Katja slowly began to acclimatise to living in the castle, she was still a little unsure of her position in the palace. She slept in a room that was hers, the wardrobe was full of clothes in her size and toys that were hers to play with were stacked in the corner. Lady Freya or Queen Elsa would read her a story and tuck her in at night but she would still insist on eating in the kitchen, not with the royal family.
She wouldn't play with the little prince and princess who were still respectfully giving the girl time, or in the case of Lisbet, kept away by her mother.
Once again, Gerda came up with a solution. "Miss Katja, time for breakfast." the chief maid called cheerfully, pulling open the curtains to let the late spring sunlight in. With nary a grumble the little girl clambered out from her covers, washed and dressed in the clothes Gerda had placed out for her.
"Could you braid my hair please?" She said quietly, twiddling a pinch of her ash-blonde locks.
"Of course dear, it is fiddly to do isn't it?" Gerda sat on the edge of the bed and swiftly had the length in a tidy fish-plait. With her hair put back, her embroidered dress smoothed out and shiny little shoes on her feet Katja looked like a princess. 'So she won't panic when I take her to the breakfast room.' Gerda thought.
"Thank you." Katja said, moving to bow before a friendly hand stopped her.
"No need to bow dear, though it is very polite of you. Now come along." Gerda led the girl through the palace, watching as she still looked at her surroundings in awe. It had been weeks since she was first placed in the guardianship of Elsa but the royal floor still held her attention even if her gaze didn't stray to the grand door at the head of the hallway.
Katja didn't notice Gerda lead her into the King's Breakfast. She only noticed that she was not in the kitchen when an enthusiastic little voice shouted. "Waffs!"
"Yes sweetie, waffle." Anna said to Lisbet, her daughter a crumb and syrup covered mess. "Open wide for Mama, here comes more."
Elsa noticed Gerda entering and knew that Katja was with her, it was time for the plan to begin. "Good morning Katja." She stood from her seat at the table and moved to greet the girl.
"Good morning your majesty." Katja sounded shocked and nothing like her five years. She began to curtsy but Elsa caught her first.
"You don't need to bow Katja." Elsa smiled at the girl, "you're under our care." She took the unresisting hand and led the girl to a chair next to Freya.
"Good morning Katja." Freya said, helping her sit on the chair. From the other side of the table Matteus and Lisbet were watching her owlishly. The baby was even distracted from her breakfast.
"Good morning Lady Freya." Katja accepted her cutlery and a plate of food without any fuss and began to eat quietly. Anna had to tell her children to eat again they were so absorbed in watching the newcomer.
Elsa started a light conversation with Freya, all the time the pair checked that the girl was at least relaxing. As the conversation washed around her Katja stopped sitting so stiffly and even looked around the room a little. They shared a smile over her head, so far things were going well.
"Mama, when will Papa be back?" Matteus asked as he finished his juice, careful not to spill a drop.
"In the afternoon dear." Anna replied as she wiped crumbs from Lisbet's cheeks. "Do you two have something planned?"
"Yuh huh, Papa was going to show me how to ride one of the Svens and hitch up a sledge. He said it's because he started learning it all when he was my age." Matteus noticed Katja looking on with interest. "Do you want to come see?"
Matteus was the best of both his parents, Elsa mused, maybe with a little of her influence thrown in to temper the wacky hijinks. He had earnest blue eyes in an open face, coppery-blonde hair and the confident bearing of a future king. His aunt watched his effort to talk to her shy new charge. The boy turned to face Katja fully and cocked his head in a manner surely learned from Anna.
"Sven is a reindeer." He offered, "Papa built me a little sledge and if Aunty Elsa makes it snow a bit we can play on it."
Katja looked stricken a moment and her eyes roved around for help, Elsa decided it was time for some input. "That would be fun wouldn't it? A nice change from your room all day."
"Yes..." The girl allowed slowly. "I've never really met a reindeer." She offered. Matteus seized it with glee and began describing his second favourite subject (Ice was his first). As their conversation progressed Katja became much livelier and cheerful, she stopped shooting glances to Freya or Elsa for approval. When breakfast had finished she was merrily being tugged away to have a tour of the castle from the boy and his little sister in the company of their nanny.
"He certainly has your gift with people." Elsa said to Anna as they left the breakfast room. She squeezed her sister in a tight hug.
"Aww, thanks Elsa. I'm trying my best." She returned the embrace. "Now, I am going to get my chores done before those three drive Inga batty." Anna gave Elsa a peck on the cheek, Freya a bump to the arm and dashed off in a manner no other twenty four year old mother of two ever had, let alone a princess.
"Our tasks for today my lady?" Freya asked, her tone gently amused as she always was outside of privacy. Elsa decided to walk and talk, motioning Freya to follow.
"The usual, up in my study then some stuffy council meetings until lunch."
Shouts of playing children reached the council chambers from the garden beneath the window. No one wished to scold the children, Elsa knew for a fact that every man of them had their own, some grandchildren. The half words of little Lisbet, Matteus' strident directions and, most fulfilling for Elsa's heart, the surprisingly loud replies and rebuttals from Katja. She caught Freya smirking in her line of sight. 'She's going to be interesting for Matty.' was their shared thought.
As promised, Matteus learned from his father how to hitch one of the baby reindeer to his sledge. He had an audience in the form of his mother, sister and the girl he had already decided was part of the family. The little prince was immensely proud when he managed to repeat and copy everything his Papa did.
It was even better when a flurry of snow fell from the sky and ice raced across the courtyard. Elsa grinned and waved as she and Freya skated up to join the gathering. Katja was looking down with amazement; she had seen the results of the Queen's magic but never the act. "Wow..."
"Impressed are we?" Elsa laughed and then swiftly caught the girl when she slipped on the ice.
"I'm not so good at skating." Katja said, "Mor used too..." She trailed off sadly but a furry snout under her chin and friendly brown eyes lifted her head.
"Stormr!" Matteus prodded the reindeer. "You have to be a gentleman." Katja giggled at the downcast look and petted the beast.
"It's ok, thank you for the hug."
"So, would you like to skate or sledge?" Elsa asked, already her magic had given Kristoff and Anna their skates and a head guard for Lisbet who was merrily pulling herself across the ice on her rear in yet another escape attempt.
"Um, can we ride the sled?" The little girl's eyes were shining without tears for the first time since Elsa had seen them.
"Of course. You two have fun and play safe. I'll make you skates if you want them." Freya scooped her up then and set them dancing across the ice.
"She's broken out of her shell then." The woman commented, watching Stormr pull two squealing children around ice rink.
"Now we just help her heal." Elsa commented, a soft smile gracing her lips as she moved in closer to her partner.
Freya carried Katja to bed that night, she had fallen into a doze at supper after playing all afternoon, she had been excitedly telling Elsa and Gerda about her day, what Matteus had shown her in the palace and all the fun she'd had on the ice.
She barely made a sound when Freya tucked her in and Elsa stroked her ash-blonde hair. "Good night Katja." They both whispered. It had been the first night without tears before sleep. She was finally settling in.
I don't want to keep things sad too long. Some more little Katja things then I think a time-skip is in order.
Stay tuned!