#1866

Jupon en taffetas blanc, bordé avec deux volants tuyautés très-étroits. Robe en gaze de soie blanche lisse; chaque lé arrondi sur son bord inférieur, est séparé du lé voisin sur une hauteur de 25 centimètres, et l'on aperçoit le jupon entre chaque lé de la robe, qui est, du reste, un peu plus courte que ce jupon, et bordée avec un ruban de velours rouge, posé entre deux dentelles blanches, étroites, remontant sur chaque couture. Au-dessus de la séparation qui divise les lés, se trouve un chou en ruban de velours, entouré de dentelles, et terminé par des glands en perles. Corsage décolleté, très-bas, complété par une chemisette décolletée, faite en mousseline plissée; l'encolure de la chemisette et celle du corsage sont garnies de rubans en velours rouge. Coiffure ornée de guirlandes de fuchsias.

A white taffeta petticoat, edged with two very narrow, pleated flounces. A dress of smooth white silk gauze; each panel, rounded at its lower edge, is separated from the adjacent panel by a height of 25 centimeters, and the petticoat is visible between each panel of the dress, which is, moreover, slightly shorter than this petticoat, and edged with a red velvet ribbon, placed between two narrow white laces, extending up each seam. Above the separation that divides the panels is a velvet ribbon tassel, surrounded by lace, and finished with pearl tassels. A very low-cut bodice, complemented by a low-cut chemisette made of pleated muslin; the necklines of both the chemisette and the bodice are trimmed with red velvet ribbons. A headdress adorned with garlands of fuchsias.

—

Robe en sultane blanche, à triples rayures bleues, garnie avec trois biais de taffetas bleu. Paletot pareil garni comme la robe, formé avec de gros boutons de nacre blanche. Chapeau en tulle bleu. Ombrelle bleue, doublée de blanc, avec manche en bois sculpté.

It was almost the end of February, and Hilde got ready for her morning ride. There was a light mist this morning, but it wasn’t too cold, and the fresh air did her some good. In previous years, she would have tried to get Henry to come with her, but there was no point now. He was spending any extra time he had with Inga, which was quite right. Hilde found herself wanting some company, but she assured herself that it was a matter of time.  

Due to the weather, not that many people were out this morning.  By the time she was half way across the bridge to the countryside, she could no longer see the city behind her, and for a while she couldn’t see the woods on the other side, either. The water was still except for the light rain hitting it, and there was no wind.  It was pleasant in its own way. 

As the rain started to clear up, she went towards her favorite path, and her horse knew that this was where she usually liked to speed up, but Hilde wanted to take it slowly today. She looked around, and saw a man tying up his horse on a nearby tree–exactly who she was looking for.

“Mr. Holst,” she said as she approached. “I thought I might find you here.

He looked over at her, surprised. “And to what do I owe this honor?”

“I’m curious,” she said. “And I thought that, perhaps, I might ask you some questions.”

“Why would I want to answer questions?” he asked.

“You ask us questions all the time, and I know you ask questions of anyone who works for us who will talk to you, so I don’t see why it’s a problem if I ask you some questions, too.”

Hilde remained on her horse because she didn’t want the vulnerability of being helped down by Ludvig Holst, but the fact that it made her appear much more authoritative than standing on the ground was also a benefit.

Ludvig stepped up on a root, grabbing onto a nearby branch. “Fine, ask your questions.”

Hilde took a moment to decide which question to ask first.

“Why did your mother try to blackmail my father?” she finally asked.  Perhaps more inflammatory than some of the others she had thought of, but best to get the worst out of the way.

Ludvig laughed, jumping down from the root. “If you must know, she tried blackmailing him to see if he would panic and reveal anything else.”

“So she had no reason to believe that my own father-”

“No, she knew very well who my real father was,” Ludvig said. 

“And who would that be?” Hilde asked.

“That is something that will be revealed when the time is right,” Ludvig hinted. “On the subject of things that will be revealed when the time is right, a friend of a friend at your palace has told me that the royal physician is concerned that he hasn’t been asked to visit your brother’s new wife yet.  Would you know anything about that?”

