Frozen 3

Chapter 105

Kai

I had seen them come out of Agnarr's office. All three had been there. I could have locked the lock or picked up the key as I had originally planned but I realized it was not the right thing to do. There was no point in preventing them from discovering the truth. It was their father, they had a right to know. There were all the answers to the questions they asked, I was convinced. Although in possession of the key for years, I had always refused to enter it and violate the king's privacy. The only people who were interested were his daughters and I let them. When they had left each side, I had quietly advanced to the door of the office. The key was still on it, pressed into the lock, like an invitation to enter inside. I had put my fingers on the ring and had him make two turns on the left, locking the door again. I had then buried the key in one of the pockets of my jacket and had quietly left through the corridor. Suddenly, Honeymaren had appeared, leaving Elsa's room. She had rushed towards me, completely panicked.

"You have to come! Hurry!"

I had then run to the princess' bedroom door and had suddenly stopped on the threshold of the room, simply allowing me to pass the head inside. I understood right away.

"You must go and get a doctor!" cried young Northuldra.

I had not waited another second and had rushed through the castle to find him in the infirmary.

***

Two of us were allowed to stay: Honeymaren and I. The others were waiting in the hallway. I could hear their voices that worried and impatient. It had been almost four hours since the doctor had arrived and nothing was moving forward. Elsa was lying on her bed, simply covered with a white sheet, and was suffering more and more. His cries of pain with each contraction pressed my heart and reminded me of those of his mother, twenty-six years before. I felt so helpless. Honeymaren was beside me and wouldn't let go of the young woman. I became anxious in her eyes. It was not only childbirth that terrorized her, there was something else but that only they seemed to share. The Northuldra held back tears in her eyes as best she could. I put a hand on her shoulder to try to reassure her. She jumped and gave me a look of distress.

"You can go out and get some air if you want," I whispered.

"No, I'll stay there. I won't leave this room until Elsa--"

"It's starting!" cried the doctor. "I need one of you to monitor his heart rate and let me know if anything goes wrong."

Honeymaren and I looked at each other. The young woman immediately offered herself and went to position herself next to Elsa. I glanced at the latter. The contractions were getting stronger and more regular. Her whole body twisted in pain. I dared not stare at her too long, out of modesty. She had the right to privacy, even during childbirth.

"You have to push with every contraction Your Majesty," the doctor said.

The young woman began to cry.

"I...I can't", she sobbed.

"Of course you can. Think about your baby, you have to do it for him. "

"It's not... It's not my baby."

The doctor looked at Honeymaren both surprised and worried. She said nothing to him.

"I need you," he says again to Elsa. "I can't do anything if you don't help me."

The young woman plunged her tearful eyes into those of the doctor in front of her. She nodded without saying a word. I saw her push with all her strength, despite the pain that assailed her. All his muscles were contracting at the same time before our worried eyes. I had never attended a birth, it was the first time. Usually it was the maid who took care of it. But Elsa had requested my presence. I was the only servant she had known long enough to entrust me with such a task.