emerged a few minutes later, locking the door behind her. I smiled to myself as I touched Karina’s hairpin in the pocket of my apron.
Late that night, I snuck downstairs again and made my way silently to the chamber door. I was about to use the hairpin on the lock when I heard a noise from inside. I listened carefully. It sounded like Edda was pacing back and forth, back and forth. I sat down on the marble floor to wait for the creak of the bed frame, for the silence of sleep, but the pacing continued until I began to feel drowsy. I knew that I must leave or I would fall asleep and be discovered—and what would Agna say then? Exasperated, I made my way back up to the maids’ chamber, where I dozed fitfully in a straight chair until dawn.
In the morning we could hear even from the maids’ room that the household was in an uproar. Karina and I dressed quickly and rushed to the kitchen with hair unbraided to find out what had happened.
“I don’t know exactly,” the cook, Elke, admitted as she rolled lacy pancakes around lingonberry preserves. “They are saying that she may have passed the test.”
Passed the test! I glanced swiftly at Karina and saw that her eyes had filled with tears. “We shall find out the truth,” I said, taking her hand. We found Agna in the hallway outside the kitchen. “What is it?” I asked her. “Has Edda passed the test?”
Agna pursed her lips. “It is not for me to say,” she said shortly. “She may have. The prince will decide.”
“Do you know what the test is?” I pressed, but she only shook her head at me, whether to say No, I do not know or Stop bothering me I could not tell.
“Go do something with your hair,” she ordered us, and I put my hand to my head, remembering that we had left our locks unbraided.
As we ran upstairs to our room, forgetting to take the servants’ stair in our hurry, the prince was coming down. He halted when he saw us. His eyes were on Karina, and I turned to see what had caused him to stop and stare. Her golden hair cascaded over her shoulders untamed, and the color was high in her cheeks as she returned his look. Their exchange lasted only a brief moment; then he bowed his head and continued past us, and we made our way, more slowly now, to the maids’ chamber.
My hair braided, I left Karina upstairs and skimmed back down the main stairs just as Edda was passing by with her mother on their way to breakfast. Her face was pale and her eyes shadowed; she looked as if she had not slept all night. I recalled her endless pacing in the room.
“I was so nervous,” I heard her whisper to her mother. “I could not lie in bed at all—I did not even try. I have trod miles this night!”
“My poor child,” her mother said soothingly. “We will make an early evening of it. You will sleep all the better tonight. Now pinch your cheeks to put a little color in them. It’s time to greet the prince.”
Edda did not leave that morning, but there was no proclamation that she had passed the test, no announcement of her engagement to Prince Tycho. Instead she spent the day with the royal family, hunting with the falcons and dining again in the state dining room. The gathering did break up early, and it was a good thing, as Griet told us, because Edda’s exhaustion was evident. Her manner was less lively, and she was too tired to sing.
By the next morning most of the staff had managed to position themselves so they could see Edda when she emerged from the bedchamber. Agna frowned at us and sent us scurrying as she came to bring Edda to breakfast, but Karina and I moved as slowly as we could and were able to observe her as she appeared, her hazel eyes clear and bright. Karina sagged at the sight; but when I looked at Agna, I saw a secret smile on her face, though I knew not why.
After the morning meal, Prince Tycho took the red-haired beauty aside and spoke privately to her. His words had no visible effect; but with her head high, Edda instructed
Late that night, I snuck downstairs again and made my way silently to the chamber door. I was about to use the hairpin on the lock when I heard a noise from inside. I listened carefully. It sounded like Edda was pacing back and forth, back and forth. I sat down on the marble floor to wait for the creak of the bed frame, for the silence of sleep, but the pacing continued until I began to feel drowsy. I knew that I must leave or I would fall asleep and be discovered—and what would Agna say then? Exasperated, I made my way back up to the maids’ chamber, where I dozed fitfully in a straight chair until dawn.
In the morning we could hear even from the maids’ room that the household was in an uproar. Karina and I dressed quickly and rushed to the kitchen with hair unbraided to find out what had happened.
“I don’t know exactly,” the cook, Elke, admitted as she rolled lacy pancakes around lingonberry preserves. “They are saying that she may have passed the test.”
Passed the test! I glanced swiftly at Karina and saw that her eyes had filled with tears. “We shall find out the truth,” I said, taking her hand. We found Agna in the hallway outside the kitchen. “What is it?” I asked her. “Has Edda passed the test?”
Agna pursed her lips. “It is not for me to say,” she said shortly. “She may have. The prince will decide.”
“Do you know what the test is?” I pressed, but she only shook her head at me, whether to say No, I do not know or Stop bothering me I could not tell.
“Go do something with your hair,” she ordered us, and I put my hand to my head, remembering that we had left our locks unbraided.
As we ran upstairs to our room, forgetting to take the servants’ stair in our hurry, the prince was coming down. He halted when he saw us. His eyes were on Karina, and I turned to see what had caused him to stop and stare. Her golden hair cascaded over her shoulders untamed, and the color was high in her cheeks as she returned his look. Their exchange lasted only a brief moment; then he bowed his head and continued past us, and we made our way, more slowly now, to the maids’ chamber.
My hair braided, I left Karina upstairs and skimmed back down the main stairs just as Edda was passing by with her mother on their way to breakfast. Her face was pale and her eyes shadowed; she looked as if she had not slept all night. I recalled her endless pacing in the room.
“I was so nervous,” I heard her whisper to her mother. “I could not lie in bed at all—I did not even try. I have trod miles this night!”
“My poor child,” her mother said soothingly. “We will make an early evening of it. You will sleep all the better tonight. Now pinch your cheeks to put a little color in them. It’s time to greet the prince.”
Edda did not leave that morning, but there was no proclamation that she had passed the test, no announcement of her engagement to Prince Tycho. Instead she spent the day with the royal family, hunting with the falcons and dining again in the state dining room. The gathering did break up early, and it was a good thing, as Griet told us, because Edda’s exhaustion was evident. Her manner was less lively, and she was too tired to sing.
By the next morning most of the staff had managed to position themselves so they could see Edda when she emerged from the bedchamber. Agna frowned at us and sent us scurrying as she came to bring Edda to breakfast, but Karina and I moved as slowly as we could and were able to observe her as she appeared, her hazel eyes clear and bright. Karina sagged at the sight; but when I looked at Agna, I saw a secret smile on her face, though I knew not why.
After the morning meal, Prince Tycho took the red-haired beauty aside and spoke privately to her. His words had no visible effect; but with her head high, Edda instructed
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