《The First Christmas》


 Chapter 1

    Since Frozen is my favorite Disney movie, I decided to write a fanfic about it! This fanfic takes place during the first Christmas season after the Great Thaw and was inspired by the following fanfics:Songs of Ice and Snowbythefireplanet,Christmas in ArendellebyTwistedTelepath,Frozen: The Snow QueenbyHalm Vendrella, andCopingbyATHPluver. Be sure to check those fanfics out!


    This Frozen fanfic is canon divergence; it will assume Frozen II never happened.


    I would like to thankroxygoth,BurningFox6,krystal lazuli, andLukeJamesfor beta reading and helping me improve!


    Feedback is always appreciated!


    Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen. Frozen is owned by Disney.


    Chapter 1


    The townspeople of Arendelle were abuzz on an overcast, snowy early December day. Everyone was talking in the icy streets, caroling, ringing bells, decorating the town, and buying presents in the stores and shops.


    Ever since the "frozen summer" that took place almost five months prior, the townspeople had come to realize just how beautiful winter could be, as it reminded them of their fair, wise, and just ruler, Queen Elsa. Compared to previous winters, this winter had been significantly less extreme; there was only the occasional snowstorm, blizzard, or cold snap.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Meanwhile, inside the castle, Elsa was sleeping peacefully, breathing slowly and silently. Before her coronation, she hardly slept well due to being afraid of her powers and hurting others with them. She would have recurring nightmares about freezing her sister on accident when they were little girls, or the death of her parents King Agnarr and Queen Iduna three years before her coronation. Those were two of the saddest memories Elsa had in her life, and no matter how hard she tried to forget them, they would always continue to come back and haunt her. The Snow Queen spent a huge chunk of her time in her room, and as a result, Elsa felt like her own bedroom was a dungeon.


    After she freed the kingdom from the "frozen summer" however, everything was different. Elsa, like almost everyone else, found her chambers to be a place to relax and find consolation. The occurrence of nightmares had greatly diminished, and she learned how to forget about those horrible moments and move forward. With the Snow Queen in full control of her powers and her bond with her sister having been restored, she no longer needed to worry about hurting Anna or anyone else with her cryokinesis. Following thirteen rough years in isolation, she was now sleeping much more tranquilly, and had an entirely different outlook on life.


    Her room was rather modest for a queen. Other than the large window next to her bed, there was a bathroom across from the entrance to her room, a wardrobe with a huge mirror next to it, and a few designs and sculptures she had used her powers to create dangling around her bedroom. There was a nightstand on the other side of her bed with a clock and a candelabra. In the center of her room, hanging from the ceiling, was a large chandelier with at least twelve candles. On the walls were a few paintings and tapestries, and a candle on each side of the door leading to the outside of her room. Despite the humble appearance of her room, Elsa did not mind at all.


    Elsa slowly opened her icy blue eyes, rising from her bed and walking over to the large window by her bed. She marveled at the sight before her.


    Snow blanketed the ground, trees, and mountains in the distance. Dark gray clouds completely enveloped the sky, and flurries fell delicately past the frosty window. What she noticed the most, however, was the fjord. It was not iced over. Elsa could not remember a single winter before being shut out the fjord did not freeze over. Usually, the fjord would not freeze over completely. Yes, winters in Arendelle were cold and had frequent heavy snowfall, but they rarely got cold enough for the fjord to freeze up under normal circumstances. It was a rather serene scene compared to the eternal winter she inadvertently caused in July. Smiling fondly, the Ice Queen realized it had nothing to do with her magic. Winter was nearing, as was Christmas. Elsa was looking forward to spending the holidays with Anna for the first time in over a decade.


    As she continued to observe the outside scene, Anna barged into her room without warning, not even bothering to knock.


    "Good morning, Elsa! Can you believe it''s almost Christmas already? Breakfast is almost ready!" Her younger sister''s voice was vigorous as always.


    "Anna, don''t you know how to knock?" Elsa asked with a raised eyebrow.


    "Sorry. I''m so excited! I just can''t wait to know when the guests are going to begin coming and whether we will start decorating the castle today or sometime in the next few days! Christmas will be here before we know it! Oh, and will there be a lot of chocolate at the ball?" Anna ranted.


    The Snow Queen could not help but smile with amusement at her sister''s rambling. She brushed a stray strand of her hair behind her ear.


    "We will begin to decorate the castle after our guests arrive. I was also planning on holding a holiday festival for the townspeople two days before Christmas. It would not make much sense to not decorate the castle when we will also have a festival in the town the day before Christmas Eve. I am sure the town will be tastefully decorated. As for the guests, the first guests should be arriving shortly before noon. They are from England and the Belgian kingdom of Ostenda. I am really hoping none of them have atrocious plans for us," Elsa stated, her smile faltering.


    Anna remembered what happened nearly five months ago and frowned at the memory.


    "I agree. The last thing we need is to go through that again. I guess we''ll find out in a few hours, now, won''t we?" the princess fumed.


    Elsa nodded. "Yes, I suppose we will. Now if you will excuse me, I am going to get ready for their arrival. You should too."


    Anna groaned, but nodded, nonetheless. "Okay. I''d like to have breakfast as soon as possible. We could really use the energy today."


    "You are right about that, Anna. Today is a big day. I will meet you in the dining room after I get dressed. After you are dressed, you can go get Kristoff if you like," Elsa suggested.


    Anna felt butterflies forming in her stomach as she beamed and nodded. "Yes, I''d like that a lot."


    After bidding her older sister farewell, Anna immediately went back to her bedroom to get dressed. Once she was finished, the princess went to where she presumed Kristoff and Sven would be: the palace stables. He visited his reindeer pal every morning, and they would share their favorite food, carrots for breakfast. Despite having stayed with her and her sister for a little more than four months now, and the upgrades that came with it, Kristoff had not changed even the slightest bit. Anna deeply appreciated the ice harvester for remaining humble.


    Sure enough, Kristoff and Sven were both in the stables, consuming carrots. Anna took a deep breath to calm herself down. Once the princess was sure she could speak to him without having a heart attack, she walked up to the two with a smile.


    "Morning, Kristoff," she greeted. "Anything going on down here?"


    "Oh, nothing really. Just having some carrots with Sven. Has anything happened in the castle as of late?" Kristoff asked.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    "Nothing that you need to be alarmed about," Anna replied, giggling.


    Kristoff smirked. "Good. What brings you down here Anna?"


    She blushed a little bit. "I wanted to see you, and also ask if you would like to meet the guests from England and Ostenda a little bit before noon."


    The ice harvester placed two fingers on his chin in consideration.


    "Is that a yes or a no?" the princess wondered.


    "Yeah, sure thing, Anna. The more guests, the merrier. Am I right?" he replied.


    She nodded. "Okay great! I will let Elsa know then. See you in a little while." The princess walked over to Kristoff and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.


    Kristoff was shocked and in a loving daze as Anna smiled at him and made her way back up the stairs.


    After she left, Kristoff blushed.


    Sven gave a happy snort.


    "Are you happy to have Anna in your life?" Kristoff spoke for him.


    "Of course, I am, Sven. Without her, we wouldn''t have all the carrots we can eat, nor would we have the amazing sled she gave me after her sister unfroze the kingdom. Life would not be the same without Anna," the ice harvester gushed.


    "Then when are you going to ask her to marry you?" Kristoff spoke for his reindeer pal.


    Kristoff scowled. "Look, Sven. I don''t want to end up making the same mistake that scoundrel did to Anna over four months ago. Asking for someone''s hand in marriage the day you meet them? That''s messed up. I''d rather we take our time with our relationship. Sure, it''s been four months since I met her, but I would only like to propose to Anna when she''s ready. It might take years for her to be ready. Until then, I will take it slow. I can assure you, Sven, that when the time is right, I will ask her."


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Elsa, Anna, and a now well-dressed and groomed Kristoff came by the castle entrance shortly before noon. After the sisters had breakfast, the Ice Queen decided it would be best to put on her gloves. While Arendelle now adored Elsa''s ice and snow powers, she preferred not putting her new guests at risk of being frozen. She wanted to make sure the guests had as warm a welcome as possible, just as her parents had done when she was a little girl. That was before the gates were closed, of course.


    "Your Majesty, shall we open the doors?" one of Arendelle''s guards asked.


    She glimpsed at Anna and Kristoff, who nodded in response. "Yes, you may open the doors," Elsa said.


    The guards nodded before helping other guards open the doors. Once the doors were open, four different guards with red outfits, black pants, black hats, and muskets marched in, surrounding two figures in between them. Once they were inside, the two guards in the front subsequently slid out of the way, revealing two men of roughly the same height.


    The first man, who Elsa presumed was the prince, was strikingly handsome. Based on his face, the prince looked like he was younger than her or Anna. The man had a clean-shaven face, fair skin, icy blue eyes, and short, well-kept black hair. In addition to his charming looks, he was also exceptionally muscular, perhaps even more so than Kristoff. His outfit consisted of a dark blue royal jacket, gray pants, nigrine boots, and a golden belt. What made Elsa feel frivolous, however, was the fact she was wearing a crown and he did not have a crown on his head. She hastily felt her crown move, and it was in her handmaiden''s possession. While it did startle her a little bit, she kept her cool and nodded thankfully.


    The man next to the prince was also extremely handsome and muscular. However, he was an older gentleman. Maybe in his forties? Unlike the prince, this man was wearing an emerald royal jacket, violet pants, brown boots, and a silver belt. His hair was brown, with just a hint of grey on the edges, while his eyes were green.


    "Presenting His Royal Highness, Prince Edmund of England, accompanied by his personal instructor, Sir Stephen White," the Captain of the Guards of England announced in a thundering voice that ricocheted across the room. Both men bowed respectfully. In response, Anna curtseyed, while Kristoff bowed.


    "Her Majesty, Queen Elsa and Princess Anna of Arendelle, accompanied by Sir Kristoff," Kai announced. Elsa heard her sister suppress a giggle. The Ice Queen let out a hushed sigh.


    "It is an honor to be here in your kingdom, Your Majesty. I would like to formally thank you for inviting me and my master to spend Christmas with you," Edmund said as he extended his hand toward Elsa. She grinned and gave him her hand, shaking it gracefully.


    "The pleasure is all mine, Your Highness," Elsa replied. She imagined how many times formal titles would be used over the next few days or so.


    "If it makes everything easier for you, you may call me Edmund, or Ed for short," the English prince stated.


    "As for me, please call me Stephen, or just Steph," Stephen replied.


    "Then you may both call me Elsa," the Snow Queen said as she let go of Edmund''s hand and shook Stephen''s hand.


    "Edmund and Stephen, I would like to introduce you to my sister Anna and our good friend Kristoff," Elsa said.


    "It is a pleasure to meet you, Princess Anna and Sir Kristoff," Edmund and Stephen greeted them and shook their hands with exquisiteness.


    Once everyone was done greeting each other, Anna was to hand room keys to their guests of the guestrooms they would be staying in.


    "Edmund and Stephen, you will both be staying in our finest suite in the northeastern wing. You will find the northeastern wing to your right. We will have the castle staff take care of your luggage," the princess explained with a smile as she handed the room key to Edmund.


    "Thank you, Princess Anna," the English prince said with a grin of his own.


    "You''re welcome. Please just call me Anna," the princess responded.


    "Will do. Thank you very much," Edmund stated with a smile.


    "I appreciate your warm welcome," Stephen added with a nod of approval as they made their way toward their room.


    Elsa thought about the two men for a few moments. They both seemed like very nice gentlemen. However, the Ice Queen knew she had just met them. Thus, she had no idea whether they were genuinely good men or were instead truly evil on the inside. Both men may have been good-looking, but after what happened in July, Elsa knew there was so much more than just good looks with anyone. She also thought about Edmund calling Stephen his master. Although she assumed Stephen was being a good master to Edmund, Elsa couldn''t help but wonder about something. Was he a good master, or was he some master with an evil sidekick?


    The Snow Queen was snapped from her thoughts when she heard Kai clear his throat.


    "Your Majesty, we have one more guest arriving today," Kai informed.


    Elsa nodded. "Then we shall open the doors and let him in." She had forgotten about the Arendelle guards closing the doors after Edmund, Stephen, and the English guards were inside to prevent too much warm air from escaping.


    "Yes, Your Majesty," a guard replied as the doors were opened once again.


    The Belgian guards marching in were somewhat different than the guards surrounding Edmund and Stephen. Their outfits consisted of dark blue jackets, black pants with red streaks, and black hats with something red on them. A major difference Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff noticed were their weapons. Instead of muskets, their weapons consisted of sabers. Only one figure stood in between them, unlike the English guards. The guards in front moved out of the way to unveil a man taller than both Edmund and Stephen.


    Like the English prince and his master, this man was exceptionally muscular and stunningly handsome. The man appeared to be roughly the same age as Elsa and Kristoff, give or take a year. He had a clean-shaven face, fair skin, sparkling golden eyes, and short, well-groomed dirty blonde hair. His clothing was a bright red royal jacket, black pants with the same red streak as the guards, gray boots, and a copper belt. Like Edmund and Stephen, he was without a crown. Elsa was thankful her crown was still in the grasp of her handmaiden.


    Kristoff''s eyes widened slightly as he took in the man''s appearance. He was even taller than he was. Anna giggled silently at his reaction.


    "Presenting His Royal Highness, Prince Lucas of Ostenda," the Belgian kingdom''s Captain of the Guards promulgated in a similarly voice as the other captain that boomeranged across the room. The Belgian prince bowed reverentially. Subsequently, Anna and Kristoff repeated what they did to the English prince and his master.


    "Her Majesty, Queen Elsa and Princess Anna of Arendelle, accompanied by Sir Kristoff," Kai announced once more.


    "I would like to personally thank you for inviting me to stay in your palace for the holidays this year, Your Majesty. I''m excited to see what Christmas has in store for us this year. I look forward to seeing what your kingdom has to offer," Lucas said rather quickly as he lifted his hand towards Elsa.


    The Ice Queen was a little bit stunned at how fast the Belgian prince talked. Nonetheless, she knew it would be disrespectful to say anything about his fast-talking to him. Thus, she mustered the best smile she could and took his hand, shaking it exquisitely. His hands were bigger than either Edmund''s or Stephen''s hands.


    "The pleasure is all mine, Your Highness," Elsa said.


    "In order to not overburden you with formalities, I would not mind if you called me Lucas, or simply Luc for short," Lucas stated.


    "In return, you may call me Elsa," the Ice Queen responded.


    After the two let go, Elsa said, "Lucas, this is my sister Princess Anna, along with our good friend Kristoff."


    The Belgian prince smiled as he held his hand out to Anna. "It is very nice to meet you, Princess Anna."


    "It''s nice to meet you too Lucas," the princess then handed Lucas his room key, slightly astonished at how tall he was. "Here is your key to the finest suite in the southeastern wing. The wing will be found to your left. Your luggage will be taken care of by the castle staff."


    "I appreciate it, Princess Anna," Lucas thanked.


    "You''re welcome. You may call me Anna," the princess replied, beaming.


    "That is certainly something I can do," Lucas winked as he made his way toward his room.


    Once the Belgian prince was out of sight, Elsa thought of him. Lucas, like the other two men, seemed to be a nice guy. All of them were polite and appreciative of their invitations to Arendelle. Thus far, the Ice Queen had positive thoughts on all three gentlemen. She knew, however, that it was still a bit premature to assume they were good men. The last thing she wanted to do was jump to conclusions when she knew nothing about the three men. Elsa decided it would be best for her, Anna, and Kristoff to take their time and find out whether they were being sincere or ostensible.

 Chapter 2

    I would like to thank roxygoth, BurningFox6, krystal lazuli, and LukeJames for beta reading and helping me improve!


    Feedback is always appreciated!


    Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen. Frozen is owned by Disney. I only lay claim to Prince Edmund, Prince Lucas, and Master Stephen.


    Chapter 2


    Once introductions had concluded, Elsa was now attempting to figure out all the knowledge she had of both England and Ostenda. The Ice Queen would prefer not constantly asking the guests questions about their home countries.


    According to the information bestowed upon her, Elsa learned the capital and largest city of England was London. London was one of the largest cities in the world and was where Edmund and Stephen resided. Summers there were warm, while winters were cool, but not overly cold. While precipitation was generally spread out evenly throughout the year, London did not receive nearly as much winter snowfall as Arendelle.


    Edmund''s father was King Matthew of England, and the royal family of England was exceptionally wealthy; the King of England was the richest man in the world. However, Matthew and Stephen were originally from Dublin, Ireland. The King had met Stephen when they were young boys and had been best friends with him since. After living as a prince in Ireland for the first twenty years of his life, Matthew was involved in an arranged marriage with English Princess Isabella Brown. The Snow Queen couldn''t help but cringe at the thought of an arranged marriage. Did their marriage end up working out for them?


    Meanwhile, the Ice Queen unearthed information about Ostenda as well. The Belgian kingdom was much smaller than London. It was a small town located on the western side of Belgium, along the coast. Like the English kingdom, Ostenda had warm summers and cool winters. However, the Belgian kingdom got a little more rain and snow than London did. Still, Ostenda did not receive as much snow as Arendelle did.


    The parents of Lucas were King Arthur and Queen Victoria. Although the royal family of Ostenda was wealthy, they were not as wealthy as the royal family of England. Elsa assumed this was because of the significant difference in size of the kingdoms. Unlike King Matthew of England, King Arthur was not involved in an arranged marriage. He married Queen Victoria Jacobs for love and Lucas was their only child. The Ice Queen was happy the Belgian royal couple was able to marry for love. Elsa hoped if she ever married it would be for love and not power.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Elsa was in her study, slowly sipping on a steaming cup of tea. There was a knock on the door. She turned her head to see who it was.


    It was Edmund. The Snow Queen was surprised to see the English prince. She wondered what he was up to.


    "Good afternoon, Elsa," Edmund greeted before adding apologetically, "I sincerely apologize if you feel like I am intruding upon anything you might be doing at the moment."


    "No, it is okay Edmund. Please sit down," Elsa replied as she offered the English prince a seat in a chair across from the table she was sitting at.


    "Thank you," the English prince smiled as he sat down.


    "You are welcome," the Snow Queen grinned in return. "What brings you here Edmund?"


    Edmund shrugged. "I thought that since I am staying in your kingdom, we should get to know each other better."


    Elsa raised an eyebrow, contemplating what she should ask Edmund first. "Okay. What do you think of Arendelle? Are you enjoying your stay here thus far?"


    Edmund nodded. "While I may have only been here for a few hours, I am indeed enjoying my stay in Arendelle. One thing I have to say is the castle staff are friendly and attentive. They offered me some chocolate, and I could not turn it down."


    "How was the chocolate?" the Snow Queen wondered.


    The English prince smiled. "Although I do not eat chocolate very often, it was some of the best chocolate I have ever had."


    Elsa smiled fondly. "I am delighted to hear that. Chocolate is my favorite sweet treat. Anna enjoys it too."


    "Ah, yes. Your sister Anna. She is a very nice young woman," Edmund praised. "You are a pretty sweet woman yourself."


    Elsa was pleasantly surprised by the compliment. "Well, I try. Thank you."


    "You are very welcome," the English prince replied with a smile.


    The Snow Queen was really liking her conversation with the English prince so far. Nevertheless, there were a few more questions she wanted to ask him.


    "What is it like in England, Edmund?" she wondered.


    "Have you ever been there before?" he asked, eyebrows rising with curiosity.


    "While I think my family and I may have went there a long time ago, I do not really remember it. Other than that, I really have not set foot outside of Arendelle," Elsa explained.


    "England is a beautiful country," the English prince said. "The city of London is a huge city, with a lot to do and quite a bit of good food to eat. Everyone there is very benevolent and altruistic, especially my father. While my father is fabulously wealthy, he and I do not let our social status determine who we are. With how wealthy my father is, he just does not have any idea what to do with all the money he has. Thus, we really like to donate most of his fortune to help the less fortunate in London."


    Elsa smiled upon learning about London''s eudaemonia under Matthew''s kingship. "I am elated to hear your father does that for his kingdom. His name is Matthew, right?"


    "That is correct," Edmund confirmed.


    "What do you think of him as a father?" the Snow Queen asked.


    Edmund had to think of how to explain it. "It is a blessing to have a father like him. He cares very deeply about me, Master Stephen, and making sure the kingdom is running smoothly. My father says he would still be the same person, even if he were not King of England," he smiled.


    "King Matthew sounds like a loving and nurturing father," the Snow Queen responded. "What about Stephen? Since he is your master, what is he like?"


    "Master Stephen is a tough, yet very encouraging mentor. He and my father have been best friends since they first met in Ireland when they were young. My master is always pushing me to the limit and inspiring me to get better every day," Edmund elaborated.


    "I am delighted to hear Stephen is a good master. What does he train you in?" Elsa wondered.


    "He trains me in a lot of things. Strength, dexterity, endurance, fighting styles, weapons, you name it. The reason for this is he, my father and I would like to stay in excellent shape for as long as we can and defend ourselves in case something happens in the castle back home," Edmund explained.


    "That is interesting. What do you like to do for fun? You know when you are not training?" the Snow Queen asked.


    "During my spare time, I like to explore and go on adventures with my father and master. I also like to play piano, read a good book, and play chess," the English prince smiled.


    The Snow Queen grinned. "Those all sound like fun activities. If I may ask, how long do you train every day?"


    "When I was a boy, I used to develop my skills for long hours every day. Even though it did a great job at sharpening my proficiency, Master Stephen eventually found a way to keep improving my skills while being more efficient with time. In recent years, I only needed to spend a couple of hours training each day," the English prince explained.


    "Was it rough for you training long hours daily when you were a young boy?" Elsa asked, concerned.


    Edmund shrugged. "Honestly, it really was not too bad since I made sure to do everything correctly to avoid getting injured. In addition, my father and master have always made sure I was eating smartly. Eating a lot of good food is essential for me, as it helps me have the energy needed to handle the grind the training comes with."


    "That is good to hear," the Ice Queen responded, relieved.


    "I agree. How about you Elsa? What do you enjoy doing for fun?" Edmund wondered.


    "I like to spend time with my sister. Anna and I spend much of our time together. We are very close," the Ice Queen stated with a softened expression. She wondered whether she should tell the English prince about their somber backstory or not. Elsa decided against it, however. At least for now. She decided to tell him when the right time came.


    "Spoken like an older sibling who serves as a good role model. I have unfortunately never experienced anything like that, being an only child myself," the English prince stated.


    "I appreciate how polite you have been so far, Edmund," Elsa smiled. She had very encouraging thoughts about Edmund thus far. Although she knew it was still a bit early to tell whether he was faking it or not, at least he seemed to be much better than Hans.


    "Thank you, Elsa. I try," the English prince beamed. "What else would you like to talk about?"


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Lucas was wandering around the castle, fascinated at how nice it was. The castle staff were decorating everything he walked by, from the small tables to the candles, the models of armor, and to the Christmas trees scattered about.


    As he turned a corner, he almost ran right into Anna. He managed to stop himself at the last second.


    "Whoa! I sincerely apologize for that, Anna. Maybe I should pay more attention to where I am going," Lucas said with an embarrassed smile.


    "Ah, it''s okay, Lucas," the princess smiled. "What are you up to right now?"


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    The Belgian prince grinned. "I was just looking around the castle, and I really like what I have seen thus far. Since I have not been here before, I was wondering if you could give me a tour of the palace, please. That is, if you are okay with that. I mean, you do not have to if you would prefer not to."


    Anna couldn''t help but giggle at Lucas''s rambling. "Sure! I can do that!"


    "I appreciate it," Lucas replied with approval.


    "No problem!" The princess studied him for a few seconds as they began to walk around the hallways. "If I may ask, how tall are you Luc? Seven feet?"


    "Not quite, Anna. To be precise, I am five inches short of being seven feet tall," the Belgian prince explained.


    "Okay. I just noticed you are taller than Kristoff," Anna stated.


    "Kristoff? He seems like a nice fellow. However, he does not seem to be much of a talker. I apologize in advance if I am sounding impolite, but Kristoff has implied he is a quiet type of person," Lucas said apologetically.


    "No that''s okay. You''re not sounding rude at all! He is a very good man once you get to know him. Kristoff just isn''t used to being around a large crowd of people," the princess explained.


    "I am happy to hear Kristoff is a good man. He seems to care very deeply about you," Lucas beamed.


    "Yeah. We''re very close friends," she responded, deciding to leave out the part where they kissed a few times. "Anyway, what do you like to do for fun?"


    "That is a very good question. I have many hobbies, more than I could count. To name a few, I really love fencing, reading books, lifting weights, and playing chess," Lucas replied.


    "Those sound like fun! What is fencing? Do you climb fences or something?" Anna wondered.


    "Fencing is actually quite different than what you might be thinking. It is a combat sport that involves fighting with swords and a set of rules. In Ostenda, we use sabers as our swords, whether it is the guards, soldiers, or anyone who trains others how to use them," Lucas explained.


    "You don''t get hurt in fencing, do you?" Anna wondered, somewhat worried.


    "Oh no. I can assure you no one gets hurt as long as you do it correctly. When fencing, we are required to wear armor to protect ourselves," the Belgian prince explained.


    "That''s good!" the princess exclaimed with relief.


    "I agree. What about you Anna? Is there anything you enjoy doing for fun?" Lucas asked.


    "Oh yes! I like to spend time with my sister and Kristoff," Anna responded.


    Lucas smiled. "Your sister seems to be an excellent role model. As an only child, I have never known what it is like to have a sibling."


    "Elsa is a good role model. I am very lucky to have her as my big sister," the princess stated fondly.


    "It sounds like you two get along very well," Lucas said, smiling.


    Anna nodded. "Yes, we do."


    "It pleases me to hear that," the Belgian prince replied.


    "You seem like a genuinely nice guy Lucas," Anna praised.


    "I try to be the best person I can be," he winked, which made Anna giggle. "Anyway, the castle would not happen to have a library, would it? I would like to read some books here and learn more about your kingdom."


    "We do have a library! This way!" Anna squealed.


    The Belgian prince really had a liking for Anna''s optimism, cheerfulness, and alacrity. Smiling, he followed the princess to the library as she led the way.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Following his conversation with Elsa, the English prince was now roaming around the castle. He had nothing but praise about the Queen of Arendelle so far. Not only did he admire her pulchritude, but Edmund also lauded the Snow Queen for her gentle, sweet, and wise personality. Additionally, her sister was friendly and charming. Edmund was glad to be spending the holidays in a kingdom with likable, graceful rulers.


    The English prince turned a corner. Along the way, he had traveled through many hallways, passing by doors, Christmas trees and decorations, windows, tables with candelabras, chairs, benches, candles on the walls, chandeliers on the ceilings, tapestries, models of armor, and paintings on the walls. Since he had already done his training that morning, Stephen allowed him to explore the castle and see what he could find.


    Just then, he noticed a large room with a multitude of bookshelves loaded with books. Deciding to find what kind of interesting books the castle had, he walked into the library. At the end of the library, he noticed a man with dirty-blonde hair reading a tome about Arendelle''s history. He narrowed his eyes to get a closer look at him. This man looked familiar. The English prince remembered one of his closest friends from his childhood had dirty-blonde hair. Could it really be him? He did not know; nevertheless, Edmund was determined to see whether it was his friend or not.


    "Excuse me? I sincerely apologize for disturbing you, but you look familiar," Edmund said.


    Lucas looked up, closing the tome and placing it on a nearby table. "Have we met before?"


    "I think we have. Many years ago," the English prince stated.


    The Belgian prince eyed the black-haired man suspiciously and studied him. "You look like I have seen you before. What is your name?"


    "I am Prince Edmund of England," the English prince greeted as he held out his hand.


    Lucas stood up and accepted Edmund''s hand. "Prince Lucas of Ostenda."


    After the two men greeted each other, they stared at each other with widened eyes. Was it true? Had they finally reunited after having not seen each other in a long time?


    "Is it?" Edmund choked.


    Lucas smiled, nodded his head. "Indeed, it is."


    The two princes then hugged each other in a tight embrace, jubilant to see each other again.


    "After all these years, it is great to see you, Lucas!" Edmund exclaimed cheerfully.


    "Likewise, Edmund. We have not seen each other for how long? Fourteen years?" Lucas responded.


    After the two let go, Edmund realized they might have been speaking a little bit too loud inside a library. Thus, he decided to quiet down.


    "Maybe we should lower our voices since we are inside a library," Edmund suggested.


    Lucas nodded as he lowered his voice. "I think we should. After all, we may be the only ones in here right now, but a library is not the best place to shout or anything like that. I am sure if Elsa and Anna were in here and they heard us yelling, they would probably get upset."


    "Agreed. What do you think of Arendelle, Luc?" Edmund asked.


    "I really like it so far. While it may be cold outside, the atmosphere is warm," Lucas stated with a smile.


    "I am totally with you on that," the English prince agreed.


    "Since we have not seen each other after all this time, I assume we have a lot of questions to ask each other?" Lucas asked with raised eyebrows.


    "That we do Lucas," Edmund replied, nodding.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Everyone was gathered in the Great Hall for dinner. Elsa sat elegantly at the beginning of the long table, having removed her gloves. Anna was to her right, doing a miniature swordfight with her spoon and fork. Edmund was sitting to the Snow Queen''s left, while Stephen sat beside the English prince, and Lucas sat adjacent to Stephen. All three men were sitting regally, patiently waiting for dinner to be served. Kristoff was sitting next to Anna. It felt kind of awkward for him to be around the guests, especially since they appeared to be much stronger than him. Nonetheless, the ice harvester managed a small smile. Elsa had chosen to serve everyone water to drink, since she wanted to set a good example and compensate for the long years she shut out her little sister. She also felt it was inappropriate for an eighteen-year-old princess to be consuming alcohol.


    Elsa raised her glass. "I would like to make a toast to our guests from England and Ostenda and thank our cooks for the fine food."


    "In honor of England, I would like to formally thank Queen Elsa, Princess Anna, and Sir Kristoff for their warm welcome and for allowing me and Master Stephen to spend Christmas here in Arendelle," Edmund announced with a raised glass.


    "Likewise. Edmund and I have never had such a warm welcome to another kingdom, and we greatly appreciate that," Stephen added in.


    Kristoff cringed a little bit after their announcements. He did not really say anything to them when they were greeting each other. All he did was shake the guests'' hands.


    Lucas lifted his glass up. "In honor of Ostenda, I thank Queen Elsa, Princess Anna, Sir Kristoff, and the entire castle staff for their great hospitality and affability. I am truly grateful to be spending my Christmas in Arendelle."


    Elsa smiled. She was pleased to hear all three men were appreciative of their invitations. It was still early, but these three men were already considerably better than Hans. The Snow Queen just hoped none of them were hiding any diabolical intentions on the inside.


    Soon dinner was served. After the servers brought out the food and placed it on the table, everyone began to eat.


    As they ate, the doors opened, and the three guests peered over their dinner to see who was there upon hearing a silly giggle. Their eyes widened with surprise when they saw a snowman walking inside.


    "Hi! I''m Olaf and I like warm hugs!" the snowman said gleefully.


    "Hey Olaf! Do join us!" Anna said as she grabbed a little chair in the corner of the room meant for the snowman and set it next to Kristoff.


    "Okay!" Olaf exulted as he accepted his seat.


    "Did you do anything fun today, Olaf?" the princess wondered.


    "I played with the kids in the town. We had a lot of snowball fights until all the kids decided to go back inside their houses to get warmed up," Olaf rambled.


    "Is my vision blurred, or is that a talking snowman?" Lucas wondered.


    "Yes, it''s a talking snowman," Anna confirmed.


    "I have never seen anything like that before," Edmund admitted.


    "Neither have I," Stephen added.


    Elsa debated on whether to reveal the truth about Olaf or not. She figured, however, that she would have to let them know eventually. Thus, she decided to risk the three men finding out about her powers in order to get it over with.


    "Olaf is a snowman I created with my powers, who was brought to life," Elsa explained.


    The three men gazed at her in shock.


    "You have powers?" Edmund asked hesitantly.


    "Indeed, I do. Should you ask for proof I will show you after dinner, gentlemen," the Snow Queen stated.


    "Your powers will not hurt us, will they?" Lucas asked with concern in his voice.


    The Snow Queen shook her head and gave him a reassuring smile. "I can assure you I will not harm any of you with my powers."


    "I am glad to hear it," Lucas grinned, though he was still wary about whether Elsa''s powers would hurt him or not.


    After everyone had finished their dinner, Elsa was true to her word on showing the three guests her powers. She flicked her wrist, sending a wind gust towards the doors, closing both. Turning her gaze towards the ceiling, she shot a blast there. Fog formed, and snow flurries fell on the three men. They were no longer shocked. Instead, they were now thunderstruck at the sight before them.


    "Magnificent," Edmund chortled with a gleeful smile on his face.


    "Indeed," Stephen nodded with approval.


    "Wow! This is simply marvelous Elsa!" Lucas bubbled.


    "Thank you, gentlemen," Elsa smiled as she thrust her hand across her, closing around her wrist. She did this to stop the snowfall and avoid filling up the Great Hall with it.


    "You are welcome!" Edmund replied, grinning.


    "Of course, Elsa," Lucas stated with a smile.


    "Your powers are brilliant," Stephen praised.


    A few moments later, dessert was served. While the royal family of Arendelle had chocolate cake, the three men, to everyone''s bewilderment, respectfully turned it down and requested to have mixed berry smoothies and fruit salads instead.


    "You guys really like to eat healthy, don''t you?" Anna wondered.


    "We certainly do. One of the keys to a long life is a healthy diet," Edmund explained.


    "I am sure the chocolate cake is divine. That is something I will consider having tomorrow. It is just that Edmund and I only have sweets once in a while, and the voyage here took eleven days," Stephen said.


    "I agree with Stephen. That chocolate cake is so tempting, and I do regret turning it down. Nonetheless, my parents told me it is wise to have something healthy after a long voyage," Lucas stated.


    "Oh okay. No worries, guys!" Anna exclaimed. "I accept your reasons."


    "Thank you for your understanding, Anna. Hear me out though. I will have some chocolate cake tomorrow after dinner," Edmund assured.


    Anna lifted her chin slightly as she looked at Edmund. "I shall hold you to that," she replied with a smile, then turned to look at the other two men with a twinkle in her eyes. "All of you."


    Stephen grinned back and acknowledged her command with a quick nod, while Lucas flashed a thumbs up to assure the princess he would indeed try the cake. Satisfied that the issue of the chocolate cake was decided, Anna smoothed her dress and considered the situation. The princess realized she had not talked to Edmund about his interests yet.


    Before she could ask the English prince anything, Olaf chirped out, "Hey! Look out the window guys! See all the snow?"


    The three men obeyed the snowman and scrutinized the scene outside.


    "You are right Olaf. It sure is snowing hard out there. I cannot see anything," Edmund agreed.


    "I will say," Stephen added in agreement.


    "I have never seen that much snow at once," Lucas stated. "We do get snow in Ostenda, but not once have I ever seen it snow like this."


    After finishing dessert and talking for a little while longer, the three guests bid everyone goodnight and left the room. Olaf did the same shortly after, leaving only Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff.


    "Hey Kristoff? What do you think of our guests?" Anna wondered.


    "They seem nice, I guess. We barely know them, so I can''t say for sure whether I can trust them or not," Kristoff said.


    "What makes you say you can''t trust them Kristoff?" the princess asked.


    "Do you remember the questions I asked you about Hans when we first met?" the ice harvester wondered.


    Anna nodded.


    "I think I would like to ask them those same questions. After Hans attempted to kill you and Elsa, I would like to know for sure the guests are not anything like him," Kristoff stated with a now serious look on his face.


    "Kristoff, I can assure you none of those men are like Hans," Elsa tried to persuade Kristoff.


    The ice harvester, however, remained solemn. "Which is why I will ask them those questions to make sure they don''t have any intent like him."


    As Kristoff began to make his way out of the room, Anna grabbed his arm. "Kristoff, wait!"


    The ice harvester''s serious look did not recede even the slightest bit. "Anna, listen. I''m just trying to protect you and your sister. The last thing I would like to see happen is you two in danger."


    "Those men aren''t dangerous, Kristoff," Anna tried to reason with him.


    Kristoff, however, remained stubborn. "Well, there''s only one way to find out."


    He subsequently left the room.

 Chapter 3

    I am flattered by the response the story is receiving! Thank you very much to my amazing readers!


    I would like to thank roxygoth, BurningFox6, krystal lazuli, and LukeJames for beta reading and helping me improve!


    Feedback is always appreciated!


    Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen. Frozen is owned by Disney. I only lay claim to Prince Edmund, Prince Lucas, and Master Stephen.


    Chapter 3


    Kristoff was walking through the decorated castle hallways, searching for the three guests. Outside, the sky was tenebrous, without any hint of moonlight. Clouds continued to enshroud the sky, and the heavy snow did not show any signs of coming to an end anytime soon.


    The candles on the chandeliers and candelabras had been lit, providing both light and warmth inside the castle.


    Kristoff was clutching a candlestick as he walked through the hallways. He eventually heard voices ahead and realized he had wandered into the northeastern wing of the castle, where Edmund and Stephen had their guestroom. Thinking he recognized the voices, he turned down one hallway following the sounds until he discovered the two men, along with Lucas, conversing in a sitting room about their stay in Arendelle.


    The ice harvester hesitated as he was still uncomfortable with the new company. Regardless, he worked up the courage and decided to approach the sitting room. Reaching the doorway, he stood there for a few seconds before Edmund noticed him.


    "Ah, Sir Kristoff. Do come join us, we were just discussing the fine kingdom of Arendelle," the English prince invited him in. "How are you doing this fine evening?"


    "I''m doing fine," Kristoff replied as he set his candlestick on a nearby table and sat down at the table where the three men were gathered around.


    "We were just discussing how lovely this country is," Stephen said.


    "It is beautiful," Kristoff agreed. His face clouded over as he recalled the recent events. "Are any of you aware of what Prince Hans of the Southern Isles did here in Arendelle?" Scorn tinged his voice as he asked this question.


    "I have never heard of him. Based on how you said it, that man sounds like trouble," Lucas stated.


    "Oh, him being trouble is an understatement. He tried to take over Arendelle, and in the process nearly killed Anna and Elsa," Kristoff explained and quickly filled the men in on the events that had transpired.


    All three men stared in shock and disbelief as Kristoff finished his story.


    "Prince Hans tried to kill Queen Elsa and Princess Anna? That is outrageous! I could never imagine doing anything like that!" Edmund fumed.


    "Me neither. Attempting to take over a kingdom and trying to murder two innocent women? It makes me furious that scumbag did such egregious deeds!" Lucas hissed.


    "If I ever encounter that varlet, I have a fist that would like to meet his face," Stephen stated with a look of disapproval.


    "Not only that, but he also asked Anna to marry him the day he met her," Kristoff rasped.


    "Prince Hans asked Anna to marry him when they had just met that day? That is ludicrous. I would prefer knowing someone for a while before asking her to marry me," Lucas stated.


    "Indeed, such an action is preposterous. After what you told me about Prince Hans, I am hoping to never have to deal with him," Edmund chided.


    "Yeah, he sure sounds like a power-hungry rat," Stephen condemned.


    Kristoff was now starting to take a liking to the three guests. He was pleased with their wrathful reactions to what Hans did to the royal family of Arendelle. In addition, the ice harvester liked how they responded to how Hans asked Anna to marry him after knowing each other for less than a day.


    The ice harvester realized he still wanted to know more about the three men. However, he was unsure how to go about asking them. Kristoff was not good at those social interactions, not like Elsa and Anna, so he mulled over how to ask them more about themselves. Unable to think of anything better, he simply asked, "What do you think of Arendelle gentlemen?"


    "The countryside looked beautiful from the view I had on the ship. I am eager to go explore it," Edmund replied.


    "Indeed, what I saw from our ship as we approached was great. The scenery was dazzling," Lucas chimed in.


    "The welcome we received once we docked! It had to be the best greeting ever. The emissary from the palace was so gracious, and as we were walking to our guestroom one lady offered us hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookies," Stephen added.


    "I also saw some children ice skating in the middle of the town. The ice skating here is the finest in the world I have heard. Is that true?" Edmund asked.


    "Indeed, it is," Kristoff responded. "If you enjoy ice skating, it is the best. Have you all traveled a lot?" When the three nodded in unison, he asked, "Where all have you been? What is your favorite place to visit?"


    "I love to travel. Some places I have been to are Dublin, Paris, Lisbon, Edinburgh, Amsterdam, Berlin, Manchester, Stockholm, Helsinki, and Madrid. Although they are very nice kingdoms, I have to say Arendelle seems the most exciting thus far. I enjoyed all the fun activities and sights each city had to offer," Edmund smiled.


    "What kind of activities do you enjoy doing Edmund?" Kristoff asked. He decided to listen closer, as he had never set foot outside of Arendelle. The ice harvester was fascinated by how many places the English prince had been to.


    "Going out on adventures is among my favorite things to do. I always go on adventures with Master Stephen and my father. Back in the day, when my father, Master Stephen, and I went to all the kingdoms, we would go outside them and see what scenery we could find. Those were the good old days," the English prince smiled wistfully.


    Kristoff grinned. "I like to go on adventures as well in the mountains outside of Arendelle. Do you ice skate in England?"


    "During the winter yes, we do. There is a pond in the castle garden that freezes over in the winter, and my father and Master Stephen taught me how to ice skate on it when I was a kid. On the other hand, in the summer, they would teach me how to swim in it. When I do not go outside the castle grounds, I would have to say the garden is my favorite place to be. There are assorted vegetables and fruits of many kinds. One thing I am particularly fond of is the apple orchard. I would always climb the trees and pick apples off them. The apples are often used to make sparkling English apple cider, which is my favorite thing to drink during the holidays," Edmund explained.


    "That''s quite fascinating," Kristoff smiled. "I do have a quick question for you and Lucas. Please stop me if I''m getting too personal."


    "I am sure you will not get too personal Kristoff," Edmund said.


    "I know that Stephen''s last name is White. Am I correct?" Kristoff inquired.


    "You are correct indeed, Kristoff," Stephen confirmed.


    "What about you, Edmund and Lucas?" the ice harvester asked.


    "My last name is Curry. According to what my father, King Matthew, has said about the surname, curry is a variety of dishes originating in the country of India. They are cooked in a complex mixture of spices and herbs that are generally prepared in a sauce. Curry is also a common last name in England and the surrounding countries, especially Ireland, which happens to be the country my father and Master Stephen were born," the English prince explained.


    "Do they serve curry dishes in England?" Kristoff wondered.


    "They serve everything in England. Curry dishes are my favorite food to eat outside of smoothies," Edmund said.


    "Are they any good?" the ice harvester asked.


    "To me they are. They are also very nutritious. I am not sure if you have had any curry dishes?" the English prince wondered.


    Kristoff shook his head. "Never. Not once have I set foot outside of Arendelle."


    "Maybe someday if you ever decided to come to England, you will give them a try?" Edmund asked with raised eyebrows.


    The ice harvester chuckled. "Yeah sure. If I ever set foot in England, I can try them out." Kristoff then turned his attention to the Belgian prince. "What''s your last name Lucas?"


    "Mine is Vermeulen. I have a long family history of living on water and flour mills. My father, King Arthur, has told me stories of how our ancestors lived on water and flour mills inside and outside the kingdom of Ostenda. That all changed when his grandfather ended up marrying Queen Sophie, and from that point forward, my family has lived in an extravagant lifestyle. We were never poor or anything like that. Everything has just been different for the Vermeulen family since," the Belgian prince said.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    "What''s Ostenda like?" Kristoff asked.


    "It is a beautiful country. Summer is my favorite time of year there. Whenever it is warm outside, I like to go on adventures in the forest outside the kingdom," Lucas elaborated.


    Even though it was still early, Kristoff thought the guests were already significantly better than Hans. Not only did they get upset when they were told about Hans'' actions, they seemed to be giving logical answers for any question Kristoff asked them.


    Kristoff kept asking them questions, and to his surprise, none of the three guests would get annoyed or impatient with him. Instead, they were more than happy to answer any question he asked. The ice harvester did make sure to take care of what he was asking. He would prefer not to ask anything too personal for the three men.


    The ice harvester was so zealous with asking questions he did not realize for a while how late it was getting.


    When Kristoff thought he had asked them enough questions, he started to yawn. "Well, I think I''ll be heading to bed now. It was great getting to know more about you guys."


    "Likewise, Sir Kristoff," Lucas smiled.


    "You can just call me Kristoff gentlemen," Kristoff informed them.


    "Of course. We are not tired yet, but we would prefer you not lose any sleep," Edmund said.


    "I agree. Please do not let us hold you up any longer Kristoff," Stephen grinned.


    "Thank you, gentlemen. Good night," Kristoff said.


    "You are welcome! Good night," Edmund replied.


    "Good night, Kristoff," Lucas responded.


    "I hope you sleep well," Stephen added before the ice harvester left the room.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Anna had been listening to the conversations between Kristoff and the three guests. She remembered the answers she provided the ice harvester with when they had first met and frowned slightly at the memory. Back then, she really did not know anything about Hans, other than the fact he was from the Southern Isles, had twelve older brothers, and had green eyes. It did not end so well for her, as he turned out to be a ruthless villain.


    As she was listening to the answers from the three guests, she smiled. Anna''s confidence they were nothing like Hans increased more and more as she heard their responses. While she was able to know Lucas better, she had yet to know more about Edmund and Stephen. She figured she would get to know them better tomorrow.


    Once she heard Kristoff and the three guests bid each other goodnight, the princess saw Kristoff exit the sitting room and immediately walked up to him.


    As soon as the ice harvester spotted her, his eyes widened. "Anna, hey! What are you doing?"


    "I was just listening to your conversations with Edmund, Lucas, and Stephen," Anna replied.


    Kristoff raised an eyebrow. "Let me guess. You were listening to us the entire time, weren''t you?"


    "I guess you could say that," the princess said.


    Anna did have a knack for getting into his business at times. Usually, he didn''t seem to mind too much, unless it was something more serious.


    Kristoff couldn''t help but smirk. "You really like to do crazy things. Isn''t that right Anna?"


    "Well, sometimes. Anyway, what did you learn about the three guests?" Anna wondered.


    "I just asked them a few questions about themselves and what their home countries are like," the ice harvester responded.


    "Oh? What did you ask them first?" the princess asked.


    "I asked them about Prince Hans. Due to their reactions to what he did, I''m beginning to think they are not like him," Kristoff stated confidently.


    "That''s good to hear! Yeah, Hans was a big jerk," Anna fumed.


    "He sure was," the ice harvester agreed, shaking his head in disdain.


    "Oh? Did you learn their last names? Stephen''s last name is White, I think," the princess wondered.


    "I did learn their last names. Stephen''s last name is White, Edmund''s last name is Curry, while Lucas'' last name is Vermeulen," Kristoff explained.


    "Curry and Vermeulen? Those sure sound like interesting last names. I''ve never heard either one before," Anna responded.


    "Yeah, I was pretty fascinated about them myself. Anyhow, I would like to get some sleep. It''s getting very late," the ice harvester said sleepily.


    "Sure, Kristoff. You weren''t being harsh with them, were you?" Anna inquired.


    The ice harvester met her eyes and cupped her face in his large hands. "Anna, I meant what I said earlier about keeping you and your sister safe. I don''t want to see either of you get hurt. There is no way I would be able to forgive myself if anything were to happen to you or Elsa. That being said, I wasn''t being harsh with them. I''m glad they gave me answers that are honest and dependable. Nonetheless, I will keep an eye on them, whether you like it or not."


    Anna smiled up at him. "I really appreciate your protectiveness over my sister and I Kristoff. How did I get so lucky?"


    "I guess it had something to do with going on a wild adventure during an eternal winter we were trying to end, and me getting thrown out of a trading post?" Kristoff inquired with a smirk.


    "Sounds about right," Anna replied with a laugh.


    "I love you, Anna. You have no idea how happy I am to have met you," Kristoff smiled.


    Anna gasped in surprise, but nonetheless beamed up at the ice harvester. "I love you too, Kristoff."


    He then leaned forward and seized her lips in a passionate kiss.


    After they ran out of breath, Kristoff gently hugged her and bid her goodnight. Before he left to go to his room, he kissed Anna on the forehead, which made her giggle. He may have been a rough and gruff ice harvester, but over time she learned to see past his rock-hard exterior and see him for who he truly was.


    Once he was out of sight Anna spoke her thoughts out loud, "I bet you''re very happy to have me in your life Kristoff. As am I to have you in my life."


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Elsa was heading to her room to get some rest, clutching a candlestick. She was thinking about what Kristoff said to her and Anna earlier. While the Ice Queen admired how protective he was of her and her sister, she was nevertheless a little concerned about how grim he was with the three guests. Elsa had tried to reassure Kristoff the three guests had no prejudice, but to no avail.


    Sighing, she walked by a window, and examined the scene. The Snow Queen could not see much, other than the brumal scene everyone, herself included, had seen earlier. It brought back memories of when she accidentally froze the fjord, and the whiteout she caused when attempting to return to her ice castle. Unlike the icy tempest she caused then, the snow was falling straight down, and she had nothing to do with it. Elsa could not help but express worry about how the guests would react when she told them about freezing her kingdom in mid-July. She wondered at the same time if their respective kingdoms were affected by the eternal winter.


    The Snow Queen decided she was done observing the scene after a few moments. She then walked up to her bedroom door. What made the door to Elsa''s bedroom stand out from the other doors in the castle were turquoise snowflakes painted onto it. This made it easy for anyone to tell it was the Queen''s room and that one should knock before entering. Elsa could not help but be amused at how many times Anna forgot to knock before she came into her room.


    Upon entering her bedroom and shutting the door, she let her thoughts drift to the three guests. While she knew more about Edmund and Stephen, she did have yet to know more about Lucas. She thought about the conversation she had with the English prince earlier that afternoon. Edmund seemed like a true gentleman. Not only was he eager to answer any questions she had for him, but he was also patient with her, and was rather modest about himself. Unfortunately, she did not know if he would keep the same personality now that he knew about her powers. While he said they were magnificent, Elsa was unsure whether he meant it or not.


    Lucas seemed to also be astonished by her powers. What Elsa did not know, however, was what the Belgian prince liked to do for fun, and what his parents were like. Like the English prince, Lucas was an only child. The Belgian prince seemed to be a nice guy like Edmund and Stephen were, but he just talked so fast. Elsa remembered her reaction to his fast-talking. While she was confident it was part of who he was, she nonetheless remained cautious. She decided it would be best to get to know Lucas tomorrow.


    After she had her bath, brushed her teeth and hair, and changed into her nightgown, Elsa read her favorite novel for a little bit. She then doused out the candles and went to sleep.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Elsewhere in the castle, Edmund and Stephen were settled into their guestroom. They had the finest suite in the northeastern wing, which was at the very top of the tower. Every single one of Arendelle''s finest suites in each wing were at the top of their respective towers. The simplest guestrooms were at the bottom, becoming increasingly luxurious as one climbed up the towers of each wing.


    "That was a great first day staying here in Arendelle. Would you agree Master?" Edmund asked.


    "I would indeed Edmund. What are you planning on doing after your training tomorrow?" Stephen wondered.


    "Since we have yet to see the town, I was thinking of maybe doing a tour to see what it is like there. I am confident the town will be nice," Edmund suggested.


    "Likewise. It looked nice from where we were able to catch a glimpse as we were getting close to port," Stephen agreed.


    "Yes. We sure had a nice view from the ship." Edmund smiled, then sighed when something else came to him. "It is a shame that my father could not come here. I am sure he would have liked the warm welcome Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff gave us."


    "Matthew would indeed have enjoyed it, but he does have a kingdom to watch over while we are here," Stephen said.


    "He does. England is very lucky to have a wise king like my father," Edmund stated, grinning.


    "As I am to have him as my best friend. Matthew is like a brother I never had. It was a great blessing I met him when we were young boys back in Ireland," Stephen stated fondly.


    "Sounds like me and Lucas. Although you and my father got to see each other every day. Today was the first time Lucas and I saw each other in over a decade. I remember the day we met each other like it was yesterday," the English prince said.


    "Yes. I remember all the fun you and Luc had together, and how you two were so sad to see each other go. What I was most proud of, however, was that you accepted what was happening, rather than getting upset about it," Stephen praised.


    "Getting upset about something you cannot change is an unwise decision to make. That is why I am glad to have you and my father to influence me to be the best person and man I can be," Edmund responded gratefully.


    "As I am happy to have you as my student," Stephen replied, grinning.


    "I appreciate it Master," Edmund then noticed a chess set on a table in the corner of the suite. "Would you like to play some chess?"


    "Yes please. Since it is getting late, we will do one match," Stephen said.


    "Let''s do it Master," the English prince smiled as they prepared to do their chess match.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    In the southeastern wing of the castle, Lucas was reading one of the books he began reading in the library. Since he was the only one in the suite he was staying, Lucas had the huge room all to himself. While he was grateful to have a whole room just for himself, it did nonetheless feel a little lonely having such a large room with only one person in it.


    The Belgian prince thought it was a wonderful first day in Arendelle. He really liked how nice everyone was, especially the royal family. Lucas decided he should now know more about Elsa, now that he already knew what Anna was like. What he really liked about the princess was her enthusiasm.


    What Lucas enjoyed most though, was getting to see his best friend again. Seeing Edmund brought back the memories he had of them when they first met. While he did not expect to meet him again in another kingdom, he was happy, nevertheless.


    Setting his book down on the nightstand next to the bed, he got a good look around the room. There were two huge beds, a chandelier hanging in the center of the room, candles on the nightstand, by the entrance to the room and to the bathroom, and on a table in a corner. On another table, there was a chess set that appeared like it had not been touched once. There were a few windows, along with a door leading outside to a balcony. The Belgian prince decided it would not be a good idea to go out on the balcony at the time. All he could see outside were enormous numbers of snowflakes falling and snow on the balcony. He also assumed it was freezing cold outside.


    Lucas realized he had not seen the town yet. He thought he would perhaps see the town either tomorrow or the day after. Another thing that came into his head was he and Edmund could maybe spend some time together to make up for all those years that passed in between their last meeting.


    With a satisfied smile, Lucas glanced at the clock on the nightstand that had a candelabra behind it. The Belgian prince realized it was getting very late. Thus, he got ready for bed. After he was ready for bed, he read the same book for a little longer before extinguishing all the candles in the room and falling into a blissful sleep.

 Chapter 4

    Thank you very much for your support, everyone! It really means a lot! Your support motivates me to keep writing!


    I would like to thank roxygoth, BurningFox6, krystal lazuli, and LukeJames for beta reading and helping me improve!


    Feedback is always appreciated!


    Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen. Frozen is owned by Disney. I only lay claim to Prince Edmund, Prince Lucas, and Master Stephen.


    Chapter 4


    Edmund and Stephen awoke early feeling refreshed even though they only had six hours of sleep. Pulling on their robes, both men padded over to the window and stared out at the predawn landscape. The quietness calmed them as they decided to practice their yoga. Both men did yoga every morning upon waking up. After having their baths, Edmund and Stephen quickly changed into their yoga clothes and started their practice with a series of sun salutations to greet the morning and awaken their bodies. Following these, they moved through the warrior poses before finally finishing their practice with a short savasana.


    "What will we be doing today, Master?" Edmund asked as he and his master got dressed into regular clothes.


    "I was thinking of letting you and Lucas explore the town while I see what the castle has to offer after breakfast. Since I did not really see much of the palace yesterday, I figured today would be a good opportunity to do just that," Stephen replied.


    "Are you sure about this, Master?" Edmund asked.


    Stephen nodded and gave him a warm smile. "You have not seen Lucas in fourteen years. He is your best friend, Edmund. This is a golden opportunity to catch up with him and make up for all those years."


    The English prince smiled gratefully, putting a hand on his master''s shoulder. "Thank you, Master."


    Stephen in return placed a hand on his student''s shoulder. "Of course, Edmund. Ever since I began training you, I have always tried to be the best mentor I can be."


    "You do a wonderful job with that, Master," Edmund beamed. "Let''s go downstairs and have some breakfast now, shall we?"


    "Yes, we shall," Stephen stated as he and Edmund made their way to the Great Hall.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Meanwhile, Lucas was just getting out of bed, stretching his long arms and legs wide before he went to take a bath. Upon finishing his bath and getting dressed, he did some exercise to get his body warmed up before stretching in order to keep his muscles as loose as possible. Once he concluded his stretching, he practiced with his saber, imagining that he was sparring with someone while taking care not to hit or break anything in the suite. After finishing his practicing, the Belgian prince observed the scene outside the window. While it was still cloudy, there was no longer any snow falling. There was, however, a considerable amount of snow on the balcony. The Belgian prince saw the snow went up to his knees. Even with the door closed, he could still feel it was freezing outside. Despite the cold, however, the weather was halcyon; the wind was calm, without even the slightest breeze. Nevertheless, Lucas knew it would be unwise to open the door without having warm clothes on.


    He thought about what activities he could do that day. Maybe go see the town?


    Deciding he would ask Elsa and Anna first before planning anything, Lucas made his way to the Great Hall for breakfast.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Edmund was walking to the Great Hall with Stephen when he almost bumped into Lucas as they turned a corner. Laughing, the three men greeted each other.


    "Are you going to breakfast, Lucas?" Edmund asked.


    "Indeed!" Lucas replied.


    The three men headed to the Great Hall. As they entered, they saw the Ice Queen and her sister already seated and the sounds of clinking silverware greeted them.


    "I do hope we are not too late?" Edmund asked as they entered the room.


    "No, you are right on time. Please sit down, gentlemen," Elsa said as the three men obliged and made their way to their seats.


    "Gentlemen, I would like to inform you I have meetings with the council every morning. I apologize that I unfortunately will not be available until later this morning at eleven o''clock," Elsa stated.


    "Ugh, those darn meetings!" Anna complained.


    "They are not the most fun thing in the world. However, it is my responsibility as Queen to make sure everything in Arendelle is in order," the Ice Queen explained.


    "Yeah, yeah, I know. Anyway, are you doing anything after that?" the princess wondered.


    "Nothing that I know of," Elsa replied.


    "Maybe once the meeting is over, we could build a snowman?" Anna suggested.


    Elsa nodded with a smile. "We certainly could."


    The Ice Queen then turned her attention to the three guests. "Do you three have anything you would like to do today?"


    "I was thinking of taking a look around the castle to see all its wonders," Stephen replied.


    "Maybe I could give you a tour, Stephen?" Anna piped in.


    "That would be greatly appreciated, Anna. Thank you," Stephen responded, smiling.


    "No problem!" the princess exclaimed, beaming.


    The Snow Queen smiled at her sister''s generosity. She then cleared her throat and turned her attention to the two young princes.


    "What about you, Edmund and Lucas? Is there anything you two have in mind?" Elsa asked them.


    "If it is okay with you Elsa, I was wondering if I could go see the town and what it has to offer," Edmund responded.


    "Likewise. The town looks very nice. Going to see the town would also be a great time for Edmund and I to catch up," Lucas added.


    The Snow Queen gave both men a reassuring smile. "Of course, you two may go see the town. It is a beautiful town I am very happy to be looking after."


    "Thank you for your permission to go see the town. I cannot wait to see what I can find there," Edmund said with a smile.


    "Thank you for your permission, Elsa. I am looking forward to exploring the town and whatever might be outside of it as well," Lucas stated, grinning.


    Elsa gave them both a nod of approval. Edmund and Lucas were certainly fine gentlemen.


    The Belgian prince looked outside and observed the overcast wintry scene. "We should definitely bundle up before we go out there. Right Edmund?"


    Edmund nodded in agreement. "Yes sir. I would prefer not getting frostbitten toes or fingers."


    "Neither would I buddy," Lucas said in agreement.


    "Yeah, the cold can really get to you if you''re not prepared for it," Anna pointed out, as she had quite a bit of experience with the cold.


    "You are correct about that, Anna. It seems you, Elsa, and Kristoff have much more experience with cold than me, Master Stephen, and Lucas," Edmund said sincerely.


    "It gets very cold in the winter in Arendelle, so yeah we have quite a bit of experience with it," the princess responded.


    "You sound like you really know what to do whenever it gets cold out. After all, I may not have as much cold experience as you, but that does not mean I do not know what to do whenever a cold snap takes place," Lucas explained.


    "Taking proper precautions is certainly a good idea. Elsa, on the other hand, is not the slightest bit bothered by the cold," Anna stated.


    "With her amazing powers, I assumed the cold never bothered her," Edmund agreed, smiling.


    "The cold indeed never bothers me," Elsa responded, beaming at the English prince''s compliment of her powers. She was happy the three guests had come to accept her powers rather than be terrified of them.


    Anna was really liking the three men. Not only were they being polite and friendly, but they also let her, Elsa, and Kristoff know some interesting things about them. She was almost certain they were honest and noble gentlemen.


    The princess realized she had yet to ask Kristoff what he was doing for the day.


    "What about you Kristoff? Are you doing anything today?" Anna asked the ice harvester.


    "I''m going out to the lake to harvest some ice," Kristoff said.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    That caught Edmund''s attention. "Harvest ice?"


    "Yeah," the ice harvester stated.


    "How do you do that?" Edmund asked curiously.


    Kristoff raised an eyebrow. "What would you like to know about it?"


    "Like where do you get the ice from? What do you do with it?" the English prince wondered.


    "I harvest ice in the lakes up in the mountains. See the mountains outside?" Kristoff said as he pointed a finger toward the window.


    The three men obeyed and saw the mountains that were covered with a large amount of snow.


    "After the ice is harvested, I transfer it to my sled. Then my reindeer Sven and I will bring it back here and sell it," the ice harvester explained.


    "Ice harvesting sounds quite interesting. I have never heard about ice harvesting before. There is a lake outside of London I go to regularly with my father and master. However, the ice just never gets thick enough to harvest it without any danger of falling in. All we can do is ice skate on the frozen lake," Edmund said.


    "Ice harvesting seems fascinating. I have never heard of it, nor have I found any history about Ostenda doing anything like it. How thick does the ice have to be to harvest it?" Lucas asked.


    "The ice needs to be at least a foot thick to harvest it safely. Only in the mountains is the ice thick enough year-round," Kristoff explained.


    "Well, I hope the ice harvesting goes well for you," Edmund said with a smile.


    "Yeah. I am sure you will get an abundance of it at this time of year," Lucas added.


    "Maybe someday we can see how ice harvesting is done," Stephen stated.


    The ice harvester was gallantly surprised by the three men wishing him luck. He sat there in silence for a moment, studying the three men before a grin appeared on his face.


    "Thank you for the good luck wishes gentlemen. You three seem strong enough to handle what it takes to harvest ice. I should let you know, however, that you have to do it in a certain way, or else you could end up falling through the ice or hurting yourself," Kristoff explained.


    "You are welcome, Kristoff. As long as you teach us how to harvest ice before we even attempt it, I think we should be alright," the English prince replied with a reassuring smile.


    Since the three men had developed an interest in ice harvesting, Kristoff was now wondering if he should maybe ask them to join him. While Stephen expressed his desire to stay inside the castle, the ice harvester thought that since Edmund and Lucas were going outside, they could come with him. Kristoff thought it would be a great chance for him and the princes to learn more about each other.


    "Hey Edmund and Lucas? Since you guys seem very interested in ice harvesting, maybe you would like to, I don''t know, come with me? I know you two already have plans to see the town, but I just thought I''d offer," Kristoff stated.


    Edmund nodded with a smile. "I would love to come and see how you do it."


    "Me too. I would like to see what you do when it comes to ice harvesting. Since we will be staying here for a while, I am sure we will have plenty of opportunities to go see the town," Lucas said.


    The ice harvester was somewhat excited the two princes accepted his offer. "Okay then. We will get ready to go into the mountains after breakfast."


    Elsa couldn''t help but grin at the conversation between Kristoff, Edmund, and Lucas. While she was more than happy to give the two young princes permission to go explore the town, she was nonetheless pleasantly surprised they accepted Kristoff''s offer to go with him to harvest ice. The Snow Queen thought it would allow Edmund and Lucas to know more about the ice harvester''s life story.


    "I hope you three have a great time. Stay safe out there," Elsa encouraged.


    "We will," Lucas replied with a wink.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    After breakfast, Kristoff, Edmund, and Lucas were in the stables getting ready for their journey to the mountains, loading their supplies onto Kristoff''s sled.


    "Is ice harvesting what you do for a living Kristoff?" Edmund asked.


    The ice harvester confirmed the English prince''s question with a nod. "Yes. I''ve been doing it for many years since I spent much of my early years in the mountains."


    "It sounds like a hard lifestyle," the English prince said.


    "At first it was rough for me. Now that I have been doing it for a while, it''s not too bad," Kristoff explained.


    "I am glad to hear it is not as rough as it sounds," Edmund nodded approvingly.


    Lucas, meanwhile, was giving Kristoff''s reindeer Sven a carrot to eat. Since they arrived in the stables, the Belgian prince became curious about the reindeer. Upon laying his eyes on the two princes he was not familiar with, Sven had eagerly sniffed them and made attempts to lick them in their faces. This prompted Kristoff to calm his reindeer pal down, as he preferred Sven not getting his saliva on the guests.


    "How long have you and Sven been with each other?" Lucas asked.


    "When I was a kid, it was just me and Sven. That was until the mountain trolls kind of took us into their family," Kristoff explained.


    The eyes of both princes widened with surprise and shock.


    "Mountain trolls? I have never heard anything about mountain trolls. What are they like? They are not giant, mean creatures, are they?" Lucas asked, clearly baffled.


    Kristoff shook his head and smirked at the reaction of the princes. "They are not as bad as they seem. After all, they are the only family I know of."


    The expressions of Edmund and Lucas softened somewhat. They were still a little surprised by the fact there were magical creatures, however.


    "Not to get too personal here, but do you happen to know what happened to your biological parents?" Edmund asked.


    Kristoff merely shrugged in response. "I sadly don''t remember anything about my parents. Aside from Sven, I''ve been on my own for as long as I can remember. That was until I moved into the castle with Anna and Elsa," Kristoff beamed at the mention of the princess of Arendelle.


    "It is unfortunate you never got to know your parents. I am glad you have Sven and the royal family of Arendelle though," Edmund said sincerely.


    "I appreciate your sympathy, Edmund. Nonetheless, I have nothing to complain about with my life. Ever since I met Anna, life has become brighter for me and Sven," Kristoff explained.


    "You really like Anna, do you?" Lucas asked.


    "I guess you could say that I really do. When we first met, however, she was engaged to Hans. Over the course of the journey to end the eternal winter Elsa accidentally cast upon Arendelle, we got closer. By the time it ended, Anna and I really wanted to know more about each other," the ice harvester elaborated.


    "You mean the scumbag that attempted to kill her and Elsa to take over the kingdom?" Lucas seethed.


    Kristoff nodded with a scornful look on his face. "Yup. After I saw what he was doing to Elsa, I was ready to clobber him for his actions. That was when Anna stepped in to deal with him herself. She then proceeded to punch that scoundrel off the ship. He sure got what he deserved."


    "With actions like that, I would have done more than just punch him," Edmund said.


    "Would you have killed him?" Kristoff asked.


    The English prince shook his head. "I do not think I would go that far. Master Stephen has taught me not to ever think about killing anyone, even those who commit atrocious deeds. While it is in my nature to make someone pay for what they did, it has never been in my nature to kill. It is in my nature, however, to protect those I care about most. Maybe I would have gotten him sent to prison for life."


    The ice harvester nodded in both understanding and agreement, knowing where Edmund was going with that.


    "What would you have done, Lucas?" Kristoff wondered.


    "Probably the same thing as Edmund. Even with the evilest human beings out there, I cannot stand the thought of killing anyone or anything," Lucas explained.


    Kristoff deeply appreciated that the two princes were willing to show mercy. On the other hand, Hans did not know how to show leniency whatsoever.


    Once the three men had all their supplies ready to go, the ice harvester decided that for the safety of the two princes and himself, he should probably sit in the middle of the sled.


    "Hey guys? Maybe I should sit in the middle so I can have better control of Sven. Are you two okay with sitting on either side of me?" Kristoff asked.


    The two men nodded.


    "Whatever is best for you and everyone else, Kristoff. Since I have not had any experience with guiding a sled, it would be a good idea that you lead your best buddy here. The last thing we need is for anyone to get injured because of some mistake I might end up making while guiding Sven," Edmund explained.


    "Same here. I would probably have no idea what I was doing if I attempted to usher Sven," Lucas said.


    The ice harvester grinned at the generosity of the two men. "Glad to hear you guys are fine with that. We just need to figure out who will sit on each side of me."


    "Does it matter who sits on either side?" Edmund asked.


    "I''ll let you two decide. It doesn''t matter to me," Kristoff said.


    "Okay. I will sit on your left side then, and on the way back Edmund and I can switch sides," Lucas suggested.


    "Good idea, Luc," Edmund approved.


    "Alright then. Let''s get going," the ice harvester said as he made himself comfortable in his sled. Once he was settled, Lucas and Edmund climbed into the sled on opposite sides of him.


    As soon as everyone was situated within the sled, they were off.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Anna was showing Stephen around the castle. The princess noticed the graying at the ends of the gentleman''s hair. Thus, Anna was curious as to how old he was. However, Anna preferred to be polite with the guests. As a result, she decided not to bother asking Stephen his age. With or without the gray at the end of his hair, Stephen was very handsome.


    "What''s your story, Stephen?" Anna asked as they continued to walk through the castle hallways.


    "I was born in Ireland originally. Dublin, to be precise, which is the capital of the country. While there, I was raised by a wealthy family that cared very deeply about my safety. It inspired me to learn how to use a sword, a bow, and to get stronger every day. That is where I met Edmund''s father, King Matthew. When we first met, he was five years old, and I was eleven. Back then he was Prince Matthew. We did everything together, from swimming, to ice skating, seeing who could lift the heaviest weight, who could shoot a bow and arrow the farthest, testing our sword fighting skills, you name it. Matthew and I have been best friends since the day we met. To me he is a brother in everything but blood," Stephen elaborated.


    "That''s a really good story! It sounds like you and King Matthew get along very well! What''s Matthew like?" Anna wondered.


    "Matthew is a king beloved by London for his generosity, wisdom, kindness, intelligence, and how much he cares about his kingdom. Life would not be the same without him. I have no idea where I would be right now if Matthew and I never met," Stephen explained.


    "I''m glad London has a fair, just ruler like Arendelle does with Elsa," Anna smiled.


    "Ah, yes, your sister. Elsa is a graceful, well-mannered, compassionate young woman. You should feel very lucky to have her as a sister. She seems to care very deeply about you," Stephen said.


    "Yes, I am lucky Elsa is my sister. I wouldn''t have it any other way," the princess stated with a fond smile.


    "I am glad to hear that. Anyway, to continue my life story, everything changed for me and Matthew when he was twenty years old. He and I moved to England after he was involved in an arranged marriage with English Princess Isabella. Since her parents were stepping down from being King and Queen, they needed their daughter to find a husband to rule London beside her. At that time, Matthew was still a very young man and did not feel like he could handle the responsibilities of ruling such an enormous city. I assured him he would be a wonderful king, and though he did appreciate the encouragement, he was still unsure whether London would like him ruling their city," Stephen continued.


    "Arranged marriages sometimes don''t work out. Did Matthew and Isabella love each other?" Anna wondered, some concern in her voice.


    Stephen nodded. "Matthew and Isabella loved each other with all their hearts. It made me very happy the arranged marriage ended up working out for the couple. Not long after they were married, Edmund was born. I began to train him the day he was born. However, since I know babies can be very delicate and fragile, I made sure to take it easy on him at first. Only gradually did I increase his workload as he got older and stronger."


    "Oh! What do you train him in? Do you like teach him how to use a sword and bow like you and King Matthew did?" Anna wondered.


    "That and I saw a lot of potential in Edmund. He took his training so seriously, I decided to train him in every fighting style that we know of today. Even though he is a virtuoso in everything I have taught him now, he never, ever takes his training lightly. Be assured though, that he and I only use our abilities for good. Ed is like a son to me," Stephen assured.


    "That''s good to hear!" Anna beamed. "What do you like to do for fun?"


    "When Edmund and I are not training, we love to venture outside London and see the wonders of the forest outside the city. There is a lake we always go to for swimming in the summer, ice skating in the winter, and sometimes part of Edmund''s training. I also like to spend time with Matthew whenever he is not doing any royal duties," Stephen explained.


    "Sounds like fun! When''s your birthday?" Anna wondered.


    "My birthday is coming up pretty soon. New Years'' Day is my birthday. I will be turning fifty," Stephen replied.


    "Fifty?! Wow! You''re halfway to the century mark!" Anna exclaimed.


    Stephen chuckled. He liked how Anna was so full of life. "I have been living a great life, and I hope it will continue for many years to come."

 Chapter 5

    I would like to thank roxygoth, BurningFox6, krystal lazuli, and LukeJames for beta reading and helping me improve!


    Feedback is always appreciated!


    I feel like it will begin to get interesting soon.


    Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen. Frozen is owned by Disney. I only lay claim to Prince Edmund, Prince Lucas, and Master Stephen.


    Chapter 5


    Sven was running up the mountainside through the niveous, snow-covered forest, his hoofs kicking up the snow as he did so. Kristoff was guiding his reindeer pal through the forest while Edmund and Lucas sat beside the ice harvester on opposite sides. The mountain man never had anyone besides Anna ride in his sled with him, as far as he could remember. During his time harvesting ice, he always rode by himself while delivering ice to the kingdom.


    The first few hours of the journey up to the lake were rather silent. All three men just sat and watched the snowy trees go by. While Kristoff kept looking ahead to make sure his reindeer pal was doing alright, the two princes kept looking beside themselves to admire the wintry scene. Never had either of them thought winter could be so beautiful. As Edmund and Lucas venerated what they saw before them, both men made sure to keep their arms inside the sled, even after they saw something interesting. The last thing they wanted was for any injuries to happen out of imprudence.


    "Hey, Lucas?" The Belgian prince jumped a bit as he was not expecting to hear Kristoff''s voice.


    "How are you feeling? Are you okay?" the ice harvester asked as he turned to face the Belgian prince.


    "I am sorry. What did you say?" Lucas responded.


    "I was just asking to see if you were doing alright," Kristoff assured him.


    "Oh. I am doing fine. The sight before us is certainly one to admire," Lucas said approvingly.


    "Beautiful, isn''t it?" Kristoff asked.


    "It is indeed. All my life I have never thought winter could be so amazing. I have never seen anything like this," Lucas replied, smiling.


    "Since I''ve lived in the mountains my entire life, this is something I have gotten used to," Kristoff stated.


    "I bet. Speaking of the mountains, do you ever get cold?" Lucas wondered.


    Kristoff shook his head. "Cold doesn''t bother me that much. It would bother me though if it were an icy body of water. However, cold air has never been an issue for me."


    The Belgian prince nodded thoughtfully. "That is good to hear. I remember one time when I was a young boy my family and I went ice skating one winter on a frozen lake outside Ostenda. At first it was quite a bit of fun, until it almost turned into a disaster. While we were on the frozen lake, the ice started cracking beneath us. My parents and I got to shore just in time before we could fall into the freezing lake. That was one of the scariest moments of my life."


    "Sounds like another few moments could''ve meant you and your parents would not have survived," Kristoff sympathized with Lucas.


    "Yes. Thankfully, my parents learned a valuable lesson that day. From that day forward, they were more careful in determining whether the ice on the lake was safe or not to ice skate on," Lucas explained.


    "I''m happy to hear you and your parents didn''t have another incident with the ice after that," Kristoff said.


    "Thank you, Kristoff. I appreciate it," Lucas replied, smiling.


    "Of course, Luc," Kristoff responded with a grin on his face. "Does the cold bother you?"


    "It does not. I am fine with cold air, but to reiterate what you said, I would prefer not being in an ice-cold body of water," the Belgian prince explained.


    "Yeah, icy water can really get you into trouble if you''re in it for too long," the ice harvester replied.


    "I agree," Lucas said with a nod.


    Kristoff turned his attention to the English prince, who was still looking at the winter scene the three men were racing by. "Are you doing okay, Edmund?" he asked.


    "Yeah! Are we almost there?" Edmund wondered.


    "We''ll be there soon," the ice harvester responded.


    Edmund smiled and gave him a thumbs up as he, Lucas, Kristoff, and Sven continued to make their way towards the lake.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    At eleven o''clock that morning in the castle, Elsa had just left the conference room when a certain sound caught her attention. She listened more closely and determined someone was playing a musical instrument. A piano maybe? The Snow Queen walked in the direction of the music, and the sonance got increasingly louder as she approached the ballroom.


    Soon she found herself at the entrance to the ballroom. Who could be playing the piano in the ballroom at this time? She looked through the crack in the ajar ballroom entrance and saw Stephen sitting at the piano. He was masterfully playing the piano, making every single note sound amazing. What Elsa noticed most however, was the expression on his face. No matter the mood of the piece he was playing, he was stone-faced. As she continued to listen to Stephen put on a dazzling display, the Ice Queen did not see the expression on his face change one bit.


