Light the fire
Sweep the halls
Dust th' artwork
Wash the walls
Carry water
Up the stairs
Take a break?
I do not dare
Make the beds
Change the linen
Don't let Missus
Catch me singin'
Else I'll get a talking to...
Oh, no! Dear me!
Missus wants
Polished brass an'
Reprimands me
For my sass
"Lazy maid!"
I am told
"Here's some clothes
For you to fold!"
Bedrooms tid'ed
Table set
Breakfast served
Time to rest
Broom in hand, Missus says
"The day has just begun!"
Cait hummed to the work tune sung by maids past. Beads of sweat slid down her forehead as she scrubbed the stubborn stain off the carpet.
Yesterday evening, Her Majesty demanded a glass of wine after hearing Prince Hans was thrown in the dungeon. Her nerves were so rattled, the glass slipped right through her fingers. Now Cait returned a second time to eliminate the stain once and for all. After combining a number of dilutes, the red puddle was only slightly noticeable.She bothered herself no more with it. She had overheard the Queen's plan to replace the carpet and showed up only on Missus' order.
Gathering the bucket and carpet brush, Cait stepped out of Her Majesty's room. From the corner of her eye, she saw Prince Wes come down the hall.
"Your Grace." She bowed as he silently walked past her.
The maid watched him stride toward the King's sitting room. What matter was so urgent he would invade His Majesty's private domain?
Thinking she'd never understand the royals, Cait headed to the kitchen for a late breakfast.
"Caitlyn!" said the housekeeper, stopping the young woman on the stairs. "The stain? Is it gone?"
Cait fumbled for an excuse. "N-Not completely, Missus. I was just on my way to get more soap-"
The Housekeeper rolled her eyes. "Never mind that! I'll do it myself! Right now, I need you to take breakfast to His Highness!"
To His Highness? But all the princes ate together with the King and Queen. All but-
"Prince Hans," Cait said out loud as if she herself couldn't believe it.
Missus gave her a look. "Yes, Prince Hans! Stop dawdling and get to the kitchen!"
"Yes, Missus!"
The housekeeper took the maid's cleaning supplies and disappeared into the Queen's chamber. Cait couldn't move. She gazed at the polished railing, touching it to make sure it was real. These marble stairs...here was where she first met Prince Hans.
Her first day here was her hardest day. Missus made her re-stuff all the princes' mattresses, repair all the house linen, and clean out the ashes from the hearths. By dusk she was covered in dust and soot, yet she still had to sweep behind the furniture.
She hurried to find a broom before the housekeeper caught her wandering the upper level. As she whisked down the steps, a shining, white suit ascended the stairs. The housekeeper's words pierced though her mind.
'Always bow to a royal!'
Fearing another punishment from her, Cait stopped. She kept her head down and bowed.
"Your Highness," she mumbled, glancing high enough to see his white gloves.
She expected him to ignore her, as so many others had done in the past. Yet those black boots that stood a mere foot away made no retreat.
Oh, no! thought a nervous Cait. I've upset him!
Against what the housekeeper had told her, she dared to look up just a slight. Just enough to see what she never thought she would.
A smile.
Here was a man of royalty, smiling at a lowly maid. He acknowledged her. Until that point, wherever she was employed, she existed only to clean and to stay out of sight.
But now...she was someone worth noticing.
The moment lasted only a few seconds, but time stopped for Cait; she wanted to savor it forever. Alas, he continued up the stairs, leaving the maid lost in newfound wonder. Who had just shown her such kindness?
That evening, she remained in the kitchen long enough to see the royal family dine in the other room. Cracking the door open, she scanned the royal men.
Then she saw him. As he took his seat, she spotted the white gloves. Prince Hans, the youngest in the family. Right then, Cait reserved him a special place in her heart. Nothing would ever come of it - this she knew. But it was her way of remembering the small gesture that renewed her sense of worth. And now she was to go to him at his most worthless.
Just as he saw something in her, all those years ago, this was her chance to do the same. To remind him of his value. To show him he was still loved despite his mistakes.
Only Cait would burden herself with that love.
YOU ARE READING
Frostbitten Heart
Fanfiction[KINDLY ADD TO READING LIST! :)] Hans has shamed his kingdom, his parents, and his twelve brothers. The only one happy to welcome him is a lowly maid named Cait. On her first day in the castle, Prince Hans briefly took her into account with a smile...