“I told you that I would be the one asking the questions today,” Hilde said. 

“It was worth a try,” Ludvig chuckled. 

“Asking me the question, or the blackmail attempt?” 

***

February 8th, 1866

Dear Frederick,

I’m happy to hear that your classes have been going well. I remember hearing stories of several of those instructors when my brother Karl was attending there, and while they might talk sternly, they all are good men and will look out for you.

Since you asked about the weather here, I’ll tell you about that: it is very much still winter, with no sign of spring.  The snow is thick, and some days we discuss moving to Washington, but I visited there in the summer, and I will happily put up with some more snow here.

As always, I very much enjoy receiving your letters, and look forward to hearing more.

Sincerely,

Lars Nilsen

Frederick looked at the clock; he had an hour until he needed to be anywhere, so he would write back.

February 16th, 1866

Dear Lars,

I hope the weather is improving in Boston now! Here in Corona the first flowers are already beginning to poke out of the ground, and soon it will be time for the first sailing for the academy students. I’m excited for it, but everyone at the palace has said that they’ll miss me at the parties. 

The other day I had lunch with Henry and Hilde, and a few days before that my classmates from Arendelle and I had lunch with the crown princess, which we had also done in Arendelle when she visited, but this time my friends were a little less awestruck and able to speak without sounding so ridiculous.

My sister has been keeping busy, apparently, but I haven’t seen very much of her, though I hope she’s been writing to Elizabeth.

On that note, give Elizabeth my regards, and I’ll try to let you know if I’m ever passing that way!

Sincerely,

Frederick

Perhaps the note could have been longer, but he had written it.  He went to the nearby post office to mail the letter. He could have sent it from the Academy, but the walk would do him some good, and he never quite trusted that they weren’t reading the letters that the cadets sent out, anyway, not that his letters had anything to concern anyone.

As he returned to the Academy grounds, the clock was striking ten. He sprinted into the building, and arrived in the lecture hall before the final chime of the clock had finished ringing. 

***

John followed the young woman he had met a short time before on the road. He had  wandered the narrow road to the woods, coming upon a junction with another path. There was a sign, but it was written in the runes which he hadn’t yet fully learned. He had been studying his map, matching the angle of the roads to what his current position should be, unsure of which way would be the nicer walk, when she came by and told him to follow her.

“Where are you from?” she asked as they continued walking.

“I’m from America. I’ve only been here a few weeks, but the people are friendly.”

“Where are you planning to go?” she said, apparently either curious or not satisfied with his earlier answer to the similar question.

“I just wanted to explore the mountains,” he told her. “Where I’m from, there weren’t any mountains, or at least not any with snow like here.”

“What kind of mountains were there?” she asked.

“Well, when I was really young, we lived in a place with a lot of mountains, but it was always hot, all the time.  I never even needed a coat, and there certainly wasn’t any snow.  Where we lived after that, though, was quite flat.”  John realized that he hadn’t told anyone in Arendelle that he was originally from the West Indies.  Hopefully the question of exactly where in the West Indies he came from wouldn’t come up now.  And hopefully this woman was trustworthy. He wasn’t entirely sure where she was from, except that it was obviously from somewhere in the provinces judging by her accent.

“Do you like it warm?” she asked.  

“I suppose I do, but I’m getting used to the weather here.  There’s something to be said for cold weather.  You wouldn’t believe the amount of bugs in Louisiana.”

“Louisiana? Is that where those mountains are?” 

“No, that’s where we moved later.  No mountains there, just lots of swamps.”

“Oh,” she said, nodding. “Tell me, have you ever tried a sauna?”

“Um, no,” John said. “I heard some people in the town talking about them, though. It does sound nice.”

“You’re in luck, then!” she said. “My uncle’s place has an excellent one, for a moderate price.”

He followed Renata as she walked up the steps and opened the door.  A little bell rang as the door opened, announcing their entrance. A large man was sitting at the counter, specks of white in his reddish blond hair. 

