after being cooped up indoors too long.

Now fully dressed, Elsa turned to the room like a conductor, gathering up the blowing drifts of snow and her errant wisps of magic, her unbraided hair swirling all around her as she directed it all with graceful gestures of her arms and hands. Obediently, all evidence of her powers was swept down the drain of the emptying tub. In another moment, the temperature of the room returned to normal as Elsa swallowed her eager power back down inside her, stifling all its effects.

There, this was a great improvement. Not only was she clean, but it had felt really, really good to use her powers again in a useful way. Using her magic was like breathing – it was a part of her. Now that she was no longer recovering from nearly dying from sun fever, denying it every day and forcing herself not to use it was a distinctly uncomfortable feeling, like holding your stomach muscles in tight, or making yourself only use one hand all day instead of two. Releasing it now, however briefly, was in some ways almost as pleasurable as her long-overdue orgasm had been the night before.

Combing and braiding her hair, Elsa couldn't help but smile while feeling something strangely close to contentment. Perhaps today would be the turning point in her ordeal. Her captivity was proving to be surprisingly pleasant with Princess Anna as her "captor". She just needed to stay focused, and keep her errant thoughts and libido under control, and an effective means of escape would surely reveal itself to her soon.

Her fingers paused their braiding as Anna's face filled her thoughts again. The sexual desire she felt for the other girl she could understand, she could control, but that feeling of tenderness…?

Elsa sighed.

Some things were easier said than done.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Anna snuggled into the blanket, her mind drowsy and her body warm. She drifted in that half-awake, half-asleep state that made everything seem wonderful and magical. Her dreams melded into her conscious thoughts, creating an abstract, seamless transition between waking and dreaming, all the sensations blending into one. She was snuggled up with Elsa under the blankets, the warmth of the other girl's arms looped around her waist, their bodies pressed together. She could feel Elsa's lips against her cheek, her throat, pressed softly against her own lips. Anna smiled, shifting to hold the other girl more tightly.

"Anna, I'm going down to get breakfast. Do you want anything special?" Elsa asked, her voice surprisingly businesslike for how lovingly they were wrapped in each other's arms.

No, stay here in bed with me, Anna whispered to her dream lover, pressing their lips together again. Kissing Elsa was so incredible, so perfect! She didn't have any previous experience to compare it to, but surely no one else could ever make her feel this good with her touch. She couldn't believe she was here, in her arms…

"Hmmfphh… Mmgrrrhhhmf…"

"I'm going to take that as a no," Elsa said, sighing.

What?

"Hmmm...?" the princess mumbled, beginning to feel a bit confused.

Soft footsteps on carpet sounded nearby and Elsa's voice came again, closer this time. The words were gentle with amusement, talking to her now in an affectionate, coaxing manner that made Anna smile drowsily into her pillow.

"Anna, if you're a good girl and promise to wake up before I get back, I might just bring you something special as a treat… Some more of those little chocolates you love, maybe? How does that sound, hmm?"

That sounded wonderful, but mostly she just wanted Elsa to keep talking to her like that, so warm and intimate. She really loved it when Elsa sounded like that.

"… chocolate?" she managed, brow furrowing as she twisted under the blanket.

Wait, now hold on, this wasn't making any sense. Was Elsa leaving? That couldn't be right. She reached for her, searchingly, surprised to find that the other girl was no longer in her arms. She could smell her intoxicating scent all around her, could hear her talking to her still and feel the traces of her warmth, but the delicious sensations of her arms and lips that had just moments before felt so very real had disappeared like smoke.

Cautiously, Anna cracked one eye open, her vision blurred with sleep and nearly blinded by the sunlight coming in from the windows. Someone was standing at the foot of her bed, a slim gray shadow. She blinked both eyes, trying to clear her thoughts and her vision, lifting her head slightly to poke out further from under the blanket covering her. The whole orientation of the room felt wrong, and it threw her off even more.

Why was she nearly sideways on the bed?

The figure standing a few feet away moved, leaning over her a little more, and suddenly her face came into focus and Anna realized it was Elsa standing there, because of course it was Elsa! Who else could it have been?

She startled partway upright, propping herself up onto one elbow.

"Elsa?" she asked, blinking at her. She was almost fully awake now, and suddenly everything felt less amazing and wonderful than it had just seconds before.

"Oh? Did that actually work?" her slave said, smiling indulgently. "I thought mentioning chocolate was a longshot, but I guess it did the trick. Good morning, sleepy head."

Embarrassed and still feeling more than a bit befuddled, Anna dropped back down and pulled the blanket fully over her head. Had she really been vividly dreaming what she thought she had been dreaming earlier? Honestly, hiding seemed like the best option here. That's right, she could just hide here in bed until either Elsa disappeared, or she started dreaming again and things went back to being uncomplicated and lovely.