    Once Stephen had finished playing, Elsa knocked on the door before she came into the ballroom. The brown-haired man turned his head to see who it was. Upon seeing that it was Elsa, he stood up and respectfully bowed.


    "Good morning, Elsa," Stephen greeted. "I take it your meeting with the council went well?"


    "Good morning, Stephen. My meeting with the council was good. I was just discussing things about the kingdom," Elsa said. "You sure sounded amazing playing the piano."


    Stephen grinned. "Why thank you. Edmund and I love to play the piano when we are not training. The piano is the only musical instrument he and I both got ourselves into. On a side note, I am glad to hear your meeting went well."


    Elsa smiled. "Thank you."


    "You are welcome," Stephen stated, grinning as well.


    "How was the tour around the castle with Anna?" Elsa asked.


    "It went very well. Your sister has one of the sunniest personalities of anyone I have ever met," Stephen replied.


    "Yes, she does. Now that you have seen the entire castle, what will you be doing for the rest of the day?" the Ice Queen wondered.


    "Since Edmund is with Lucas and Kristoff harvesting ice, I have not really planned out the rest of the day," Stephen responded. "Do you have any suggestions?"


    "Maybe you could go see the town?" Elsa suggested.


    Stephen smiled and nodded at the suggestion. "That is a great idea. It sure looks like a very nice town. Then after I explore the town, I can tell Edmund and Lucas all about it once they return from ice harvesting."


    "I am glad I was able to suggest something for you to do today," Elsa beamed.


    "I thank you very much for that. Before I go ahead and make my way to the town, I would like to play one more song on the piano. Would you like to hear a Christmas or winter themed piece?" Stephen suggested.


    The Snow Queen nodded at the suggestion. "Yes, I would like that."


    The brown-haired man grinned as he sat down in front of the piano and began to skillfully play the piano once again. Elsa did not remember anyone who could play the piano so masterfully and gracefully.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    "Well, here we are gentlemen. The East Lake," Kristoff announced as the three men arrived at the East Lake, which was nestled at the base of the East Mountain.


    Edmund got out of the sled and observed the scene before him. The deep snow surrounded the ice-covered lake, which seemed to be at least a foot thick.


    "Hey, Edmund. Are you feeling okay?" Kristoff asked.


    "Yes. I am feeling just fine, Kristoff. Thank you for asking," Edmund replied with a grin.


    "You''re welcome. Will your muscles be okay with doing heavy work in the cold?" the ice harvester asked.


    Edmund nodded. "Yes, I will be just fine. My master has taught me how to train and do hard work in cold weather. Whenever I am outside during the winter months, I always try to overdress because I can then just remove a layer of clothing whenever I get too warm. As long as I keep moving rather than holding still for too long, I should be good."


    "Do you stretch a lot?" Kristoff wondered.


    "Yes. Master Stephen and I stretch every morning after we wake up. We also stretch before training, after training, and once we have warmed up after being outside on cold days," Edmund explained.


    "That''s good," the ice harvester nodded approvingly. "You ready to get started?"


    "I am ready whenever you are," Edmund replied.


    Lucas hopped out of the sled after he had studied the scene and walked up to the two men with an ice saw in his hands.


    "Hey, Kristoff? Is this the saw that is used to cut the ice?" the Belgian prince asked as he pointed to the large object he was holding.


    "Yes. I''ll show you two how the saw is used once we''re on the lake," Kristoff explained as he and the two princes made their way back to the sled to gather their ice harvesting tools. As they got ready to go to work, Kristoff gauged the time, recognizing it was mid-morning, giving them plenty of time. He knew they would have an ample amount of time to return to the kingdom by dinner time if they got started right away. Speed mattered more than quantity.


    As soon as the three men gathered their equipment, they began to make their way across the frozen lake. Upon reaching the center of the lake, Edmund and Lucas watched closely how Kristoff handled the equipment to make sure they got the most amount of ice possible.


    Once the two princes felt like they had a good enough understanding of what to do, the three men brought down their ice saws and proceeded to cut through the ice.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    As they cut through the ice toward the shoreline, Edmund and Lucas made sure to pay attention and follow the ice harvester''s lead. To his surprise, Kristoff saw the two princes were not having any trouble at all making sure to cut through the ice properly.


    "Hey, are you guys sure you''ve never done this before?" the ice harvester asked.


    The two princes chuckled before replying, "No, but you obviously are a good instructor."


    Once the three men were finished cutting through the ice, they used splitting forks to separate the ice flows. It would not be long before they were using pitchforks to prepare the ice blocks for cutting in half to make them transportable on Kristoff''s sled. The ice harvester was stunned at how Edmund and Lucas were able to get the hang of it so quickly.


    Soon the three men were hard at work chopping the ice blocks in half with pickaxes. Kristoff could not help but grin at how hard Edmund and Lucas were working. Their determination resulted in them splitting all the ice blocks a lot faster than the ice harvester ever remembered during his time harvesting ice.


    As soon as every ice block was split in half, Kristoff showed the two princes how to properly carry the ice to the sled, from the posture to the way to having a firm grip on the ice with the tongs, and to not lose any strength while transporting it.


    After a little while the work was complete, and Kristoff''s sled was filled to its maximum capacity with ice. The ice harvester was stunned at how quickly the work got done. Not only was it done in record time, but also done incredibly well thanks to the two princes. Another thing that surprised him was Edmund and Lucas were not the slightest bit tired. They were not red nor were they panting. How could these two men not be even a tiny bit exhausted from this?


    "Wow. You guys are so strong! Even after all that, neither of you seem fatigued at all. As strong as I am, you two appear to be much stronger. How are you guys so muscular?" Kristoff wondered, impressed.


    "My lifelong training under my master''s leadership," Edmund replied.


    "Lifelong? You mean since the day you were born?" the ice harvester asked.


    "Precisely," the English prince confirmed.


    "Didn''t you ever get injured?" Kristoff asked with concern.


    "Fortunately, I have never suffered any serious injuries. When I was an infant, Master Stephen made sure to take it easy on me because although babies are quite flexible, they can get hurt easily. He has always made sure I am doing everything correctly to avoid getting injured, and that we have healthy diets to handle the tedious work that comes with training," Edmund explained.


    "You both train pretty hard, don''t you?" Kristoff wondered.


    "Yes, we do. Our main reasons for the training are to stay in excellent shape for as long as we can, and to protect our kingdom and those we care about most whenever a threat is perceived. While we both know every fighting style and how to use any weapon, our weapons of choice are swords and bows. I can assure you that my master and I use our abilities for good," the English prince stated.


    "I''m pleased to hear you use your strength the right way," the ice harvester said.


    "Of course. You seem to use your strength for good as well," Edmund replied with a grin.


    "Well, I try," Kristoff responded, smiling. "What about you Lucas? How did you become so strong?"


    "I exercise every day. A few ways I enjoy exercising are weightlifting, running, and fencing," Lucas said.


    "How long have you been exercising?" the ice harvester wondered.


    "I have been running my entire life. However, it was not until I was four that I began lifting weights, and I did not start fencing until I was a teenager," the Belgian prince elaborated.


    "Who trains you?" the ice harvester asked.


    "The Captain of the Guards. He loves his job of keeping Ostenda safe and takes the safety of me and my family very seriously," Lucas stated.


    "That''s good to hear. Are there any weapons you prefer?" Kristoff asked.


    "Longbows and sabers. We always use sabers in fencing. If you are wondering what a saber is, it is a type of heavy sword used by cavalrymen and has a curved blade, unlike a regular sword," Lucas explained.


    "Sounds interesting. Maybe you could show me what a saber looks like?" Kristoff asked.


    "Certainly," Lucas beamed.


    "Sounds good. Anyway, would you two gentlemen like to have something to eat? It''s lunchtime now," Kristoff suggested.


    "Yes please," both princes said at the same time as the three men made their way to the sled to get out their lunches.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Stephen was just entering the town, looking around to see the buildings covered in snow and with Christmas decorations hanging from them. He had made sure to dress up for the cold weather before leaving the castle.


    As the brown-haired man walked, he passed by what he thought was a Christmas store. There were wreaths in the windows, with ribbon, holly, ornaments, assorted decorations, and Christmas trees inside the shop. Smiling fondly, he knew it was a reminder of how enamored with the holiday Stephen was when he was a boy.


    Stephen continued strolling through the town, passing by numerous establishments and townspeople along the way. It was not too long before he found himself in the middle of the town square. In the center of the square was a frozen fountain.


    After observing the fountain for a few minutes, a small sled slid up to him, almost hitting him in the foot. He picked up the sled and saw a small boy run up to him.


    "Sorry, mister!" the boy exclaimed.


    Stephen smiled at the boy. "It is okay. Is this your sled?"


    The boy nodded.


    "Here you go," Stephen said as he gracefully handed the sled to the child.


    "Thank you, mister," the boy said gratefully.


    "You are welcome," Stephen responded, beaming.


    The boy smiled up at Stephen and then walked away with his sled.


    Stephen grinned as he watched the child walk over to a huge pile of snow where other kids were sledding and having snowball fights he did not notice before. He remembered when he and Matthew went sledding and had snowball fights every winter in Ireland during their respective childhoods.


    Just then, a cold breeze caught him off-guard, making him shiver a little bit. Deciding he needed something hot to drink, he searched for anything that might offer a hot drink. Luckily, he managed to find a caf¨¦. Smiling, he brushed a few stray snowflakes from his clothes and walked inside.


    To his dismay, the caf¨¦ was very busy, with a long line and people sitting at every table, drinking hot drinks, and eating various foods. Nonetheless, he was a very patient guy, and there were many things in his life that tested his patience much more than this. Thus, he shrugged off the long line, as he really needed to warm up somehow.


    Once he got to the front of the line, the owner smiled and got ready to take his order.


    "Good morning, sir. What can I get for you today?" he asked.


    "What kind of hot drinks do you have?" Stephen wondered.


    "We''ve got a lot of hot drinks. Hot chocolate, coffee, tea, hot cider, hot glogg, and more," the owner suggested.


    "I would like green tea please," Stephen decided.


    "Of course! Coming right up!" the owner exclaimed as he immediately went to work on the tea. It would not be long before the tea had been prepared.


    "There you go sir!" the owner said cheerfully as Stephen handed him a few coins before carefully accepting his steaming cup of tea.


    "Thank you," the brown-haired man said with a smile.


    "You''re welcome! Have a great day!" the owner replied enthusiastically.


    "You as well," Stephen replied as he sat down and set his cup of tea on a table that thankfully freed up while he was waiting.


    Sitting down and making himself comfortable, the brown-haired man observed the scene outside a window next to him. It was no longer cloudy outside. He could see sunshine creating shadows out of buildings and any townspeople that walked by. The snow gleamed as the sun rays hit it.


    Turning his attention to his tea, Stephen gently blew on it to cool it off and carefully took a sip. The brown-haired man winced a little bit as the hot liquid ran down his throat and settled in his stomach.


    Once he was finished with his tea, he relaxed for a bit before deciding to go back outside and continue exploring the town.


    As he rose from his seat, an employee went over to his table and began to clean it.


    "How was the tea sir?" he asked.


    "It was very nice tea," Stephen smiled.


    "Glad you liked it. Hope we see you again soon!" the employee exclaimed.


    "I am sure you will. Have a good one," Stephen said.


    "You as well!" the employee replied.


    After he had left the caf¨¦, Stephen resumed exploring the town. As he explored, he made sure to take care not to bump into anyone. He greeted anyone that said hello to him.


    Arendelle was such a beautiful town. It had to be one of the best towns the brown-haired man had ever visited. Every building, establishment, and house was tastefully decorated with Christmas decorations. The townspeople were all in a cheerful mood, which further brightened the atmosphere.


    As nice as the entire town was, Stephen was especially astonished once he reached the wealthy part of Arendelle. Mansions and establishments had Christmas decorations all over the place. While it was a bit over-the-top for him, he nonetheless admired the sight before him. He did live in a castle, but he never bragged about it. Stephen would be the same person, regardless of how wealthy he was or what kind of dwelling he lived in.


    Soon he had explored the entire town and was now on the outskirts, looking over a snowy meadow. The edge of the town was just behind him. He glanced to both sides and could make out the edges of some mansions in the background. Stephen smiled as he saw a snowy forest in the distance, the snow lucent from the sunlight hitting it.


    As he looked around, something deep inside the forest caught his attention. At first, he thought it was just another tree. However, upon looking closer, he realized it was not a tree at all. There was no snow on it, and it appeared to be a black jacket standing up with a hood that hid the face of whoever wore it. Curious, he wondered what or who it could be, and why they would be wandering aimlessly in the forest in this weather.


    Deciding to go check it out, Stephen walked through the deep snow and into the forest, trying to get a better look at the figure. Before he could get a clear look at the figure, however, it suddenly darted out of sight and into a gap inside the mountains. Now Stephen was beginning to get suspicious. He picked up the pace, despite the snow being up to his waist, and reached the gap the figure disappeared into. Stephen followed the footprints he spotted in the snow as he approached the gap. To his surprise, the footprints ended abruptly. The brown-haired man entered the gap and attempted to search for the figure, but no matter how hard he searched, the figure was nowhere to be seen. Once he was back outside the gap, he was beginning to think whoever that figure was, it did not have good intentions. Stephen had a gut feeling something might be coming soon. Something heinous.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    A snowball flew across the ballroom and slammed into the wall. Snow flew everywhere.


    "You won''t win this time!" Anna exclaimed, excited her sister suggested a snowball fight once they had finished their morning duties.


    "Oh, we will see about that, Anna!" Elsa retorted.


    The two sisters had agreed to have some sisterly fun after Elsa had finished her meeting and Anna was finished giving Stephen a tour around the castle.


    Now they were having fun with the Snow Queen''s powers, just the two of them.


    Elsa was clearly overwhelming Anna, which resulted in the Ice Queen taking the snowball fight up a notch. She summoned up numerous towers that were scattered about their battlefield, and soon they were moving around the snow buildings, trying to seek an opening for attack while keeping cover at the same time.


    Anna was leaning against one of the towers, waiting patiently for her big sister to come into her line of sight. She had a snowball in one of her hands, ready to throw it when she got the chance. As the princess peered out from her tower, she was pelted in the face with a snowball.


    "You have to be better than that, Anna!" Elsa called as Anna brushed the snow off her shoulders.


    "I''ll show you better, Elsa!" Anna smirked as she saw her sister standing at the top of one of the snow towers. Running up towards the tower Elsa stood on, she threw her snowball with all her might. It managed to strike the Ice Queen square in the face.


    "Ha! Told you I''d show you better!" Anna stated with a satisfied smirk.


    Elsa smiled and shook her head. Anna thought her sister was going to admit defeat, but then Elsa disappeared from the top of her tower. Thinking quickly, Anna hid behind the tower that was the furthest from the one the Snow Queen was on top of just moments before.


    Snowball in hand, Anna darted out to the tower closest to her. There was no sign of Elsa anywhere. The princess assumed she was hiding behind another tower on the other side of the room. Due to Elsa''s powers, Anna knew she had to strategize carefully if she wanted to win this battle.


    Climbing up the snow tower, she soon reached the top and could get a slightly better view of their snow battlefield. Looking to her left, she caught a glimpse of Elsa behind a smaller tower. Her big sister saw Anna, however, and started making a run for cover as Anna threw the snowball at Elsa. The princess missed as the queen sprinted behind a taller tower.


    "I''m telling you; I am going to win this time!" Anna exclaimed.


    "Are you sure about that?" Elsa called back.


    "Oh yes!" the princess responded.


    The Snow Queen smirked at her sister''s determination. Ever since their bond had been restored, she and Anna would always have snowball fights in the ballroom whenever the chance came their way. With her powers and analytical mind, she always won the snowball battles between the two.


    Moving carefully, Elsa took cover in a snow building that had an opening. From the angle that it opened to the next snow building, the Snow Queen could take cover quickly in case Anna came into sight. With one entrance perpendicular to the entrance of another building, the Ice Queen knew it could give her an advantage over her sister.


    Elsa decided to wait patiently for her little sister, while keeping an eye out in the other direction in case she came from behind her. While she waited, she made sure to glance behind her to anticipate any sneak attacks.


    Eventually, the Ice Queen spotted her sister behind a snowbank that was next to one of the snow buildings.


    Soon Anna charged out from her cover. Seizing her opportunity, Elsa conjured a snowball in her hand and flung it at Anna. It hit Anna in the face and sent her flying backwards into another snowbank.


    Satisfied with her victory, Elsa walked up to her sister, who was shaking snow off herself. It appeared Anna had gotten almost completely engulfed in the snowbank.


    "You said I would not win this battle?" the Snow Queen stated.


    "No fair! You always win!" Anna pouted.


    "I guess it has something to do with an older sister that has snow and ice powers?" Elsa said modestly.


    "Okay. I''ll give you that," the princess replied, admitting defeat.


    "Did you have fun?" Elsa asked.


    "I sure did! Maybe next time we can do this outside?" the princess suggested.


    "Yes, we should. Maybe sometime tomorrow?" the Snow Queen inquired.


    "I''d love that!" Anna exclaimed.


    The Snow Queen smiled. "Maybe we should get ready for Kristoff, Edmund, and Lucas returning from ice harvesting. With how long we were in here, they could be back any minute now."


    "Yeah, and Stephen might be back from seeing the town soon as well," Anna pointed out.


    Elsa nodded in agreement. "After we are ready, maybe you and I should have some hot chocolate? I could really use something hot to drink about now."


    "Yes please!" Anna exclaimed eagerly.


    Once Elsa had waved her hand, called back the snow and made it vanish from the ballroom, she and Anna left the room.

 Chapter 6

    I would like to thank roxygoth, BurningFox6, krystal lazuli, and LukeJames for beta reading and helping me improve!


    Feedback is always appreciated!


    Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen. Frozen is owned by Disney. I only lay claim to Prince Edmund, Prince Lucas, and Master Stephen.


    Chapter 6


    After finishing their lunches and packing their tools onto the ice-filled sled, Kristoff, Edmund, and Lucas made their way back to the kingdom. The three men arrived back in Arendelle during the early afternoon. Kristoff acknowledged that with how swiftly the work got done, it was still at least a few hours before dinner time. The ice harvester had no idea what he would do yet but figured he could come up with something once the ice was stored in the kingdom icehouse. Spend some time with Anna, perhaps?


    "This is where the ice will get stored, gentlemen," Kristoff pointed out as they approached the icehouse.


    "Speaking of ice, my father has mentioned something about ice trades. The ice gets shipped to England and many other countries around the world from Norway. I wonder how they ship the ice across the sea without it melting," Edmund curiously inquired.


    "In order to ship the ice, we are required to use ice boxes. They are made from wood and are insulated with either straw, sawdust, cork, and sometimes seaweed. After that, we line the boxes with non-corroding metals such as zinc and tin," Kristoff explained.


    "That is quite interesting. I never knew you guys had a way of transporting the ice over long distances while managing to keep it frozen solid long enough to get it to another icehouse. My father has shown me the London icehouse and how the ice gets shipped there and stored in the icehouse. It was certainly cold in there, and I can see why it needs to be cold," the English prince stated.


    "If there is something I am certain about icehouses, I have no doubt it must be cold in there because ice needs to stay cold in order to remain solid. Ostenda has an icehouse, and we use it to keep perishable foods fresh and for cooling during the warm summer months," Lucas added in.


    "You''re right about that, Luc. Arendelle''s icehouse is also used to keep food fresh and for cooling during the warmest time of year. Usually, the warmest time of year in Arendelle is the middle of July. The icehouse keeps the ice from melting for months, even into the following winter," the ice harvester said.


    "I am glad to hear you have a way to properly store ice. Mid-July seems to be the warmest time of year just about anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere," the Belgian prince stated.


    "It sure is, and I can see why. We are firmly in summer by then," Kristoff replied as they got out of the sled to transport the ice into the icehouse. "Alright gentlemen. Ready to get the ice out of the sled?"


    Both princes nodded as they began to help Kristoff store the ice. Edmund and Lucas made sure to follow the ice harvester''s lead and to make the stacking of the ice blocks as precise as possible. The goal was to make the ice take up as little room as the three men were able to do.


    Soon the sled had been emptied of the ice, and the icehouse had been sealed shut.


    "I thank you guys again for your help. This should be enough ice to last for a while," Kristoff said.


    "You are welcome, Kristoff. Lending a helping hand is something I always enjoy doing. Hopefully, we will get to do it again sometime. It was a great experience learning how to harvest ice," Edmund stated with a smile.


    "Not a problem. I enjoyed learning something new about ice and its importance. If you ever need me to help you again, I will be more than happy to assist you," Lucas said, grinning.


    The ice harvester was touched by their kindness. He was even more pleased they were willing to do it again. Kristoff was seriously starting to feel he had just made a couple of friends with the two princes.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Stephen had just made his way back into town. He could not get the figure off his mind, no matter what else the brown-haired man tried to think about. Stephen decided he should let Elsa and Anna know about it. There was some doubt in his mind on whether the royal family would believe him or not. Regardless, he knew it would be wise to let them know just to be cautious.


    As he made his way through town, he made sure to smile and wave to anyone that greeted him. Since he assumed Edmund, Lucas, and Kristoff would be back from ice harvesting soon, he decided to make his way to the icehouse. The ice harvester had told him where the ice storage building could be found before the three men departed.


    Sure enough, as the icehouse came into sight, the brown-haired man spotted three familiar young men in front of the structure.


    "Hey guys!" Stephen greeted as he walked up to the three men. The three men smiled and waved to the older gentleman.


    "Good afternoon, Master! Did you enjoy seeing the town?" Edmund asked.


    "I certainly did. Everyone is so friendly and welcoming. Arendelle is probably the most unique town I have ever visited," Stephen smiled. His grin would falter after a moment though.


    This did not go unnoticed by any of the three young men.


    "Are you alright, Mr. White? You seem uncertain about something," Kristoff noted with a concerned look.


    "It is perfectly fine that you just call me Stephen, or just Steph, Kristoff. Your assumption about me being uncertain is correct. Not because it has anything to do with the kingdom whatsoever, but because I noticed something outside the town," Stephen explained.


    "You mean outside in the forest?" the ice harvester asked.


    Stephen nodded in confirmation.


    "What was it, Master?" Edmund wondered.


    "I have no idea. Whatever it was, I have a bad feeling about this. The figure had a black jacket with a black hood. When I tried to approach the figure, it just ran off," Stephen explained.


    "If what you say is anything that seems unusual, maybe we should tell Elsa and Anna about it. They will know what to do whenever there is anything suspicious in their kingdom. I am sure of it," Lucas said.


    "As long as we let Elsa and Anna know about this, we should not have anything to worry about," Edmund assured his mentor.


    "Should we notify them, Kristoff?" Stephen asked the ice harvester, wanting to hear his opinion about the matter.


    "It does seem odd. We should probably let them know," the ice harvester suggested.


    "Then let''s get to informing them, shall we?" Stephen suggested.


    Everyone nodded in agreement as the four men made their way to the castle.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Anna and Elsa had finished their hot chocolate and were now in the courtyard, waiting for the arrival of Kristoff and the two princes.


    "When do you think they''ll return?" Anna asked.


    "They should be back any moment now," Elsa responded.


    Right on cue, the castle gates opened. Kristoff, Edmund, and Lucas entered, with Stephen alongside them.


    Anna squealed and ran straight into the ice harvester''s arms. Kristoff nearly fell over but was able to regain his balance before smiling and hugging her back. While the ice harvester was concerned about what the reactions of the three guests would be, he realized they did not mind upon getting a glance of them. Instead of being uncomfortable, they were smiling, accepting that the two were in love.


    After the couple let go, Elsa approached the group. "Good afternoon gentlemen. I assume the trip went well?"


    Kristoff grinned as he nodded and spoke up. "Yeah, the ice harvesting went a lot better than I thought it would. Thanks to Edmund and Lucas here, the kingdom has enough ice to last until at least next winter. It was like they had as much, if not more, ice harvesting experience as me."


    It thrilled the two sisters that the two princes were so helpful to the ice harvester. "You two were really helpful today, now weren''t you?" Anna asked.


    "We tried our best. Kristoff gave us instructions that were clear and easy to follow," Edmund said.


    "It was also a lot of fun learning how to do something I have never done before. There is nothing I enjoy doing more than learning new things," Lucas replied.


    "The fact you two were able to provide Kristoff with some help harvesting ice makes me happy," the princess grinned.


    "Of course! Lucas and I really enjoy helping others out whenever it is necessary. Sometimes, you just cannot do everything by yourself," Edmund explained, while Lucas nodded in agreement.


    The Snow Queen smiled. She was glad the two princes were fantastic guys who had only good intentions. Considering that both men helped Kristoff willingly, it proved Edmund and Lucas were courteous and polite.


    Elsa then turned her attention to Stephen, who was unusually quiet. "What about you, Stephen? How was your tour of the town?" Elsa asked.


    The older gentleman did not look up at first. After a moment, he faced the Ice Queen with a serious expression.


    Elsa was now concerned. "Steph, are you alright?"


    "After I was finished going through the town, I saw something suspicious outside of town, in the forest," Stephen replied.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    The Snow Queen raised an eyebrow. "What did you see?"


    "Exactly what it was is still a mystery to me. It was a figure that appeared to be something or someone in a black jacket with a black hood. At first, I thought it was just someone who was exploring the forest. That did not stop me from resisting the urge to inspect, however. Before I could even get a clear look at the figure, it ran into a gap that was in the mountains without warning. When I tried to search for the figure, it was nowhere to be found. Footprints that were in the snow instantaneously ended at the entrance to the gap. That tells me the figure is most likely a person. Whoever it was, however, I feel like they have sinister plans for you and your sister. I thought it would be wise to warn you as I would not want anything to happen to either of you," Stephen elaborated.


    "Anna and I appreciate your concern for us, Stephen. I shall inform the Captain of the Guards immediately," Elsa said. "Is it the first time you saw the figure?"


    Stephen nodded.


    "Where did you see this figure?" Elsa inquired.


    "In a passageway through the mountains, right outside of town," the brown-haired man said.


    "I will send someone out for a lookout in that area, to see if they find anything out of the ordinary," Elsa stated.


    The brown-haired man was relieved the Ice Queen believed him. Stephen did not like anyone who committed horrendous deeds. He had his fair share of witnessing such actions by many people in London. It really pained him there were people like that in England despite having such a magnificent ruler in King Matthew. Stephen knew, however, that not every single person on Earth was bound to be good.


    "Of course, Elsa. I would not want anything to happen to you or your sister. You have given me, Edmund, and Lucas some of the greatest hospitality we have ever received from another kingdom. We would like to return the favor by protecting you two from anything malicious," Stephen stated.


    "As I told Kristoff while at the lake, I only use my abilities for good and honest reasons," Edmund added in.


    "If anyone dares to make any attempt to attack the royal family of Arendelle, they will have to go through us first," Lucas said with a determined look.


    "I appreciate your protectiveness over us, gentlemen. The Captain of the Guards will be informed of what Stephen saw in the forest at once," Elsa said as the group made their way back into the castle.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    The Captain of the Guards, William, approached the Ice Queen. Once he felt he was close enough, he bowed respectfully. "Your Majesty, you summon me. Is there anything wrong?"


    Elsa nodded. "One of our guests, Stephen, suspected there is something outside of town that needs to be inspected. He told me there was a strange figure with a black jacket and hood. Would you please investigate the area to make sure there is nothing peculiar over there?"


    Captain William nodded. "Consider it done, Queen Elsa. We shall ensure no one threatens you or anyone else in Arendelle."


    "Thank you, Captain," the Ice Queen replied gratefully.


    "You are welcome, Your Majesty," the captain grinned with a bow as he went on with his orders.


    After the Captain set off to check out the area, the Snow Queen headed to the library. She had decided to read for a little while before dinnertime.


    Sometime later, Elsa was reading one of her favorite novels, focused on imagining what was going on in the story. She was brought back to reality when a voice said, "Hello, Elsa."


    The Ice Queen was a bit startled, as she was not expecting anyone else to be in the library with her. She looked up from her book and saw it was just Lucas. "Oh. Good afternoon, Lucas."


    "Please forgive me if I am meddling with your reading," Lucas stated.


    "You are fine, Luc. If you would like to sit down, there is a chair right here," Elsa said as she invited the Belgian prince to take a seat in a chair directly across from her.


    "Thank you, Elsa," the dirty-blonde haired man smiled as he sat down and made himself comfortable.


    "You are welcome," Elsa said with a grin. "You and Edmund seem to be very close friends. Is that true?"


    Lucas nodded. "Edmund and I have been best friends since the day we met. We met fourteen years ago during a festival in England. The festival was held during the summer after Edmund turned eight and I had turned seven. His father, King Matthew, held the festival to celebrate his thirtieth birthday. Every kingdom was invited to attend the festival, and my parents, King Arthur and Queen Victoria decided we should go. Upon arriving in London, that is when I met Edmund. At that time, he also had another friend named Richard, whom Edmund had met two years prior. Once we finished greeting each other, we realized our common interests and became determined to do as much as possible during the festival together. We did everything we could think of, including archery, swimming, weightlifting, running, trying out new places to eat, exploring London, climbing trees at the apple orchard in the castle gardens, and going into the forest outside the city. To say it was a great week would be an understatement. Once the festival ended, Edmund, Richard and I said goodbye to each other. All of us were deeply saddened as we felt there was not enough time for the three of us to do more fun activities. I never stopped thinking about either of them after that. It was only after Edmund and I arrived here in Arendelle that we saw each other again. Considering how long it has been, nothing would thrill me more than to spend as much time with him as possible because I have realized since he and I are adults now, both of us have major responsibilities as princes," he elaborated.


    "I am thrilled to hear you and Edmund get along well," Elsa smiled. Her smile faded when she realized Lucas had not mentioned anything about what transpired with Richard. "What happened to Richard after the festival?"


    Lucas sighed. "Unfortunately, I have not heard from him since. I would sincerely advise asking Edmund about that since Richard is also from England."


    "Sorry for asking that. I should not have," Elsa said with regret on her face.


    "No, it is alright. I am not angry with you, and I have no doubt Edmund will not get upset if you ask him about Richard when the time is right. He does not get annoyed very easily. In fact, it is almost impossible to upset Edmund," Lucas assured.


    "I am elated to hear he has excellent control over his emotions. You seem to have pretty good control, too," Elsa praised.


    Lucas shrugged. "Everyone has their moments where their emotions end up winning. No one is perfect, right?"


    Elsa giggled. "Yes." The Snow Queen decided she should know some things about Lucas. "What is Ostenda like?"


    "Ostenda is a beauteous and prosperous kingdom. During the summer months, I enjoy going out into the thick, dense forest to see what I can find," Lucas stated fondly.


    "Are there a lot of creatures in the forest?" Elsa wondered.


    Lucas nodded. "I have seen a large number of different creatures to watch and admire while I go out on adventures, such as deer and rabbits."


    "That sounds like fun. What else do you enjoy doing in your free time?" the Snow Queen asked.


    "I have lots of hobbies. Some of them are fencing, reading a good book, regardless of genre, archery, and chess," the Belgian prince elaborated.


    "Those all sound like interesting avocations. Do you have a genre you prefer above the others?" Elsa wondered.


    Lucas had to think about that. "Well, I have really been into fantasy since my earliest days. My parents would read some amazing fantasy novels to me every night before I went to bed when I was a kid. While I was listening to them, I would paint pictures in my mind of what was really happening in the story. To me, a good book is a good book, but if I had to choose just one genre, I would have to go with fantasy."


    "I like fantasy as well. During my childhood, reading was one of the activities I spent a lot of my time doing," the Ice Queen said.


    "I am glad to know we have something in common. Since I am here, I was wondering if you could show me any interesting fantasy novels the library might have. Only if you would like to though," Lucas quickly added.


    Elsa smiled. "Of course. There are quite a few interesting ones on this shelf over here."


    The Belgian prince smiled as the Snow Queen set her book down and led him over to a bookshelf with a multitude of fantasy novels.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Kristoff was in the stables, eating carrots with Sven. Anna and Edmund were sitting down nearby, talking to each other.


    "You and Lucas are best friends, aren''t you?" Anna asked.


    "Yes. We have been that way since we met at my father''s festival to celebrate his thirtieth birthday. Luc and I have a few things in common; we like to go on adventures, play chess, and read," Edmund replied.


    "I''m thrilled to hear you two are buddies," the princess smiled. "What else do you like to do for fun?"


    "My master and I love to play the piano. We both are always playfully arguing who is the better pianist between us. He insists I am the better piano player, while at the same time, I assert he is the superior pianist," Edmund replied sheepishly.


    "Oh! Elsa told me earlier that Stephen played a winter piano piece for her, and she indicated it was one of the best performances she had ever heard!" Anna exclaimed.


    Edmund raised his eyebrows in surprise. "That was very nice of him. It makes me jocund to have an inspiriting master like Stephen. Not only does he give me excellent advice, but he also enjoys doing great things for other people. As do I," the English prince said with a grin.


    "Alright, I think that is enough talking about me. How about you tell me something about yourself?" Edmund insisted.


    "Well, I really like to spend time with my sister and Kristoff," Anna said.


    "Kristoff is a great guy. I think he really feels affection for you, the way he was talking about you while we were out harvesting ice," the English prince said.


    Anna blushed as the ice harvester made his way over to where Anna and Edmund were sitting, having overheard the conversation. Kristoff was flustered knowing someone could see their affection for one another. "I really do care about Anna. We just don''t want to rush our relationship, as I''m not ready to take that next step yet. We''re not even engaged."


    Edmund nodded in understanding. "That is okay. Love is something that should never be rushed. It happens when it happens."


    "You seem rather smart, Edmund," Kristoff said.


    Edmund merely shrugged. "I would not say I am a love expert. While I do know it is all about finding the right person, love is not one of my strongest subjects. I believe everyone can be a genius at something. For example, you are the ice harvesting expert. Until today, I knew nothing about it, aside from hearing about the ice trades."


    "Let me tell you, the trolls sure are experts with love," the ice harvester responded with a smirk.


    "You mean the mountain trolls you spoke of this morning?" Edmund asked.


    "One and the same. They get very excited when it comes to love. Who knows what will happen when they find out someday Anna and I are officially in love with each other?" Kristoff said with a chuckle.


    "I am sure they will be eager to hear about that based on what you have said about them," Edmund replied.


    "You have no idea," Kristoff stated with a smirk.


    "Maybe someday we can go to wherever they reside? They sound like interesting creatures," Edmund said.


    "Yes, for sure. I should warn you though, they can really get to you at times," the ice harvester said.


    "That is okay. I have been through a lot of things in the past that have gotten to me. I am sure I will be able to handle the trolls," the English prince replied.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    After dinner in the Great Hall, everyone was having dessert. As men of their word, Edmund, Lucas, and Stephen tried the chocolate cake.


    "This is a very luscious chocolate cake. Nice and rich, and I like how moist the cake is. My compliments to the cooks," Edmund said with a smile.


    "I agree with Ed. The cake is very flavorful, and I cannot get enough of the mouthwatering texture. I really do not understand why I did not try the cake sooner," Lucas added, nodding with approval.


    "I am delighted to hear you like it gentlemen!" Anna exclaimed after having a big bite of cake herself.


    The two princes gave her a thumbs up and winked. Anna subsequently smiled at them.


    Stephen, however, had barely even touched his slice of cake. Instead of focusing on his dessert, he was staring out the window. As opposed to last night''s heavy snow, it was a clear night. In the night sky was the slight luminesce of a waning crescent moon.


    Edmund took notice of his master''s dubiety. "Are you thinking of that figure again, Master?"


    Stephen turned to his student and nodded. "Yes. No matter what else I try to think about, I just cannot get that thought out of my mind."


    "Master, everything will be fine. Elsa has already sent out a search party to explore the area of anything odd," the English prince assured.


    "What if the figure overwhelms the guards?" the brown-haired man asked.


    "Well, in the case that happens, we must do everything we can to ensure no harm comes to Elsa, Anna, Kristoff or anyone else in the castle. Should anything like that happen, I assure you we will be ready for it. However, I would not like it if you lost sleep over this, Master. The last thing you need is to worry to the point where your health gets affected," Edmund stated.


    "I appreciate you guys looking out for me and my sister. You have proven yourselves to be fine gentlemen," Elsa said. "Edmund is right, Stephen. Captain William knows what he is doing. He will make sure nothing happens."


    "I assume everything will be alright then?" Stephen asked.


    "Everything is going to be okay, Stephen. That I can assure you," Elsa told the brown-haired man.


    "Yeah, nothing bad is going to happen to any of us, Stephen. Besides, you still have that chocolate cake in front of you. Maybe having a delicious, sweet treat will get your mind off things," Lucas added.


    "Maybe you are right. After what you and Ed said about the cake, I think it is about time I give it a try myself," Stephen replied as he broke a piece off his slice of cake with his fork and put it into his mouth.


    After chewing and swallowing, he said, "You and Edmund were sure right about the cake. It is scrumptious," Stephen said with an approving nod.


    "I bet the cooks will be happy to hear that," Elsa said with a beam.


    Once everyone had finished their desserts, they made their way back to their rooms to get some rest.


    Despite being reassured everything would be alright, Stephen refused to enter a limpid state. He still felt it would be risky to just let the whole incident slide. The brown-haired man wanted to make sure he, Edmund, and Lucas were ready to protect the royal family when and if the figure decided to make his move.

 Chapter 7

    I would like to thank roxygoth, BurningFox6, krystal lazuli, and LukeJames for beta reading and helping me improve!


    Feedback is always appreciated!


    Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen. Frozen is owned by Disney. I only lay claim to Prince Edmund, Prince Lucas, and Master Stephen.


    Chapter 7


    The next morning, the three guests were making their way to the Great Hall for breakfast. Now that they knew what time breakfast would be served, the three men no longer needed to have any concerns about being late.


    "Good morning, gentlemen," Elsa greeted them as they entered the room. "Did all three of you sleep well?"


    Edmund nodded. "Master Stephen and I slept great. He and I did some yoga after we got out of bed. We do it every morning to keep the flexibility of our bodies keen for as long as possible."


    "Isn''t it a little cold to stretch?" Anna wondered as the three guests sat in their seats.


    "Cold can stiffen the muscles. Thus, we exercise to get our muscles warmed up before stretching," Edmund said.


    "Glad you have a way to prevent any muscle tears. I''m sure those are no fun," the princess stated.


    "I have never torn a muscle before. Based on what I have heard about them, I hope it never happens to me or anyone else," Edmund replied.


    "I agree with you, Edmund. Tearing any part of the body sounds like it would be agonizing," Elsa replied.


    "I have no doubt it would be painful," Edmund agreed.


    "What about you, Lucas? How did you sleep?" the Ice Queen asked the Belgian prince.


    "I slept well. Upon waking up I did some saber practice to maintain my skill with the weapon. Of course, I made sure to not hit anything with the saber. That definitely would not have ended so well," Lucas elaborated.


    "Yes. I would prefer not having anyone cause destruction in my kingdom," Elsa replied.


    "Of course. Since you have been so kind to me, I must return the favor by treating your kingdom as if it were my own," the Belgian prince said with a smile.


    "Thank you for your generosity, Lucas," the Snow Queen replied gratefully.


    "You are welcome!" Lucas responded, grinning.


    Soon the three guests and the royal family ordered what they would like to eat for breakfast. After the cooks served them, there was a pleasant silence that filled the room as everyone enjoyed their meals.


    The princess realized she must have underestimated how healthy the three guests like to eat. Not only did they order mixed berry smoothies with spinach, kale, and seeds, but they also requested omelettes with assorted vegetables. This made Anna have a desire to ask the three guests what they really enjoyed eating outside of meals.


    "Since you three gentlemen like to eat so healthy, what are your favorite kinds of snacks?" Anna asked.


    "My favorite fruits are apples, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries. I also enjoy consuming almonds, oats, broccoli, and carrots," Edmund said.


    "Those all sound delicious," Anna praised.


    "They are indeed great-tasting and loaded with important nutrients as well," the English prince stated.


    "What about you, Stephen and Lucas?" the princess wondered.


    "I like pretty much the same things as Edmund, along with oranges, chia seeds, and peanuts," Stephen replied.


    "As for me, I like avocados, bananas, bell peppers, carrots, tomatoes, and quinoa. Occasionally I will add in some dark chocolate," Lucas said.


    "Sounds like you guys really care about your health," Anna noted.


    All three men nodded. "You only have one life. Therefore, you must take great care of your body. Be careful with what you are putting inside your body, get active, and give yourself the proper rest whenever you need it," the English prince elaborated.


    "Ever since my childhood, my parents have always been telling me to eat my fruits and vegetables if I wanted to grow up to be big and strong," Lucas added.


    "Our parents told us that as well," the princess said fondly.


    "Well, they have a good reason to tell us, and that is to eat essential nutrients your body needs to function properly," Lucas said.


    Anna nodded in agreement as the royals continued with their breakfast.


    Elsa was the first to break the silence. "Edmund and Lucas?"


    The two princes turned their attention from their smoothies to the Snow Queen.


    "Since both of you went ice harvesting with Kristoff yesterday, I assume you will go see the town today?" Elsa asked.


    "I would love to. While I only saw a small portion of it yesterday, I already like what I have seen thus far," Edmund replied.


    "The town certainly looked appealing to my eyes. I am hoping to go deeper into the town and find out what the townspeople are like and what I can find within it," Lucas said.


    Stephen decided to add in the fact the townspeople were very nice and welcoming. "The townspeople are wonderful, and the town is quite fascinating if I say so myself."


    "That is good to hear Master. Since you enjoyed the town, that only increases my desire to see it for myself," Edmund said with a grin.


    "Mine too," Lucas added. "Speaking of the town, is there anything interesting you saw?"


    Stephen nodded. "There is a nice caf¨¦ in town square. I really liked their tea. The next time I go there I will have to give their food a try."


    "Then I will make sure to see the caf¨¦ for myself," Lucas replied.


    "What about you, Master? Is there anything you would like to do today?" the English prince asked his mentor.


    "In case the hooded figure attempts to invade the castle, I would like to stay behind. While I have no doubt Captain William is well-trained, it does not hurt to have reinforcements in case something goes wrong," Stephen explained.


    "Are you sure you would like to stay in the castle instead of joining Lucas and I?" Edmund asked.


    Stephen nodded. "I am sure, Edmund."


    "Please forgive me if I am offending you Stephen, but I think it would be smart for you to make sure Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff are not threatened by the hooded figure. Since it is a mystery to all of us, we have no idea how powerful or strong the figure might be. If Captain William ends up getting overwhelmed, then the castle would be defenseless against any threat the figure might pose. Since you and Edmund know every single fighting style there is, it would be a good idea for at least one of you guys to be here and fight the figure if necessary," Lucas explained.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    After everyone had finished their breakfast and left the Great Hall, the group was beginning to separate to stroll to their locations. They would not get far, however, as Captain William spontaneously ran up to the group, clutching his sword in his right hand.


    "Your Majesty!" Captain William exclaimed.


    "Captain William? What is wrong?" Elsa asked, clearly concerned at seeing the captain having drawn his weapon.


    "The castle is under attack! Guards are being overwhelmed!" the captain cried.


    "What?!" the Snow Queen exclaimed with wide eyes.


    Stephen looked at the captain straight in the eyes. "Was there by any chance that hooded figure I have been talking about?"


    "Yes! The guards cannot beat him! He is too skilled!" Captain William cried, alarmed.


    Stephen groaned with resentment. "I should have known that figure would be up to no good!"


    "There is more! He is accompanied by many men! The guards just cannot fight them off!" the captain continued.


    The English prince was coming up with a plan to stop the figure. Thinking quickly, he came up with an idea. "Captain, Kristoff, and Master Stephen, please get Elsa and Anna somewhere safe as soon as possible. Lucas and I will stay in the castle hallways and try to fight the villainous creature and his men off."


    "What if they have ranged weapons?" Elsa asked, worried for Edmund and Lucas.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "Lucas and I can take care of ourselves. The last thing we need is for anyone to get hurt or killed. We will get to Luc''s room as soon as possible to retrieve his saber," Edmund stated.


    "Okay. Just please be careful," the Ice Queen said with an anxious look.


    "We will be fine. I promise. Let''s go, Lucas!" the English prince said as he and Lucas ran off as fast as they could.


    "Let''s get to my room everyone. Fast!" Elsa said as the five ran off to the Ice Queen''s room. Once they were all inside and closed the door, Elsa locked the door. Everyone got in a fighting position, anticipating the possibility the intruders could successfully pick the lock.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    The two princes had nearly reached Lucas'' room when they saw the black hooded figure accompanied by ten other men dressed in black clothing. All ten men were equipped with crossbows and swords. The hooded figure, however, was equipped with what looked like a much more deadly and dangerous sword, and a dark-colored bow. Both weapons appeared to be a very dark shade of red.


    "There they are! Get them!" the figure exclaimed as he and the ten men went to attack Edmund and Lucas. The hooded creature swung his sword at the duo as they approached the door to Lucas'' room, but the princes both dodged it and opened the door. As soon as they were inside, Lucas slammed the door shut in the figure''s face, right before he could get in and swiftly locked it.


    Edmund quickly leaned up against the door, doing his best to impede the figure''s progress in attempting to open the door. "Lucas! Get your saber! Quickly!"


    The Belgian prince nodded and obeyed his best friend without question, running to the container in which his saber was stored and retrieving his prized weapon.


    As soon as Lucas was in a fighting position, the door burst open, sending Edmund flying further into the room. Recovering quickly, Edmund landed on his feet and entered a fighting position.


    "Good morning, Edmund. It is so nice to see you again," the figure greeted with a sinister smile underneath his hood.


    "Who are you? How do you know my name?" Edmund demanded.


    "You are in no position to make demands with me, Your Highness. Soon enough you will know who I am. Men, attack them!" the figure ordered with an evil chuckle as his men readied their crossbows.


    The figure''s men were just about to fire their crossbows, but Edmund and Lucas were ready. Edmund and Lucas quickly charged toward the figure and his men, knocking away their ranged weapons. Unfazed, the men drew their swords and lunged toward the two princes, attempting to surround them.


    One of the men swung his sword at the English prince, who masterfully veered out of the sword''s path and punched the man in the face, knocking him out cold instantly. Edmund then sensed another man ready to fire his crossbow at him. Thinking quickly, Edmund managed to get a hand on the crossbow before the man could fire it. The man then curled his other hand into a fist and attempted to pummel the English prince. Edmund parried the blow and then gave the man a swift kick to the hip. With the man doubled over in pain, Edmund took advantage and knocked him out with a powerful punch.


    Lucas was fighting two men simultaneously. He made sure to focus on the men that had their attention on him, as he knew Edmund could fend for himself. The Belgian prince viciously swung his saber at one of the men, who ducked under it to avoid getting hit. While Lucas was distracted, the other man threw his sword down toward the Belgian prince. Lucas saw the sword in the corner of his eye and barely managed to avoid it.


    Soon Edmund had knocked out all the men except the two fighting Lucas. The figure growled with frustration. "Looks like I underestimated you. However, you will not be able to defeat me."


    "I suppose we shall find out?" Edmund asked.


    "Yes. We will," the figure accosted as he drew his claret sword and stormed at the English prince. Edmund, however, was ready. When the figure''s sword came down towards him, the English prince rolled out of the way and tried to land a hit on the figure''s head. The figure managed to block Edmund''s fist, swinging his sword at the English prince''s feet. Edmund jumped out of the way.


    The English prince and the figure were very evenly matched. Neither managed to gain an advantage or a hit on the other. Said evenness would end, however, when Edmund saw the two men Lucas was fighting earlier pointing their swords at him while he was trapped in a corner. His saber was unfortunately out of his reach, so he was defenseless.


    Determined not to let anything happen to his best friend, the English prince managed to get the figure off balance momentarily. That was all Edmund needed to turn the fight in his favor, however. Edmund managed to land a hard thump on the figure''s hood which knocked him down.


    The English prince was facing the ultima of either knocking out the figure or saving his best friend. Staying true to his selflessness, he decided to choose the latter. The two men did not anticipate the English prince coming up behind them. Before they could do anything to Edmund, he grabbed the two men from behind and caused them to headbutt each other. Both men fell to the floor, unconscious.


    "You okay, Lucas?" Edmund asked with concern as he offered his hand.


    "Yeah, I am alright. Thank you," Lucas said gratefully as he accepted Edmund''s hand and was lifted back onto his feet.


    The two princes turned their attention to the figure getting back onto his feet with venomous looks on their faces.


    All the figure did was smirk and tell the princes, "You have not seen the last of me. This is not over."


    Before Edmund or Lucas could do anything, the figure ran toward the window and teleported outside. The princes rushed to the window to see if they could spot the figure. No matter where they looked, however, he was nowhere to be seen. They stared out the window a moment longer.


    Then their eyes widened as they realized something.


    "Edmund, we have to go see if Elsa and everyone else is alright," Lucas stated.


    "Yes, we do. Before anything bad happens to them. Grab your saber and let''s go," Edmund instructed as Lucas grabbed his saber and ran right behind Edmund to Elsa''s room.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    In Elsa''s room, Captain William, Stephen, and Kristoff all stood protectively in front of Anna and Elsa as all five of them watched the locked door in front of them. Although locked, they were thinking of the possibility the intruders would get through anyway.


    Both sisters were concerned for the two princes. They were hoping Edmund and Lucas were doing alright and nothing horrendous had happened to them.


    "You two okay?" Kristoff asked the two sisters.


    "Yeah, we''re doing fine," Anna responded.


    "Stay sharp everyone. They could burst through the door at any moment now," Stephen stated.


    Everyone obliged with Stephen''s statement as at that moment, the lock, which was being picked with for a little bit, gave way and ten men burst through the doorway.


    "Nobody move! Drop your weapons and put your hands where I can see them!" one of the men ordered as all ten of them aimed their crossbows at the group.


    Left with no other choice, Captain William dropped his sword, unwilling to risk anyone''s safety. He then lifted his hands, along with everyone else.


    "Kristoff, what should we do now?" Anna asked worriedly.


    "We simply do as they say," the ice harvester replied.


    "Oh, and no business with ice, Your Majesty," the same man warned threateningly, turning his crossbow towards Elsa.


    The Snow Queen was terrified of what was happening before her. It was ten against five. There was no way they would be able to attack them without getting shot by at least one of the men. Elsa did her best to keep calm. Not one little snowflake could fall, or else it probably would not end so well.


    They were in trouble now.


    Suddenly, one of the men in the back made a funny face and fell to the ground. The five stared at the man in bewilderment.


    "Alright who''s there?" one of the men turned around to see if there was anyone there.


    There was seemingly no one behind them.


    "Who''s there?!" the man shouted. "This isn''t funny! Show yourself!"


    The Snow Queen took advantage of the disturbance and summoned her powers with full force. Pillars of ice quickly rose from the ground and caught the ten men off-guard. All of them were hit in the head and knocked over. The group subsequently charged at the men to attack them.


    "Take this!" Elsa exclaimed as she summoned pillars around one man and delivered a mighty uppercut to him, rendering him unconscious.


    Stephen was surrounded by three men who had their swords ready to attack him. "Bring it on," Stephen said.


    One of the men lunged at the brown-haired man, but Stephen, despite having no weapons, used his hand and hit a section of the sword that was not sharp. Not only did he swipe the sword out of the man''s grasp, but Stephen also twirled the sword in such a way it was suddenly in his possession, much to the astonishment of the two other men. They wondered how Stephen did such a thing without cutting himself in the process.


    "Clever move there, sir. Let''s see if you have any more tricks up your sleeve," one of the men responded as he and the other man charged at Stephen.


    "Have it your way," Stephen replied as he and the two men engaged in a swordfight.


    As the two men approached the brown-haired man, Stephen lunged at the first man, knocking his sword aside and whacking him in the face with a swift, powerful strike. The man staggered, clutching his head, but he would not fall over. He tried to answer with a wallop of his own, which Stephen rebuffed with little effort. Stephen then punched the first man again, and this time he fell to the floor, unconscious. Turning his attention to the second man, Stephen ran up to him, and before the man could attack him, Stephen leapt into the air and landed a painful kick to the man''s face. The man was subsequently knocked out cold.


    "You stay away from Anna!" Kristoff roared as he grabbed the shirt of one of the men and punched him in the gut, knocking the wind out of him.


    At that moment, Edmund and Lucas entered to join the fight. The English prince now had a sword of his own, as well as a bow and quiver of arrows. Lucas was clutching his saber in his right hand.


    "You guys need some help?" Edmund asked as he knocked a man aside.


    "I am glad you two are okay. Let''s end this!" Elsa said with a determined smile.


    Captain William managed to take out two more men, leaving only one man left.


    "There is nowhere to run. Now, tell me who sent you!" the Snow Queen glared at the man cornered by the window.


    What was odd, however, was the man had a smirk on his face. "What is with that smirk on your face?" Lucas demanded.


    "That''s enough!" one of the men shouted from behind the group.


    The group turned around and the sight before them had their eyes wide with horror. One of the men had hidden while the fight ensued and was now holding Anna at sword point. The man by the window took advantage of the inattentive group and rushed up to the other man.


    "We tire of this nonsense," the man holding Anna said.


    "What nonsense?! You just threatened Arendelle and their royal family!" Captain William hissed, venom in his eyes.


    "Let her go right now or else I''m going to beat you up!" Kristoff vociferated as he began to make his way toward the men holding Anna hostage.


    With the princess'' life on the line, Edmund and Lucas held the ice harvester back, knowing it would be a bad idea to approach the three as they could just slit Anna''s throat.


    "Oh, we know exactly what we did. Do you really think this is the last you will see of us? Well, you are dead wrong if all of you are thinking that right now. This is only the beginning," one of the men elaborated.


    "Beginning of what?" Anna asked despite the sword at her throat.


    All the man said was, "All in good time," with a devilish smile on his face.


    The two men were suddenly knocked out as Elsa summoned two icy fists that collided with their heads from their sides. Anna let out a sigh of relief as the sword the man was holding fell harmlessly to the ground.


    Kristoff rushed forward to his girlfriend. "Are you alright Anna? He didn''t hurt you, did he?" the ice harvester asked, inspecting her neck. Fortunately, the sword did not inflict even a small cut on Anna''s throat, much to Kristoff''s relief.


    Anna gave him a relieved smile. "No. I''m okay."


    The couple hugged each other as the others smiled.


    Captain William cleared his throat. "Not to ruin this moment, but what should we do with these men?"


    "Take all of them to the dungeon. They will have questions to answer about what is coming," Elsa said.


    The captain nodded and went on with his orders.


    "Captain? Could you also take care of the men in my room as well please? I do not feel very comfortable having them in there with me," Lucas asked.


    "As you wish, Prince Lucas," Captain William replied.


    Edmund looked at Elsa and walked up to her. "Are you okay, Elsa?"


    The Snow Queen nodded. "I am fine. Are you alright?"


    "Yes. I am not hurt," Edmund replied.


    "Did you and Lucas manage to get a better look at the figure?" Elsa wondered.


    "We did. Based on what I saw of him, I am pretty sure he is a person with magical powers. He had black shoes on, and I saw he had human hands. While Lucas and I fought him, he teleported out of the room and was nowhere to be seen after that," Edmund elaborated.


    "Magical powers?" the Ice Queen asked, clearly shocked at what the English prince was telling her.


    "As much as I dread to say it, I am afraid you are not the only one with magical powers," Edmund said solemnly.


    "When do you think the figure will return? Do you know his name?" Elsa inquired.


    "While he is a person, I unfortunately do not know his identity yet. The next time that scoundrel decides to show up, we will be prepared and find out who he really is," Edmund responded.

 Chapter 8

    I would like to thank roxygoth, BurningFox6, krystal lazuli, and LukeJames for beta reading and helping me improve!


    Feedback is always appreciated!


    Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen. Frozen is owned by Disney. I only lay claim to Prince Edmund, Prince Lucas, and Master Stephen.


    Chapter 8


    "Well, that was certainly a pleasant way to start the day now, wasn''t it?" Lucas remarked sarcastically.


    "You can say that again, Luc. None of us saw it coming," Edmund replied as he placed his sword in a sheath hanging around his waist.


    "Are you okay Ed?" the Belgian prince asked as he sheathed his saber.


    "Yeah. Are you alright buddy?" the English prince asked.


    "Yes. I am just glad no one was injured given the circumstances," Lucas stated.


    "I will definitely share that sentiment," Edmund replied with a nod of agreement.


    "Whenever those men return, I will make sure to grab my longbow next time. Who knows if there will be a situation that calls for ranged weapons?" Lucas suggested.


    "Then I will make sure I have my bow with me as well. While I did not see a reason to use it this time, I have a feeling it will be very important to have the bow with me next time. Honestly, I am glad I had it this time just in case," Edmund replied with a nod of agreement.


    Lucas nodded. It was always a good idea to have something that could prove useful in case an incident did not go as planned and an alternate plan would be necessary.


    The Belgian prince then turned to the royal family. "Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff. Are you three alright?"


    "Yes, we are just fine," Elsa replied.


    "That is good to hear," Lucas responded. "How is your neck, Anna? Did that guy cut you?"


    "No, he didn''t. I appreciate your concern Lucas," Anna said gratefully.


    "Of course. No one deserves to get hurt like that," the Belgian prince stated.


    Kristoff couldn''t help but grin at the apprehension of the dirty-blonde haired prince. The ice harvester realized that even though he was Anna''s boyfriend, Lucas was acting like a close friend he and Anna had known for years.


    While Lucas was talking with the royal family, Edmund had walked up to Stephen. "Are you alright, Master?"


    Stephen nodded. "I am fine. Like what Lucas said, it is a relief nobody got hurt."


    "Same. After that whole incident, what will you do, Master?" Edmund wondered.


    "In case they return, which I am sure they will, I will patrol the castle to make sure everyone is safe. Those guys could raid the palace again at any moment," Stephen replied.


    "Since I saw how you took out those two men, I know the castle will be in good hands with you guarding it," Edmund said approvingly.


    "I will do my best," Stephen replied as he walked up to Elsa to ask if guarding the castle would be alright with her.


    "Elsa, since the figure and his men could return at any time, I was wondering if I could patrol around the castle and make sure nothing happens? That is, if you are okay with that," the brown-haired man said.


    "That is something I would be perfectly fine with. I greatly appreciate your willingness to defend us from the figure," the Snow Queen said gratefully. She was thrilled to hear about Stephen offering to protect them.


    "It would make me feel better keeping everyone in your palace safe from harm," Stephen admitted.


    "Alright. You can guard the castle then. I was impressed how you managed to fight off those men surrounding you. The thing that surprised me the most is the way you took that man''s sword away from him. How did you do that?" Elsa asked, impressed with Stephen''s abilities.


    The brown-haired man merely shrugged. "Hard work, dedication, and constant practicing. Like Edmund, I have been learning how to fight and get stronger for my entire life."


    Elsa was now getting curious on if Stephen was either self-taught or if he had an instructor of his own. "Who was your instructor, Stephen?"


    "His name was Noah. I would say he was much stricter than I was. He was a no-nonsense, fastidious mentor who did not tolerate failure very well. Every time I screwed something up, he admonished me and made me do it repeatedly until I succeeded. I was thankful he never punished me harshly, but with how many times I had to do certain exercises over, I risked getting seriously injured. There were times where I had a close call with breaking bones or tearing ligaments. I consider myself very lucky to have never suffered a serious injury, to be honest," Stephen elaborated.


    "Noah sounds like a strict taskmaster if you ask me," the princess added as she and Kristoff got interested in Stephen''s story about halfway through.


    "He may have seemed like that. Upon completing my training, however, he apologized for pushing me too hard and putting my body on the line too many times. Noah also said he was proud of me for all the hard work I put in every day. It was then it made me realize that even though he might have been grumpy and loathsome on the outside, he had a heart of gold on the inside," Stephen replied.


    "Sounds like Noah wished he had trained you differently if given another chance," Kristoff responded.


    Stephen nodded in agreement at the ice harvester''s comment. "I am just glad I was able to reconcile with him, as he died suddenly about six months after I completed my training. From a heart attack. Not even the doctor or Noah himself saw it coming."


    The royal family gasped at the last section the brown-haired man told them. It was certainly a shame Noah passed away shortly after making amends with Stephen. Still, at least Noah was able to make it up to him before his death.


    "At that time, I was a much younger man. When Master Noah died, I was only twenty years old, and King Matthew was about a month shy of turning fifteen. Noah''s last words to me were to be a better mentor than he ever was. Since I was able to reconcile with him, I was determined to keep his promise," Stephen explained.


    "You seem to have done a great job on keeping Noah''s promise to train Edmund right," Elsa praised.


    "I have tried my best. It is nothing to brag about," Stephen replied.


    The Ice Queen was beginning to perceive that Stephen was like Edmund in some ways; they were both humble and rather modest about themselves, despite their impressive abilities. She was glad none of the guests were rude or conceited.


    Edmund then approached the group. "Well, you sure do a bang-up job of trying your best, Master."


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Soon the group made their way out of Elsa''s bedroom.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    The English prince, however, decided to stay behind. He was admiring the Ice Queen''s room. What caught his attention were the decorations hanging around the bedroom. Edmund could not help but wonder if Elsa used her magic to create the decorations.


    "Your room is very nice, Elsa," Edmund praised.


    "Thank you. It is not the fanciest room in the world though," Elsa said.


    "That is okay. What I like are these decorations hanging around and how clean your room is. Everything is in its place, and you seem to have very good organization skills," the English prince praised.


    The Snow Queen smiled at the praise the handsome English prince was giving her. "I definitely like a clean and well-organized room to sleep and relax in."


    "Agreed. I do my best to keep my room well-kept," Edmund said. "Speaking of those decorations, did you use your powers to create them?"


    The Ice Queen nodded.


    "I am beginning to think you could do a lot with your powers," Edmund stated.


    Elsa smirked. "You have no idea."


    The English prince smiled at the look Elsa was giving him. Not only was she a beautiful and kind-hearted woman, but she was also very independent and wise.


    "Well, I have a meeting I must get to soon. Would you like to walk there with me?" Elsa offered.


    "Yes please," Edmund responded with a charming grin.


    The Snow Queen was really enjoying the English prince''s company. He was such a gentleman. Edmund was one of the most humble, polite, and friendly men she had ever met.


    As Elsa and Edmund left the Ice Queen''s room and made their way to the conference room, something caught Edmund''s attention. The black-haired man thought he heard something on the other side of a door in the hallway. Was it a closet? If it were a closet, what or who could be in there?


    "Elsa, please stay behind me," Edmund ordered as he carefully made his way to the door in a fighting stance. In case there was something wrong, Elsa obeyed the English prince without question, trusting what he was doing.


    Edmund carefully got closer to the door, ready for any potential attack. Once he reached the door, he carefully grabbed the door handle, and swiftly opened the door. While his suspicions were confirmed that the door led to a closet, inside were Gerda and Kai. There was no sign of any of the figure''s men anywhere in there.


    The English prince sighed with relief it was not any more of the figure''s men. "Oh. It is just you, Gerda and Kai. Are you two alright?"


    "We are okay, Prince Edmund. Thank you for asking. After hearing Captain William say there were intruders in the castle, my wife and I decided it was best we find a place to hide," Kai explained.


    "Smart decision. That way those guys could not hurt either of you," Edmund praised.


    Kai nodded approvingly. "Queen Elsa, are you alright?"


    "Yes, Kai. I am fine. Thank you," Elsa replied.


    "Of course, Your Majesty. If I may ask, what are you doing right now?" Kai wondered.


    "I am heading to a meeting with the council. They would probably like to know what happened just a few moments ago," the Snow Queen explained. "You may get back to what you were doing."


    "As you wish, Queen Elsa," Kai stated with a bow as he and Gerda went forth with their tasks. Elsa and Edmund then continued to walk toward the meeting room.


    Once the two royals reached the conference room, Edmund asked, "Hey Elsa? May I please ask you something?"


    The Ice Queen raised a curious eyebrow. "Yes. What would you like to ask me, Edmund?"


    Now the English prince was getting nervous. He was feeling very anxious on the inside. Taking a deep breath to calm himself down, Edmund finally found the courage to ask, "Maybe tomorrow or some other time, you would like to go around the town? With me?"


    Thunderstruck, Elsa stared at him with wide eyes. She had never had a man ask her out before. Was Edmund asking her on a date already? The Snow Queen had only known the English prince for a few days.


    As she stared, the English prince quickly added, "That is, if you are okay with that. I have no intent on making you uncomfortable. We will go just as friends. Whether you would like to do that is entirely up to you."


    Elsa thought about it. She was relieved somewhat they would only be exploring the town as friends. The Ice Queen felt she was just not ready to date anyone yet.


    "I will figure something out," she finally responded.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    After Stephen had excused himself to patrol the castle in case the figure and his men came back, Anna, Kristoff, and Lucas were walking through the castle hallways, talking.


    "Did you see the move Stephen made against that guy?" Kristoff asked.


    "Yes, I did. Quite an impressive feat that he pulled off. I highly doubt I could do that without sustaining a wound in the process. Maybe I could ask him to teach me everything that he has taught Edmund. The figure and his men are well-trained. Next time they decide to attack, I should probably have Master Stephen teach me some of his and Edmund''s abilities. That way I am better prepared to face them," Lucas explained.


    "Edmund and Stephen sure are determined fighters. I couldn''t do anything like that," Kristoff stated.


    "Me neither," Anna added in. "Were you and Ed still planning on seeing the town today, Lucas?"


    Lucas nodded. "Yes. Even after what happened, I think Edmund and I will still explore and see what we can find. We will simultaneously make sure to keep our eyes open in case we see anything suspicious."


    "Sounds like a plan!" Anna beamed.


    The Belgian prince couldn''t help but grin in return. "Speaking of Edmund, where is he?"


    "I think he''s still with Elsa. Last time I saw him was when we left my sister''s room, and he stayed behind," the princess responded.


    Lucas was now wondering if his best friend was beginning to develop feelings for the Snow Queen. The fact that the English prince chose to stay with Elsa instead of leaving with them might hint he was slowly becoming smitten with her. As tempted as Lucas was to tell Anna and Kristoff about it, he decided against doing so. It was too early to be talking about that, considering the three guests had only known the royal family for a few days.


    "Oh okay. I figured that I would meet him somewhere after we are done talking and then we will head to the town," the Belgian prince suggested.


    "Alrighty! What about afterwards? Do you guys have something in mind after you return?" Anna asked.


    "Anna, let''s not ask Lucas too many questions, alright?" Kristoff scolded lightly.


    "No, it is okay, Kristoff. Anna may ask me as many questions as she wishes. After Edmund and I explore the town, I guess we will discuss what there is to do afterwards. I have not planned that far ahead yet," Lucas explained.


    "Okay then. No rush," Anna winked.


    Lucas chuckled and gave the princess a wink in return. "I think I am going to leave you two alone now so I can look for Edmund. See you two later!" he exclaimed as he waved to them before making his way to find Edmund.


    "See you later Lucas!" Anna waved back.


    "Later Luc," Kristoff smiled.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Upon bidding the princess and the ice harvester farewell, Lucas made his way around the hallways, searching for Edmund. Soon he found his best friend in front of the conference room.


    "Ah, there you are Edmund. Are you ready to go out and see the town?" Lucas asked.


    The English prince nodded. "Yeah. Before we go out there, we should get our jackets."


    "I agree. Let''s do it," Lucas responded before the two princes made their way to their rooms to put on their jackets. After they had their jackets on and met up again in front of the conference room, they were ready to go traverse the town.


    "Hey Edmund?" Lucas asked.


    "Yeah Lucas?" the English prince replied.


    "I noticed you stayed with Elsa in her bedroom after the rest of us left," Lucas pointed out.


    "Yes, I did. Since I most likely will not be going back into her room for the sake of being polite, I decided to admire what was in her room. She insisted it was only okay, but I did like the decorations hanging about in there," Edmund admitted.


    "Were they made from her powers?" Lucas wondered.


    "They were. I bet she could do a lot of things with her magic," Edmund said.


    "That I have no doubt about," Lucas stated in agreement.


    "If I may ask, is there a particular reason why you asked about me staying behind with Elsa?" Edmund asked out of curiosity.


    The Belgian prince was unsure about telling the English prince about him thinking his best friend had a crush on Elsa. He decided it would be best to do so, however, as Lucas preferred to tell the truth instead of fabricating a story.


    "Since you spent some time with her, I could not help but wonder if you are starting to develop an infatuation for Elsa," Lucas explained.


    Edmund was stunned at what he just heard. He hesitated for a moment before he spoke. "Well, I am not sure I would assume that just yet. Elsa and I have only known each other for a couple of days. I will admit that while I admire her beauty and her kind-hearted personality, it is too early to even think about asking her out on a date."


    "Honestly, I am with you on that. While I agree wholeheartedly that it is still premature to ask her out, I think you should do so once you have known her for long enough. I would like to confess that I think you and Elsa would look cute together," Lucas stated.


    The English prince beamed. He was appreciative of the compliment and his best friend''s heartening words. "I really appreciate the encouragement, Lucas. Really, I do. It is just that I would not like to rush it with Elsa. She seems to be the kind of person that would rather take things step by step. I will play it smart and take it slowly. The last thing I would like to do is ask her out too early and make her feel apprehensive," Edmund explained.


    "I would do the same thing when asking someone out. Making someone look uncomfortable is definitely not a good thing to do. Not only would it drive her away, but it could also ruin your reputation," Lucas said.


    "As much as I agree with you on making good decisions, I have never really cared much for my reputation. All that matters to me is being the best person I can be and only get better with each passing day," Edmund elaborated.


    "Likewise. It is a shame that not everyone turns out to be an amazing person such as yourself," Lucas said.


    "Well, I try. I am not as good a man as you are," the English prince stated.


    "That is not true. I do not think there has ever been as good a man as you in the history of the Earth," Lucas countered.


    Edmund grinned as he shook his head at the playful argument between him and his friend. "Alright fine. We are both great guys then. How about we settle for that instead of arguing over it?"


    "Deal," Lucas chuckled as he and the English prince shook their hands to seal the deal.


    As they walked, they soon reached the exit of the castle. Bracing themselves for the cold, they opened the door and ventured out into the freezing temperatures.

 Chapter 9

    I would like to thank roxygoth, BurningFox6, krystal lazuli, and LukeJames for beta reading and helping me improve!


    Feedback is always appreciated!


    Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen. Frozen is owned by Disney. I only lay claim to Prince Edmund, Prince Lucas, and Master Stephen.


    Chapter 9


    Edmund and Lucas entered the town, admiring the snowy environment and the Christmas decorations on the structures before them.


    "Wow. This is an incredibly nice wintry scene before us. Am I right?" Lucas asked.


    "Indeed. Seeing the town up close is just as nice as the snowy forest we rode through when we harvested the ice," Edmund said.


    "Yeah. The town is tastefully decorated everywhere you go. Arendelle must really enjoy celebrating Christmas. I cannot help but wonder what kind of traditions the kingdom has during the holidays," the Belgian prince elaborated.


    "I am sure they enjoy it a lot. Maybe we could ask Anna and Elsa what they usually do when Christmas rolls around," Edmund stated.


    "We should, and in the process let them know what we normally do for the holidays," Lucas replied.


    "Agreed," the English prince said.


    After the two princes walked around for a little while and greeted any of the townspeople that acknowledged them, they found themselves reaching a caf¨¦. The caf¨¦ looked very busy on the inside based on what the two men saw through one of the building windows.


    "This must be the caf¨¦ Master Stephen was talking about earlier," Lucas said.


    "It must be. Let''s go check it out, shall we?" Edmund suggested.


    Lucas nodded. "I could use something hot to drink about now, and I am sure you could too."


    "Yes, I could. I would also like something to eat since it is lunchtime now," Edmund replied with a smile.


    As soon as Edmund and Lucas stepped inside, they saw the caf¨¦ was crowded. There was a line of considerable length, and every table had people sitting at them. However, the two princes really liked how good the place smelled. They liked the aroma of cinnamon among other assorted seasonings and spices, and whatever food was being served from the kitchen. Edmund and Lucas also enjoyed the atmosphere and cleanliness of the place.


    The two princes chatted as they waited in line for their orders. To their surprise, the line moved along at a rather swift pace. It would not be long before it was their turn.


    "Good morning gentlemen. What can I get for you two today?" the owner greeted with a grin.


    "I would like a turkey sandwich and a green tea please," Edmund said.


    "Of course!" the owner exclaimed and turned his attention to Lucas. "What about for you sir?"


    "Same thing please," Lucas replied.


    "Of course! We''ll have those ready shortly!" the owner said with a smile as he began preparing the food and drinks for the two men.


    As Edmund and Lucas waited for their sandwiches and tea, they found an open table to sit at. Once they had made themselves comfortable, they began to talk about the caf¨¦.


    "That was a very good first impression, don''t you think?" Edmund asked.


    "It sure was. Not only is the owner very nice and attentive, but the place is also clean and smells amazing," Lucas replied.


    "That and the atmosphere is cozy as well. It is nice and warm in here, as opposed to how cold it is outside," Edmund added.


    "Yes sir," Lucas agreed.


    After a little bit, the sandwiches and tea were ready for the two princes. "There you go gentlemen! Enjoy!" the owner said as Edmund and Lucas paid for their food and drink before making their way back to the open table.


    "Thank you, sir," Edmund said.


    "I appreciate it," Lucas added.


    "You''re welcome! Have a nice day, gentlemen!" the owner stated enthusiastically.


    "Thanks, you too," the English prince replied.


    "I hope you have a great day as well," Lucas stated.


    The two princes then started to enjoy their meals.


    As Edmund and Lucas enjoyed their food and drink, they looked outside the window they were seated next to. It was a cloudy day. The clouds were a dark gray, hinting it might snow soon.


    Soon they were finished consuming their sandwiches and tea.


    "How did everything taste, gentlemen?" an employee asked as he went to clean their table for the next customer now that the two men were finished eating.


    "Really good," Edmund said.


    "I enjoyed it a lot," Lucas replied.


    "I am thrilled you two enjoyed the tea and sandwiches. Have a nice day!" the employee exclaimed cheerfully.


    "You as well. Thanks," Edmund responded with a smile.


    "I hope you have a great day too. We will see you next time," Lucas stated, beaming.


    The two princes left the caf¨¦ to go explore the rest of the town.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Stephen had just patrolled through the entire castle, not seeing anything out of the ordinary. He was pleased the figure had not even bothered to return. After what he had heard about the figure, however, he was determined to remain as alert as possible. If what Edmund and Lucas said about the figure was true, him being able to teleport at will, then Stephen knew of the strong possibility the figure would come back. Stephen was certain the figure would return to the palace with a different strategy in mind, and possibly more men as well in an attempt to overwhelm everyone in the castle.


    The brown-haired man was about to patrol the castle again when Captain William walked up to him.


    "I greatly appreciate you taking the time to help guard the castle, Sir Stephen. Have you seen anything unusual?" Captain William asked.


    The brown-haired man shook his head. "Nothing so far Captain. I was just going to keep patrolling the castle the entire day to make sure everything stays that way."


    The captain was thankful to have someone who was protective over the royal couple. He never thought any guests that came to Arendelle would even think such a thing. As much as he appreciated it though, Captain William was beginning to think he should take his turn helping the guards. That way Stephen could get a chance to relax, and maybe get something to eat so he did not starve.


    "While I am immensely appreciative of you doing whatever it takes to keep everyone in the castle safe, I think I should patrol the castle now. The last thing I would like is for you to go the entire day without eating anything just to go around the palace. After what you did, you deserve to relax and do something more leisurely," Captain William suggested.


    "Are you sure about this Captain?" Stephen asked with concern in his voice.


    The captain nodded. "Absolutely. In fact, I was thinking that maybe we should take turns patrolling the palace. I will take the first watch every morning for a few hours, then you can take the next watch for a few hours, and so on. That way you and I both can get some time to ourselves and do whatever we like when we are not guarding the castle. Since I am the Captain of the Guards, it is my job to ensure Queen Elsa, Princess Anna, Sir Kristoff and everyone else in the castle is safe from harm."


    "That is a great idea. Thank you, Captain," Stephen stated gratefully.


    "Of course, Sir Stephen. Now go ahead and get something to eat. I will come and get you to patrol the castle again in three hours," Captain William said with a grin.


    Stephen beamed in thanks as the captain went to work guarding the palace. Satisfied that the captain came up with a great plan on who would keep watch, the brown-haired man walked to the kitchen to get something to eat.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    "Wow! Check this out!" Lucas exclaimed as he and Edmund soon entered the part of the town where the rich people resided.


    "Yeah! There are Christmas decorations everywhere you go, especially over here!" Edmund replied excitedly.


    "Not only that, but everyone here is also very approaching and courteous. Arendelle is probably the best town I have ever been to outside of Ostenda," Lucas remarked.


    "I agree with you on that. This only makes me happier about staying here for Christmas," Edmund said.


    "Me too," Lucas replied with a beam.


    As the two princes continued to explore the wealthy area of the town, a certain building caught their attention. It was a building with a circular sign that had two swords crossing each other.


    "That looks like a weaponsmith. Should we go check it out?" Edmund asked.


