Frozen 3

Chapter 61

Kai

December 21, 1822

It was freezing cold that night. It was the beginning of a harsh winter, as we had rarely had. All the staff had been on their guard for several days already. The Queen seemed to us worried, even disturbed.

The first signs of childbirth appeared in the early afternoon. And here we were waiting for more than half an hour in the corridor, in front of the door of the king's and queen's room, without any news. I was pacing, very worried.

Iduna's pregnancy had gone perfectly but something had perplexed me for nearly nine months: at first, no one knew she was pregnant, except the king, the royal doctor and me, in whom she trusted. She had managed to keep this secret for five months, concealing from the eyes of all her belly, which grew from week to week. And when everyone knew, his behavior had immediately changed. She was suddenly distant, including Gerda, her maid, with whom she usually shared absolutely everything. Iduna had then appeared to us more and more tormented, spending most of his time at the window of his room, silently observing the horizon. The king himself had remained faithful to himself, and had not seemed to really care about his wife's sudden change of attitude.

A cry of pain tore through the heavy silence in the hallway. Olina and I looked at each other. We shared the same anxiety. She nervously crumpled the corner of her dress jacket, a sign of her concern. We had left Gerda inside the room. She was the most experienced of all the servants of the castle in this kind of situation. And most importantly, being Iduna's maid, she knew her better than anyone, including the king.

"How long will this business last?" mumbled the cook who was waiting, like all of us.

I frowned while giving him a black look.

"A problem, Mr. Jørgensen? It seems to me that this moment should please you, like everyone else here," I coldly told him.

He shrugged his shoulders.

"A baby is still a baby, royal or not. And anyway it will make me one more person to feed.

« Since you don't seem to be impatient, you can always go back to your kitchen, I'm sure your pots and pans are waiting for you in the sink and cleaning them will certainly excite you more than waiting here grumbling."

The old cook looked at me maliciously before turning back, babbling protests under his moustache. No sooner had he disappeared at the other end of the corridor than the royal chamber door opened, revealing Gerda's panicked face.

"Hurry up with water! Bring me a basin of water and clean linen!" she cried.

Olina ran immediately to the lingerie. A new cry came from inside the room. Gerda, who had remained in the door frame, turned quickly, worried.

"How is the queen?" I whispered, putting a hand on her, which had remained attached to the handle.

She withdrew it sharply, avoiding any contact.

"It's...complicated," she sighed, taking care that no one else hears it. She is exhausted and the doctor has a hard time helping her..."

Olina returned at the same time breathless, carrying the basin of water that had been asked of her and her arms loaded with clean towels. She confided everything to Gerda who immediately returned to the room, closing the door behind her, leaving us in the most total doubt.

"So? Any news? " asked Olina, breathless.

"No, no nothing." She said nothing to me, I lied, pinching my lower lip discreetly, as I did every time I was under stress.