"No no, don't fall back asleep on me, Princess," Elsa chided firmly. "I know you're awake this time. I've just run some hot water for you in the bath, so go get yourself washed up while I get breakfast. I already let you sleep in longer than yesterday."

"You're a bully," Anna groaned, glad that she was under the blanket so Elsa couldn't see how she was blushing from head to toe.

"If you say so, mistress."

Anna yanked the blanket down so she could glare at her while the older girl laughed.

"Go away! And don't call me that… I mean it!" she said. She was feeling so flustered that the words came out a bit more grumpily that she had intended.

It was just… Elsa looked so unreasonably attractive, and she was smiling at her, and it almost hurt to look at her right now, especially since she could still feel Dream-Elsa's lips on her skin. It was almost painful, knowing that none of the lovely things she had been feeling moments ago had been real at all, and that the real Elsa was so perfectly untouchable, even though she was just a few feet away and looking as beautiful as a goddess. Meanwhile, Anna knew she must look like an absolute wreck, with dried drool on her face and her hair stuck in every direction.

"Okay, okay, I'm going," Elsa told her, not seeming at all concerned by Anna's foul mood. She was still smiling at her in good humor, as a matter of fact, her eyes twinkling. "I'll be back with food soon. Please do try to stay awake, Anna."

"I'm not a kid!" the princess shouted after her as her slave smoothly walked out of the bedroom and disappeared from sight.

Of course, yelling at someone that you weren't a kid was not necessarily the most grown up thing to do. Elsa didn't reply to her childish outburst, and moments later she heard the door to the hall open and shut, and then everything was quiet in the apartment once more.

Anna collapsed back onto the bed with a heavy sigh, her heart pounding. So much for locking her door last night. She must have fallen asleep after… everything. At least she was under this blanket, and therefore hadn't exposed herself to the other girl in any embarrassing way.

Wait.

This isn't my blanket at all… How…?

"Ahh!" Anna shrieked, scrambling up out of her bed.

She looked down at where she had lain, at the tossed sheets and pillows, at her scanty nightgown and lack of undergarments, and then at the thick and comforting blanket which had just covered her. She brought it up to her nose and drew in a long, deep breath.

Elsa.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Things had been awkward between them all morning.

When Elsa returned with the princess's breakfast, the other girl had indeed been awake, clean and dressed, just as she had hoped. As she came out of her bedroom and joined Elsa at the table, however, she had simply handed her the folded bundle of her blanket with a softly mumbled "thank you", not meeting her eyes, then sat down and began quietly eating. It was so unlike the girl's usual chatty, exuberant self, that she had caught herself frowning and watching her out of the corner of her eye as they both ate.

Had she embarrassed her, covering her with her blanket like that? The younger girl had shouted something about not being a child earlier, just before she left for breakfast. Elsa could sympathize with that particular frustration. It had taken years for her to finally get all of the old clan chiefs to stop viewing her as just a young girl after she took the throne. Anna was probably just as sensitive about being treated as an adult now as Elsa had been only a few years ago. Perhaps she felt Elsa viewed her as being too young and immature, and was feeling self-conscious about it?

If only Anna knew how little that was the case. No, Elsa was extremely and viscerally aware of the fact that Princess Anna was a grown, adult woman.

A grown, adult woman who was apparently giving her the silent treatment this morning.

Not that Elsa had any problem with long silences. No, as a matter of fact, she had always previously preferred companions who didn't fill the air with pointless conversation. Honeymaren, for example, had always had a calm, quiet confidence about her which Elsa found soothing. Lord Einar, the only clan chief who had accompanied her on her voyage, had also been a mostly silent and dignified man who thought long and hard before he spoke. They had enjoyed many evenings on the passage down to the Southern Isles playing cards or chess in her private cabin, both hardly speaking to each other but for a comment here or there to remark on the other's good luck or cleverness.

She felt a flash of pain as she remembered that the old man was dead now. By violence and illness, every Northuldran who had been on that ship with her was dead. She pushed the memories away.

Given her usual preferences, why did this feel so unwelcome and uncomfortable with Anna? She was beginning to suspect why, and it was not an answer she was happy with.

"Did you sleep well last night?" Elsa abruptly asked, surprising herself when she broke the silence. She hadn't even realized she was planning to speak.

"Yes," Anna replied, still intently studying her food like the piece of toast she was holding was the most interesting thing on the planet. She thought she might say more, but the girl didn't, just continued to determinedly eat without meeting her gaze.

Later, when Elsa told her that she would prefer to remain behind so she could continue the work she had started as her secretary, rather than joining her at her lessons with the Professor as she had the day before, Anna had looked up at her finally with an expression of obvious disappointment, but she hadn't argued with her, just nodded and went back to pinning up her braided hair. As Anna had stood to leave for her lesson, Elsa hadn't been able to help stepping in her way and laying a hand gently on her arm, forcing the girl to look up at her.