    "Sure! I would like to see what kind of weapons they have," Lucas responded as the two men made their way to the weaponsmith.


    When they entered, Edmund and Lucas saw that it was a large building with numerous weapons lining the walls of the entire shop. Swords, axes, spears, daggers, maces, hammers, mauls, sabers, bows, crossbows, and longbows of every kind were hanging neatly from the walls of the shop. Along with the weapons were many suits of armor with matching shields to go with them.


    The man who owned the weapon shop looked up from his work when he saw the two men enter. He smiled and greeted, "Hello gentlemen! Welcome to Theodor''s Weaponry, home of the finest weapons in Arendelle! How may I help you two today?"


    "Hey there. We were wondering if we could have a look around and see all the weapons you have," Edmund responded.


    "Of course! You may look at as many weapons as you like, gentlemen. If there are any questions you have about a particular weapon, then just let me know," Theodor stated.


    "Thank you, Theodor," Lucas said.


    "Always my pleasure," Theodor replied with a smile.


    Edmund and Lucas were fascinated by how vast a selection the weaponsmith had. While both princes had their fair share of weaponry in their respective kingdoms, they were not expecting such a wide variety of weapons to choose from in a kingdom the size of Arendelle.


    The English prince was looking through the swords and bows as those two weapons were his bread and butter when it came to weaponry. While he could fight with any type of weapon, he always preferred swords and bows. He continued browsing through the two weapon types and thought every single one of them was very interesting. As he was finishing his scanning of the weapons, one sword and one bow in particular caught his attention. The bow was ultramarine and was shaped like the wing of a phoenix. It reminded him of the sea back home in England. Similarly, the sword Edmund was looking at was also ultramarine at the grip of the sword and had a blade with the appearance of solid gold.


    Theodor noticed the enthusiasm of the English prince and walked over to him. "Ah, I see that one of the swords has really caught your attention! This is the most powerful sword in the entire world! It''s called Thunder Delmoreblade."


    "Thunder Delmoreblade? That is certainly a name that suits this amazing looking sword," Edmund said approvingly.


    "Indeed. Delmore is a boy''s name that means of the sea and originated in France," the weaponsmith explained. "I also noticed the bow you were looking at as well. The bow is referred to as Whispermarino Phoenix."


    "Those names are very fitting for weapons that remind me of the sea," Edmund said with a smile.


    "I am glad you think so. Marino also means of the sea, but is of Latin origin rather than French origin," the weaponsmith smiled back.


    "If it is not any trouble, is there anywhere in the shop I can maybe test out the weapons?" the English prince asked, unwilling to cause any unnecessary trouble.


    Fortunately, Theodor nodded. "There are rooms to test out the melee weapons as well as rooms meant for ranged weapons. Which weapon would you like to test out first?"


    "May I test Thunder Delmoreblade first please?" Edmund asked.


    "Certainly," Theodor said as he grabbed a tall ladder from behind the counter and set it in a position to climb up and reach Thunder Delmoreblade. Once he was high enough to reach the sword, he carefully withdrew it from where it hung high up on the wall, and climbed down slowly, taking care not to drop the weapon or injure himself. As soon as he reached the bottom, the weaponsmith handed the sword to Edmund.


    Once Edmund had the sword in his grasp, the weaponsmith led the English prince to a room to demonstrate. "Here you are sir!"


    "Thank you very much Theodore. I will make sure to return Thunder Delmoreblade once I conclude demonstrating," Edmund said cheerfully.


    "You''re welcome, sir! Please test it out as long as you like," the weaponsmith stated.


    As soon as Edmund had gotten settled into the room to experiment with the sword, Theodor saw a saber and a longbow had gotten the attention of the Belgian prince.


    "That saber is referred to as Pelagiostorm, and the longbow is called Pikelongbow," the weaponsmith explained.


    "Those are very interesting names. I heard Pelagios is a boy''s name that is originally from Greece and means from the sea," Lucas said.


    "It is indeed," Theodor replied in agreement.


    "May I test out Pikelongbow first please? That way I do not have to worry about getting in Edmund''s way of testing out Thunder Delmoreblade," Lucas suggested.


    "Of course! His name is Edmund, eh?" Theodor stated.


    Lucas nodded.


    "What is your name, young man?" Theodor asked curiously.


    "I am Prince Lucas of Ostenda in Belgium, and Edmund is the prince of England," the Belgian prince greeted.


    Theodor''s eyes widened in surprise. He had not expected any princes in his shop. For the sake of being polite, he respectfully bowed. "It is my pleasure to serve you, Your Highness."


    Lucas chuckled. "That will not be necessary Theodor. You can just call me Lucas."


    "As you wish, Lucas. I shall get Pikelongbow for you now," the weaponsmith smiled as he got the longbow for Lucas. As soon as Theodor handed the longbow to Lucas, he led him to a shooting range that had six difficulty levels: beginner, intermediate, advanced, expert, master, and extreme.


    "I would like to do the extreme difficulty please," Lucas requested.


    "Are you sure about this? No one has managed to hit every target in extreme mode," the weaponsmith said.


    The Belgian prince shrugged. "It does not hurt to try, right?"


    "Of course! Let''s see what you got, Lucas," Theodor stated as he and Lucas went to the shooting range. Having practiced with bows and longbows since he was a little boy, Lucas could handle anything that was thrown at him when it came to archery.


    With Pikelongbow ready to shoot, the weaponsmith and the Belgian prince entered the extreme difficulty section of the indoor shooting range. Next to the entrance was a quiver of practice arrows. Locking himself in, Lucas took an arrow and drew it back. To the astonishment of Theodor, Lucas not only managed to hit every target, but he also hit them all dead center in the bullseye.


    "Wow! That was a dazzling display! You''re the first one to hit the bullseye in extreme mode!" the weaponsmith praised.


    Lucas was pleased by the commendation. "I appreciate the compliment. It is just that I have been using bows and longbows for many years, and the Captain of the Guards in Ostenda trained me aggressively in sabers and archery. Personally, I think the hard work has paid off, and I will continue to work on my skills every day to make sure they stay sharp."


    "Such fine young men you and Edmund are," Theodor praised.


    "Well, we try," Lucas said with a smile.


    The weaponsmith grinned back. "Would you like to test Pelagiostorm out now?"


    "Yes please," Lucas replied as he let Theodor hang Pikelongbow back up before the weaponsmith went on with getting Pelagiostorm for the Belgian prince.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    After Lucas bid them farewell, Anna and Kristoff decided to spend some time together. With the two princes traversing the town, Stephen guarding the castle, and Elsa in her meeting, the couple had the whole castle to themselves.


    "Now that it''s just you and me, what would you like to do Kristoff?" the princess asked.


    "I don''t know. What would you like to do Anna?" Kristoff countered, unsure of what he and his girlfriend would do.


    "Well, since Elsa is in her meeting and the three guests are preoccupied, I was thinking of maybe going around the shops in town and look for Christmas gifts to get for everyone," Anna suggested.


    The ice harvester pondered this. "Go around town? Just you and me?" While he and Anna had dated for nearly five months, Kristoff was not exactly used to being seen in public with her.


    "Of course, Kristoff! We''ve been dating since mid-July! What''s wrong with going out into the town together?" the princess said.


    "Nothing. It''s just that before I met you, I was never romantically involved with anyone. Because of that, I have no dating experience and I''m worried I might screw it up," the ice harvester explained sincerely.


    "You won''t screw it up, Kristoff. Life wouldn''t be the same without you in it. You''re the best boyfriend any girl could ever asked for," Anna praised.


    Kristoff shook his head and chuckled, appreciating the compliment. "How did I get so lucky?"


    "We met when we were trying to stop an eternal winter in the middle of summer that Elsa accidentally unleashed?" Anna said with a raised eyebrow.


    "Sounds about right," the ice harvester responded as he noticed Anna bring something out from behind her back in her hand.


    "Whoa hold on. Is that mistletoe you have in your hand right now?" Kristoff asked.


    Anna laughed. "Yes, it is! Do you know what you''re supposed to do when you and another person are under mistletoe?"


    "I assume you have to kiss?" the ice harvester guessed.


    "Yes! Now just shut up and kiss me, Kristoff Bjorgman," the princess stated.


    The ice harvester laughed as he wrapped one of his muscular arms around Anna''s waist and placed his other hand gently onto her cheek. "Of course. Anything for you, Anna." He then leaned down and their lips met in a warm, passionate kiss.


    Once the couple pulled apart after running out of breath, the princess was the first to speak. "Before we go around town, can we get something to eat first? I''m hungry."


    "Sure," Kristoff replied as the couple headed towards the Great Hall.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Once Edmund was finished with testing out Thunder Delmoreblade, he was ready to try out Whispermarino Phoenix.


    "I have concluded my evaluation of Thunder Delmoreblade. A fine sword it is," Edmund praised.


    "It thrills me to hear you like it, Prince Edmund," Theodor replied.


    "You can just call me Edmund," the English prince said. "I assume Lucas gave you both our names?"


    The weaponsmith nodded. "He did. You two seem like admirable men."


    "Thank you for the adulation," Edmund said gratefully.


    "Of course! Would you like to analyze Whispermarino Phoenix now, Edmund?" Theodor wondered.


    "Yes please," the English prince replied.


    As soon as the English prince had the bow in his possession, Lucas walked up with Pelagiostorm. "Before I go to try out the saber, may I watch Edmund and see how he does in the shooting range?" the Belgian prince asked.


    "You certainly may," Theodor replied.


    "Thank you. I would like to see Edmund''s archery skills," Lucas stated.


    "Me too. Do you think you''ll be able to hit the bullseye on every target in extreme mode? Lucas was the first to accomplish the feat," the weaponsmith stated.


    "Well, there is only one way to find out," Edmund replied with a shrug.


    The three men then entered the extreme difficulty room of the shooting range. Once Edmund drew his focus on the targets, he grabbed an arrow and pulled it towards him. Theodor was once again stunned when the English prince managed to hit the bullseye on every target dead center just like the Belgian prince had done just a few moments ago.


    "Impressive! You''re just as great an archer as your friend, Edmund!" the weaponsmith praised. "How on Earth do you do it?"


    "Hard work and lots of daily practice," Edmund said modestly.


    "Well, you two are the greatest archers I''ve ever seen. No one else in the kingdom has even come close to your skill level," Theodor said.


    "I believe every archer can be great in their own right as long as they dedicate themselves to practicing daily," Lucas replied.


    "Yeah. Practice makes perfect, I am correct?" Edmund asked.


    "You are correct, Edmund," the weaponsmith answered.


    The English prince beamed. "Now then, I think you have a saber to test out, Lucas?"


    "Oh, right. Thank you for reminding me," Lucas said.


    "You are welcome," Edmund replied as the two princes continued having fun testing out Theodor''s weapons.

 Chapter 10

    I would like to thank roxygoth, BurningFox6, krystal lazuli, and LukeJames for beta reading and helping me improve!


    Feedback is always appreciated!


    Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen. Frozen is owned by Disney. I only lay claim to Prince Edmund, Prince Lucas, and Master Stephen.


    Chapter 10


    At eleven o''clock, Elsa emerged from the conference room after completing her meeting with the council, heading to the Great Hall for lunch. As she walked, the Snow Queen could not stop thinking about when Edmund asked her to go to the town with him. The Ice Queen never envisioned herself ending up with anyone, as she was concerned her powers would accidentally freeze the man she might end up falling in love with to death.


    Deciding to shove those thoughts aside, Elsa made her way to the Great Hall to see Stephen there. He was eating a chicken breast with assorted vegetables and a salad on the side.


    "Ah, Elsa. How was your meeting?" Stephen asked.


    "My meeting went well. The council and I talked about how the harvest progressed in the autumn," Elsa replied.


    "Did the harvest supply the kingdom with enough food to last through the winter?" the brown-haired man asked, hoping Arendelle was able to get enough food for everyone.


    The Snow Queen nodded with a reassuring smile. "Yes. This past harvest was prosperous. We have more than enough food to thrive until spring."


    "I am elated to hear that," Stephen replied with a grin.


    "How was your patrol of the castle? Did you see anything suspicious?" Elsa asked.


    Stephen shook his head. "Nothing to report. Everything seems to be just fine, for now. Captain William is patrolling the castle now. He suggested I take a break for a few hours before I go around the palace again."


    The Snow Queen was pleased nothing happened while Stephen was scouting the palace. "Good. It was nice of the captain to give you a break from guarding the castle. I also appreciate your willingness to protect me and the rest of my family from harm."


    "Of course. Great people such as you, your sister, and Kristoff do not deserve to have anything atrocious befall you," the brown-haired man said earnestly. The Ice Queen was touched by Stephen''s protectiveness over her, Anna, and the rest of the royal family in Arendelle.


    After Elsa received her lunch, she and Stephen ate their lunches in silence for a few moments.


    The Snow Queen was the first to break the silence. "Stephen?"


    "Yes Elsa? Did you need something?" Stephen asked.


    "There is something I need to tell you," Elsa replied.


    "Of course. What is it?" the brown-haired man asked curiously.


    "Have you ever been in love before?" the Snow Queen asked.


    The question caught Stephen off-guard for a moment. "Do you mean with a woman?"


    Elsa nodded.


    "When I was younger, there was a time when I was indeed smitten with a woman. Unfortunately, I never got the chance to marry her due to my busy schedule. Why do you ask?" Stephen wondered, curious to know where Elsa was going with this.


    "Before the meeting with the council, Edmund asked me to go explore the town with him tomorrow," the Snow Queen stated.


    Stephen''s eyes widened in surprise. "He did? Already? Is it a bit early for him to be asking you out?"


    "I suppose it is premature for him to be asking me out on a date. However, he said we would explore the town just as friends," Elsa replied.


    Stephen breathed a sigh of relief. "I am glad he said you two would only be doing it as friends. Edmund is not the kind of guy who would ask someone out on a date after knowing them for only a couple of days."


    The Snow Queen was also relieved Edmund was not that type of guy either. "Edmund seems to be the kind of guy who means well."


    Stephen nodded in agreement. "Yes. He is a very good man. Any woman would be lucky to pair up with such a humble, selfless, intelligent man like Edmund. For him, it is all about finding the right woman. He is in no rush to find her."


    "I am glad to hear he knows love is not about rushing anything," Elsa said, appreciating that the English prince was not one to marry someone so quickly.


    "Of course. You see, love is something that is cherished between two people and continues to grow over time, through getting to know each other and experiencing the many ups and downs together in life. It involves commitment, time, acceptance, and mutual trust in each other," the brown-haired man elaborated.


    "Since you know so much about love, I am sure whoever is with you is a lucky woman," Elsa praised with a smile.


    "Actually, I do not have a wife," Stephen responded.


    The Snow Queen''s eyes widened in shock. "You do not have a wife? How could such a good man such as yourself not have that special someone?"


    Stephen shrugged. "While I did consider getting married back when I was in my twenties, I decided I was destined to be single. After Edmund was born, I realized training him would take up too much of my time to find someone. I feared if I ever did get a girl, I would not have enough time for her. The last thing I wanted was to get a girl and make her feel neglected because she might think I was not paying attention to her. Before Edmund was even born, I realized I was happy with having Matthew in my life. Ever since then, I have been content with what I have and who I have involved in my daily activities."


    Elsa considered this. While there were bachelors in Arendelle, she had not expected anyone outside of the kingdom with Stephen''s status to not be married and have children. Then again, she realized there were reasons for why men chose to stay single and some of them were good reasons. Thus, she nodded in understanding.


    "I understand your reasoning, Stephen. Everyone has choices to make in their lives, and you chose not to marry anyone. Out of curiosity though, was it because you were afraid of responsibility?" Elsa wondered.


    "That and training Edmund. With such an enormous responsibility in training Edmund, I knew it would be difficult to do that and have a family of my own. Matthew and Edmund are family to me, both like a brother and a son I never had," Stephen explained.


    The Ice Queen was happy Stephen was living a great life, even if he was single. Still, she was curious about something. "Have you still been thinking about getting married someday, even today?"


    "I am not sure I would want to do that now. Since I am almost fifty, there might not be anyone looking for someone my age out there," Stephen responded.


    "Oh wow. You are older than I thought you were. I thought you were in your twenties," Elsa stated.


    Stephen chuckled, but still appreciated Elsa''s compliment. "I will take that as a compliment. Thank you."


    "You are welcome. It is," Elsa confirmed with a grin.


    The two royals then turned their attention back to their lunches. As they ate, Elsa noticed Stephen bore some resemblance to her father. While Stephen had the same green eyes as her father, Stephen''s hair was darker, and he had no mustache or sideburns. She could not help but wonder what kind of father and husband Stephen would have been had he gotten the chance to become one.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Edmund and Lucas soon concluded with testing out Theodor''s weapons. Once the weaponsmith had put the weapons back in their places, the two princes considered something.


    "Do you think we should get something for Kristoff, Edmund?" Lucas asked.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    "Yeah. I think it would be a great idea to get him an axe and a throwing axe since those weapons seem to be more his cup of tea," Edmund replied with agreement.


    Edmund and Lucas looked around the axes and noticed one that had the exact same ultramarine color as the weapons they analyzed earlier.


    "That axe is referred to as Arnav Battle Axe. Arnav means ocean and is of Indian origin. Did either of you two gentlemen want to try out the axe?" Theodor wondered.


    "While I would love to do that, Lucas and I were thinking of getting this and a ranged weapon like it as a gift for Kristoff," Edmund replied.


    "What ranged weapon would you recommend that would go well with Arnav Battle Axe?" Lucas asked.


    "I can certainly find matching throwing axes. Please give me a moment," the weaponsmith said as he went over to his throwing axe selection.


    The two princes thought the ice harvester would like to get a battle axe just in case he might need it for a potential battle in the future. Since Kristoff did use pickaxes to harvest ice, Edmund and Lucas thought axes would be the perfect weapon of choice for him.


    Theodor returned, clutching a throwing axe with one of his hands. "Here we are!" he said triumphantly. "Barbeau Throwing Axe."


    "Does Barbeau mean fisherman and is of French origin?" Edmund wondered as he examined the throwing axe. It had a dark blue head and the area where the axe was held appeared to be the same color as platinum.


    "Why yes! You must have read a lot of books over the course of your lifetime," Theodor remarked.


    The English prince nodded in confirmation. "I love reading. Ever since I was a little boy, I have always wondered what would happen once I was old enough to start reading. Then, once I finished reading my first book, my desire to read took off from there. Over the course of my life, I have read more books than I could count. As long as the book is good, I will read it, regardless of the author or what the genre is."


    "While I also enjoy reading, the books I have read are mostly about weaponry since that''s what I do for a living. Occasionally I will stray off to a fantasy novel or two," Theodor said.


    "You seem to really enjoy being a weaponsmith," Edmund smiled.


    "I do. It has been the only thing I pursued over my lifetime. My father taught me everything there is to know about weapons, from how to build them, where the materials and resources come from, and other things like that," the weaponsmith said with a beam.


    The English prince grinned as he handed the throwing axe to Lucas. "What do you think, Lucas? Should we get both of these for Kristoff?"


    Lucas nodded. "I think we should. Since they are such powerful weapons, I assume they are pretty expensive right?"


    Theodor nodded in understanding and solemnly. "I''m afraid so, gentlemen."


    "That is okay. Edmund and I will split it where we each pay for one weapon," Lucas explained.


    The two princes then handed the weaponsmith the correct number of coins and took the weapons.


    "Since you two are giving these weapons to Kristoff as gifts, would you like me to wrap them up for you?" Theodor asked.


    The two princes nodded. "Yes please."


    "Would you like them together or separate?" Theodore wondered.


    Edmund and Lucas thought about that for a moment. Then they came to a decision.


    "Maybe we should have them together, right Lucas?" the black-haired prince asked.


    "I think it would be a great idea since Kristoff will probably anticipate receiving another weapon if he were to open one of them before the other," the dirty-blonde haired man replied.


    "Then we shall have them together. May we have them wrapped together please Theodor?" Edmund asked.


    "Of course!" the weaponsmith exclaimed as he placed the two weapons into a special container and then wrapped them up. "It was a great pleasure doing business with you two today. You gentlemen have a Merry Christmas!"


    "Thank you! You too!" Edmund said with a smile.


    "Happy holidays to you and your family," Lucas added with a grin as the two princes left the weaponsmith with the wrapped weapons in hand.


    The two princes hoped they could make it to one of their rooms without being seen by Kristoff. Both princes knew he would ask them about the package and potentially ruin the surprise.


    Fortunately, Edmund and Lucas made it to the English prince''s guestroom without encountering any of the royal family. The princes assumed they were busy at the time. Once they were safely inside the room, the two princes then placed the wrapped weapons into a closet and closed the door to keep them hidden until Christmas.


    "Well, that was a fun day today. Am I right?" Edmund remarked.


    "It sure was, and it is not even over yet," Lucas replied.


    "Now that we have got Kristoff a couple of gifts, I was thinking we should also get gifts for Master Stephen, Elsa, Anna, and for each other as well," the English prince suggested.


    "Yes. Christmas only occurs once a year," the Belgian prince agreed.


    "What were you thinking about getting them Lucas?" the English prince asked.


    The Belgian prince thought about it. "I was thinking of getting the two sisters chocolate items and some jewelry as well. What about you?"


    "I was just thinking the same thing. As for Master Stephen, I will have to come up with something. He is happy with what he has right now, so it will have to be something great," Edmund elaborated.


    "You will find something for him. I am sure of it," Lucas responded. "There are still a few weeks until Christmas arrives, so I am not sure if we should get all the Christmas shopping done today."


    "That is true," Edmund acknowledged. "Speaking of jewelry, I think after I ask Elsa out, maybe I will surprise her with a diamond necklace or something."


    "I think that would be a great idea, Edmund. Have you decided when to ask her out?" Lucas asked.


    "Well, I think we should know each other a little better first before I do that. I did ask her to explore the town with me earlier today, but only as friends," the English prince said.


    Lucas nodded in agreement. "I think that is a good first step in getting to know her better. That way you do not have to worry about rushing it. I hope you two have a great time tomorrow."


    "Thanks buddy. Since I am going to be with Elsa tomorrow, what will you do?" Edmund wondered.


    The Belgian prince thought about it for a moment. "Maybe I could have Master Stephen teach me what you and he do?"


    Edmund beamed. "There you go! That way when the figure shows up again, we will all be ready to face him."


    "Then it is a win-win situation," Lucas grinned. "What would you like to do now? Go back out into the town? Read a book? Play some chess?"


    "Let''s play some chess. Best three out of five," the English prince suggested.


    "You are on, Edmund," Lucas winked as the two princes made their way to the chessboard to get ready for their chess matches.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    "Anna, don''t you think that''s a little too much chocolate? Edmund, Lucas, and Stephen said they only consume chocolate on special occasions. Even then, I''m sure they do not consume such large quantities," Kristoff said to Anna as the two browsed through various types of chocolate in a candy shop.


    The princess'' basket was now loaded with assorted chocolates from a multitude of countries such as Belgium, England, Germany, and France. "Too much? You can never have too much of anything, Kristoff!"


    "Yes, you can. Having too much chocolate is fattening and can cause you to lose all your teeth," the ice harvester said.


    "Are you calling me fat, Kristoff?" Anna asked, offended.


    "No, I am not. I just don''t want anyone to eat so much chocolate they get sick," Kristoff replied.


    Anna groaned. "Fine. It''s just that Christmas is only once a year, and I would like to make it special for our guests."


    The ice harvester smirked. "I know. Don''t worry Anna. We will make sure it is a Christmas they''ll never forget."


    The princess smiled. "Goodie! Now let''s see what other chocolates they have here." She glanced through the chocolate the candy shop had to offer. "Excuse me? Is this chocolate here imported?"


    "It is, indeed, Princess Anna," the shopkeeper said. "This is the finest chocolate from the country Belgium."


    "Oh! That''s where Lucas is from! I''m thinking we should get that and the platter of assorted chocolates for him, Edmund, and Stephen," Anna suggested.


    "Anna, may we go get something to eat please?" Kristoff asked.


    "Not until we''re done here, mister!" the princess scolded. "Do you think they''ll like milk or dark chocolate?"


    "I don''t know. Why not get a mixture of both just to be sure?" Kristoff inquired.


    "Good idea!" Anna squealed before turning to the shopkeeper. "I would like both milk and dark chocolate imported from every country please."


    "Coming right up, Your Highness," the shopkeeper replied with a bow as she went to sort out their purchase.


    After the couple paid for the chocolate, they made their way into town. Upon entering the town, everyone bowed as Anna and Kristoff walked by. The couple subsequently greeted everyone they walked by.


    "Well, now that we got enough chocolate for everyone, I was thinking of checking out a weaponsmith for the guests. Did you see how they used their weapons when they fought off those intruders?" the princess asked.


    Kristoff nodded. "Yeah, I did. They certainly know what they''re doing when they use their weapons."


    "Then let''s go to the weaponsmith!" Anna exclaimed as she dragged the ice harvester along.


    Soon they reached the weaponsmith. When they entered, Theodor greeted the couple with a bow. "Good day, Princess Anna and Sir Kristoff. I welcome you to Theodor''s Weaponry, the finest weapons in all Arendelle! What can I do for you two today?"


    "Hey Theodor! I was wondering if there are any weapons that may have caught the interest of our guests?" Anna wondered.


    "Why yes indeed! I''ll show you which weapons Edmund and Lucas took a liking to," the weaponsmith grinned as he showed the couple each weapon that caught the attention of the two princes.


    "Edmund was fascinated by Thunder Delmoreblade and Whispermarino Phoenix while Lucas became fond of Pelagiostorm and Pikelongbow," Theodor explained as he showed the weapons to the princess and the ice harvester.


    "Those weapons are Edmund and Lucas alright, but Anna? Are you sure we can afford to get all four of them? They look like they are very expensive," Kristoff said.


    "Seriously, Kristoff? They would love these! Like you said earlier, we were trying to make this Christmas special for our guests!" Anna responded.


    The ice harvester sighed. "Alright then. How much for the weapons?"


    "Well, they''re not cheap," Theodor admitted. He named the price for the weapons.


    Once the couple paid for the weapons, the weaponsmith asked, "Would you like me to wrap the weapons up for you two?"


    "Yes please! That way they don''t know what it is until after they open them!" Anna exclaimed. Theodor couldn''t help but smile with amusement at the spunk of the princess.


    "Would you like Thunder Delmoreblade and Whispermarino Phoenix to go together? Pelagiostorm and Pikelongbow as well?" Theodor asked.


    "Great idea! Make it look impressive please," Anna said.


    "Yes, Your Highness," Theodor grinned as he placed the weapons in separate special containers before wrapping the containers. Anna already had her huge basket full of chocolate to carry, so Kristoff agreed to carry the containers back to the castle.


    Upon bidding Theodor farewell, the couple made their way back to the castle.


    "Where should we hide the weapons, Kristoff?" the princess wondered.


    The ice harvester contemplated that for a moment. "Maybe in the stables? I was thinking that when Edmund and Lucas are preoccupied with something, I can sneak the weapons under the tree without them noticing."


    "Okay!" Anna exclaimed as the couple went to the stables to hide the weapons somewhere where only they would know.


    "Well, that was a great time, huh Kristoff?" the princess asked.


    The ice harvester grinned. "You bet." He then bent down to kiss his girlfriend.


    Anna happily returned the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck as Kristoff put his arms around her slender waist.

 Chapter 11

    I would like to thank roxygoth, BurningFox6, krystal lazuli, and LukeJames for beta reading and helping me improve!


    Feedback is always appreciated!


    Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen. Frozen is owned by Disney. I only lay claim to Prince Edmund, Prince Lucas, and Master Stephen.


    Chapter 11


    Elsa and Edmund were at the entrance of the castle, looking at the town in the distance. The Snow Queen was wearing her signature ice dress, considering the cold was something she had gotten accustomed to. Edmund was wearing his usual royal clothes with a jacket as he was not used to the cold of this degree.


    "Are you ready?" Elsa asked.


    Edmund nodded. "Ready."


    As they walked toward the town, the Ice Queen was wondering what the reaction of the townspeople would be when they saw the English prince with her. "Edmund?"


    "Yeah Elsa?" Edmund asked.


    "Since you are a guest, are you concerned about how everyone will react when they see you with me? We have not exactly had very many guests outside of my coronation. You, Lucas, and Stephen are the first visitors Arendelle has had since then," Elsa explained.


    "Well, if they ask us, we must tell them the truth; that we are just friends. Like I said before, I would not like to pressure you into doing something you do not want to do," Edmund stated sincerely.


    Elsa was relieved to know the English prince was not one to rush love. She really admired his bounteousness.


    The two royals reached town a moment later before beginning their stroll.


    "Have you ever taken pleasure in the wintry scene of the town?" Edmund asked as he looked at the same snow-covered and decorated buildings that he and Lucas had seen the previous day.


    Elsa looked at him and shook her head. "I have not had a chance to marvel at the scene before us. For thirteen years, I was unable to see the outside world. I was locked away in my bedroom, trying to obscure my powers."


    Edmund was surprised and concerned at what he had just heard. "You were locked away in your bedroom for thirteen years? What happened?"


    The Snow Queen was now debating whether she should tell the English prince about the incident she and Anna had when they were little girls. Elsa decided she would tell him, feeling that she could trust him to understand. "When Anna and I were little girls, we would have fun with my powers in the ballroom every night. We would have snowball fights, build snowmen, do ice skating, slide down slides, all those fun activities. Then one night, when we were playing, I was creating snow platforms for Anna to jump on that got higher and higher. At first, we were having fun, but eventually she was going too fast for me to keep up. I told her to slow down, and she must not have heard me, as then I slipped and fell. She made a leap, expecting me to create a platform below her to land on. I desperately tried to create it to catch her, but I accidentally struck her in the head. She was unconscious, and I saw a platinum blonde streak form in her hair. I felt so ashamed, as I almost killed Anna. My own sister," Elsa elaborated with a look of anguish on her face.


    Stunned and feeling sympathetic towards such a solemn backstory, Edmund gently placed one of his large hands on her shoulder. "I am very sorry you and your sister had to go through that. It must have been terribly hard on your parents to keep you separated from Anna for so long."


    "You have no idea how bad my parents felt about keeping me away from Anna. They were heartbroken about the whole thing. However, they did it to protect us and to keep me from becoming a monster," Elsa elaborated.


    "You? A monster? That is not true at all! Elsa, you are one of the most beautiful, warm-hearted women I have ever met. Why would you or your parents ever think that?" Edmund asked, eyes filled with concern.


    "Back then, I was afraid of my own abilities and that they could hurt someone, or worse," Elsa replied.


    "Your powers are a part of who you are. How could you be afraid of them? They are a gift," Edmund said.


    The Snow Queen couldn''t help but smile a bit at the praise Edmund gave her. "At that time, I did not know how to control them. Until I was able to control my magical abilities, my parents were determined not to reveal them to anyone, even Anna," she said with a sigh.


    Edmund was perturbed and worried about Elsa and Anna having such a horrific childhood all because of one accident. "I apologize in advance if I am sounding rude. Personally, I think instead of isolating you in your room, your parents should have gotten to learn more about your powers and teach you how to control them. That way you would not have to be so frightened about your magic."


    Elsa nodded in understanding. "You do not sound rude at all. Honestly, you do have a point there, Edmund. Maybe if I did learn how to control them sooner, I could have prevented them from dying."


    "What do you mean by that?" Edmund asked worriedly.


    "My parents went on a long voyage to find the truth about my powers. Sadly, a thunderstorm capsized their ship. They perished, and were never seen again," Elsa said with tears threatening to fall from her eyes.


    One eventually did fall from her eyes, and the English prince reached up and gently brushed it away with his thumb. "I can never imagine how rough your childhood was, especially without your sister to talk to, and losing both your parents. When did they die?"


    "Three years before I became Queen of Arendelle," Elsa replied.


    "That was gravely unfortunate to lose both your mother and father. Despite the situation they put you and Anna through, I have no doubt they meant well," the English prince said, trying to comfort her.


    "They did. Although I do wish they had told Anna about why they were isolating me away from her. Then they could have told her the reason they were doing it was because I was afraid of hurting Anna again. Since Anna cares so much about me, as I do about her, she probably would have had a newfound determination to help me conquer my fears no matter what. At the time, Anna and I were so young, we understood very little behind our parents'' reasons," Elsa explained.


    "At least everything turned out okay in the end, right?" Edmund wondered.


    "Eventually it did. Not before I accidentally cursed the kingdom into an eternal winter," Elsa said solemnly.


    The English prince''s eyes widened in shock and disbelief. "You froze the kingdom?"


    The Snow Queen nodded. "Yes. I thought I had only frozen Arendelle, but as it turns out, Anna revealed I cast it everywhere." This made Elsa think of something. "Did the frozen summer effect England in any way?"


    Edmund shook his head. "No. I do not remember seeing it snow during the summer months in England."


    Elsa sighed with alleviation. "I am relieved I did not plunge the entire planet into an eternal winter."


    "I bet," Edmund replied. "How did you end the frozen summer?"


    "Through love. After hearing Olaf say an act of true love will thaw a frozen heart, I realized that through love, since I love Anna with all my heart, I could gain control of my powers. I then thawed the kingdom and successfully brought back summer," Elsa explained.


    "Love is such a wonderful feeling," the English prince said with a smile.


    "Yes, it is," the Ice Queen replied in agreement.


    "Thank you very much for sharing your backstory with me," Edmund stated.


    "You are welcome," Elsa nodded. "What would you like to do first?"


    The English prince contemplated for a moment. "I have an idea. Follow me."


    "Where are we going, Edmund?" Elsa wondered, curious to know what the English prince had in mind.


    "You will see," Edmund said with a charming grin.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Lucas was in Edmund and Stephen''s guest room, learning the moves and techniques Stephen had learned and taught Edmund over the years. The dirty-blond haired man had decided to spend the day training with Edmund''s master while Edmund himself spent time with Elsa.


    "Do it again," Stephen said as the Belgian prince did an air punch towards nothing in particular.


    "Good. Do it again," Stephen repeated, continuing to watch over Lucas.


    Lucas obliged, doing another air punch.


    "Great job. One more time," Stephen said.


    Another air punch.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    "You are catching on rather quickly, Lucas. Keep this up, and you will be as skilled as Edmund and me in no time," Stephen praised.


    "Thank you, Master Stephen. I eminently appreciate you taking the time to help me become a better fighter," Lucas said gratefully.


    "Of course. You and Edmund have been my only students," Stephen stated.


    "Are you serious? You are such a great master. How could you not have like a hundred students or more?" Lucas wondered.


    Stephen shrugged. "I was initially fearful I would end up like Noah if I taught anyone how to fight. After he made that dying promise, however, I was determined to keep his word. However, it was not until after Edmund was born that I got the chance to do so. While I did consider training others besides Edmund, I realized I was happy having one student. Only then did I realize that one is better than zero. Besides, I was also concerned my teaching style would not be ideal for some."


    Lucas nodded in understanding. "You make a valid point there." He was then thinking of what to do next. "What shall we do next?"


    "I would like to see how effortlessly you can move in any direction. One of the keys to becoming a good fighter is the ability to move without any trouble," Stephen elaborated.


    "It shall be done, Master Stephen," Lucas replied as he then demonstrated his legwork.


    As the Belgian prince exhibited the movement of his legs, pretending to dodge many arrows being fired upon him, Stephen kept a close eye to observe him. To his surprise, Lucas had been able to move just as freely as Edmund, if not more than the English prince. Stephen had heard some things about taller people not being as explosive as those who were shorter than them. Perhaps Lucas was an exception to this. The brown-haired man wished to examine why the Belgian prince did not get the training Edmund did, considering that Lucas had the same sky-high potential Edmund possessed.


    "Your legwork is outstanding Lucas. I see that you have as much potential as Edmund," Stephen commended.


    "Ah, I am sure my potential is not as high as Edmund''s is. You have been training him for his entire life. I have only begun to train with you," Lucas said modestly.


    "Being modest, I see," Stephen said with amusement. "You truly do possess that potential. I just do not understand why the Captain of the Guards in Ostenda did not train you like I did."


    "Well, he is in charge of the guards of Ostenda, and thus he really does not have time to learn new tactics other than the ones the previous captain taught him. He does have a job to do, and that is to make sure the guards are performing their duties, as well as making sure nothing happens inside the kingdom," Lucas said.


    "It is a shame there was no one like me in Ostenda that could help you become a better fighter," Stephen replied.


    "Yeah, it is," Lucas stated. "Are there any other keys to becoming a good fighter you would like to inform me of?"


    Stephen nodded. "One of the most important things about being a good fighter is to be as mobile as you can be. The last thing you want is to let your legs get tired, as they are your only way of not getting overwhelmed by your opponent. While training Edmund, I made sure to help with his footwork and body movement from the time he was able to walk. I have helped him train very hard with every single part of his body, but the lower body is a powerhouse. You should use your lower body for both attacking and evading. It is a habit Edmund and I have had for many years; to spend lots of time learning, repeating, and perfecting legwork. Another thing we have done is to continuously explore for new opportunities to set up strikes, punches, and kicks to continue growing as a fighter. Even after Edmund mastered every fighting style there is, he has always had an open mind towards fighting, as it is very important for continuing to grow as a fighter and to be committed. Keeping your mind open and letting it flow freely can help fighting become an enjoyable activity," Stephen elaborated.


    "I do enjoy fighting, but only when doing it for good reasons, like protecting those I care about. The Captain of the Guards in Ostenda also told me to make sure to have an aura of unpredictability. That way your opponent cannot sense your intentions," Lucas said.


    "Precisely. It is always wise to identify a pattern, and then attack. Not where your opponent is, but will be," Stephen responded.


    "Yes sir," the Belgian prince stated. "Now that you have given me the keys to becoming a better fighter, what is next?"


    Stephen smiled as he continued to show Lucas how he trained Edmund. No wonder Edmund and Lucas were best friends. Lucas was just as great a student as Edmund, if not better. They were eager to learn how to defend themselves and those they loved whenever the situation called for it.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Anna and Kristoff were sitting by a fireplace, consuming mugs of hot chocolate. The princess looked out the window from time to time as the couple relaxed by the warmth the fire provided.


    "Kristoff?" Anna said.


    "Yes Anna? What is it?" the ice harvester wondered.


    The princess looked at her boyfriend. "I''ve been thinking about something."


    Kristoff cringed a little bit at that. She was not going to bring up him proposing to her already, was she? "What have you been thinking about?"


    "Well, this is our first winter together, as well as our first Christmas. Things are so different now than they have been every winter and Christmas before this year," Anna replied.


    "Yeah. They are different," the ice harvester stated. "In a good way, of course," he quickly added.


    "Of course! This will be our first true Christmas in years! After Elsa and I were separated from each other, winters and Christmas just weren''t fun without her around," the princess elaborated.


    The ice harvester nodded in understanding. "I''m sure they weren''t, especially when Elsa became the only family you had left."


    "Yes. That is all in the past, however. All we can do is move forward, right?" Anna asked.


    Kristoff chuckled. "That is correct." He then became curious about something. "For as long as I can remember, I haven''t been able to spend Christmas with my family, outside of Sven and the trolls of course. Now, I will be spending them with you, your sister, and the guests. I''ve never gotten to learn what everyone does during Christmas time."


    "Well, one thing we do is put up Christmas decorations and lights, as you saw when we got the gifts for Edmund and Lucas," Anna explained.


    "That''s true," Kristoff acknowledged.


    "Another thing is what everyone consumes. There are candy canes, gingerbread cookies, eggnog, hot chocolate, among many other things," the princess said. "The most important thing is the gifts. It''s not only getting gifts for each other, but Santa Claus will leave presents under the Christmas trees of those who have made it onto his nice list."


    "Have I made it to the nice list?" Kristoff wondered.


    "Of course, you have, Kristoff! You''re the nicest, most genuine man I''ve ever met!" Anna exclaimed.


    The ice harvester chuckled. "Thank you, Anna. I''m glad you think that." Then he frowned. "I definitely know someone who will be on the naughty list."


    "There''s someone on the naughty list alright, and do you know whom that might be?" Anna asked.


    "That dastardly Prince Hans of the Southern Isles. He''s not getting any gifts this year, nor will he ever get anything from Santa Claus," Kristoff said in fury.


    "Yeah. He''s getting coal every year for Christmas from now on," Anna replied.


    "After what he did, he deserves it," the ice harvester stated.


    "That he does. I''m just glad you didn''t turn out like him, Kristoff," the princess stated proudly.


    "I''m glad you accept me for who I am, Anna," Kristoff said with a grin.


    "As you accept me for who I am," Anna replied, raising her mug. "Well, to the first true Christmas Arendelle will have in years."


    Kristoff raised his mug. "To the first Christmas I get to spend with you and the rest of the royal family." They clinked their mugs together and then continued to sip at the hot deliciousness the hot chocolate was giving them.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Edmund continued to lead Elsa through town, making sure not to go too fast. The Snow Queen could not help but wonder what was on the English prince''s mind. She determined they were heading south of the town. What Elsa noticed, however, was that Edmund was leading her away from the town. She really hoped he was not leading her straight to her death. After all his kindness and sympathy towards her after she revealed her backstory, however, she doubted he was an evil mastermind.


    "We are here now, Elsa," Edmund said. Elsa looked around and saw the two royals were now overlooking a snowy meadow just south of the town.


    "I was thinking of making sure not to bring you anywhere that would make you uncomfortable. This is what came to my mind first since I was thinking of you and your powers," Edmund explained.


    Elsa really appreciated Edmund''s thoughtfulness. He made her feel like a normal person despite her magical abilities. Thinking of something, she formed a snowball in her hand and flung it at Edmund with a giggle.


    "Oh, I see how it is," Edmund said with a grin. He reached down and dug his hands into the snow, forming a snowball of his own. The black-haired man then threw it at Elsa, hitting her square in the forehead. Now it was Edmund''s turn to laugh.


    "Hey!" Elsa exclaimed in mock anger.


    "Well, I did not mean to hurt you. You started all this," Edmund insisted.


    The Snow Queen laughed. "I know Edmund. You did not hurt me. I am just teasing." She then created another snowball and chucked it at the English prince.


    Edmund, however, was ready this time. He expertly dodged the snowball as it sailed past him.


    Elsa then fired a barrage of snowballs at Edmund. No matter how quickly she launched the snowballs however, she was unable to land a single hit on the English prince. He masterfully dodged every single snowball or just simply blocked the rest of them.


    "Wow. I guess I underestimated how well Stephen trained you," Elsa praised, deciding to cease fire.


    Edmund shrugged. "One very important thing in becoming a good fighter is to know how to respect your surroundings. You must know what is happening around you. That way you can anticipate any stealth attacks from your opponents and be ready to counter them."


    "Oh really?" Elsa said with a smirk.


    "What is with that smirk on your face?" Edmund wondered with a confused look on his face.


    The Snow Queen then stretched her arms out with both her hands facing the snow. She summoned the snow, making it rise. Elsa then moved one of her hands towards the English prince, the pile of snow crashing into him. Rather than knock him over, however, he was engulfed in the snowbank with snow up to his chest.


    Before Edmund could break free from the snow pile, however, the Ice Queen chucked another snowball at him, hitting him square in the face. She giggled after the snowball splattered all over him.


    The black-haired man wiped the snow off his face, grinning. He then dug his hands into the snow pile, building another snowball. Edmund then leapt out of the snow pile with his strong legs. While airborne, he threw the snowball at Elsa. The Snow Queen braced for impact before the snowball struck her in the forehead.


    Soon a snowball fight commenced. Both royals constructed snow forts for bases as they both formed strategies to try to defeat each other. While Edmund put up a good fight, Elsa won out in the end, with Edmund accepting defeat with dignity. They both wound up bursting out laughing.


    After their snowball fight had concluded, however, Elsa noticed the English prince was wet from all the snow. This forewarned Elsa that Edmund probably needed to get back to the castle as soon as possible.


    "Are you alright, Edmund? You are all wet!" Elsa exclaimed, concerned.


    "I am a little cold, but I can assure you I will be just fine. Maybe it would be a good idea for me to return to the palace. That way I do not get sick," Edmund suggested.


    "I was just beginning to think the same thing. Let''s go and get dried up, Edmund," the Snow Queen said, leading the black-haired man in the direction of the castle.


    "Alright then," Edmund replied with a beam as he obliged.


    Elsa then realized she had a great time with the English prince. It may have only been as friends, but she really enjoyed having Edmund''s company. He was graceful, polite, and such a kind, humble gentleman. She was beginning to wonder what would happen if they did end up dating eventually.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    The figure that had confronted the royal family of Arendelle earlier was standing on top of a mountain outside of the kingdom. He gazed upon the snowy land before him. As the figure stared, he was clutching a dark red great sword in one of his hands, which was referred to as Brutality Gaziniblade. On the back of him was a bow known as Eztli Deathbow.


    A man appeared before him.


    "Boss, everyone is here now. No one is in Arendelle''s dungeon anymore," the man said.


    The figure grinned maliciously. "Perfect. We shall take an entirely different approach no one will see coming."


    "What shall we do with the guests that are staying there right now?" the man inquired.


    The hooded figure wrenched at the mention of the guests. He was once best friends with one of them. Now he was going to make him pay for what he did to him.


    "Edmund I can deal with myself. You and the other men can deal with Lucas and Stephen," the figure responded.


    "As you wish, Boss," the man replied as he then left his master in peace.


    The figure would do whatever it took to get his revenge on Edmund, even if it meant threatening the people he cared about most.

 Chapter 12

    I would like to thank roxygoth, BurningFox6, krystal lazuli, and LukeJames for beta reading and helping me improve!


    Feedback is always appreciated!


    Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen. Frozen is owned by Disney. I only lay claim to Prince Edmund, Prince Lucas, and Master Stephen.


    Chapter 12


    Elsa and Edmund were soon back inside the castle in order for the English prince to warm up and dry off.


    "I had a good time today, Elsa. Thank you," Edmund said with a beam.


    "You are welcome. It was a great time, indeed," Elsa replied with a grin of her own.


    "Would you like to do it again sometime? Since all we did was play in the snow today, I was thinking we could look around the shops and get gifts for everyone," Edmund suggested.


    "Yes. I would like that," the Ice Queen replied.


    "Sounds like a plan. Now if you will excuse me, I am going to dry off and change into some fresh clothes. I will see you later, Elsa," the English prince smiled and waved as he left to go to his guestroom. Elsa in return waved back with a beam.


    The Snow Queen smiled fondly at how gracious and chivalrous the English prince was. She really enjoyed having his company. Elsa looked forward to spending more time with the English prince. However, she also reminded herself they had not even known each other for a week yet. Elsa did not know whether they would remain friends or if their friendship would eventually blossom into romance. Thus, she resolved the situation by reminding herself that one outing meant nothing. They really needed some time before they could officially make it romantic.


    Anna eventually made her way through the hallway and upon seeing her sister, skipped over to her, smiling.


    "Hey Elsa!" the princess greeted. "What have you been up to today?"


    "I was just spending some time in the town with Edmund," Elsa replied.


    "Oh! Did you have a good time with him?" Anna wondered.


    "Yes, I had a wonderful time with him," Elsa said. She then added, "Nevertheless, we are just friends, Anna. Edmund and I have nothing romantic between us whatsoever."


    "Come on, Elsa! Edmund is such a good man. He''s very polite and breathtakingly handsome!" the princess teased with a wide grin.


    The Snow Queen sighed. "Anna, listen to me. Edmund and I only went into town as friends. He made it clear we were only going as friends. There is no way I can fall in love with a man I have known for less than a week."


    "At least you like him, right?" Anna teased.


    Now the Snow Queen was beginning to become stern. "Look, Edmund and I are just friends, okay Anna? While he is a good man, we still barely even know each other. Please do not say it is true love, because it is way too early to make that assumption."


    Anna groaned but knew her big sister was right. The princess knew Hans for only one day, and while he may have seemed polite at first, he turned out to be a rancorous monster who did not care about anyone but himself. Anna was confident, however, that Edmund was nothing like Hans. The good news is they have known Edmund, Lucas, and Stephen for more than one day. In addition to that, the guests have not shown any signs of malicious intentions either.


    "I will admit that Edmund is indeed a wonderful man and very handsome. It is just that I am in no hurry to find a man to rule beside me," Elsa said.


    Anna nodded in understanding. "I just want you to be happy, Elsa. Your happiness means more to me than anything."


    The Snow Queen could not help but smile at that. "I really appreciate that, Anna. Seriously, I do. Nevertheless, I am not sure now if Edmund is the right man for me. Maybe he will be in the future, but I will be patient and find out if he truly is in love with me."


    "Okay! What did you and Edmund do while spending time in the town?" Anna wondered.


    Elsa grinned as she began to tell her little sister what she and the English prince did.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Upon entering his guestroom, Edmund saw his master training his best friend. The black-haired man smiled warmly at the sight.


    Lucas was the first to notice the English prince. "Hey there, Edmund! How was your time with Elsa?"


    Edmund beamed. "Elsa and I had a great time. We walked through town and had an intense snowball fight after that."


    Lucas chuckled. "I can see that. Your clothes are all wet. Are you going to take a hot bath and get into some fresh clothes or something?"


    "You read my mind there. I was about to do just that," Edmund replied. The English prince then turned his attention to his master. "How did it go with training Luc, Master?"


    Stephen nodded in approval. "Lucas did quite well if I may say so. He has that same sky-high potential you have."


    "I am delighted to hear Lucas did a great job. How was it being instructed by Master Stephen, Luc?" Edmund asked.


    "Master Stephen is a great instructor. Not to say anything against the Captain of the Guards in Ostenda, but I think Master Stephen is the best teacher I have ever had," the Belgian prince stated.


    Stephen smiled at the compliment. "I am pleased I was able to provide you with a teaching style that you could follow easily. Everyone has their unique method of teaching, and while some may follow it easily, others may not. I have a feeling there are people out there that would not exactly be able to follow my ways of teaching."


    Lucas nodded in agreement. "That is true. You were easy to follow though. I appreciate how you explained everything in detail. Everything made sense because of that."


    "It makes me happy Master Stephen was a great teacher for you, Luc," the English prince stated with a grin. "Now if you gentlemen will excuse me, I am going to take a hot bath and change into some fresh clothes."


    "Take all the time you need, Edmund. Lucas and I will play chess while we wait," Stephen said.


    "You two have fun then," Edmund replied as he went into the bathroom and closed the door, locking it as he did.


    Stephen and Lucas then made their way to the chessboard in the corner of the suite.


    "You play chess, right Lucas?" the brown-haired man asked.


    The dirty-blonde haired man nodded. "I do. Although I am sure I will not be able to beat you as you seem to have a lot of experience playing chess."


    "I suppose there is only one way to find out," Stephen replied.


    "That is true," Lucas stated as the two men began their chess match.


    The chess game would last a lot shorter than Lucas thought. Apparently, he had underestimated how skilled at chess Stephen was. Despite getting defeated so quickly, Lucas admitted defeat with grace.


    "Holy smokes! I guess I miscalculated how proficient you are at chess," Lucas praised.


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    Stephen merely shrugged. "Chess is a game of strategy. Because of that, I think playing chess has helped me not only train under Master Noah, but to become the mentor I am today. The game has reminded me since I began training that it is always wise to have a strategy when fighting."


    The Belgian prince nodded in agreement. "I recall the Captain of the Guards in Ostenda telling me you must consider any potential obstacles that might get thrown at you. Whenever a barrier takes place, you must be able to overcome it somehow."


    "That is correct," the brown-haired man confirmed.


    Lucas then got curious, wondering if anyone had ever beaten Master Stephen in a game of chess. "Have you ever lost in a chess match before?"


    "I have not. However, Edmund has come close to defeating me on several occasions as I taught him how to play chess. When he was a kid, he could easily overwhelm anyone else he played against, even those who were much older than him. Eventually, when he was fifteen years old, London held a chess tournament consisting only of the best two hundred fifty-six chess players in the world. Edmund breezed through every round until he was faced with a true test in the finals. Although his last opponent was a tough one, he was able to emerge victorious. I apologize in advance if I am bragging, but I felt I would have breezed through the entire tournament if I had participated. Edmund himself said that even if he really tried, he did not think he could defeat me," Stephen explained.


    "I do not think you are bragging at all. Since you taught him about chess, I figured you would know all his tactics and strategies." The Belgian prince then thought of something. "Are you and Edmund both chess grandmasters?"


    Stephen nodded. "We are. Outside of myself, no one has managed to defeat Edmund in a game of chess. I was named a chess grandmaster shortly after I completed my training with Noah. At the time, the best chess player in the world was Prince Hugo of Kingsham in Sweden. When I was set to face him in the final round, I was nervous. Considering I was only twenty years old at the time, I did not think I could beat him. Despite how jittery I felt, Noah reassured me I would do great, and no matter what, win or lose, he would be proud of me for making it as far as I did."


    "How did the match with Prince Hugo turn out?" Lucas asked, intrigued.


    "It was tense, to say the least. Everyone in Dublin, Ireland gathered around us to watch the game unfold before them. No matter what Prince Hugo and I did, we always seemed to anticipate each other''s moves. Both of us could not come up with a strategy to try to get a checkmate. The match lasted for several hours as we tried to come up with something neither of us would see coming," Stephen elaborated.


    "You won in the end, right?" the Belgian prince wondered.


    "I did. Everyone, myself included, were stunned I had managed to defeat the best chess player on the planet. Hugo was speechless, unable to say anything at first upon witnessing his first defeat," Stephen elaborated.


    "At least he was a good sport about it, right?" Lucas asked.


    "Fortunately, he was. Hugo stated I was officially a chess grandmaster for managing to beat him. The thing that surprised me the most, however, was what he said afterwards. He said I was the future of the game of chess, and he hoped that if anyone were to ever defeat me someday, he would be a great guy like me for showing good sportsmanship. Even though I was now the best chess player in the world after defeating Hugo, I never bragged about it, nor did I care about the title whatsoever. Having the grandmaster title is great, but I learned something very important from the experience. Noah told me that while winning awards and being bestowed titles were amazing, it was all about doing your best, no matter what. He also said you must give it your best effort while simultaneously doing it the correct way," Stephen explained.


    Lucas nodded with a grin. "I would like to thank you for taking your time to share this with me. While I am glad there are amazing people out there, it pains me to know that not everyone will turn out that way."


    "You are welcome, Luc," Stephen said. "What would you like to do now?"


    "Maybe after Edmund gets dressed, I could watch you and he play a chess match? I would like to see what strategies you guys use in chess," Lucas suggested.


    "Certainly," the brown-haired man nodded with a thumbs up.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Kristoff was in the castle stables, spending time with Sven.


    "How is everything going?" Kristoff spoke for Sven.


    "Everything is great, Sven. The three guests are fantastic guys. I''ve managed to get along with them quite well," the ice harvester replied.


    "That''s good to hear! Are you maybe going to do something with them again?" the ice harvester spoke for his reindeer pal.


    Kristoff chuckled. "Most likely. I was thinking we could possibly do something together like we did with Edmund and Lucas. Hopefully, we can have Stephen join us this time."


    The ice harvester was thinking about when the two princes had gone with him to harvest ice. It was a great opportunity to know more about the two men. This made Kristoff realize there were many great people in the world just like Anna and her sister. He wished everyone could be a great person, but Kristoff knew that not all people were bound to be good. Take Hans for example.


    "Were you planning on harvesting ice with the guests again?" the ice harvester spoke for Sven.


    "Since we already have enough ice to make it until next winter, it is highly unlikely we''ll need to do it again while they''re here. Maybe next time they visit Arendelle we can go ice harvesting again. It''s a shame only three people can fit in the sled including me," Kristoff said, thinking about how Stephen was unable to join them because of that.


    "Are there any unique qualities about the guests?" Kristoff spoke for Sven.


    "Well, they''re all wonderful guys in their own ways. Edmund, Lucas, and Stephen are all humble, smart, and polite. The guests are also incredibly strong. I''m sure they are significantly stronger than I am. Some differences between them are Steph seems to be the most serious of the three. He doesn''t smile as much as Ed or Luc, but he''s still a good guy. I suppose it could have something to do with him taking his mentorship with Edmund very seriously. Another thing was probably the influence his own master, Noah, had on him during his childhood. Noah did not tolerate failure, and I''m sure that might''ve turned Stephen into a more solemn individual," Kristoff explained.


    "What about the other guests?" Kristoff spoke for Sven.


    "Edmund and Lucas have been best friends since they were children. They were elated to see each other again after having not seen each other in over a decade. Both men seem to have very good self-confidence, as Lucas is a very cheerful man who usually talks pretty fast. I''m not saying he''s smarter than Edmund because of that. It''s just that it is who Lucas is and I have no doubt Edmund is perfectly fine with it. Ed seems to be the kind of guy who only acts aggressively whenever the situation calls for it. It was only after the hooded figure Stephen was talking about invading the castle I saw any of the guests upset. Other than that, I haven''t seen any of them angry or having a temper whatsoever," Kristoff elaborated.


    "I''m happy the guests are nice," the ice harvester spoke for Sven.


    Kristoff chuckled. "Yeah, me too, Sven. I guess I should be glad Elsa invited them over for Christmas this year."


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    After Edmund had his bath and got into some fresh clothes, he exited the bathroom.


    "Edmund, Lucas would like to see you and I play a chess match and see what we usually do when playing," Stephen said.


    "Of course! We still have plenty of time until dinner, so why not?" Edmund replied with a beam.


    Stephen nodded with approval as he and his student made their way to the chess board. As they did their chess match, Lucas watched closely to learn any potential strategies that might help him improve his chess skills.


    What the Belgian prince noticed was Edmund and Stephen tried to take control of the center of the chessboard. He realized it made a lot of sense to try to seize the middle of the board. Pieces in the center had much more maneuverability than pieces that were stuck in a corner.


    The game between Edmund and Stephen went on for much longer than the match between Lucas and Stephen. As the match went on, the dirty-blonde haired man watched carefully; he was inspecting each move the two chess grandmasters made.


    Stephen eventually won the match. "Checkmate," he replied.


    "I have never seen a checkmate like this before. Seems we are learning new things every day, right Master?" Edmund asked.


    "Of course, Edmund," Stephen replied. "Now that our match has concluded, would you like us to show you some strategies, Luc?"


    "Yes please," Lucas stated.


    "Since Edmund and I basically use the same tactics and strategies, I will let him teach you," the brown-haired man said.


    "Sounds good," Lucas responded with a beam.


    Edmund then got ready to instruct his best friend about chess.


    "As you may have noticed, Master Stephen and I were attempting to seize the center of the chessboard." He grabbed the white knight pieces and placed one in a corner, the other toward the center of the board. "For example, when a knight is in a corner, you only have two options to where you can move it. When it is near the center, however, you have up to eight different squares you can move the knight to."


    "Having pieces like that near the center allows for more flexibility, based on what my father told me," Lucas said.


    "Exactly. That way you have a greater chance at capturing a key piece of your opponent," Edmund explained. "A key first move is to move one of the pawns closest to the center of the board. This opens pathways for the more powerful pieces to get into battle for the central portion of the board."


    Lucas nodded in understanding as he listened to his best friend.


    "Good chess strategy is playing each piece once to its best square, developing them all in turn, and moving your chess pieces off from where they begin. You want to get your pieces into the game as rapidly as possible and get them to where they can accomplish something, whether it is aiding your attack or defense of the center. Seldom will you move the same piece more than once in the chess opening," Edmund explained.


    "Makes sense," Lucas said.


    "Another important strategy is keeping your king safe, so castle early and get him behind your wing pawns. Castling is a great way to safeguard your king from any sudden chess tactics and even checkmate. It gets the king away from the center and develops one of your rooks at the same time. This is a top-level chess strategy," Edmund elaborated.


    "When it comes to the pawns, it is wise to only advance one or two pawns. Moving too many pawns can weaken your defense and result in losing many key pieces early," the English prince continued.


    Lucas nodded.


    "One last thing that is a great strategy in chess is to make threats when developing pieces and try to limit your opponent''s freedom of choice," Edmund finished.


    The Belgian prince nodded. "I thank you for taking the time to help me understand chess better Edmund."


    "Of course, Lucas," Edmund replied before noticing the sky outside. "It looks like it is almost dinner time now."


    "Maybe we should head to the Great Hall now," Stephen suggested.


    "Yeah, let''s do it," Edmund replied as the three guests made their way to the Great Hall for dinner.

 Chapter 13

    I would like to thank roxygoth, BurningFox6, krystal lazuli, and LukeJames for beta reading and helping me improve!


    Feedback is always appreciated!


    Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen. Frozen is owned by Disney. I only lay claim to Prince Edmund, Prince Lucas, and Master Stephen.


    Chapter 13


    After the royals had dinner and dessert, Edmund approached Elsa as everyone left the Great Hall. "Excuse me, Elsa? Since Master Stephen has already demonstrated his piano playing skills, I was wondering if I could showcase mine?"


    The Snow Queen nodded at the suggestion. "Of course, Ed."


    Elsa and the English prince made their way to the ballroom. Upon reaching their destination, Edmund prepared himself to play the piano. Before he began, he asked, "Is there any piece in particular you would like me to play?"


    The Ice Queen smiled. "You may play whatever piece you like, Edmund."


    Edmund thought for a moment before deciding on Ludwig van Beethoven''s Hammerklavier piano sonata. "I shall play Beethoven''s twenty-ninth piano sonata. Since there are four movements in the piece, I will only play the first movement."


    Elsa smiled as Edmund situated himself at the piano and began to play. Just like his master, the Snow Queen noticed the facial expressions of the English prince remained the same. The black-haired prince had a face that seemed expressionless. Despite the lack of facial expressions, Edmund poured emotion into his fingers as he flawlessly performed the piece.


    The Ice Queen also noticed that despite being much younger than Stephen, Edmund put on a spectacular display. Edmund''s performance took about eleven minutes to perform.


    Once the English prince had concluded, Elsa was speechless. Edmund''s exquisite performance was just as good as Stephen''s if not better.


    "What did you think, Elsa?" Edmund asked.


    "You and Stephen are two of the best pianists I have ever met. It is honestly impossible to tell which one of you gentlemen is better at the piano," Elsa replied.


    "I take it you enjoyed it, right?" the English prince wondered.


    "Very much so," the Snow Queen replied with a beam. "I am thinking you and Stephen should have a concert someday."


    Edmund grinned at the praise Elsa was giving him. "Master Stephen and I have considered it since we take not only our training very seriously, but the piano as well. He and I both can play the piano for hours without stopping. It is just that our training has not allowed for any concerts to come to fruition."


    "It is a shame you and Stephen have not shown your piano skills to the world. Everyone would love your performances," Elsa said.


    "Well, since Master Stephen and I only train for about two hours every day, I will have to talk to him about it since we now have a lot more time on our hands than we did before," Edmund stated.


    "At least you still train enough to keep your skills keen, right?" Elsa asked.


    Edmund nodded. "Yes. It was after I had mastered every fighting style known to man that he finally found a way to greatly reduce training time while continuing to improve our skills."


    "I am happy you have a way to prevent your skills from diminishing after all that work you put into it," Elsa said with a sigh of relief.


    There was a moment of silence before the English prince broke it. "If I may ask, do you have any plans for tomorrow?"


    The Snow Queen shook her head. "Other than having a meeting with the council in the morning, like I do every morning, I do not have anything on my agenda."


    Edmund mulled over what he and Elsa could possibly do tomorrow. "Would you like to go get gifts for everyone with me? I could use some insight into what would be perfect for your sister and the others here in Arendelle. You could also help me find just the right stores since I do not know the town as well as my home."


    "Yes. I would like that," Elsa replied.


    The English prince nodded. "Perfect. I was thinking we begin with a store of your choice tomorrow, and then I will choose one, and so on."


    "That is a good idea. I appreciate that you are thinking of everyone in the castle, Edmund," Elsa said.


    "Of course," Edmund stated.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    After the English prince had bid Elsa goodnight, he was in his best friend''s guestroom. Lucas and Edmund were talking to each other.


    "You really like Elsa, do you?" Lucas wondered.


    "I suppose I do, yes. However, it is still too early to let her know how I feel," Edmund said.


    "I agree. Nevertheless, I think you should jump at your chance to ask her out once you see the opportunity," the Belgian prince suggested.


    Edmund nodded. "There is also something else I would like to talk about in regard to that."


    "Okay. What about it?" Lucas asked.


    "Tomorrow will be the second time I spend time with Elsa. Am I correct?" Edmund asked.


    "Yes. Counting today, tomorrow would make it twice," Lucas confirmed.


    "I was thinking after I spend a little more time with her, I take a step back and give you a chance to spend time with Elsa," Edmund explained.


    The dirty-blonde haired man''s eyes widened in surprise. "Are you sure about this Edmund? While I greatly appreciate you giving me a chance to inspire Elsa, will you be upset if she were to choose me over you?"


    The black-haired man shook his head. "I am positive about this. You may have said I would be a good match for her, but I think you would be as well. While I understand only one man can be her true love, I am beginning to think one of us could possibly be the right man for her."


    "I suppose that is what friends are for, right?" Lucas asked with a chuckle.


    "Yes," Edmund confirmed with a charming grin.


    "Since you had that snowball fight with Elsa today, what will you do with her tomorrow?" Lucas asked.


    "I was thinking we would do some shopping for gifts. As I will most likely get something for you, I would like to make sure there is no way you can ruin the surprise," Edmund stated.


    "That is a good idea. You will not have to worry about me seeing my potential gift prematurely. I will make sure to find something to do to keep me busy tomorrow," Lucas winked.


    Edmund chuckled. "While I am unsure what Elsa and I will do after tomorrow, I will figure something out. Did you have something in mind you would like to do with her?"


    Lucas thought about it. "I would like to wait until after you have spent more time with her first before deciding. That way we do not end up doing the same thing with her. We have both got to find some unique activities to do with her."


    "You make a valid point there," Edmund replied.


    "What do you have planned for after tomorrow with her?" Lucas asked.


    "I was thinking of maybe taking her for a stroll around the town. Maybe even take her to a concert or something. I am not sure what would be a better fit for her, but I will think of something," Edmund stated.


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    "Getting to experience a concert or even a play would be something I would consider doing with Elsa. Perhaps we should decide who will do a concert with her and who will do a play," Lucas suggested.


    "In that case, I guess I will take her to a play, and you can have her experience a concert?" Edmund suggested.


    Lucas nodded in agreement. "If that is how you like it, then we shall have it that way."


    Edmund chuckled. "Of course."


    The Belgian prince smiled in return.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Stephen was patrolling the castle once more. Upon finishing his dinner and dessert for the evening, he decided to give the palace one more lookout before going to sleep.


    After he had concluded, Captain William was waiting for him. "I cannot thank you enough for helping protect the palace, Sir Stephen. How can I ever repay you?"


    Stephen merely shrugged. "No payment will be necessary, Captain. I am just trying to do the right thing and keep those I care about safe from anyone with nefarious intentions."


    The captain nodded in acknowledgement. "Once again, I am very appreciative of what you have done during your stay here. I shall get to patrolling the castle now. Good night, Sir Stephen."


    "Good night, Captain," the brown-haired man said, saluting the captain, who returned the favor.


    Soon the Captain was out of sight, disappearing down a hallway to check on how things in the palace were.


    As Stephen walked back to his guestroom, his thoughts drifted to Edmund. He remembered when his student was spending time with the Snow Queen during the day while Stephen himself was patrolling the castle. Stephen was starting to wonder if Edmund had developed a crush on Elsa. Having never had a girl himself, the brown-haired man was hoping someday Edmund would settle down and find someone to start a family with. Stephen knew it was most likely too late to find someone, as he was less than one month away from turning fifty years old. The brown-haired man knew, however, that Edmund had an abundance of time as he was only twenty-two years old, barely coming up on his twenty-third birthday.


    Despite Edmund getting to do more leisurely activities than him, Stephen did not mind one bit. In fact, he was happy the black-haired prince was getting to know more about the Ice Queen. Stephen had to admit that Elsa and Edmund would be a good match for each other. That is, if their relationship did go beyond a friendship. The brown-haired man hoped it would eventually blossom into romance, but he knew it would be unwise to get involved. He knew Edmund could take care of himself and was smart enough to know what to do in an attempt to win Elsa''s heart.


    By the time the brown-haired man had reached his guestroom, Edmund was there, reading a book he had found in the castle library.


    "Hello Edmund. Is everything going alright?" Stephen asked.


    "Yes, Master. Everything is going great," Edmund replied, setting the book onto a nightstand.


    "I just finished patrolling the palace for the evening," Stephen said.


    "Was there anything suspicious, Master?" Edmund wondered.


    Stephen shook his head. "Nothing to report. Captain William is guarding the castle now."


    The English prince beamed. "I am thrilled to hear the figure and his men have not invaded the castle again." His grin then faded. "Why did they not bother trying to attack us again? Do you think they might be planning a different approach for next time?"


    "It is hard to tell now. Captain William informed me the prisoners had escaped. There was not a trace of them to be found. I cannot help but wonder if the teleportation abilities he has that you were talking about had something to do with it?" Stephen inquired.


    Edmund nodded solemnly. "I am afraid so, Master. Perhaps he used his abilities to get every single one of his men in the dungeon out of there. This is beginning to worry me a little bit. Who knows what other abilities he might have besides teleporting?"


    "I guess the only way to find out is for him to attack the castle again. Now that Lucas has had some training under me, he should be just as prepared as we are when he returns," Stephen said.


    "I am sure Luc will be just fine now that he has been shown the same abilities as us," Edmund replied. "Maybe we should change the subject to something a little sunnier."


    Stephen nodded. "I was just beginning to think the same thing. Will you be spending more time with Elsa tomorrow or some other day?"


    "Yes. We made it clear though that until we have known each other for long enough, we are just friends," Edmund stated. "Elsa and I were planning on going to get gifts for everyone in the shops around the town. Is there anything you would like for Christmas this year, Master? You will be turning fifty only a week after Christmas, after all."


    The brown-haired man had to think about that. "I would appreciate it if you got me something. However, it will not be necessary, Edmund. I am happy with everything I have right now as we speak."


    "I know. That is why I am glad you are my instructor. You are an easygoing fellow who does not ask for a lot," Edmund praised.


    Stephen smiled. "As you are as well."


    Edmund grinned. "Even though you said gifts are not necessary for you, I would still like to get you something. Turning fifty is a huge milestone. You are halfway to the century mark."


    "Indeed I am. Nothing would thrill me more than for you, me, Matthew, and everyone in the Arendelle family to live long, happy lives," Stephen said, smiling.


    "Same here. We will try, Master. Really, we will try. If I may ask, how old was Noah when he died?" Edmund wondered.


    "Noah was eighty-six when he succumbed to a heart attack. This means that when I was born, he was sixty-six," Stephen replied.


    "I am surprised he was almost seventy years older than you. Why did he train you and not someone who was friendlier?" Edmund wondered.


    Stephen shrugged. "Noah was the best personal instructor at the time of my birth. Even though my parents were reluctant to have him train me due to his violent temper, they agreed to let him train me."


    "Please tell me he did not abuse you or anything like that," Edmund said, concern in his voice and on his face.


    "As strict as Noah was, he never punished me physically. He just made me do something repeatedly until I was successful if I failed to do it correctly the first time," Stephen explained.


    "You never did anything like that to me, Master. It pains me to know what would have happened had Noah been my instructor," the English prince stated, concerned.


    "He did apologize to me after I completed my training. Until then though, he very seldom chose to show the good heart he had deep inside of him. Only after he apologized did I realize there was good in him, after all. Even with the harsh training I went through, he was never truly evil," Stephen assured.


    Edmund sighed with relief. "Thank goodness he was not an evil mastermind. I am glad you made amends with him before his death."


    "Me too," Stephen replied. He then thought of something. "There is something I need to ask you, Edmund."


    "What is it, Master?" Edmund wondered.


    "Do you like Elsa?" Stephen asked.


    The question caught the English prince off-guard. "Lucas asked me that question earlier. I suppose I do like her. However, like I said earlier, it is premature to ask her on an actual date. After spending some more time with her, I plan on taking a step back to let Lucas get an opportunity to spend time with her."


    Stephen''s eyes widened. "You would do that for Lucas?"


    "Of course. I know only one man can eventually be the right one for the Snow Queen, but I think Lucas should get his turn to try to woo Elsa. He is my best friend, after all," Edmund elaborated.


    "That is true," Stephen acknowledged. "The fact you are willing to do that for Lucas says it all; you are loyal to those you care about."


    "Well, I try," Edmund said modestly. "Would you like to play another match of chess before we go to sleep, Master?"


    Stephen nodded. "Yes please."


    The two men went over to the chess table in preparation for their chess match.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Anna and Kristoff were in the princess'' room, spending time with each other. After Kristoff felt like he had managed to spend enough time with his reindeer pal, he decided to see what his girlfriend was up to.


    "How was your day, Anna? Did you do anything?" Kristoff asked.


    "Oh, I just relaxed all day. Once Elsa was done with her meeting, she spent some time in the town with Edmund," Anna replied.


    "How did that go? Elsa told you right?" the ice harvester wondered.


    "Yes, she did. Elsa said she had a wonderful time with Edmund," the princess smiled. "I think she''s beginning to like him."


    "Edmund is a good man; I must admit it. I''m glad he and the rest of the guests are doing whatever it takes to know everyone here in the castle better," Kristoff told her. "While I am happy she had a great time with the English prince, I should remind you the three guests haven''t even been here for a week yet."


    "Yeah, I know. Elsa said she and Edmund only went into town as friends," Anna replied.


    "It''s good to hear the English prince didn''t ask Elsa to marry him the day they arrived," Kristoff stated. "I know you would like your sister to be happy, Anna. As do I. However, only Elsa herself can know who the right man is for her. Maybe it is Edmund or Lucas, but for now, we should just let her take care of the situation she is in. Elsa can take care of herself."


    "I know. That is why I''m glad to have her as my sister," Anna said. "It''s just that I really hope Elsa will find the right man for her someday. She deserves to be with someone that will make her happy, as I am with you, Kristoff. You are the one for me, Kristoff Bjorgman."


    The ice harvester grinned. "I''m glad I could make you happy, Anna. At first, I didn''t think I would ever get romantically involved with someone. That is until I met you. You helped open up the world around me, and I realized you and I have a lot in common. Upon the end of the eternal winter, I realized people aren''t nearly as bad as I thought they were. It also made me realize we are a good match for each other."


    "Ah, you''re so sweet, Kristoff," Anna said as she leaned forward and kissed him. The ice harvester happily returned the kiss. Once they were out of breath, they pulled apart.


    "I''m going to get some sleep. Good night, Anna," Kristoff said with a beam.


    "Good night, Kristoff. I love you," Anna replied.


    The ice harvester leaned down and kissed her forehead. "I love you too." Anna and Kristoff looked at each other lovingly one more time before the ice harvester left Anna''s room to allow the princess some rest.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Little did Anna and Kristoff know they were being watched. Outside the princess'' room, in a position where they could not be seen, was the figure and one of his men. The figure was floating with his black jacket and hood swaying ever so slightly in the winter breeze. Next to him was his assistant, floating on a magical square the figure had formed to keep him from falling.


    "What do we do now, Boss?" the man asked the figure.


    "We wait until tomorrow when at least one of the guests leaves the castle. Then we strike when the palace is not as guarded," the figure replied.


    "Why don''t we attack now?" the man wondered.


    "Patience," the figure answered. "The castle is more guarded at night when the guards are patrolling the building. As I have told you and everyone else before, Edmund is mine. No one gets to touch him except me. Am I clear?"


    "Crystal, Boss," the man replied.


    "Excellent. The other guests I will be more than happy to let you attack. We shall inform the rest of the men about my plan. Tomorrow, we will strike the castle at noon," the figure said.


    "Yes, Boss," the man replied as he and the figure floated away unseen to return to their hideout on top of the mountain outside of the kingdom.

 Chapter 14

    I would like to thank roxygoth, BurningFox6, krystal lazuli, and LukeJames for beta reading and helping me improve!


    Feedback is always appreciated!


    Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen. Frozen is owned by Disney. I only lay claim to Prince Edmund, Prince Lucas, and Master Stephen.


    Chapter 14


    Elsa came out from the conference room upon completing her daily meeting with the council. Outside the room, Edmund was waiting for her.


    "Good morning, Elsa. I assume your meeting went well?" Edmund asked.


    The Snow Queen nodded. "Yes. The council and I were discussing how the kingdom will have enough food to last us through the winter."


    "Arendelle has enough food, right?" the English prince asked with some concern in his voice.


    Elsa gave him a reassuring smile. "The harvest went very well during the autumn. We will be just fine."


    Edmund sighed with relief. "I am glad the kingdom will not have to worry about any food shortages."


    "Me too," Elsa replied. "Since you are the guest, I decided to let you choose where we go first in the town."


    "Well," Edmund thought about it for a moment. "I was thinking of giving that caf¨¦ Master Stephen mentioned a try since it is lunchtime now."


    "Then that is what we will do first," Elsa stated.


    Edmund gave a charming smile. "I am sure it will be great. Master Stephen told me the food there is good."


