Work Text:
A change of scenery. Her past Queen's voice echoed in her head as the raven-haired girl step foot in Arendelle's town proper. Constance had only seen one castle, but that quickly changed when she spotted Arendelle's castle beyond the town. It was perched between mountain and fjord like it couldn't decided whether it belonged to the land of the sea.
Despite the people in town spending the late summer air outdoors, the castle felt eerily quiet for such a large place. The raven-haired girl glanced around as a guard escorted her through the courtyard and inside the castle. Her footsteps echoed against the polished floors, and she noticed how few servants seemed to be around compared to her previous position. Certain hallways had doors that remained firmly shut, and the ones that were open revealed rooms that looked barely used.
The guard quietly led her through a series of corridors until they reached a sitting room where Queen Iduna waited. After a couple of knocks on the door, the guard informed the Queen of Constance's arrival and the door was soon opened by the guard standing right outside. The Queen rose as Constance entered, gesturing for her to sit. The raven-haired woman curtsied before thanking the Queen. The guard left to bring Constance's messenger bag to her room, as ordered by the Queen.
The sitting room consisted of two sofas facing opposite to each other in the center of the room, a table in between them, a fireplace in the middle of the wall facing the double doors, some bookshelves on the sides and windows that let in a good amount of natural light.
"Constance, welcome to Arendelle. I hope your journey was pleasant." Iduna's voice was warm, but was laced with a hint of tiredness and worry.
"It was, Your Majesty. Thank you for this opportunity." The raven-haired girl sat on the opposite sofa and clasped her hands in her lap, trying to project confidence she didn't entirely feel as of the moment.
"I've heard wonderful things about you from Queen Sigrid." Iduna settled into her chair, studying Constance with an assessing but not unkind gaze. "She spoke very highly of your work and certain skills for such a young age." The younger girl remained silent and only nodded gratefully with a polite smile.
"Am I correct to assume that Queen Sigrid has already told you why you're here?" Constance nodded understandingly with a polite smile. "Yes, your Majesty."
"You'll be serving as handmaiden to Princess Elsa," Iduna noted. "Your duties will include tending to her personal needs, assisting with correspondence, maintaining her wardrobe, and most importantly, keeping her company. If you need any help, you may ask for assistance from Gerda or Kai, they know much about your line of work."
"Of course, Your Majesty."
"There are a few things you should know." Iduna stated and her expression grew more serious. "Elsa is... not accustomed to having people around. She values her privacy greatly. You must always knock and wait for permission before entering her chambers. She may seem distant at first, and I need you to understand that it's nothing personal."
Constance nodded slowly, pieces forming together in her mind. She had a guess that this wasn't gonna be just as simple as being a handmaiden to a princess.
"I'll respect her boundaries, Your Majesty. But I hope, in time, she might feel comfortable around me."
Iduna's expression shifted, seemingly a flicker of hope showing. "That's exactly what I'm hoping for. Elsa is... she's been isolated for far too long. Having someone her own age around might help… She has a sister, Anna, but they are no longer close like they were before, and I am afraid I have to disclose the details." She paused and Constance could only nod, then the Queen added with a more gentle tone, "Just don't be discouraged if it takes time. And please, if you have any concerns or notice anything unusual, come to me directly."
"I will." The raven-haired woman replied, offering a polite smile and a small understanding nod.
"Good." Iduna rose, and Constance followed suit. "Now, let's introduce you to my daughter." Iduna opened the door and gestured for the raven-haired woman to exit first. Constance gave the Queen a grateful nod.
As they walked, Constance's nerves built and stacked with each step. A change of scenery was becoming more of a pressuring significant job, and for a 17-year-old like her, it's not exactly the best thing to feel.
When they finally stopped in front of a white decorated door, Iduna knocked softly.
"Elsa? It's Mother. I have someone I'd like you to meet."
There was a pause—a long one, at that. Constance wondered if perhaps the Princess wouldn't answer at all. But then, faintly, a voice came from inside.
"Come in."
Iduna opened the door, and Constance's first impression was of cold—not temperature, exactly, but atmosphere. The room was beautiful but sparse, with heavy curtains drawn partially closed. And there, standing near the window with her hands clasped in front of her, was none other than Princess Elsa.
She was lovely in a way that seemed almost untouchable. Blonde hair pulled back neatly, posture perfect, and expression carefully neutral. She wore gloves despite being indoors, a not-so-unusual occurrence when Constance served Keldavegr.
"Elsa, this is Constance. She'll be your new handmaiden." Iduna's voice was gentle and encouraging.
The air felt unusually cold when I first met her. Like the feeling of watching the snow fall gently for the first time in winter, and every other season didn't matter to me at that very moment. My clasped hands in front of me shivered—though I'm unsure whether that was from the phantom cold or just the nerves, perhaps both.
Lonely. She somehow had this look of loneliness… and afraid. What was she afraid of? Perhaps social interactions scare her? Queen Iduna did mention she's been isolated for a far too long time. Oh, but she looked so divine and just beautiful. I've noticed a handful of good-looking royal people, yet it seems she's inimitable to my eyes. Hair so platinum, it almost looked like frost painted delicately over her. She almost looked as if she was ill with such pale skin, yet she seemed to carry herself with such grace and elegance. Her icy blue eyes were sharp as broken glass, left in snow, and seemed cold enough to burn.
