09. Monday, Monday
As requested by the night watch, Kai knocked on Queen Elsa's door a few minutes before six o'clock in the morning. The castle's long-time overseer was not entirely surprised that Her Majesty had returned in the night. While he did not doubt that this "sudden urgent matter" that had required her presence was truly important, he also knew that the next few weeks were an extremely busy time. Elsa loved big projects.
The steel reinforcements for the harbor's improvements were scheduled for testing sometime this week, and hopefully it would not run afoul of the preparations for the Harvest Festival that began on Friday at midday. There was also a council meeting on Wednesday.
And then there were the other meetings.
Her Majesty's reforms to Arendelle's public education system and founding of a public health system were going more or less smoothly, and the country's new university had just begun its first-ever classes. But there were still some positions to fill around the small country and problems to work out; people with backgrounds in education, medicine, sciences and technology, management, and skilled trades had been arriving throughout the past week, trying to beat the stormy weather that all but shut down sea travel between late autumn and early spring. The Queen needed to meet with most of these newcomers soon.
Also in the queue were the other learned men and women who came to try to study and debate about the Snow Queen's magical powers. And the more mundane tourists, who just wanted to see it for themselves. Her Majesty could easily spend most of her waking hours each day indulging the curiosity of the world, but since she took her administrative duties very seriously, Kai and the other castle staff were careful in scheduling her time with the journalists, researchers, theologians, and sightseers.
It seemed there was no end to the diplomatic and trade petitions. The whole world wanted a peace treaty with Arendelle, for obvious reasons. Many of the major players in global and local politics had wanted to set up embassies in what was formerly deemed a prosperous-enough but sleepy backwater country. Ostensibly, this was to acknowledge Arendelle's emergence from thirteen years of secrecy to being a leader in economic policies and enlightened engineering of the future, but the reality was that everybody wanted to keep an eye on the young Queen. Elsa herself understood their concerns and agreed to the development of an "embassy row" within Arendelle as a gesture of her non-aggressive intentions. And as word of the Queen of Arendelle's fairness and acumen spread, she had become sought after as an arbitrator of foreign disputes.
But Her Majesty's real magnum opus at the moment was the drafting of a constitution. The Queen, the council, and advocates for the people were working on the unequivocal language that would give the country a modern, clear set of laws, and establish exactly what the rights, responsibilities, entitlements, and compromises of the citizens and government should be. Needless to say, the discussions could get long and heated.
When combined with the open courts held regularly on the first and sometimes third Thursday of each month, it meant that most of Elsa's days required strict time management. Luckily for everyone, the Queen possessed an inordinate amount of self-discipline and commitment.
Therefore, Kai was unfazed that, in response to his knock, the bedroom door opened and Elsa stepped out into the hall, ready for the day to begin. He supposed it helped that she could get dressed in an instant, with a mere wave of her hand and a thought. Which was not to say he completely approved of her dresses and bare legs, but neither was he going to be the one to tell such a powerful sorceress what she could or could not wear. His sense of self-preservation trumped his sense of propriety.
One of the things he and Gerda and the few other long-serving castle employees had dared to demand of Elsa after the Great Thaw was that her meals would be served only in the dining room, with just a few exceptions made for extenuating circumstances. She had eaten alone in her bedroom for far too long, and the staff who could remember the time and the little girl before the gates were shut saw no reason now for the isolation to continue. To their great relief, the Queen had acceded to their stipulation instead of firing them all or turning them into frozen newts.
He escorted her to the family dining room. She was silent, which was not unusual, and seemed rested. "Should we expect the Princess and Ice Master back for breakfast, Your Majesty?" he asked as he seated her at the table.
"Probably not before nine o'clock. So just keep to Princess Anna's normal schedule," Elsa said dryly, poking fun at her sister's habit of sleeping in. "And I don't know if they will eat anything before they leave."
"Very good, Your Majesty. We can arrange for you to meet with the ambassadors from Khentii and Daloa earlier than we scheduled," Kai informed her.