    The two royals walked out of the castle, toward the town. As they approached the town, Elsa could not help but notice Edmund''s handsome looks. Her sister was right. The English prince was easily one of the handsomest men she had ever met. Lucas and Stephen were also breathtakingly handsome. Elsa knew the three guests cared very deeply about their appearances, not only because they were royalty, but because they knew they had to look presentable if they would like to have friends.


    Upon reaching their destination, Edmund politely held the door open for Elsa, letting her enter first. He then followed her into the caf¨¦.


    Surprisingly, it was not as busy as it was the last time the English prince had visited with Lucas. Nevertheless, Edmund saw the owner hard at work making sure to get every order correct.


    Once the two royals reached the front of the line, the owner smiled at seeing Edmund again. "Good morning, sir! It''s so good to see you again!"


    Edmund grinned. "It is good to see you too. If I may ask, what is your name, sir?"


    "My name is Robert, my good sir. What''s your name?" Robert asked.


    "I am Prince Edmund of England," Edmund greeted.


    Robert''s eyes widened in surprise. He had not expected a prince to stumble into his establishment. Upon noticing he was with Elsa, he bowed respectfully, taking care not to hit his head or knock anything over.


    "It is my pleasure to serve you, Your Majesties. What can I get for you two today?" Robert wondered.


    "I will have the same thing as last time please?" Edmund said.


    "Of course!" Robert exclaimed. "What can I get for you today, Queen Elsa?"


    Elsa thought about it for a moment. "Could you excuse me for just a second please, Robert?"


    "Of course, Your Majesty. Take all the time you need," Robert replied with a reassuring grin.


    The Ice Queen turned to Edmund. "What did you get last time you were here, Ed?"


    "I had a turkey sandwich with a green tea to drink," Edmund responded. "They were both really good."


    "You know? I think I will have that too," Elsa replied before turning to Robert. "I will have the same thing as Edmund, except I would like water to drink please."


    "Anything for you, Your Majesty," Robert stated as Elsa and Edmund took turns paying for their food and drink. "I''ll have everything done shortly," Robert beamed as he went to work on the royals'' orders upon receiving the money.


    Elsa and Edmund sat down and made themselves comfortable. The Snow Queen then thought of the figure and his men. She could not help but wonder if any of the townspeople have seen anything related to them.


    "Have you seen that figure and his men since they attacked us?" Elsa asked.


    Edmund shook his head. "I have not. Lucas and Master Stephen said they have not seen any sign of them either. I am beginning to think they might be coming up with an evil plan to attack us again."


    The Ice Queen nodded solemnly in agreement. "Do you happen to know what the group might be called?"


    "I am afraid not. The prisoners escaped without leaving anything behind," Edmund replied.


    "Stephen told Captain William about that, and he said his teleportation abilities might have been the reason why," Elsa said.


    "Perhaps the figure utilized his abilities to teleport himself into the prison to break them out, and then used his abilities on his men to help them escape," Edmund stated.


    "Most likely," Elsa replied in agreement.


    It would not be long before the royals'' orders were brought to them.


    "There you two are! Is there anything else I can get for you, Your Majesties?" an employee asked.


    "I am good. Thank you," Edmund replied.


    "I think I am okay. Thank you," Elsa stated.


    "Of course! Enjoy!" the employee said with a grin.


    As the two royals ate their sandwiches, they continued to talk about the figure and his men.


    "Do you think Robert might have seen the figure himself?" Edmund asked.


    "Maybe. Once we are finished eating, we should ask him if he has seen anything suspicious," Elsa suggested.


    "That is a good idea," Edmund said in agreement.


    Once the two royals completed their meals, they went up to the counter. Robert noticed them and approached the two.


    "How was everything? Did you like it?" Robert asked.


    Both royals nodded. "We enjoyed it a lot," Edmund replied.


    "I''m happy to hear that! Is there anything else I can do for you two?" Robert wondered.


    "Yes. Have you seen anything out of the ordinary as of late?" Elsa asked.


    Robert shook his head. "I have not seen anything unusual since the frozen summer back in July."


    "That is okay. Thanks anyway Robert," Edmund replied.


    "Of course, Your Highness. If you ever need anything, you can come to me, and I will do my best to help. Should I notice anything odd, I will let you know," Robert explained.


    "Thank you, Robert. The food was delicious. I will see you again soon," Elsa said with a beam.


    "Anything for you, Queen Elsa. You and Prince Edmund be careful out there, and you both have a great rest of your day," Robert responded with a grin.


    "I appreciate the help, Robert. We will see you next time," the English prince said as he and Elsa waved to Robert as they left the caf¨¦.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Stephen was patrolling the castle, keeping a close eye on any potential attacks from the figure and his men. The brown-haired man realized it was after eleven o''clock. This meant it was Captain William''s turn to guard the palace.


    He walked to the Great Hall. Sure enough, the captain was waiting for him outside of it.


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "I believe it is your turn now, Captain," Stephen said.


    "You are correct, Sir Stephen. Enjoy your break," the captain replied as the two men went their separate ways.


    Before they could get very far, however, the hooded figure appeared in front of them with a malicious smile.


    "Good morning, gentlemen," the figure greeted evilly.


    Stephen and Captain William unsheathed their swords. "What are you doing here?!" Stephen demanded lividly.


    "To destroy you, of course," the figure responded.


    "Get out of the castle!" Captain William roared as he charged at the figure.


    The figure disappeared as the captain attempted to drive his sword into him, reappearing and then sending the captain flying with a powerful punch. This in turn knocked Captain William''s sword out of his grasp.


    "Captain!" Stephen gasped as he rushed forward to help the captain out.


    However, the figure waved his hand at Stephen, sending his sword flying out of his hands. Improvising, Stephen grabbed his bow from his back and began to fire arrows at the figure. Unfortunately, the arrows would simply vanish as soon as they struck the figure. The figure did not seem to be getting harmed in the slightest with each hit.


    "Is that really all you got, old man?" the figure taunted as he got his own bow out to shoot Stephen.


    The figure fired an arrow at Stephen, who easily caught it with his hand before the arrow could strike him.


    "I ask you again. What are you doing here, and what in the blazes do you want?!" Stephen shouted.


    "What I want is revenge on your student, Edmund. For what he did to me," the figure replied with disgust.


    "How do you know Edmund?" Stephen asked in surprise as his eyes widened.


    "You will know soon enough," the figure responded with a death glare.


    Captain William had recovered and retrieved his sword. He charged at the figure once more. The figure dodged the attack with little effort and sent the captain flying backwards. He then did the same to Stephen.


    Realizing what the figure was trying to do, Captain William attempted to get up. Before he could, however, Stephen flew right into the captain, landing right onto his left knee.


    Stephen immediately leaped up and faced the figure with an exasperated look.


    Captain William, however, remained on the ground, clutching his left knee.


    The figure took notice of this and sadistically stated, "Looks like your precious Captain is hurting. Ha!"


    Stephen turned around and gazed at the captain with concern.


    "Do not worry about me, Sir Stephen! You must continue fighting him!" Captain William exclaimed, trying to stand up. With the amount of pain his knee was in, he was unable to do so.


    Stephen turned his attention back onto the figure, who was now clutching Brutality Gaziniblade in his right hand.


    "You are going to pay for what you did to Captain William, you wastrel," Stephen said venomously.


    "Let''s dance," the figure replied mercilessly, twirling his great sword with his fingers.


    The brown-haired man made sure to let the figure make the first move. If there was one good thing Noah taught him during his training, it was to not recklessly charge at your opponent when you had no idea what they might have up their sleeves. He simultaneously made sure to protect the injured captain.


    The figure teleported behind the two men and began to bring his great sword down towards the helpless captain.


    Stephen anticipated the move. He swiftly turned around and managed to use his own sword to block the blow, saving Captain William''s life.


    Stephen then swung his sword at the figure, who dodged it and tried to strike Stephen with his weapon. The brown-haired man jumped over the sword as it swung beneath his feet.


    Once he landed, Stephen lunged at the figure and tried performing a flying kick on him. The figure halted the attack and threw his fist at Stephen. Seeing what the figure was doing, Stephen hindered the attack. In response, the figure swung his sword at the brown-haired man, who ducked and rolled briefly on the floor before swiftly getting back up.


    "I know Edmund is here in Arendelle with you somewhere. Where is he right now?!" the figure demanded.


    "Wouldn''t you like to know?" Stephen replied sarcastically.


    "Wrong choice of words," the figure responded with another swing of his sword. Stephen dodged and tried to perform the same technique he did with one of his men to get the great sword out of his grasp. Unfortunately, Stephen could not get Brutality Gaziniblade from the figure, despite not injuring himself in the process.


    "Trying to do some tricks on me, I see," the figure remarked. "You have got to do better than that, old man!"


    "That is Stephen, to you," Stephen retorted.


    "I know what your name is, scumbag. Die!" the figure furiously slashed his sword at Stephen, who merely dodged each swing or blocked the others.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Elsa and Edmund left the caf¨¦. As soon as they closed the door, something caught Edmund''s attention. He saw someone who had identical clothing to the figure''s men walking by.


    "Elsa, stay here and get somewhere safe," Edmund said as he began chasing after the man.


    "Edmund, wait!" Elsa exclaimed as she ran after the English prince.


    The man noticed Edmund and began dashing through the town.


    "You! Hold it right there!" Edmund called after the man.


    "Catch me if you can, slowpoke!" the man retorted as they kept running.


    The man had to be working for the figure. Edmund was certain about it.


    No one could run as fast as the English prince. Aside from Lucas and Stephen.


    Edmund sprinted through the streets of the town, taking care to weave through the area gently to avoid running into any petrified citizens he ran by. The man Edmund was chasing, on the other hand, shoved people out of his way and tried to throw random objects in the English prince''s path.


    Edmund at one point saw the man throw a rolling barrel right at him. The English prince effortlessly jumped over the barrel and proceeded rushing after the man.


    Soon the man darted into a house. Edmund shook his head in dismay as he entered the house.


    As soon as the English prince entered the house, he saw no sign of the man. Telling himself to remain alert, he searched the house, eventually arriving in the living room.


    The man was gazing down upon the English prince, aiming his crossbow at him.


    Edmund heard the click of a crossbow and swiftly gazed up, spotting the man armed with a crossbow. The man fired it, and Edmund caught the arrow with his hand.


    Seeing the English prince stop the arrow, the man turned and darted away from Edmund.


    Edmund resumed pursuing the man, hoping to catch him before he could hurt anyone.


    The black-haired prince leapt up the stairs after the man. He then saw the man open a window and leap out. Reaching the window, Edmund gazed out, searching frantically for the man. He found him clinging to the side of another house in front of him. The man was sliding along the house, trying to lose the English prince. Edmund then leapt out the window and grabbed hold of the house himself. The English prince glanced downwards and saw it was a long way down. Thus, he knew he could not let go or else he could suffer a serious injury.


    Pushing those thoughts aside, Edmund followed the man, who had lunged onto the snow-covered roof of a different house. The English prince swung himself onto the roof, darting past a chimney. The chase went from roof to roof, until Edmund finally managed to catch the man atop a balcony. Edmund struggled with the man, until they both fell off and landed in a large snowbank.


    Edmund seized his chance and pinned both the man''s arms to the ground. "Talk right now, you scoundrel. What is the name of the group of guys that attacked the castle? Who oversees it?"


    The man remained silent.


    "I am not going to ask you again," Edmund said dangerously, withdrawing a hidden dagger from his belt and holding it to the man''s throat.


    The noxious look on the English prince''s face and feeling the cold metal pressed to his throat was enough to get the man to cooperate.


    "The name of the group is Brotherhood of Darkness," the man replied anxiously.


    "Who is their leader?" Edmund asked banefully.


    "I don''t know," the man responded.


    Edmund retaliated by squeezing the man''s wrists, which made him gasp in pain.


    "I swear I don''t know! I''ve never seen his face!" the man shouted desperately as Edmund released his tight grip. The English prince kept the man pinned, however.


    "Let me get this straight. You have never seen what your master looks like outside of that black jacket and hood?" Edmund asked skeptically.


    "Yes! Just please don''t kill me!" the man pleaded.


    "I am not going to kill you," Edmund responded. The man breathed a sigh of relief.


    "That does not mean I cannot do this, however," the English prince finished as he knocked the man unconscious with a swift, powerful punch.


    "Edmund!" Elsa exclaimed as she finally managed to catch up to the English prince. "Are you alright?"


    Edmund nodded, placing his dagger back on his belt. "I am okay. Are you?"


    The Snow Queen nodded before looking at the man Edmund had knocked out. "You did not kill him, did you?" she stated with a gasp.


    "Elsa, he is not dead. He is unconscious. I finally managed to get the name of the group of guys he is in that follow the figure," Edmund said.


    "What is the group called?" Elsa asked.


    "They are called Brotherhood of Darkness, according to what this imbecile said," Edmund explained, gesturing to the unconscious man before them.


    "What about the figure? Did you finally manage to see who he really is?" the Snow Queen asked.


    The black-haired man shook his head with a sigh. "I am afraid I still have no idea who he is. Even his own followers do not know who he is, apparently."


    "What do you mean by that, Edmund?" the Ice Queen asked.


    The English prince made another gesture towards the man before them. "I tried to get him to spill the beans and reveal the identity of the leader of Brotherhood of Darkness. However, he said he had not seen his face. Thus, he did not know who he is," he explained before he began to realize something. "Oh no."


    Elsa''s eyes widened with concern. "What is wrong, Ed?"


    "I think the figure is attacking the castle. We need to get back there now!" Edmund exclaimed.


    "Yes, we do. Before he hurts anyone," Elsa said in understanding and determination as she and the English prince rushed to the palace as fast as they could.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Lucas was in the library, reading a tome about the history of the kingdom of Arendelle. He was fascinated by the kingdom''s earlier decades and who ruled before Elsa and Anna''s parents.


    As he continued reading, Lucas thought he heard swords clashing against each other.


    Setting the book back on the shelf, the Belgian prince opened the door and listened. He then heard yelling and the sounds of an intense battle.


    Realization struck him as he began to rush to his room and grab his saber. "I have got to help Stephen out. That figure must be attacking him," Lucas said aloud.


    Once Lucas had his saber in his possession, his perseverance took over. He burst through the hallways, running faster than he ever had in his life. While he had no doubt Stephen could hold his own, the figure''s abilities nonetheless worried him. Lucas was not going to let anything happen to Stephen or anyone else.


    Lucas reached a corner, making sure to stay hidden. He peered around the corner and saw the figure slashing his sword at Stephen. The brown-haired man was masterfully dodging each attack. Lucas also saw Captain William lying on the ground, clutching his left knee. The dirty-blonde haired man presumed the figure injured the captain. Lucas gazed at Captain William''s knee in concern. He knew the captain needed medical attention as soon as possible.


    What Lucas noticed, however, was Stephen slowly being backed up into a corner by the figure.


    Deducing what the figure was going to do, the Belgian prince slowly and stealthily made his way out of his hiding place and crept up on the figure. He hoped the figure would not notice him.


    Captain William noticed Lucas, and the Belgian prince held a finger to his lips. The captain nodded, making sure not to blow the Belgian prince''s cover.


    As the figure continued attacking Stephen, the brown-haired man spotted Lucas behind the figure. He pretended not to, however, knowing what the Belgian prince had in mind.


    Stephen did whatever he could do in order to keep the figure distracted.


    The figure then waved his hand, nearly sending Stephen flying into a wall. As Stephen attempted to stand up, the figure then stuck his hand out, immobilizing the brown-haired man.


    "I tire of your arrogance, old man," the figure snarled as he approached the stunned man in front of him.


    "You are one to talk," Stephen retorted.


    "Shut up!" the figure responded as he moved his hand to silence Stephen. "Once I finish you off, Edmund is as good as dead. Then the rest of the kingdom will be next."


    Unable to move a single muscle, Stephen glared at the figure defiantly. He was not going to let the figure see any fear from him whatsoever.


    The figure raised his sword high above his head, ready to decapitate Stephen. "Goodbye, Stephen. I thank you for the fun while it lasted. Now, the party is over," the figure sneered as he brought his great sword down.

 Chapter 15

    I would like to thank roxygoth, BurningFox6, krystal lazuli, and LukeJames for beta reading and helping me improve!


    Feedback is always appreciated!


    Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen. Frozen is owned by Disney. I only lay claim to Prince Edmund, Prince Lucas, and Master Stephen.


    Chapter 15


    Before the figure''s sword could strike Stephen, Lucas lunged in between the two and parried the blow with his saber.


    "Fool! Must there always be some vile scoundrel ruining my plans?!" the hooded figure yelled in frustration.


    "Excuse you. The only scoundrel around here is you," Lucas retorted, shoving the figure''s great sword away from Stephen.


    The figure responded by swinging his sword at the Belgian prince. With his newfound abilities under Stephen''s teachings, Lucas rolled out of the way and threw his saber at the figure. The figure ducked out of the way and teleported behind Lucas.


    Lucas turned around swiftly and threw a punch at the figure. The figure caught the Belgian prince''s fist and pushed him backwards.


    Lucas recovered quickly and landed on his feet. He promptly got his longbow out and fired an arrow at the figure. The figure flicked his hand, sending the arrow back at the Belgian prince. Lucas caught the arrow and threw it back at the figure, who caught the arrow and crushed it in his palm.


    "Seems I was wrong. Edmund is not the only one I should be after. I am after you as well for what you did to him!" the figure yelled angrily.


    "What in tarnation are you talking about? I did not do anything to Edmund!" Lucas responded, confused.


    "Yes, you did! You turned him against me!" the figure answered while charging at Lucas and trying to strike him with his sword.


    The Belgian prince jumped out of the way to avoid getting sliced by the sword. "Okay, who are you? How do you know Edmund? Do you even know who I am?"


    "I know who you are. You are Prince Lucas of Ostenda. Are you not?" the figure asked.


    Lucas nodded. "Who are you? Show yourself right now," the Belgian prince demanded.


    "You are in no position to tell me what to do, imbecile. Sooner or later, you will know who I am, along with everyone else here in Arendelle," the figure stated. "Just wait until you see me at my utmost potential. You will not stop me or my men the next time we strike the castle. Until we meet again," the figure closed with an evil laugh as he vanished in thin air.


    Lucas stood still in his tracks for a moment before seeing that Stephen was freed from whatever was holding him still as a statue.


    The Belgian prince rushed up to the brown-haired man. "Master Stephen! Are you alright?"


    "Yes, I am fine. Captain William is injured though. We should take him to the castle doctor right now to see how severe his injury is. I really hope it is not anything serious," Stephen replied remorsefully.


    The two men dashed to the captain, who was still on the ground clutching his left knee. "Captain! Are you alright? What happened?" Lucas asked.


    "As we were fighting the figure, he used his powers to shove Sir Stephen and I backwards. We were not able to control ourselves, and Sir Stephen landed right on top of my left knee. I can assure you it is not his fault I am hurt. The figure is to blame for this," the captain explained.


    "I am very sorry about what happened, Captain William. It makes me feel horrible that you got injured," Stephen said with remorse and shame in his voice.


    "There is nothing to apologize for, Sir Stephen. I know you did not mean to hurt me. Injuries are a part of life. Everyone gets hurt at least once in their lives. Besides, I have had my fair share of injuries over the course of my lifetime," Captain William responded.


    Stephen nodded as he then turned to Lucas. "Luc, could you please help me get Captain William to the doctor? He cannot walk on his own."


    "Of course. Only the doctor can know whether it is just a little sprain or a major tear of something," Lucas said as he and Stephen carefully got the captain to his feet. The two men then allowed Captain William to grasp their shoulders while he walked on his right foot to avoid using his left leg.


    As they led the captain to the castle doctor, Elsa and Edmund ran up to them.


    "Lucas! Stephen! Captain William! Are you three alright?" Elsa asked worriedly. "What happened?"


    "Lucas and I are okay, Elsa. Captain William has been injured though. He needs help as soon as possible," Stephen replied. "The figure was in the castle attacking us. He is gone now."


    Elsa nodded before turning her attention to the captain. "What happened Captain William? Where are you hurt?"


    "I sustained a knee injury while we fought the figure. He shoved Sir Stephen right into me when he pushed us back with his powers. I can assure you Sir Stephen did not hurt me on purpose. If there is anyone to blame for my injury, it is that hooded scoundrel," Captain William explained.


    "I am very sorry to hear that, Captain. Stephen must feel terrible about it," the Snow Queen said sympathetically.


    "I feel guilty for what happened. Captain William did not deserve to get hurt like that. No one does," Stephen confirmed.


    "I agree with you in that regard," Elsa replied.


    Edmund was concerned about the captain. He was hoping Captain William''s injury was minor.


    "Are you alright, Master? Lucas?" Edmund asked.


    Stephen and Lucas nodded. "It seems that figure was more powerful than we initially thought. He had me immobilized and nearly ended my life. I would hate to say what would have happened had Lucas not intervened," Stephen elaborated.


    "That was very heroic of you, Lucas. I thank you for saving my master''s life," Edmund praised.


    "Of course, Edmund. I have you and Master Stephen''s backs no matter what," Lucas declared. This made Edmund smile. He was glad his best friend was a selfless individual who would not hesitate to put his life on the line to keep the people he cared about most safe.


    Once the group reached the castle doctor''s office, Elsa knocked on his door. The doctor opened the door with a concerned look on his face as he bowed respectfully. "Your Majesty." He then stood back up. "Is there something wrong? Captain William looks like he got hurt," he said as he saw Lucas and Stephen helping the captain stand up.


    "The figure that you might be aware of attacked the palace. While Captain William, Sir Stephen, and Lucas tried to fight it off, the captain suffered an injury to his left knee. We do not know how serious it is. Thus, we brought him here so you could examine him," Elsa explained.


    The doctor nodded in understanding. "Bring him in here so I can take a look at his left knee." Lucas and Stephen obeyed the doctor''s orders and helped the captain into the doctor''s office. Soon they helped the captain sit down on the examination table.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Anna and Kristoff left the princess'' room as soon as they heard no more commotion outside in the hallways of the castle. Their eyes widened when they saw Stephen and Lucas helping Captain William move along.


    "That can''t be good," Kristoff said.


    "The captain seems to have gotten hurt!" Anna gasped.


    The couple rushed into the doctor''s office as the two men helped Captain William onto the examination table.


    "Elsa! What happened? The captain appears injured!" Anna stuttered.


    "He did get hurt. While the captain, Lucas, and Stephen were trying to fight off the figure, the figure shoved Stephen right into Captain William''s knee. I can assure you Stephen had no virulent intentions. He felt ashamed about what happened. The figure almost killed Stephen before Lucas stopped him from doing so. Thank goodness Lucas showed up when he did. Stephen might have been dead by now had he not intervened," Elsa explained with a distraught look on her face.


    "Where is the figure now?" Kristoff asked.


    "He left the castle right before Edmund and I arrived," Elsa said.


    "What will we do now that Captain William is hurt? Who will guard the castle in case the figure comes back?" the ice harvester wondered.


    Stephen overheard the conversation and approached the Snow Queen and ice harvester. "I will have to patrol the palace and oversee the guards all day now."


    "I appreciate your willingness to keep us safe Stephen, but are you sure about that?" Elsa asked with concern.


    Stephen nodded solemnly. "With Captain William down, I must step up in his absence. I can handle longer periods of time keeping lookout."


    Elsa smiled. "Thank you for doing this, Stephen. You have no idea how grateful I am."


    "Of course, Elsa," Stephen replied with a respectful bow.


    As the doctor began to inspect Captain William, he began to ask the captain questions about his knee injury.


    "When did the pain in your knee start?" the doctor asked.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "Immediately after Sir Stephen and I collided into each other," Captain William replied.


    "Where does it hurt: the front, center, side, or back of the knee?" the doctor continued.


    "The side of the knee," Captain William answered.


    "Which side?" the doctor asked.


    "The left side," the captain responded.


    "Did the pain begin suddenly after Sir Stephen crashed into you?" the doctor continued.


    "Yes," the captain confirmed.


    "How would you describe the pain: dull, sharp, or achy?" the doctor asked.


    "I would say achy," the captain replied.


    "Is the pain constantly there, or just now and then?" the doctor continued.


    "It has always been there since the collision," Captain William responded.


    "Does movement increase or decrease pain?" the doctor asked.


    "Moving my knee makes it more painful," Captain William stated.


    The doctor nodded. "I will now run a few tests on you to see what is causing the pain in your knee."


    "Not to rush you or anything, but how long will it take for the diagnosis?" the captain wondered.


    "At this time, I am not sure how long it will take. It may take at least a couple of hours, Captain William," the doctor replied.


    "Do what you must, doctor," Captain William said.


    "I will do my best, Captain. It is my job to help those in the castle who are sick or injured," the doctor replied sincerely. He then turned his attention to Elsa. "I would advise stopping by after dinner, Your Majesty. There is a good chance I will have a diagnosis by then."


    "I shall do just that, Doctor. We will see you after dinner," Elsa said.


    "Will do," the doctor replied with a smile as the group left him with the captain to do his examination.


    As the group walked, Edmund noticed Stephen remained behind, standing outside the now closed door of the doctor''s office.


    The English prince walked up to his instructor. "Master, what is wrong?"


    "I deeply regret what happened to Captain William, Edmund. What if it is an injury that takes a year or more to recover from?" Stephen asked worriedly.


    "Master, I can assure you the captain will be just fine. The doctor knows what he is doing. Until he confirms the injury, we do not know whether it is serious or not. I am sure it is just a sprain or something," Edmund reassured him.


    "That is the thing. We have no idea how serious it is. What if it is something he will never have a full recovery from? That would only make me feel worse than I already do," Stephen stated remorsefully.


    "Well, if that is the case, we need to ensure Captain William has as smooth a recovery as possible. Until the doctor is done, we can only keep our fingers crossed," Edmund replied sympathetically.


    "I shall be sending my prayers to Captain William then," Stephen said.


    "Likewise," Edmund stated. "What will you do now, Master?"


    "I shall once again patrol the castle. Since the captain cannot guard the castle with me, I will have to keep lookout longer," Stephen replied.


    The English prince nodded. "Good luck, Master. If you need anything, you come to me or anyone else in the palace. You know we will always be here to assist you when you need it."


    "Thank you very much, Edmund. I shall let you know when I might need something," Stephen replied with a grin.


    "Of course. In the meantime, I will go and read a book or something. I will see you later, Master," Edmund said.


    "Take care, Ed. If you see anything, please do not hesitate to tell me about it," Stephen stated.


    "Yes, Master," the English prince responded with a beam as he and his instructor parted ways to get to what they were going to do.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    "Are you alright, Anna and Kristoff?" Elsa asked.


    "Yes, Anna and I are just fine. Once we heard the figure invaded the castle, Anna and I immediately went to her room and locked the door," the ice harvester said.


    Anna nodded in agreement. "Kristoff thought it was best we didn''t get involved since the figure was wielding some kind of dark sword," the princess replied.


    "I am glad you two played it smart and kept each other safe. One thing I cannot stand is the thought of losing either of you," Elsa said with a sigh of relief.


    "I can''t lose you either, Elsa. You''re the only family I have left," Anna replied as she and her big sister hugged each other. Kristoff and Lucas watched the scene with grins on their faces.


    "Since I''m not trained like you, Stephen, and Edmund, I dread to say what would''ve happened had I been in that situation. For the figure to overwhelm Stephen like he did, I fear I would''ve been dead had that happened to me," Kristoff told Lucas.


    Lucas nodded. "I feel like the figure does have some sort of weakness. We just need to figure it out somehow. There has got to be a way."


    Kristoff nodded. "I do feel kind of bad I didn''t help you, Stephen, and Captain William out. Maybe if I did the captain wouldn''t have gotten hurt."


    "You did the right thing by protecting Anna at all costs. That is what a good boyfriend does. He does everything to keep his girlfriend out of harm''s way. I am not upset at what you did. You do not have to apologize for anything Kristoff. I am just glad you did not put your life in danger when you had nothing to counter the sword the figure possessed. We do not know for sure whether Captain William would have gotten hurt or not had you been there. What matters is I was able to save Stephen, the captain is alive, and you and Anna are unharmed," Lucas elaborated.


    "That''s true," Kristoff acknowledged.


    Once the two sisters were out of their embrace, they were looking at each other with caring looks in their eyes.


    "What will you do now, Elsa?" Anna asked.


    "I think I might go to the library to read a book. What about you, Anna?" Elsa wondered.


    "Kristoff and I were planning on spending all day together, so I think we''ll get back to that," Anna replied.


    "You go ahead and do that Anna. I will see you at dinner," Elsa stated with a smile.


    "Bye Elsa!" Anna exclaimed as she went up to the ice harvester and began to drag him along. Elsa and Lucas could not help but gaze at the couple in amusement.


    "Excuse me, Elsa?" Lucas asked.


    "Yes, Lucas? Did you need something?" Elsa responded.


    "I did. Is there anything you could suggest for me to do if that is okay with you?" the Belgian prince asked.


    The Ice Queen thought about it for a moment but came up empty. "You can do anything you like, Luc. Though if I had to suggest something, maybe you could come to the library with me to read a book?"


    Lucas smiled. "I would like that."


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    The Snow Queen and the Belgian prince arrived at the library to see Edmund there, sitting in a chair with an open book in his hands.


    "Hey, Ed. I noticed your mentor stayed behind after the doctor began to examine the captain. Is he okay?" Lucas asked.


    "He is fine. It is just he feels bad about Captain William''s injury and fears it might be a serious enough injury that will be difficult to fully recover from," Edmund explained.


    "I am sure the captain will be okay. Until we know for sure, maybe we should get our minds off it and read," Lucas suggested.


    "I think that is a good idea. Do you, Elsa?" Edmund asked.


    "Yes. We should do something to forget about what just happened and wait until we hear word from the doctor," Elsa stated as she and the two princes made themselves comfortable and began to read.


    The Snow Queen was sitting across from Edmund and Lucas. As she attempted to focus on her book, she saw the two princes diligently attached to their books. They looked so amicable as they were reading books about the history of Arendelle. Elsa also noticed just how muscular and handsome Edmund and Lucas were.


    The Ice Queen scolded herself. She reminded herself to not think like that.


    Soon she was able to get those thoughts out of her head by focusing on her book. Elsa was thankful the two princes did not notice her studying them.


    After reading for a while, Elsa walked over to a bookshelf and set her book back into its rightful place. Upon sitting back down, she decided to begin a conversation with Edmund and Lucas.


    "Hey, Lucas? Edmund? What are you two planning on doing once you return to your respective kingdoms?" Elsa asked.


    "Since we will not be leaving until April, my father is most likely going to plan a ball or something to celebrate my birthday," Edmund replied.


    "Oh really? When is your birthday?" Elsa wondered.


    "March 14th," the English prince answered.


    "How old will you be if I may ask?" the Snow Queen asked.


    "I will be turning twenty-three years old," Edmund said.


    "Wow! You are older than me!" Elsa responded with a smile. "What about you, Lucas?"


    "Probably the same thing as Ed. My parents will welcome me home with a ball or something like that," the Belgian prince said.


    "When is your birthday?" the Ice Queen wondered.


    "February 8th," the Belgian prince responded.


    "Will you also be turning twenty-three?" Elsa asked.


    Lucas shook his head politely. "Not until the year after the upcoming year. I will be twenty-two."


    "That makes you a little younger than me. My birthday is December 21st, and I will be twenty-two years old," Elsa said.


    "Your birthday is coming up very soon," Edmund replied with a grin.


    "Do you have any plans for what you would like to do to celebrate?" Lucas wondered.


    "None currently. I suppose I will figure something out as it approaches," Elsa explained.


    The two princes nodded in understanding, realizing the Snow Queen still had time to plan out her birthday.


    "It seems we have quite a few birthdays in quick succession. Master Stephen''s birthday is on New Year''s Day," Edmund said. "He will be celebrating a pretty big milestone, turning fifty."


    Elsa''s eyes widened in surprise. "Fifty?" She then beamed. "Then we must make sure it is a day he will never forget."


    "I have no doubt Master Stephen will really enjoy that. He is a very easygoing fellow, so he really does not ask for a lot," Edmund stated.


    "It is honestly crazy to have at least one birthday for the next four months, including this one," Lucas stated with a sheepish smile.


    "That is quite a few birthdays, indeed. Regardless of how many birthdays there are, we will ensure everyone has a wonderful time," Elsa said with a determined grin.


    "I greatly appreciate your willingness to help make my birthday special this year, Elsa," Lucas replied gratefully.


    "Me too. Thank you," Edmund added.


    "You are welcome, gentlemen," Elsa replied, smiling.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    After the royals had dinner, they immediately went to the doctor''s office. Everyone was solicitous to hear the news of Captain William''s injury, especially Stephen.


    The door to the doctor''s office opened, and the doctor cleared his throat. "Good evening, Your Majesties," he greeted. "I have figured out what has happened to Captain William."


    "What is the extent of his injury?" Elsa asked with concern.


    "Please tell me it is not anything serious," Stephen added with deep concern.


    "Given the circumstances and the scenario Captain William described, it is not nearly as severe as it could have been," the doctor explained. "With this information, I have diagnosed the captain with a grade two MCL sprain. He will need four to six weeks to recover."


    "Will he need surgery?" the Snow Queen asked worriedly.


    The doctor shook his head. "He will not need surgery. However, he will need crutches to get around. In the early stages of treatment, Captain William will need a weight-bearing brace or some supportive taping to prevent movement of the knee. Along with that, he will need to rest the knee, ice it regularly, and elevate it. Once the captain is free of pain, he will undergo rehabilitation to strengthen and stretch the knee and the muscles surrounding it."


    Elsa let out a sigh of relief. The captain''s injury was not as serious as it could have been otherwise.


    "I assume he will make a full recovery. Am I correct?" Stephen asked.


    The doctor nodded. "As long as Captain William receives treatment every day, he will be back to full strength sooner rather than later. However, he should not rush his recovery due to the risk of re-injury."


    "I take it he will not be able to keep lookout around the castle while he recovers?" Stephen asked.


    The doctor sighed. "I am afraid not, Sir Stephen. While I am truly sorry about this, I cannot heal any injuries just like that. The captain will just have to endure it and let it heal naturally."


    The brown-haired man had a repentant look on his face. He wished Captain William''s injury never happened in the first place. Stephen felt he could have prevented it had he not stood right in front of the captain while they were fighting the figure.


    At least there was mild relief Captain William would fully recover from the injury. Thus, Stephen nodded. "Do what you must to ensure a speedy recovery for the captain."


    The doctor responded with a nod. "I will do just that, Sir Stephen. This is my job, after all."


    "May I see him please?" Stephen asked.


    "Yes, you may. However, I would like for you to make it brief please. Captain William needs his rest," the doctor said.


    Stephen nodded gratefully as he carefully entered the doctor''s office to see the captain lying down on a bed with a cast around his left knee.


    "Hey Captain. How are you feeling?" Stephen asked.


    "My knee still hurts, but not nearly as much now," Captain William replied.


    "Thank goodness it was not a severe enough injury you would not recover from," Stephen responded.


    "I am relieved as well that it is not an ACL tear or a ruptured Achilles tendon," the captain stated.


    "With you unable to guard the palace, I was talking to Queen Elsa about stepping up and patrolling the castle more while you recover. We cannot leave the palace devoid of protection after what happened today. I fear the figure will unleash his full potential the next time he strikes," the brown-haired man explained.


    "Then you and everyone else must do whatever it takes to prepare and fight him without me," Captain William said. "I would like to thank you for stepping up in my absence. Seriously, I am humbly appreciative of what you have done during your stay here, Sir Stephen. How can I ever repay you?"


    "No payment will be necessary, Captain. I am just striving to do the right thing," Stephen said unobtrusively.


    Captain William smiled. "Now if you will excuse me, I am going to get some rest. The doctor said I need to get plenty of rest until there is no more pain in my knee."


    "You go ahead and do just that, Captain. I will talk to you later," Stephen responded with a grin.


    "Talk to you later, Sir Stephen. Good night," the captain said with a wave.


    "Good night," Stephen replied as he waved and left the doctor''s office before closing the door.

 Chapter 16

    I would like to thank roxygoth, BurningFox6, krystal lazuli, and LukeJames for beta reading and helping me improve!


    Feedback is always appreciated!


    Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen. Frozen is owned by Disney. I only lay claim to Prince Edmund, Prince Lucas, and Master Stephen.


    Chapter 16


    Outside the palace in London where King Matthew and his family lived, the city had snow everywhere. It was a cloudy day in mid-March. Winter was almost over. Thus, there was not as much snow as there had been earlier in the winter. Along with the zephyr flowing through the city streets, there were people out and about as well. Despite the chilly weather, everyone was eager, for that day was a special day for the royal family.


    Inside the palace, a vibrant and excited six-year-old Edmund ran through the hallways. He reached his father''s room and ran inside without even bothering to knock.


    "Father! Wake up! It is my birthday today!" the young prince exclaimed.


    The twenty-seven-year-old Matthew let out a tired sigh before he opened his hazel eyes and smiled at his son. "Happy Birthday, Edmund. How does it feel being six years old now?"


    "It feels great!" Edmund said excitedly. "What do you think I will get for presents this year?"


    The king chuckled. "I have no idea, son. How about we find out after breakfast?"


    "Okay! Should I go wake up Master Stephen?" Edmund asked.


    Matthew was about to reply when Stephen appeared at the door. The thirty-three-year-old man had a rectangular shaped box in his hands. "I have been up for hours, Edmund," he said with a grin.


    "Good morning, Master!" Edmund greeted as he ran up to him. "Is that for me?"


    Stephen nodded before handing the box to the prince. "Happy Birthday, Ed." Master Stephen gently patted Edmund''s head.


    "I assume I have to wait until after breakfast to open this?" Edmund asked.


    "Yes," Stephen replied.


    Edmund frowned slightly. Stephen only chuckled at the look on Edmund''s face. "Hey, do not worry, Edmund. Breakfast will be over before you know it." He winked at the young boy before turning to his father and best friend, bowing respectfully. "Good morning, Your Majesty."


    "Good morning, Stephen," Matthew said with a chuckle. "How many times do I have to tell you? You do not need to bow before me nor call me Your Majesty. Please just call me Matthew, or simply Matt. While it is customary my subjects bow before greeting me and calling me Your Majesty, you are the exception, my friend."


    "It will be done, Matthew," Stephen said with a nod of approval.


    "Did you get me anything, father?" Edmund asked.


    The king beamed at his young son. "Of course, son. Not getting anything for you would mean I am not being a good father."


    "What are you talking about? You are the greatest father in the world!" the English prince exclaimed.


    Matthew had to beam at the compliment. "Well, I try. Anyways, I think we should head to the Great Hall for breakfast. We could really use the energy today."


    As the young boy walked with his father and master to the Great Hall, any staff member they passed wished Edmund a Happy Birthday.


    Upon reaching the Great Hall, the Grand Duke of England, Paul, was waiting for them. Paul was much older than Matthew and Stephen, having been Grand Duke since before the two men moved to England from Ireland.


    After Matthew''s arranged marriage with Isabella, he and Stephen subsequently moved from Dublin to London.


    The Grand Duke had a box in his hands. Paul deferentially bowed before the three.


    "Good morning, Your Majesty, Sir Stephen, and Your Highness. Did you all sleep well?" Paul asked.


    "We slept great. Thank you for asking Paul," Matthew replied.


    "Of course," the Grand Duke responded before turning his attention to the young prince. "Happy Birthday, Prince Edmund."


    "Thank you," the black-haired boy responded with a grin. "I assume that is for me?"


    Paul nodded. "It is indeed a gift for you from me, Your Highness."


    "I appreciate it, Paul. My father and master said I must wait until after breakfast to open my gifts," Edmund explained.


    "Then we shall have breakfast so you may open your presents as soon as possible," Paul stated.


    Once everyone was settled in their seats, the king carefully reached under the table and brought out a box. Matthew had put his gift for Edmund under the Great Hall table the night before. The prince''s gifts were sitting next to him as they waited patiently to be served.


    Soon the castle chefs came out with everyone''s breakfast.


    "Here we are, Your Majesties. Your favorite: scrambled eggs with vegetables, whole grain toast with chia seeds baked into it, assorted fruits, and mixed berry smoothies with assorted seeds mixed in," the head chef announced.


    Ever since Matthew and Stephen met each other, Stephen had taught his best friend how to have as healthy a diet as possible. He cared about his friend''s health, along with everyone else he met. Nonetheless, Stephen, along with Matthew and Edmund, would treat themselves to chocolate and other sweets during special occasions. Birthdays were no exception.


    "Since today is your birthday, Prince Edmund, we prepared the whole grain toast in a very special way," the head chef announced. The young English prince looked and noticed there was cinnamon and sugar on his toast. While he did enjoy having cinnamon and sugar on his toast, Edmund only liked to have it occasionally. He did not like consuming too many sweets.


    "Thank you, chef," Edmund said with a smile.


    "Anything for you, Your Highness, especially on your birthday," the head chef replied with a nod of approval.


    The chefs then served Matthew, Stephen, and Paul their breakfasts. After thanking the chefs, the chefs bowed before returning to the palace kitchen.


    An enjoyable silence soon followed as the four royals enjoyed their breakfast.


    Once everyone was finished with their breakfast, the chefs retrieved their plates and silverware. They took them back to the kitchen for cleaning.


    Now that breakfast had concluded, Edmund was excited to open his presents.


    "Which one should I open first?" the young boy asked.


    "That is entirely up to you, Edmund," Matthew replied. "You may open your gifts in any order you wish."


    "I shall open yours first, father," Edmund stated.


    "Then go ahead, son," the king encouraged with a nod of approval.


    The young prince smiled as he opened the gift his father gave him. Inside was a quiver, full of arrows.


    "Wow! Thank you, father!" Edmund exclaimed.


    "You are welcome, my boy. Stephen and I decided it is time for you to begin shooting arrows with the bow you have had since you were born. Until now, Stephen and I decided to wait until you were old enough to fire arrows. However, you will only use the bow and arrows under either mine or Stephen''s supervision. The last thing we want is for you or anyone else to get hurt," Matthew explained.


    "Okay father. Sounds good. I would not want to hurt anyone," Edmund said.


    "I am elated to hear you mean that Edmund," Stephen replied. "How about you open my gift next?"


    "Of course, master!" Edmund responded excitedly as he opened the gift he received from his instructor.


    Stephen''s gift was a finely carved wooden sword.


    "Holy cow! My very own sword!" the young prince said as he took the sword out and pretended to fight with it. "Thank you, master!"


    "You are welcome, Edmund. That sword was carved by the finest woodcarver in the kingdom," Stephen replied with a grin.


    "Now it is time for me to open Paul''s gift," Edmund said as he opened the Grand Duke''s gift.


    It was a wooden shield.


    "A shield! Thank you, Paul!" the English prince exclaimed.


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "Of course, Your Highness. This shield was by the same woodcarver as the sword. I thought that having a shield with the sword would be a good combination," Paul said with a grin.


    "A warrior must not only have a way to attack. He needs a way to defend himself as well," Stephen replied.


    "I thank you guys very much for the presents! May I go try out the bow and arrow please?" Edmund asked.


    "Not inside the castle, but for sure outside. We will go to an archery range so you can test out your bow," Stephen responded.


    "Sounds good!" Edmund exclaimed.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Edmund, Matthew, and Stephen left the palace, surrounded by guards for protection. The young prince had his bow and quiver of arrows in his possession, along with his wooden sword and shield. Stephen also had his bow and quiver of arrows.


    A herald walking with them performed a fanfare before announcing, "Presenting His Majesty King Matthew, Sir Stephen, and His Royal Highness Prince Edmund! Today is Prince Edmund''s birthday!"


    The people of London cheered and clapped upon seeing their beloved King, his best friend, and his young son. Everyone was shouting birthday wishes at Prince Edmund as they went along the city streets. Edmund really appreciated the residents remembering his birthday.


    The two men and the young boy smiled and waved to the people of their kingdom.


    Soon Edmund''s attention was caught by a young girl about his age. She had brown hair, green eyes, and was bouncing up and down next to her parents. The girl was screaming, "Hi, Prince Edmund!" and waving wildly at him.


    Edmund smiled shyly and waved at her. The young prince grinned wider when he heard the girl shriek with delight. Then she was talking ecstatically to her parents as she pointed at him. Edmund was having a wonderful day and seeing the girl''s reaction made it even better than it was already.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    It would not be long before King Matthew, Sir Stephen, and Prince Edmund found an archery range. The archery range was one Stephen went to every day to keep his bow and arrow skills keen.


    "There it is Edmund. The archery range I have gone to every day since Matthew and I moved to England. Now it will be both of us shooting arrows," Stephen explained before reminding the young prince, "Once we get inside, you must do as the guy who owns the range and I say. We do not want you to suffer any injuries, especially on your birthday. Am I clear?"


    "Yes Master," Edmund replied with a serious nod.


    Upon entering, the owner of the archery range, Jamian, bowed before the King of England, Sir Stephen, and Prince Edmund. "Good morning, Your Majesties. Are you here to do some archery today?"


    "I am not, but Sir Stephen and my son Prince Edmund are here to shoot some arrows. Today is not only my son''s birthday, but he will also be learning how to use a bow and arrow for the first time today," the king elaborated.


    "My word! Happy Birthday, Your Highness. For your birthday today, we will shoot in only our finest range," Jamian said.


    "Thank you, Mr¡­.." Edmund replied, not yet knowing Jamian''s last name.


    "Grant, Your Highness," the archery range owner answered.


    "I appreciate it, Mr. Grant," the young boy stated.


    "Of course, Your Highness. Are you ready to learn about archery?" Jamian asked with a grin.


    "Yes please!" Edmund exclaimed.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    After Jamian got all the required equipment for Stephen and Edmund, he began to instruct the young prince on what it took to become an archer. The group had selected a shooting range for beginners, as Edmund was shooting a bow with arrows for the first time in his life.


    "I see you already have a bow and a quiver of arrows. Thus, the first step is already completed," Jamian explained as Edmund put an arm guard on his left arm.


    "Does this arm guard serve as protection?" Edmund wondered.


    Jamian nodded. "Yes, Your Highness. It is always a good idea to wear an arm guard on the arm that is holding the bow. That way the string does not hit and injure your arm. A common mistake a lot of archers make is not wearing the arm guards and injuring themselves after they fire their bows."


    The young boy was gripping his bow with his left hand, his quiver of arrows on his back.


    "One thing you should never do is compare yourself to other archers, Edmund. The key is to be yourself and have your own shot. It is unwise to make any attempt to shoot like everyone else," Stephen stated. "Every archer can be great in their own right as long as they train daily."


    "That makes sense. I do hope to be as good an archer as possible though," the English prince said.


    "As long as you put the work in like I have, you will," Stephen replied with a grin.


    Edmund smiled before turning his attention to the target in front of him. He lifted his bow, imagining himself shooting an arrow at the target.


    "I also like how you are standing, Your Highness. You are standing sideways, which is how just about every archer stands. This is due to it being the most comfortable and easy way to shoot a bow and arrow," Jamian elaborated.


    "Would standing any other way make it harder to fire an arrow?" Edmund asked.


    Jamian nodded. "Yes, it would make it very difficult to fire an arrow and hit the target you are aiming at. Ever since the bow and arrow came into existence, standing sideways has really been the only imaginable way to fire arrows with your bow."


    "Okay!" Edmund exclaimed as he held up his bow. "Do I hold the bow like this, Mr. Grant?"


    "Yes. If you would like to have a greater chance of hitting your target, you must keep your non-dominant hand straight. Otherwise, you are likely to miss your target if your arm is bent. Failure to keep your arm straight could result in the arrow falling to your feet or hurting yourself with the string," Jamian explained.


    Edmund nodded as he withdrew an arrow from his quiver. He placed it on the bow.


    "How do I hold the arrow?" the young boy asked.


    "The most common and most comfortable position to use when firing an arrow is to use three fingers on your dominant hand to pull the string back slowly: These three fingers must include your index, middle, and ring fingers," Jamian responded.


    The young prince carefully held his bow and arrow away from his face. He assumed if he held it too close, the string would come back and smack him in the face. That was the last thing Edmund wanted to happen. Based on what Jamian had told him thus far, getting hit in the face with the string did not sound like a pleasant experience.


    "Another thing that helps with accuracy is to control your breathing. As you draw your bow back to fire, make sure you take calm, deep breaths in and out. When you are ready to fire, slow your breathing down and stop exhaling and inhaling for a moment," the archery range owner explained.


    "That is what my master has told me. Breathing can help you focus better," Edmund said.


    "Precisely," Jamian confirmed. "One more thing before you fire an arrow at the target. Some people pick up a bow and are adept at it right away. However, that is not the case most of the time. To become a good archer, it will take a while. Patience, hard work, and dedication are some of the essential elements to becoming a master archer. I myself struggled shooting a bow and arrow when I first received one." Jamian thought of something. "How old are turning today, if I may ask?"


    "I am turning six years old," Edmund replied.


    "That is nice," Jamian responded with a smile. "I got my first bow and arrow when I was about your age. My parents were not exactly fond of it, but after I promised to only use it under their supervision until I was old enough, they decided to let me become an archer."


    "Cool! Did your bow and arrow look like mine?" the young prince wondered.


    "Very much like them," the archery range owner replied with a nod. "Now, are you ready, Your Highness?"


    "Ready," Edmund replied as he carefully drew his bow back, concentrating. He fired the arrow.


    To everyone''s surprise, the arrow landed dead center in the bullseye.


    "Well done, son," Matthew praised.


    "Thank you, father," Edmund said.


    "Yeah, great job, Edmund," Stephen stated with a grin.


    "Thanks, Master," the young boy responded.


    "Well done, indeed, Your Highness. A bullseye on your first shot! That is impressive, to say the least. It took me a while to get my first bullseye," Jamian said with a nod of approval. "Let''s see you do it again."


    "Okay, Mr. Grant," Edmund replied as he withdrew another arrow from his quiver. He fired it and once again hit the center of the bullseye.


    "My word! I have never seen anyone your age as skilled as you, Your Highness," Jamian said, clearly impressed with the young prince. "Out of curiosity, are you right-handed or left-handed?


    "He is ambidextrous, Jamian," Stephen said.


    "Oh wow. You are the first person I have ever met that is ambidextrous. Most people that come to the archery range are right-handed, with a few left-handers. Since you have equal skill with both your hands, why don''t you fire some more arrows with your right hand before we try it with your left hand?" Jamian suggested.


    "Sounds good, Mr. Grant!" Edmund replied as he continued firing arrows at the target while Stephen and Jamian kept a close eye on him to make sure he had the right form and was holding the bow correctly. Matthew was also watching, making sure everything was going well.


    Surprisingly, they did not have to say anything about correcting the way he was holding his bow, nor his form. It was as if Edmund was a natural at archery. No matter how many arrows he fired, the English prince hit the bullseye dead center every time he fired an arrow. Stephen and Jamian could not help but enjoy the dazzling display the young boy was putting on before them.


    "I have never seen anyone your age with such talent in archery, Your Highness," Jamian praised. "Now that you have taken quite a few shots with your right arm, why don''t we try using your left arm?"


    "Okay, Mr. Grant," Edmund replied as he set down his bow before taking off the arm guard. He placed it on his right arm. Ed then picked his bow back up and grabbed an arrow from his quiver.


    Upon firing the arrow, everyone saw it hit the bullseye once more.


    After the young prince had fired enough arrows to cover the entire bullseye, Jamian was astonished. With how skilled the young prince was at archery, he was determined to help Edmund ensure he continued to get better.


    "You are the greatest archer I have ever seen for a six-year-old. Keep practicing every day, and you will be a master archer in no time," the archery range owner said with a smile.


    "Thank you for making my birthday fun, Mr. Grant," Edmund replied.


    "You are very welcome, Your Highness. Feel free to come here whenever your heart desires. All of you are always welcome," Jamian stated.


    "I would like to thank you for making my son''s birthday special, Jamian. This will be a day he will never forget," Matthew said with a nod of approval.


    "I am glad I was able to make his sixth birthday special, Your Majesty," Jamian said with a respectful bow.


    "Before we leave, may I show Edmund how I do archery? I feel like if he were to watch me, it could help him learn some keys to becoming a successful archer," Stephen said.


    "Of course, Sir Stephen. Which range would you like to shoot in?" the archery range owner asked.


    "The hardest one you have, please," Stephen responded.


    "Consider it done," Jamian said with a nod as he led the group to the most difficult section of the archery range.


    Matthew and Edmund watched as Stephen prepared to show the young prince how good he was at archery. The young boy was eager to see how his master performed. He had no doubt he would have a flawless showing, as Stephen had been using a bow and arrow for over twenty-five years.


    Edmund could only gape as Stephen managed to hit every single target in the bullseye dead center. No matter how fast the targets were moving, nor how far away they were, they all just seemed too easy for the brown-haired man.


    "Wow! That was amazing, Master!" Edmund exclaimed.


    Stephen merely shrugged. "It was just a lot of hard work, dedication, and patience. One thing I have learned is to apply yourself smarter in archery, not harder. At first, I shot hundreds of arrows a day. However, I realized working on your form is more important. While I do still shoot a lot of arrows every day, I am always reminding myself to keep proper form."


    Edmund nodded in understanding.


    "Now that we have tried out your bow, would you like to try out your sword and shield, Edmund?" Stephen suggested.


    "Yes please!" the young boy said excitedly.


    Stephen nodded before turning his attention to Jamian. "I would like to thank you for teaching Edmund how to do archery. Before today, he had only used a bow with no arrows. This was due to concerns he would injure himself or others. He will only use the bow and arrows under our supervision until he is old enough to use them by himself."


    "Of course, Sir Stephen. We will ensure the prince will develop his skills the right way," Jamian stated.


    "Sounds like a plan. We will see you next time, Jamian," Stephen said with a wave.


    "Have a great day, Sir Stephen," Jamian responded with a smile and a wave of his own.


    "You do the same," Stephen replied.


    Matthew approached Jamian next. "I appreciate you taking the time to teach my son archery, Jamian. We will be back soon."


    "Anything for you, Your Majesty. Take care," Jamian responded, smiling.


    "You as well," Matthew stated with a grin.


    Jamian smiled before looking down at Edmund. "You did a great job today, Your Highness. Keep it up. Happy Birthday."


    "Thank you, Mr. Grant! Bye!" the young prince exclaimed as he and his father waved to Jamian.


    "You are welcome, Prince Edmund. Hope the rest of your birthday is wonderful," Jamian replied with a grin and a wave of his own.


    The two men and the young boy subsequently left the archery range. Stephen and Matthew were nothing but proud of Edmund for how well he did on the first day he ever fired an arrow from a bow.

 Chapter 17

    I would like to thank roxygoth, BurningFox6, krystal lazuli, and LukeJames for beta reading and helping me improve!


    Feedback is always appreciated!


    Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen. Frozen is owned by Disney. I only lay claim to Prince Edmund, Prince Lucas, Master Stephen, and anyone else you do not recognize from Frozen.


    Chapter 17


    Edmund, Stephen, and Matthew were back in the streets of London. As they walked and continued to be greeted by the fanatical residents cheering for their treasured monarchs, the ebullient young prince was thinking of something. He was hoping to find somewhere to try out his wooden sword and shield.


    "Father? May we find somewhere for me to give my wooden sword and shield a try please?" the young boy asked.


    "Of course, Edmund. We will look around the city and see if there are any other boys around your age for you to maybe spar with," the king responded.


    "Thank you, father!" Edmund exclaimed.


    "You are welcome, my son," Matthew replied with a smile.


    The two men and the young boy continued walking until they noticed a group of young boys playing with their wooden swords and shields. Surrounding the boys were young girls and their respective parents. As the young boys sparred with each other, the young girls cheered them on, while their parents made sure no one got hurt.


    Before they made their way towards the group, Stephen told Edmund, "I should let you know that I would like for you to be fair with the other boys. Please do not attempt anything that will get you or anyone else injured. We certainly cannot have you getting hurt on your birthday, now, can we?"


    "No, Master," Edmund replied with a shake of his head.


    "Good. Now go show the boys what you are truly made of," Stephen said with a grin.


    "Okay Master. I will make sure to take it easy on them," Edmund stated.


    "That is what I am talking about," Stephen said approvingly as he gently patted on Edmund''s head.


    Upon seeing their king approaching them, the young boys ceased their sparring to bow respectfully. The young girls curtsied, and their parents also acknowledged King Matthew with reverential bows and curtsies of their own.


    Edmund''s eyes were on one of the girls. She had familiar brown hair and virid eyes.


    Matthew took notice of whom had his son''s attention and grinned. With an encouraging gesture from his father, the young prince approached her. Before Edmund got close enough to speak with her, he turned around to face his father and his mentor. The two men gave him smiles to uplift the young boy. Edmund grinned back before he made his way towards the girl. Upon getting a closer look at her, the young boy realized it was the same girl that greeted him earlier. "Hey! Are you the girl from earlier?"


    "I am! Hello Prince Edmund," the girl said with a smile.


    "Hello. What is your name?" Edmund asked curiously.


    "I am Jane," the girl replied as she and Edmund shook hands.


    "It is a pleasure to meet you, Jane. If I may ask, how old are you?" the English prince wondered.


    "Five," Jane responded.


    "Nice! I am turning six today," the young boy stated.


    "Happy Birthday, Prince Edmund!" Jane exclaimed.


    "Thank you, Jane. I must say it has been a splendid birthday today," Edmund stated.


    "I am glad to hear that," the young girl replied, beaming.


    The young prince smiled. "I saw you were watching the boys here playing with their wooden swords and shields."


    "Yes. There is one boy named Richard who has not lost to anyone in a duel," Jane explained.


    "Oh really?" Edmund asked with interest.


    "Yeah. I think you should spar with him," Jane encouraged.


    "I guess I will try," Edmund said.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    As the two children talked, the parents of Jane smiled at their daughter talking with the prince. They then turned their attention to King Matthew and Sir Stephen.


    "It seems your son Prince Edmund enjoys speaking with my daughter, Your Majesty," Jane''s father said with a nod of approbation.


    "Yes. He noticed your daughter as we were walking to the archery range. I bet my son waving to her made her day," Matthew replied.


    "Jane was indeed very excited when your son saw her and waved, King Matthew," Jane''s father stated with a grin.


    "Edmund is a good boy who is always trying to be nice to everyone he is around," Stephen replied.


    "Sounds like you and King Matthew have been wonderful influences on him, Sir Stephen," Jane''s father stated.


    "We try our best," Stephen responded with a nod of approval.


    "I do not think we have met before. What is your name, sir?" the king asked.


    "My name is George Smith, Your Majesty." He then gestured towards his wife. "This is my wife, Maria."


    "It is a pleasure to be at your acquaintances, Your Majesty and Sir Stephen," Maria greeted.


    "You as well," Stephen replied.


    "Likewise," King Matthew stated with a grin. "What do you do for a living, George?"


    "I own the market down there." George pointed to a market down the street. The king and his best friend looked and knew exactly what George was talking about.


    "Interesting. Do you enjoy what you do?" Matthew asked.


    George nodded. "I love what I do, and I am sure you enjoy being King of England."


    King Matthew shrugged. "I am just trying to make sure I am the best king I can be," the king replied modestly.


    "You know, you are the best king I have ever lived under during my time in London. I like how you serve as a good role model to everyone here, especially the children," George praised.


    "Thank you very much for the compliments. Serving as an excellent role model can certainly inspire children to work hard and chase their dreams. If they put the work in and never give up, their dreams could become reality," Matthew explained. "How does it feel raising Jane?"


    "She is a wonderful girl with the sunniest personality of any little girl in the kingdom. Jane is the sunshine of our family. I am proud to be her mother," Maria said fondly.


    "I am thrilled to hear Jane lights up your day no matter how you are feeling," Matthew said with a nod of approval.


    "Me too," Maria replied. "What about you raising Prince Edmund? How does it feel to you raising him?"


    "I am blessed to have Edmund as my son, as I am to have Stephen as my best friend. While I may be Edmund''s father, Stephen is close enough to him that he acts as a second father to my son," the king stated.


    "You sound like a nurturing and encouraging father, Your Majesty," Maria praised.


    "Well, I try," Matthew replied.


    "Not only are you raising your son the right way, but you are also modest and carefree. That is why I am glad you are our king," George replied with a smile.


    "I appreciate how everyone here is so warm, welcoming and lets me serve them," King Matthew stated gratefully.


    "Of course," George responded. "What do you do for a living, Sir Stephen?"


    "I am Edmund''s personal instructor. Ever since the day he was born, I have been training him in every fighting style known to man as well as every weapon. Until today, he has not used any weapons whatsoever. I wanted to make sure to wait until he was old enough so he would not hurt himself or anyone else by accident. Since he was a baby, I have made sure he stretches and strengthens every part of his body daily. Now that he is six years old, I believe Edmund is ready to take the next step in his training," Stephen explained.


    "That is a good thing to do. Teach someone how to defend themselves," George stated.


    "Indeed. A warrior must not only have good offense, but great defense as well. When I began to train Edmund, I had the desire to be a better mentor than my own instructor ever was," Stephen elaborated.


    "Sorry to hear your instructor was not as good as you," George said sympathetically.


    "It was not that I am better than him talent-wise. He was just a very hard man to please. Every time I messed something up, he snapped at me and made me do it repeatedly until I did it correctly," Stephen explained.


    "He didn''t sock you or anything, did he?" George asked, concerned.


    Stephen shook his head. "He only yelled at me. I guess it is better than being struck by him, even though neither one is a pleasant experience."


    "It saddens me you had to go through that, Sir Stephen," George said sympathetically.


    "Once my training was complete, my instructor apologized for pushing me so hard and risking me getting serious injuries. He and I made amends with each other and reconciled. Even though he may have seemed evil, he truly was not like that at all. He always had a heart of gold, even if he rarely chose to show it," Stephen explained.


    "While it did sound quite rough for you, I am happy you were able to make it up with him, and vice versa," George replied with a smile.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Edmund approached the boy he presumed was Richard, clutching his wooden sword and shield. He was a little taller than the young prince, with blonde hair and orange eyes.


    "Who is next? Anyone want to challenge me to a duel?" Richard stated proudly.


    "May I give it a try please?" Edmund asked.


    "Are you sure you would like to face me?" Richard asked.


    "Yes, I would like to face you," Edmund replied. "If that is okay with you."


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    Richard smiled and nodded at the young prince. "Sure! Show me what you got!"


    The two young boys entered a fighting stance, preparing for their duel with the wooden weapons. Edmund allowed Richard to make the first move. Richard attempted to strike Edmund with his wooden sword, only for the young prince to effortlessly block it with his wooden shield.


    Soon an intense sparring match commenced between the two young boys. The other children cheered them on. Edmund dodged another attempt from Richard to strike him, while Richard parried the young prince''s swing of his sword.


    "Come on, Edmund!" Jane cheered.


    "Get him, Richard!" another one of the boys yelled.


    The shields of the young boys slammed into each other. Edmund and Richard drew their shields back, trying to strike each other. Both their swords collided with each other. Richard tried to strike the young prince, and Edmund ducked under the sword that harmlessly swung over him.


    With Richard still recovering from his swing, Edmund took advantage and used his sword to disarm the blonde-haired boy. Richard''s eyes widened as he saw Edmund pointing his sword to his throat.


    Admitting defeat, Richard held up his hands. "Alright. You win."


    "I must admit, you really made me work for it. You are a good opponent," Edmund replied, lowering his sword.


    "You are a good opponent as well," Richard said as he held out his hand. "I am Richard."


    "Prince Edmund," the young prince greeted as the two boys shook hands.


    "Your Highness," Richard said with a respectful bow.


    Edmund laughed. "You do not have to do that, Richard. While my father and I appreciate it when our subjects bow before us, you do not have to bow every time you see us."


    "I take it you will not have any issues with me just calling you Edmund, then?" Richard asked.


    "Of course!" Edmund replied.


    "As you wish, Edmund," Richard stated.


    "Shall we do another match?" the black-haired boy replied.


    "Yes, we shall," the blonde-haired boy responded with a grin as the two boys got ready for another sparring match.


    After doing a few more matches, with Edmund winning each time, Richard''s parents called him, signaling it was time for lunch.


    "Well, my parents are calling me, Edmund. It was great meeting you," Richard said with a smile.


    "It was nice to meet you as well, Richard. Perhaps we will see each other again?" Edmund replied.


    "Certainly. See you later Edmund," Richard responded with a smile and a wave.


    "Bye, Richard!" Edmund exclaimed as he grinned and waved at his new friend, watching him run towards his parents.


    The young prince then turned and saw Jane running towards him. "You won, Edmund!"


    Edmund smiled shyly at the cute girl before him. "Yeah. I guess I did."


    "Why don''t I introduce you to my parents?" Jane suggested.


    "Yes please," Edmund said as the two children made their way to where King Matthew and Sir Stephen were conversing with Jane''s parents.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    As King Matthew and Sir Stephen continued to talk with Jane''s parents, the four adults noticed Edmund and Jane approaching them.


    "Well, it seems Jane would like to introduce Prince Edmund to us," George said, smiling.


    "Then we shall let her introduce Edmund to you," Stephen said as he and the king talked with each other to allow Jane''s parents to be introduced to the prince.


    "Prince Edmund, this is my mother and father," Jane stated, gesturing toward her parents.


    "You can just call me Edmund, Jane," Edmund said.


    "Okay Edmund!" Jane exclaimed.


    The young prince beamed before he looked up at Jane''s parents towering over him. "Hello. I am Prince Edmund. You can just call me Edmund if you like."


    "It is my pleasure to be at your acquaintance, Your Highness. My wife and I would like to wish you a very Happy Birthday," George greeted.


    "Happy Birthday, Prince Edmund," Maria said with a beam.


    "Thank you! What is your last name?" the young prince asked curiously.


    "Smith, Your Highness," George replied. "While I appreciate you allowing my wife, Jane, and I to just call you Edmund, we must treat our beloved royals with upmost respect."


    "Thank you, Mr. Smith," Edmund said.


    "Of course, Prince Edmund," George responded. "I own the market over there, as I told your father." Mr. Smith pointed towards a market further down the road.


    "That is nice! Do you sell fruits and vegetables there?" the young prince asked.


    "We certainly do. The market sells fruits, vegetables, and numerous types of foods commonly found in England," George explained.


    "There''s also various chocolates there as well!" Jane added in.


    "Chocolate is something I enjoy very much on special occasions," Edmund replied with a smile.


    "Me too," the young girl responded, smiling.


    "What have you done for your birthday thus far, Prince Edmund?" George asked.


    "My father and master took me to an archery range to help me learn how to use a bow and arrow. After that, we came here, and I met Richard. He and I sparred with our wooden swords and shields for a little bit," Edmund replied.


    "Edmund defeated Richard!" Jane proclaimed.


    "While that is true, it is nothing to brag about," Edmund stated with a shrug.


    "Such a fine man you will become someday, Your Highness," Mr. Smith stated with a nod of approval.


    "I will try, Mr. Smith. My father and master have been there for me every step of the way. I would not have it any other way," Edmund declared.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    As King Matthew and Sir Stephen continued to talk with each other, they soon realized it was lunchtime. Thus, they decided to take Edmund out to a restaurant of his choice.


    The two men saw Edmund with Jane and her parents.


    Once the king and his best friend were close enough, Matthew cleared his throat, which caught his son''s attention.


    "Edmund, I think it is time we have some lunch. We can go to whatever restaurant you would like, son," the king stated encouragingly.


    "Okay father! Before we leave, may I say goodbye to everyone please?" Edmund asked.


    "Of course," Matthew said with a grin as he watched his young son bid the Smith''s farewell.


    "It was a pleasure to meet you Jane," Edmund said.


    "Nice to meet you too, Edmund!" the brown-haired girl exclaimed as she shook hands with the young prince.


    Upon finishing their handshake, Edmund turned his attention to the girl''s parents. "It was nice to meet you today, Mr. and Mrs. Smith," the young boy said.


    "Likewise, Your Highness. Hope you have a great rest of your birthday," George replied with an encouraging grin.


    "Perhaps we will see each other again soon?" the black-haired boy asked.


    "Of course, Prince Edmund," George said as he then turned his attention to the king and Sir Stephen.


    "It was a great pleasure speaking to you, your wife, and your daughter, George. Jane seems to have made a new friend today," Matthew said as he held out his hand.


    "Certainly. It seems your son and my daughter will be friends for many years to come," George replied as he smiled and shook King Matthew''s hand. Mr. Smith then shook Sir Stephen''s hand. "Hope everything goes well for you and everyone else in the castle, Sir Stephen."


    "You as well with the market. We will gladly stop by sometime," Stephen replied with a nod.


    "Please do. You are always welcome," Mr. Smith said.


    "I appreciate it," Stephen said as everyone shook each other''s hands and waved.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Matthew, Edmund, and Stephen were walking through the streets. As men of their word, the king and his best friend agreed to let the young prince choose where they went for lunch since it was his birthday. Edmund chose to go to the kingdom''s most famous restaurant, The Knight''s Pantry. The Knight''s Pantry served every kind of food one could think of. While they did serve English food, the restaurant also served many unique dishes from around the world. At least partially because of this, everyone in London loved their food.


    When the three royals arrived, the host seated them at their finest table, which was a private room designated for the king and his family.


    It would not be long before their server greeted them with a respectful bow. "Good afternoon, Your Majesties. How is everyone doing today?"


    "We are doing quite well. Thank you for asking. Today is my son''s birthday," Matthew replied.


    "Happy Birthday, Your Highness!" the waiter exclaimed. "What may I get for you to drink, today?"


    "I would like water, please," Edmund said.


    "Of course. What about you King Matthew and Sir Stephen?" the waiter asked.


    "Stephen and I will have sparkling apple cider please," the king replied.


    "Certainly. I will be right back with your drinks," the waiter said with a smile.


    As the two men and the young boys looked over their menus, a question popped up in Edmund''s mind.


    "Father? Master?" the young prince asked.


    "Yes, Edmund?" Matthew replied.


    "Did you need something, Ed?" Stephen added.


    "Yes. I would like to ask you something," the young boy said.


    "Certainly. What is it, son?" the king responded.


    "Is it okay if I get anything I would like? I am just worried there might be certain things that are too unhealthy for your liking," Edmund asked.


    "You may get whatever your heart desires, Edmund," Stephen replied. "While I have taught you and your father how to eat healthy, it is perfectly fine to treat yourself occasionally. Even the healthiest eaters will have an occasional slice of cake, bar of chocolate, or even other types of candy."


    "Then may I have fish and chips please?" the English prince wondered.


    "Of course, you may. Just let the waiter know," Stephen replied with a grin.


    "Okay! Thank you," Edmund stated gratefully.


    Soon the waiter returned with their drinks. After everyone had their drinks, the waiter asked, "Are we ready to order yet, Your Majesties? If not, please take all the time you need."


    "I think we are ready now," Matthew replied.


    "Of course! What may I get for you today, Your Majesty?" the waiter asked.


    "I would like to have shepherd''s pie please," the king said.


    "Certainly. What about for you, Sir Stephen?" the waiter asked.


    "As for me, I would like a vegetable pasty please," Stephen requested.


    "Of course," the waiter stated. "What about you, Your Highness? Which entr¨¦e would you like today?"


    "I will have fish and chips please," Edmund replied.


    "Certainly. Since you are the birthday boy today, we will prepare it in a very special way," the waiter said with a smile.


    "Thank you!" the young prince exclaimed.


    "You are very welcome, Prince Edmund. We shall get started on your lunches right away," the waiter stated as he went to inform the cooks of their orders.


    As the two men and the young boy waited for their meals to arrive, they all took turns going to the restroom to wash their hands.


    Once all three of them had clean hands, Edmund asked his mentor, "Master Stephen? As soon as our meals arrive, may I have some of your vegetable pasty please? I will give you a piece of fish in exchange."


    "Of course, you may, Edmund. It is your birthday, after all. While I do not need anything in exchange, I thank you for being polite and thinking of others by sharing. They say sharing is caring," the brown-haired man replied with a nod of approval.


    "After lunch, you can also choose any dessert you like as well," his father added.


    "This is the best birthday ever," Edmund said with a smile.


    "I am elated to hear you say that, Edmund. We hope every birthday will only get better for you as you get older," King Matthew replied, grinning.


    Soon their lunches arrived.


    "Fish and chips for Prince Edmund, shepherd''s pie for King Matthew, and a vegetable pasty for Sir Stephen," the waiter announced as he served the three royals their lunches. "Is there anything else I can get for you today, gentlemen?"


    "Yes. May I have a word with you, please?" Stephen asked.


    "Of course, Sir Stephen. What can I do for you?" the waiter wondered.


    The brown-haired man walked up to the waiter and whispered something in his ear. Edmund watched his instructor say something to the waiter curiously. The young prince wondered what his mentor was doing.


    Once Stephen had finished his request, the waiter beamed. "We can certainly do that for Prince Edmund! It will be out as soon as possible." The waiter then went back to the kitchen.


    "Master? What did you tell him?" Edmund asked as Stephen sat back down.


    "It is a surprise," Stephen said with a smile as he cut some of his pasty and handed it to the young prince on a separate plate. Edmund then handed his mentor a piece of his fish that came with his fish and chips.


    The three royals then sat in silence as they enjoyed their meals. Edmund made sure to have the fish before the fries as he learned from his father and mentor that one must have the most important part of the meal first. With fish and chips, the fish was the most important part.


    Soon the royals were finished with their lunches. Not long after, other staff members of the restaurant, along with the waiter serving them, entered their private dining area cheering and clapping. The waiter had a plate with a large slice of carrot cake on it. On top of the cake was a small candle that had been lit.


    The staff then sang Happy Birthday to the young prince. As they did, Edmund sat there, a wide, grateful grin on his face.


    When the singing concluded, the young boy blew out the candle. The waiter then jokingly asked, "Did you wish for carrot cake, Your Highness?"


    "I guess I did," the black-haired boy said, causing everyone to laugh.


    "Hope you enjoy the cake, Prince Edmund," the waiter stated.


    "Thank you!" Edmund exclaimed.


    "You are welcome," the waiter replied with a beam as Edmund began to enjoy his carrot cake.


    As soon as the cake had been finished and the food had been paid for, the three royals thanked everyone at the restaurant for making Edmund''s birthday special and headed back to the palace.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    That night, the three royals had a hearty dinner. After that, they had cake and ice cream for dessert. While the royals enjoyed having sweets from time to time, they eschewed from every type of candy except chocolate. Outside of chocolate, it was mostly cake and ice cream the royals consumed for sweet treats.


    It could not have been a better sixth birthday for Prince Edmund.


    As he lay in bed, reading a book, his father and mentor sat beside him.


    Once the young prince had finished reading a chapter in the book, he closed it and put it on his nightstand.


    "This is a birthday that I will never forget. Thank you, father, and Master Stephen, for ensuring it was the best birthday possible," the young prince stated with a grin.


    "Anything for you, son. You only turn six years old once," Matthew said.


    "Now that you are six, next up is seven. Am I correct?" Stephen asked.


    "You are, indeed, Master," Edmund replied. "Not only was it a great birthday today, but I also made a couple of friends today."


    "You certainly did. It is always a good thing to make friends with your subjects as you are going to be looking after them someday, Edmund," King Matthew stated.


    "Will I really be a king when I am older, father?" Edmund wondered.


    The king nodded. "You are heir to England after the sun has set on my reign. Once that day comes, the sun will rise with your reign."


    "I will do my best to be as great a king as you are, father," Edmund proclaimed.


    "Spoken like a true future king," Matthew said with a smile at his son''s determination.


    "I know you have only met them today, but I think Jane and Richard will be lifelong friends for you, Edmund," Stephen said.


    "You really think so, Master?" the young prince asked.


    "Of course, Ed. I met your father when he was about your age. At that time, I was much younger than I am today," Stephen stated.


    "How old were you when you met my father?" Edmund wondered.


    "I was eleven years old at the time," Stephen answered.


    "You told me once that you met in Ireland, right? That is where you and father are from originally?" the English prince asked.


    Stephen nodded. "Yes. Your father and I grew up in Dublin, Ireland. Dublin is the capital of the country. Maybe someday, we could go to Dublin and show you everything the city has to offer."


    "Yes. I would like that very much," Edmund said with a smile. Then he yawned. "I think I am getting tired. Time for me to get some sleep, I guess."


    "You go ahead and get some rest, son. A man needs his rest, after all," Matthew said.


    "That he does. Good night, father," Edmund said, grinning at his father.


    "Good night, son. Sleep well," the king stated with a smile as he gently patted his young son on the head.


    "Good night, Master," the young prince said to his mentor.


    "You as well, Ed. We will see you in the morning," Stephen said with a beam as he patted the young boy''s shoulder before he and his best friend left the prince''s room to allow him some peace and quiet.


    The young prince smiled as he closed his eyes. His sixth birthday was truly a memorable one. He hoped that next year would be even better.

 Chapter 18

    I would like to thank roxygoth, BurningFox6, krystal lazuli, and LukeJames for beta reading and helping me improve!


    Feedback is always appreciated!


    Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen. Frozen is owned by Disney. I only lay claim to Prince Edmund, Prince Lucas, Master Stephen, and anyone else you do not recognize from Frozen.