"Anna, is everything okay? You've been really quiet this morning," she asked, not able to hide her concern any longer.

"Oh! Gosh, no, everything is fine," Anna told her, blushing as she finally returned her gaze. "I'm just a bit out of it this morning, I guess. Head in the clouds, or you know… something like that."

Elsa wasn't sure what to make of this, but it wasn't her place to push her further. If the princess said she was fine, then she was fine. She supposed even the most cheerful and outgoing people sometimes felt quiet and melancholy. She shouldn't pry.

Damn it, I really want to pry! What's going on with her?!

"Okay, well, that's good then," she said, lowering her arm so she was no longer touching her.

Just that simple touch had made her hand feel warm and set her heartbeat racing slightly, which was just ridiculous. It had not been like her to reach out and touch her like that in the first place. She blamed the strange mood she was in, and the remnants of her daydreams still chasing her from the night before. She forced a smile, determined to ignore the awkwardness that had fallen over both of them like a dark pall.

"Tell the Professor I say hello. Oh! And after lunch, we can even have our first lesson in Norstla, if you're feeling up for it today."

"I'd like that!" Anna said with obvious enthusiasm at the offer, her expression brightening, and some of the tension between them eased a bit. They said their goodbyes with more of their usual warmth and familiarity, and the princess was smiling again when she left.

Before she went, she did think to warn her that the castle staff usually came by her rooms to tidy up and take care of things in the late morning, usually when she was away for her lessons. She cautioned Elsa to be respectful towards Mrs. Creedy, the head housekeeper, as aside from the castle steward, she pretty much ran the place and managed all of the female staff in their day to day tasks.

Once the princess left, Elsa spent a busy half hour moving more of the boxes of correspondence and gifts from Anna's disorganized bedroom closet to the study. She was just finishing with her last armful when a true army of maidservants burst into the room with Mrs. Creedy at the helm. They didn't even knock, and Elsa nearly dropped what she was carrying in surprise.

What followed was a whirlwind of activity and introductions. Female servants descended on the rooms in all directions, while Mrs. Creedy cornered Elsa and gave her the interrogation of her life. Truly, the castle's head housekeeper was far more intimidating and insightful than the king and all his advisors had been. She was a tall, lean woman with short, silvery gray hair swept back at the temples, and matching gray eyes that looked over the new slave without missing anything. There was a fat ring of keys at her belt, identical to the one Master Kai wore. Elsa kept her head down and her posture as meek as she could make it, remembering everything Anna had told her about how a slave was expected to act. She didn't even try to lie to the woman about any of her skills, or lack thereof. Within ten minutes, Mrs. Creedy knew more about Elsa than just about anyone in the castle, but she seemed mostly satisfied with what she had learned.

"Well, girl, you'll make a poor lady's maid for our Princess Anna, I wager, but it could be far worse. Can't tailor or sew, don't know how to pin a hem or fix a hat... From the looks of it, though, you'll have your hands full enough as her personal secretary and tutor. It's about time someone organized all that flotsam and jetsam of papers she hides in her closet."

Mrs. Creedy said this while peering into the study and observing the piles of documents she had earlier set there to be sorted, and she gave Elsa an approving nod.

"It's nice to see that you aren't as idle or rude as some of the men servants have been saying, I must say. Bunch of lazy brutes, most of them. Especially that Roger… Never did like that man. The way he struts around these halls, you would think he was a butler, instead of just a clumsy footman who can never keep the forks straight. You are foreign, which is not ideal, but I suppose that can't be helped."

Elsa blinked up at her at this speech, smartly deciding to say nothing. The woman said the word "foreign" like it was a curse. Around them, the maidservants had already finished stripping bedsheets and remaking the Princess's extravagant bed, dusting the shelves, and carrying out dirtied towels, clothes and linens for washing. A young girl, maybe only eleven or twelve years old, was restacking the kindling and firewood in the fireplace, and had dusted up what little ash and soot had accumulated there.

Mrs. Creedy was still talking, and Elsa adopted what she hoped was a respectfully attentive demeanor.

"Now listen up girl. I don't care what Master Kai told you earlier. You're one of the female servants here, which means you answer to me. If you need anything for Her Highness or have any difficulties carrying out your duties, you come to me first. The castle can be a bit overwhelming, but you'll get used to it soon enough."

"Yes, Mrs. Creedy," Elsa dutifully said, bobbing her head like a good slave. "Do you think it might be possible for me to get some more clothes to wear? I have nothing of my own except what I am wearing now," she thought to add, deciding to take her at her word.

"That I can and will do," the older woman said, looking over her clothing critically. "We keep a small supply of such things on hand. I will see that you get some more clothes suitable for your position in the household."

Well, that could very well mean even worse rags than what she was wearing now, but at least it was something.