"I know this is wishful thinking, but shouldn't we be running out of countries by now?" Some of these places were so remote and obscure, even relative to Arendelle's own remoteness and obscurity, that she was surprised news of her magical powers had reached them in less than a year.
"Unfortunately not, Your Majesty. The Minister of Foreign Relations thinks we haven't seen even one third of them yet."
"I still think a public declaration of our neutrality would be easiest," Elsa said. As fascinating as some of these dignitaries were, the trouble and expense that many of them had in traveling to Arendelle and back was ridiculous. "That way, they all can simply assume I don't plan to drop a glacier on their countries unless they hear otherwise."
Elsa's breakfast arrived: A bowl of oatmeal with fresh cloudberries and a drizzle of honey; a plain two-egg omelet; a few slices of smoked salmon; and a nice cup of hot tea.
Kai bowed to her and withdrew to prepare her study to receive visitors and to usher over the Minister of Foreign Relations for a final briefing before the Queen met with the dignitaries. After that, she would meet with some magic researchers, a few of which were slated to take up longer-term positions within Arendelle's new education and health care structures. After that, she would probably meet with the harbor master, marine engineers, and metal workers to test some new building materials. After that, there would a state dinner and formal reception to greet all the new educators and medical workers and their families.
In between these appointments, the Queen would try to look over various expense reports, harvest yield projections, and trade figures - as well as eat lunch. Today might be a day that the staff relented and allowed Elsa to eat in her study or on the move.
Kai finished tidying the study and arranging the day's paperwork in a neat, prioritized stack on the desk. He lit a fire in the hearth; while the Snow Queen did not need it, her guests probably would appreciate it.
A chime sounded, indicating that someone expected had arrived at the castle. The portly handler knew it was Oddvar Rogalund, the Minister of Foreign Relations, here to discuss the finer points of the negotiations with the emissaries from Khentii and Daloa, whose ships had reached Arendelle late the previous week. That Her Majesty had nominated her former history and geography tutor for such a lofty position did not astonish the old hands among the staff, since Elsa had a good rapport with him, even if he and her other instructors had been ordered to keep their distance, literally.
He hurried down to the front parlor to collect Minister Rogalund; the Queen would have heard the chime as well and was undoubtedly making her way to her study. Monday had officially begun.
When Kai reached the parlor door, a guard opened it and announced: "The Foreign Minister is here to see Her Majesty, sir." As if nobody knew what this was all about.
"Thank you," said Kai as he walked in.
Rogalund greeted him with a smile. They weren't exactly close friends, but they were certainly familiar with each other and both had watched the princesses grow up. The Minister had been coming to the castle as a tutor since Elsa was ten years old.
"Is the Queen ready to be quizzed?" Rogalund asked as they left the room together. He found his current role to be quite stimulating, if intimidating. But since he had also taught Princess Anna, he was used to challenges.
"I believe so, although this has been shorter notice than Her Majesty would have liked," Kai said. With so many countries that had no prior association with Arendelle showing up unexpectedly and clamoring for treaties and trade opportunities and other favors, they had often found themselves trying to put something together in the eleventh hour. Fortunately, Queen Elsa was a quick learner and a gracious hostess; and a measured display of her magic could usually smooth over many cultural dissonances.
They reached the study door. Kai knocked smartly on it.
"Enter," the Queen commanded.
Kai opened the door, and announced: "The Foreign Minister is here to see you, Your Majesty."
"Thank you, Kai," said Elsa, and she nodded to acknowledge both men's bows before Kai departed and closed the door behind him. "Please be seated, Minister Rogalund."
He did so, and Elsa regarded her teacher-turned-advisor. He was in his early fifties, with thinning brown hair, and a physique that was now close to flabby, but his brown eyes were lively and alert. The Minister of Foreign Relations likewise regarded his pupil-turned-magical-monarch. He was still not quite used to sitting so close to her, and was still somewhat amazed to find himself elevated to this station after the Queen's Great Purge following the Great Thaw.