    Chapter 18


    Eight-year-old Edmund was looking out his bedroom window on a warm, sunny, late June day. The young prince was smiling at what he saw below. Numerous tents had been erected overnight and multiple carts had arrived. People were milling about buying the various items displayed from this popup market that had appeared. They were all for a festival his father was holding throughout the kingdom to celebrate his thirtieth birthday. While turning thirty was a huge milestone, London held a weeklong festival annually around the king''s birthday. King Matthew had invited every kingdom to the festival. Due to the enormous size of the palace, hundreds of guests could stay in the castle at once. With how many kingdoms were coming to the event, Edmund was delighted at getting an opportunity to potentially make some friends with fellow royals. He also looked forward to seeing Jane and Richard.


    As the young boy continued to look at the scene before him, he heard a knock on his door.


    "Yes?" Edmund called before his father and mentor entered the room.


    "Good morning, Edmund. Breakfast is almost ready," Stephen stated.


    "Are you ready for the festival, son?" Matthew asked with a smile.


    "I am indeed ready for the festival father. However, I would like to have a full stomach before we head out there. With how many things there are to do and see, I will need as much energy as possible," Edmund replied.


    "That is the spirit!" the king said with a grin. "Just so you know, we do not have to do everything today. The festival will last an entire week. My birthday is on the second-to-last day of the festival."


    "Sounds good father. What should we do first? After we have breakfast?" the young prince wondered.


    "Maybe we could just go exploring for a little bit. There will be a lot of contests today starting at noon. Until then, we should see what the festival has to offer," Stephen replied. "I bet there are contests for boys about your age."


    "Of course, Master," Edmund stated with an approving nod. "I would like to participate in the contests if that it alright with you."


    "You certainly may take part in the contests," the young prince''s mentor smiled. "Why don''t we head to the Great Hall and have breakfast? Once we are finished, we will go look around the festival."


    "As you wish, Master," the young boy responded as the three royals made their way to the Great Hall for breakfast.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Once the three royals entered the city streets, they were greeted by the effervescent atmosphere of the festival. Children were running around in excitement, and their parents were talking with their friends.


    Anyone who saw the three royals acknowledged them with bows and curtsies.


    Edmund, Matthew, and Stephen soon passed by a cart selling English pasties. Despite having just had breakfast, the three royals decided to get some pasties from the cart.


    The merchant smiled as he bowed respectfully. "Good morning, Your Majesties. What kind of pasties would you like today?"


    "I would like a vegetable pasty please," Stephen replied.


    "You know what? I will have that as well please," King Matthew added.


    "Of course!" The merchant then turned his attention to the young prince. "What about for you, Your Highness?"


    "The same thing as my father and mentor please. You must eat your vegetables, right?" Edmund said.


    "Certainly, Your Highness. I will have those pasties ready in a few moments," the merchant stated.


    Soon the pasties were ready to eat. "Here we are! Three vegetable pasties." The merchant handed the pasties to the royals with plates and forks to eat them with.


    Upon receiving their pasties and paying for them, the three royals found an area nearby to enjoy the pasties. The merchant wished the king a Happy early Birthday as they went to enjoy their meals.


    After the three monarchs had finished their pasties and returned the plates and forks to the merchant for him to clean, they walked around the festival.


    One of the tents they walked by had wooden sculptures crafted by the finest woodcarver in England. Deciding to check it out, Edmund, Matthew, and Stephen entered the tent. The woodcarver bowed upon seeing the three royals enter.


    Numerous wooden sculptures were scattered about inside the tent. Edmund''s attention was caught by some wooden figures. One of them was a warrior clutching his sword and shield. Next to it were numerous other figures such as a knight, rogue, archer, mage, wizard, axe man, and spearman. The young prince admired how much work the woodcarver put into every single wooden sculpture and figure in the tent.


    As the young boy continued to look around the tent, he saw wooden weapons such as swords, scimitars, and axes lining the walls. There was a familiar blonde-haired boy also gazing at the weapons.


    Edmund immediately recognized him as Richard. "Hello, Richard. Are you enjoying the festival thus far?"


    "Hey there, Edmund. I am indeed having a great time. These wooden weapons are pretty cool, aren''t they?" Richard asked.


    The young prince nodded. "I have to admit the woodcarver does a great job on everything he creates."


    Richard nodded in agreement. "He certainly does." Then the nine-year-old thought of something. "Have you heard about any contests today for anyone of our ages?"


    "Master Stephen said there will be contests for young boys. However, the contests do not begin until noon," Edmund explained.


    "Oh okay. Would you like to hang out with me until then? We could also try to find Jane so she can join us," Richard suggested.


    "Yes please. I will ask my father and mentor if that is okay with them," Edmund replied as he went over to King Matthew and Sir Stephen.


    "Father? Master? May I hang out with Richard please?" the young boy asked.


    "Yes, Richard may come with us, my son. You have done a great job of not doing anything you are not supposed to do today. Please keep it up," Matthew said.


    "We do not want any of you to get hurt," Stephen added. "Remember to look with your eyes, not your hands."


    "Thank you. I can assure you Richard and I will be just fine," Edmund declared.


    "You are welcome, my son. Until the contests commence, we will look around the festival and do as many activities as we are able to. After that, we will return here and see if you would like to get one of the wooden figures," the king said.


    "Will do father!" Edmund exclaimed as he went to get Richard to join them.


    "They grow up so fast," Stephen remarked.


    "You can say that again," Matthew replied with a smile.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    The two men and the two boys were strolling through the city streets, admiring the cheerful atmosphere before them.


    "Will you be in the archery contest? There is an archery contest being held for boys aged eight through eleven," Richard told the young prince.


    "I suppose I could join the contest," Edmund replied before asking his father, "Is that okay with you, father?"


    "I think that would be great for you to show how far you have come with your archery skills," Matthew replied. "In only two years since you began using a bow and arrow, you have come a very long way."


    "I appreciate it, father," the English prince responded with a smile.


    "Certainly, my son," the king stated with a grin of his own.


    "I am good at archery. With how much I practice every day, I am sure I will win," Richard stated confidently.


    Edmund, staying true to his humbleness, told his friend, "Good luck to you, Richard."


    Richard smiled as he and Edmund shook hands. "Good luck to you as well, Edmund. The one who loses must buy a treat of the winner''s choice for them."


    "You have a deal," Edmund replied.


    Matthew and Stephen smiled as they listened to the two young boys making a playful bet with each other. With how well Stephen had trained Edmund, he had no doubt the black-haired prince would come out on top.


    "Hey boys?" Stephen said.


    "Yes?" the two young boys replied at the same time, turning their attention to Edmund''s mentor.


    "After the contest for young boys, there will be an archery contest for professionals," the thirty-five-old man replied.


    "How old do you have to be in order to participate?" Edmund asked.


    "You must be at least sixteen years old to take part in the contest," Stephen responded.


    "Ah that is okay. While I still have quite a few years left until I turn sixteen, I look forward to seeing how you perform in the contest," the young prince stated with a beam. Every year since his mentor was sixteen years old, Stephen had won the archery contest. The first time he did it after he and Edmund''s father moved to England was when Stephen was twenty-five years old. Prior to that, while living in Ireland, Stephen had already won nine archery contests consecutively. Now he was thirty-five and was attempting to win his twentieth archery championship in a row. With how many times he had won, Stephen was thinking it was about time for him to step down from participating in archery contests. Due to his uncanny ability to use a bow and arrow, Stephen was considering letting someone else take the glory for the sake of being fair.


    The four soon arrived at a cart with fresh fruits and vegetables. Edmund, along with everyone else, saw Jane there with her parents. Among them was another young boy with dirty-blonde hair and aurulent eyes. He was also accompanied by his parents.


    The young girl spotted the four approaching and got excited at seeing Edmund. "Edmund!" she exclaimed as she ran over and hugged the young prince.


    Edmund was surprised for a moment, but nevertheless smiled and returned the hug. "Hello Jane. How are you doing today?"


    "Simply wonderful! This festival is a blast!" Jane replied.


    "I agree. It has been a fun day today," Edmund said in agreement.


    Jane smiled before greeting Richard. "Hello Richard."


    The blonde-haired boy smiled as he shook the young girl''s hand. "Hi Jane."


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    Edmund was now looking at the dirty blonde-haired boy. He appeared to be a little younger than Edmund, as he was a little bit shorter than he was.


    "Excuse me, Jane? Who is that over there?" the black-haired boy asked.


    "I do not know. He seems nice though," the brown-haired girl responded.


    "Is it okay with you guys if I go talk to him?" Edmund asked.


    "Of course!" Jane exclaimed.


    "Yeah, go ahead, Edmund," Richard encouraged. "Jane and I can talk to each other while you are talking with the other boy."


    With their consent, the English prince walked up to the dirty-blonde haired boy. His sparkling golden eyes showed a lot of warmth from within him.


    "Good morning. I am Prince Edmund of England. What is your name?" Edmund asked once he was close enough.


    The dirty-blonde haired boy smiled as he bowed before Edmund. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Prince Edmund. I am Prince Lucas of Ostenda." The young boys subsequently shook hands.


    "Pleasure to meet you, Prince Lucas. Where is Ostenda located?" the English prince asked, interested.


    "Ostenda is in Belgium," Lucas replied.


    "Cool! What do you think of England thus far?" Edmund asked.


    "I really like it. London is a lot bigger than Ostenda. My family and I greatly appreciate you guys inviting us to celebrate King Matthew''s thirtieth birthday," the Belgian prince said with a grateful smile.


    "Of course! If you are wondering who he is, he is over there," Edmund said, pointing out his father, who was speaking with Jane''s parents by the produce cart, along with his mentor.


    "Is King Matthew your father?" Lucas asked.


    "He is. What are your parents'' names?" Edmund wondered.


    "My parents are King Arthur and Queen Victoria," Lucas replied.


    Edmund looked up at Lucas'' parents and bowed. "Pleasure to meet you, King Arthur and Queen Victoria."


    "It is an honor to have received your invitation to your father''s birthday, Prince Edmund. We are grateful for the opportunity to help him celebrate turning thirty years old," King Arthur greeted.


    "It seems you and Lucas are having fun talking to each other," Queen Victoria said, smiling.


    "Yes. Prince Lucas is a good kid. We may have just met, but I already enjoy being around him," the young English prince stated.


    "As I enjoy being around you, Prince Edmund," Lucas added with a pleased beam, appreciative of the compliment the English prince had given him.


    "You guys may just call me Edmund, if you like," Edmund said.


    "Then you may call me Lucas," the young Belgian prince responded.


    "Certainly," Edmund replied with a grin. "How old are you, Lucas?"


    "I am seven years old. What about you?" Lucas wondered.


    "I am eight," Edmund replied.


    "Wow! You are older than me!" Lucas exclaimed.


    "Only by a year," Edmund responded. "When is your birthday?"


    "My birthday is in February. The 8th to be precise. When is yours?" Lucas wondered.


    "March 14th. That makes you younger than me by less than a year," Edmund said.


    "That is nice! What do you like to do for fun?" the Belgian prince asked.


    "When I am not training with my mentor, I love to play piano, read books, play chess, and go on adventures outside the city," Edmund replied.


    "Sweet! I like to read books as well. What is your mentor''s name?" Lucas asked.


    "His name is Stephen," the English prince responded.


    "That is a good name," the Belgian prince answered with a smile. "If I may ask, what does he train you in?"


    "He trains me in every single fighting style there is, along with every weapon as well. However, my main melee weapon is a sword, and my main ranged weapon is a bow and arrow," Edmund explained.


    "That sounds like a lot of fun! My weapons of choice are sabers and longbows," Lucas stated.


    "Nice! I have heard sabers are like swords but are curved rather than straight. Longbows are basically like bows; except they are roughly the same height as the user," the English prince elaborated.


    "You are very smart, Edmund. How are you so smart?" Lucas asked in wonder.


    "Just hard work and dedicating yourself to certain tasks," Edmund said modestly.


    King Arthur and Queen Victoria were enjoying the conversation going on with Edmund and their young son. They smiled, realizing Lucas had just made friends with a fellow prince. Not only were the two young princes eagerly talking to each other, but they were also being polite and letting each other take their respective turns in speaking. The royals of Ostenda were pleased Prince Edmund was like their own son; humble, modest, friendly, and intelligent.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    The archery contest for the young boys was about to start. Edmund and Richard were signing up for the contest at the judge''s table, accompanied by King Matthew, Sir Stephen, Richard''s parents, Jane, and her parents, along with Lucas and his parents.


    "Do you really think I can win the contest?" Edmund asked worriedly.


    "Of course, you will, Edmund!" Jane exclaimed.


    "Hey," Lucas said, putting a hand on the English prince''s shoulder with an encouraging smile. "You got this, Ed."


    "Thank you, guys. I appreciate it," Edmund replied gratefully at the encouragement he was receiving.


    After the judge had signed Edmund and Richard up, he looked down on Lucas. "Will you be participating as well, young man?"


    Lucas shook his head. "I am only seven years old, sir. Thus, I am not old enough to participate this year," the Belgian prince stated honestly. "Am I allowed to at least watch the contest?"


    "Of course," the judge replied benevolently. He gestured to Lucas and his parents to follow him. "Here. You and your parents follow me. That way you can have the best view by sitting right up front!"


    As the judge and the Belgian royals went to their seats, King Matthew and Sir Stephen were trying to help Edmund keep calm.


    "Good luck, son. Just focus on the target and forget about what is going on around you," the king stated.


    "Thank you, father," Edmund said. King Matthew nodded approvingly at his young son.


    "You win this contest, there will be a surprise for you later," Stephen said with a nod.


    "Thank you, Master. I will try my best," the young English prince replied with determination.


    The archery contest soon began. Lucas and Jane watched closely as each boy stepped up, lifted their bows, pulled the arrows back, and aimed at their respective targets. Each boy was given three shots to hit the bullseye.


    Since the boys were young and did not have nearly as much experience with a bow and arrow as professional archers, none of the contestants before Edmund and Richard hit the bullseye once. Regardless, the audience applauded politely at the boys'' attempts.


    Lucas and Jane grew excited when Richard and Edmund had their turns. Richard went first. The blonde-haired boy notched an arrow, aimed, and released it. It hit the bullseye dead center. The audience cheered. Firing a second arrow, Richard hit the bullseye once again. More applause from the audience. The third arrow fired was the same result as the two arrows preceding it. Like the previous two bullseyes, the audience erupted with cheers and applause. Richard waved at the crowd with a grin before making his way back to his seat.


    The Belgian prince and the young girl were suddenly anxious after the spectacular display Richard put on. Pressure was extremely high for the English prince. Lucas and Jane knew it. Still, they held on to the hope Edmund would answer with a stellar display of his own.


    Edmund was the last contestant. Taking a deep breath, he picked up the bow confidently. Lucas and Jane looked around and saw King Matthew and Sir Stephen watching with confidence from the audience.


    Lucas and Jane turned their eyes back onto the black-haired boy. He withdrew one of the arrows from the quiver, notched it, and fired. A perfect bullseye. The crowd cheered and clapped. Edmund calmly fired another arrow from the quiver and hit the bullseye again. Another round of applause from the audience. Grabbing the last of the three arrows, the English prince took a little bit longer than the first two arrows to fire the third. When he did, it hit the bullseye like the other arrows. The crowd went delirious. Edmund smiled shyly and waved at the crowd before returning to his seat. While he had hit the bullseye each time, the young English prince knew it was not over yet. He had tied up with Richard.


    The judge stood up. "Well, it seems we have a tie. The target will be moved back further."


    After the judge moved two targets further back, Richard and Edmund were to only fire one arrow each turn. Even with the targets farther away, the two boys still hit the bullseye with ease. The crowd was getting more and more eager at the display the two young boys were putting on before them.


    A winner would not be announced before the target was moved back several times over. The archery contest eventually went to Edmund as Richard got tired and ran out of energy at the end. Edmund, however, was unusually strong for an eight-year-old boy and did not even feel tired after all that shooting.


    The judge announced, "We have a winner! Prince Edmund of England!"


    Cheers and claps erupted from the audience as the judge began to walk over to the English prince with the winning trophy in his arms.


    Before the judge could reach Edmund, however, Richard intercepted his path. "May I give it to him please?"


    The judge gave the blonde-haired boy a funny look before softening his expression. With a proud smile, the judge handed the trophy to Richard, patting the young boy on the shoulder.


    Richard took the trophy delicately, not taking any time to admire it before he handed it to the young English prince.


    "Congratulations, Edmund," Richard said with a smile, clapping Edmund on the shoulder.


    "Thank you, Richard. That was some fun contest huh?" Edmund replied.


    "Sure was. I cannot wait to do it again next year," Richard said with a grin.


    "Me neither," the black-haired boy responded with a smile of his own.


    King Matthew and Sir Stephen, along with Jane, Lucas, and their respective parents, went over to congratulate Edmund on emerging victorious.


    "You won, Edmund! Yay! You won!" Jane exclaimed.


    "Thank you, Jane. It was certainly hard-fought with how well Richard did in the contest," Edmund admitted.


    "Yeah. Richard sure gave you a run for your money there," Lucas replied.


    "Yes, he did," the English prince stated with a sheepish smile.


    Edmund saw his father and mentor approaching to offer their congratulations.


    "Well done, Edmund. Marvelous job you did!" Stephen said with a nod of approval.


    "It looks like you will be getting that surprise later today, after all," Matthew said with a smile.


    "Ah I do not need anything else. This trophy is good enough for me," Edmund replied modestly.


    "No really. I insist we give you that surprise later today. You will like it," Stephen stated with a grin.


    "Oh okay. Thank you, Master," Edmund said with a beam of his own.


    "Of course, Edmund. Anyway, the archery contest for the professionals will commence soon. Let us head over there now, shall we?" Stephen suggested.


    "As you wish, Master. I cannot wait to see how you perform in the contest," the young English prince replied as the group made their way to where the archery contest for professionals would be held.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Stephen signed up for the archery tournament, along with many other professional archers from around the world. Every year since he was sixteen years old, he won the contest every time not only in archery, but in other contests as well such as weightlifting, swimming, and running. Since he was going for twenty archery contest wins in a row, the brown-haired man decided he should step down and let the other men get their chance to shine. While no one resented Stephen''s annual victories due to his amazing personality, the thirty-five-year-old man figured it was only a matter of time before they did begin to feel bitter about it.


    After every contestant signed up, Stephen approached the judge. The judge noticed him coming towards him and greeted, "Ah, Sir Stephen. Are you ready for the contest?"


    "Yes. Before we begin, may I have a word with you please?" Stephen asked.


    "Certainly. What can I do for you?" the judge wondered.


    "Well, this is my tenth archery contest in England and twentieth overall since it all started back in Ireland," the brown-haired man explained.


    The judge raised his eyebrows, sensing what Sir Stephen was about to say. "Are you saying you would like to retire from participating in the archery contest after this one concludes?"


    "Precisely," Stephen responded.


    "Well, it has been a lot of fun watching you put on a show in front of everyone, Sir Stephen. However, I completely understand you would like to step down and let someone else take all the glory. That is very gracious of you," the judge said with a nod of approval.


    Stephen shrugged. "I am just trying to do the right thing, sir."


    The archery tournament for the professionals began shortly after. Edmund, Richard, Jane, and Lucas, along with King Matthew, Jane''s parents, Richard''s parents, and Lucas'' parents had sat down in the front row to support Stephen. They all had zero doubt Stephen would emerge victorious with his twentieth archery tournament win in a row.


    "This is going to be amazing," Edmund said.


    "I agree. Just like how you won the archery contest for young boys, I know Stephen will win this," Lucas replied.


    "I have no doubt he will. He is the greatest archer I have ever seen," Richard added.


    "Yay, Sir Stephen!" Jane exclaimed.


    Unlike the young boys, the professional archers had many years of experience with a bow and arrow. Thus, they were striking the bullseye more frequently than the young boys did.


    The audience was cheering, screaming, and whistling loudly for the men firing arrows at their targets. No one received more cheers than Sir Stephen, as he was the favorite to win the tournament. The brown-haired man was hitting the bullseye with no effort. He had his many years of archery training to thank for that.


    The archery tournament for experienced archers had six rounds. Sixty-four archers were to begin, with half of them eliminated while the other half advanced to the next round.


    Stephen breezed through the first four rounds of the tournament. Now it was the semi-finals. Only four archers remained. All of them were locked in, focusing on their respective targets. The four archers all hit the bullseye, requiring the targets to be moved back. Stephen managed to hit the bullseye, along with another man. Unfortunately for the other two men, they failed to hit the bullseye, and thus were eliminated from the contest.


    In the final, Stephen and the only archer standing in the brown-haired man''s way of his twentieth archery tournament win in a row both hit the bullseye once more. With how far the targets were moved back, the range of the bows being used for the contest was approaching its maximum. It was only a matter of time before the targets were moved out of range of the bows.


    The crowd could only gaze in awe at the performance the two men in the final were putting on. Both men were pushing the upper limits of how far a bow and arrow could shoot.


    "You got this, Master!" Edmund cheered.


    "Go, Sir Stephen!" Lucas shouted triumphantly.


    "Win that trophy, Sir Stephen!" Jane yelled.


    "Win this contest!" Richard encouraged.


    The parents of Jane, Richard, and Lucas, along with King Matthew, were smiling at the children cheering Edmund''s mentor on.


    Eventually, the targets were moved back so far it would be next to impossible to get a perfect bullseye.


    The man that was still in the tournament along with Stephen fired an arrow. It barely missed the bullseye, and the crowd gasped. While only a perfect bullseye would win the tournament for Stephen, the brown-haired man knew the door had been left open with his opponent failing to strike the bullseye.


    Stephen notched an arrow and pulled back, taking a deep breath in concentration. He fired the arrow. It cleanly hit the bullseye. The crowd erupted in cheers and claps for Sir Stephen. It was now twenty archery tournament wins in a row for the brown-haired man.


    "We have a winner! Sir Stephen!" the judge announced before he handed the trophy to Stephen.


    The judge then announced Stephen would be retiring from participating. Instead of getting upset, the audience instead went delirious, chanting his name and doing their best to give Stephen a proper farewell.


    At the insistence of the judge, a retirement ceremony was held in honor of Sir Stephen. Stephen modestly said it was not necessary. Nevertheless, the judge wanted to make sure Stephen''s performances every year would never be forgotten.


    The judge even decided to name the trophy after Sir Stephen beginning with the next archery contest the following year.


    While Stephen was surprised by the applause the audience was giving him in appreciation for what he had done, he was pleased the judge had decided to help him end his participation in archery contests on a high note.


    Stephen may not have been in archery tournaments anymore after that, but he still practiced with his bow and arrow every day to keep his skills keen. He also helped train Edmund with his bow and arrow and gave advice to others wondering how Stephen had become so masterful at archery.


    The brown-haired man realized it was an unbelievable ride for him. Someday, he hoped Edmund would follow in his footsteps and become just as good an archer as he was.

 Chapter 19

    I would like to thank roxygoth, BurningFox6, krystal lazuli, and LukeJames for beta reading and helping me improve!


    Feedback is always appreciated!


    Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen. Frozen is owned by Disney. I only lay claim to Prince Edmund, Prince Lucas, Master Stephen, and anyone else you do not recognize from Frozen.


    Chapter 19


    Once the retirement ceremony in honor of Sir Stephen had concluded, everyone wished him the best with retirement, along with giving King Matthew early birthday wishes, before they went back to the festival to enjoy themselves.


    As the group walked, Edmund congratulated his mentor on yet another archery tournament victory. "That was an unbelievable shot you made to win the contest, Master."


    "Thank you, Edmund. It was a tough shot considering how far back the target was. Another few inches and it would have been out of the bow''s range. Even the ranged weapons that shoot the furthest have their limitations in range," Stephen explained.


    "You are welcome, Master. Looks like you really had to be focused to hit the bullseye from such a distance," the young English prince said with a nod.


    "Yeah, that was one heck of a shot at the end!" Jane exclaimed with excitement.


    Stephen smiled at how full of life Jane was. No wonder George and Maria considered her the sunshine of their household.


    "I noticed before the contest you spoke with the judge about something. What did you say to the judge?" Lucas wondered.


    "Since I have now won the archery tournament twenty years in a row, I decided I have nothing more to prove. Thus, I chose to retire from any future archery contests," Stephen explained.


    "What did the judge have to say about that? Was he upset?" the young Belgian prince asked.


    The thirty-five-year-old man shook his head. "Upon speaking with the judge, he said it was a nice ride while it lasted, and that it was very nice of me to allow other archers their chances to shine. The judge even made the decision to name the trophy after me starting next year."


    "I am glad he understood why you made the decision to retire," Lucas said with a grin.


    Edmund smiled as well. "The whole tournament was certainly fun to watch. I hope someday I will be able to participate in the professional archery tournament."


    "Yeah, me too," Lucas said.


    "Me three," Richard replied. "That way all three of us can show everyone how good at archery we are."


    "I cannot wait to see you guys compete when we grow up!" Jane exclaimed.


    "We still have a while to go until we are adults. None of us are even ten years old yet," Edmund stated.


    "That is true. We will all be grown up before we know it though," Lucas said with a wink. This caused Jane to giggle.


    "Now that the archery contests are over, what is next, Master?" Edmund asked his mentor.


    "There are many more contests to participate in such as weightlifting, running, swimming, and many more. Would you like to participate in any more contests, Edmund?" Stephen asked.


    "Yes please," Edmund responded. "May Richard also participate please?"


    "Of course, he may. There are many more contests for young boys your age, I am sure of it," Stephen replied.


    "Thank you, Sir Stephen. I appreciate it," Richard said with a grateful smile.


    "You are welcome, Richard," the brown-haired man responded with a grin.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    About an hour after the group had lunch, they walked around and saw a race being held for young boys aged eight to eleven, just like the archery contest earlier. The boys were walking to the starting line after they signed up for the race.


    "That looks like a running contest over there. How does that sound, Edmund?" Matthew asked.


    "Sounds good to me. My lunch has settled for a while now. Thus, I do not think I will have to worry about it during the race," Edmund replied.


    "It has been about an hour, so you should be fine, my son," the king reassured.


    The black-haired boy nodded in agreement.


    "I wish I could join you, Edmund. However, it seems you must be eight years old to participate in any of the contests for young boys," Lucas said.


    "Are you upset about not being able to take part in the contests, Luc?" Edmund asked.


    The dirty-blonde-haired boy shrugged and shook his head. "It is okay really. I enjoy watching you and Richard competing and putting on a show before the crowd."


    "You do?" Edmund asked.


    "Of course, Edmund. You have already proven to be the best young archer in the world. Now I am eager to see how you do in the running contest," Lucas responded with a smile.


    "Thank you, Lucas," Edmund said.


    "You are welcome! Good luck to you and Richard. We will see you guys at the finish line," Lucas replied.


    "Good luck you guys! I hope you win, Edmund!" Jane cheered.


    "I will try, Jane. Thank you for the encouragement," the young English prince said.


    "Of course!" the young girl exclaimed.


    Richard also asked his parents if he could join the race, and they said yes.


    Once Edmund and Richard had signed up for the race, they were next to each other at the starting line. Numerous other boys either the same height as Edmund and Richard or taller were at the starting line, ready to burst out as fast as they could once the race was underway.


    "Are you ready, Richard?" Edmund asked.


    "Ready. Are you?" Richard replied.


    "Yes," the young English prince said.


    The judge announced the race would go around the city for a little bit, through the park, and the finish line would be at the exit of the park. Another judge would be at the finish line to present the medals to the first three boys to cross the finish line.


    Then the judge got out a horn he would blow to signal the start of the race. "On your mark, get set," the judge started before he blew the horn and the boys sprinted forward as the race began.


    People had gathered around the route of the race and were cheering for the young boys as they ran along.


    Edmund and Richard explosively got off to a quick start as soon as the horn had sounded. Surprisingly, they were able to keep up with the ten and eleven-year-olds without a problem.


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    As the race continued, the boys continued running as hard as they could through the cobblestone streets while the crowd cheered for them.


    It would not be long before Edmund and Richard reached the entrance of the park. They were even with a few of the older boys in the race. Every boy was determined to cross the finish line first.


    Once the finish line came into sight, Edmund saw his father, mentor, and everyone else waiting for him there. Jane was waving ecstatically while Lucas was smiling determinedly.


    Edmund and Richard were now in front of the other boys, stealing glances at each other with grins of determination as the finish line approached.


    Despite Richard putting up a good fight, the race was won by Edmund when he got just the tiniest burst of speed, right before he and Richard crossed the finish line.


    "Our winner is Prince Edmund of England!" the judge at the finish line announced as the crowd erupted into cheers.


    Edmund and Richard were panting from the race but wore grins on their faces.


    Richard groaned good-naturedly but nevertheless accepted defeat with dignity. "Congratulations on yet another win, Edmund. That was an exhausting race, huh?"


    "You can say that again. It appears everyone is tired from the race," the English prince replied.


    The judge walked up to Edmund, clutching three different color medals in his hands. With a smile, he put the gold medal on around the black-haired prince''s neck. "Congratulations, Your Highness."


    "Thank you," Edmund stated with a smile.


    "You are welcome," the judge responded before turning to Richard with the silver medal.


    "Congratulations, young man," the judge stated, grinning.


    "Thank you," Richard said, grinning.


    "Of course," the judge replied before he turned his attention to an eleven-year-old boy who had placed third with the bronze medal.


    Edmund and Richard watched as the boy accepted the bronze medal while being congratulated by the judge. The two boys then walked up to the other boy to shake hands with him.


    King Matthew, Sir Stephen, Jane and her parents, Lucas, and his parents, along with Richard''s parents, approached the two young boys with proud looks on their faces after Edmund and Richard were finished congratulating the boy who placed third.


    "Well done, Edmund. It seems you will be getting more than one surprise today," Stephen praised with a nod of approval.


    "Thank you, Master. While I am good with just one surprise, I am eager to see what surprises you have in mind for me later," Edmund said gratefully.


    "You are welcome, Edmund. As I said before, you will enjoy what I have in mind for you," the English prince''s mentor stated with a beam.


    "What a marvelous job you did out there, Edmund. Not only did you win the race, but you were also a good sport as well," Matthew said with a smile.


    "Thank you, father. You have always taught me to make sure I am fair to the other competitors in any contests I participate in," the black-haired boy replied.


    "I am pleased to know I have taught you well, my son," the king said with a proud nod.


    "That is why you are the best father anyone could ever ask for," Edmund responded with a broad smile.


    King Matthew was touched by what his young son said to him. He was happy to know Edmund really enjoyed having him as a father.


    "You won again, Edmund! Congratulations!" Jane exclaimed with a big grin on her face.


    "Thank you, Jane. Like in the archery contest, Richard sure made me work hard for it. All the other boys went hard in the race. You have to give Richard credit for making me earn first place," Edmund said, smiling shyly.


    "Are you and Richard tired from the race?" the young girl wondered.


    Edmund and Richard nodded.


    "I am glad we had lunch before the race. Otherwise, we might have gotten tired a lot faster than we did," Richard explained. "Had that been the case, Edmund and I would not have placed first or second."


    "Yes. Running, swimming, and other activities like that will take a lot of energy out of you," Edmund elaborated.


    The English prince then turned his attention to Lucas while Richard and Jane engaged in a conversation.


    Lucas was smiling. "Those were some great performances by you and Richard, Edmund. I do not think I would have been able to keep up with you guys."


    "Thank you, Lucas. I am sure you will be able to defeat either me or Richard when you are able to participate next year," Edmund said modestly.


    "Well, we will see about that. You and Richard are fast! Even the older boys could not outrun you guys," Lucas said with awe on his face.


    The black-haired boy shrugged. "Stephen and I are exercising every day to ensure we are in the best shape possible. While I would say my body feels amazing, I still have a long way before I get where I would like to go. I am not nearly as fast as the adults."


    "With time, I have no doubt you will be the fastest man to ever set foot on Earth!" Lucas stated with a beam.


    "I appreciate the encouraging words, Lucas. While I will try to become as fast as possible, I am sure there are or have been some very fast guys in the history of the planet," Edmund said.


    "That is true. Nonetheless, I hope you will join those guys someday," Lucas replied.


    "I will try my best. However, I will take it one day as a time as my master has said since my training began," Edmund explained.


    "Smart. The only day we can control is today," Lucas responded.


    "Exactly," Edmund said in agreement.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    The festival was a wonderful time for every kingdom King Matthew had invited. Everyone appreciated all the activities and festivities the festival had to offer. Not only did the festival have so much to do, but the city of London itself had an abundance of sights and activities as well. Some of the kingdoms that were invited looked around the city to see what it had to offer, from the restaurants to the parks, stores and shops, museums, theaters and so much more.


    Over the course of the festival, Edmund, along with his friends and family, would spend the entire week enjoying the activities and sometimes just looking around the city to show Lucas around London and to find anything interesting the royal family of Ostenda never knew before about England.


    Edmund, Richard, and Stephen would take place in just about every contest the festival had; the young English prince and his mentor were given special awards for winning the most contests of their respective age groups.


    There were a few days where the royal families would just stay inside the palace and watch what was taking place before them. It gave Edmund and Lucas time to bond and know more about each other. King Matthew even invited Jane and Richard''s respective families into the castle for a few days. Jane and Richard gladly accepted the king''s invitation to stay within the palace and see what it looked like on the inside.


    During the days the royal families and their friends stayed within the palace, the children would do a lot of fun activities such as swimming in the pond inside the castle gardens, as well as climb the apple trees in the apple orchard.


    On King Matthew''s birthday, the entire kingdom celebrated their beloved king turning thirty years old. Everyone residing in London wanted to make sure Matthew''s birthday was one he would never forget. Every restaurant offered the king being able to eat free in their establishments, and the wealthiest residents even got him some very expensive kingly items such as the fanciest shoes and clothes. While Matthew was grateful for how loyal everyone in his kingdom was to him and touched by their offers, he respectfully turned them down, insisting that all he cared about was having a great day.


    When the festival did end, however, Edmund was saddened Lucas and his family had to leave.


    Everyone was at the kingdom docks along the harbor, saying their goodbyes.


    "That was one fun week, huh Lucas?" Edmund asked Lucas.


    "It sure was. I just wish the festival were longer," Lucas replied.


    "Yeah, me too. That way we could have gotten to spend more time with each other," the young English prince stated. "I am going to miss you, Luc."


    The young Belgian prince nodded sadly. "I will miss you too, Ed."


    Edmund and Lucas then hugged each other tightly, both boys wishing they could never let go of each other. The two young princes viewed each other as brothers they never had.


    When Edmund and Lucas finally let go, Lucas'' parents smiled warmly at the English prince. "Prince Edmund, I would like to thank you for making my son''s stay wonderful," King Arthur said with a nod of approval.


    "You are welcome, King Arthur. Perhaps we will see each other again someday?" Edmund stated respectfully.


    "Of course," the king of Ostenda replied. "You and Lucas seem to be best friends. We will do anything to ensure you and Lucas see each other again someday."


    "I appreciate it, King Arthur," the young black-haired prince responded with a grin.


    King Arthur and Queen Victoria smiled. "We would also like to thank your father, King Matthew, for inviting us to help celebrate his birthday. The festival was the most fun my family and I have ever had in our lives," King Arthur elaborated.


    "I am thrilled to hear you had a wonderful time in London," Edmund said with a nod, to which Arthur and Victoria grinned.


    The young dirty-blonde-haired prince was saying goodbye to Jane and Richard. After giving both a hug, he said, "Farewell, Jane and Richard. I hope you guys continue to do well in England. Take care of Edmund."


    "I will!" Jane exclaimed with a smile and somewhat solemn expression on her face, indicating she intended to take care of the young English prince.


    "Same here. Edmund is a great kid, as are you, Lucas," Richard said.


    "Thank you, Richard! Edmund is indeed the nicest person I have ever met. Not only did he and the rest of the royal family of London have great hospitality, but you guys did as well. My parents and I greatly appreciate that," Lucas stated.


    "You are welcome, Lucas," Richard replied with a smile.


    After King Arthur and Queen Victoria said goodbye to King Matthew, Sir Stephen, Jane''s parents, and Richard''s parents, they exchanged handshakes and hugs before the Ostenda royal family entered their ship to begin their voyage back to Belgium. Lucas had given Edmund one last hug before he and his family boarded their ship.


    As the ship sailed away into the ocean, Edmund and Lucas beamed and waved at each other the entire time.


    Once the ship was out of sight, Edmund kept looking out into the sea.


    His father and mentor walked up to him.


    "You really miss Lucas, do you Edmund?" Matthew asked.


    "I do, father," Edmund said. "I am very happy to have met him. He is my best friend. Without your invitation, I would never have met him."


    The king smiled. "Lucas is a good kid. You got along quite well with him during their stay here."


    "Will I ever see him again?" the young English prince asked worriedly.


    "Of course, you will, Edmund. With how close you two became over the course of the festival, I have no doubt you and Lucas will reunite someday. Until you two do see each other again, I bet you will never stop thinking about him, as Lucas will not stop thinking about you," Stephen assured. "You and Lucas can stay in touch by writing letters to each other."


    "Thank you, Master," Edmund stated.


    "You are welcome, Edmund," Stephen responded. "Why don''t we head back to the palace now?"


    "Yes, Master," the black-haired boy responded as he followed his father and mentor back to the castle.

 Chapter 20

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    Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen. Frozen is owned by Disney. I only lay claim to Prince Edmund, Prince Lucas, Master Stephen, and anyone else you do not recognize from Frozen.


    Chapter 20


    Sir Stephen was jogging with eleven-year-old Edmund around a lake outside of London on a warm, early August day. Both were carrying satchels over their shoulders and were wearing clothes meant for jogging and summer weather. From time to time, Stephen would take Edmund to the lake as part of his quotidian training. Other times they would go there for ice skating in the winter and swimming in the summer.


    "Are you doing alright, Edmund?" the brown-haired man asked the young English prince.


    "Yes. I am doing well, Master," Edmund replied as they continued jogging around the lake.


    As Stephen and Edmund jogged along, Stephen made sure to jog at a pace Edmund was able to keep up with. The English prince was getting bigger and stronger every day. However, he was still not quite old enough to venture out on his own. There would eventually be a time where Edmund would be old enough to take care of himself.


    Eventually the two reached a dock. Deciding not to skip it, the young prince and his mentor jogged on the dock. Once they reached the edge of the dock facing the lake, the two were about to turn around and head back to the edge of the forest.


    However, upon reaching the dock''s edge, Edmund noticed something shiny at the bottom of the clear waters of the lake.


    "Master?" Edmund said as he continued to gaze at the shiny object.


    "What is it, Edmund? Do you see something in the lake?" Stephen asked as he stopped jogging.


    Edmund nodded. "What do you think it is, Master?"


    The brown-haired man looked closer at the object, taking care not to fall off the dock into the lake. "It looks like a knife of some sort. Maybe someone accidently lost it and did not realize it."


    "Should we return it to whoever lost it?" Edmund suggested.


    "Well, as nice as that would be, we have no idea who lost the knife in the first place. It could be someone who is not even from London," Stephen explained.


    "That is true. The knife also appears to be deep down," the young prince said. "Do you think you could reach it?"


    "Yes. I can hold my breath long enough to grab the knife and bring it to the surface," Stephen responded. "Wait here while I go get the knife."


    "Will do, Master," Edmund said as Stephen handed him his satchel and jumped into the lake to retrieve the knife.


    To his surprise, the water was warmer than Stephen thought. He was concerned it would be cold enough that he and Edmund would have to go back to the kingdom for him to get warmed up. Stephen thought he would be okay after he got out.


    With how clear the lake water was, he could see a considerable distance away from where the dock was situated.


    As he went down toward the knife, some fish scattered away upon seeing the brown-haired man. Once he had the knife in his grasp, he immediately returned to the surface. Upon surfacing, he got back up onto the dock dripping wet.


    "Looks like you got the knife, Master. You did it," Edmund said with a smile.


    Stephen smiled sheepishly at the praise while realizing he was all wet. He inspected the knife. "This looks like a dagger of some sort. I was thinking after we are done here, we can bring it to the kingdom blacksmith once we are back in the city."


    "Does it look like it needs to be cleaned?" the young English prince wondered.


    "Not too much. It should not be anything the blacksmith cannot handle," Stephen said as he dried off the dagger and placed it inside his satchel.


    "Will we still be able to continue jogging around the lake, Master? Is the water cold enough where we should head back to the kingdom to get you warmed back up?" Edmund asked with concern.


    Stephen shook his head with a smile. "The water is warmer than I thought it would be. I should be fine if we get back to jogging as soon as possible."


    "Then shall we do it right now?" Edmund suggested.


    "Yes. We shall do so," Stephen replied with a grin as he and the young English prince got back to jogging around the lake.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Upon arriving back in London, Stephen and Edmund went straight to the kingdom blacksmith. Once they entered the shop of the weaponsmith, the weapons builder bowed respectfully.


    "Good afternoon, Sir Stephen, and Prince Edmund. What can I do for you today?" the blacksmith greeted.


    "Good afternoon, sir. Edmund discovered this dagger at the bottom of the lake outside the city," Stephen explained, removing the dagger from his satchel, and handing it to the weaponsmith.


    After receiving the dagger, the weaponsmith examined it. "This looks like a nice dagger. It could use a little cleaning, but I should have no trouble getting this dagger shining again. I will have this thing shining like a diamond tomorrow."


    "Thank you, sir," Stephen said.


    "You are welcome, Sir Stephen. I hope you and Prince Edmund take care," the weaponsmith stated.


    "You as well," the young prince''s mentor responded as he and Edmund left the blacksmith.


    A little while after Stephen and Edmund left the weaponsmith, the young English prince caught something that streaked past the corner of his eye. Edmund turned his head to see a group of three boys being chased by the guards, one of them clutching something shiny. The black-haired prince saw in horror that one of the boys happened to be Richard.


    "Hey! Stop right there!" one of the guards yelled.


    "Catch us if you can, slowpokes!" one of the boys retorted.


    "This cannot be happening. What do we do now, Master?" Edmund asked worriedly.


    "We must stop them as they have appeared to have stolen something valuable," Stephen replied.


    "One of them is Richard. How could he?" Edmund gasped.


    "I have no idea what motivated him to do such a thing. Whatever reason it was, we must return the valuable thing they stole to its rightful owner," Stephen explained.


    "Yes, Master," Edmund said.


    "You go that way, and I will go this way. Be careful," the brown-haired man said with quick gestures as he and his student joined the guards in running after the boys.


    As he ran, Edmund could not help but be in disbelief at the vicissitude of his friend. How would he end up becoming a thief? Pushing those thoughts aside, the English prince ran through the city streets as fast as he could, dashing past citizens and ignoring their surprised reactions.


    Stephen was running where the guards had gone to go after the boys. Thoughts of shock entered his mind as he ran. Why would Richard ever resort to stealing something? Did it have something to do with the influence of the other boys? Were the other boys recalcitrant, perhaps? He had a lot of theories as to why Richard would end up committing thievery, but he knew the task at hand was to catch the boys before they got away.


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    Edmund eventually saw the three boys run down a dark, narrow alley. While the alley did not appear to be the safest place in London, the young prince followed the boys anyway, determination keeping him going.


    "Richard! Stop this right now!" Edmund shouted.


    "What are you going to do about it? Huh?" Richard fired back.


    That made it clear to Edmund. Richard was no longer his friend after what he had done. The black-haired prince had to stop him before he or the other boys caused any harm to someone else.


    Edmund soon caught up to his former friend, grabbing his shirt and yanking him backwards. Richard fell, the diamond falling out of his grasp.


    As Edmund made a move to pick up the diamond and return it, one of the boys said, "I would not do that, if I were you."


    The young English prince looked at the boys, who had knives in their hands. Richard had recovered and was already on his feet, clutching a knife as well.


    "Richard, this is not you. Should you and the other boys stop this nonsense, nothing bad will befall anyone, and we can just forget this ever happened," Edmund tried to reason with the blonde-haired boy.


    The three boys, however, merely smirked devilishly. "Good attempt at a persuasion, Edmund, but not good enough," one of the boys replied. "Come on boys. Let''s get him!"


    Richard and the two other boys approached the young prince, knives ready to attack him.


    Realizing there was no way he would be able to persuade Richard to quit with what he was doing, Edmund entered a fighting stance. The black-haired prince knew he had to be careful, as he had no weapons on him, and it was three against one.


    One of the boys charged at Edmund. The young prince made quick work of him, dodging his attack, and quickly subduing him with a swift kick and punch to the head.


    The other boy was also defeated rather swiftly.


    Now it was only Edmund and Richard. Richard glared at him. "I am going to make you pay dearly for ruining my plans, Edmund." He then ran at Edmund, intending to stab him.


    Edmund rolled out of the way, jumping back to his feet as Richard made another move. The blonde-haired boy swung his knife at Edmund, who grabbed his wrist. Richard and the young prince struggled with each other, Edmund trying to stop Richard from stabbing him while Richard attempted to push his knife down on his former friend.


    Stephen and the guards arrived at the scene as the two boys continued to struggle with each other.


    "Edmund!" the brown-haired man yelled as he rushed over to help his student. He grabbed Richard from behind, pulling the knife out of his grasp. The blonde-haired boy struggled furiously to get away, but Stephen''s grip was too tight.


    The guards immediately arrested the two other boys before they could recover and make another attempt to escape. Another one of the guards ran over to where Stephen had Richard. He then arrested Richard with a stern look on his face.


    "You are in big trouble, young man," the guard snarled as he dragged Richard along with the other two boys.


    "Edmund! Help me! Do not let them take me away!" Richard said desperately.


    "Why should I? You should have known stealing is wrong," Edmund retorted quietly, very disappointed in Richard. "I offered you a chance to stop this nonsense, and you chose to stick with your new friends."


    "I am still your friend, right?" Richard asked.


    The English prince shook his head. "No. You were my friend. That boy I remember is no longer there. I do not wish to associate with you or your family ever again."


    "What?! Has that scoundrel Lucas replaced me as your best friend?" Richard demanded.


    "Do not ever talk about Lucas like that! Luc has nothing to do with this. He is a good kid and would never do anything like you just did. Guards, take him away," Edmund said.


    "Yes, Your Highness," one of the guards replied.


    "No Edmund! You cannot do this!" the blonde-haired boy shouted as the guards took him and the other boys to the youth detention center.


    Edmund picked up the diamond and gave it to one of the guards to return to its rightful owner. "Here you go. I am very sorry you and the rest of the guards had to go through this."


    "It is okay, Your Highness. We were just doing our job. I am glad to know you would never do anything that would get you in trouble with the law," the guard said with a nod of approval. He then made his way to return the diamond.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Once the guards and three boys were out of sight, Stephen went over to Edmund and checked to see if he suffered any injuries. "Are you alright, Edmund? Did those boys hurt you?"


    Edmund shook his head. "I am fine, Master. Had you and the guards not arrived in time, there is the possibility I would have been dead."


    "Well, I am relieved no one got seriously injured in the fight," Stephen replied.


    "I still cannot comprehend why Richard would break the law like that," the young prince said, still disbelieving what his former friend had done.


    "Not everyone is bound to be good, Edmund. There are many evil beings in the world, whether we like it or not," the brown-haired man responded.


    "That is very unfortunate," Edmund said with anguish on his face.


    Stephen gave his student a sympathetic look upon seeing how he looked. "It pains me to know Richard ended up becoming evil. He was such a good kid. Those boys he was with must have been raised by parents who do not have any idea how to properly discipline their children."


    "I am afraid so," Edmund replied.


    "Come on, Edmund. Let''s head back to the castle," Stephen suggested.


    "Yes, Master," the young English prince responded as the two made their way back to the palace.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Edmund was eating his dinner with his father and mentor, still thinking about the events from earlier. While he had not seen Lucas in three years, he was confident the Belgian prince remained good. The English prince was disappointed the Belgian prince never came to the festivals King Matthew held for his birthday every year. He could not help but wonder if something catastrophic might have happened to them or if the Ostenda royal family might have forgotten about him.


    Richard was a good friend of his, but when he said Lucas had replaced him as his best friend, that caught Edmund off-guard. Why would Richard have assumed that? Every friend of anyone was unique, and could play key roles in someone''s life, even if their roles were not the same.


    Matthew noticed the state his son was in and placed a hand on his shoulder to comfort him. "I am very sorry about what happened today, Edmund. You must feel guilty about how Richard could have become evil so suddenly."


    "I am shocked at what has happened today, father. Never in my life have I thought one of my closest friends would change for the worst. Like what Master Stephen said earlier, not everyone is bound to be a good person," Edmund replied.


    "As unfortunate as it is, my son, it is sadly something the world must live with. There are many evil people out there, and they could be anywhere, even in London there are bad people in certain places of the city," the king explained.


    "After seeing what happened to Richard, I realized I just lost a friend today," the young English prince stated with a sad look on his face, looking down at his now clean plate.


    "You cannot please everyone, my son. It does not matter how good of a person you are. There are people out there who will not want anything to do with you, regardless of how nice you are to them or what your social status is. As King of London, I have come to realize not everyone will be happy with the decisions I make," Matthew explained.


    "How could they not be happy with you as king, father? London has been prospering ever since you became king!" Edmund stated.


    "It is just the way it is, son, and I have to accept that," the king replied sympathetically.


    Edmund nodded in understanding. "At least I still have Jane here in London."


    "That is true, my son," Matthew said before he remembered something. "I am surprised Lucas and his family have not come to my annual festival to celebrate my birthday since I turned thirty. No word has come from Ostenda as to what is going on there as we speak."


    "I miss Lucas very much, father. What if something bad has happened to him or his family?" Edmund asked with concern.


    "Unfortunately, I do not know if anything has happened to them, my son. While I hope nothing has happened to them, the lack of correspondence might send the message it is possible something has befallen them," Matthew elaborated with concern on his face.


    Edmund had a lot of pain in his normally gentle blue eyes. First, his friend Richard becoming evil, and then not knowing what had become of Lucas and his family after having not heard from them in a few years.


    The English prince knew there would be rough days in life, but he did not expect that day to be one of them.


    Stephen saw how bad Edmund felt. "I can assure you Lucas and his family are alive and well, Edmund. No response is better than getting a letter from someone else in the kingdom saying something has happened to them."


    "I suppose that is true. However, until I do see them again, I would rather not get my hopes up too high," Edmund replied.


    "The best we can do right now is to stay positive and move forward. I am truly sorry about how today had to end up, Edmund," Stephen said with regret on his face.


    "It is okay, Master. Today was not your fault. You are not to blame for anything happening today. It is Richard''s fault for making a poor choice," Edmund replied.


    "Everyone makes poor choices in their lives. Even the best people to have ever lived have made choices they regret later and wished they had done them differently. I have had my fair share of decisions I wish I could take back and do over again," Stephen explained.


    "You do?" Edmund asked.


    "Of course. There was one time when I was a kid where I was carrying a lot of groceries home, and as I entered my house, I accidentally knocked over one of the glass containers for one of the candles in the living room. The container hit the ground and shattered all over the place. I wished that I had been more careful when carrying those groceries," Stephen said.


    "Were your parents angry with you?" the young English prince asked.


    "At first, they were, yes, but they forgave me when they saw how terrible I felt about it. I promised that from now on I would be more careful and pay more attention to where I was going so it would not happen again," Stephen said with a grin.


    "I am glad your parents did not punish you or anything for something like that," Edmund said with a beam of his own.


    "As am I. Had it been stealing something, then yes, they would have punished me. However, I have never stolen anything as I have always known stealing is not the way to go in life," Stephen explained.


    Edmund''s smile faded as he recalled Richard''s act of theft from earlier. "I just wish Richard did not do what he did."


    "I wish he did not do it either. However, what is done is done, and Richard will be punished for his actions," Stephen said.


    "They will not execute him, will they?" Edmund asked.


    "No, they will not. I am sure they will just keep him in the youth detention center until he cleans up his act," Stephen elaborated.


    "Even after he gets his act together, I still do not want anything to do with him," the English prince stated.


    "I understand that. It was your choice to be around the people that would serve as a good influence on you," Stephen said.


    "You and my father have been the best influences on me I could have ever asked for," Edmund responded.


    "I am happy to hear that," the brown-haired man replied with a grin. "Now, how about we talk about something sunnier?"


    "Sounds good, Master," Edmund said in agreement.

 Chapter 21

    I would like to thank roxygoth, BurningFox6, krystal lazuli, and LukeJames for beta reading and helping me improve!


    Feedback is always appreciated!


    Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen. Frozen is owned by Disney. I only lay claim to Prince Edmund, Prince Lucas, Master Stephen, and anyone else you do not recognize from Frozen.


    Chapter 21


    Fifteen-year-old Edmund was training with his mentor on a mid-March day. The English prince proved to be a prodigy in not only fighting, but in his academics as well. Edmund did so well in school he completed his schooling at age thirteen with the highest honors possible. While it was an enormous triumph for the black-haired teenager, Edmund always insisted he was doing what was important to become successful in life.


    Four years had passed since Richard was sent to the youth detention center. The next day, however, the blonde-haired boy had disappeared without a trace. Despite extensive searches, Richard was nowhere to be found. Richard''s betrayal haunted Edmund for a little while. However, he was eventually able to move on from it with his instructor''s help.


    The time eventually came for Edmund to prove he had mastered every fighting style known to man.


    "Alright, Edmund. You have come such a long way since I began training you. Now, you must prove you have mastered everything I have taught you," Stephen stated. "Are you ready?"


    "Ready, Master," Edmund replied as he and his mentor entered a fighting stance. Both were in a special room within the palace where Stephen trained the English prince every day.


    "One last thing before we begin," the brown-haired man said. "No matter what you do, you can never hurt me. This is a real test. Thus, you must not worry about injuring me."


    "Will do, Master," Edmund responded as the two men got ready to demonstrate the English prince''s abilities.


    Stephen sent a punch flying Edmund''s way. Edmund simply blocked it and threw a punch of his own at his mentor. The brown-haired man ducked out of the way and swung his foot at his student. Edmund rolled out of the way, quickly getting back to his feet, facing Stephen.


    The battle between the two men was very evenly matched. No matter what happened, neither could land a hit to gain the upper hand.


    Stephen used his momentum and tremendous leaping ability to climb up the wall. Upon reaching a certain point, he lunged off the wall at Edmund. Edmund leaped out of the way as his mentor recovered swiftly and they faced each other once more.


    "You have done well, Edmund," Stephen praised. "We shall keep going until one of us lands a hit on the other."


    "Yes, Master," Edmund responded.


    The two men continued throwing punches and kicks at each other, trying to land the finishing blow. Even Edmund himself was astonished at how he was able to keep up with his master, as he was still just fifteen years old. Stephen, on the other hand, was forty-two and had over forty years of experience under his belt.


    Edmund soon saw his mentor change his fighting stance. Seizing his chance, Edmund ran up to Stephen. He leaped into the air and landed a kick on his mentor''s chin that knocked him to the ground. Before Stephen could recover, Edmund was right on top of him, pinning his arms to the ground.


    The brown-haired man realized that reality had set in. Edmund really had mastered every fighting style in existence. Stephen himself did not master everything until he was out of his teens. For Edmund to accomplish the feat at such a young age, made him very proud of his student.


    "Well done, Edmund. You have officially mastered every fighting style there is," Stephen said with a nod of approval.


    "Thank you, Master. I would not be here today without you," Edmund said with a grin as he helped his instructor off the floor. "Thank you for everything."


    "You are very welcome, Edmund. I am so proud of you," Stephen replied. "I knew this day was coming. Time has gone by so fast."


    Edmund nodded in agreement. "It has gone by a little too quickly for my liking. However, I do not regret a single moment from our training."


    "Neither do I, Edmund," Stephen stated. "It seems like only yesterday I was beginning to train you when you were just an infant in your father''s arms. Now, you are nearly grown up."


    "Almost. I would like to enjoy my teenage years while I can. In five years, I will not be a teenager anymore," Edmund said.


    "That is true," Stephen said. "We should definitely tell your father the good news."


    "I agree. Let''s go tell him," Edmund agreed as he and his mentor went to tell Matthew the news of Edmund''s training being completed.


    The king was looking at documents in his office when he heard a knock on the door. "Come in," Matthew said.


    The door opened, and Edmund entered with his mentor. "Matthew, there is something I have to tell you," the brown-haired man stated.


    "Of course, Stephen. What is it?" Matthew asked curiously.


    "I would like to announce that Edmund has mastered everything I have taught him," Stephen announced with a grin.


    "That is wonderful!" Matthew exclaimed as he got up and walked to Edmund. He hugged his teenage son, and Edmund returned the hug to his father.


    "I am so proud of you, son. You have grown so much, especially in these last few years. Soon you will either be ruling England or another kingdom out there," Matthew said with a smile.


    "Thank you, father. While I will do my best to be the best king I can be when the time comes, England will never have another king like you," Edmund said modestly.


    "Ah, stop being so modest, Edmund. You will be a wonderful king," Matthew said with a chuckle.


    "Well, I would prefer being modest and humble like you have raised me to become. Thanks to you and Stephen, that is exactly how I have turned out. I would not have it any other way," Edmund said.


    "That is why I am proud to call you my son," Matthew replied gratefully.


    "As I am to call you my father," Edmund responded as they hugged each other once more. Stephen smiled as he watched his best friend and student in a warm embrace.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    One month after completing his training, Edmund was participating in a chess tournament that was being held for only the best chess players in the world. The English prince was surprised he was eligible to participate, considering he was by far the youngest participant. While there were some accusations of favoritism, the judges said that despite the fact Prince Edmund was in the competition, they would be treating him just the same as any other competitor. The person who put together the list of the chess players in the world was completely unconnected with King Matthew, the judges assured. Thus, the accusations were put to rest.


    "You ready to show them what you got, Edmund?" Jane asked with a determined smile. Over the years, the brown-haired girl had gotten more and more beautiful with each passing year. Fourteen years old now, Jane developed a crush on the black-haired prince as they got older. Edmund returned the feelings, hoping they could marry someday despite their social differences.


    "I am ready as I will ever be, Jane. Thank you for your encouragement," Edmund replied with a grateful beam.


    "Anything for you, Ed," Jane responded with a giggle.


    The English prince winked at the brown-haired girl before turning his attention to his father.


    "Good luck, son," Matthew encouraged.


    "I appreciate it, father. Do you really think I can win this tournament? I am only one of the best two-hundred-fifty-six chess players in the world," Edmund said.


    "You put your mind to it, you can do anything, Edmund. Stephen and I have taught you numerous strategies for the game of chess. Now it is time for you to show everyone what we have instructed you with," the king responded before adding, "Even if you do not win, I will be proud of you no matter how far you make it. These are some very experienced chess players you will be facing."


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    "They are indeed. Regardless, I will do my best," the English prince stated.


    "That is what I am talking about," Matthew said with an encouraging smile.


    Edmund returned the smile.


    Soon every chess player in the tournament was gathered in the kingdom library, with numerous residents from England watching eagerly to see who would take the glory.


    The English prince took a deep breath as he prepared for his first chess opponent.


    Edmund''s first opponent was a chess player from France named Gabriel. Once the two men were settled at their chessboard, Gabriel smiled warmly and greeted the English prince. "Good morning, Your Highness. I am Gabriel. Are you ready for this tournament?"


    "Good morning, Gabriel. I am ready to begin. Let the chess match commence," Edmund replied.


    "As you wish, Prince Edmund," Gabriel replied with a grin as the chess tournament began.


    Since Edmund was on the white side of the chessboard, he made the first move. He moved a pawn in front of the queen two spaces forward. Gabriel made the same move with a black pawn.


    As Edmund was in deep thought, he remembered Stephen saying that controlling the center of the board and developing pieces quickly was one of the most important strategies in chess.


    Deciding to go with those strategies his mentor taught him, the English prince made his next move.


    The match ended with Edmund winning rather quickly. Gabriel was surprised he had gotten defeated so fast. However, the Frenchman accepted defeat with a grin.


    "Congratulations on advancing, Your Highness. I wish you luck in the next round. You have a very bright future ahead of you," Gabriel said.


    "Thank you, Gabriel. It was fun playing chess with you," Edmund responded.


    "Likewise. Good luck to you, Prince Edmund," Gabriel replied with a grin as he waved and joined the other chess players who had been eliminated.


    Much to his surprise, Edmund managed to make it to the finals relatively easily. He came up with strategies to ensure he took control of the center of the chessboard early enough to have more room to achieve a checkmate.


    The English prince became curious with whom he would face in the finals. Who was it? Where were they from?


    Over the course of the tournament, he reminded himself not to look ahead. The English prince knew he had to defeat his finals opponent before he could even think about holding the trophy at the end.


    Edmund''s finals opponent was an older gentleman with a determined smirk on his face named Otto. The man was from Germany and appeared to be gruffer than his previous opponents.


    "You really think you can beat me, Your Highness? Just wait until you see me holding the first-place trophy," Otto said cockily as he tried to get into the English prince''s head before the match.


    The English prince, however, remained calm and refused to take the bait. "Shall we get this match underway, Otto?" Edmund asked politely.


    "Yes. You will not win, though," the German responded confidently as their match commenced.


    Over the course of the tournament, Edmund switched between whether he was on the white side of the board or the black side. In the first round, Edmund was on the white side. Now that he was in the finals, he was on the black side of the chessboard.


    Otto proved to be a much tougher opponent for Edmund than anyone else he had faced in the tournament. Numerous scares of a checkmate on Edmund took place over the course of the match. Had the English prince failed to keep his composure the whole time, he very well might have made a move that opened the door for Otto to checkmate him.


    The German was beginning to grow frustrated he was unable to get into Edmund''s head. Nevertheless, he made sure to not let it affect the way he played.


    Edmund and Otto''s match lasted much longer than the previous matches the English prince took place in. The English prince understood as each round was progressively harder than the last.


    Edmund eventually saw his chance at a checkmate and took advantage of it.


    "I guess that is checkmate. It was a good match with you," Edmund said as he held out his hand.


    Otto refused to shake it, however, angry over his defeat. "How could I lose to a pathetic teenager such as you?"


    King Matthew heard the German man''s words and walked over with a stern look on his face. "Do not ever speak to my son that way. I am not the one who oversees the tournament. If you should ever get the gall to do that again, I will never allow you to participate in any events taking place in my kingdom."


    The person in charge of the tournament also arrived with a look of disapproval on his face. "King Matthew is certainly speaking the truth. I am responsible for this tournament, and I will not tolerate any poor sportsmanship."


    Otto remained silent with a deathly glare on his face before he got up and stormed out of the building.


    Edmund was in stunned silence at how poor a sport Otto was. "Father, did I do anything wrong?"


    "You did nothing wrong, my son," Matthew assured Edmund. "Otto was just a poor sport since he lost. Not everyone will accept defeat with dignity, unfortunately. I am glad you did not lash out at him and kept your composure."


    "Thank you, father. I did not see any reason to go after him as he did not threaten you, Master Stephen, or anyone else," Edmund replied.


    "That is true," the king responded with a nod. "Congratulations on winning the tournament, my son. There is a special room down the hall where you will receive your trophy."


    Edmund was led to a room as he waited to see who would be handing out the trophies for the chess tournament. He entered the room, and to his surprise, he saw his mentor was the one handing out the trophies.


    "Hello, Edmund," Stephen greeted with a grin. "I hear you won the chess tournament. Is that true?"


    Edmund nodded. "Yes, Master."


    Stephen''s grin grew wider as he handed the first-place trophy to his student. Edmund gazed at the trophy with a sense of wonder. The trophy looked like a chess king and was made of solid gold.


    "Congratulations, Edmund," the brown-haired man stated. He then thought of something and snapped his fingers. "Tell you what, Edmund. Since you won the tournament, we will go to The Knight''s Pantry after everything from the tournament is put back where it belongs. Does that sound good to you?"


    "That sounds like a plan, Master. For now, maybe I should help with getting everything to where it needs to go?" the black-haired prince suggested.


    "Sounds good to me, Edmund. I will assist with everything as well to help the work get done faster," Stephen responded as he and his student started helping those who set up the tournaments get everything put away and stored where it would be until the next tournament.


    The English prince was now wondering how different the tournament would have been had Stephen participated. Edmund had no doubt his master would be holding the gold trophy himself if he did. Ever since his victory over Prince Hugo, Stephen was the best chess player in the world. Edmund doubted he could defeat Stephen in a chess match considering his mentor had taught him about chess and knew about all his strategies and tactics.


    While Stephen was surprised at first that Edmund had won a chess tournament at such a young age, he was nonetheless very happy his teachings with the young prince had paid off.


    After the chessboards from the tournament were all put away in a closet inside the library, everyone was walking to the entrance of the building.


    "Massive congratulations, Edmund. You have certainly made me very proud of you today," Stephen said with a nod of approval.


    "Thank you very much, Master. I had fun playing chess with everyone today," Edmund responded with a smile.


    "You are very welcome, Ed," Stephen replied, patting the English prince on the shoulder.


    Matthew and Jane turned to the English prince with smiles on their faces.


    "Massive congratulations once more, my son. You did it," Matthew said with a broad smile.


    "Thank you, father. Everyone in the tournament really made me work for it, though. They were all good opponents, that is for sure," Edmund replied with a beam of his own.


    "I have no doubt everyone was a nice challenge. Challenges are always a good thing in life," the king said as he turned his attention to his best friend. "I wonder how things would have turned out had you participated in the tournament."


    "Well, I think Edmund still would have won the tournament as he is a special young man," Stephen praised.


    "I appreciate the compliment, Master. However, since you are the best chess player in the world, there is no way I would have defeated you," Edmund replied.


    "Honestly, with how long a way you have come, I think you would have had a legit chance to beat me. There is a first for everything, you know," Stephen responded.


    "You do have a point there, Master. Still, it is tough to defeat the best of the best," Edmund said with a smile.


    "I suppose it is. If anyone does defeat me in chess someday, I hope it is you that pulls off the feat," Stephen stated.


    "Likewise. Maybe we could face each other in the next tournament?" Edmund suggested.


    "Perhaps, or we could just have a fun match later today," the brown-haired man said.


    "That is true," the English prince said before he saw Jane smiling at him.


    "Congratulations, Edmund," Jane said with a smile. While she was not as excitable as she once was, the brown-haired girl was still the same kind and gentle girl Edmund had met nine years ago.


    "Thank you, Jane. It was a fun tournament, to say the least," Edmund said, grinning.


    "Yeah, except for the guy you faced in the finals. He was a jerk if you ask me," Jane said in disdain.


    "He may have been that way. However, it was not worth causing unnecessary drama," the English prince replied. "If I had let my emotions win, there is the possibility I would have been disqualified from the tournament. Had that been the case, he would have been holding this trophy instead of me."


    "That is true. It is what I like about you, Edmund. You have such an even temper," Jane said with approval.


    "Well, I try," Edmund said with a shy smile.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    As a man of his word, Stephen took Edmund and everyone else to The Knight''s Pantry.


    While his mentor insisted that he could get anything he desired, Edmund insisted on getting something healthy to eat. Stephen had taught his student that having a healthy diet is key to a long life. Thus, the English prince decided he should continue eating as healthy as possible, while only indulging on chocolate occasionally.


    After everyone was finished with their meals and paid for the food, the group left the restaurant.


    Edmund was walking with Jane alongside him while Matthew and Stephen were in front of them.


    "Excuse me, father? Master?" Edmund asked.


    "Yes, Edmund?" Stephen responded. "Did you need something?"


    "I did. Could Jane and I talk for a little bit please? Alone?" Edmund asked.


    Matthew raised an eyebrow curiously, but nodded, nonetheless. "Yes, you may, Ed."


    "Thank you," the English prince asked as he led Jane to a nearby area where only they could hear each other.


    "What is it you would like to talk about Edmund?" Jane asked, wondering where Edmund was going with this.


    "Jane, you are the warmest, kindest girl I have ever met. I am very happy to have you in my life. Life would not be the same without you," Edmund elaborated.


    The brown-haired girl was deeply touched by Edmund''s words. "Thank you very much, Edmund. That means a lot to me."


    "You are very welcome, Jane," the English prince responded with a charming grin. "There is something I must ask you."


    "Of course, Edmund. What is it?" Jane began to grow curious as to what Edmund would say next.


    "Would you go on a date with me?" Edmund asked.


    Flabbergasted, Jane gasped before she nodded with an ecstatic smile on her face. "Yes! I would love to do that, Edmund!"


    The English prince returned the beam, taking Jane''s hand in his. "We should tell my father and master about this."


    "Yes! They will be happy to hear the news!" Jane exclaimed as she and the English prince went to tell Matthew and Stephen the wonderful news.

 Chapter 22

    I would like to thank roxygoth, BurningFox6, krystal lazuli, and LukeJames for beta reading and helping me improve!


    Feedback is always appreciated!


    Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen. Frozen is owned by Disney. I only lay claim to Prince Edmund, Prince Lucas, Master Stephen, and anyone else you do not recognize from Frozen.


    Chapter 22


    A nervous twenty-year-old Edmund was gazing down at the diamond ring in a small box he was holding in his hand. Closing the box, he carefully placed it in his pocket and looked outside his bedroom window. It was a snowy mid-December day.


    He was dressed up in midnight blue formal clothes and had just taken a bath. The English prince was going to propose to his girlfriend, Jane. Five years had passed since the day Edmund asked her out on their first date. As they dated, Edmund realized how much he and Jane cared about each other. They spent a lot of their free time with each other, growing closer each day ever since they met as little kids over a decade ago.


    At that point, there was no denying how he truly felt about the brown-haired girl that had captured his heart. Edmund had a desire to spend the rest of his life with Jane and start a family with her. However, the English prince realized the whole thing of asking her to marry him was a scary thought. While he was confident that she would accept his proposal, a part of him was concerned she might not say yes. Regardless, it was certainly worth a try. Jane was worth it.


    As Edmund continued to gaze at the wintry scene, he heard a knock on the door.


    "Yes?" the English prince called as the door was opened to reveal his father and mentor.


    "Are you ready, Edmund?" King Matthew asked.


    "I am not sure about this, father. What if she rejects me?" Edmund asked with worry in his voice.


    Stephen walked up to his student and gave him a pat on the shoulder. "She will not reject you, Edmund. Ever since you two began dating, I could tell how much she loved you and still does. Just be yourself, and everything will be just fine."


    "You think she will like what I have in mind for her?" Edmund wondered.


    "She is going to love it, Edmund. You have been planning this all out for many months now," Stephen stated, trying to assure Edmund that everything would go well.


    "I did want to plan it out carefully to make sure everything is perfect," the English prince said. "Without you, Master, I have no idea what I would be doing to ask her to marry me. Same with you, father."


    "I just want you to be happy, son. You and Jane are going to be very happy together," the king said with a reassuring smile.


    "Thank you, father. I really appreciate you and Master Stephen helping me out with this while allowing me to do it on my own terms to a degree," Edmund replied with a grin.


    "Anything for you, son," Matthew said with a nod.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    It would not be long before Jane arrived at the entrance of the palace. She was wearing a matching midnight blue dress while wearing a fancy jacket due to the cold, snowy weather outside.


    The doors opened, and she was greeted by her boyfriend. Matthew and Stephen had decided to let Edmund spend the day with Jane by himself until after the proposal. Edmund had promised them he would share the news afterwards.


    "Hello Jane. You look beautiful," Edmund said with a shy smile.


    "Good morning, Edmund. You look rather dashing yourself," Jane responded, beaming.


    The English prince chuckled. "Thank you, Jane." He then cleared his throat. "Have you had breakfast already?"


    The brown-haired girl nodded. "Yes, I have. What about you?"


    "Just finished a few minutes ago," Edmund replied.


    "Great! What would you like to do first?" Jane asked.


    The English prince gave her a charming grin. "You will see."


    Jane and Edmund spent the entire day together doing various activities. They read books, played in the snow outside in the castle gardens, went ice-skating, and much more that Edmund had planned out.


    The two lovebirds had a wonderful time together. As dinner approached, however, Edmund got more and more nervous with each passing minute. He was able to keep his composure enough to keep his girlfriend from noticing.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    "Edmund, could you please tell me what you are doing?" Jane asked as Edmund carefully led her down the castle hallways to the Great Hall, his hands over her eyes.


    "You do trust me, right Jane?" Edmund asked with a smile.


    "Of course, I trust you, Edmund. With all my heart," Jane replied. "All I would like to know is what you are doing. Could you please just tell me?"


    "One more minute please," Edmund said, in which Jane playfully groaned at him.


    Soon they entered the Great Hall. Edmund removed his hands. "Alright, open your eyes."


    Jane obliged and as soon as she opened her eyes, she gasped at what she saw before her. The Great Hall had been decorated with rose petals scattered across the floor and the table. On the table, candles were lit, and the palace musicians were situated behind the table.


    An ecstatic smile spread across Jane''s face. "Oh, my goodness, Edmund! This is wonderful!"


    "I take it you like it?" Edmund asked nervously.


    "Very much so!" Jane beamed.


    The English prince smiled. "I was hoping you would enjoy this." He then signaled for the conductor to start up the musicians. The conductor smiled as he began to conduct the musicians.


    "The musicians here are very talented," Jane stated.


    Edmund nodded in agreement. "Yes, they are. The musicians are always practicing their instruments every day to keep their skills sharp."


    "Practice makes perfect. Am I right?" Jane asked with a wink.


    Edmund chuckled. "You are correct, Jane."


    Soon the head of the castle kitchen served the couple water to drink. Edmund never had any interest in consuming alcohol, as he preferred being careful with what he put inside of his body. In addition to that, Jane was still only nineteen years old. Thus, the English prince felt it was not appropriate for a nineteen-year-old to be consuming alcohol of any kind.


    Jane raised her glass. "I would like to thank you, Edmund for being the best friend a girl could ever ask for. You are the kindest, smartest, handsomest, most humble man I have ever met. I would also like to thank you for an amazing day today."


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    Edmund smiled gratefully as he then raised his glass. "I would like to thank you, Jane, for lighting up my day every time I see you. Ever since we met on my sixth birthday, I realized you would always hold a place in my heart. You are the most beautiful, warm-hearted girl I have ever met. To being the most wonderful girl any man could ever ask for and to the future."


    Jane giggled. "To the future."


    They clinked their glasses together and then began to drink their water.


    After they set their glasses back on the table, the brown-haired girl asked, "How are your father and mentor doing, Edmund?"


    "They are doing very well. Master Stephen continues to make his teachings a lot of fun even after I have managed to master every fighting style there is to man. I am honestly stunned it has been five years since the day I completed my training. Five long years have passed, and I still feel like I can get better. I am only twenty, after all," Edmund elaborated.


    "I was very proud of you when you told me the news of your achievements, and I still am today," Jane replied with a smile. "You must be a very deadly fighter now."


    "Well, I would not necessarily call myself deadly. That means I might be dangerous, which might honestly get taken as being the bad guy," Edmund said solemnly. "I would like to let you know that no matter what, I will never do anything to become the bad guy. Even with my abilities, I will use them for good, and good reasons only."


    "I know. That is why I like you, Edmund. You are a wonderful man with only the best intentions," Jane said gratefully.


    "I try," Edmund said with a shrug, which earned a giggle from Jane.


    Dinner was served shortly after. Edmund had made sure the chefs made something Jane liked. Over the years, Edmund and Jane realized one thing they had in common was they liked to eat as healthy as they could. The English prince assumed growing up from a family that owned a market may have had something to do with it. Nonetheless, Jane and her parents were some of the nicest people Edmund, his father, and his mentor had ever met. Edmund was also very grateful that not only did King Matthew and Sir Stephen approve of his plan to propose to Jane, but George and Maria did as well. When the English prince had told them of his plan, they were overcome with happiness. George and Maria were elated the Prince of England was going to ask their sunshine to marry him.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    After dinner and dessert, Edmund and Jane were now in their jackets, looking over the castle balcony as they watched the snow fall gracefully. The snow was not the lightest, but at the same time not as heavy as it was possible. Thus, they would still have adequate sight of the kingdom that lay before them. Despite how cold it was, there was no wind to make it worse.


    "It may be cold, but what a beautiful night it is tonight," Jane said as she held Edmund''s hand.


    "I agree. It is beautiful indeed," Edmund responded with a charming grin.


    "Do you remember the first winter after we met?" the brown-haired girl asked.


    "I certainly do. When we went to the lake to go ice-skating, it was a great time. I remember when you nearly fell face-first onto the frozen lake, but I managed to catch you before you could hurt yourself. If there is one thing I cannot stand, it is you getting hurt in any way," Edmund explained.


    "Thank you, Edmund. Without you, I would not have been able to get the hang of it after that. Under your mentorship, I knew after that day I would not have to worry about falling on the ice ever again," Jane stated.


    "You definitely got the hang of it quicker than I thought you would," Edmund praised.


    Jane smiled as she nodded in agreement and the couple continued to gaze out to the decorated kingdom before them. The snowfall only added more joy to the Christmas atmosphere.


    "What is your favorite thing about Christmas, Edmund?" Jane asked.


    "My favorite part about Christmas is getting to spend time with my family and decorating the Christmas trees around the castle. What about you, Jane?" Edmund wondered.


    "Spending the holidays with my family and gingerbread cookies," Jane replied.


    "I do not eat a lot of gingerbread cookies, but they are a delicious treat to consume during Christmas time," Edmund stated.