“Yoohoo!’ he waved. “Good afternoon, Renata! And who is this?”

“This is John, from America,” she said. “John, this is my uncle, Oaken.”

“Hello,” John said.

“Oh! Very good, what would you like, John from America?” 

John decided it would be simpler to go with the proprietor’s name for him for now.  

“Well, I wasn’t planning on it, but your niece was suggesting I try a sauna?”  John looked over where Renata had been standing, but she had already left. 

“Oh, fabulous.  We have a family sauna here, is that acceptable?”

“That sounds just fine,” John said.  “And I’ll need a place to sleep for the night. Something simple is fine, but I'm good for paying,” he added, patting his pocket with the change purse so it rattled a bit.

“Excellent. We have a few rooms in the back. Would you like to see the room first before the sauna?”

I think so, yes,” John agreed.

“Yoohoo! Jens!” he called to the back. A dark haired man came out, presumably Jens, and nodded. “This young fellow would like a room. Will you show him what we have?”

Jens nodded, and John followed him.  

“Hello,” John said, not sure how much Jens appreciated conversation from strangers.

“Hello, and welcome,” the man said. “Will you be staying long with us?” 

“I’m not sure yet,” John laughed, but I suppose it will depend on how I like the sauna.”

“We take great pride in our sauna,” Jens stated. “If you have any problems with it, you must let us know immediately, and we will try to fix it for you.”

“That’s good to know,” John said, “though I honestly don’t know very much about them. We really don’t try to get hotter than we need to where I come from, but it’s never cold there.’

Jens nodded, and stopped in front of the door.  “This is the first room.  There are two more available if you don’t like this one.”

“Thank you,” John said, stepping inside.  “This one will do quite nicely.”

“Very good,” Jens nodded.  “Would you like to go to the sauna now? I’ll check on the temperature and make sure that everything is in order.”

“I suppose so,” John said.  “Is there anything I need to do or wear?”

“Do you have a towel?” Jens asked him. “We would be happy to provide you with a towel, and you can keep it as a souvenir.”

“Well, thank you.  I only have winter clothes, so should I buy something to wear in the sauna?”

“The towel should be sufficient.”

“Oh, um, I suppose that’s fine,” John said.  

“There is a room outside the sauna where you can hang your clothing.”

“Ahh, that’s what I needed to know.  Thank you!”

***

Frederick sat with Dahl and Jorgensen in the lecture hall.  After a few more weeks, the classes would be over for the term and they would sail on a training ship for a few months. They would have an exam in a few days, and as much as his friends were certain that he would do well, because they said he always did, Frederick was worried. 

“Next,” the lecturer barked out, “list the islands you will be visiting on the spring training voyage.  Bjorgman!”

Frederick swallowed, racking his memory.  He was to list them in order, he knew that. “Wesselton, Wight, Maldonia…” 

“You missed one already,” the man said. “Dahl, your turn to answer.”

Frederick sighed and sat down, as Dahl listed the islands correctly. He realized that one of the Southern Isles would be visited between Wesselton and Wight, and he had forgotten it. Not the capital city, but another one.  He felt a morbid curiosity at the prospect, and decided not to mention it in any letters to his parents.  

He would tell Lars about it. Lars wouldn’t mind hearing about the Southern Isles. 

“Eventus stultorum magister est,” Jorgensen whispered to him.  Frederick remembered Inga once saying that to him years before, then telling him it meant experience is the teacher of fools.

“None of that, Jorgensen!” the lecturer shot back. “It’s up to me to decide which of you are the fools.”

Once the class was over and they headed back to their quarters, Frederick got out some paper and began his letter.

February 26th, 1866

Dear Lars,

I hope all is well there. Soon we’ll be beginning our first longer training voyage. I’m rather excited, though I feel like I’ve just barely started getting to know Corona.  Do you miss it? I miss Arendelle, as much as I love the adventure of seeing all these places. I keep wanting to find my brothers to tell them something I heard, or show them a new place they’d find interesting.  They never write, though. I might ask my father to tell them to write. They’d hate that, of course.