I gulped as I was suddenly hit with the anxious feeling that for some particular reason, I was going to regret something for the rest of my life, but it certainly wouldn't be this job—no, it's something else that I can't pinpoint.
She had irises that were the color of moss in shadow, like those clinging to stone and never letting go. Her eyes were like looking up in a forest, canopies of deep green, branches stretching out, and covering the sky in a viridescent shade, and darker than the cypresses that stood within the castle's garden. The shade of her hair was as dark as the depths of my despair, yet the hue looked lovely with her fair skin.
I kept my hands clasped tightly in front of me, the gloves served as a barrier between myself and the world—between myself and her. My fingers ached with the effort of keeping still and keeping the cold contained. Don't feel. Conceal it.
Mother had warned me beforehand that someone new was coming. A handmaiden–another person to keep at arm's length, another risk I couldn't afford to take. I'd agreed because refusing would have raised questions I possibly couldn't answer.
She seemed kind, and that was the worst part of it all.
"Constance?"
The raven-haired girl snapped out of her trance when she felt a hand tap gently on her shoulder and Iduna called her name. Warmth spread to her neck and cheeks as her lips curled up into a sheepish smile, turning her gaze down on the floor. Elsa slightly quirked an eyebrow at this.
Constance curtsied, keeping her movements respectful but not overly formal. "It's an honor to meet you, Your Highness."
Elsa's blue eyes studied her for a moment, the quirk in her eyebrow fading before she dipped her head slightly in acknowledgment. "Welcome to Arendelle." Her voice was polite but distant, each word was measured as if she practiced the words over and over for a while.
"Thank you, Your Highness." Constance replied as she straightened, unsure of what else to say. The silence stretched between the three, it was awkward and thick, and it surely was not going to go away anytime soon.
"Constance will begin her duties tomorrow," Iduna interjected smoothly. "I wanted you two to meet first. She comes highly recommended by a good friend of mine."
"I see." Elsa's gaze flickered to her mother, then back to Constance. "I'm sure we'll... manage just fine."
It wasn't rude, exactly, but it wasn't warm either. Iduna supposed it was a good start. Constance somehow felt the dismissal in those words even if Elsa hadn't intended it that way.
"Well then," Iduna said after another beat of silence. "Constance has had a long journey. We should let her get settled. Elsa, we'll see you at dinner?"
"Perhaps," Elsa replied, which seemed to be answer enough.
They said their goodbyes which were brief and formal—the awkward tension never fading, and then Constance was being ushered out of the room. The door closed behind them with a soft click, and she found herself being led down the hallway once more by Iduna.
The tension in the air was palpable. Queen Iduna seemed like a kind person, but you never know someone's true self in such a short amount of time, and so the raven-haired girl hesitated on whether it was safe to say something a tad bit informal. Constance glanced at the Queen, then decided to break it before it suffocated her.
"So," she ventured, a slight smile tugging at her lips despite her nerves. "Did I do alright, or was that a total flop?"
Iduna's expression softened considerably, the worry lines around her eyes easing.
"Actually," the Queen said, and there was genuine surprise in her voice, "that went better than I anticipated. Elsa opened the door and communicated. That's... that's a bit more than I expected, honestly."
"Really?" Constance blinked with genuine curiosity. "She seemed..."
"Guarded?" Iduna supplied, glancing at the raven-haired woman. "Yes. She is. But she let you in. That's a start." She paused as they turned another corner.
Constance absorbed this information as her mind worked. So the Princess was even more isolated than she'd initially thought. The challenge ahead of her suddenly seemed much larger and even more pressuring.
They stopped in front of another door, this one simpler than Elsa's but still comfortable looking.
"This will be your room," Iduna said, pushing the door open to reveal a modest but pleasant space. A bed with clean linens, a wardrobe, a writing desk by the window. "It's just a few doors down from Elsa's chambers, so you'll be close by if needed."
"It's perfect. Thank you, Your Majesty." Constance smiled politely.
Iduna's expression turned kind again, almost maternal-looking. "You've traveled far today. Take some time to rest and settle in. You may take your dinner with the other staff or bring it to your room, just make sure to inform Gerda. Tomorrow will be soon enough to begin."
"Thank you, again. I appreciate that." The raven-haired girl entered her new chambers.
"And Constance?" Iduna paused in the doorway. "Don't lose heart. Elsa... I believe she needs someone like you." Her voice dropped lower. "She may not show it, but I think she needs a friend more than she needs a handmaiden. I hope you can at least give her that, and forgive me if this seems too much to ask for."
"Of course not, Your Majesty. I understand, and I'm happy and willing to do as such." Constance's eyebrows turned upward, a sympathetic expression on her face, yet a genuine smile curled up her lips.
Iduna returned the smile with a small nod, and with that, the Queen left. The door closed, and Constance was finally alone.
She sank onto the bed, exhaling slowly. Through the window, she could see the fjord in the distance, the water glinting in the afternoon light. A change of scenery indeed.
Tomorrow, she would begin. Tomorrow, she would try to reach a princess who seemed determined to remain unreachable. Constance had to admit, she's genuinely intrigued by the blonde.
But for now, she let herself feel the exhaustion of the journey and the weight of expectations.