    "They are indeed tasty," Jane answered.


    Edmund then thought of something. He was ready to propose to her. However, the English prince was thinking of where to do it. In the gardens? The area where they first met? When the latter came to his mind, Edmund made a decision.


    "Hey Jane?" Edmund asked.


    "Yes Edmund?" Jane wondered.


    "Could we go for a little walk around the kingdom please? That is if you are okay with that?" the English prince wondered.


    Jane nodded with a smile. "I would love to."


    Edmund grinned as he and his girlfriend walked to the doors of the balcony, hand in hand.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Edmund and Jane walked outside the palace until they reached a familiar area. Thankfully, the area they were in was not only safe, but there was no one around. Thus, they had the entire area to themselves for that night.


    "What made you want to come here? If I may ask," Jane said curiously.


    "This is where we first met when we were children," Edmund replied.


    A smile spread across Jane''s face as she then leaned up to kiss the English prince on the cheek.


    Edmund beamed as he blushed furiously. Jane couldn''t help but giggle at the look on her boyfriend''s face. "What would you like to talk about now, Edmund?"


    Edmund took a deep breath, trying his best to keep his composure. "Jane, I would like to tell you something."


    "Of course. What is it?" Jane asked.


    "Jane, I love you. With all my heart. You are the most amazing girl I have ever met. I feel so happy whenever I am with you. When you are not around, I feel like there is a part of me that is missing," Edmund elaborated.


    Jane''s eyes widened, but she remained silent, wondering where Edmund was going with this.


    "You are magnificent, Jane. Ever since I met you, I have realized I would have no idea what I would do without you. You are the sunshine of my life, and every time I see you, you brighten my day," Edmund said. "You are the most beautiful and warm-hearted girl I have ever met, and I realized that life would not be the same without you in it." The English prince then reached into his pocket, pulling out the small box that contained the diamond ring. He then got down on one knee.


    Jane gasped, tears threatening to fall from her eyes as he placed her hands over her mouth. "Edmund?" she whispered.


    Edmund smiled up at his girlfriend. "Jane, I would like to spend the rest of my life with you. I would like to wake up every morning with you by my side, have a family with you, with a bunch of little princes and princesses running around the palace hallways, grow old together, and always be there for each other."


    Jane brushed the tears out of her eyes as Edmund opened the box to reveal the diamond ring within it. "Jane Rose Smith, will you marry me?"


    The brown-haired girl leaped forward and gave him the biggest hug she could muster. "Yes!" she yelled with delight.


    The English prince smiled as he placed the ring on her finger. Standing up, he cupped his new fianc¨¦''s face in his hands and gave her a passionate kiss.


    Jane and Edmund finally pulled apart when they were out of breath. Their foreheads continued to touch. "I love you, Jane."


    Jane giggled as she placed another light kiss on Edmund''s lips. "I love you too, Edmund."


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Matthew and Stephen were overjoyed at hearing the news of Edmund''s successful proposal. George and Maria were also very happy at hearing the wonderful news.


    "Congratulations, Edmund," King Matthew said with a beam.


    "Massive congratulations, Edmund," Stephen said with a nod of approval.


    "Thank you, Father, and Master," Edmund replied gratefully as he hugged his father and his mentor.


    Once they pulled apart, the English prince turned his attention toward Jane''s parents.


    "Congratulations, Your Highness. I knew you would make my daughter happy," George said with a grin.


    "Yes. I know you and Jane will live happy lives together, Prince Edmund," Maria added, smiling proudly.


    "I would like to thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, for allowing me to know your daughter. With everything Jane and I have been through since the day we met, I realized she is my true love," Edmund said with a shy smile as he had one arm wrapped around Jane''s waist.


    "From the moment Edmund and I met, I knew we were destined to be together. Edmund is the most charming, handsome, and good-hearted man I have ever met. I cannot say how happy I am to call him my future husband," Jane explained as she hugged her parents.


    After everyone was done saying their congratulations to the newly engaged couple, the king cleared his throat, "I say we celebrate Edmund and Jane''s engagement with a feast in the Great Hall."


    "Yes. With such a wondrous occasion, we must ensure this day will be remembered for the rest of our lives," Stephen added.


    Everyone was soon gathered in the Great Hall. Even though it was late for dinner, the chefs were more than happy to cook for Jane''s family.


    The group had delicious and nutritious meals and talked about when the future wedding would be held. Matthew, Stephen, George, and Maria were excited for Jane and Edmund''s marriage. However, the four made it clear there was no need to rush their big day. While Jane and Edmund were happy to be husband and wife soon, they mutually agreed they would take their time in when they would get married. They would figure everything out together.


    After dinner and dessert, everyone bid goodnight to each other. Jane and her parents went back home to their house next to the market they owned.


    As the Smith''s walked home, Jane was still smiling broadly from her recent engagement to the English prince.


    "I never thought I would be marrying a prince, but I am happy Edmund is not a spoiled prince," Jane said.


    "Me too. Sure, there are some princes out there who are very spoiled and brag about their positions as well as their riches. However, Edmund and his family are not ones to do any such things. Prince Edmund, King Matthew, and Sir Stephen are all very humble, generous men who do they best to keep the kingdom running smoothly," George said.


    "Edmund is such a wonderful man. He is so polite, and he treats us like we have been part of his family the whole time," Maria added.


    "That is what I like about Edmund. He is so accepting of those around him, no matter what their social status is or what they do for a living," Jane said as she and her parents approached their house.


    It was a happy night for the English prince and Jane. They were very much looking forward to their future together.


    Unbeknownst to Jane and her parents, a figure with a black jacket and hood stood on top of a building across from the Smith''s house, with numerous other figures behind him.


    "When Jane and her parents are asleep, we make our move," the figure said.


    "Yes, Boss," the other figures responded.

 Chapter 23

    I would like to thank roxygoth, BurningFox6, krystal lazuli, and LukeJames for beta reading and helping me improve!


    Feedback is always appreciated!


    Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen. Frozen is owned by Disney. I only lay claim to Prince Edmund, Prince Lucas, Master Stephen, and anyone else you do not recognize from Frozen.


    Warning: Dark chapter ahead.


    Chapter 23


    Sometime after Jane and her parents had fallen asleep, Jane awoke with a start. Looking around her room, something inside of her was telling her things were not right. The entire house was dark, without a single light on.


    Deciding to see if there were any intruders, she carefully and quietly sneaked out of her room. The brown-haired girl realized she should inform her parents about something suspicious.


    Upon reaching the door to her parents'' bedroom, she knocked on the door. "Mother? Father? I apologize for disturbing you guys, but something does not feel right."


    There was no response from Maria or George.


    Jane tried knocking again. "Mother? Father? Is everything alright?"


    Still no response.


    Now Jane was beginning to worry. Carefully and slowly opening the door, she saw her parents appearing to be sleeping peacefully.


    "Mother? Father?" she asked, gently shaking their shoulders. To her horror, she got no response from either of her parents. Carefully sliding her fingers along their necks, she felt for their pulses. Relief overcame her when she was able to detect their heartbeats. Maria and George were not dead; they were just unconscious. Jane was now beginning to wonder how they ended up like that. Did they drink something with a knockout drug in it or something?


    Before she could contemplate any further, a hand covered her nose and mouth with a cloth, and another seized her roughly by the waist. Several more figures suddenly appeared before her, wearing black jackets with hoods.


    Jane had a pretty good idea the cloth most likely had chloroform in it. Thus, she held her breath.


    One of the figures abruptly appeared in front of her, holding a knife to her throat. "Not breathing in, I see. Well, you better breathe deep or I will slit your throat."


    Left with no other choice, the brown-haired girl started breathing in the sickly-sweet substance. Soon her body began to feel weak and she felt dizzy as the chloroform took effect. A few seconds later, she could no longer keep her eyes open and fell limp into the arms of the hooded figure holding her.


    The hooded figure chuckled evilly. "Perfect. Now tie her up and gag her. Then place her in this sack," the figure ordered to the others as he grabbed a large sack he had been carrying on his back.


    The figure''s men did exactly as they were told, tying Jane''s hands and feet together before one of them wrapped a long, thick white cloth over her mouth and tightly tied it behind her head with a tight knot.


    Once the unconscious girl was securely bound and gagged, the figure picked her up, putting her in the large sack before securely closing the sack and placing it over his shoulder.


    "Well done men. Let''s head back to the hideout," the figure said.


    "Yes, Boss," the figure''s men responded as they made their way to leave the house.


    "Edmund will know pain like never before," the figure stated with a malicious grin on his face.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Maria and George woke up the next morning. As soon as they were out of bed and dressed, they felt strange.


    "Maria? Are you alright?" George asked his wife with concern in his voice.


    "What the heck happened last night? After falling asleep, I do not remember anything," Maria responded.


    George realized he could not remember anything from last night after he went to sleep either. This had him worried.


    "I cannot remember anything, either. We should probably let Jane know about this," George suggested.


    Maria nodded her head in agreement as the couple made their way to their daughter''s bedroom.


    George knocked on Jane''s door. "Jane, darling? Are you awake yet? Your mother and I would like to talk to you about something."


    The market owner and his wife were now starting to grow worried since their daughter did not answer. When they opened the door to their daughter''s room, Maria gasped when she and her husband saw that Jane was not there.


    "Oh dear. Where could Jane be?" Maria asked in a worrisome tone.


    George was beginning to think about where Jane might be until he saw a paper on her bed. He picked it up and began to read it aloud, "Mr. and Mrs. Smith. We have kidnapped your precious daughter. If you would ever like to see her again, you will have to play things our way. Send Edmund to the following address alone. If there is anyone else with Edmund, then we will take it upon ourselves to kill Jane. Understand?" George looked at the address below and saw there was no signature. He crumpled the paper in his hands and let it fall to the floor. George was enraged that someone had gotten the nerve to abduct his daughter.


    Maria had broken down sobbing after her husband had finished reading. She hugged George tightly as he returned the hug to comfort his wife. "What are we going to do George? Jane has been taken away from us, and we do not even know who did it!"


    "That and the address is in one of the most dangerous areas of London. I am worried about what will happen if Edmund were to venture there all by himself," George said with a sad look on his face.


    "Should we tell Edmund about it?" Maria asked through sobs.


    "I am afraid so. He will not like it, but he must know his fianc¨¦e is in trouble," George replied.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Edmund woke up feeling wonderful. The night before was such a happy night he had one of the most wonderful dreams he could remember last night. He dreamed of him and Jane''s wedding and any children they would have in the future.


    After he was dressed for the day, a knock came on his door.


    "Come in," Edmund called as his father and mentor entered.


    "My son, there is something George and Maria would like to speak with you about," Matthew told his son.


    "It is very urgent, Edmund. They wish to speak with you immediately," Stephen added.


    Edmund nodded, but gulped a little bit when he saw the solemn looks on the two men''s faces.


    "Where do I find them?" the English prince asked.


    "They are waiting for you at the entrance of the palace as we speak," Matthew said.


    "Then I shall head down there right now," Edmund responded as he went down to the castle''s entrance, followed by King Matthew and Stephen. Edmund was worried about where this whole thing was going.


    Once the doors of the palace were opened, George and Maria stepped in, acknowledging their monarchs with respect.


    "Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Smith. I was told you had something to tell me," Edmund said worriedly.


    "I am afraid so, Edmund. Maria and I woke up this morning with a strange feeling. We could not remember anything from last night after we had fallen asleep. Jane was nowhere to be found in her room or our house," George explained.


    The English prince''s eyes widened. Had something happened to his fianc¨¦e? "Please tell me Jane is okay."


    "I am afraid not, Edmund. It seems she has been kidnapped," Maria replied.


    "Kidnapped?! How did this happen?! Who could have done this?!" Edmund said as he began to freak out.


    "Unfortunately, we have no idea who took her. We found this on her bed when we discovered she was missing," George elaborated as he handed the paper to the English prince.


    Edmund looked over the paper and began to read it. Once he had completed reading it, he squeezed the paper and threw it to the floor. Anger and rage appeared on the usually gentle prince''s face.


    "I am going to get the scoundrels that dared to kidnap my fianc¨¦e. They will regret ever laying a finger on her," Edmund growled.


    "Edmund, that area of London is not safe. You could get injured, or worse," Matthew tried to reason with his son.


    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    "Father, did you read what those guys wrote? If I do not go there alone, they will kill Jane. I am going to go out there and get her back at any cost," Edmund said determinedly.


    "Your father is right, Ed. The area where Jane is now is very dangerous and if you are not careful, we could end up losing you. Matthew and I cannot stand the thought of losing you," Stephen said.


    Edmund softened his expression. "I appreciate your concern for me, Father. As I appreciate yours as well, Master. However, I will still go there to rescue my fianc¨¦e. Whoever is responsible will kill her if we do not follow their orders."


    "Well, if you are going to do this, please be careful, son. You never know what kind of people are in that area of London," the king stated.


    "We care about you a lot, Edmund, and we would prefer you make it out of this alive and well," Stephen said.


    "Do not worry about me. I can assure you I will be alright. For now, I need to focus on saving Jane," Edmund said as he got ready to go on a mission to rescue his love.


    As he got ready to begin his quest, George and Maria were giving him some more advice before he ventured into the dangerous area.


    "Do please be careful, Edmund. I cannot stand the thought of losing both my daughter and future son-in-law on the same day," George said.


    "Ever since we met you, you have been like a son to us, Edmund. I really hope you and Jane will make it out of this alive," Maria stated.


    "You two have my word," Edmund replied with a nod as he began to venture into the area where Jane had been taken to save her.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Jane struggled furiously against her bonds, but they were tied too tight for her to have any chance of escaping them. She let out muffled cries for help through her gag.


    The brown-haired girl felt herself being placed onto a chair as the sack was taken off her. Jane gasped when she saw the figure and his men who had kidnapped her.


    "Hello Jane. I hope you had a great nap," the figure snickered as a few of his men tied her to the chair.


    Jane glared at the figure and let out a groan of frustration through her gag. Then she remembered the figure had somehow known her name. How on Earth did this figure know her?


    "I suppose you are curious as to who I really am," the figure said. "Well, prepare to be enlightened." The figure then removed his hood, and the brown-haired girl gasped at who she saw.


    It was Richard! Jane had remembered Edmund telling her about Richard becoming evil, but she did not anticipate him becoming devilish enough to kidnap her. She remembered last seeing him as a preteen. Now he was an adult with the same blonde hair and orange eyes. Unlike before he was led down a dark path, his orange eyes had a ruthlessness in them that frightened her.


    Jane tried to say something to him, but it came out muffled through the cloth.


    "What was that Jane?" Richard asked tauntingly.


    The brown-haired girl got angry and began to struggle against the ropes binding her and yelling through the gag.


    "I am very sorry, but I cannot understand a single word you are saying," Richard replied with an evil chuckle. He then pulled out a dagger and held it to Jane''s throat.


    Jane immediately went silent as her eyes widened with fear.


    "Edmund is going to be sorry for betraying me. When I am done with you and him, he is going to be begging for mercy," Richard stated with emotionless, cold eyes.


    The brown-haired girl was really hoping Edmund would find her and save her before anything terrible happened.


    "You better hope your pathetic excuse of a fianc¨¦e shows up. We are going to have a heck of a time," Richard said with an evil laugh as he placed his hood back over his head. "Remember my face, Jane. It will be the last thing you ever see."


    Richard then turned his attention to one of his men. "You there. Blindfold her. Make sure she never sees anything again."


    The man grinned devilishly as he pulled out an identical cloth to the one gagging Jane and placed it over her eyes.


    Jane was now becoming anxious. She was doing whatever it took to try to get free. No matter how hard she tried, the ropes would not budge.


    "Struggle all you want, Jane. Edmund will not save you in time," Richard said.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Edmund had been walking around in the area for a while. Thankfully, no one in the area had even tried to bother him. He was hoping he would not have to deal with anyone except for those who abducted Jane.


    The English prince saw an alleyway that could help him get to the destination in a shorter amount of time. Entering the alley, Edmund quickly and stealthily made his way through the alleyway. Soon he reached the end and turned a corner. Sounds of gangsters in the alleyway talking and laughing grew steadily louder as Edmund turned the corner. Edmund stopped and saw several gang members near the end of the alleyway.


    The English prince did his best to try to sneak past them. Unfortunately, one of the gang members noticed him.


    "Well, well, well," said one of the burly gang members who stood a couple of inches taller than Edmund. "If it isn''t Prince Edmund."


    "What brings you out here anyway, huh Your Highness?" asked another man who was slimmer and had messy hair tied back in a ponytail.


    "I was just looking around," Edmund answered, trying his best to keep calm. "I was just passing through. Please do not mind me. I have no intention of causing any trouble here." Edmund tried to exit the alleyway but was stopped by another gangster who was bald and had a goatee and a mustache.


    "Whoa! Slow down there, Prince Edmund," the gangster said as he held his arm out to stop Edmund. "What''s the rush? We just want to talk."


    "I am very sorry, but I do not have time for this. You let me go, I will not tell anyone, and we can forget about this ever happening," Edmund said.


    The gangster smirked evilly as he unsheathed a knife. Edmund then entered a fighting stance, feeling he had no other choice.


    "If you won''t talk, then I will let my knife do the talking," the gangster stated as he and the other gangsters prepared to attack Edmund. The English prince got ready to fight the thugs as the men charged at each other.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Little did any of the men know, the fight between Edmund and the gangsters was being watched by Richard. He smiled evilly under his hood on his black jacket. Richard had no doubt Edmund would defeat the thugs with ease. He quickly teleported back to the hideout, filling a glass with water once he had arrived.


    "Men, it is time we put the poisonous substance to the test on our prisoner before Edmund can get here. Hand it over to me," Richard ordered.


    One of the men retrieved a vial from a cupboard containing a colorless, odorless, and tasteless poison and handed it to his master. Upon receiving the vial, Richard poured the poison into the glass of water, which mixed in almost instantly. It looked like the glass only had water in it the whole time.


    Richard and his men headed to the room where Jane was being kept. She continued to struggle through her bonds and scream through her gag.


    Richard stepped in front of the bound and gagged girl with the glass of water and poison. "Sorry Jane. This is the end of the road for you. You will never get to see Edmund or anyone else ever again," the blonde-haired man laughed evilly as he reached forward and smothered Jane''s nose.


    "If you do not drink this, you will die by suffocation. Only by drinking this will I unplug your nose," the hooded blonde-haired man said wickedly.


    Jane nodded her head, and Richard pulled down her gag until it was hanging around her neck. He then forcefully made her drink the water she did not know had poison in it. To her it only tasted like the freshest water there was.


    Once the water had been consumed, Richard re-gagged their prisoner. "Goodbye, Jane," the hooded man taunted sadistically as he and his men left the room. "Alright, men. Now we must leave to find a new hideout and not leave a single piece of evidence behind. Understood?"


    "Yes, Boss," the hooded men replied as they began to prepare for leaving their hideout and their prisoner behind.


    Inside the room she was being held, Jane felt the poison begin to take effect on her body. She was shaking furiously as the life inside of her began to fade away. The brown-haired girl thought of Edmund and their adventures together. Jane loved him with all her heart. Now, their marriage was bound to never take place, which deeply saddened her.


    Her breathing slowed to a complete halt.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    After a long and wild fight with the gangsters, Edmund had managed to knock them all out cold. The English prince was able to make it out of the fight completely unscathed despite how ugly the fight got, especially towards the end when the gangsters went totally berserk and wildly slashed their knives at Edmund.


    Now that the gangsters were out of the way, Edmund turned his attention on getting to his destination to save Jane. He desperately hoped he was not too late.


    Edmund soon reached the address that had been on the paper of the kidnappers. He assumed the building was their hideout.


    The English prince carefully crept around the building, peering into windows to avoid possibly being discovered. To his surprise, there was seemingly no one inside. Confused, he entered the front of the building, remaining alert for any potential attacks. Edmund searched the entire building, encountering no one until he reached the last door he had yet to inspect. He carefully opened the door, only to make a depressing discovery. Jane was tied up, gagged, blindfolded, and sitting motionless in the chair she was bound to.


    "Jane!" Edmund exclaimed as he rushed forward and removed the blindfold and gag from his fianc¨¦e and untied her from the chair.


    "Jane, please! Stay with me!" the English prince stated worriedly. He did not want to believe Jane was gone. Edmund cradled Jane''s body in his arms and ran a finger along her neck, feeling for her pulse. To his horror, he found none.


    "No! Jane! This cannot be happening!" Edmund yelled as reality began to set in. His fianc¨¦e was dead. He was too late.


    Embracing her lifeless body, Edmund began to sob. For once in his life, he was truly heartbroken. While he was heartbroken about not seeing Lucas after so many years, losing the love of his life was far more painful and traumatic.


    The English prince continued crying for a long time, overcome with heartache at Jane''s kidnapping and death. Edmund felt much grief and pain in both his mind and stomach. His eyes stung from the constant tears trailing down his face, and his throat was raw from all the uncontrolled sobbing.


    It was as if his worst nightmare had come true. Edmund could not believe it. Jane was gone forever. There would not be a wedding between them. They would not have any children. After this, Edmund was unsure if he could ever love again.


    Nobody deserved to die so young. No one.


    Edmund dreaded having to tell Jane''s parents about what happened. Would they be furious with him for failing to save their daughter? The English prince knew they would be devastated, regardless if they would get angry with him or not.


    Weeping bitterly, Edmund picked up Jane''s body and brought it back to her parent''s house. When he brought his fianc¨¦e''s body inside, George and Maria had looks of anguish on their faces.


    "Is she¡­...dead?" George choked through sobs.


    "I am afraid so, Mr. Smith. Despite everything I did to save Jane, I could not get to her in time. I have failed you," Edmund said with regret and shame in his voice. The English prince lowered his head, sorrowful at his failure.


    "No Edmund. You did not fail us," Maria said in sorrow and somberness. "The only one to blame is the brute who took her in the first place."


    "I shall inform my father and mentor about the tragedy and send someone out to investigate the circumstances of Jane''s death," Edmund said, tears stinging his normally cheerful blue eyes.


    "Please do so, Edmund. I would feel better if whoever killed Jane is brought to justice," George replied.


    Edmund nodded as he left George and Maria alone to mourn the loss of their daughter.


    When Edmund arrived back at the palace, King Matthew and Master Stephen were relieved to find Edmund had returned alive and well. That relief was short-lived, however, when they saw the look on the English prince''s face.


    "I have some very bad news to tell you two," Edmund said, grief on his handsome face. "Jane is dead. I did everything I could to rescue her, but I was unable to save her."


    Matthew and Stephen immediately went over to Edmund and hugged him. Both men felt horrible Edmund lost the love of his life.


    "I am very sorry about Jane, son. You must be devastated," Matthew stated sympathetically.


    "My heart aches for you and Jane''s family. We will send out an investigation on Jane''s kidnapping and murder. The jackanapes responsible will be apprehended," Stephen added, trying to comfort his student over Jane''s death.


    The guards were sent to investigate the building where Edmund found Jane. Despite extensive searches, the guards came up empty on determining who was guilty of Jane''s abduction and death. It pained the royal family the guards could not determine the culprit despite their best efforts. Edmund was still determined to find out who took the love of his life away from him. If he ever found out the individual who did it, he was going to ensure the person was sent to prison for the rest of their life.


    With how much Jane meant to Edmund, Matthew and Stephen said they would make sure she was given a proper burial.


    Jane was buried in the royal cemetery alongside the past kings and queens that ruled over England. Edmund, King Matthew, Sir Stephen, Maria, and George were the last to leave her grave. Of the five, the English prince left after the others, overcome with guilt at how he was unable to save Jane. It was something that would haunt him for a long time.

 Chapter 24

    I would like to thank roxygoth, BurningFox6, krystal lazuli, and LukeJames for beta reading and helping me improve!


    Feedback is always appreciated!


    Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen. Frozen is owned by Disney. I only lay claim to Prince Edmund, Prince Lucas, Master Stephen, and anyone else you do not recognize from Frozen.


    Chapter 24


    More and more guests arrived in Arendelle for the ball over the course of several days. The guests were from several countries including Iceland, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany, Netherlands, France, Spain, Portugal, Scotland, and Ireland. There were more guests than the royal family of Arendelle were expecting, but they did not seem to mind too much. Without at least a decent number of guests, it would not really be a ball, after all.


    Over the course of those days, Elsa spent more time with Edmund. They got gifts for everyone, the English prince took her to a play, and they just had more fun in the snow. After having a great time with Edmund, the Snow Queen was surprised Edmund was taking a step back to allow Lucas to spend time with her. However, after spending a few days with Lucas, Elsa was pleased Edmund was so thoughtful as to let his best friend get to know her better. Just like her time with Edmund, the Ice Queen had a wonderful time with Lucas. The Belgian prince had snowball fights with her and took her to a concert. Elsa was really beginning to take a liking for the two young princes. She admired their handsome looks and how nice they were to her. Edmund and Lucas were polite to her and were more than happy to take up any suggestions she had for them on what to do for fun. One thing that really surprised her, however, was when the two princes taught her how to dance. Elsa was very hesitant at first as she had never learned how to dance in her life. After Edmund and Lucas assured her that they would be patient with her when teaching her, Elsa decided to give dancing a try. To her pleasant surprise, whenever she accidentally stomped on their feet, they did not get the slightest upset. Instead, they merely laughed it off as if nothing happened. Whenever Elsa asked them to do a certain dance move over again, Edmund and Lucas were more than happy to show her the same move until she felt comfortable enough doing it. They were patient with her and made sure to give instructions that were clear and easy to follow, which Elsa greatly appreciated. After dancing with both princes, the Snow Queen felt she could hold her own on the dance floor once the ball arrived.


    Now that the Snow Queen had gotten to know Edmund and Lucas better, the possibility of either one of them being her true love was strengthening. However, she wondered how they would react should she fall in love with one of them. Would the other get upset? That thought worried her.


    The royals were gathered in the Great Hall for dinner. Except for Edmund.


    Elsa noticed the English prince was not in the Great Hall and was wondering where he was. "Stephen? Lucas? Where is Edmund?" she asked.


    "I think he is in our guestroom as we speak," Stephen replied.


    "Should I go check on him?" Elsa wondered.


    "Of course. We will be here waiting for you two," Stephen responded with a nod.


    "I hope he is okay," Lucas added as Elsa made her way out of the Great Hall.


    "I hope so too," the Snow Queen replied as she left the Great Hall and made her way to Edmund and Stephen''s guestroom.


    Upon reaching the door, Elsa politely knocked on the door. "Edmund? This is Elsa. I was just checking on you to make sure you were okay."


    Elsa grew concerned when she did not get a response from the English prince. "Edmund? Are you alright?" She was tempted to give him some alone time, but instead opened the door and found the English prince sitting on the bed.


    The Snow Queen walked up to Edmund and saw a look of sadness on his face. "Edmund? What is wrong?"


    Edmund turned his attention to Elsa as she sat down next to him. "Did I ever mention Jane during my time here in Arendelle?"


    The Ice Queen shook her head. "No. I do not remember you mentioning her. Who is she?"


    "Jane was my fianc¨¦e. Two years ago, on this day, she and I were engaged to be married. That night was supposed to be one of the happiest nights of my life. Instead, it became one of the worst," Edmund lamented.


    Elsa gasped silently as she began to grow fearful. "What happened? Did the engagement end up not working out for you and Jane?"


    Edmund shook his head. "Not in the way you are thinking. She was taken away from me. Jane was kidnapped and murdered. I felt like I had failed her and her family."


    The Snow Queen gasped in shock and disbelief. She knew the feeling of losing someone close, but to lose someone you were going to marry must have been a tragic experience for the English prince.


    "If I may ask, how old were you, when you lost your parents?" Edmund asked as tears began to form in his eyes.


    Elsa took a moment to answer. "Eighteen."


    "Jane was nineteen when she died. She did not deserve to die so young. I felt like if I had done things differently, she would still be alive today," the English prince stated, beginning to sob quietly. "If only I had been there to protect her. Then whoever took her would not have touched her."


    The Snow Queen placed a hand on his broad shoulder, trying to comfort him. "I am very sorry about Jane, Edmund. It must have been very hard on you and her family."


    "It is not your fault, Elsa. The one to blame is the one who took her. If only I could have..." Edmund stopped midsentence. It was just too much for the English prince to bear. He broke down, covering his face with his hands and sobbing as he recalled the events of that horrific night.


    Elsa''s heart ached for the English prince. She had never seen Edmund so sad. With a sympathetic look on her face, the Snow Queen decided she should do something to try to cheer him up.


    Elsa slowly reached out and was about to take one of Edmund''s hands into hers, when she hesitated. Would he tell her to leave him alone? Should she maybe just leave the room and wait until Edmund felt better?


    The Ice Queen thought of something as she took one of Edmund''s hands. Edmund did not tell Elsa to leave as she gently helped him stand back up. Looking back on some of the dance moves he and Lucas had taught her, Elsa got herself and Edmund ready to dance. Even though there was no music playing, the Snow Queen figured practicing their dancing would be a good thing to do to help the English prince feel better.


    Soon the two royals started dancing. As they danced, Edmund stopped crying and smiled at Elsa as the two danced together. The Ice Queen was happy she was succeeding in cheering Edmund up.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Stephen and Lucas had gone up to the guestroom to see if everything was alright with Edmund. When they peered through the ajar door to see Edmund dancing with Elsa, the two men smiled fondly.


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    "Elsa sure knows how to make someone feel better when they are feeling under the weather," Lucas whispered as he watched his best friend and the Snow Queen.


    "I will say," Stephen said in agreement. "Maybe we should leave them alone until they get hungry enough to come down to the Great Hall."


    The Belgian prince nodded as he and Stephen decided to leave Elsa and Edmund to spend time together alone.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    After dancing for a little while, Edmund did not feel sad anymore.


    "Do you feel better, Edmund?" Elsa asked.


    The English prince nodded with a charming grin. "Much better now. Thank you. You sure know how to make one feel better when they are feeling down."


    "Well, I try," the Snow Queen responded, beaming.


    "I feel like I should let you know I am not the only one in my family to have gone through a tragic experience," Edmund said.


    Elsa''s eyes widened. Had Edmund''s father, or perhaps his mentor, lost someone they were close to in the past? "You mean your father or mentor lost someone they care about deeply?"


    Edmund nodded solemnly. "My father. You see, I grew up without a mother. My mother died from an illness shortly after I was born. Thus, I have no memory of her whatsoever."


    The Ice Queen gasped. It may have been heartbreaking for her and Anna to lose their parents when they were teenagers, but the sisters had no idea what it was like to only have one parent in their lives the entire time. "It sounds like your father was devastated when his wife died. Was her name Isabella?"


    "Yes. Despite the arranged marriage between the two, my father loved Isabella very much, and vice versa. After my mother passed away, my father was not only devastated at losing her, but fearful he would have an enormous load on his shoulders raising me and ruling England at the same time. Fortunately, Master Stephen made things easier for both me and my father. Whenever my father was doing his royal duties, Master Stephen would raise me as if I were his own son. My mentor had been training me since the day I was born. Obviously, he did make sure to take it easy on me at first, because although babies are very flexible, they are very prone to injury," the English prince elaborated.


    Elsa nodded in understanding as Edmund finished his story. "I feel horrible you had to lose your mother to illness. You were so young."


    "That and I was too young at the time to understand how life works. It was not until I was eighteen that my father told me the truth about my mother. While I remained curious as to what happened to her, my father decided not to tell me until I was old enough to understand," Edmund explained.


    "Were you upset when your father told you about Isabella?" Elsa wondered.


    "At first yes, I was, but I eventually came to realize death is a part of life. It may have been tough for me and my father at first. However, I eventually came to understand I should be thankful for what I had back then, as well as what I have now," Edmund stated.


    The Snow Queen nodded. "Do you ever wonder what would have happened had your mother still been alive today?"


    "There have been times where I think about it. However, I try not to dwell on the past too much as the only thing that matters is what you choose to be today. I am relieved that even without a mother, my father and mentor helped shape me into the man I am today," Edmund explained.


    "King Matthew and Sir Stephen have done a wonderful job on raising you, Edmund. You are the humblest, kindest, handsomest, and most intelligent man I have ever met," Elsa said with a smile.


    "Well, I try. Thank you," Edmund replied with a grin of his own.


    "You are welcome," the Ice Queen replied. "Since you feel better, would you like to get some dinner?"


    "Yes please," Edmund responded as the two royals made their way to the Great Hall.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    After dinner, the royal family of Arendelle was walking through the castle hallways.


    "I heard Edmund was not feeling happy earlier. What happened?" Anna asked her big sister.


    "Edmund was sad after what happened to him two years ago. He had a fianc¨¦e that was kidnapped and murdered," Elsa stated.


    Anna gasped in shock and Kristoff''s eyes widened. "Oh dear! I am sorry about Edmund having to go through that," the princess said with sadness in her eyes.


    "Yeah, I can never imagine going through losing the love of my life," Kristoff added. "I did nearly lose Anna back in July, but her act of true love saved her. It pains me to know that whoever Edmund was engaged to, she will never come back."


    "Her name was Jane. Edmund said he had known her since they were little kids. With how much Jane meant to Edmund, I know that even if she is truly gone, Jane will always have a place in his heart," Elsa said.


    "I am glad Edmund will never forget her. He must have been heartbroken," Anna stated sympathetically.


    "Yes. It really broke his heart when he was unable to save her," the Ice Queen said with some sadness in her voice.


    "Who would do this to her? Did Edmund find out who killed Jane?" Kristoff wondered. He was hoping Edmund did discover whoever committed the despicable deed and was able to bring them to justice.


    "Sadly, he says he does not have any idea who did it," Elsa said. "Ed also said he felt like he could never love again after the tragedy."


    Anna and Kristoff nodded in understanding. They could only imagine the pain and agony the English prince went through when losing Jane. The princess and the ice harvester hoped they would never have to experience a tragedy like that themselves.


    "At least he managed to fully recover from the loss, right?" the princess asked.


    Elsa nodded. "Edmund told me that while he was still able to go through his training and daily routine like usual, Jane''s kidnapping and death continued to haunt him for several months and seemed to still get to him even today."


    The Snow Queen paused for a moment. "After he had finished telling the story about Jane, I decided to try to help make him feel better and to forget about the tragic night that should have been one of the happiest nights of his life."


    "What did you and Edmund do?" Anna said, a note of light teasing in her voice.


    "Edmund and I danced for a little while until we came down to the Great Hall for dinner. After we were done dancing, he felt a lot better," Elsa responded.


    "That was very sweet of you, Elsa. You know how to make someone happy when they are upset," the princess said with a smile.


    "I did my best," Elsa replied modestly.


    "I am surprised you are learning how to dance. When you said you did not dance at your coronation, I was beginning to think you might not ever learn to do it," Anna stated.


    "Well, it never hurts to learn new things. Edmund and Lucas made it easy for me to learn as they made sure I understood every dance move they showed me," Elsa explained.


    "Ah, that is so nice of them! Teaching you how to dance! I think Edmund likes you," the princess said with a smile.


    Elsa''s face went red. "Maybe he does, but it has not even been two weeks since we met. While it is possible either Edmund or Lucas could be the right man for me, I am still uncertain about that right now."


    "Elsa is right, Anna. Love is something that should never be rushed. I love you with all my heart, yet I am not rushing anything with you because I do not wish to do anything that will make you feel uncomfortable," Kristoff said in agreement.


    "I know, and that is what I like about you, Kristoff," the princess said with a grin. That made the ice harvester smile at his girlfriend.


    "Either Edmund or Lucas would be perfect guys for you. You deserve to find happiness Elsa. I will be by your side and there to help you no matter what," Anna continued.


    "What makes you say that, Anna?" Elsa asked, curious to know where her little sister was going with this.


    "I think either Edmund or Lucas will sweep you off your feet at the Ball," Anna responded with a smirk.


    Elsa''s face was the color of red delicious apples. She had her arms crossed, noticing Kristoff shaking his head behind the princess.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    "What happened earlier, Edmund? Are you alright?" Lucas asked as he, Edmund, and Stephen were in Edmund''s and Stephen''s guestroom.


    "It was just that two years have passed since I lost Jane," Edmund said.


    "What happened to her?" the Belgian prince asked, worry in his voice.


    "She was abducted from her own house. I desperately tried to save her but failed to reach her in time as I found her dead in an abandoned building located in one of the most dangerous areas of London," the English prince explained.


    Lucas'' eyes widened in shock and disbelief. "Edmund, I am very sorry for your loss. My condolences to you and Jane''s family."


    "Thank you, Lucas. I appreciate it," Edmund said with a grateful smile.


    "Anything for you, Edmund," Lucas replied with a reassuring beam. "I noticed you were dancing with Elsa earlier. Did she help you feel better?"


    "She did. It seems Elsa helped me move on from that terrible night and realize Jane will always have a place in my heart, even if she is not around anymore," Edmund replied.


    Stephen was listening to the whole conversation and decided to say something. "It seems you might be developing feelings for the Snow Queen. I must admit, she is the most beautiful woman I have ever met."


    Edmund chuckled. "I agree. Elsa is not only beautiful, but she is generous and knows how to brighten up anyone''s day."


    "With the Christmas Ball coming up on Christmas Eve, what will you do? Will you ask her to go to the Ball with you?" Lucas asked.


    "As tempting as it is, I would prefer that all of us go to the ball together as one group with Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff. I would like you to get your chance at sweeping her off her feet, Lucas. Thus, I think we should just dance with her to have a good time. Just as friends and nothing more. At least not until a later period," Edmund said.


    Lucas nodded in agreement. "I am humbly appreciative of you giving me this opportunity, Edmund. However, what if any of the other guests happen to catch my interest at the ball?"


    "Then I will be happy for you, whether Elsa is your true love or not. You deserve to be with someone that will make you happy," Edmund said with his charming grin.


    "Thank you, Edmund. You deserve happiness as well," Lucas responded, smiling.

 Chapter 25

    I would like to thank roxygoth, BurningFox6, krystal lazuli, and LukeJames for beta reading and helping me improve!


    Feedback is always appreciated!


    Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen. Frozen is owned by Disney. I only lay claim to Prince Edmund, Prince Lucas, Master Stephen, and anyone else you do not recognize from Frozen.


    Chapter 25


    The figure was looking at the Arendelle castle from afar, grinning maliciously. He and his twenty men had camp set up on top of the mountain they had been on since arriving in the outskirts of Arendelle. He was planning his next attack on the palace after having gotten a look at the castle overnight without anyone noticing him. The figure noticed more guests coming to the kingdom in the last few days. Much to his delight, no one was staying in the northwestern wing of the castle. Thus, an idea came to his mind.


    With Brutality Gaziniblade in his grasp and Eztli Deathbow on his back, he turned around and looked at his men. They were all gathered around a campfire, eating their breakfast.


    Once the men were done eating, the figure approached his men. "Men, I have been planning our next attack on the Arendelle castle."


    All twenty men listened attentively to their master as he discussed his plans. One of the men, presumably the second-in-command, rose to his feet. "What do you have in mind, Boss?"


    "I will tell you in a moment," the figure responded. "What I would like to do before I say anything else, is reveal to you guys who I really am, and why I have a grudge against Edmund."


    The figure took off his hood to reveal a blonde-haired man with orange eyes. "My name is Richard. I was once best friends with Edmund. He and I were very happy together. That is until Lucas came along!" Richard clenched his fists in frustration and rage.


    Richard''s men made no attempt to interrupt as the blonde-haired man continued, "After Edmund''s betrayal, I was determined to make him suffer. I decided to live a life of crime like you guys. Stealing stuff and committing numerous other crimes. Two years ago, I decided to really make him feel pain by targeting those he is closest to. That is when I abducted his little prize Jane from her house and ensured her slow and agonizing death before the scoundrel could get to her in time." Richard let out an evil laugh.


    Having taken a liking to crime, the men either smirked or chuckled along with their master.


    "Now that Edmund seems to be falling for the Snow Queen, I would like to make sure he is in as much pain as possible. When I am through with him, you men are free to do whatever you wish with Lucas and Stephen," the blonde-haired man said.


    "As you wish, Boss," the men replied.


    "Excellent. Alright men, it is time to gear up and get ready for our next attack on the palace. We will find ourselves in the highest room of the northwestern wing of the castle this afternoon," Richard stated.


    "What if we get caught, Boss?" one of the men asked.


    "We will not have to worry about that. Besides, the royals have not even seen what I can do yet," Richard responded.


    The blonde-haired man placed his hood back over his head. "Check this out men."


    Richard''s men obeyed as they watched their master transform until he looked exactly like Elsa.


    The men''s eyes widened. They never saw their leader do something like that before.


    "Does my voice sound like the Snow Queen?" the disguised Richard asked in a voice sounding identical to the real Ice Queen.


    His men nodded in confirmation.


    "I never thought I would have any use for this, but now I realize disguising myself could really help us succeed," Richard said with an evil smirk as he transformed back into his black hooded jacket self. "Prepare yourselves men. Brotherhood of Darkness will take over Arendelle soon, and you guys will have anything you want."


    The men cheered at the last statement. Getting to do whatever they wanted sounded so pleasing to them. They had to defeat the royals in the castle first. Only then could they celebrate and do whatever they wished.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Edmund and Lucas had agreed they would begin to take turns spending time with Elsa. Both princes had now spent three days with the Snow Queen each. The two princes decided they should spend about the same amount of time with her.


    Edmund and Elsa were in the castle library, sitting at a chess table.


    "Do you play?" Edmund asked.


    "Yes. Playing chess was one of the few things I did while being locked up in my room for thirteen years," Elsa said.


    "What else did you do during the unfortunate isolation?" Edmund wondered.


    "I also enjoyed reading, practicing my powers, and I learned how to draw a little bit as well," the Ice Queen responded.


    "I am glad you had something to do during that hard time," the black-haired man stated.


    "Me too. Otherwise, the enforced isolation might have been worse than it already was," the Snow Queen replied.


    Edmund nodded in understanding. "Shall we begin our chess match? I can assure you I will take it easy on you."


    Elsa giggled. "Okay."


    To her surprise, Edmund won the match quickly even though he did take it easy on her. "Wow. You are much better at chess than I thought you were. Stephen has taught you well in a lot of things."


    Edmund shrugged. "He just tries to be the best mentor he can be. Since he taught me tactics and strategies in chess, I have never been able to defeat him. Master Stephen does know every move I make since he has figured out my tactics over the years."


    "That does make sense," Elsa replied.


    "I do apologize if I embarrassed you with this," Edmund said with remorse as he gestured at the chess table.


    Elsa giggled. "Do not worry about it, Edmund. It is perfectly fine. I am impressed by how skilled you are at chess."


    Edmund smiled. "Thank you. Chess is one of my favorite games to play when I am not reading or playing the piano."


    That made the Snow Queen think of something. "When we are done here, would you like to play another piano piece for me?"


    The black-haired man nodded at the suggestion with a smile. "I would love to."


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Stephen continued to train Lucas. Both men were in Edmund''s and Stephen''s guestroom. The Belgian prince remembered the day he spent training with Master Stephen while Edmund spent time with the Ice Queen. Thus, Lucas decided continuing to sharpen his skills would be a great idea to pass time.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Stephen observed Lucas as he was trying to perform kicks and punches while being on only one leg. The Belgian prince was perfectly balanced, not for one second looking unsteady as he continued to practice kicks, punches, and ways to block other''s attacks.


    Once the brown-haired man had decided Lucas spent enough time on one leg, he said, "Alright, Lucas. Time to switch legs."


    "Yes, Master Stephen," the dirty-blonde-haired man replied as he switched legs.


    After a while, Stephen decided with how great a job Lucas did, they would continue with their training tomorrow.


    "Great job, Lucas. I think you are ready for the next phase of your training," Stephen said.


    "What is the next phase?" Lucas asked.


    "I know you might not want to do this, but I would like you and Edmund to duel with each other. That way we can see how far you have come," Stephen replied.


    "Well, I am not sure about that. Edmund is my best friend. What if I hurt him on accident, or he injures me?" the Belgian prince asked with concern.


    Stephen placed a hand on Lucas'' shoulder to reassure him. "I can assure you that neither of you will hurt each other. When I tested Edmund on seeing if he had truly mastered every fighting style, he and I took it seriously while making sure neither of us got seriously injured."


    "Now that you have told me about how it went with you and Edmund dueling, I think Edmund and I will ensure neither of us suffer any injuries," Lucas said. He then thought of something. "If I may ask, what is the first fighting style you learned about?"


    "The first thing Noah taught me was karate. Karate is a martial art from Japan whose physical aspects seek the development of defensive and counterattacking body movements. It means empty hand in Japanese. This is because karate normally focuses on defense without any weapons. There are, however, some karate styles that practice traditional weapons. Karate was developed under the influence of kung fu from the indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts," Stephen elaborated.


    "Were the Ryukyuan martial arts initially called te, which means hand?" Lucas asked.


    Stephen nodded in confirmation. "Exactly. After I had mastered karate, I then began to train in kung fu. Kung fu has been around much longer than karate. It originated in China well over one thousand years ago."


    "What is the difference between the two?" the Belgian prince wondered.


    "That is a question I asked when I began my training. The differences between the two starts from their roots to their philosophies. Upon watching somebody doing martial arts, the untrained eye will find it difficult to tell whether that person is doing karate or kung fu. Even those who are beginning martial arts may sometimes get confused about the different styles until further exposure to them will reveal just how different they truly are. Both use different motions: kung fu tends to be circular, while karate is more linear. What this means is when you are practicing kung fu the movements will shift your weight laterally that you will depend more on responding to attacks your opponent throws at you. With karate, however, the movements will take you forward with a thrust towards your opponent. Regardless of the differences in the motions, both styles make the two forms of martial arts useful on different occasions. Kung fu will help you in circumstances where you might be grappling with your target, whereas karate tends to be more violent. In short, you can use karate when you want to harm your opponent and use kung fu when you simply want to stop the opponent. One thing they do have in common, however, is they can both be used in self-defense," Stephen elaborated.


    "Interesting. When I was younger, there were some residents and guards in Ostenda that practiced karate, kung fu, or even both. I have heard mastering both is a daunting task and takes a lot of work," Lucas stated.


    "Considering the styles are fundamentally different from one another, it is a hard feat that takes time to accomplish. It took me many years to master both, as I began kung fu not long after I had started with karate," Stephen explained.


    "Sounds like Noah knew fighting styles very well despite how harshly he trained you," the Belgian prince said.


    Stephen nodded in agreement. "He knew everything about fighting even with how grumpy he was on the outside. When training me, though, he did point out one key thing: kung fu may have more variety of techniques, styles, weapons. However, that is not to say one system or style of martial art is superior to the other. They are just different and to the observer, it could come down to personal preference. Some prefer kung fu and some prefer karate. There are some ambitious martial artists who desire a full well-rounded education; they practice both kung fu and karate. Practicing both is what Noah wanted me to do. I doubted I could do it considering how few that try are successful. Nevertheless, I chose to at least try to do so."


    "Seems that you succeeded," Lucas said with a grin.


    "Yes," Stephen confirmed. "It took a lot of hard work and dedication, but I was able to master everything he taught me."


    The Belgian prince nodded. "I know it might take a little time for me to master every fighting style you teach me. However, I am willing to put the work in to ensure I complete my training sooner rather than later."


    Stephen smiled. He was happy Lucas was willing to work hard just like Edmund always did. The brown-haired man would always ponder why Lucas did not have an instructor like him when he was younger. Regardless, Lucas was catching on very quickly. Thus, it was only a matter of time before the Belgian prince was as great a fighter as himself and Edmund.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Anna and Kristoff were just outside of town, having an intense snowball fight. Since Elsa and the guests were preoccupied, the couple decided to have some time to themselves outside the palace.


    "You''ve got to do better than that Kristoff!" the princess exclaimed as she hit her boyfriend in the face with a snowball from behind a snowy pine tree.


    The ice harvester wiped the snow off his face, shaking his head with a grin. "Oh, I''ll show you better Anna!" Kristoff called back as he formed a huge snowball in his large hands. He waited patiently for Anna to get out from behind her cover to make his move.


    Anna then darted out from the snow-covered tree as fast as she could. Kristoff then seized his chance as he threw the snowball at her. The snowball hit the princess square in the chest, and she fell backwards into the snow. "Okay! You got me!" she exclaimed, admitting defeat.


    Kristoff walked up to his girlfriend to make sure she was okay. He really hoped he did not injure her. The last time something cold hit her in the chest, it froze her heart. "You alright, Anna? I didn''t hurt you, did I?"


    The princess shook her head and smiled. "I''m just fine, Kristoff. It''s just that I am so jealous of you for being able to create such big snowballs. You''re so much stronger than me!"


    The ice harvester shrugged. "Ice harvesting takes a lot of strength to do properly, and I have been doing it for over a decade now. I guess that might have something to do with me being as strong as I am?"


    Anna laughed. "I know, Kristoff. Regardless, I still love you for the good man you are." She then brushed the snow off herself and stood up.


    "I love you too, Anna. For being the feisty, spunky, yet sweet girl that brightened up my life when we met," Kristoff stated with a smile.


    Anna grinned back. "You did the same thing when we met five months ago. It feels like only yesterday both of us unknowingly knew we were meant to be together."


    The ice harvester nodded in agreement. He then smirked. Anna noticed the look on his face. "What''s with that smirk on your face?"


    "Come here you!" Kristoff exclaimed as he began to chase after her.


    Anna shrieked with delight as she took off running. "Catch me if you can, Kristoff!"


    The ice harvester chuckled as he soon caught up and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Gotcha!" he exclaimed as he picked her up and twirled her around.


    Anna yelped as she laughed before Kristoff set her back down on her feet. "That was fun, huh?"


    "It sure was," Kristoff stated with a grin. "What do you say you and I get something hot to drink? Hot chocolate, perhaps?"


    "Yes please!" the princess said excitedly as the couple made their way back into town to get hot chocolate.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Richard and his twenty men, now invisible, floated stealthily towards the castle without a sound. Once they reached the window of the finest suite in the northwestern wing, Richard teleported inside. Unlocking the window from the inside, he opened the window and guided his twenty men into the large suite. After every man was inside the room, he removed the invisibility power from himself and his men.


    The blonde-haired man swiftly scanned the entire suite to make sure no one was in there. He was relieved there was no one in the suite. Otherwise, he would be unable to move forward with his plans.


    "Well done, men. We have succeeded with the first step of my plan. Now we move on to step two," Richard said.


    "What will step two be?" one of the men asked.


    "Step two is to capture the two sisters. With my shapeshifting ability, we will capture the queen and princess one by one," Richard explained with an evil grin.


    "Who do we capture first?" the same man wondered.


    "I was thinking the princess, then the queen. My Snow Queen disguise will surely fool the princess into thinking I am really her sister. I will lead her up here to this room, and you guys then seize her and make sure she cannot escape or warn anyone. Then I will disguise myself as the princess and get the queen up here to join her sister. Once we take them hostage, Edmund and the other guests will suspect something is not right. We then lure Edmund, Lucas, and Stephen into a trap so that you guys can deal with Lucas and Stephen. Then I will personally deal with Edmund and make sure he endures as much pain as possible," Richard elaborated to his men.


    "I see no flaws in your plan, Boss," the second-in-command stated.


    "Yes. This is a perfect opportunity to get my revenge on Edmund by targeting those he cares about most," the blonde-haired man replied.


    Richard then twirled his hands, and magical chains formed in midair before he took the chains in his hands. "These chains will render the queen''s powers useless. When she has these on, she will not be able to summon as much as a single snowflake."


    "We will make certain your plans are successful, Boss," the second-in-command said.


    "I know all twenty of you will not fail me. After we have completed my plan, the kingdom of Arendelle will bow before us. We will bring everyone here to their knees," Richard said with an evil laugh as his men joined in with the malicious laughter at the prospect of taking over Arendelle.

 Chapter 26

    I would like to thank roxygoth, BurningFox6, krystal lazuli, and LukeJames for beta reading and helping me improve!


    Feedback is always appreciated!


    Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen. Frozen is owned by Disney. I only lay claim to Prince Edmund, Prince Lucas, Master Stephen, and anyone else you do not recognize from Frozen.


    Chapter 26


    Anna was in her bedroom, gazing out the window. She looked upon the wintry landscape before her with a smile.


    The princess then heard a knock on her door. She answered it. It was her sister. "Hey, Elsa! What are you up to right now?"


    "I was just walking around the hallways and waiting to show you something," Elsa replied.


    "Oh! What is it?" Anna wondered.


    "Follow me and I will show you," the Ice Queen replied as she started walking down the hall.


    "Okay! I hope it doesn''t have anything to do with showing me Christmas presents early," the princess responded, following her big sister.


    "Don''t worry. It has nothing to do with gifts," Elsa stated as the two sisters made their way down the hallway.


    Anna was curious as to what her sister had to show her. A part of her was also beginning to feel a little suspicious as they made their way to the northwestern wing of the castle.


    The princess continued to follow her sister up the stairs of the wing, passing by the doors of guestrooms as they walked. She was now becoming skeptical, as the princess remembered there were no guests staying in the northwestern wing of the castle for the ball.


    "Elsa? Are you alright? Should you maybe show me whatever you would like me to see later?" Anna asked doubtfully.


    "Nonsense, it is just inside here," Elsa replied as the sisters had reached the top of the stairs, where the finest suite in the wing was.


    The princess was hesitant to follow her sister any further as she opened the door and entered the suite. Anna slowly and cautiously made her way into the suite as she then saw her sister at the window, her back turned towards her. She then wondered how Elsa could get over to the window so quickly when she was right behind her a moment ago.


    "Elsa, what are you¡­." Anna started but did not get to finish as the door slammed shut behind her.


    The princess gasped, and before she could turn around, a long, thick white cloth was placed around her mouth and fastened behind her head with a tight knot. Many men with black jackets and hoods suddenly appeared around her and before she could reach up and remove her gag, the men seized her and tied her up with rope.


    Anna recognized the men that had attacked the castle before and struggled furiously. However, the men were too much for her, and soon she was securely bound at her arms, hands, legs, and ankles. Anna tried screaming more, but her screams came out muffled through the cloth.


    The princess looked at her sister with a look of betrayal. Why would Elsa ever side with these evil men?


    The Snow Queen still had her back turned towards Anna. "I suppose you are wondering why I would do this to you Anna."


    Anna screamed through her gag, trying to break free from her bonds. It was futile, however, as the ropes were tied too tight for her to break loose.


    Elsa turned around and walked up to the bound and gagged princess, an evil smirk on her face. "Well, I am not really your sister." "Elsa" then transformed into a very familiar figure that made Anna''s eyes widen with fear.


    It was the leader of the men! What made the hooded figure stand out from the twenty other men was their leader was the tallest of the men and although all their jackets and hoods were black, the leader of the men had a jacket and hood that was completely black all over. The other men seemed to have jackets and hoods that were slightly brighter than their leader''s jacket.


    The princess let out a sound through the cloth as the figure in front of her removed his hood to reveal a blonde-haired man with orange eyes. He looked down at the princess with an evil smile.


    "Hello, princess. I take it you are wondering who I am. Am I right?" the blonde-haired man asked.


    Anna couldn''t help but nod, having not seen the man before.


    "Well, prepare to be enlightened. My name is Richard. There was a time I was once best friends with Edmund. I assume he told you about me?" Richard huffed.


    The princess shook her head. Edmund never told her about Richard and now she was wondering what happened between them that made the blonde-haired man turn evil.


    "He hasn''t?" Richard said with a raised eyebrow. His look then became one of pure hatred and rage. "Then I will tell you he betrayed me!"


    Anna had a confused look on her face. How on Earth did Edmund betray Richard? The English prince was too nice of a guy to do something like that. Now the princess was beginning to think it was Richard''s fault for what might have taken place between them.


    "I was being dragged away by the guards and he refused to help me. That scoundrel abandoned me!" he shouted as he brought his face close to Anna''s. This made the princess back away in fear, or at least attempt to. The men holding her hostage did not permit her to move backwards.


    "After everything he and I had been through together, he deceived me. That left me with only one choice: to get my revenge on him in any way I could, starting with killing his precious fianc¨¦e," Richard said angrily.


    The princess gasped in shock and disbelief. Why did Richard kill Edmund''s fianc¨¦e? Was it an act of revenge? Now that she had been told of the despicable act, Anna was growing fearful the blonde-haired man would murder her next.


    Anna began to yell through her gag, hoping someone would hear her.


    Richard laughed sadistically at the princess. "Oh princess. No one is going to hear you." He then cupped her gagged face in his hands, which made her go silent with wide, fearful eyes. "Now that I have taken you captive, your sister is next. You just wait and see what I have planned for everyone, especially Edmund."


    The princess did not like the sound of that. Richard was most likely planning on killing them all once he got his vengeance against Edmund.


    "Hand her over," Richard ordered as his men pushed Anna towards their master. The blonde-haired man then scooped the bound and gagged princess into his arms and walked over to the middle of the suite. Setting her down, he brought his hands up and formed a black ladder with his dark magic. At the top of the ladder, a black cage appeared, seemingly hanging from the ceiling.


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    Richard took a moment to grin devilishly at the princess, completely helpless and at his mercy. He then picked Anna up again as she began to fight once again against the ropes and scream through her gag. The blonde-haired man chuckled at her struggles as he walked up the ladder towards the cage.


    Reaching the top of the ladder, Richard then threw Anna into the cage. The princess let out a muffled grunt as she landed inside the cage. Richard then closed the cage and went back down the ladder. With a wave of his hand, the ladder disappeared.


    "I hope you are enjoying the view, princess. After all, I do enjoy having a captive audience," the blonde-haired man replied with a chuckle.


    Anna glared down at him as she continued trying to wriggle free from her bonds. She let out muffled noises of anger through the cloth gagging her.


    "Don''t worry, princess. Soon your sister will be joining you up there. You two will then serve as bait to draw Edmund, Lucas, and Stephen right into my trap. After that, you will get to witness the demise of your three precious guests before I then kill you and your sister," Richard said with an evil laugh as he then transformed into Anna.


    The princess let out a muffled noise of surprise through the cloth. She really hoped Elsa would not fall for the evil man''s trick. Anna feared, however, that with how devious and cunning Richard was, he would succeed.


    "Now if you will excuse me, I have a queen to capture," the disguised blonde-haired man said in Anna''s voice before turning to his men, "Make sure the princess stays tied up in there."


    "Yes, Boss," the men replied simultaneously as "Anna" left the suite.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Elsa was in her bedroom, reading a book. She had a smile on her face from the time she spent in the library with Edmund. The Snow Queen let out a content sigh, wondering how their relationship would go if they became an official couple. Elsa had no doubt, however, that she would be happy with either Edmund or Lucas. It was just a matter of choosing whom she thought was the better man for her.


    The Ice Queen continued reading until she heard a knock on her door. Setting her book aside, she answered and saw it was Anna.


    "Hey Elsa!" the princess greeted.


    "Hi Anna," Elsa greeted back. "What brings you over here?"


    "There is something I would like to show you," Anna said.


    "Okay. Just as long as you do not reveal any Christmas gifts you got me early," Elsa replied.


    The princess laughed. "Don''t worry, Elsa. I would not ruin any surprises for my big sister."


    The Snow Queen smiled. "I am glad to hear that."


    Both sisters made their way to the northwestern wing of the castle. Elsa was curious to know what her little sister had to show her.


    Once they reached the door to the finest suite in the wing, Anna gestured for Elsa to enter first. "After you, Elsa."


    "Alright," the Ice Queen replied, though something inside of her was telling her something was feeling a bit unusual.


    Elsa opened the door and gasped at what she saw before her. Hanging from the ceiling, in a black cage, was Anna. The princess was bound with rope and gagged with a thick white cloth.


    Anna screamed through her gag, trying to warn Elsa about it being a trap. All that came out was muffled noise.


    Before the Snow Queen could do anything else, she was grabbed from behind. "Anna" transformed into Richard as he then placed the magical chains on her, rendering her powers useless.


    "Anna!" Elsa called before she was surrounded by Richard''s men and shoved into the room. One of the men closed the door behind them, and another pulled a long, thick white cloth over her mouth. The cloth was tightly tied behind her head with a tight knot as several other men starting tying Elsa up with rope to further secure her.


    Elsa was horrified by the turn of events. Was she led into a trap of some sort? Who was behind all this? The Snow Queen tried to call out, but it came out muffled through her gag. She then sighed, knowing she was completely helpless without her powers.


    Richard then teleported in front of her as his men held Elsa captive. "Hello, Queen Elsa," he greeted with an evil grin. He removed his hood to reveal himself to the Ice Queen.


    "I am Richard, Edmund''s friend turned archenemy. Since your pathetic little sister here has not heard anything about me, I presume you have?" Richard asked.


    Elsa tried speaking through her gag as if to say she had heard of him.


    "You have? Did Edmund tell you?" the evil man inquired.


    The Ice Queen shook her head. Fear flashed in her eyes as Richard moved closer to her, rage in his eyes.


    "If he didn''t tell you, then who did?" the evil man demanded.


    The Snow Queen tried to say something through the cloth, without success.


    Richard then snarled in annoyance. "I will take the gag off to let you tell me who told you about me. You make any attempt to scream, I will slice your head off. Am I understood?"


    Elsa nodded.


    "Good," Richard said as he reached over and pulled Elsa''s gag down.


    "Lucas told me about you. After he explained the time he and Edmund had at the festival for Edmund''s father''s birthday," Elsa explained once her mouth was free.


    "You mean that scoundrel who replaced me as Edmund''s best friend?" Richard said with frustration.


    "What do you mean by that?" the Snow Queen wondered as she struggled against her bonds.


    "Edmund betrayed me. He could have helped me when I was being dragged away by the guards, but he let me get dragged away instead," Richard stated bitterly. "The influence Lucas had on him made me seem inferior to Edmund."


    "It was probably you that did something to get yourself arrested in the first place. You betrayed Edmund when you chose a life of crime. Lucas had nothing to do with your decision, Richard," Elsa said defiantly. She may not have known Edmund or Lucas for very long, but she knew full well the two princes would never betray anyone for any reason.


    "Shut up! You know nothing about what happened!" Richard shouted and glared angrily at the Snow Queen.


    Elsa, however, showed as much courage as possible despite the scary look on the blonde-haired man''s face. "Why are you doing this?" she demanded.


    "Simple. To get revenge on Edmund for what he did, which includes targeting those he cares about. I can tell he cares about you," Richard said with an evil smirk.


    "Edmund and I barely know each other. We mmmpppphhh!" Elsa started before the evil man put her gag back on.


    "You know, I liked you better that way," Richard said with an evil chuckle.


    Elsa let out a groan of annoyance through the cloth.


    "I was thinking I should offer you and your sister a front row seat to luring Edmund, Lucas, and Stephen right into my trap," the blonde-haired man said as he picked up the Snow Queen and carried her over to an area where he could form another cage to keep her in away from Anna.


    Elsa screamed through her gag. She struggled furiously against her bonds, but the ropes were tied too tight for her. The magical chains rendered her unable to use her powers, and the white cloth was tied too tightly for her to get it off.


    "You can try to wriggle free all you want, Queen Elsa. It will all be for naught," Richard said as he used his dark magic to form an identical black ladder and cage he used to hold Anna captive.


    The Snow Queen was really hoping Edmund, Lucas, Stephen, and Kristoff would come find her and save her, along with her little sister. Elsa was worried something terrible was going to happen if she and Anna were not rescued quickly.


    Richard reached the top of the ladder, throwing Elsa into the cage before he descended the ladder and made it disappear after closing the cage.


    Elsa looked at her sister in the cage hanging from the ceiling some distance across the suite. Anna met her sister''s eyes. Though both sisters were still gagged, the Snow Queen tried her best to give Anna a look telling her everything would be okay.


    "Oh, and really quick, I would like to have some fun with you two pretty women while we wait for your guests to show up," Richard said with a devilish smile.


    Elsa and Anna did not like the sound of that. Both sisters gasped through their gags as Richard started waving his hands at them, causing the bottom part of their cages to slowly disappear.


    From how high up the two sisters were, they knew a fall from that height would certainly cause injury. The bound and gagged sisters did everything they could to ensure they did not fall through the slowly expanding holes on the bottom of their cages.


    "You better hope those holes in your cages do not get too big for you two. I think you would break a bone or two if they did," Richard said tauntingly as he enjoyed seeing the fearful looks on Elsa and Anna''s faces.


    The Snow Queen berated herself. She had let herself get captured by this ruthless man who was once Edmund''s friend. Elsa wished she had known better when the man disguised himself as Anna. The knock certainly did not sound like Anna. Elsa felt she would not be in this position if she took the hint.


    The holes at the bottom of the cages were now almost too big for the sisters to sit on. Panic was evident on their faces as they began to shout pleas through their gags, anything to make Richard stop.


    "I am going to enjoy this!" Richard exclaimed as the sisters were just about ready to fall out of their cages. Soon they did, screaming through their gags. Before they could hit the ground, however, Richard stopped them in midair. He then made them rise again and made the bottoms of their cages reappear once they were high enough into their cages once more.


    Richard was now laughing evilly, along with his men.


    Elsa glared at him, trying to shout at him, but the gag stopped her. Anna also tried to yell through her gag. It all came out muted, going into the cloth rather than ricocheting across the suite.


    Richard looked up at the bound and gagged women before him. "Did you really think I was going to kill you two before you lured Edmund, Lucas, and Stephen into my trap? Well, if so, you were clearly mistaken."


    He then waved his hands to make huge black spikes appear below Elsa and Anna. Both sisters gazed down with fear as they had become completely helpless and were now at Richard''s mercy.


    "Perhaps I was not mistaken, but I will have my fun with you two pretty ladies later. For now, you two will just wait here for your guests to arrive," Richard said with an evil chuckle as the two sisters were really hoping they would be saved before the blonde-haired man had a chance to dispose of them.

 Chapter 27

    I would like to thank roxygoth, BurningFox6, krystal lazuli, and LukeJames for beta reading and helping me improve!


    Feedback is always appreciated!


    Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen. Frozen is owned by Disney. I only lay claim to Prince Edmund, Prince Lucas, Master Stephen, and anyone else you do not recognize from Frozen.


    Chapter 27


    Edmund, Lucas, Stephen, and Kristoff were making their way to the Great Hall for dinner. They were all talking about what they did for the day.


    "You and Anna went out into the town to have a snowball fight? How did that go?" Edmund asked the ice harvester.


    "Yeah. We went right outside of town, but not too far into the forest. I won the snowball fight. Still, it was a great time out there with my girlfriend. Anna and I then went to get some hot chocolate from the caf¨¦ and then we came back here to the castle," Kristoff elaborated.


    "I am glad to hear you and Anna had a good time," the English prince said with a smile.


    "Thank you, Ed," Kristoff replied with a grin of his own. "What did you do today?"


    "I played chess and read some books with Elsa," Edmund responded.


    Kristoff nodded and then thought of something. "Do you like Elsa, Edmund?"


    The black-haired man hesitated before speaking. "Well, I guess I do at this point. However, I have been letting Lucas get his chance to spend time with her as well these last several days. I feel like either myself or Luc could be the right man for her. Whether it is true or not is entirely up to Elsa. It is her choice in the end, after all."


    "Yes. Everyone must find love in their own time. It comes when it comes, and Elsa is no exception. We will also respect her decision even if Elsa does not choose either myself or Edmund. Only Elsa herself can determine who is her true love," the Belgian prince added.


    The ice harvester nodded in agreement at the two young princes. "I''m not going to lie, you two are very handsome fellows. Both of you should not have any problems trying to charm Elsa."


    Edmund and Lucas smiled at the encouragement Kristoff was giving them.


    "I thank you for the compliment, Kristoff. While I have no doubt that I am trying my best to charm Elsa the correct way, I completely understand there is the possibility Lucas and I are only meant to be friends with her. As I said before, I will be happy with whatever Elsa chooses to do," the English prince replied.


    "I agree with Edmund. Everyone has choices to make in life, and Elsa is no exception. I am more than happy to just be friends with her if that is what happens," Lucas said before adding, "You are a handsome man yourself, Kristoff."


    The ice harvester beamed at the compliment. "Thank you, Lucas." He then wanted to know what Lucas and Stephen were up to that day. "What were you and Stephen doing?"


    "Master Stephen continued with helping me become a great fighter like Edmund. He talked to me about every fighting style there is, such as kung fu and karate," Lucas said.


    "That''s interesting. I assume it went well?" Kristoff wondered.


    Stephen nodded. "It did. Edmund and Lucas are very bright young men. As are you, Kristoff. I was going to ask whether you would like me to train you as well. However, it is up to you. I will respect your decision, either way."


    The ice harvester pondered this. He had never been taught how to fight before. With his strength, however, perhaps he could become at least a decent fighter. Kristoff doubted, however, that he would ever be as adept as Edmund, Lucas, or Stephen.


    "I appreciate your offer, Master Stephen. However, I am unsure as to whether I would be a good student or not. Not once have I had any teachings on how to fight or use a weapon to defend myself. Therefore, I will have to think about this," Kristoff explained.


    "Please take all the time you need, Kristoff. To reiterate, I will support your decision no matter what you choose to do," Stephen replied before adding, "Just so you three know, you do not have to call me Master Stephen. I do not mind one bit with all of you calling me Stephen, or just Steph."


    "That is certainly something I can do," Kristoff replied with a smile.


    "Same here," Lucas added, grinning.


    Edmund, however, was hesitant about just calling his mentor Stephen or Steph. The English prince was so used to calling him "master" he felt like he would be insulting his instructor if he did not do that. "Are you sure about this, Master? Would you get offended if I only called you Stephen or just Steph?"


    Stephen shook his head with a smile. "I would not be offended at all. In fact, I wish you had begun to call me Stephen or Steph a long time ago. You have been like a son to me, Edmund. I think we are close enough for you to not call me "master" every time we speak to each other."


    "If that is how you would like it to be, then I will oblige, Stephen," Edmund replied with a grin, which made his mentor beam fondly.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    The four men soon reached the Great Hall and entered. To their surprise, Elsa and Anna were not there.


    "That is weird. Elsa and Anna are normally the first of us here during meals," Edmund said.


    Lucas nodded in agreement. "Where could they be right now?"


    "Maybe they are in their rooms, just taking longer than usual to get ready. Still, I am beginning to suspect something is up with them taking this long," Stephen replied. "When did you last see Anna, Kristoff?"


    "I last saw Anna in her bedroom when we returned to the palace from our snowball fight. Should we maybe check there, and Elsa''s room as well?" Kristoff asked.


    "I think we should. If they are not in their rooms, we should look around the castle and ask everyone in here if they have seen either Elsa or Anna," Stephen suggested.


    Before the four men could leave, the head chef came out of the kitchen. "What is happening here? Is everything alright, gentlemen?"


    "Queen Elsa and Princess Anna are not here with us, and we are wondering what is going on. Have you seen them here lately?" Edmund asked.


    The head chef shook his head. "I have not seen either Queen Elsa or Princess Anna since lunch."


    The English prince then thought of something. He was beginning to feel like there really was something going on. "I think it would be a good idea for you and the rest of the cooks to stay inside the kitchen and barricade the door, in case there is something wrong. If not, I will knock on the door and tell you everything is okay."


    The head chef nodded. "It shall be done, Your Highness. I hope nothing bad happens to any of you." He then went back into the kitchen and promptly locked the door as Edmund, Lucas, Stephen, and Kristoff left the Great Hall, shutting the doors behind them.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    The four men searched around the palace for Elsa and Anna. They asked everyone they encountered, including Gerda, Kai, and Olaf, if they had seen the two sisters. When they replied they had not, the four men suggested they find a place to hide in case something suspicious was taking place. The couple and the snowman obeyed without question, trusting that the four men knew what they were doing.


    Soon they searched everywhere in the castle, except for the northwestern wing.


    "Well, we only have the northwestern wing left to search for them," Edmund replied. "I was informed there are no guests staying in this particular area of the palace."


    "I was notified of that as well. Maybe we should get our weapons and shields just in case. I sense an intense battle may be waiting for us," Lucas suggested.


    "I think that is a good idea. It surprises me no one is staying in the northwestern wing of the castle. Do any of you gentlemen know the reason why?" Stephen wondered.


    "Perhaps we wanted to fill every room in the other wings before we got to the northwestern wing. At this point, it does not look like we will have any more guests coming to the ball," the ice harvester said.


    "Do you have any weapons, Kristoff?" the English prince asked.


    Kristoff shook his head. "All I have is my pickaxe and other tools for ice harvesting. I have never used them for battling anyone as they were not designed that way."


    "Then maybe we should ask Captain William where the castle armory is so you can get a weapon," Edmund suggested.


    The ice harvester nodded in agreement. "Let''s go."


    When the four men reached the doctor''s office, the castle doctor let them in. Captain William was lying on a bed inside, a brace around his injured left knee.


    "Captain, could you please tell us where the armory is located?" Stephen asked.


    The captain gave directions to where the armory could be found and handed them a key to have access to it. "Why do you ask about where the armory is? Is everything alright?"


    Stephen shook his head. "Elsa and Anna did not show up at dinner tonight, and we think they might be in trouble. We ask you about the armory so Kristoff can have a weapon and shield to defend himself with."


    Captain William nodded in understanding. "If there are any intruders inside the castle, I hope you gentlemen will stop them before they cause any havoc. Good luck to you four."


    "Thank you, Captain. I will return the key once Kristoff has a weapon," the brown-haired man said as the group made their way to the armory.


    Upon arriving at the armory, they opened the door and saw a lot of weapons, armor, and shields inside. Since the ice harvester was accustomed to using pickaxes, he decided to use an axe that he could use with one hand and a shield with the other.


    After Stephen gave the key back to the captain, Edmund, Lucas, and Stephen went to their guest rooms to retrieve their weapons and shields.


    Soon all four men were at the entrance to the northwestern wing, weapons and shields ready.


    "What are we waiting for? Let''s go," Stephen said.


    Edmund, Lucas, and Kristoff nodded as the four men made their way up the stairs.


    They carefully inspected every single guestroom in the wing, making sure to look everywhere possible for any signs of Elsa and Anna.


    Once the four men had searched almost every room, they arrived at the top of the stairs. The group was standing at the door of the finest suite in the northwestern wing.


    Edmund peeked through the keyhole in the door. He saw the hooded figure inside with twenty men standing in front of him. All of them were in a fighting stance, the ten men in the front armed with swords, and the ten men in the back armed with crossbows. The English prince then looked upwards and saw Elsa and Anna inside magical black cages. Both sisters were bound with rope and had thick white cloths tightly tied around their mouths. Edmund also noticed the Ice Queen seemed to have some magical chains binding her wrists together. His eyes widened when he saw huge black spikes right below the sisters.


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    "What is in there, Edmund? Any sign of Elsa and Anna?" Kristoff asked quietly.


    Edmund nodded as he held a finger to his lips, indicating for the ice harvester and the other two men to keep their voices down.


    "Anything?" the ice harvester whispered.


    "Yes. The figure and his men are in there, and it seems like they have captured Elsa and Anna. It appears the figure has trapped them in cages so they cannot escape," Edmund whispered back.


    "Well, I''m going in to save my girlfriend," Kristoff replied determinedly as he prepared to open the door.


    Just as he was about to grab the door handle, the English prince stopped him, grabbing his hand. "Kristoff, wait! Hold on just a minute!"


    "Don''t you tell me to hold on just a minute! That figure has Anna and Elsa!" the ice harvester responded as he tried to break free from the English prince''s grip.


    Lucas and Stephen joined in on holding Kristoff back, all but ensuring he could not reach the door handle.


    "There is most likely a reason why the figure is doing this, Kristoff. Edmund is right. We cannot just barge in there. The figure might have the door booby trapped or is using Elsa and Anna as bait to lure us into a trap," Lucas explained.


    "Therefore, we must find some other way to get inside without them noticing us," Stephen added quietly.


    Kristoff glared at the three guests holding him back. However, the ice harvester realized they were right. Thus, Kristoff ceased struggling.


    The ice harvester peeked through the keyhole and gasped silently when he saw the predicament Elsa and Anna were in. He realized that with one wrong move, the figure would kill the sisters.


    "Okay, so what do we do now? Do any of you three have any bright ideas?" Kristoff asked.


    The three guests thought for a moment before something came to Stephen''s mind. "Does the palace happen to have any secret passageways?"


    "None that I know of," the ice harvester responded. "I have never bothered to see if there were any secret hallways inside the castle. With Elsa and Anna''s lives at stake, it may be our best option."


    "Yes. There are secret passageways in the London palace for the royal family to escape in case of an emergency. Hopefully, there is one inside the Arendelle castle that can lead us to the finest suite in the northwestern wing," Stephen elaborated.


    "Yeah. Well then, let''s get to searching. The sooner we save Elsa and Anna, the better," the ice harvester said.


    The three guests nodded as they began their search for potential secret passageways.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Elsa and Anna did not bother struggling against their bonds anymore. It was useless with Richard and his men guarding them, and the ropes were tied too tight for their strength. In addition to that, the magical chains stifled any attempt the Snow Queen made to use her powers.