Is the spring this year as nice as you said it was last year? You told me there are some very nice flowering trees.  I’ve seen a few early blooms here, but I’m afraid I’ll miss everything. They’ve told us that the weather in Wesselton and the Southern Isles is similar, but I’m not really sure.  I remember that Ambassador Meyer once served as Corona’s ambassador to the Southern Isles. Did he tell you anything about the weather there?

If you send letters to the naval academy, they’ll forward them to me at sea.

Sincerely, 

Frederick

There was another palace party that evening.  Some nights Frederick needed to decline the invitation because of his classes, but there were no classes in the morning, so he went. 

The first place he went was to Inga’s room, seeing how she was doing. 

“Just a minute!” he heard from the other side of the door after he knocked.  Oline opened the door, and he could see Inga dressed for the party in front of her mirror.

“Oh, good!” Frederick said. “I won’t be going to the party alone!”

Inga smiled. 

“I’m glad you’re here,” she said. “Henry will be arriving later, since both he and Hilde are attending another meeting.”

“They don’t have you come to those?” Frederick asked.

“They’re letting me take it easy for now,” she said.  “Well, easy enough.  I’m going to meet with a photographer.  I’ve agreed to let Elizabeth’s grandfather use a picture of me in this dress on a card for his business.”

Inga got up and they started walking.

“Really?” Frederick laughed.  “Do you get paid?”

“Are you looking for some extra money? I’m sure they sell men’s clothes, too.”

Frederick shook his head. “What would I need extra money for?”

“Favors, then?” 

“Favors?” Frederick laughed. “But you didn’t answer my question.”

“No, they’re not paying me.  I just felt guilty the first time we were here and they gave me a new dress when the one I was traveling in got wet.”

“Oh,” Frederick hemmed.  “I see.”

“As if you haven’t been playing piano at the tavern in town,” Inga laughed. 

“How did you hear that?” he asked.

“People talk, you know, especially after that performance you organized at the last party.”

“I suppose they do.” Frederick kicked at the floor. “I haven’t done anything wrong, anyway.”

“I didn’t say you did,” Inga said. “But I don’t think I’ve done anything wrong, either.”

“I wouldn’t look at the papers, then,” Frederick said as they began walking to the ballroom.

“Why?” Inga asked. “Is there anything particularly shocking?”

Frederick reddened. “Look, I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

“I’ve probably seen that one, then,” Inga sighed. “It’s ridiculous, but I’m trying not to let it bother me.”

“Unless there was something I missed about that Latin tutor Father fired.”

“The Latin tutor? I haven’t seen that one!” Inga laughed. “He was full of himself, and I’m glad Father fired him, but that’s it.”

They had arrived at the door to the ballroom, and Hilde and Henry were waiting for them.

“What’s this about a Latin tutor?” Hilde asked.

“When I was younger, Father fired the Latin tutor because he refused to teach me Latin and only wanted to teach French.”

“Really?” Henry asked, walking over. “How did this come up, anyway?”

“Frederick was telling me about some story in the papers, I suppose mangling the details, because I can’t imagine anyone would care about the real story.”

“Oh, is that what that was?” Hilde asked. “I think I saw the story you’re talking about. Well, I’d ignore that paper.”

***

John enjoyed his sauna thoroughly. As much as he wanted to experience a winter, and was getting used to the cold weather and the long dark nights, he appreciated the warmth.  The proprietors had told him to come to the kitchen for dinner when he was finished with his sauna.

He walked down the hall, and could smell something interesting coming from what he hoped was the kitchen.

“Oh! Hello, John, did you enjoy the sauna?” Renata asked.

“Yes, very much, thank you,” John said. “Is this where I can get some dinner?”

“Of course!” she said, ringing a bell behind her. “What would you like?”

“Do you have any specialties?” John asked.  “I’m interested in trying all the local dishes while I’m here.”

“Our lutefisk is famous,” a man said, walking in from the kitchen.

“I’ll try some of that,” John declared confidently.

Much to his hosts’ surprise, John enthusiastically finished the lutefisk he was served.

