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The evening air outside the castle carried a quiet chill, but inside, the halls of Arendelle buzzed with anticipation for tomorrow's coronation. After Princess Anna's sudden invitation, Ethan found himself pacing near the corridor outside Kai's office, uncertain how to proceed.
He knocked gently on the doorframe. Kai looked up from a parchment scroll.
"Don't tell me," Kai said, setting down his quill. "You accepted the princess's offer and realized you don't own anything close to formal attire."
Ethan scratched the back of his neck. "You're good at this."
Kai gave a rare smirk. "Stewarding royals for thirty years sharpens the senses."
Ethan stepped in. "Would it be too much trouble to ask for help? I don't want to embarrass her… or you, frankly."
Kai rose, adjusting the cuffs of his sleeves. "Come with me."
They made their way down a narrow stone passage that led to a room Ethan hadn't seen before. It was a private tailor's room—filled with bolts of fine fabric, suits hung neatly in rows, and a half-dozen mannequins clad in half-stitched garments.
An older woman with measuring tape slung around her neck looked up.
"Kai. Finally. You're late."
"I wasn't aware we had an appointment."
The woman scoffed. "You always say that. Who's this?"
Kai gestured to Ethan. "A guest of the royal family. He needs formalwear for the coronation."
The tailor raised an eyebrow at Ethan, sizing him up like a soldier inspecting armor.
"Hm. Good shoulders. Terrible posture. You bend too much."
"I've had a rough week," Ethan muttered.
She rolled her eyes and motioned for him to stand straight as she grabbed a measuring string.
Kai leaned against a nearby column. "It will take a few hours. Consider this your good fortune—Madame Alera is the finest tailor in Arendelle."
"I heard that," Alera called. "Of course I am."
As the fitting began, Kai stepped closer and lowered his voice. "Ethan, I'll tell you something important. Something you won't hear in the court halls."
Ethan looked at him.
Kai continued, "The royal family… has scars. Not the kind you see. The kind people whisper about but never name."
"Elsa?" Ethan asked gently.
Kai nodded, his expression hard to read.
"She's not like Anna. Always kept to herself. Quiet, reserved. Brilliant, but distant. Their parents tried to manage it. I… tried to help. But she was always hiding something."
Ethan listened intently, his arms out as Alera pinned a sleeve.
Kai folded his hands. "After the king and queen died at sea, it became worse. Elsa stopped coming out of her room. Anna wanted to reach her, but they grew apart. That coronation… it means everything to Anna. She believes it's a new beginning."
Alera adjusted the collar. "Turn your head. No, your other head. Goodness."
Ethan chuckled softly, then looked back at Kai. "And Elsa?"
Kai hesitated. "I hope the same. But she carries something. A secret. I don't know what it is… but I've seen her tremble in the quiet. It's like the weight of her crown has been crushing her before she even puts it on."
The room was quiet for a beat.
Ethan finally said, "I'll be respectful to both of them. You have my word."
Kai gave a single, quiet nod. "That's all I needed to hear."
By the time they left the tailor's room, the sky outside the high windows had darkened to twilight. Alera promised to have the suit delivered by morning—a deep navy ensemble with gold-trimmed cuffs and a silver pin bearing Arendelle's crest.
As they walked the quiet halls back toward the guest quarters, Kai placed a hand on Ethan's shoulder.
"You've been a help to this kingdom more than you realize," he said. "And it hasn't gone unnoticed—not just by the princess."
Ethan gave a small, uncertain smile. "I'm just trying to do right… even if I don't quite know where I belong yet."
Kai smiled faintly. "Sometimes the ones who don't belong… are the ones who matter most."
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