Mrs. Creedy called over to the girl by the fireplace, who promptly came over to join them.

"This is my granddaughter, Isabella," she said, pressing a hand to the young girl's shoulder. The girl's bob of brown hair was curled and frizzy, and was barely contained by the scarf she wore wrapped around her head. She beamed a friendly smile at Elsa from a soot stained face, and Elsa found herself automatically smiling back.

"Izzy is the ash girl here. She will make sure Her Highness's fireplace is cleaned and prepped each day, and the kindling and firewood restocked. Don't be shy about keeping the fire going at night so Princess Anna doesn't get cold. Izzy, please show Elsa around a bit, would you?"

The girl was eager and friendly, and within just a few minutes she had shown Elsa all sorts of things that surprised her. For instance, there were several hidden doors and cupboards throughout the apartments and in the hallway outside, made to look like nothing but normal sections of wall. She wondered if Anna was even aware of them. Hidden away in these cabinets was everything she could need to look after her new "mistress". Fresh linens, towels, brooms and feather dusters, tins of matches, fresh candles and stoppered flasks of lamp oil. A door in the hallway that Elsa had thought was a closet was actually a large dumbwaiter for bringing up food from the lower levels, which could be operated with a hand crank, and she really wished she had known about it earlier. There was even a laundry chute at the end of the hall, which Elsa thought she might just be slim enough to fit down.

Seeing her look of interest, Izzy had giggled and smiled at her knowingly.

"You're not supposed to, but I slid down one of these once," the girl confided in a whisper. "I threw a bunch of pillows and blankets down first, of course, but it wasn't as much fun as I thought it would be. I twisted my ankle at the bottom and nearly cried."

"It's a long ways down, then?" Elsa had to ask, thoroughly intrigued. The girl nodded, eyes wide.

"All the way to the basement!"

"Ouch!" she said, sympathetically. The little girl was lucky she hadn't broken her leg, or given herself a concussion with that stunt.

Within only thirty minutes, all of the servants had departed to tackle other rooms in the castle, leaving her alone with Mrs. Creedy, who gave her a few final bits of stern advice before she left.

"I hear you have been fetching Her Highness's breakfast yourself, this morning and the last," she said, not sounding disapproving or upset by this, so Elsa merely nodded without comment. "That's good you are looking after her, but you mustn't let the manservants shirk their own duties. Every time I turn around these laggards are trying to give over their work to one of my girls, and I won't have it, not even to a slave girl. Just pull the chord five times in the morning, once the Princess is awake and wants her breakfast. They will know to bring up and set out what she likes."

"Thank you, Mrs. Creedy. I will do that from now on," Elsa told her, fighting the urge to laugh as she followed her to the door. She was almost starting to like this stubborn old lady.

"And one final thing, girl," the woman continued, looking her up and down with a fierce frown. "You are new here and a very pretty young woman, even if you are just a foreign slave. Stay away from the menfolk, girl, especially His Majesty's soldiers. Getting yourself entangled like that is a sure way to find yourself sent off to the mines before you can even blink. You're lucky to even be here. Don't ruin it by letting some foolish man between your legs, understood?"

"That will absolutely not happen, Mrs. Creedy," she assured her firmly, meeting her eyes with a cold stare of her own, letting her hunched posture drop for a moment. The woman returned her gaze for several long seconds, then nodded in a satisfied way before turning on her heel and swiftly striding away down the hall.

Elsa closed the door, alone once more in blessed silence.

As if I would be caught dead fornicating with some idiot man here, she growled to herself, both amused and insulted by the thought.

Now, a pretty maidservant, or a certain beautiful princess, on the other hand? Maybe one with red hair and a lovely smile, who kept touching her, and looking at her with eyes that made her feel too much…? That was an entanglement that she might have a much harder time denying herself, she knew.

Stop it! Stop that right now!

She went back to her work, though she was a bit distracted with thinking over all she had just learned. That had gone rather well, she thought. Apparently she had pleased the head housekeeper with her newfound civility and respectful manner, and now the fierce old woman had decided to claim her as one of her own, like an old gray wolf scooping up an errant stray pup. If it meant she wouldn't have to deal with that miserable castle steward any longer, then she welcomed the older woman's intercession.

Castle Arendelle was proving to be a far more interesting place than she had ever imagined. She might have made some enemies during her first day as Anna's slave – her skin still crawled even thinking about meeting Lord Raspaitin in the flesh – but now that seemed to be turning around. If Mrs. Creedy grew to trust her further, well, it could provide her many useful opportunities.

I wonder just how many doors in this castle can be unlocked with one of the keys on her belt?

An intriguing thought, to be sure.

Elsa bent back down to her work, her mind preoccupied with half-formed schemes and wild theories, the time passing quickly as she waited for Princess Anna to return to her.