1. Embla
Kai had just started his day when he came across the head maid agitatedly pacing the hallway and muttering to herself. Embla was so old she had started working in the castle serving Elsa's and Anna's grandparents. A few months earlier, he had suggested to the grey-haired woman that maybe she should think of retiring and spend her last years relaxing away from the castle. Kai never wanted to have his ears boxed again.
"Embla, is something wrong?"
Hands on hips, the elderly woman stopped pacing and glared at him. "I forgot the ambassadors left last night instead of waiting until this evening."
"And...?" Kai couldn't figure out why that would upset Embla; her position meant she exclusively served the royal family, not foreign dignitaries.
"I set the Queen's and Princess' breakfasts together and not across from each other."
Ah, there was the problem. The delegation of ambassadors and assistants from Atluna had filled the formal dining room, necessitating the women to sit next to each other during meals. "If they are crowded they can move their plates."
Embla dropped her hands from her hips and looked positively scandalized. "The royal family doesn't fix a servant's mistake! It's not proper!"
"Well, I need to talk to El-" a sharp look from the head maid stopped him, "the Queen about the changes to her schedule. I will check on them and move their plates if needed."
After scrutinizing him for what felt like weeks, she nodded. "That will be acceptable." She turned to continue her morning duties while muttering, "Move their own plates. It's just not done."
Kai chuckled as he made his way to where the women were having breakfast. Not wanting to disturb their meal, he quietly opened the dining room door.
With their backs to the door, they never saw him and continued eating. Anna was sitting on Elsa's right and was draped against her. He watched as Elsa struggled to use her left hand to eat, making no move to detach herself from the redhead to use her right hand. He could just make out Elsa explaining an aspect of culture of the recently departed Atlunians when she turned her head to face Anna just as the other woman turned her head.
They were so very close.
Anna blushed but didn't move away.
Elsa stopped mid sentence and also turned red.
Smiling widely, Kai closed the door as silently as possible. He could talk with Elsa after breakfast. But he first had to find Embla. Meals would be served side by side from now on.
2. Gerda
Kai frowned as he saw Gerda walking quickly towards him. She had been talking nonstop about her upcoming day off in town with her new week-old granddaughter and should have been gone by now. But there she was, holding one of Anna's gowns.
"Do you know where Seamstress Parvaneh is? She's not in her sewing room."
"She's in Hafnaross purchasing fabric." He watched as Gerda looked upset at the news. "Gerda?"
She visibly hesitated before sighing in resignation. "I was rushing to prepare Anna's attire and tore her favorite dress. I have to fix it before they finish breakfast."
While it was fashionable to change clothes multiple times during the day, Anna preferred to only change once in the morning and go about her day. He knew she would actually be upset that Gerda stayed late, not about the torn dress.
Kai suddenly remembered an outfit Anna wore two weeks ago that distracted Elsa so much, she had lost her train of thought every time the young woman entered the office. Later that day, he had instructed Parvaneh to make a similar outfit but in blue and purple. He knew it had been finished two days prior and was waiting in her wardrobe.
"There is a new outfit ready in her wardrobe. I can take that dress and have Parvaneh fix it later."
Gerda smiled thankfully.
Later, they were in the office working when Anna walked in.
"Ready for lunch?" He watched her bounce on her toes in excitement.
"Almost." Elsa looked up from the letter to Corona. "I just need-"
Kai glanced over when she didn't finish her sentence but then had to quickly look away to keep from laughing. Elsa's eyes had widened and her jaw dropped.
"Do you like it?" Anna smiled shyly then twirled in place.
The deep purple dress with the sky blue sash and short jacket looked as wonderful on her as he thought it would.
"Beautiful," came Elsa's breathy response and he saw Anna blush.
"There's no more to do today, enjoy your day with Anna." It wasn't exactly a lie. The tasks left could easily be done tomorrow; besides, he didn't think Elsa would be able concentrate the rest of the day.
"Okay," she didn't even turn to him as she responded absently, eyes fixed on the redhead.
Anna walked over to the blonde slowly and took her hand. "Let's go have lunch," she said softly.
Kai barely refrained from smugly patting his own back as he watched them leave.
3. Olaf
"Kai!"
At the call, he stopped organizing Elsa's correspondence and stepped out onto the patio attached to the Queen's office. "Yes, Olaf?"
The little snowman and his personal flurry paced back on forth. "Can I ask you a question?" The unusually serious tone, and even his asking, concerned Kai.
"I told Elsa that the castle gardens have the most amazing and wonderful flowers in the world but..." he trailed off.
As Kai waited for the snowman to continue, he decided that the serious expression didn't fit on his little friend.
"But I think maybe the field behind Kristoff's house is better. Am I allowed to change my mind?" He waved his stick arms in distress.
"Of course." Greatly relieved it wasn't actually anything serious, he had a hard time keeping the amusement out of his tone.
"Won't Elsa be upset? I lied!" Olaf looked worried.
"You didn't lie."
The snowman didn't look convinced.
"How about we find Elsa and tell her? She should be in the gardens with Anna."
Olaf immediately turned around. He bounced down the stairs and started looking for Elsa. First, he looked under a leaf. Then, behind a rock. After that, down a hole.
Kai shook his head as he watched the snowman continue to look in impossible places for the sisters and lag behind with his ridiculous searching. That was why Kai was by himself when he peered around a tall hedge and found them.
Elsa was leaning against a large tree while holding Anna's hand, their fingers intertwined. She had a soft smile on her face as she listened to whatever the redhead was saying. Anna, already close, stepped closer and used her free hand to tuck a stray lock of blonde hair behind Elsa's ear. Her touch lingered.