“Where are you from?” the man asked.

“I’m from America,” John told him. “Originally from Louisiana.”

“Which part is that in?”

“It’s in the South,” John said. “And there are some strange dishes there. I don’t think there’s anything I won’t eat.”

“Interesting.”

Another bell could be heard from the shop out front, so John thanked his host once more, and took his leave to go to his room for the night. 

The next morning, he felt extremely refreshed, and dressed and packed his bag.  He planned to buy some extra food for his hike, and perhaps get some advice for a good direction to go.

“Good morning,” he announced.  He had forced himself to announce his presence the last few years. His mother always made him stand back silently as a child, which was useful then, but that wasn’t his life now.  He was an equal, either an employee or a customer, and announcing himself was both appropriate and polite. Friends didn’t lurk in the doorway silently waiting for orders.

“Good morning, friend!”  Oaken announced.

“Oh, good morning!” Renata declared. “I’m glad to see you took my advice and came to my Uncle Oaken’s. I hope you’ve enjoyed yourself.”

“Yes, indeed,”  John said.  “I’m trying to decide where I’ll go today, so if you have any other suggestions, I’ll take them.”

“Well,” her Uncle Oaken said, “you should be careful of the weather this time of year. It can change quickly.  But there are some very nice views to the east of here. I sell some photographs, if you want to look.”

John agreed, and walked over to take a look at the box of picture postcards that he had on offer. There were several photos of various mountains and fjords, lightly colored to give a more realistic impression of how it would look. 

“How long would it take to get to this place?” John asked, pointing at a photograph of a vast plane with mountains and woods.

“Oh, sorry,” Oaken said, “that would take several days on foot, and they’re not very fond of outsiders.”

“Really?” John asked.

“Uncle, it’s not as bad as all that,” Renata protested. “John, I’ve been there. You can’t go there expecting them to welcome you with open arms, but they’re not quite as hostile as my uncle makes it sound.”

“Perhaps I just need the right guide,” John suggested, looking at Renata.

“How about this one?” Renata asked, handing John a photograph of a steep, icy mountain. “It’s close enough that if we left first thing in the morning we could make it back here and you can stay another night.”

“That could work,” John agreed.

“When do you need to get back to town?” Oaken asked. 

John laughed. “Well, I should get back before my money runs out.”

“Do you need a job?” Oaken asked. “I’m expanding business in Arendelle so I’m hiring.”

“Really?” John replied. “What kind of work is it?”

“It’s a news stand,” Oaken said. 

“I used to work for a newspaper,” John said. “That sounds like something I could do.”

***

Inga was sitting by herself looking out the window to the city below while Henry was at a meeting with his mother and some ministers.  Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Inga got up to find the royal physician. 

“Your Highness,” he bowed solemnly.  

“Yes?” Inga couldn’t remember anyone suggesting anything, and she had been feeling well enough now.

“It has been a month since your arrival,” he said.

“Yes, that’s very true,” Inga replied. 

“And I believe that your wedding was a month before that?”

“More or less,” Inga agreed.  “I think I understand what you’re interested in, but let’s not be too hasty.”

“Your Highness,” the doctor said. “If I can be of any assistance-”

“No, please. I’ll let you know if I need you,” she said, beginning to close the door.

“And what shall I tell His Majesty?” 

“Wait, did the King send you?” Inga asked.

“Of course,” the doctor nodded solemnly. 

“Perhaps next week, then?” Inga asked.  She didn’t want to create a scene or draw attention to herself.

“I’ll let him know.”

She immediately rang for Oline.  A moment later her maid appeared. 

“Your Highness?” she asked, closing the door behind her.

“You haven’t said anything to anyone about…” Inga glanced down at her belly, and Oline nodded.  It was only thanks to Oline’s careful selection of dresses that no one had noticed her growing waistline yet.

“Nothing,” Oline insisted. “Why do you ask?”

“The King sent the royal physician up here just now. I told him not today, but… I don’t know. I’ll have to ask Henry if the man can be trusted. I don’t know what to do.”