    How were they going to get out of this? Getting out of the ropes binding them was out of the question, as their captors had done a very good job making sure they could not escape. Calling for help would not do them any good either, as the white cloths gagging the sisters were too tight for them to get them off their mouths. Any sound they made through their gags only came out as muffled noise. Both sisters knew the large black spikes below would instantly kill them upon contact. They hoped the guests could outsmart Richard somehow, or else he could simply let them fall to their deaths.


    Richard turned around and smiled evilly at the bound and gagged women. "How are you doing up there, ladies?"


    The two sisters made annoyed sounds through their gags, indicating they hated being held captive by this devilish man. Elsa and Anna hoped Edmund, Lucas, Stephen, and Kristoff would free them soon.


    The hooded blonde-haired man chuckled. "You will find out soon enough why no one should mess with me. Edmund, Lucas, and Stephen asked for it. They will be here anytime, now."


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Edmund, Lucas, Stephen, and Kristoff searched every single room in the castle for secret hallways. The four men did their best to keep calm despite how afraid they were with the two sisters being held captive.


    Once they had searched every room in the castle, the four men realized there was still one area they had not checked yet: the attic.


    Inside the attic, the four men looked through the room for anything that could be of use to them or could reveal a secret passageway. They came across some old trunks containing items from the sisters'' childhoods. Upon discovering the containers, the four men closed them again, not wanting to touch anything not belonging to them.


    Edmund looked carefully at a certain part of the wall inside the attic, clutching a lit lantern. He thought he saw the tiniest outline of a door. The English prince carefully knocked on the outline and heard a sound indicating the outline was hollow.


    "Hey, gentlemen? I think I may have found something," Edmund informed the three men as he carefully pushed on the outline of the wall, which to their surprise opened just like a door to reveal a dark hallway.


    "Way to go, Edmund. You''re a genius," Kristoff praised the English prince.


    Edmund shrugged. "I was just trying to think of any way we can catch the figure off-guard. Hopefully, this passageway leads to the finest suite of the northwestern wing."


    "Only one way to find out," Lucas said.


    Stephen approached the three young men with two long coils of rope. "I think these might come in handy."


    The three young men nodded in agreement before the group started walking down the dark hallway, making sure to be as quiet as possible. If they got discovered, it could be the end of not only them, but Elsa and Anna as well.


    As the four men walked, they encountered stairs of varying steps. Regardless, they did their best not to make too much noise. Sometimes stealth was smarter to do than attack outright.


    Light soon appeared before the end of the hallway. Based on what the light looked like, it seemed it was getting dark outside the castle and the candles inside a room had been lit. Once the four men reached the end of the hallway, they saw they were in the same room where the figure and his men were holding Elsa and Anna hostage.


    The group was gazing down on the figure and his men from above, as well as the two sisters inside the black cages. All four men presumed the cages were created by the figure himself with his dark magic.


    Edmund brought the lantern deeper inside to avoid him and the others being spotted.


    "Okay, what do we do now?" Kristoff asked as quietly as he could.


    The three guests surveyed their surroundings. Where Elsa and Anna were positioned, the figure and his men were watching both sisters as well as the entrance to the suite. Therefore, rescuing them stealthily was not an option. The four men would have to defeat the figure and his men before making any rescue attempts. Fortunately, there were no booby traps on the door, which helped Stephen think of a plan of attack.


    "I knew these ropes would come in handy," Stephen remarked quietly. "Gentlemen, I have an idea. Since there are no booby traps on the entrance to the room, Edmund and Lucas will enter the suite through the door, while Kristoff and I use these ropes to attack the figure and his men from behind."


    "That sounds like a good idea. We will not let you down, Steph," Edmund responded.


    "Will you two be alright?" Kristoff asked. While he had no doubt about the abilities of Edmund and Lucas, the ice harvester knew that despite their fighting mastery, they were still heavily outnumbered. It meant each member of the group would have to take out at least five men each.


    "Edmund and Lucas will be just fine, Kristoff. I can assure you we will succeed in defeating the figure and his men as well as saving Elsa and Anna. You will have me by your side should you need any assistance while we fight," Stephen assured the ice harvester. "When we are ready to attack, I would advise you not to look down as we climb down the ropes."


    Kristoff nodded as he and Stephen tied the ropes to places that would hold their weight as they climbed down. They would not lower the ropes until the figure and his men were distracted by the two princes. Since they were watching, they needed to time it right.


    "Okay. Lucas and I will head back to the entrance of the suite. As soon as we have their attention, you guys jump in and attack," Edmund said.


    "Will do," Kristoff replied with a nod as the two princes went back down the hallway.


    As soon as the two princes were out of sight, Stephen placed a hand on the ice harvester''s shoulder. "Elsa and Anna will be alright, Kristoff. We will stop the figure and his men before anything happens to them."


    "I hope so," Kristoff responded as he and the brown-haired man prepared themselves for lowering themselves into battle.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Edmund and Lucas arrived at the entrance to the suite where the sisters were being held by the figure. They exchanged a look, mentally preparing for the battle.


    "You ready, Lucas?" Edmund asked.


    "Ready. Now we must defeat that scoundrel and his men, then rescue Elsa and Anna," Lucas replied with a nod.


    With that, the two princes opened the door and were greeted by the figure and his twenty men as Edmund and Lucas stood defiantly before their enemies. Above them were Anna and Elsa, still bound and gagged in their cages.


    "Elsa! Anna!" the black-haired prince called up to the two sisters.


    "Are you two alright?" the dirty-blonde-haired man asked anxiously.


    Both sisters nodded. The two princes were relieved the two sisters were still alive and well. Edmund and Lucas knew they had to rescue them as soon as possible, or that would not be the case for too much longer. With the huge black spikes below the two sisters, the two princes knew they had to act fast before anything bad happened to Elsa and Anna.


    The figure grinned evilly as the two princes turned their attention to him. "Good evening, gentlemen. I knew you would come once you knew of Elsa and Anna being in danger."


    Edmund glared venomously at the figure. "You are going to regret ever touching them."


    "Let me tell you something, Edmund. You are going to regret ever betraying me!" the figure responded ruthlessly.


    "What are you talking about?" Edmund wondered, confused. Who on Earth did the English prince betray? He never recalled doing such a thing to anyone.


    "You will find out soon enough. Men, attack!" the figure ordered as his men charged towards the two princes.


    Edmund and Lucas used their shields to protect themselves from the arrows fired at them from the crossbows the figure''s men were armed with. Once the arrows ceased raining upon them, the two princes prepared to use their shields to knock the figure''s men aside.


    Stephen and Kristoff saw their chance and lowered the ropes while the figure and his men had their attention drawn to the two princes.


    "Are you ready, Kristoff?" Stephen asked.


    "Ready as I''ll ever be," the ice harvester responded as the two men climbed down the ropes, which stopped only inches from the ground considering their length.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Edmund, armed with his sword and shield, blocked a man''s attempt to strike him with his sword. The English prince then countered with a swing of his sword, which the man ducked under. Four other men rushed at Edmund to corner him. The black-haired man was ready, however. Edmund shield bashed two of the men with his shield, knocking them out cold. He then leaped into the air and knocked the remaining men he fought unconscious with powerful kicks to the sides of their heads.


    Lucas traded blows with his saber against five men who were doing everything they could to disarm the Belgian prince. With Stephen''s teachings, however, Lucas was a much more dangerous fighter. Therefore, the men''s attempts to disarm Lucas failed, which frustrated them. All five men simultaneously swung their swords at Lucas, who ducked and rolled out of the way of the blades. The dirty-blonde-haired man charged at the men and managed to punch one of them unconscious before they could all recover. Once the other four men recovered, they swung their swords at Lucas'' feet. He jumped and the swords went harmlessly under his feet. Lucas then ran at two of the men, grabbing their shirts before he made them headbutt each other and knock themselves out. The Belgian prince then knocked the last two men out with swift, powerful punches.


    As the two princes continued to fight with the remaining men, they caught sight of Stephen and Kristoff lowering themselves down from rafters in the ceiling to the suite to join the fight.


    There were now ten men remaining, along with the figure.


    Stephen and Kristoff immediately went to work with helping Edmund and Lucas defeat the remainder of the figure''s men. The brown-haired man saw four men approaching him. They charged at Stephen. Stephen, using his incredibly strong legs, managed to jump over them before landing on his feet in a fighting stance behind them. The four men seemed astonished Stephen could jump as high as he did. Taking advantage of their distractions, Stephen disarmed one of the men before grabbing him. The man attempted to throw a punch at Stephen who dodged it and redirected the blow, so it hit one of the other men instead, knocking him to the ground. Stephen then threw the man at the other two men, who were unable to avoid him and were sent to the ground along with the man thrown at them. Due to the state the four men were in, they were too slow to recover and were swiftly knocked out with powerful punches from the brown-haired man.


    Kristoff, however, was not as experienced as the three guests with fighting.


    "I am going to beat you guys up for touching my girlfriend!" Kristoff exclaimed.


    Six men surrounded the ice harvester. They all smirked at the threat Kristoff made at them. One of the men charged at Kristoff, who swung his axe at him. The man dodged the attack and swung his sword at the ice harvester. Kristoff raised his shield to block the blow. The sword collided with the ice harvester''s shield as Kristoff shoved the sword away with his shield. Kristoff then leapt at one of the men, who dodged and stuck one of his feet out. The ice harvester landed awkwardly and ended up collapsing onto the ground, clutching his right ankle.


    "Kristoff!" Edmund exclaimed worriedly as he saw the men approaching the injured ice harvester.


    Elsa and Anna tried to shout Kristoff''s name through their gags, to no avail.


    Thankfully for the ice harvester, Edmund, Stephen, and Lucas had subdued the men they were fighting and managed to do the same with the men cornering Kristoff.


    All twenty men were knocked unconscious as the group went to check on the ice harvester. "Kristoff! Are you okay?" the English prince asked with concern.


    "I can''t fight anymore. My ankle hurts badly. You guys must stop the figure without me," Kristoff said as he still held onto his right ankle.


    The three guests turned their attention to the figure, standing defiantly before the evil hooded man and protecting the injured ice harvester.


    "First, you hurt Captain William, and now, you hurt Kristoff. We will make you pay for what you did to them!" Lucas exclaimed with a deathly glare at the figure.


    "Haha! Seeing others suffer makes me happy," the figure replied sadistically. "Since you all managed to defeat my twenty men, I will deal with you guys myself."


    "We defeated all twenty of your men. How can you expect to stand a chance against all of us together?" Stephen asked defiantly.


    "Silence! You and Lucas are not worth my time, Stephen. Therefore, I suggest you sit this one out," the figure replied as he raised his hands, dark magic erupting from the castle floor until it spiraled around everyone in the shape of cages around everyone except for Edmund.


    The two sisters screamed through their gags at the horrific turn of events as they struggled through their bonds.


    "Guys!" Edmund exclaimed with wide eyes as he tried breaking the magical black bars with his sword, to no avail.


    "Edmund! Do not worry about us! You must defeat the figure!" Lucas encouraged.


    "We will be fine, Edmund. For now, you must focus on defeating that evil scoundrel," Stephen added.


    The English prince entered a fighting stance, ready to battle the hooded figure.


    "Before we begin our final battle, there is something I would like to show you, Edmund," the figure replied as he removed his hood to reveal himself to the English prince.


    Edmund stood there in shock as to whom he was standing before.

 Chapter 28

    I would like to thank roxygoth, BurningFox6, krystal lazuli, and LukeJames for beta reading and helping me improve!


    Feedback is always appreciated!


    Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen. Frozen is owned by Disney. I only lay claim to Prince Edmund, Prince Lucas, Master Stephen, and anyone else you do not recognize from Frozen.


    Chapter 28


    Standing before Edmund was his former friend Richard, who was looking at the English prince with an evil grin.


    "Hello, Edmund. It is me, Richard. The guy that you betrayed!" the blonde-haired man with orange eyes greeted coldly.


    Edmund was surprised to see his former friend. "No way." The English prince was then confused as to how he betrayed the blonde-haired man. "How did I betray you? What did I ever do to you that was wrong?"


    By then, heavy snow was falling outside the window, heavier than anyone had ever seen.


    "You could have helped me, but no. Instead, you let the guards take me to the youth detention center! I hated that place so much! Do you realize what they do to you there?!" Richard said, growing increasingly furious with each passing moment.


    "Not only did you steal that diamond, but you and those other boys tried to kill me. I could never forgive anyone who tried to murder me," the English prince replied. "After that, I did not want anything to do with you."


    "Which is why I wanted to make you suffer dearly, starting with taking Jane away from you," Richard stated callously.


    "You kidnapped and killed Jane?!" Edmund asked, eyes wide with shock and disbelief. He never thought his former friend would become such a bane in his life. "Why did you do that? Jane had nothing to do with you becoming evil. Where do you have the gall to murder an innocent woman?"


    "Simple. It was to get revenge on you for what you did to me, as well as how Lucas influenced you," the blonde-haired man responded.


    "Leave Lucas out of this! He does not have a thing to do with what happened between you and me," Edmund said, looking ready to charge at his former friend.


    "Yes, he does. He replaced me as your best friend," Richard replied.


    "That is not how it went, Richard. Both you and Lucas were my best friends. Lucas is a man of only good intentions. After what you did, I realized Lucas was my true best friend," Edmund said.


    "Then so be it. After I defeat you, I will ensure that everyone you care about dies. Starting with Lucas and your precious girlfriend," Richard stated with an evil chuckle.


    "Elsa is not my girlfriend," Edmund replied.


    "Maybe not, but I can already tell you care about her," Richard replied as he got into a fighting stance. "Now we must settle our rivalry once and for all in a fight to the death!"


    "If that is how it is going to be, then let''s fight," Edmund responded, ready to fight his archenemy.


    Richard placed his hood back on as he then charged at the English prince, swinging his sword at him. Edmund ducked out of the way and attempted to strike the hooded man from behind. The hooded man teleported behind Edmund and tried to attack him. Edmund sensed the coming attack and blocked the blow. With his shield, Edmund tried to shield bash Richard. The hooded man simply moved out of the way before he was hit. Both men then swung their swords at each other, the swords colliding with each other before either man could be struck.


    After their swords were against each other for a few moments, Richard shoved Edmund backwards with his magic. The English prince landed on the wall with his feet before performing a ninja-like move, ensuring he landed safely back on the ground.


    The hooded man summoned three huge ice spikes and sent them hurling towards the English prince. Edmund blocked all three of them with his shield. He was then forced to run around the suite as a wave of ice spikes erupted from the ground right behind him each time. Fortunately for Edmund, none of the ice spikes hit him once the wave ended.


    Before Richard could perform another attack, Edmund was upon him, trying to pull his hood off. Just before the English prince could get the hood off Richard, the hooded man teleported out of the way.


    Edmund was a bit frustrated he had blown a golden opportunity to stop Richard. However, he did not let it cloud his judgment. He still needed to stop the hooded man at all costs.


    Stephen, Lucas, and Kristoff were watching the fight anxiously from their cages on the ground, while the bound and gagged sisters watched from their cages above. The ice harvester was still in pain from his right ankle injury. Regardless of the pain he was in, Kristoff was much more worried about the battle taking place before him. He watched the English prince fight the hooded man with concern.


    Richard formed a fireball in his hand and flung it at Edmund. The English prince blocked it with his shield. Edmund then sensed something hot from below him. He quickly moved out of the way, thankful he did as a fire geyser erupted from where he had been standing seconds ago.


    Elsa tried to say Edmund''s name through her gag but was unsuccessful. She hoped Edmund would defeat Richard before the hooded man could deliver a killing blow.


    Richard summoned a warhammer with his magic and swung it at the black-haired man. Edmund ducked out of the way and thrust his sword at the hooded man. Richard dodged the attack and threw a fist at Edmund, who blocked it with his shield.


    Bringing his warhammer back, Richard again tried to strike Edmund with it. The English prince used his shield to parry the blow. Edmund then tried to throw a punch at the hooded man. Richard dodged it and attempted to do the same thing with Edmund. Edmund caught his fist before shoving the hooded man backwards.


    The black-haired prince swung his sword at Richard several times, but the hooded man simply dodged each attack before taking another swing with his warhammer at the English prince. Edmund rolled out of the way before the weapon could get him. Richard then shoved Edmund backwards, who quickly recovered and landed on his feet.


    Outside, the clouds producing the heavy snow were getting darker than they were when the snow first started falling.


    Edmund quickly glanced up at the Snow Queen. He then thought of what might happen should he defeat Richard. Without his magic, the cages would disappear, which meant the sisters would fall. Due to how high up they were, Edmund knew he had to be in position to catch at least one of the sisters and Lucas or Stephen needed to rush over and catch the other sister once they were free. The English prince knew the sisters would likely suffer an injury from a fall that high.


    "Up to something, Edmund?" Richard inquired.


    "Nothing that concerns you," Edmund retorted, running towards the hooded man. Richard shoved the English prince backwards. Edmund recovered and landed on his feet right next to the cage holding Lucas.


    Seeing that he was right next to his best friend, the black-haired prince whispered something to Lucas. The Belgian prince nodded.


    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    Richard growled upon seeing Edmund say something to the dirty-blonde-haired prince. "You quit talking to him!"


    "Make me," Edmund responded with a furious look on his face.


    "Glad you asked," the hooded man replied with a devilish grin as he summoned a fireball behind the English prince.


    Edmund glanced behind himself and saw a purple fireball heading right towards him. He parried it with his shield, but instead of disappearing, the fireball merely jerked backwards somewhat before heading back in Edmund''s direction.


    The English prince began to run around the suite as the fireball followed him. Elsa and Anna screamed through their gags as they saw the scorching ball of fire chase Edmund around.


    "Edmund, watch out!" Lucas cried as the fireball nearly got close enough to catch Edmund on fire. Fortunately, Lucas'' warning caused him to swing his shield backwards, knocking the fireball back before it went back to chasing the English prince.


    "You will not be able to outrun the fireball forever, Edmund. Eventually, you will get too tired to outrun it. Then the fireball will burn you to pieces!" Richard said tauntingly as he clutched his great sword and went after the black-haired man.


    "We shall see about that," Edmund replied as he made a move to attack the hooded man.


    Outside, a flash of lightning briefly illuminated the room, followed by a clap of thunder, resulting in thundersnow.


    Richard charged at the English prince, and in the middle of the clap of thunder, their swords collided.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Once the sound of thunder ended, Richard shoved Edmund backwards. The English prince landed on his feet, jumping over the fireball chasing him and doing a backflip before landing on his feet again.


    Edmund was wondering how he could defeat Richard. Then a thought came to his mind. The English prince had a theory Richard''s powers were because of the black jacket. If there was some way to get the jacket off Richard, then the hooded man could be rendered powerless. Edmund did not know if that would work, but it was worth trying. It was a possible way of defeating Richard.


    Edmund kept making sure to stay mobile to avoid the purple fireball. As he was running around the suite, Richard summoned five tiny ice particles at the English prince. Edmund leaped out of the way as huge ice spikes instantly emerged once the ice particles hit the ground.


    The black-haired prince then rushed at the hooded man, trying to get the jacket off Richard. Just as he was about to grab the jacket, Richard used his powers, which made Edmund go right through him.


    "Too slow!" Richard taunted as he threw a punch at the English prince. Edmund caught Richard''s fist while simultaneously knocking the fireball aside with his shield. The English prince then managed to knock the hooded man aside with a shield bash.


    "I guess I am too slow," Edmund shrugged as he attempted to take advantage of Richard being off-balance. However, Richard quickly recovered and teleported away from the English prince.


    "Let''s see how well you fight me when you cannot see me," Richard replied as Edmund made sure to stay alert.


    The English prince used his instincts to anticipate any stealth attacks. One wrong move would be a fatal mistake.


    Lightning flashed outside once more with the very heavy snow, which lit up the room for a few seconds. Almost instantly after the lightning stopped, a loud crack of thunder sounded, and Edmund rolled to the side as Richard''s sword nearly came down upon him from behind.


    Elsa and Anna gasped through their gags as they saw the sword come close to ending Edmund''s life.


    "Be careful, Edmund. Richard has a lot of tricks up his sleeves," Stephen warned his student.


    "He sure does," Edmund replied in agreement.


    Stephen decided not to say anything else out of fear he could potentially fatally distract Edmund. The brown-haired-man knew the English prince had to stay focused on the task at hand: defeating Richard.


    Edmund carefully made his way around the suite, trying his best to find the invisible hooded man.


    Stephen watched Edmund carefully make his way around the suite, remaining alert for any possible sneak attacks. Lucas and Kristoff were doing the same thing. Stephen and Lucas were confident Edmund would find a way to win the battle. Lucas was keeping a close eye on Anna, making sure to run forward once Richard was defeated to catch the princess before she hit the ground. The ice harvester, though confident, was a little nervous. He hoped that Edmund did not get seriously injured, or worse.


    The English prince was just beside the black spikes below the cage holding Elsa. He knew that touching the spikes would be an unwise decision.


    Sensing something behind him, he whirled around and sent his fist forward, managing to not only strike Richard in the face, but also getting the hood off his head to take away his invisibility.


    Not wanting the hooded man to regain his powers, Edmund immediately charged forward and tackled Richard to the ground. Grabbing the jacket, the English prince ripped the jacket in half.


    "No!" Richard exclaimed before Edmund rendered him unconscious with a powerful punch.


    The English prince immediately got up and dashed the other way, glad he did as the cages around everyone disappeared, along with the black spikes below the two sisters. Lucas did the same once the cage around him vanished.


    Edmund managed to catch Elsa before she could hit the ground, while Lucas was able to do the same with Anna.


    The English prince set the bound and gagged Snow Queen onto her feet. "Elsa? Are you okay?" Edmund asked with concern as he removed the gag from around Elsa''s mouth.


    The Ice Queen gave him a relieved smile. "I am just fine thanks to you. You did it, Edmund. Richard no longer has his powers now."


    Edmund smiled back as he went to work with untying Elsa. His smile faltered after a moment. "It came at the cost of Kristoff getting injured though. He needs to see the doctor as soon as possible. His injury looks like it is a serious one."


    "I saw what that scoundrel did to him while you guys were fighting Richard''s men. Hope Kristoff is okay," the Snow Queen said with concern in her voice.


    "I hope so too," Edmund said in understanding as he finished removing the ropes from around the Ice Queen. As soon as the ropes were off Elsa, the English prince saw the chains around Elsa''s wrists rendering her powerless were gone.


    "Elsa. The chains around your wrists are gone! Now you can utilize your powers once more," Edmund said with a relieved smile.


    Elsa immediately tried her powers again with an elegant flick of the wrist and was relieved when snowflakes emerged from them. "Thank goodness for that."


    The Snow Queen then surprised the English prince by hugging him. "Thank you for saving me, Edmund."


    Edmund then smiled as he returned the hug. "You are welcome, Elsa."


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Lucas finished untying Anna and removing the gag from around her mouth. "Are you alright Anna? Richard did not hurt you, did he?"


    The princess shook her head with a smile. "No. I''m okay. Thank you for saving me Lucas."


    "You are welcome, Anna. It is Edmund, however, who you should be thanking. He defeated Richard and rendered him powerless. Had he not emerged victorious, we would all still be stuck in the cages," Lucas said before a look of worry appeared on his face.


    "Lucas? Are you okay?" Anna asked with concern.


    "Your boyfriend is injured. One of Richard''s men managed to injure his ankle while we were fighting them," the Belgian prince explained with a remorseful look on his face.


    "Oh no, Kristoff!" the princess exclaimed as he rushed towards the ice harvester. Kristoff was trying to stand up, but due to his ankle injury, he was unable to do so.


    "Kristoff! What happened?" Anna asked with a worried look on her face.


    "One of Richard''s men hurt my right ankle. I feel like it might be a serious injury as it hurts bad," the ice harvester replied.


    "Gosh, I hope it isn''t," the princess replied sadly.


    The rest of the group made their way over to the couple.


    "We need to get Kristoff to the doctor," Stephen said.


    Edmund and Lucas nodded in agreement as the two princes carefully helped Kristoff to his feet. Once the injured ice harvester was standing up, Edmund and Lucas allowed him to grasp their shoulders while Stephen carefully lifted the ice harvester''s legs as they slowly, carefully, and gingerly made their way to the doctor''s office.


    "I am very sorry about your injury Kristoff. If only I had been there to help you sooner," Edmund said remorsefully.


    "Don''t worry about it, Edmund. It is not any of your guys'' fault," the ice harvester replied with a reassuring grin.


    "Still, after we defeated the men we were facing, had we rushed over to help you, we could have prevented your injury. I really hope it is nothing serious," Lucas said, a look of shame on his face.


    Stephen had a regretful look on his face. "Two of us had to get injured during the fight with Richard and his men. First Captain William, and now you, Kristoff. Your injury only makes me feel worse than I already do about the captain''s injury."


    "Guys, it''s okay. Really. I appreciate you feeling bad about what happened to me. However, like I said, none of you are to blame for me getting hurt. This is not the first time in my life I have been injured. During the eternal winter Elsa accidentally caused, Anna and I were being chased by a giant snow monster named Marshmallow. While we were trying to escape from him, I ended up hitting my head on the side of a cliff we were hanging from trying to climb down a snow anchor I built," Kristoff explained.


    The guests'' eyes widened. "That sounds like it did not feel very good. Are you okay?" Edmund asked with concern.


    The ice harvester chuckled. "I am now since it has been five months since it happened. While it did hurt a lot at first, I was fine the next day."


    "Thank goodness it was not an injury that would affect you for the rest of your life. I have never had a serious injury in my life, and I hope it stays that way. Serious injuries do not sound fun at all," Edmund replied.


    "They are not the best thing in the world, that''s for sure," the ice harvester said in agreement.


    "Let''s hope your ankle injury is only a minor one," Edmund stated, trying to reassure the ice harvester.


    "Yeah, since the Ball is coming up soon, it would be sad if you could not get to dance with Anna," Lucas said.


    "We are all praying for you, Kristoff," Stephen added.


    "Thanks a lot, guys," the ice harvester said gratefully.


    The three guests gave Kristoff reassuring looks as they continued to take care while leading the ice harvester to the doctor''s office.

 Chapter 29

    I would like to thank roxygoth, BurningFox6, krystal lazuli, and LukeJames for beta reading and helping me improve!


    Feedback is always appreciated!


    Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen. Frozen is owned by Disney. I only lay claim to Prince Edmund, Prince Lucas, Master Stephen, and anyone else you do not recognize from Frozen.


    Chapter 29


    Before the sisters left the suite, Elsa summoned ice cages around Richard and his men to prevent them from causing anymore havoc. The guards would soon take them to the dungeons.


    As they followed the three guests carrying the injured ice harvester to the doctor''s office, Elsa and Anna were upset. The Snow Queen was particularly nervous and anxious. Elsa tried her best to keep her emotions and herself in check, but she was unable to do so after everything that had happened.


    Ice began to form on the walls and ceiling, and snow flurries fell from above them. Anna noticed this and took her sister''s hand, trying to calm her down before she accidentally froze her again or any of the four men in front of them.


    "Elsa! Calm down. We can''t have you freezing me, Kristoff, or any of the guests," Anna said.


    "Anna. How can you expect me to calm down after everything that just took place? You and I were kidnapped by Richard and his men, Edmund, Stephen, Lucas, and Kristoff almost got killed trying to rescue us, and now Kristoff is injured," Elsa responded.


    "I am upset about it as well, Elsa. However, you must control yourself before you accidentally smother the palace in snow and ice or freeze anyone," the princess said reassuringly.


    Elsa gave her a stern look, so Anna continued, placing her hand on the Ice Queen''s shoulder, "Elsa please. You must get yourself together. Richard and his men have been defeated, and everyone is alright for the most part. I am worried about Kristoff. None of us can determine how serious his injury is. That is why we have a doctor in the castle. Only the doctor himself can tell whether Kristoff''s injury is a minor one or not."


    The Snow Queen let her little sister''s words sink in as she managed to calm herself down and the ice and snow subsequently disappeared. "You are right, Anna. I was not thinking straight after the intense battle between Edmund and Richard. Had Richard won, he would have murdered us all and taken over Arendelle," Elsa said, upset.


    "Thankfully, he does not have his powers anymore. Therefore, he cannot cause harm to anyone anymore," Anna pointed out.


    "That is true," Elsa replied, a small smile forming on her face.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Edmund, Stephen, and Lucas continued to carry Kristoff down the stairs of the northwestern wing, the sisters following behind them. Once they reached the bottom of the stairs, the three guests figured they could move a little faster. The three men knew they still needed to take their time for Kristoff''s sake. What the men did not want to do was rush getting Kristoff to the doctor and risk aggravating the ice harvester''s injury.


    Soon the group reached the castle doctor''s office. "Elsa? Could you please knock on the doctor''s door?" Stephen asked.


    "Yes," Elsa replied with a nod as she knocked on the doctor''s door. The door opened to reveal the doctor. He bowed respectfully to the royals. "Your Majesties." The doctor noticed the three guests carrying Kristoff. "Oh dear. Looks like Sir Kristoff is injured. What happened?"


    "Kristoff was injured during a fight with the figure, whom we discovered is really Edmund''s former friend, Richard. He says his right ankle is bothering him," the Ice Queen explained.


    The doctor nodded. "Bring Sir Kristoff in so I may examine the severity of his ankle injury." The three guests nodded as they carefully helped the ice harvester sit down on an examination table next to Captain William.


    "Edmund and Lucas? Perhaps we should return to the suite in the northwestern wing to ensure Richard and his men do not escape while we wait for the guards to arrive?" Stephen suggested. The brown-haired man wanted to make sure they stayed diligent until the guards managed to get them to the dungeons.


    "Yes, Stephen," the English prince replied with a nod.


    "It shall be done," Lucas added as he, Edmund, and Stephen went back to the suite where Richard and his men were.


    The captain''s eyes were filled with concern as he saw Kristoff brought into the doctor''s office. "Sir Kristoff! Are you alright?"


    "My ankle does not hurt as bad as it did earlier. Still, I think it is a good idea for the doctor to look at it. I have no idea how serious the injury is," Kristoff replied.


    "Let''s hope it is nothing severe," Captain William said.


    "Thanks, Captain," the ice harvester replied gratefully.


    "You are welcome, Sir Kristoff," Captain William responded, trying to reassure Kristoff.


    Like what the doctor did with Captain William, he asked Kristoff questions regarding his injury.


    "Which ankle is hurting, Kristoff?" the doctor asked.


    "My right ankle," the ice harvester said.


    "When did the pain in your right ankle begin?" the doctor continued.


    "After I landed awkwardly on the foot of one of Richard''s men while we were fighting them," Kristoff replied.


    "Did the pain in your ankle begin suddenly after your awkward landing?" the doctor asked.


    "Yes, it did," the ice harvester responded.


    "Is the pain dull, sharp, or achy?" the doctor continued.


    "Achy," Kristoff stated.


    "Does the pain come and go or is it there constantly?" the doctor asked.


    "The pain is constant," the ice harvester said.


    "Does pain increase or decrease with movement?" the doctor finished.


    "Moving the ankle makes it hurt more," Kristoff said.


    The doctor nodded. "I will now examine your ankle to see how severe the injury is."


    "Take all the time you need, doc," the ice harvester said.


    The doctor looked sincerely at Kristoff. "I will do my best, Sir Kristoff." Turning his attention to the Snow Queen, he said, "I advise you stop by first thing in the morning, Your Majesty. By then I should have a diagnosis."


    "Will do, doctor. I will see you in the morning," Elsa replied.


    "See you tomorrow," the doctor responded with a grin as the group left the office to let the doctor do his job.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Edmund, Stephen, and Lucas watched over Richard and his men before the guards arrived to apprehend them. Thankfully, none of the men regained consciousness during the time the three guests kept an eye on them.


    Soon the guards arrived and arrested Richard and his men. As they were led to the dungeon, Edmund, Stephen, and Lucas continued to follow the guards to make sure none of the men had any chance to escape.


    Once Richard and his men were securely locked in the dungeons, the guards thanked the three guests for the extra security. Edmund, Stephen, and Lucas said they were just ensuring the safety of everyone in Arendelle.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Anna was smiling at the three guests. She was grateful at how unselfish they were.


    "I would like to thank you guys for helping Kristoff. That was very nice of you," the princess said.


    "Of course. Kristoff is a good man. You and your sister are good people as well. Ever since our arrival, you all have treated us as if we have been part of your family the entire time," Edmund replied gratefully.


    "We always do our best to make sure everyone here feels welcome," Anna stated.


    "You, Elsa, and Kristoff have done a marvelous job at making me feel at home in Arendelle," Lucas responded, grinning.


    "I greatly appreciate everything you guys have done for us as well during our stay here," Stephen thanked, before he had a somber look on his face. "I really hope Kristoff will be okay."


    "I am sure he will be just fine. He is a tough guy," Anna stated. "We will just have to wait until the doctor has a diagnosis."


    "Well, with Captain William''s injury not being nearly as serious as we thought it was, I am hoping Kristoff''s injury is only a minor one as well," Stephen said.


    "Stephen, relax. Kristoff will be alright," the princess replied, trying to reassure the brown-haired man.


    Stephen nodded in response but said nothing. Until the doctor found out about Kristoff''s injury, he was unsure whether he could get his mind off it or not.


    The royals had a late dinner in silence. After what had taken place, there was nothing anyone could think of to talk about. Everyone was distraught at the ice harvester''s injury, hoping Kristoff would be okay.


    Once dinner had concluded, Anna brought some dinner to her boyfriend, which Kristoff greatly appreciated.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Edmund and Stephen were in their guestroom. Both men were sitting on their beds, thinking about what happened that day. They wondered if Kristoff''s injury could have been prevented had they taken a different approach with attacking Richard and his men.


    The English prince got off his bed and headed to the entrance of the suite.


    "Where are you going, Edmund?" Stephen asked.


    "I am going to talk to Elsa, if that is okay with you," Edmund replied.


    "Of course, Edmund. Make sure it does not take too long. It is getting late," Stephen responded.


    "That is true. I will be back in a little bit," the black-haired man responded with a smile as he left the suite and walked to Elsa''s room.


    Once Edmund was in front of Elsa''s room, he politely knocked on the door. "Elsa? I am sorry to bother you at this time, but I would like to talk to you."


    The Snow Queen answered her door. "You are not bothering me, Edmund. What would you like to talk about?"


    Edmund looked at the Ice Queen with a sincere look. "I am very sorry about what happened to you, Anna, and Kristoff today. If only I had known what Richard and his men were up to, then we probably could have prevented yours and your sister''s kidnapping and Kristoff''s injury."


    Elsa saw the sincerity and remorse in the English prince''s blue eyes. "You do not have anything to apologize for, Edmund. None of us knew about Richard''s plans until he had already captured my sister and I. There is no one to blame for what transpired today. What matters is everyone made it out alive. You, Stephen, and Lucas saved mine and Anna''s lives." She stepped forward and embraced the English prince.


    Edmund was surprised at first, but he gently wrapped his muscular arms around Elsa''s slender waist. "We were just worried something had happened to you when you and your sister did not show up at dinner tonight. Thank goodness we were able to rescue you two."


    "You, Stephen, and Lucas have our gratitude for saving our lives," Elsa said with thankfulness in her voice.


    "We just strive to do what is right, and when we knew about the danger you and Anna were in, we did the first thing that came to our minds: rescue you and your sister at all costs," Edmund replied sincerely.


    "Well, we are grateful either way, Edmund. Thank you," the Snow Queen said.


    "Of course, Elsa. I would do anything to ensure you and your family are safe, even if it meant sacrificing my own life to save yours," Edmund stated.


    Elsa realized how thankful she was to have invited Edmund, Stephen, and Lucas over for the holidays. Not only were the three men protective of her, Anna, and Kristoff. They were also humble, selfless, intelligent, and very kind gentlemen. All three of them possessed the biggest hearts of any men Elsa had ever met. Any girl would be lucky to pair up with them. Elsa remembered how Stephen had said he was destined to remain single. Even though he was nearly fifty years old, the Snow Queen felt that if Stephen ever decided to change his mind, he could find someone. He may have been nearly thirty years older than either herself, Edmund, or Lucas, but Elsa felt Stephen could find love with a woman if he chose to do so.


    The Snow Queen was also wondering what it would be like to date Edmund or Lucas. While only one man could be her true love, Elsa was sure both princes would ensure her happiness regardless of which one of them she ended up having a romantic relationship with. As it was, neither prince had asked her to go to the Ball with her yet, but she would not be surprised if either prince asked her to attend the Ball with them.


    Elsa was snapped from her thoughts when Edmund spoke up, "I apologize for stopping by this late."


    The Snow Queen smiled. "No, it is okay, Edmund. You may stop by whenever you like."


    "Well, I would like to make sure you get enough sleep," Edmund replied as he grinned back. "Thank you, Elsa."


    "You are welcome, Edmund."


    The English prince then cleared his throat. "I think I am going to get some sleep. Goodnight Elsa."


    "Goodnight, Edmund," Elsa said with a wave as Edmund left to return to his guestroom.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    "You guys have our gratitude for what you did today," Anna told Lucas with a grateful smile.


    "We were just doing our best to do the right thing, Anna. Considering how you have treated us like we are part of the family, we felt we must do the same and have everyone''s backs no matter what," Lucas elaborated with a grin. His grin faltered when he thought of Kristoff. "While I am relieved you and your sister made it out completely unscathed, I wish I could say the same about Kristoff. Hopefully, his injury is minor so he can dance with you at the Ball. Ever since I have met Kristoff, he has become like a brother to me I never had, just like Edmund."


    "I am confident Kristoff will be just fine. He is stronger than any of us think," the princess replied. "It makes me happy that you, Edmund, and Stephen get along with him."


    The Belgian prince smiled.


    "How did you guys know of us being in trouble? Was it when we didn''t show up to dinner tonight?" Anna wondered.


    Lucas nodded. "We knew something was up when we did not see either you or Elsa in the Great Hall. Given the circumstances, I am glad everyone made it out alive."


    "Me too," Anna said in agreement.


    "Well, I think I am going to get some rest now. It is getting late. Goodnight Anna," Lucas said with a smile and a wave.


    "Goodnight Lucas! Thanks again for saving mine and Elsa''s lives!" Anna replied.


    "Of course," the Belgian prince responded as he then went back to his suite to get some sleep.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    None of the royals slept well, especially Anna. The princess kept tossing and turning thinking about her boyfriend. She had nightmares about Kristoff''s injury and how it could affect him later in life. Anna thought about what would happen had the ice harvester suffered a complete tear in his ankle, or if he had fractured a bone in his foot. The princess was desperately hoping it was not as serious as anyone thought it would be.


    Once everyone awoke the next morning, the group did not bother with breakfast. Instead, they went straight to the doctor''s office to learn about Kristoff''s injury.


    The doctor opened the door to his office and greeted the royals. "Good morning, Your Majesties." He then noticed the tired looks on their faces and frowned. "Is everything alright, Your Majesties? You look like you did not sleep very well."


    "We could not sleep, as all we could think about was Kristoff and his injury," Elsa explained. "How is he?"


    The doctor cleared his throat and elaborated, "Upon performing an examination on Sir Kristoff, I found out he only has a grade one ankle sprain. He will only need one to three weeks to recover from the injury."


    Everyone let out a sigh of relief. The royals were glad the ice harvester had only suffered a mild injury.


    "May I go see him please?" Anna asked.


    The doctor nodded. "Of course, Princess Anna. Follow me." He then led the princess inside his office to see Kristoff.


    Anna saw Kristoff sitting on a bed with his right foot in a bucket of cold water.


    "Hey Kristoff. How are you feeling?" the princess asked.


    "Hey, you," Kristoff greeted with a smile. "I feel much better than I did yesterday."


    "That''s good to hear. You really had us worried," Anna replied with a relieved smile as she walked up and gently hugged her boyfriend. The ice harvester returned the hug.


    Once the couple let go, Kristoff faced the doctor. "Hey doc?"


    "Yes, Sir Kristoff?" the doctor asked.


    "Will I still be able to dance at the Ball?" the ice harvester wondered.


    "As long as you continue to rest the ankle, ice it, compress it, and elevate it, you should be just fine for the Ball as long as you take it easy on the ankle," the doctor explained.


    "Thanks doc," the ice harvester said gratefully.


    "Of course," the doctor replied with a smile.


    After Anna and Kristoff had a few more minutes to themselves, Elsa and the three guests entered the doctor''s office to give the ice harvester their well wishes. The doctor made sure to allow enough time for everyone to wish Kristoff well with his recovery. With the injury being only a minor one, everyone was confident the ice harvester would recover from the injury quickly.


    Once the six royals were done talking to each other, the royals realized they had not had breakfast yet.


    After everyone had bid Kristoff farewell, the group made their way to the Great Hall.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    "I am overcome with relief Kristoff''s injury is a minor one," Edmund said as everyone had breakfast in the Great Hall.


    "Me too. He really gave us a scare there," Lucas replied in agreement.


    "It makes me happy his injury will not prevent him from getting to dance with Anna at the Ball. Considering how much they care about each other, it would have been sad had Kristoff been unable to dance with her," Stephen stated.


    "Ah, you''re so sweet Stephen," Anna said with a grin on her face.


    "Well, I try. I have seen you and Kristoff together, and I can tell he cares about you and will do anything to make you happy," Stephen said with a nod of approval.


    "Yes. I am very lucky to have Kristoff in my life. He may be an ice harvester, but social status does not matter. He is the sweetest, most loyal man I have ever met," the princess stated with a loving sigh.


    "Kristoff is a good man. I am glad to call him my friend. He is like a brother I never had," Edmund said before turning to Lucas and adding, "As you are, Lucas."


    Lucas beamed. "The feeling is mutual, Ed."


    Elsa smiled at the friendly conversations everyone was having. Everyone was rather distraught after Kristoff got injured. However, upon finding out his injury was just a minor ankle sprain, everyone was relieved and felt much better. The Snow Queen also liked how the two princes considered the ice harvester to be like a brother to them. It pleased her that the guests got along so well with her, Anna, and Kristoff.


    Her smile did falter, however, as the Snow Queen realized she had to decide on what to do with Richard and his men.

 Chapter 30

    I would like to thank roxygoth, BurningFox6, krystal lazuli, and LukeJames for beta reading and helping me improve!


    Feedback is always appreciated!


    Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen. Frozen is owned by Disney. I only lay claim to Prince Edmund, Prince Lucas, Master Stephen, and anyone else you do not recognize from Frozen.


    Chapter 30


    A few days had passed since the battle between Edmund and Richard. Kristoff was feeling much better than he did the day he was injured. The ice harvester was able to walk again, but the doctor advised he avoided running until he was nothing less than one hundred percent. What made everyone happy was Kristoff walking without a limp. That was a good sign; his full recovery would happen sooner rather than later. The ice harvester himself was confident he could recover in time for the Ball.


    Elsa had thought about what she was going to do with Richard and his men for their actions. She had spoken with Edmund, Stephen, Lucas, as well as her sister and Kristoff about what punishment would make sense for them. Everyone agreed that despite everything Richard had done, sentencing him to death was too harsh. Thus, the royals agreed to give him a life imprisonment sentence.


    The Snow Queen was with Edmund, Stephen, and Lucas as they walked to the dungeons.


    "We wish to speak with Richard," Elsa stated to a guard at the dungeon entrance.


    "Yes, Your Majesty. Do be careful though. Richard is a dangerous man," the guard cautioned as he let the four royals make their way to Richard''s cell. Another guard unlocked the door to the cell and the four royals entered.


    The blonde-haired man was sitting on the floor, sturdy metal cuffs on his wrists and ankles holding him in place.


    When Richard looked up, he scowled at who he saw. "Oh. It is you guys. What do you want?"


    The four royals did their best to keep their composure. Elsa was the first of them to speak, "We are here to let you know about your punishment for your crimes, Richard."


    "Let me guess. You are going to have me executed for all my atrocious deeds?" Richard spat.


    The Ice Queen shook her head. "As despicable as your actions are, I am not sentencing you to death."


    Richard smirked. "You might regret your decision, for when I get out of here, you are all going to get it."


    "We have you under high security to ensure you do not even attempt to escape your confines," Elsa responded before adding, "Same with your men."


    "I will get out of here some time. You just wait," Richard said with a malicious grin on his face.


    Edmund then spoke up with a venomous look on his face, "Fat chance, scoundrel. The second you step foot out of this cell, the guards will be alerted."


    "We will do whatever it takes to ensure the safety of everyone in Arendelle, and we will protect everyone from you and your horrible henchmen," Lucas added with a scowl.


    "You make any attempt to harm anyone in Arendelle again, we will ensure you pay for your actions," Stephen said with a look of hatred on his face.


    "Elsa and Anna had nothing to do with what took place between you and me, and you get the nerve to kidnap them to lure us into your trap. If I see you near the sisters ever again, we will ensure it is the last thing you ever do," the English prince said, disgusted at Richard''s actions.


    "What will you do after I escape and lay a finger on them again? Kill me?" Richard demanded.


    That did it. Edmund stormed over to Richard and grabbed the collar of his shirt. "You are very lucky we know how to show mercy to even those who commit horrific deeds such as yourself. I could very well just kill you right here, right now, but I am not that kind of person. We are better people than you could ever be." He then let go of his former friend and went back over to where Elsa, Stephen, and Lucas were standing.


    "Richard, you are sentenced to spend the rest of your life in prison for your actions," Elsa decided.


    "The rest of my life? That is absurd!" the blonde-haired man spat.


    "Considering you have murdered someone Edmund loved with all his heart and attempted to do the same with me, my sister, and our guests, I think the punishment suits you well," the Snow Queen said, struggling to keep herself calm.


    Richard scowled. "Fine. Mark my word, though. I will be out of here to get my revenge on you for ruining my plans!"


    Elsa, however, was able to keep her emotions in check. "This conversation is over. Goodbye Richard," she stated as the four royals left the cell, closing the door behind them and locking it.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Anna and Kristoff were in the doctor''s office, with the ice harvester stretching out his right foot to ensure there would be no tightness there.


    "How are you feeling, Kristoff?" the princess asked.


    "I feel great. Much better than I did a few days ago," Kristoff replied with a smile. "At this point, I think it is only a matter of time before I am fully healed. However, I must make sure to follow the doctor''s orders."


    "Yes. You are a tough guy, Kristoff. It takes a lot more than a sprained ankle to keep you down," Anna said with a determined smile.


    The ice harvester chuckled. "I suppose it does."


    The doctor had been watching the whole time while Kristoff stretched his right foot. "How are you feeling, Sir Kristoff? Any pain in your right ankle?"


    Kristoff shook his head. "None at all. Still, I think I will be careful to make sure the pain doesn''t return."


    "Yes. I would like to keep checking on you from time to time until you are nothing less than one hundred percent. The last thing we need is for you to aggravate your injury," the doctor elaborated. "Based on what you have told me, you should be able to run again in no time."


    "That''s good to hear. Thanks doc," Kristoff said with a smile.


    "You''re welcome, Sir Kristoff," the doctor replied, grinning.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    After the sentencing of Richard and his men had concluded, Elsa decided to go to the library to read a book.


    Edmund, Stephen, and Lucas decided to go into town to get some more gifts for everyone.


    Upon reaching the wealthy area of the town, the three guests discussed what to get for the Snow Queen.


    "I was thinking of getting her a diamond necklace," Edmund said.


    "That is a great idea. What about you, Lucas? Is there something you would like to get for Elsa?" Stephen asked.


    "Perhaps a diamond bracelet," Lucas suggested. "Is there something you plan on getting for her?"


    The brown-haired man thought about it for a moment. "Maybe we should go to the jewelry store and see what they have there. After we look around, I think I can come up with something."


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    "Sounds like a plan," the English prince replied as the three royals made their way into the jewelry shop.


    Upon entering, the three guests were greeted by the shopkeeper. "Good day, gentlemen! Welcome to the finest jewelry in Arendelle! How may I help you today?"


    "We are here to look around and see what kind of jewelry you have to offer. Queen Elsa''s birthday is coming up, and we thought jewelry would be a great gift for her," Stephen responded.


    "That is very nice of you! I bet Queen Elsa will be very happy with whatever you get for her," the shopkeeper replied, grinning.


    The three royals smiled back as they browsed through the jewelry store. After searching for a little while, Edmund caught sight of a diamond necklace with a diamond snowflake at the end of it.


    "Elsa will love this," Edmund said with a charming beam as he then brought the necklace to the register to pay for it. After paying for the necklace, the shopkeeper wrapped it up for him in discreet packaging so no one would recognize it. With how much diamonds were worth, the last thing anyone wanted was for something valuable like that to be stolen.


    Lucas had selected a diamond bracelet for the Ice Queen. Soon both princes had paid for their gifts for Elsa and left the shop.


    Edmund and Lucas were surprised Stephen did not buy anything for the Snow Queen. "How come you did not get anything for Elsa? Is there something else you had in mind Steph?" Edmund asked.


    Stephen nodded. "I was thinking two pieces of jewelry would be enough for her. Elsa does not seem to be the kind of woman that would ask for a lot of fancy items. With that in mind, I was thinking of just getting her a bouquet of flowers."


    "That is very nice of you Stephen. However, I am sure Elsa will be happy with whatever you get her, regardless of what it is," Lucas stated with a grin.


    "I just would like to make sure I get her something she will like," Stephen responded with a shrug.


    "Whatever flowers you get for her, she will be grateful. I am sure of it," Edmund said.


    "Then I shall be off to the flower shop," Stephen replied as the three guests made their way to a flower shop after they walked around for a little bit.


    Upon entering, the shopkeeper greeted the three men, "Good day, gentlemen! How are we doing today?"


    "We are doing well. How do you do?" Stephen replied.


    "I am doing great. Thank you for asking! What can I do for you gentlemen today?" the shopkeeper asked.


    "I am here to get some flowers for Queen Elsa, as her birthday is coming up," Stephen responded.


    "How nice of you! Would you like to look and see what flowers you can find for Queen Elsa?" the shopkeeper wondered.


    "Yes please," the brown-haired man said as he and the two young princes went around the flower shop, seeking what they thought would be the perfect flower type for the Snow Queen.


    After looking for a few moments, some white roses caught the eyes of the three guests. Once they saw the roses, the three men went over and got a closer look at them.


    "These would be perfect," Stephen stated.


    "I agree. Elsa will like these," Edmund said with a nod.


    "I think so as well," Lucas added.


    "Then the white roses are what I will get for Elsa," Stephen decided.


    The three guests then walked to the shopkeeper. "Have you found anything yet?"


    Stephen nodded. "I decided to get some white roses for Queen Elsa. However, due to the frigid weather outside, I was thinking of waiting until the day before her birthday to come and get them. That way they do not freeze and get ruined before they even get to the castle. What time do you close that day?"


    The shopkeeper then gave the three guests the shop hours and mentioned the shop does provide some special seals that ensure the flowers get oxygen and air, but also stay warm for a little while. Stephen was grateful for that, as he wanted Elsa to receive the flowers in as beautiful a form as possible.


    "Thank you for your time today. I will see you the day before Queen Elsa''s birthday," Stephen said.


    "You''re welcome! Have a great day, gentlemen!" the shopkeeper said with a smile.


    The three men smiled and waved as they bid the shopkeeper farewell before they left the shop.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Edmund and Lucas were able to get their gifts for Elsa back to their suites without encountering her on the way. Both princes were confident the Ice Queen would love their gifts.


    Once the two princes had safely hidden their gifts in their guestrooms, they were in Edmund and Stephen''s guestroom, with the brown-haired man in the room with the two young princes.


    "What would you like to do now, Edmund and Lucas?" Stephen asked.


    "I would like to do some more training with you, if that is okay," Lucas said.


    Stephen nodded with a grin. "Certainly. What about you, Edmund? Is there something you would like to do?"


    "I was thinking of just taking a walk around the castle for a little while," the English prince replied.


    "Sounds good. Have fun," Stephen replied.


    "We will see you later Edmund," the Belgian prince added.


    The black-haired man smiled. "Appreciate it. I will see you two in a little bit." Edmund then left the suite.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Edmund was walking around the castle hallways, saying hello to anyone he encountered. Everyone he saw was a castle staff member doing their duties.


    Soon he found himself in the southwestern wing of the castle. The English prince was now starting to think he, Stephen, and Lucas should know at least a couple more of the guests that were attending the Ball. Thus, he began to make his way up the stairs.


    Once he reached the top, he found himself at the entrance to the finest suite of the southwestern wing of the palace. Edmund hesitated on knocking for a moment. He was worried that any guests in the room were sleeping or were having some alone time. Deciding to knock anyway, Edmund knocked on the door a few times.


    The door opened to reveal a tall man with an orange suit and matching dress pants. He had golden-brown eyes and dark brown hair. The man appeared to be a little taller than Lucas by an inch or two. Cradled in one of his arms was a little girl of about two years old, gazing upon the English prince curiously.


    "Hello. I apologize if I am disturbing you," Edmund said.


    "Ah, you are not disturbing me at all," the man replied. He then studied the English prince. "Have we met before?"


    "I do not believe we have," Edmund responded before offering his hand. "Prince Edmund of England."


    The man took Edmund''s hand and shook it. "Prince Cade of Scotland."


    Edmund bowed respectfully. "It is a pleasure to be at your acquaintance, Prince Cade."


    Cade chuckled. "That will not be necessary, Prince Edmund. You can just call me Cade."


    Edmund rose. "Then you may call me Edmund, or just Ed if it makes it easier for you."


    "That is something I can do," the Scottish prince said with a grin.


    The English prince then looked at the little girl Cade was holding. "Is that your daughter?"


    Cade nodded. "Yes. Her name is Rachel. She is my daily inspiration."


    Edmund smiled. "It sounds like you and Rachel are close."


    "Yes, we are," Cade confirmed. He then gestured to his daughter to say hello to the English prince.


    The little girl waved at Edmund shyly, which made him beam and wave back.


    "How old is she, if I may ask?" Edmund asked curiously.


    "Rachel is two years old. She just turned two at the end of November," Cade replied.


    "Ah, then happy belated Birthday to her," the English prince said with a wink. This made little Rachel giggle.


    "How about you come in and we can talk some more?" Cade suggested.


    "Sure thing," Edmund replied as he and Cade sat down at a table while the Scottish prince let his daughter run off to play.


    "What is England like?" Cade asked.


    "I really like living in England. The city of London is one of the largest cities in the world and has numerous activities to do, such as museums and libraries to read books. I also like to venture out into the forest outside London and see what I can find," Edmund explained.


    "I am glad to hear you enjoy living there," Cade replied with a smile. "I enjoy living in Edinburgh. While Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland, Glasgow is the largest city in the country."


    "Have you been to Glasgow before?" the English prince asked.


    "I have. Personally, I like Edinburgh better as it rains a lot in Glasgow. While I do like the rain, I also enjoy sunny days from time to time as well," Cade elaborated.


    "Same here," Edmund responded. "If I may ask, how old are you?"


    "This may shock you a little bit. I am nineteen years old," Cade replied.


    "Wow! You are younger than I thought. The moment I saw you, I realized you are a good five inches taller than me," Edmund said.


    Cade shrugged. "I guess I was destined to be tall."


    "Since you are nineteen and your daughter is two years old, I assume you became a father at seventeen, right?" Edmund asked.


    Cade nodded. "Yes. I know it may seem weird that I became a father at such a young age. When Rachel was born, I was worried about not being responsible enough yet to raise any children. Not even a year after Rachel was born, her mother deserted the family, and we subsequently divorced soon after."


    Edmund''s eyes widened. "I am sorry you had to go through that. Rachel''s mother leaving you to raise her on your own. How could she do such a thing?"


    "Some people are like that, unfortunately. This is the world we live in," Cade said with a shrug.


    "Just so you know, I do not find it weird that you became a father at only seventeen years old. Destiny works differently for everyone," Edmund said.


    "It thrills me to hear you accept me for who I am," Cade said with a smile.


    "Of course. You do not judge a book by its cover, you judge them based on their actions," Edmund replied, grinning back.


    "True that," Cade said in agreement.


    "What is your full name?" the black-haired prince asked.


    "Cade Phillip Mitchell. What about you?" Cade wondered.


    "Edmund Thomas Curry," Edmund responded.


    The Scottish prince nodded with a grin. "What do you like to do for fun?"


    "I have been training in every single weapon and fighting style since the day I was born. Outside of training, I love to play piano, go on adventures, and read books," Edmund responded.


    "I like to read as well. Other things I like to do are running, archery, and spending time with my daughter. I have been training as well, as an assassin. However, I only use my assassin and archery abilities for good reasons," Cade said.


    "Me too," the English prince replied. "I really like the idea of becoming a father someday after I find the right person. No offense, but I hope to get married first."


    Cade chuckled. "None taken. Parenting is challenging, but I guarantee the challenge is worth it in the end."


    "I will do my best as a father and husband. That is when I become one," Edmund stated before he thought of something. "Not to get too personal here, but have you thought about getting married again in the future?"


    Cade nodded. "Yes, I have. Like you said though, I will not rush it and find the right woman I think will not only be the right person for me, but for Rachel as well."


    "Love is never something that should be rushed," Edmund said.


    "Yes sir," Cade answered in agreement. "What else should we talk about?"


    "We can talk about whatever you like," Edmund replied. The English prince was thinking he just made another friend. Prince Cade seemed like a good man, just like Lucas and Stephen.

 Chapter 31

    I would like to thank roxygoth, BurningFox6, krystal lazuli, and LukeJames for beta reading and helping me improve!


    Feedback is always appreciated!


    Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen. Frozen is owned by Disney. I only lay claim to Prince Edmund, Prince Lucas, Master Stephen, Prince Cade, and anyone else you do not recognize from Frozen.


    Chapter 31


    After Edmund and Cade talked for a while, the English prince decided to introduce the Scottish prince to Lucas and Stephen. The two princes left Cade''s suite, with the dark brown-haired prince bringing Rachel along.


    As they walked, the toddler in Cade''s arms was smiling and watching everything they passed by. At one point, Rachel looked at Edmund and said, "His name is Edmund."


    Cade smiled at his daughter remembering Edmund''s name. "That is right, my daughter."


    "She is quite smart for a two-year-old," Edmund praised.


    "Rachel is indeed quite clever. She always remembers the names of all our close friends and family members," the Scottish prince replied.


    The black-haired prince smiled. "What else does she like to do?"


    Cade shrugged. "She just does what a typical toddler likes to do. Run around to expend her energy, play with her toys, and count how many objects she can find in a particular room."


    "Sounds just like me when I was her age. When I was a toddler, my father and mentor would always play counting games with me to see how many windows or something were in the London palace," Edmund explained.


    "Ah yes. The London palace. It is the largest castle I have ever stayed in. Your father King Matthew has always invited every kingdom to a festival around the time of his birthday. My family and I really enjoy being at the festivals as they are a lot of fun. I am surprised we never met during one of the festivals," Cade said.


    "I am surprised as well. Since a lot of royals come to the annual festival, I guess I only have so long to try to meet all of them as the festival only lasts for a week," Edmund responded.


    This made Cade think of something. "I am curious to know if you met Prince Lucas at any of the festivals."


    "Yes. When Lucas and I were young boys. I was eight and he was seven. He and I had one heck of a time during the festival. Back then, my father celebrated his thirtieth birthday, which to him was a huge milestone. Lucas and I did whatever we could think of together. We swam in the pond located in the castle gardens, climbed the apple trees in the orchard, and much more. Unfortunately, because you had to be at least eight years old to participate in the contests for young boys, he could not join myself or our former friend Richard in the contests. Nevertheless, he still did have a great time and cheered us on during the contests," Edmund elaborated.


    "It thrills me to hear you and Lucas get along so well. Seems Lucas is your best friend," Cade said with a smile. It then faltered after a moment when he remembered Edmund mentioning Richard. "What do you mean "former" friend Richard? Did something happen between you two that resulted in your friendship with him becoming strained?"


    "It is a long story, and I am not sure your daughter would like to hear about it," Edmund said.


    Cade nodded in understanding. "Based on how you said it, I am sure Rachel would not like to listen as she does not like scary stories."


    "That does make sense as she is only a toddler, after all," Edmund replied.


    "After you introduce me to Lucas and Stephen, it will be time for her to take a nap anyway. Perhaps you could tell me the story between you and Richard while Rachel takes her nap?" the Scottish prince suggested.


    "Only if you would like me to do so. I should warn you it is a rather dark story," the English prince cautioned.


    "I would like to hear about what transpired between you and Richard," Cade insisted.


    "Okay. If you insist," Edmund replied.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Edmund, Cade, and Rachel entered Edmund and Stephen''s guestroom. As they approached the suite, they could hear sparring. Entering, they saw Lucas and Stephen sparring with each other, throwing punches each other''s way, and blocking them. Upon walking inside the suite, they watched Lucas and Stephen spar with each other.


    Lucas and Stephen soon noticed them and ceased their sparring.


    "Ah, Edmund. I hope you enjoyed your walk around the castle," Stephen said before he turned his attention to the young man he had never seen before. "I see you have made a new friend. What is your name, my good sir?"


    Taking care not to hurt his daughter, Cade bowed respectfully. "I am Prince Cade of Scotland."


    "Pleasure to be at your acquaintance, Prince Cade. I am Sir Stephen, Edmund''s personal mentor, and this is Prince Lucas of Ostenda," Stephen said before he and Lucas bowed. "You may call me Stephen, or just Steph."


    "Please, call me Cade. It is very nice to meet you, gentlemen," Cade greeted with a grin.


    "Is that your daughter?" Lucas asked curiously, getting a closer look at the toddler girl in Cade''s arms.


    "Yes. Her name is Rachel," the Scottish prince replied.


    The Belgian prince smiled. "Hello there."


    Rachel giggled and smiled before she said, "Lucas."


    She then faced Stephen and Edmund, saying their names.


    "That is right, Rachel," Cade said with a beam, happy his young daughter remembered each man''s name.


    "What do you think of Arendelle, Cade?" Edmund asked.


    "I really appreciate Queen Elsa inviting me and Rachel over for the holidays. Arendelle may be significantly smaller than Edinburgh, but I like it thus far," Cade responded.


    "Have you gotten a chance to see the town yet?" Lucas wondered.


    Cade shook his head. "I have not really left the castle since arriving here as I would like to make sure I take care of Rachel."


    "Perhaps you would like to join us to see the town sometime?" the Belgian prince suggested.


    "Of course. I am sure there is someone here in the castle who can look after Rachel. The last thing I would like to happen is her being unsupervised and hurting herself," the Scottish prince replied.


    "It sounds like you are a really good father," Lucas praised.


    Cade shrugged. "I am just trying to help raise her to be the best person she can be when she grows up."


    Edmund, Stephen, and Lucas grinned. It sounded like Cade knew what he was doing with parenthood.


    "How do you like living in Scotland, Cade?" Stephen asked curiously.


    "I like it. Edinburgh has a lot to do, and I enjoy the cuisine in Scotland as well," Cade said.


    "What kind of food do they serve there?" Stephen wondered.


    "I will eat anything that is given to me, but to name some traditional Scottish meals, one of my favorites is Scottish pie. Scottish pie is not very large in size, but it is a delicious meal. They are pies that are double-crusted meat pies and originated in Scotland. Scottish pies are filled with minced mutton or other types of meat and can be served hot or cold. I personally like them served hot. Another dish I enjoy having for breakfast is Scottish porridge. It has been around since the earliest days of Scotland. Using salt instead of sugar makes it a savory breakfast rather than a sweet one. I do enjoy my fair share of sweets, but I would prefer not consuming sweets to the point where it affects my health. Staying healthy means a lot to me, as I would like to live a long, productive life," Cade elaborated.


    "The feeling is mutual. We care about living as long as possible as well," Stephen said as Edmund and Lucas nodded in agreement.


    Cade grinned. "Seems like we have some things in common."


    "I guess so," Edmund said with a beam.


    "What do you like to do for fun?" Lucas wondered.


    "I enjoy reading, running, archery, and spending time with Rachel. Another thing I do is train as an assassin," Cade explained.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    "Do you have any weapons of choice?" the Belgian prince asked.


    "I am into dual weapons and bows. While I can assure you that I can defend myself just fine, I am more of an offensive fighter than defensive," the Scottish prince responded.


    Lucas nodded in understanding. "Everyone has their own unique ways of how they like to fight." The Belgian prince then thought of something. "Since you train as an assassin, have you had to resort to killing anyone?"


    Cade shook his head. "Fortunately, no. I would only kill someone if they were a big enough threat to the people I care about most. Hopefully, I will never have to do such a thing."


    "We feel the same way. Edmund, Stephen, and I would never kill anyone, no matter how evil they are," Lucas said.


    "You gentlemen are so honorable. While I may be an assassin, I only use my skills for good reasons. I was not trained to harm the innocent," Cade replied.


    "You appear to have the honorable trait as well considering you choose not to harm innocent people," Lucas stated.


    Just then, Rachel yawned and closed her eyes.


    "Looks like it is time for Rachel to take her nap. I will be right back," Cade said as he excused himself from Edmund and Stephen''s guestroom to take Rachel back to his guestroom.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    After the Scottish prince had put his daughter to bed, he returned to Edmund and Stephen''s guestroom.


    "What do you think of Queen Elsa, Princess Anna, and Sir Kristoff?" Edmund asked.


    "I really liked the way they greeted me and my daughter when we arrived. Arendelle is one of the smaller kingdoms I have been to, but it is also one of the most beautiful," Cade responded.


    "I am sure Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff will be thrilled to hear that," the English prince said with a grin.


    This made Cade smile as well. As charming as the smiles of Edmund, Stephen, and Lucas were, Cade had a good-looking beam himself.


    "Perhaps you would like to see the town?" Stephen suggested.


    "I would like that," Cade replied with a nod. "Before we leave the castle, I would like to get one of the castle staff members to watch Rachel."


    "Of course. Please take your time," Stephen replied as the Scottish prince left the suite to find someone to look after his daughter while he was away.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    The four men explored the town. Edmund, Stephen, and Lucas showed Cade around the entire area, from the caf¨¦ Stephen had discovered to Theodor''s Weaponry. Cade really liked what he saw from the town. It had to have been the most tastefully decorated kingdom he had ever seen during Christmas time.


    "What do you think of the town?" Edmund asked.


    "Definitely one of the nicest towns I have ever seen. It is not only beautiful, but the Christmas decorations only make it more appealing to look at," Cade praised.


    "We thought so as well," the English prince replied with a beam.


    "Have you heard Elsa''s birthday is in December?" Lucas asked.


    "I have not. Now that you mention it, I would like to get something for Elsa. That is, if her birthday has not passed already," Cade responded.


    "Her birthday is in a few days. It is on the Winter Solstice, to be precise," the Belgian prince explained.


    Cade sighed with relief. He felt it would be a nice gesture to get something for the Snow Queen. "What would you gentlemen suggest I get for her?"


    Edmund was the first to speak. "Elsa does not seem to be a demanding person. She seems like she is very easygoing and does not ask for much. Thus, I think whatever you get her, Elsa will be happy."


    "What did you guys get for her?" Cade wondered.


    "I got her a diamond necklace," Edmund said.


    "A diamond bracelet is what I selected for Elsa," Lucas stated.


    "As for me, I really could not think of anything Edmund and Lucas had not already gotten for her, so I got her a bouquet of flowers," Stephen replied.


    The Scottish prince contemplated for some time. He wanted to get a present for Elsa, but something Edmund, Stephen, and Lucas had not gotten her already. Cade remembered during his respective birthdays his family liked to give him a variety of gifts rather than the same thing more than once. He always enjoyed new things.


    Once he came up with an idea, Cade asked the three men before him, "Would perfume make a good gift for Elsa?"


    The three men nodded. "I am sure Elsa wears perfume every day. Maybe a winter scented perfume," Edmund responded.


    "Then that is what I will get her then," Cade finalized.


    "Good idea. I am sure Elsa would like a winter scented perfume," Edmund replied with a grin.


    The Scottish prince nodded with a smile.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    After Cade had purchased a winter scented perfume for Elsa, the four men went back to the castle. The Scottish prince found a place to put his present for the Ice Queen in his suite to ensure it was hidden, but where he could find it.


    By then it was dinnertime, and Rachel had woken up from her nap. Cade carried her in his arms as he, Edmund, Stephen, and Lucas made their way through the palace hallways.


    The four men entered the Great Hall to see Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff already seated. Upon seeing Edmund, Stephen, and Lucas, the Arendelle royal family of Arendelle greeted them before noticing Cade and Rachel with them. A lot of the guests attending the Ball liked to head out into the town to eat dinner. However, Edmund, Stephen, and Lucas decided to stay in the castle as they felt they knew Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff well enough at that point.


    "Well, it seems we have another guest in here with us," Anna said with a smile, as she had greeted him upon his arrival. Now she was trying to figure out who he was. "Are you Prince Cade of Scotland?"


    Cade nodded. "Good evening, Anna. How are you, Elsa, and Kristoff doing tonight?"


    "We are doing well. Thank you for asking," the princess replied. "How is your daughter?"


    The Scottish prince smiled. "She is doing fine. Rachel just woke up from her nap."


    "Rachel is so adorable," Anna said with a fond smile.


    "That she is," Cade responded with a chuckle.


    Everyone then sat down, with Cade sitting next to Stephen and Rachel adjacent to her father in a seat designed for babies and toddlers.


    "What do you think of Arendelle, Cade?" Elsa wondered.


    "Arendelle is one of the most beautiful kingdoms I have ever seen. I greatly appreciate the invitation you sent to me and my daughter," Cade said with a smile. "Edmund, Stephen, and Lucas showed me the town earlier today, and we had a great time."


    "I am glad to hear that," the Snow Queen replied.


    Elsa noticed Cade was taller than the other three guests. However, he did not appear to be nearly as muscular as Edmund, Stephen, or Lucas.


    Then the Snow Queen turned her attention to the toddler sitting next to Cade and smiled. "Why hello there."


    Cade smiled down at his young daughter. "Say hello to Elsa, Rachel."


    Rachel smiled shyly and tentatively waved to the Snow Queen. "Hi."


    This made Elsa giggle. She could not remember the last time she was around an infant or a toddler outside of her own kingdom. "Rachel is her name?"


    "Yes. She is the sunshine of my life. Rachel means everything to me," Cade said with a nod. "The name means one with purity."


    "What a great father you must be," Elsa praised.


    "I am just doing what is best to help raise my daughter to become the best person she can be," Cade said modestly with a shrug.


    The Ice Queen was liking her conversation with Cade. He seemed to have some similarities to Edmund, Stephen, and Lucas. Not only was he humble, but never liked to brag about himself.


    "What is Scotland like?" the Ice Queen asked.


    "It is a beautiful country. There are certain parts of the country, such as Glasgow, where it rains a lot. Glasgow is the largest city in the country. It is the only city in Scotland larger than the capital, Edinburgh," Cade said.


    "Who are your parents?" Elsa wondered.


    "My parents are King Kenneth and Queen Catherine. They love each other very much. I am blessed to call them my parents," Cade responded with a smile.


    "I am happy to hear that," Elsa said with a grin. "How did you meet Edmund, Stephen, and Lucas?"


    "Edmund knocked on my door and decided to introduce himself. Then after we talked for a while, he decided to introduce me to Lucas and Stephen. They are some of the greatest guys I have ever met," Cade said with a smile.


    This made Edmund, Stephen, and Lucas beam gratefully. "I am glad you think that way of us, Cade. We are always trying to treat others the way we would like to be treated; with respect," Edmund stated.


    "You guys certainly do a wonderful job of that," Cade said.


    "We try," the English prince replied with a shrug.


    The Scottish prince was enjoying his conversations with Elsa and the other three guests in the room with him. He realized he still did not talk to Anna that much and had yet to speak with Kristoff.


    It would not be long before dinner was served.


    After dinner, everyone talked some more.


    Cade decided to talk to Anna and Kristoff to get to know them better.


    "Anna? It seems you and Kristoff are a couple. Is that true?" Cade wondered.


    The princess nodded. "Yes. Kristoff and I have been together for five months now."


    The Scottish prince looked between them before he smiled. "It seems that you two are very happy together. Loyalty is one of the most important things in a relationship."


    "I agree. Kristoff is the most loyal man I have ever met," Anna said with a happy sigh.


    "How did you two meet?" Cade asked.


    "It''s a long story," Anna replied before she told the Scottish prince about the eternal winter Elsa accidentally caused, which earned a surprised reaction from Cade. The princess then elaborated over how she met the ice harvester while trying to put an end to the eternal winter, and her failed engagement to Hans. After the princess told the Scottish prince about Hans, he clenched his fists, trying to control the anger boiling inside of him. Thankfully, he was able to keep his emotions in check. What made Cade happy was the Snow Queen was able to put an end to the eternal winter and Anna and Kristoff subsequently became a couple.


    Once Anna finished her story, Cade asked the Ice Queen, "Elsa? Is it true you have the power over ice and snow?"


    Elsa nodded and summoned some snowflakes in her hand to prove it.


    The Scottish prince gazed in amazement. "Wow."


    Rachel giggled.


    Cade smiled down at his young daughter. "You like that, Rachel?"


    The toddler girl nodded.


    "How long have you had your powers? Your entire life?" Cade asked.


    Elsa nodded. "I was born with them."


    "They are amazing, to say the least. I bet you could do a lot of good things with your powers," Cade said with a smile.


    Elsa smiled. "Thank you. I try my best to keep them under control."


    "You seem to do a great job of that," the Scottish prince said with a nod of approval.


    The Ice Queen liked that Cade was a good man like Edmund, Stephen, and Lucas. He seemed mature and wise beyond his years.


    "If I may ask, how old are you, Cade?" Elsa asked.


    "Nineteen," Cade responded. "I became a father two years ago, when I was seventeen. Seventeen may seem a little young to become a father, but that is how everything turned out for me."


    "It''s okay. We won''t judge," Anna said with a wink.


    Cade could not help but smile at that.


    "Who is your wife?" Elsa asked.


    Cade cringed at that. However, he was thinking the royal family of Arendelle should know his life story. It may not have been the most pleasant story for anyone, but everyone''s story was destined to be different.


    "Gladys was her name. She was born to a middle-class family of shoemakers. We met when I was twelve years old, and we married when I was sixteen. After we married, I thought our marriage was going to be a success. Unfortunately, the marriage was a disaster. As it turned out, she married me because she cared more about my social status and wealth than who I truly was as a person. Not long after our wedding, Gladys and I found out we were going to become parents. At that time, I felt I was not ready for fatherhood. However, once Rachel was born, I was more than happy to put in the time and effort in raising any children we had. Sadly, Gladys was not willing to play her part in helping with raising Rachel. Before Rachel''s first birthday, Gladys abandoned us. We subsequently divorced soon after, and I have not seen her since," Cade elaborated with some anguish in his voice.


    "I am sorry about asking that," Elsa said, feeling bad for the Scottish prince.


    "No, it is okay. It is not your fault, Elsa," Cade responded. "The only one to blame is Gladys for leaving me to raise her on my own. Regardless, I try to be the best father I can be, for Rachel''s sake."


    "I am glad to hear you try to do what is best for Rachel. Based on what I have heard, parenting can be quite challenging," Elsa said.


    "I agree. Nonetheless, I can guarantee you the challenge is worth it. Raising children will bring out a new side of you that you never thought was there before. When Rachel was born, I felt like I did not have enough responsibility to raise any children, as even now I am still not fully-grown yet. Upon becoming a father, I realized I had to mature significantly to raise Rachel the correct way," Cade explained.


    "You seem very mature for a nineteen-year-old, Cade," Elsa praised.


    "Well, I try," Cade said with a shrug.


    Dessert arrived soon after, and the royals enjoyed their delicious, sweet treats and continued having pleasant conversations.

 Chapter 32

    I would like to thank roxygoth, BurningFox6, krystal lazuli, and LukeJames for beta reading and helping me improve!


    Feedback is always appreciated!


    Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen. Frozen is owned by Disney. I only lay claim to Prince Edmund, Prince Lucas, Master Stephen, Prince Cade, and anyone else you do not recognize from Frozen.


    Chapter 32


    Elsa''s birthday soon arrived. It was the first official birthday party for Queen Elsa in thirteen years. Having not had any true birthday parties for over a decade, it was expected the Ice Queen would go all out and make sure it was a party no one would ever forget. Even though Elsa tried planning something small for her birthday, everyone insisted on something big for the kingdom. Therefore, the Snow Queen decided to go along with the extravagant planning.


    Everyone started putting all the plans for Elsa''s birthday together two weeks after Halloween. They wanted to start far enough in advance in case any changes needed to be made before the actual party took place.


    Elsa was still somewhat uncomfortable around a large crowd of people, despite feeling much more comfortable around others than she once was.


    On the morning of her birthday, Anna burst into her room with a tray and exclaimed, "Happy Birthday, Elsa!"


    The Snow Queen was about to scold her sister for coming into her room without knocking but decided against it. Her birthday was only once a year after all. Therefore, she rose from her bed and smiled at the princess. "Thank you, Anna."


    Anna set the tray on Elsa''s lap with a flourish. On the tray were chocolate chip pancakes, eggs, bacon, and toast.


    "You''re welcome! Are you looking forward to what Edmund, Stephen, Lucas, and Cade got for you? Wait until you see what Kristoff and I got for you as well. I bet you will love the gifts you receive!" the princess rambled, excited for the Ice Queen.