Kai quickly stepped away from the intimate moment and intercepted Olaf coming down the path.
"They appear to have left the gardens." Kai felt only slightly guilty for lying to the snowman. He hoped those two would finally confess their feelings soon. This was getting ludicrous. He was aware of two different betting pools among the staff and he was certain there were more.
"Oh," Olaf said sadly.
"The spring flower exhibition starts tomorrow. They have started setting..." He didn't finish his sentence. Olaf was already halfway down the path to the castle gates.
4. Kristoff
Walking down one of the many hallways after lunch, Kai read through the papers he was holding for a third time. It seemed the list of countries requesting an audience with Arendelle's new Queen never actually shrank. He sighed and changed his mind again on which country he would recommend to Elsa next.
"Hey Kai, have you seen Anna?"
Looking up from his papers, he smiled at Anna's best friend Kristoff. His smile dropped when he took in the blond man's worried expression.
"What's wrong?" This day seemed to be filled with more problems than normal.
"I have to... umm... apologize to Anna." Kristoff rubbed the back of his neck nervously.
Kai put his fists on his hips and raised an eyebrow.
Kristoff fidgeted.
Silence.
"I lied to Anna!" Kristoff caved. "We were supposed to go riding today," he gestured to one side with both hands. "I told her yesterday I had to go harvest more ice for the festival." He moved both hands in a sweeping arc to his other side. "But I actually spent the morning with Calla."
The older man didn't move.
"I know, I know," Kristoff sagged. "Anna would have understood. I panicked."
"Things are going well with Calla, I assume?"
A goofy grin was the blond man's only answer.
"Good. Anna will be thrilled but tell her tomorrow."
"Why?" Kristoff was back to looking worried.
Kai could not contain his happiness. "The girls have spent the whole day together." He leaned in closer and whispered, "Things have definitely progressed."
Kristoff grinned. "Really?"
He opened his mouth to tell him everything, when Kristoff's head whipped to the side quickly.
"What is it?" Kai whispered, concerned what he might have heard.
Kristoff brought a finger to his lips to indicate silence and then tiptoed down the hall to where it was bisected by another, he peeked around the corner, then waved him over.
Looking around the corner, Kai saw what had Kristoff grinning.
Down the hall, standing far closer than was necessary, Elsa and Anna were talking. With how intently they were focused on each other, he doubted that they would have even noticed if he and Kristoff started singing. Unfortunately, the two men were too far away to hear what was being spoken. Elsa said something that made Anna laugh and gesture wildly. Even from this distance they could see the blonde's smile was nervous when she took a deep breath, waved her right hand, and created a flower of snow. Elsa spoke something again that had Anna smiling and nodding rapidly. Though she looked relieved, the blonde's hand shook as she tucked the flower behind Anna's ear. Kai didn't think the smile on the younger woman's face could get any bigger, but it did as she took Elsa's hand and pulled her down the hall.
The two men turned to each other and beamed.
Kristoff gave him two thumbs up.
5. Anna & Elsa
He could not believe he forgot the stack of letters that needed to go out, in the Royal Office. Most of them were instructions or requests for information from their various ambassadors around the world and needed to go out today. Granted, the day had been strange but that did not excuse his forgetting important matters of business for the Kingdom. Luckily the last coach before dinner agreed to wait the few minutes needed to retrieve the papers before leaving.
Kai walked to the room and stopped dead.
Elsa's back was to him and was mostly hiding Anna from view, her arms around the redhead's neck. Anna's own arms were wrapped around the blonde's waist, holding her extremely close. It was obvious they were kissing. He heard a happy giggle come from Elsa.
If he didn't need to get those letters out he wouldn't disturb them for the world.
"Ahem."
Elsa spun around and paled at the sight of him. "It's not what it looks like."
He tilted his head and pretended to be confused. "You weren't kissing?"
"Okay, so it is what it looks like," Anna muttered. He saw Elsa elbow her discreetly.
"Finally." He smiled fondly at them, thrilled that at long last they had a chance of being happy.
Elsa gaped.
Anna grinned.
"Let me get those letters," he motioned to the desk, "and I'll leave you to resume."
"Oh god," Elsa turned bright red.
"Can do, Kai!" Anna giggled.
Elsa swung around to her sister. "ANNA!"
Kai quickly grabbed the papers as Anna wrapped her arms around Elsa once again.
"Perhaps," he said on his way out, "you should lock the door behind me."
After he exited, he heard the lock click into place and then started walking quickly to the coach. Who would tell him what happened first? Anna or Kristoff after Anna told him? Either way, he could not wait.
Epilogue
Kai sighed happily as he lowered himself onto a bench in the garden after catching the coach. Anna and Elsa finally talked about their feelings and he could see them having a long, happy life together. When Gerda got back, they were going to have to sit down and share a celebratory drink as he filled her in on everything she'd missed. A movement from his left caught his eye; he turned his head and saw Sven sulking his way over.
"Dear god, do you have something to confess to me too, Sven?" Kai sighed. "Seems to be the day for them."
Sven turned his head and pulled a burlap sack out of his saddle bag and dropped it at his feet. The reindeer kept his head lowered and looked up guiltily.
Kai stared down at the bag and saw the Royal Seal on it, marking that it came from the Royal Kitchens.
It was full of carrots.
Dropping his head in his hands, Kai wondered if it was too early or too late to go hide in bed. Without looking up, he pulled out a carrot and gave it to Sven.
This prompt was "confession" for February 2020 from
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