“I wish I could be of more help,” Oline apologized.  “But I’ve barely learned more than a few words of the language here, and my English hardly amounts to anything. Otherwise I would ask downstairs.”

“How are they down there?” Inga asked.

“They seem nice enough, but of course, I can hardly have conversations with anyone.”

Inga paused, realizing that there would, of course, hardly be anyone in Corona that her maid could speak with. Mrs. Nilsen had moved to America a year before, and who did that leave? 

“Aren’t there some others from Arendelle living in the town?” Inga asked.

“I suppose, but I haven’t had time to explore. Would you mind if I did?” 

“Of course not!” Inga insisted. “Why don’t you go today? But first, I’d like you to take a note to Henry.”

***

Henry and Hilde sat with their mother and grandfather in a meeting with the Prince and Dowager Princess of Glowerhaven. The King assured them that, despite their recent territorial losses, they were always welcome in Corona. Finally, it was time for the seemingly endless formalities concluding the meeting.

“We would like to thank you again for your hospitality the night of our arrival,” the Dowager Princess said.  “My son was especially charmed by the music.”

“That performance was a surprise to us all, I believe,” the King said. “But I’ve always admired our dear Hilde’s playing.”

“And the young prince from Arendelle, I believe he is the brother of your new bride, Prince Henry?” the Dowager said. 

“Yes, he is,” Henry managed to reply. 

“Indeed,” his grandfather added.  “Prince Agnarr is quite talented, is he not? He is attending our own Naval Academy and by all reports is showing excellent potential.”

“And, Princess Clothilde, do you anticipate his finding more reasons to stay in Corona?” the Dowager asked.

Henry had begun to notice that despite the young Prince of Glowerhaven being a similar age to himself and Hilde, he rarely spoke for himself. He didn’t seem particularly bright or interesting, for that matter, but perhaps he just lacked self-confidence; it was hard to say.

“I’m not sure what you mean,” Hilde replied. “I understand that he will be going through the Naval Academy’s training program and then returning to Arendelle to become an officer there.”

“But you seem to get along quite well,” the Dowager hinted.

“He is considerably younger than I am, Your Highness,” Hilde replied, understanding what the Dowager probably meant by her statement. “He is the beloved brother of my sister-in-law, and I am happy that we can all be on friendly terms.”

The Dowager smiled at this, looking at her son with satisfaction.  Their grandfather then announced that they were welcome to join them for luncheon in an hour, which the Dowager said that she and her son would be delighted to join. 

During the bustle, the steward came in to speak with the King, and Hilde was caught up in further conversation with the Dowager answering for her son.

Henry ended up exiting the meeting room at the same time as his mother, and so they began talking as they walked down the hall toward the library.

“You’ve been doing well, Henry,” she said. “You seem to have a knack for this, really.”

“You think so?” Henry asked. “I hardly said a word.”

“People underestimate the value of just listening.”

They walked into the library, 

“I also heard good reports about your tour last year.” 

“Are you sure?” Henry asked. “Because in Arendelle-”

“Well obviously that’s settled now.  But people enjoyed meeting you, and I assume you have no more plans of getting married.” 

“Of course not,” Henry said.  “But I think Hilde did a better job than I did on that tour.”

“People liked both of you.  What I’m trying to say is, if Inga is up for it, you might take some more official trips.”

Her father walked into the library just then.

 “What is this about Inga?” he asked. “Why did she send away the royal physician?”

“What do you mean?” Rapunzel asked, glancing at Henry.

“Why was the physician there?” Henry asked.

“He and I had been talking, and he suggested it might be time to look in on her.”

Henry seemed to be ready to respond, but Rapunzel grabbed his wrist and squeezed it.

She spoke first. “I think she would prefer to have some notice before seeing the physician. She’s hardly even met him except as one person among a sea of faces greeting her in her first few days here.”

“You have a point, my dear,” her father sighed. “And I’m sure your mother will agree with you.  Henry, what are your thoughts?”

“I’ll talk with her about it this evening,” he replied.