"Quiz me," the Queen directed him, getting immediately to the point.
"Tell me about Daloa, Your Majesty," he said.
"Chocolate," Elsa said musically, not even trying to hide her smile. "Or rather cocoa beans. Tropical Africa. Located inland, but near the coast with navigable rivers servicing the vicinity. Also produces coffee, sugar, timber, cotton, and gold in limited quantities. Main languages are Kru, French, and Disnee. Main religions are Islam, Christianity, and traditional beliefs. Was not impacted by the slavers as badly as most of its neighbors, so they are still a viable market for some of our goods. France is very interested in the area, and I think the Daloans know it."
"Possible implications and complications?"
"If they fear the French are seeking political and economic influence or an outright land-grab, the Daloans may want a mutual defense treaty with us to act as a deterrent. Or want us to broker a hands-off agreement between them and France. I will, of course, suggest the second option."
"Very good, Your Majesty. You've done your homework, as always," Oddvar said with an approving smile. "And Khentii?"
"Extremely landlocked in east Asia. Mountainous, no navigable rivers that reach the ocean. Sparsely populated. Probably mineral deposits in the mountains, but there is little to no mining. Few crops. Nomadic herders, horses are very culturally significant. Main languages are Mongolian, Turkic, and Disnee. Main religions are shamanism and Buddhism. Has had very little contact with the rest of the world, but still has a certain prestige amongst the nearby countries. Birthplace of Chinggis Khaan, and reputed to hold his grave as well, in a region called the Great Taboo."
"Possible implications and complications?"
"Not much potential for trade, but it's an honor that they have gone well out of their way to establish diplomatic ties with us. If we swap out horses for boats, our histories have quite a bit in common: We're two long-isolated, steep-sided countries who conquered our respective neighborhoods centuries ago."
"Excellent, Your Majesty. But remember that the influence Khentii still has over its bordering countries could prove quite valuable, if this delegation brings back favorable reports and examples of trade goods. And our status within our local diplomatic community will rise if we can work out any kind of dealings with such a venerable and mysterious country."
"I will be at my dazzling best," Elsa deadpanned.
"You are dazzling even at your worst, Your Majesty, so there's not much to worry about," Rogalund reassured her. "You will meet with the Daloans first, then the Khentiians. Then we'll give them a little tour. The Visby embassy has invited both groups to an informal light luncheon afterward; I will also attend to make sure nothing untoward happens."
"Did you expect your job to involve so much eating when you accepted it?" Elsa teased.
"No, I did not, Your Majesty. But my wife is pleased that she doesn't need to cook as much. Now, if you will excuse me, I will get the Daloans ready to officially meet you in the ball room where you can appropriately awe them before you all return here for the more prosaic negotiations." He rose, bowed to her, and exited the study.
Elsa took a few breaths and reached into her tranquility. Finding the right balance between being Queen of Arendelle and Queen of Ice and Snow was a guessing game. Each dignitary had different reasons for seeking an audience and different expectations about her and different tolerances for magical displays. However, it was always best to start with a mild, modest approach, and build up to something more grand and imposing as the situation called for it - rather like her magic shows for the tourists.
She checked her ice-dress and cape, and ran her hand over her hair. There was a tap at the door; as a connoisseur of knocking, she knew it was Kai. She opened the door and stepped out into the hall. The handler was silent on the way to the ball room doors. He gave her a questioning look, and she affirmed her readiness with a nod. He opened the doors, walked in, and announced: "Queen Elsa of Arendelle."
Author's Note - This is an attempt to flesh out what Elsa actually does as queen. And not just any ordinary queen, but rather a ridiculously powerful magical queen in a world where magic is very uncommon. Just saying she does "paperwork" or "has meetings" completely overlooks some (to me) good plotlines and ways to maneuver our heroes into and out of trouble. Elsa would completely unhinge the politics of any Century in any "reality" that's close to our own.