    Elsa giggled at Anna''s rambling. "While I am looking forward to seeing what you, Kristoff, and the guests got for me this year, that will not be until after dinner. Until then, I would like to enjoy today with my friends and family."


    "Okay! I think I will let you get dressed now. See you at breakfast!" the princess exclaimed as she left the room.


    The Ice Queen was now beginning to wonder what her sister, Kristoff, and the guests got for her this year. Elsa would not be surprised if the guests got her some lavish and luxurious items for presents. She was looking forward to having a wonderful day with everyone to celebrate her twenty-second birthday.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    After the royals had breakfast, Elsa and Anna got ready to go outside and spend the day together. Edmund, Stephen, Lucas, Cade, and Kristoff had agreed to let the two sisters spend the day together as they had not been able to for either of their birthdays since Anna turned five years old.


    "What would you like to do first?" Elsa asked her little sister.


    "You decide Elsa! It''s your birthday, after all," Anna replied.


    "Okay then. How about we ride our horses for a little bit?" the Snow Queen suggested.


    "Sounds good!" the princess exclaimed as the two sisters left the castle and made their way towards the castle stables.


    Elsa and Anna were soon riding their horses through the snowy forest outside the town. The two sisters decided not to wander too far off into the forest due to any potential hidden dangers. Thankfully, they did not encounter any wolves or thugs during their horseback ride.


    Upon returning to the castle stables with their horses, the sisters returned to the town. The townspeople cheered for the Snow Queen, wishing her a Happy Birthday, and greeting Anna as well.


    The sisters then had a snowball fight with each other, built snow structures, and explored the town, visiting the numerous shops and stores they could find.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    The sisters returned to the palace just before dinnertime. Both of them were exhausted but smiling after the amount of fun they had together. Upon entering the castle, they had their baths and changed into some formal clothes.


    "Did you have fun today, Elsa?" Anna asked.


    Elsa then tightly hugged her sister. "I had a wonderful time today. Thank you so much, Anna!"


    "Of course! Anything for my big sister!" the princess exclaimed, thrilled to hear the Ice Queen had a great time.


    The Snow Queen was about to make her way towards the Great Hall, but Anna redirected her towards the ballroom.


    "Why are we going to the ballroom, Anna? Are we going to have dinner?" Elsa wondered.


    "You''ll see," the princess smiled, unwilling to tell Elsa more as the sisters made their way to the ballroom.


    Once Elsa and Anna reached the entrance to the ballroom, the Snow Queen was now beginning to wonder what was going on. "Anna? Is everything alright?"


    Anna laughed. "Of course everything is alright! Just open the door!"


    Elsa did as she was told, and as soon as the door was opened, there was a thunderous exclamation of "Surprise!" as the Snow Queen gasped at what she saw.


    Edmund, Stephen, Lucas, Cade, Rachel, and Kristoff were in the ballroom, along with the other guests and the castle staff members, including Gerda and Kai. Everyone was dressed in formal clothes meant for balls. Upon greeting the Ice Queen, everyone cheered and clapped.


    There was a huge feast with Arendelle''s favorite dishes, a chocolate fountain with free-flowing chocolate, numerous desserts, drinks, and a large, elegantly decorated chocolate cake. The castle cooks and the kingdom baker had teamed up to bake only the finest cake possible for Elsa''s birthday. After all those years where she was unable to celebrate with her sister or her kingdom, the cooks and the baker wanted to make sure the cake was as flawless as possible. In addition to the food and drink, there were numerous presents for the Ice Queen.


    Elsa was speechless. The princes, Stephen, and Kristoff must have helped with the planning. That explained why they all insisted on her and Anna spending the whole day together.


    The Snow Queen cupped her hands over her mouth. She could not remember anyone doing something like this for her. Elsa was grateful everyone had made sure her birthday was a memorable one.


    Her hands left her mouth, and her lips turned into a grateful smile. "Thank you, everyone. I greatly appreciate it."


    Everyone bowed and curtsied respectfully as if to say, "you''re welcome."


    "Well then, let the Birthday Ball begin," Elsa announced as everyone applauded and the party began.


    Anna was the first to speak with Elsa after the birthday party started. "What do you think, Elsa?"


    "This is amazing," Elsa said, thankful for the party and the people she had in her life. "Did you help plan all of this?"


    "You bet I did!" Anna replied with a laugh.


    Elsa smiled. "Well, I hope you enjoy yourself Anna."


    "You too, Elsa! Happy Birthday!" the princess exclaimed as she made her way to dance with Kristoff.


    The Snow Queen observed the scene before her. There were numerous couples dancing on the dance floor, while others were having dinner from the assorted foods on the tables. Elsa smiled when she saw Edmund, Stephen, Lucas, and Cade choosing the healthiest options and the four men having many more fruits and vegetables than the other royals.


    The Ice Queen decided she should get something to eat as well if she wanted to have enough energy to dance. She came up beside Edmund as he was chowing down some carrots.


    "Good evening, Elsa. Happy Birthday," the English prince said with a charming grin. "You look beautiful."


    Elsa grinned. "Thank you, Edmund. You do not look too bad, yourself."


    "Well thank you," Edmund said, smiling. "After we are finished eating, would you like to dance?"


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    "Yes. I would love to," the Snow Queen responded.


    The black-haired man smiled as he continued eating, along with the other three men, Elsa, and other guests.


    Once everyone had felt like they had eaten enough, Edmund led Elsa out to the dance floor. They waltzed, beaming at each other while they danced to the gentle theme of the music playing in the background. As they danced, Elsa would look over at Anna dancing with Kristoff. At one point, the princess winked at her big sister, which made the Snow Queen giggle silently.


    Soon the dance ended, and they were back at the food tables.


    "You did great out there, Elsa. I must say you are an amazing dance partner," Edmund praised.


    Elsa smiled shyly. "Thank you, Edmund. It seems your dancing lessons have paid off."


    "I was just trying to make sure my instructions were clear and easy to follow," Edmund replied.


    "You certainly did a great job of that, Ed," Elsa said with a grateful smile.


    "Hey, Elsa?" Edmund said.


    "Yes, Edmund?" Elsa responded, wondering what was on the English prince''s mind.


    "Stephen, Lucas, Cade, and I were thinking of taking turns dancing with you if that is okay with you. I mean, you do not have to if you do not want to. The last thing I would like to do is pressure you into something you would prefer not doing," Edmund said nervously.


    Elsa giggled. "It is okay, Edmund. I understand what you mean."


    "Okay. I am glad you understand," Edmund said with a grateful smile as he stepped aside to allow Lucas to have his turn.


    "Happy Birthday, Elsa. You look lovely this fine evening," Lucas stated.


    "Thank you, Luc," Elsa said, beaming.


    "Of course," the Belgian prince replied as he led the Ice Queen out to the dance floor. "Shall we?"


    "We shall," the Snow Queen responded as the two royals got ready to dance.


    Just like Edmund, Lucas had fun dancing with Elsa. The Snow Queen herself had a wonderful time dancing with both Edmund and Lucas. She even had a magnificent time dancing with Stephen and Cade as well. While Elsa danced with Cade, Anna and Kristoff were watching, with Rachel in Anna''s arms. The princess really adored Cade''s young daughter. She could not remember the last time she ever held a baby or a toddler in her arms.


    Soon Rachel began to yawn, indicating it was time for her to go to bed. After he finished his dance with the Snow Queen, Cade then excused himself and took his daughter back to their guestroom, making sure to find someone to watch her until he went to bed himself.


    Once the Scottish prince had returned to the ballroom, Anna and Kristoff were dancing with each other.


    "How does your ankle feel, Kristoff?" the princess asked.


    The ice harvester grinned. "I feel great. The pain is completely gone."


    "Glad to hear that. You know it would not have been any fun if I could not get to dance with my boyfriend," Anna replied with a smile.


    "Well, I am glad my ankle healed in time for tonight. I was worried it would take longer for it to heal," the ice harvester said.


    "What matters is you are back to full strength, Kristoff. We are glad it was nothing much more serious," Anna responded.


    "I appreciate that, Anna. Thank you," Kristoff stated gratefully.


    "You''re welcome, Kristoff," the princess answered with a giggle as she continued to dance with her boyfriend.


    Elsa smiled at her sister dancing with her true love. She thought Kristoff was the perfect man for her little sister. The Snow Queen admired how much the ice harvester cared about Anna and how big a heart he truly had.


    Edmund, Stephen, Lucas, and Cade were standing beside Elsa, beaming at the couple, as well as the rest of the guests dancing.


    "Anna is a very sweet girl," Cade told Elsa. "I can tell Kristoff cares very deeply about her well-being and happiness."


    The Ice Queen smiled at that. "There is no other man I would like to marry my sister someday."


    The Scottish prince then turned to face Elsa. "I hope you find the right man for yourself as well, Elsa. You deserve to be happy as well."


    Elsa was touched by Cade''s words. "Thank you, Cade. Hopefully you will find your true love one day."


    "I hope so. After what happened with Gladys, I would like to be careful with finding the right person. Not only for my sake, but for Rachel''s as well. Someday, I hope I will not only get to call myself a husband again, but to also call Rachel a big sister," Cade elaborated.


    "Speaking of siblings, do you have any siblings?" Elsa asked.


    "Yes. I have an older brother named Colin, and a sister named Kate. This makes me the youngest child in my family," the Scottish prince said.


    "How do you feel about that?" the Ice Queen wondered.


    Cade shrugged. "I am perfectly fine with it, to be honest. While I know I will not rule Scotland, I know Colin will be a great king one day. Hopefully I can become a king myself in the future, but I will not rush it. Everything happens when it does."


    Elsa was happy Cade felt the way he did about being the youngest sibling in his family. There were some that felt bitter about being unable to rule their own kingdom. The Snow Queen was thrilled Cade was not one of those people.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Lucas was enjoying himself when someone caught his attention. It was a blonde-haired, green-eyed woman in a violet dress. The Belgian prince had never seen her before, but she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.


    Deciding to introduce himself, Lucas walked up to the woman. As he approached, he saw the woman turn to face him and grin.


    "Good evening. How are you doing this fine evening?" Lucas greeted with a bow.


    "Wonderful. This is a great party if I must say," the woman replied with a smile. "How are you?"


    "I am just enjoying myself," Lucas said before he said his name, "Prince Lucas of Ostenda."


    The woman curtsied. "Princess Olivia of Halmstad, Sweden."


    Lucas thought of something. "I know we have just met, but I was wondering if you would like to dance with me?"


    Olivia nodded with a beam. "Of course."


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Elsa and Edmund were dancing once more, when the English prince saw Lucas dancing with a woman he was not familiar with. The eyes of the two princes met and the Belgian prince waved at Edmund. Edmund smiled and waved back.


    "What is it, Edmund?" Elsa asked when she saw the English prince waving.


    "It looks like Lucas found someone to dance with," Edmund said with a charming grin.


    The Ice Queen looked and saw the Belgian prince dancing with another woman. She smiled. Elsa then noticed Cade was not dancing. Her smile faltered. "I kind of feel bad Cade does not have a dance partner."


    "You could dance with him once we are finished," Edmund suggested.


    "That is a great idea. After all, you, Stephen, Lucas, and Cade are amazing dancers," Elsa praised.


    "Well, we try," Edmund responded. "You are not too bad yourself. It seems the lessons Lucas and I taught you have paid off."


    "I agree. Without you guys, I have no idea what I would be doing. Had it not been for you and Lucas, I would probably just be making a fool of myself," Elsa stated.


    Edmund''s eyebrows rose with curiosity. "You mean to tell me you never danced in your life before Lucas and I taught you?"


    Elsa shook her head. "Not once."


    This made the English prince sigh. "I guess all those years being locked away did not really give you a chance to learn how to dance?"


    "I am afraid not," Elsa confirmed.


    "At least those days of being separated from your sister are over, right?" Edmund asked.


    "Yes, they are," the Snow Queen said with a smile.


    Edmund gave a charming grin as the song ended. "Would you like to dance with Cade?"


    "Yes please," Elsa said as Edmund let the Scottish prince have his turn dancing with the Ice Queen.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Soon everyone sang Happy Birthday to Elsa. After she blew out the candles on her cake, everyone was enjoying their delicious cake. The Snow Queen appreciated that the castle cooks and the kingdom baker teamed up to bake the best cake they could. It was clear they had done a phenomenal job.


    After she had her slice of cake, Elsa was on the balcony outside the ballroom. She gazed upon the sky. It was a cloudy night, but other than light snow falling, the weather was rather calm.


    Soon Edmund joined her. "Are you enjoying the view?"


    "I am. While I cannot see the moon tonight, at least it is not stormy tonight," Elsa replied.


    The English prince nodded in agreement. "Hey Elsa? May I ask you something?"


    "Of course. Go ahead, Edmund," Elsa responded as she turned to face the handsome English prince.


    "Has anyone asked you to go to the Ball on Christmas Eve yet?" Edmund wondered.


    The question caught Elsa off-guard. She shook her head. "No one has asked me yet. Why do you ask?"


    Edmund was now getting nervous. Regardless, he was able to keep his composure. "I was wondering if you would like to go to the Ball with me?"


    Elsa blushed. Getting to go with Edmund to the Christmas Ball? That would be wonderful!


    The Snow Queen nodded with a smile. "Yes. I would love to go to the Ball with you, Edmund."


    Edmund beamed. "Splendid. I would like to make sure you have a great time that night, just like tonight."


    Elsa giggled. "With you as a dance partner, I know I will have a wonderful time. You are a good man, Edmund. I cannot think of anyone with more humility than you."


    "Well thank you, Elsa," the English prince said gratefully.


    "You are welcome, Edmund," the Snow Queen replied, happy to have someone like Edmund to dance with her.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    After everyone had finished having their cake, Elsa opened everyone''s presents. While she appreciated what everyone got for her, she realized she had yet to see what Edmund, Stephen, Lucas, and Cade had gotten for her.


    Of the four men, Elsa decided to open Cade''s gift first.


    She gasped when she saw an elegant container of winter-scented perfume. "Thank you, Cade."


    "Of course. I figured since winter is your favorite season, I would get you something that would remind you of winter," Cade said with a smile.


    The Snow Queen grinned before she turned to Stephen, who appeared to be hiding something behind his back. "What do you have behind you, Stephen?"


    "These," Stephen said before he revealed a bouquet of white roses.


    "Oh, my goodness Stephen! These are beautiful!" Elsa said happily as Stephen handed the roses to her.


    "You like them, right?" Stephen asked.


    "Absolutely. Thank you, Steph," the Snow Queen replied.


    "You are welcome," Stephen replied with a smile, glad that Elsa liked the flowers he chose for her.


    "Okay, Edmund and Lucas, who would like to give me their gift next?" Elsa asked.


    Edmund and Lucas looked at each other, thinking about what they were going to do. They quickly came up with an answer when Edmund and Lucas approached her simultaneously.


    "We were thinking of giving you our gifts at the same time, if that is okay with you," Edmund said.


    "Hope you like them," Lucas added.


    "That is perfectly fine with me," Elsa responded as she opened the two princes'' gifts.


    The Snow Queen was astonished at what Edmund and Lucas got for her. She was gazing down at a diamond necklace with a snowflake at the end, and a diamond bracelet. Elsa was speechless. Her birthday was already a memorable one, and these gifts only made it even better than it already was.


    "Edmund. Lucas," Elsa choked out, still in awe at the gifts from the two princes.


    "Elsa? Are you alright?" Edmund said before Elsa tightly hugged him and the Belgian prince.


    "Thank you so much," the Snow Queen said gratefully.


    Edmund and Lucas were surprised by Elsa''s reaction, but nevertheless smiled and returned the hug.


    "Anything for you, Elsa," Edmund stated.


    "Edmund and I thought of you when we were looking at these," Lucas added.


    "Well, that was very thoughtful of you. I love them," Elsa responded.


    The two princes were thrilled Elsa loved their gifts.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    After everyone left the ballroom, Lucas approached Olivia.


    "What did you think of tonight, Olivia?" the Belgian prince asked.


    "It was an amazing party. What you got for Elsa was very nice of you," the Swedish princess said with a smile.


    Lucas shrugged. "I was just trying to make it the best birthday ever for Elsa."


    Olivia was taking a liking for Lucas. She admired how humble he was.


    "Hey Olivia?" Lucas asked.


    "Yes, Lucas?" the Swedish princess responded.


    "I was wondering if you would like to attend the Ball with me on Christmas Eve. Only if you would like to, though. I understand we only met today, and you prefer I not rush it," Lucas rambled.


    Olivia giggled at his rambling. "I would love to."


    The Belgian prince smiled. "Great. I am looking forward to it."


    "Me too. Good night, Lucas," Olivia said with a pretty beam.


    "Good night, Olivia," Lucas replied with a smile as the two royals went to join their fellow royals with going to bed.

 Chapter 33

    I would like to thank roxygoth, BurningFox6, krystal lazuli, and LukeJames for beta reading and helping me improve!


    Feedback is always appreciated!


    Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen. Frozen is owned by Disney. I only lay claim to Prince Edmund, Prince Lucas, Master Stephen, Prince Cade, Princess Olivia, and anyone else you do not recognize from Frozen.


    Chapter 33


    Elsa made sure to rest up as much as she could to prepare for the festival. The Snow Queen wanted to put on as magnificent a show as possible that night. She knew it would require a lot of energy.


    Now it was two days before Christmas. Everyone was excited not only for Christmas, but for New Years as well.


    The Ice Queen had just finished getting dressed when someone knocked on her door.


    "Yes?" Elsa called.


    "Good morning, Elsa. It is me, Edmund," the English prince replied. "May I come in, please?"


    "Of course," Elsa stated as Edmund entered her room.


    "How did you sleep?" Edmund asked.


    "I slept very well. Thank you. Did you sleep well?" Elsa wondered.


    Edmund nodded. "Yes, I did. I cannot wait for the festival today."


    "Me neither. It is going to be a good time for everyone," the Snow Queen said.


    "I heard you are going to perform to close out the festival tonight. Is that true?" Edmund asked.


    "Yes. I can assure you I am rested enough to put on the best show I can muster," Elsa replied.


    "I am looking forward to it," Edmund said with a grin.


    Elsa smiled in return.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    After everyone had breakfast, the royals made their way to the town for the festival. During breakfast, everyone introduced themselves to Princess Olivia, telling her about the frozen summer from five months ago, and how everything had been tranquil since then.


    Upon entering the town, Olivia was marveling at the winter atmosphere before her. There were tents and carts scattered about that had been assembled the previous night.


    "This is such a beautiful town. You must feel very thankful to rule such a prosperous kingdom, Elsa," the Swedish princess said with a smile.


    "Thank you, Olivia. I would not have it any other way," Elsa replied, grinning.


    "I would also like to thank you for the invitation to spend Christmas with you and your family. It has been a wonderful time thus far," Olivia said.


    "You are welcome, Olivia. I am glad you are having a good time in Arendelle," the Snow Queen responded gratefully. She was happy the guests appreciated their invitations to spend Christmas in her kingdom. It made Elsa happy everyone had only positive things to say about her kingdom, despite Arendelle being tiny compared to much larger kingdoms around the world.


    Upon reaching the town square, the royals split up. Elsa decided to go around town with Edmund, while Anna went with Kristoff, Olivia went with Lucas, and Cade decided to spend some time with his daughter and see if there were any children in the kingdom about her age she could play with.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Olivia and Lucas were walking through the town, greeting everyone and saying hello to them.


    "What is Belgium like?" Olivia wondered.


    "It is a very small country compared to Sweden, but Belgium is beautiful. I really enjoy living there. Brussels is the capital of Belgium. The country declared its independence on October 4th, 1830. However, it was not officially recognized until April 19th this year," Lucas explained.


    "Belgium sounds like somewhere I would love to visit someday," the Swedish princess said with a smile.


    "What about Sweden? Do you enjoy living there?" the Belgian prince asked.


    "Yes, I do. Sweden is a very nice country. People have lived in Sweden for many centuries. Sweden''s history began more than thirteen-thousand years ago. Most of the people of Sweden live in the southern part of the country as the northern portion of Sweden gets quite cold in the winter," Olivia elaborated.


    "I heard, due to it being so far north and close to Russia, although I heard Finland is in between Sweden and Russia," Lucas said.


    "That is correct," Olivia confirmed. "What do you like to do for fun?"


    "I have quite a few hobbies. My main ones are reading books, playing chess, and fencing. I must give Edmund and Stephen credit for helping me become a better chess player," Lucas replied.


    "I heard Stephen is the best chess player in the world. Is that true?" the Swedish princess asked curiously.


    The Belgian prince nodded. "Yes, he is. Even Edmund has not been able to defeat him as Stephen taught him how to play chess. Therefore, Steph knows all of Ed''s tactics and strategies."


    "That does make sense," Olivia responded with a nod.


    "What about you, Olivia? Are there any hobbies you enjoy?" Lucas asked.


    "I love horseback riding, baking, reading, and ice skating," Olivia replied.


    "Those sound like fun," Lucas stated with a smile. "What is your favorite thing to bake?"


    "I love to bake cakes, cookies, and pastries. They are my favorite sweet treats," the Swedish princess said with a grin. She then noticed Lucas'' bulging muscles. "You sure look like you are pretty strong, Lucas."


    Lucas shrugged. "I never like to brag about my strength. Besides the hobbies I named earlier, I also like to exercise and lift weights. Edmund, Stephen, and I are always making sure to take very good care of our bodies. We hope to be around for as long as we can."


    "I assume you also eat a lot of fruits and vegetables as well?" Olivia asked with raised eyebrows.


    "Yes. Just because Ed, Steph, and I try to eat as healthily as possible, does not mean we do not treat ourselves to the occasional cake or piece of chocolate. On special occasions, I treat myself to chocolate or cake, such as for someone''s birthday or on a major holiday," Lucas explained.


    "Chocolate is good stuff," Olivia said fondly.


    "Absolutely. You can never go wrong with it occasionally," Lucas said, grinning.


    "No, you cannot," Olivia agreed with a beam of her own. The Swedish princess was enjoying her time with Lucas. Not only did she admire his handsome looks, but also his kindness and generosity. It was still early as they had only met two days ago. However, Olivia had only positive things to say about Lucas thus far.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Elsa and Edmund were standing inside the building of the kingdom painter. The royals were looking at a picture of a snowy forest.


    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    "What do you think of this one?" Edmund asked.


    "I think it is beautiful. It reminds me of Arendelle during the winter months," Elsa said.


    "I agree. The painter certainly did a great job," the English prince praised.


    The kingdom painter was touched by the English prince''s words. Whenever someone praised his work, it made him feel like he was doing something right. He loved painting, as it was the only hobby he really took interest in.


    "I am thrilled you and Queen Elsa like my paintings, Prince Edmund," the painter said.


    "Of course. While I did paint in school, I just never became as good as others did," Edmund replied.


    "That is perfectly fine. Everyone has their own unique talents. I have been painting since I was a little boy, and I have never found interest in anything else," the painter elaborated. He then led Elsa and Edmund over to another painting he was the proudest of. "This painting right here is my favorite."


    The Snow Queen and the English prince were looking at a painting of a man with his wife, daughter, and son, standing on a dock in a lake. The lake was surrounded by a peaceful forest and the blue sky above it with the sun shining.


    "Wow! This is amazing. It brings back some amazing memories of the lake I frequently visit outside of London. There were times where I would swim in it, and other times my mentor Stephen would train me there," Edmund said.


    "Thank you, Prince Edmund," the painter responded with a smile. "What do you think, Queen Elsa?"


    "I agree with Edmund. This is one of the best paintings I have ever laid my eyes on," Elsa said, grinning.


    "It makes me happy everyone in Arendelle enjoys looking at my art. They say you should never rush art. Whenever I paint something, I always make sure to take my time with every painting I do. Quality matters more than time," the painter explained.


    "Yes. Some things are best when you take your time," Edmund said in agreement. "Who was your inspiration to get into painting?"


    "Leonardo da Vinci was my inspiration. His painting Mona Lisa is perhaps the most famous painting in history. Seeing that painting was my earliest memory. At that time, I was just a young toddler of eighteen months old," the painter said.


    "Do you happen to remember where you saw the painting?" Edmund wondered.


    "Although the memory is quite vague, I am pretty sure it was in the Louvre in Paris, France when my family and I were on vacation. Unfortunately, I have not been back to Paris since then," the painter elaborated.


    "That is a good inspiration. I have been to Paris as well, and we went to Louvre as soon as we arrived there," Edmund said. He then thought of something. "Are you from Arendelle, originally?"


    The painter nodded. "I was born well before the reign of King Agnarr and Queen Iduna. At that time, the kingdom was about half the size it is today."


    "You enjoy living here?" Edmund asked with curiosity.


    "Very much so. Arendelle is a beautiful town, and I am glad to call it home," the painter said with a smile.


    "It makes me happy you enjoy living here," Elsa said.


    "You only make it even better with being the kind and fair ruler you are, Queen Elsa," the painter replied with a grin.


    The painter''s words touched Elsa. It delighted her the inhabitants of Arendelle liked having her as their Queen.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Anna and Kristoff were at the kingdom baker. The princess was chowing down on some chocolate cupcakes she had bought.


    "Slow down Anna! You''re going to make yourself sick!" Kristoff exclaimed with amusement in his voice.


    "No, I won''t!" the princess retorted as she stuffed another cupcake into her mouth.


    The ice harvester shook his head with a chuckle.


    "Okay. I think I have had enough cupcakes now," Anna said. She then turned to the baker. "Those cupcakes were delicious!"


    The baker smiled. "Thank you, Princess Anna. I am glad you enjoyed the cupcakes." Then the baker noticed frosting on Anna''s face. "I see you got some icing on your face. Would you like some napkins, Your Highness?"


    "Yes please!" Anna said.


    The baker got some napkins for the princess and handed them to her with a flourish.


    "Thank you!" the princess stated.


    "Of course," the baker replied with a nod.


    Anna wiped her face off, making sure to get all the frosting off her face.


    "Did I get it all?" the princess asked her boyfriend.


    "Let me check," Kristoff responded as he carefully inspected Anna''s face. He noticed there was still a little bit of frosting on her lips. "You missed a spot on the left side of your lips."


    "Oh!" Anna exclaimed as she wiped the left side of her lips. "There we go. Any more icing?"


    "Nope. You got it all this time," Kristoff said with a smirk.


    "Okay good!" Anna responded before she smiled at the baker. "Thanks again for the cupcakes!"


    "Of course, Princess Anna. Please come back anytime," the baker said with a beam.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Cade was watching his daughter play in the snow with the other children of the kingdom. The sight before the Scottish prince made him smile. Rachel was not only getting along with the other children about her age, but she was also making sure to let the other kids take their turns going down the slides.


    Soon Rachel had gone down every slide, except for the tallest one. She gazed up at the tall slide, hesitant to go on it.


    Cade noticed this and approached his daughter. "Rachel? What is the matter?" the Scottish prince asked, trying to comfort her.


    "I''m scared, Daddy," Rachel said.


    "Of the tall slide?" Cade asked.


    The toddler nodded.


    "You do not have to go down the slide if you do not want to, Rachel," the Scottish prince stated.


    "It looks like fun though," the young girl said.


    Cade was thinking about what he should say to his daughter. He remembered having a similar situation happen to him when he was Rachel''s age. His parents were teaching him how to swim one warm summer day in Scotland, and Cade was hesitant to approach the water. After Kenneth and Catherine reassured him that he would be just fine, he entered the water. Kenneth and Catherine were always making sure Cade kept his head above the water and they only swam in the shallow parts of the water. The Scottish prince may have been terrified of swimming at first, but by the time he was four years old, he was able to swim effectively without any assistance. Swimming subsequently became one of his favorite summer activities.


    Upon thinking about the memory, the Scottish prince knelt down to his daughter. "Tell you what, Rachel. You go down the slide just one time, I will get you a cupcake later. How does that sound?"


    Rachel was still slightly hesitant, but after hearing her father saying he would get her a sweet treat, she eagerly approached the slide. The toddler carefully and slowly climbed the slide. Once she reached the top, she immediately went down the slide. As opposed to her feeling a little scared of the slide, she was laughing when she reached the bottom. This made Cade smile fondly.


    "Again please!" Rachel exclaimed.


    The Scottish prince nodded with a grin. "Okay."


    After Rachel went down the slide many times over, she was panting, but smiling, nevertheless.


    "Well, Rachel. You have certainly earned that cupcake," Cade said while gently patting her on the head.


    His daughter was growing up before his very eyes. Rachel may have still been in her early childhood years, but Cade could remember the day of her birth like it was yesterday. He hoped that time would not go by too fast, as he wanted to enjoy Rachel''s childhood while he could. While the Scottish prince knew Rachel had to grow up someday, he was confident when that day came, he would feel great about having done a wonderful job as a father.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Elsa walked down an opulent azuline carpet to where she would perform in the center of the town. She was doing her best to stay calm. The Snow Queen had never done anything like this before, and she was determined not to let anyone down.


    As she approached the middle of the town, she gazed upon the tastefully decorated buildings.


    Soon she reached the area where she would be performing. The entire kingdom, as well as the guests, greeted her with thunderous applause. No one in the crowd was louder than Anna. When Elsa''s eyes met her sister''s, the princess gave her big sister a smile of encouragement. The Ice Queen also saw Edmund, Stephen, Lucas, Olivia, and Cade give her similar grins to that of her younger sister.


    The crowd went into silence with anticipation when they saw Elsa raise her hands. She then began to utilize her powers, creating magnificent sculptures of snowflakes, people, various creatures, among other things. The crowd erupted into cheers at Elsa''s creations before them.


    Edmund, Stephen, Lucas, Olivia, and Cade were the most impressed of anyone in the crowd. They never realized the amazing things Elsa could do with her powers.


    The Snow Queen then sent a sphere of magic high into the sky, where a symbol of Arendelle formed. It then returned to the ground, forming three different structures: one was the Arendelle palace, another was Elsa''s ice castle on North Mountain, and the last one was a miniature model of the town itself.


    The audience just could not help but cheer as loud as they could at the dazzling display Elsa was putting before them.


    With a flick of her wrist, the art disappeared, resulting in the crowd becoming quiet.


    The Ice Queen then summoned numerous creatures, such as deer, birds, and fish that dashed around the kingdom as if they were truly alive. Every creature left behind a trial of glittering snow.


    At one point, a butterfly flew right into Rachel''s arms. It landed on her for a moment before flying off. This made the young toddler laugh, much to the delight of the Scottish prince.


    The creatures did numerous tricks and moves before they subsequently spiraled around each other and ascended before they burst into snow and gently fell onto the town.


    To conclude her performance, Elsa raised her hands, resulting in a massive ice tree forming behind her, which was decorated with several hundred icy ornaments. It rose well above the tallest buildings in the kingdom like a splendid beacon.


    Not a sound was heard for a moment, and Elsa gazed upon the crowd before her, appearing concerned.


    Then the crowd went delirious with cheering, triumphant yelling, and a standing ovation. Elsa was astonished at their reactions. She truly felt grateful that her people viewed her in a positive light. A shy smile formed on the Snow Queen''s face.


    The thunderous ovation lasted no less than fifteen minutes. After everyone was exhausted from cheering and clapping, the crowd finally dispersed and went back to their homes, but not before thanking their Queen for the dazzling display.


    By that time, Rachel had fallen asleep. Cade smiled down at his young daughter and kissed her on the cheek. She stirred a bit but did not wake.


    Along with the Scottish prince, Edmund, Stephen, Lucas, and Olivia greatly praised Elsa for her wonderful performance, as did Anna and Kristoff. It made the Snow Queen joyous everyone loved her performance. She had worked very hard to prepare for it, and with how everyone enjoyed it, the Ice Queen felt her hard work had paid off.


    After the townspeople returned to their homes to get some sleep, the Arendelle family and the guests returned to the castle. It had been an exciting night, and the royals were looking forward to seeing what the following night had in store for them.

 Chapter 34

    I would like to thank roxygoth, BurningFox6, krystal lazuli, and LukeJames for beta reading and helping me improve!


    Feedback is always appreciated!


    Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen. Frozen is owned by Disney. I only lay claim to Prince Edmund, Prince Lucas, Master Stephen, Prince Cade, Princess Olivia and anyone else you do not recognize from Frozen.


    Chapter 34


    Christmas Eve arrived quicker than anyone anticipated. The townspeople were rushing to do last-minute Christmas shopping and make sure everything was ready for the following day.


    Edmund, Stephen, and Lucas made sure to get some gifts for the two sisters. The English prince got them glass slippers, while Stephen and Lucas decided on elegant hairstyle utensils so Elsa and Anna could do their hair for special occasions.


    Cade realized he still had to get Christmas gifts for everybody as well. The Scottish prince remembered Edmund and Lucas talking about Theodor''s Weaponry during a conversation they had the day before. Therefore, Cade decided Edmund, Lucas, Stephen, and Kristoff would like something from the weaponsmith. As for Elsa and Anna, the Scottish prince decided to get them some elegant dresses from the kingdom clothier.


    He got a green dress for the princess and a turquoise one for the Snow Queen. Cade chose to get the finest armor the weaponsmith had to offer. Every part of each set of armor was ultramarine with some streaks of gold.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    After the Christmas shopping had concluded for the royals, Elsa and Anna came up with an idea of having a snowball fight in the courtyard to pass time. The sisters decided to have Edmund, Stephen, Lucas, Cade, Olivia, and Kristoff join them. They thought it would be more fun to have more people involved. Before doing so, Cade requested Gerda and Kai look after Rachel. Gerda and Kai were more than happy to oblige.


    Once Elsa had created a snowball fight battlefield for everyone, the group was now wondering what they would do for teams.


    "How are we going to do this? Will it be teams or everyone for themselves? I am good with either one," Edmund said.


    "That sounds good, Edmund. Is there one you would prefer over the other if you had to choose one?" Elsa wondered.


    The English prince thought about it for a moment. "I have an idea. How about we take votes on each one? The one with the most votes is what we will do."


    The Snow Queen nodded at the suggestion. "Okay then. Raise your hand for doing teams."


    All the men and Olivia raised their hands.


    "Then teams it is," Elsa declared.


    "What do you suggest we do for teams?" Lucas asked.


    "It will be Anna, me, Olivia, and Kristoff against you, Edmund, Stephen, and Cade. Does that sound fair?" the Ice Queen asked.


    "Yes. That sounds great to me," Cade responded with a smile.


    "Then shall we let the snowball fight commence?" Stephen suggested.


    "Yes!" Anna exclaimed as everyone got ready for the snowball fight.


    Soon Elsa unleashed her first round of snowballs at the guests, while Anna, Kristoff, and Olivia made snowballs and threw them whenever they saw any of the guests.


    Snowballs were flying everywhere and striking the snow structures scattered about.


    The Scottish prince was stealthily making his way around the snow structures, avoiding any snowballs thrown by the Ice Queen, princess, ice harvester, or Swedish princess. It would not be long before he managed to get behind the royal family and Olivia before making his move. Before Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, and Olivia could notice, Cade managed to strike all four of them with snowballs. The four tried to get Cade, but he was too fast. Cade managed to get behind one of the studier snowy structures before he burst out laughing.


    "I know that was you, Cade!" Anna shouted with a sheepish smile.


    "Alright! You got me!" the Scottish prince called back with a smirk.


    "I am going to get you!" the princess exclaimed before she made her move to go after Cade.


    Anna soon found Cade hiding behind one of the snow structures behind one of the courtyard fountains.


    "There you are!" Anna said before she threw a snowball at the Scottish prince.


    Cade effortlessly dodged the snowball. He smiled as he tossed a snowball at the princess and managed to get her in the face.


    "No fair!" the princess said in mock anger.


    "Hey. I did not mean to hurt you," Cade replied.


    "I know! I''m just kidding, Cade!" Anna responded with a grin as she made her way to try to get the Scottish prince again.


    Cade failed to notice Kristoff charging at him, and by the time he saw the ice harvester, a snowball struck him in the face.


    "Gotcha!" the ice harvester exclaimed with a chuckle.


    The Scottish prince brushed the snow off his face with a grin. He then made his way to run after Kristoff with a snowball.


    Edmund and Lucas were taking cover under a snow fort from the barrage Elsa was unleashing upon them.


    "Okay. You go this way, and I will go that way," the English prince said.


    "Got it," the Belgian prince replied as they made their way from snow structure to snow structure, making sure to stay alert to avoid getting hit.


    As they made their move, however, snowbanks rose from beneath them and engulfed them in snow up to their shoulders.


    "Looks like I got you guys!" Elsa said as she chucked snowballs at the two princes and hit them square in the forehead. The Snow Queen giggled after seeing snow splatter all over Edmund''s and Lucas'' faces.


    Edmund and Lucas grinned as they wiped the snow off their faces and shoulders.


    The snowball fight would commence for a while. While both teams put up a good fight, Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, and Olivia ultimately won the battle. Everyone was soaking wet from all the snow.


    Edmund, Stephen, Lucas, and Cade accepted defeat with grace as everyone soon made their way back to the castle.


    "Well, that was fun," Edmund said with a grin.


    "I agree. That snowball fight sure took a lot out of me. I never thought a snowball fight could require so much energy," Lucas replied in agreement.


    "It felt like old times," Stephen added.


    "I agree. Every time it snowed in Scotland, my family and I always had snowball fights. If there is one thing I have learned from my childhood, it is that you are never too old to have fun," Cade stated with a fond smile.


    "Yes. You can always have fun no matter how old you are," Olivia said, beaming.


    "I am glad you enjoyed the snowball fight, gentlemen," Elsa said gratefully upon hearing the princes'' responses.


    "Of course! I would gladly do it again sometime," Edmund responded with a charming grin.


    "Me too," Lucas added.


    "Me three," Stephen said.


    "Me four," Cade added.


    "Me five," Olivia stated.


    The Snow Queen smiled. Even though Edmund, Stephen, Lucas, Cade, and Olivia were of royal status like her and Anna, it made her happy they knew how to have fun.


    "Why don''t we do it again after Christmas?" Anna suggested.


    "That sounds like a plan," Edmund replied. He then looked at his wet clothes. "I think I am going to take a bath. See you later, everyone."


    Everyone left after waving to each other to take their baths and get changed into fresh clothes.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    The rest of the day was entirely about making last-minute preparations to make sure the Christmas Ball was nothing less than perfect. Castle staff were ensuring everything was in order and was ready by the time the ball began.


    The royals themselves spent the remainder of the day getting dressed for the ball.


    Edmund and Stephen were dressed for the ball. The English prince''s outfit consisted of a midnight blue suit with cream-colored pants, black boots, and a luteous belt.


    "Do you think I look okay for tonight, Stephen?" Edmund asked.


    "Of course, you do, Edmund. Elsa will be very impressed. I have no doubt whatever dress she wears tonight will astonish you as well," Stephen reassured. His outfit was an olive-green suit, gray pants, brown boots, and a silver belt.


    "I appreciate it, Steph. Really, I do. You look rather good yourself," Edmund said with a charming grin.


    "Thank you, Ed," Stephen replied. "I know you and Elsa are going to have a wonderful time tonight. This might be a golden opportunity for you to sweep her off her feet."


    "Well, we will see. I am unsure whether it is the right time for a whole romantic relationship or anything like that. There is the possibility that we will find out at the conclusion of the ball. As I have said before, the last thing I would like to do is make Elsa uncomfortable," Edmund explained.


    "Edmund, listen to me. I know how you feel about Elsa. This may be a chance for you to find your true love. I would like nothing more than for you to be happy, Edmund. Elsa probably feels the same way. It would be unwise of you to pass up on an opportunity to find the woman of your dreams," Stephen said.


    The English prince nodded in understanding. "Well, only one way to find out."


    "Elsa is a beautiful woman with the biggest heart of any woman I have ever met. I am certain you and Elsa will do whatever it takes to make each other happy," Stephen stated.


    "She is amazing indeed," Edmund responded with a smile.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Lucas was just finishing up getting dressed. He was wearing a lavender suit, brown pants, black boots, and a copper belt.


    As soon as he finished getting ready, a knock was heard at his door.


    "Come in," Lucas replied.


    The door opened to reveal Olivia, wearing a matching lavender dress. Her blonde hair was curled, and her sparkling green eyes were radiant.


    The Belgian prince''s golden eyes widened in awe as he took in Olivia''s appearance.


    "You look beautiful, Olivia," Lucas said.


    "Thank you, Lucas. You look rather dashing yourself," the Swedish princess replied with a smile.


    "Are you ready for the Ball?" Lucas asked.


    "I certainly am. Are you?" Olivia wondered.


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Yes," Lucas responded with a nod and a grin. He offered his arm, and the Swedish princess gladly took it. The two royals then left Lucas'' room and made their way to the ballroom.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Anna was wearing a green dress, finishing with preparing herself. Before she had begun getting ready, she asked Kristoff to be her escort to the ball, and the ice harvester happily obliged.


    A knock sounded at her door. "Anna? It''s me, Kristoff. Are you ready?" the ice harvester''s voice sounded from the other side of the door.


    "Just a minute!" the princess called as she hastily made the finishing touches with her ball outfit before answering the door. "Sorry if that took too long. I was just making sure I looked presentable for tonight."


    Kristoff chuckled. "It''s alright, Anna. You don''t have anything to worry about."


    "Okay good!" Anna exclaimed. "Anyway, are you ready for a lovely evening, Kristoff?"


    "Yes, I am," the ice harvester responded with a grin as the couple started walking to the ballroom.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Elsa was fully dressed for the ball. She was hoping the outfit she chose would impress Edmund. The Snow Queen was wearing a midnight-blue off-the-shoulder sleeved gown with a velvety texture and a large fur collar with small stones inside. Underneath a small gap at the center was a small part of a porphyrous undershirt. To fit her regal status, her outfit featured a transparent blue cape, but she noticed it was slightly less transparent than the previous capes she possessed. Like her first Snow Queen outfit, Elsa was wearing dark blue ice kitten heels. On the chest, cape, and rims of the outfit were diamond-shaped crystals scattered across, with some forming the lower part of her snowflake emblem on the neckline and a larger pattern on the back of the cape. In her hair was a small winter berry wreath pin.


    The Ice Queen opened her door and saw Edmund waiting for her. Elsa had asked the English prince to escort her to the ballroom. He looked incredible in his dark blue suit.


    "You look beautiful," Edmund praised as he took her hand.


    "Thank you, Edmund," Elsa replied with a smile. "You look pretty good yourself."


    "Well thank you," Edmund responded.


    Elsa sighed.


    "Are you okay?" the English prince asked, concern in his blue eyes.


    "I am a little nervous. When I was a little girl, I never thought I would find a man due to my powers. However, my parents reassured me that someday, I would meet someone who would see past them and see me for who I truly was," Elsa explained.


    Edmund nodded in understanding. "I promise we will take it slow, Elsa, and I really mean that. Nothing that will make you uncomfortable will happen tonight. I promise you we will have an enchanting evening tonight."


    The Snow Queen grinned. "Thank you, Edmund."


    "Of course, Elsa. Anything for you," the English prince replied sincerely.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Cade was wearing a peach-colored suit, and Rachel had a small matching dress. The Scottish prince decided to spend some time with his daughter before they prepared for the ball.


    "Are you ready for a fun evening, Rachel?" Cade asked.


    "Yes Daddy!" the little girl exclaimed.


    "That is the spirit," the Scottish prince responded with a beam.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Once the royals reached the entrance to the ballroom, Kai opened the doors. He called the attention of everyone who was attending the ball. Eyes fell on the royals, with Kai taking a deep breath to announce them one by one. With each name the head of the castle staff stated, the royals stepped forward, bowing and curtsying respectfully.


    "Presenting Her Majesty, Queen Elsa of Arendelle, accompanied by His Highness Prince Edmund of England. Her Highness Princess Anna of Arendelle, accompanied by Sir Kristoff. Princess Olivia of Halmstad, accompanied by Prince Lucas of Ostenda. Sir Stephen White of England. Prince Cade of Scotland, accompanied by his daughter, Princess Rachel," Kai announced.


    There was a round of applause and cheering as everyone stood up straight.


    Edmund led the Snow Queen to the front of the room.


    "Let the Christmas Ball begin," the Ice Queen declared. The music started up again, and Elsa noticed Olaf was with the musicians, wearing a blue bow made of ice. While this did surprise some of the guests, the Snow Queen reassured them Olaf meant well. The snowman was a pretty good singer, after all.


    "May I have this dance?" Edmund asked.


    "Of course," Elsa replied with a smile as the two royals made their way to the center of the ballroom.


    The English prince placed a hand on Elsa''s slender waist, and the Ice Queen put a hand on Edmund''s broad shoulder. Then they started to dance to the music.


    As they danced, they smiled at each other. There were occasional moments when they saw Anna with Kristoff, and Olivia with Lucas. Stephen was watching the couples with a smile, and whenever his eyes met with Edmund''s, he would wave, and the English prince waved back. Cade danced and gently swayed his young daughter in his arms, which made her giggle.


    "Are you having a great time?" the English prince asked.


    "Very much so. I am glad to have you as a dance partner," Elsa responded with a beautiful smile.


    "Likewise. I could not have asked for a better dance partner," Edmund replied, sharing the sentiment.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Olivia and Lucas were dancing, smiling at each other.


    "What do you think, Olivia? Are you having fun?" Lucas asked.


    "Oh yes!" the Swedish princess replied, grinning. "I do not think I have ever had a better partner to dance with than you."


    "Well thank you. I am pleased to hear I can appease you," the Belgian prince stated with a charming grin.


    The Swedish princess realized Lucas was not just a humble gentleman, he was also very handsome and such a nice man. Though it was still quite early, Olivia was nonetheless curious as to what would happen if she ever did marry the Belgian prince in the future. What she did like, however, was Lucas was not one to rush anything when it came to love. He seemed to be the kind of guy who would be perfectly fine with being friends with her if their relationship did not blossom into romance. Based on how things were going between them, the Swedish princess would not be surprised if she and Lucas did become a couple one day.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Anna and Kristoff were swaying to the music when the ice harvester gently spun the princess around, finishing with a dip.


    "This is a good time, huh Kristoff?" the princess asked.


    "It is always a good time with you," Kristoff responded with a smile.


    Anna then noticed Elsa and Edmund dancing with each other. It pleased the princess Edmund and Lucas had taught her how to dance. "Looks like Elsa is doing just fine on the dance floor."


    Kristoff nodded in agreement. "She sure is. Elsa is not the only one who didn''t know how to dance when she was younger."


    "You mean the trolls didn''t teach you?" Anna wondered.


    "Maybe a little bit, but I see it''s completely different when humans teach you. Without you, I probably wouldn''t have the slightest idea what I would be doing," the ice harvester admitted. "I have you to thank for knowing what dancing is about."


    "It''s all about happiness, which I have found being with you, Kristoff," the princess said with a smile.


    "Likewise," Kristoff replied with a grin.


    "Anyway, I''m thirsty. Could we please take a break and get something to drink?" Anna asked.


    "Of course, Anna. Would you like some water or something?" the ice harvester offered.


    "Yes please," the princess said as the couple made their way to the refreshments table.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Cade was giving his daughter some chocolate to consume. While he had some chocolate himself, he gave Rachel milk chocolate, while he himself had dark chocolate. The Scottish prince did not mind any kind of chocolate, but he preferred darker chocolate as it was healthier than milk chocolate. Still, on special occasions, he was willing to have any kind of chocolate that was given to him.


    He was happily watching Edmund, Lucas, and Kristoff dancing with Elsa, Olivia, and Anna. It made him happy the three men had great dance partners. Cade may not have had a woman to dance with, but it was perfectly fine with him. He did have Rachel, after all.


    The Scottish prince was also seeing Stephen enjoy himself by eating and drinking the heathiest options of food and drink the ball had. It surprised him that Edmund, Stephen, and Lucas did not consume alcohol, but Cade totally respected that. He never envisioned himself consuming beer or wine either, as he preferred putting only good things in his body. Even then, he was still too young to drink alcohol anyway.


    "What do you think, Rachel?" Cade asked his daughter.


    "This is fun!" Rachel exclaimed.


    "I am glad you think so," the Scottish prince said with a beam.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Eventually a slow dance took place, and Olaf was to sing during the music playing during the slow dance.


    Edmund gently wrapped his muscular arms around Elsa''s waist, and the Ice Queen wrapped her arms around the English prince''s neck.


    As the music began to play the slow dance tune, Olaf started singing to the song.


    "Olaf is a great singer, if I must say," Edmund said, impressed.


    "Yes, he is," Elsa replied in agreement with a smile.


    The two royals smiled at each other as they gently swayed to the peaceful music echoing throughout the ballroom.


    Olivia and Lucas, along with Anna and Kristoff, were doing the same thing as Elsa and Edmund were. Stephen was smiling as he watched the peaceful, tranquil scene before him.


    Cade noticed his daughter was beginning to get tired. Therefore, he excused himself from the ballroom, making sure to find someone to watch Rachel while she slept until the Scottish prince himself went to bed. He arrived back to the ballroom just in time for the end of the song. The Scottish prince was smiling at the joyous sight in front of him.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    The Ball went deep into the night, and everyone had a wonderful time.


    After the Ball ended, Edmund escorted Elsa back to her bedroom. They were holding hands, smiling at each other as they walked.


    "Did you have a great time, Elsa?" Edmund asked curiously.


    The Snow Queen nodded with a beam. "I had a wonderful time, Edmund. Thank you so much for a lovely evening."


    "You are very welcome, Elsa," the English prince responded with a respectful bow.


    Giggling lightly, the Snow Queen leaned forward and kissed the handsome English prince on the cheek.


    Edmund''s eyes widened in surprise before he looked at the Ice Queen with an embarrassed smile and blushed.


    "Merry Christmas, Edmund. I thank you again for the amazing evening," Elsa said, smiling.


    "Of course. Merry Christmas, Elsa. I will see you in the morning," Edmund replied with a charming grin before he gently took Elsa''s hand and kissed it.


    The royals smiled at each other one last time before Edmund made his way back to his room. Unbeknownst to him, Elsa watched him walk back to his guestroom, a beautiful smile on her face.


    The Snow Queen realized she might be developing feelings for the English prince. He was not only a magnificent man, but Elsa also had to admit Edmund was the handsomest man she had ever met as well.


    Elsa may not have known him for a month yet. However, she was slowly starting to think Edmund might be the right man for her, after all. The Snow Queen decided time would tell whether that would be the path the two would follow.


    Smiling to herself, Elsa began to get ready for bed. She was excited to see what Christmas had in store for herself and everyone else this year.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Anna and Kristoff were in the princess'' room, still dancing with each other even though there was no music in the background. They did not mind, however, so long as they danced with each other.


    "That was one heck of a Ball if I must say," Anna said with a grin.


    "I agree," Kristoff replied with a nod, smiling. "It would not have been any fun without you."


    "Ah, you''re so sweet, Kristoff," the princess replied with a blush. "I think Elsa and Edmund like each other."


    The ice harvester smirked. "It seems Elsa and Edmund were not the only ones having a great time with each other. I saw Olivia and Lucas dancing with each other as well."


    "Ah yes! I think Elsa and Edmund would make a great couple, as would Olivia and Lucas," Anna replied. "I feel bad for Stephen and Cade though. Wish they could''ve had dance partners themselves."


    Kristoff sighed, placing his hand on her shoulder before he smiled. "I am sure Stephen and Cade weren''t upset at all. Steph looked like he was content just watching the pleasant atmosphere, and Cade did have Rachel to keep him company."


    "Rachel is so adorable. I bet Cade is very lucky to have her for a daughter," Anna said.


    "Cade is a great father, especially for someone who became a parent while still a teenager. As he said, he did have to grow up rather quickly after Rachel was born," Kristoff stated.


    "Yes. I''ve heard parenting can be challenging," the princess replied.


    "Cade did say the challenge is worth it in the end, though," the ice harvester pointed out.


    "He did. Just imagine how good he will feel once his kids grow up and can take care of themselves. It''ll leave him feeling good, knowing he did well as a parent," Anna said.


    "I''m sure Cade would like to enjoy the time he has with Rachel while she is still a kid. You wouldn''t want to overwhelm him with the thought of her growing up," Kristoff responded.


    "That is true," Anna said. "You think Stephen might find his true love one day?"


    "I''m not sure about that. It''s his business whether he would like to do that or not," the ice harvester said. "Everyone''s lives are unique. While some people do find their true love, others will remain single for their entire lives."


    "At least you''re glad you''re not one of those people that will be single for the rest of your life?" Anna asked flirtatiously.


    Kristoff chuckled. "Of course, Anna. I love you more than anything, and I would do anything to make you happy."


    "I feel the same way," Anna said as the two royals hugged each other. "I love you, Kristoff. Merry Christmas."


    "Merry Christmas, Anna. I love you too," the ice harvester said as the couple kissed each other passionately.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Cade returned to his guestroom to see one of the castle staff members watching his daughter. Making sure to be as quiet as possible, the Scottish prince carefully walked up to the castle staff member.


    "Rachel has been sleeping peacefully, Prince Cade," the castle staff member quietly said.


    "Thank you for watching over her," Cade stated.


    "Of course. Merry Christmas, Prince Cade," the staff member replied.


    "Merry Christmas to you as well," Cade replied with a smile as they waved to each other before the castle staff member quietly left the suite to let the Scottish royals get some rest.


    After getting ready for bed, Cade smiled down at his sleeping daughter. She looked so peaceful when she slept.


    Cade slowly leaned over and gently kissed her on the forehead. She stirred a little bit but did not wake up.


    "Merry Christmas, Rachel," the Scottish prince whispered as he went to bed himself and fell into a blissful sleep.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    "Thank you for a spectacular night, Lucas. I enjoyed every second of it," Olivia said gratefully as Lucas escorted her back to her guestroom.


    "You are welcome, Olivia. It was a fun night, to say the least," Lucas said in agreement. "Is there anything you need before you go to bed?"


    "No, but thank you," the Swedish princess said with a smile as the two royals reached the entrance to Olivia''s guestroom. She planted a kiss on the Belgian prince''s cheek. "Merry Christmas, Lucas."


    Lucas blushed as he smiled down at the beautiful Swedish princess. "Merry Christmas, Olivia. I will see you in the morning."


    "Good night, Lucas," Olivia smiled as she entered her guestroom and closed the door gently.


    The Belgian prince let out a bashful sigh as he went back to his guestroom. He may have known Olivia for only a few days, but there was something special about her he really admired. She was not only beautiful. Olivia was also gracious, polite, and a very optimistic young woman. Lucas had every intent on taking it slow, but he could not help but wonder if he and Olivia were to ever marry one day. He had always dreamed of settling down and becoming a father and husband one day. The Belgian prince was going to be patient with it, however. What he preferred was avoiding doing anything he would regret for the rest of his life. Smiling, he got ready for bed upon reaching his suite and went to sleep.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    "It looked like you and Elsa had a wonderful time this evening," Stephen said.


    "We did. One of the greatest nights of my life," Edmund replied with a smile.


    "Have you thought about whether you like her or not?" Stephen wondered.


    Edmund thought about it. "I suppose I cannot deny any longer I do like her. However, I am unsure when would be a good time to ask her on a first date."


    Stephen placed a hand on his student''s shoulder. "I think Elsa would be the perfect woman for you. Not only is she beautiful, but she also has the biggest heart of any woman I have ever met. I think you and Elsa would do anything to make each other happy."


    "I appreciate the encouragement, Steph. Really, I do. It is just I would like to take it slow with her. The last thing I would like to do is take the next step too early and regret it for the rest of my life," Edmund explained.


    "I know you will make the next move when the right time comes. While I know only you can know when the right time is, I am encouraging you to not pass up a golden opportunity like this. Ever since you were born, I always envisioned you becoming a father and husband one day," Stephen elaborated.


    Edmund smiled. "I appreciate everything you have done for me, Stephen. Where would I be without you?"


    Stephen shrugged. "I honestly do not know where you would be without me. However, I am confident that even if we never met, you would still be the great man you are today."


    "I guess we will never know," Edmund said. The English prince then grinned. "Merry Christmas, Stephen."


    "Merry Christmas, Edmund," Stephen said with a smile of his own.


    The two men got ready for bed before they went to sleep, eager for Christmas morning.

 Chapter 35

    I would like to thank roxygoth, BurningFox6, krystal lazuli, and LukeJames for beta reading and helping me improve!


    Feedback is always appreciated!


    Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen. Frozen is owned by Disney. I only lay claim to Prince Edmund, Prince Lucas, Master Stephen, Prince Cade, Princess Olivia, and anyone else you do not recognize from Frozen.


    Chapter 35


    Everyone woke up early on Christmas morning. The largest and main Christmas tree where everyone''s presents were was in the ballroom, so everyone headed directly there the instant they woke up.


    Upon arriving in the ballroom, Stephen was the first to speak, "Merry Christmas everyone."


    "Merry Christmas!" everyone exclaimed at the same time.


    The royals were pondering on who would open their presents first. "I was thinking Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff should open their presents first," Edmund suggested.


    "That is very considerate of you Edmund. Thank you," Elsa replied.


    "Of course. You, Anna, and Kristoff do live here, after all," the English prince said with a charming grin.


    Soon the Arendelle royal family proceeded to open their gifts. Anna opened her gifts first. The princess first opened her gift from her boyfriend. It was a necklace with a blue crystal at the end.


    "Thank you, Kristoff! Did the trolls make this?" Anna wondered with a squeal of delight.


    "Yes, they did," Kristoff responded with a grin. The day after Elsa''s birthday, the ice harvester had traveled to the Valley of the Living Rock to request a necklace with the crystal from his family. They were more than happy to oblige, as the trolls were elated to know Kristoff had a woman that meant a lot to him.


    "They certainly did a wonderful job! I love it!" the princess put the necklace on and leapt into Kristoff''s arms, embracing him. The ice harvester smiled as he returned the hug. After a moment, Kristoff said, "Don''t you have your gifts from everyone else to open?"


    "Oh, right!" the princess said with a giggle as she opened the rest of her presents. Anna loved everything she received; the makeup Elsa got for her, the hair utensils from Stephen and Lucas, the glass slippers from Edmund, the green dress from Cade, as well as the flowers from Olivia.


    "Thank you so much, guys! These are amazing gifts!" the princess exclaimed excitedly.


    After Anna thanked everyone for the gifts, she turned to her older sister, "Alright Elsa. Your turn!"


    Elsa smiled as she went to see what presents she received this year. The Snow Queen was a rather easygoing woman and did not ask for a lot, but regardless, she had no doubt she would love whatever everyone got for her.


    Elsa opened the gifts from Anna and Kristoff first. Anna had gotten her some of the finest chocolate from numerous countries and a golden hairband. The ice harvester chose a golden necklace for the Ice Queen.


    "Thank you, guys," Elsa said to Anna and Kristoff with a smile.


    "You''re welcome, Elsa! Glad you like the chocolate and the hairband!" Anna exclaimed.


    "Anytime, Elsa," Kristoff replied, grinning.


    The Snow Queen then opened the rest of the gifts for her. She loved everything she received; the glass slippers from Edmund, the hair utensils from Stephen and Lucas, the turquoise dress from Cade, and Olivia gave her a glass sculpture of the palace.


    "Thank you very much for the gifts, everyone. I greatly appreciate it," Elsa said, beaming.


    Once the Snow Queen had opened all her gifts, everyone else went to open their respective gifts. Kristoff, however, decided to let Olivia open her gifts before he opened his. The Swedish princess appreciated the ice harvester''s courtesy.


    Olivia received very similar gifts the sisters received. Nevertheless, she appreciated what everyone had chosen to get for her. Christmas was one of her favorite holidays.


    As soon as the three women had opened their gifts, Cade''s daughter was next.


    Everyone had selected toys from the kingdom toy store for Rachel. Cade had chosen a new doll, while the other royals had picked out different toys such as a wooden figure of a soldier or a princess.


    "What do you think, Rachel? Do you like the new toys we got for you?" the Scottish prince asked the young girl.


    "Yes! Thank you!" Rachel exclaimed excitedly. It warmed everyone''s hearts to see the young toddler ecstatic on Christmas morning. The scene brought back good memories from when they were about her age during Christmas time.


    With all the girls having opened their gifts, it was now time for the men to open theirs.


    "Gentlemen, we were thinking you should all open your gifts at the same time," Elsa suggested.


    "Sounds good," Edmund said with a smile as he and the other men went about opening their gifts.


    Once the five men got their first gifts and saw who they were from, they opened them. The men were astonished at what they saw before them.


    Edmund was gazing at Thunder Delmoreblade and Whispermarino Phoenix. He gently placed his hands on the weapons, taking care not to touch any sharp parts of the weapons that could cut him.


    "Wow. Thank you very much, Anna and Kristoff," Edmund said gratefully.


    "You''re welcome, Edmund. Theodor told us how you liked the weapons, so Kristoff and I decided to get them for you," the princess explained.


    "Glad you like them, Ed," Kristoff added with a smile.


    Lucas was looking down upon Pelagiostorm and Pikelongbow with a sense of wonder.


    "That was very nice of you to get these for me, Anna and Kristoff. Thank you," Lucas stated, smiling.


    "Anytime, Lucas. I''m thrilled you like them," Anna responded with a beam.


    "We chose those weapons for you guys as we remembered your weapons of choice from an earlier conversation we had," the ice harvester elaborated.


    Once the ice harvester opened his gift, he was probably the most astonished of the five men. In front of him at his knees was the shiniest axe he had ever seen. Arnav Battle Axe made all the other axes he had seen look inferior. Kristoff also noticed Barbeau Throwing Axe as well.


    "Wow guys. Thank you for this. This is the most amazing axe I have ever seen. Sure, there are certainly some very nice axes I have seen in the past, but none have compared to this. I also like that you got me a ranged weapon as well. Throwing axes are most likely the most suitable ranged weapon for me," Kristoff said with a smile.


    "Of course, Kristoff. As soon as we went to the weaponsmith for the first time, Lucas and I were thinking of you and what your weapons of choice would be," the English prince explained.


    "Upon seeing Arnav Battle Axe and Barbeau Throwing Axe, Edmund and I decided to get these for you. It seems you like them," Lucas added with a smile.


    "Very much so. Thanks again, guys," the ice harvester said gratefully.


    "You are welcome," Lucas replied, smiling.


    "Of course, Kristoff," Edmund added with a grin.


    Cade was looking at ultramarine weapons of his own. The bow was known as Shatter Storm and the dual swords were called Truth and Fantasy. Edmund and Stephen had gotten the weapons for the Scottish prince after the English prince remembered Cade had been trained as an assassin.


    "Whoa. These are the shiniest weapons I have ever seen. I appreciate it, Edmund and Stephen," Cade said gratefully.


    "Anything for you, Cade. It makes me happy you like the weapons Stephen and I chose for you," the English prince responded.


    Cade beamed in return.


    The last of the men to open his gifts was Stephen. While Stephen was anticipating receiving weapons like the other men, he could not help but wonder what the weapons'' names were.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Stephen opened the gifts to reveal a sword named Loyal Protector and a bow called Tempest. Like the other weapons, both weapons were ultramarine, and the sword had a gold blade on it. Although Stephen insisted that he did not need anything for Christmas, Edmund and Lucas decided to get the weapons for him anyway.


    "Thank you, Edmund and Lucas. That was very nice of you guys," Stephen said with a nod of approval.


    "Of course, Stephen. I figured since everyone else was bound to receive weapons, you should get some as well," Edmund explained.


    "We felt if we did not get these for you, we would be leaving you out," Lucas added.


    "Ah, I would not have felt left out if you did not get these amazing weapons for me. I do appreciate them, nevertheless," Stephen said with a grin.


    This made the English prince and the Belgian prince smile.


    Once everyone had concluded with opening their gifts, Elsa announced, "That is not all for the gifts. Gentlemen, there is something in the armory for each of you, from me and Anna."


    The five men were curious as to what awaited them in the armory. Once the royals reached the entrance to the armory, the five men opened the door.


    What was before the five men left them utterly speechless. Standing before them were five sets of the shiniest, finest armor any of them had ever seen. Every set of armor had the same color as their respective weapons, as well as matching shields.


    "We made sure to get armor that would fit you guys based on your height and your body type," Anna explained before adding, "Olivia picked out the shields."


    Two of the sets of armor were the same as Edmund and Stephen had the exact same body types. The other three sets of armor were different to match the body type of each man. Kristoff, Lucas, and Cade were all taller than Edmund and Stephen. Lucas was just as muscular as Edmund and Stephen. Kristoff was not quite as muscular, but he was still strong. Cade was not as muscular as the other four men, but he was the tallest, and he still had a good amount of muscle on him.


    "Shall we try the armor on?" Edmund suggested.


    "Sure! Go ahead!" Anna exclaimed excitedly.


    The five men obliged, each getting into their respective sets of armor.


    Once the men were completely dressed into their sets of armor, they turned to face the three women and young girl before them.


    "Wow. You gentlemen look like true warriors," Elsa praised.


    "Well thank you. I appreciate you getting this set of armor for me. It not only fits nicely, but it is also the finest set of armor I have ever worn," Edmund said.


    "I have never used armor in combat before as part of my training. However, given how important armor is to protect oneself in combat, I think I will find it very useful in a potential future battle. I would like to thank you and your sister for getting this magnificent set of armor for me, Elsa," Cade elaborated.


    "There is not another set of armor I would wear in battle than this," Lucas stated determinedly, which earned a smile from everyone.


    "I agree with Lucas. This armor is perfect for any form of combat," Stephen praised with a nod of approval.


    "This armor is flat out unbelievable, to say the least. I never imagined myself wearing armor at any point in my life," Kristoff said. "Feels like a dream come true."


    The three women were thrilled the five men liked their sets of armor. While they did not know if a battle would take place in the future that called for wearing armor like that, Elsa, Anna, and Olivia figured if a battle did take place, the five men would be ready to protect their kingdoms and those they cared about most.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Once the royals put their gifts away, everyone headed to the Great Hall for breakfast. Everyone decided there should be a special kind of breakfast for Christmas morning. Therefore, everyone decided what kinds of breakfast food would be served.


    Anna had insisted on chocolate chip pancakes, which the royals happily agreed on. Christmas was one of those special occasions even Edmund, Stephen, Lucas, and Cade would treat themselves to chocolate and other assorted sweet treats. Even when treating themselves though, the four men always made sure to indulge smartly. They preferred dark chocolate over milk chocolate due to the health benefits dark chocolate possessed.


    Regardless, the castle cooks were glad to make some pancakes with milk chocolate chips and others with dark chocolate chips.


    "Wow! These chocolate chip pancakes are great!" Olivia said with a smile.


    "Glad you like them, Olivia. They are one of my favorites for breakfast," Anna stated.


    "Mine too. You can never go wrong with them on special occasions like this," the Swedish princess said.


    "No, you cannot," Anna responded in agreement.


    As the royals ate, Olivia noticed Edmund, Stephen, Lucas, and Cade had vegetable omelettes and assorted fruits along with their chocolate chip pancakes. The Swedish princess figured the four men liked to eat healthy food, even when they were treating themselves.


    "You guys sure like to eat," the Swedish princess said with a giggle.


    Edmund smiled. "With how hard we train every day, it requires a lot of energy for us to avoid getting tired."


    "I bet with how muscular you guys are," Olivia responded. "If I may ask, why do you guys do it?"


    Stephen was the first to speak up. "I started training Edmund the day he was born. One of the reasons I trained him was so he could defend himself should the situation call for it. Even with how strong we are, the last thing we like to do is brag about our strength and our abilities. I would say the biggest reason is we would like to live long, healthy lives."


    The Swedish princess nodded in understanding.


    There was a pleasant silence as everyone ate their breakfast. Once the royals were done eating, something came to Elsa''s mind. "Would everyone like to have another snowball fight like we did yesterday in a little while?"


    "That sounds great!" Cade exclaimed. "Before we do so, I would like to spend some time with Rachel."


    "Of course, Cade. We will see you later," Elsa said with a smile.


    The Scottish prince grinned back. "I will see all of you in a little bit." He then wiped his daughter''s face off with a napkin before he left the room with the young girl.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    After Cade spent some time with his daughter, he requested one of the castle staff members to watch over Rachel while he was out in the courtyard with everyone else. They were more than happy to do so, as they had grown fond of the young toddler.


    The Scottish prince made his way to the castle courtyard, where he saw Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, Edmund, Stephen, Lucas, and Olivia waiting.


    "You''re just in time, Cade! We were just about to get started, but we didn''t want to leave you out," Anna said.


    "Thank you, Anna," Cade responded. "Will teams be the same as last time?"


    The Arendelle princess nodded. "Yes. We will have Olivia on our team. That way each team will consist of four members each."


    "Sounds like a plan. Let''s have some fun," Cade said with a beam.


    Elsa grinned before she summoned a snowball fight battlefield identical to the one from yesterday, except some of the towers were in different places. The Snow Queen decided to mix things up a little bit.


    It would not be long before snowballs were flying everywhere from every direction.


    At one point, Lucas managed to get Olivia in the face with a snowball.


    "I will get you for that, Lucas!" the Swedish princess exclaimed, grinning as she wiped the snow off her face. She made her way around the snow structures before she found herself behind the Belgian prince. Olivia snuck up behind Lucas before she threw the snowball she possessed at him, striking him in the back of the head.


    The Swedish princess burst out laughing as Lucas turned around and brushed the snow off his head, smiling. "Alright, you got even."


    Lucas then ran toward Olivia and grabbed her by the waist, twirling her around. Olivia shrieked with delight as the Belgian prince spun her around. Thankfully for them, they had many snow structures surrounding them. Thus, the two royals did not have to worry about any snowballs hitting them. Lucas then set the Swedish princess back onto her feet.


    Olivia and Lucas were smiling up at each other. The Swedish princess then noticed they were standing right next to a large snowbank. She intentionally caused them to fall into the snowbank, and they then burst out laughing.


    Once they had calmed down, the couple were gazing at each other. "Merry Christmas, Lucas," Olivia said.


    "Merry Christmas, Olivia," the Belgian prince responded with a charming smile.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Unlike the previous snowball fight, the match was won by Edmund, Stephen, Lucas, and Cade. Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, and Olivia were good sports about it, admitting defeat with dignity.


    "Well, looks like you guys win round two," Elsa said.


    "I guess that means we have each won one match each. Next time we will have to see who wins a second match," Edmund said with a smile.


    "Maybe we should all go inside and get warmed up. Looks like everyone is all wet," Lucas said.


    "After we all get dried up, I was thinking we should all have some hot chocolate to drink," Stephen stated.


    "That sounds great!" Anna exclaimed in agreement. She loved drinking hot chocolate, especially during the cold winter months.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    During the rest of Christmas Day, the royals spent some quality time together. They played chess, read some Christmas books, and Edmund and Stephen played Christmas themed pieces on the piano for everyone.


    Christmas dinner consisted of roasted turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry sauce, and assorted vegetables. Dessert was apple pie, fruitcake, and Christmas pudding.


    It was a wonderful Christmas for everyone, especially for Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff. Their first Christmas together would be one they would never forget.


    Elsa and Edmund were walking to the Snow Queen''s bedroom, holding hands. They smiled up at each other as they walked. The Ice Queen saw the English prince had the most charming smile.


    "This was a wonderful Christmas," Edmund said. "I would like to thank you for inviting me to spend it with you."


    "You are welcome, Edmund. Thank you for making this first Christmas together one to remember," Elsa replied with a beautiful smile.


    The English prince took a moment to admire the Snow Queen. He had never seen a woman with such beauty and compassion. "Of course, Elsa. Anything for you."


    "I could say the same for you, Edmund," the Snow Queen responded.


    With a grateful smile, Edmund gently cupped her face in his large hands. "Merry Christmas, Elsa."


    "Merry Christmas, Edmund," Elsa responded as she wrapped her arms around his neck.


    Edmund then leaned down and kissed her passionately. Elsa was caught by surprise for a moment, but ultimately relaxed and returned the kiss. The Snow Queen realized at that point, she had fallen in love with the English prince. While they had known each other for only twenty-four days, it was crystal clear how they felt about each other.


    Once they finally pulled away, the two royals were still looking into each other''s icy blue eyes.


    "Elsa?" Edmund said, breaking the silence.


    "Yes?" Elsa responded.


    "There is something I need to tell you," the English prince stated.


    "What is it, Edmund?" Elsa wondered, curious as to where the English prince was going with this.


    "Elsa, I love you," Edmund finally said after a moment of silence.


    The Snow Queen froze. Tears began to form in Elsa''s eyes. "Oh, Edmund! I love you too."


    Their lips met in another passionate kiss. They were at last able to be so open about how they felt about each other. It had been the most wonderful night of their lives.


    When they finally pulled away, having run out of breath, Edmund scooped her up into his arms bridal style and led Elsa to her bedroom. He carefully opened the door to the Ice Queen''s bedroom, taking care not to injure her or knock something over.


    The Snow Queen smiled up at the English prince holding her in his arms. She admired his strikingly handsome face.


    Edmund carefully placed Elsa onto her bed and smiled down at her. "Merry Christmas, Elsa. I hope you sleep well tonight."


    "Thank you, Edmund. Merry Christmas to you as well," Elsa replied with a smile.


    Edmund leaned down and kissed her forehead before he then left the room to allow Elsa to get some rest.


    After the English prince had gently closed her door, the Ice Queen was humming happily. She could not believe it. When she was a little girl, she feared no man would accept her for who she was due to her powers. Edmund saw past Elsa''s magical abilities and saw her for who she really was; a beautiful, compassionate woman. The English prince had swept her off her feet. Elsa was happy Edmund accepted her even with her powers. It had been a Christmas to remember for her and the other royals, and she was looking forward to celebrating many more in the future.

 Chapter 36

    I would like to thank roxygoth, BurningFox6, krystal lazuli, and LukeJames for beta reading and helping me improve!


    Feedback is always appreciated!


    Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen. Frozen is owned by Disney. I only lay claim to Prince Edmund, Prince Lucas, Master Stephen, Prince Cade, Princess Olivia, and anyone else you do not recognize from Frozen.


    Chapter 36


    Courtesy of Olaf, it did not take long for the rest of the royals to know about Elsa and Edmund becoming an official couple. Everyone was so excited and happy for the two royals. The Snow Queen and the English prince insisted however, that they were taking it slow. It was much too early to be thinking about marriage when they had barely started dating.


    Over the next several days after Christmas, Elsa and Edmund went on numerous dates, and both enjoyed every single one of them. Their first date was walking around the kingdom to enjoy themselves. The townspeople were thrilled their Queen had a new boyfriend, and they congratulated her on becoming a girlfriend.


    Following the first date, they attended a couple of plays and concerts, and other times the couple just had some fun with Elsa''s powers in the ballroom.


    While Elsa was elated to call herself Edmund''s girlfriend, there were times she worried about messing things up, as she had never dated anyone before. The English prince assured her, however, that she would be just fine. Edmund''s words deeply touched the Snow Queen. She was happy to be dating a man who would do anything to make her happy. The royals may have just started dating each other, but that did not stop Elsa from thinking about the possibility of them getting married in the future. She wondered what would happen if Edmund became her husband.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    It was New Year''s Eve. Not only did it mean a new year was upon them, but Stephen''s birthday as well. The brown-haired man had been born at one o''clock in the morning on New Year''s Day. While the royals were usually deep in their sleep by that time, they figured they could at least stay awake long enough for Stephen''s official birthday to celebrate it. They could just sleep in or go to bed early on New Year''s Day to make up for any sleep they lost.


    The Ice Queen had planned a New Year''s celebration for the townspeople as well.


    Olaf gasped upon hearing the news about Stephen turning fifty. "Yay! I am so happy for him! Does this mean we all get cake and ice cream?"


    Elsa nodded with a giggle. "Yes, it does. That does not mean you get it all to yourself, Olaf. Just remember it is Stephen''s birthday, not yours."


    "Okay!" the snowman responded with a nod and a grin.


    The Snow Queen could not help but giggle silently at the snowman''s mischievous personality. Elsa reminded herself to keep an eye on him to make sure he did not eat all the cake and ice cream.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    The royals spent the day having a good time with each other. After breakfast, they had another snowball fight in the courtyard. Once their snowball fight had concluded, they did everything they could think of; the royals played chess, read books, listened to Edmund and Stephen play the piano, and did many more activities. Cade made sure to spend some time with his daughter, as he knew Rachel would not be able to stay up until midnight. That would be well past her bedtime.


    Everyone bundled up after dinner to head into the town, except Elsa. Since the cold never bothered her, the Snow Queen never felt the need for a jacket.


    The Scottish prince had decided to have his daughter go to bed early. He did not want her to stay up too late and end up crabby. Cade made sure to find someone to look after her while he was in the town.


    Upon arriving in the town, the royals were greeted by the townspeople. They gazed at the clock tower. It read seven o''clock, meaning there were five hours left in the year, and six until Stephen''s true birthday.


    "I was thinking it could be just the guys and the girls spending time with each other for a little while. Maybe Elsa, Olivia, and I could go look around while you guys go to a tavern or something," Anna suggested.


    "That is a great idea," Edmund said, nodding in agreement. "Should we maybe meet up again at the town square in a while?"


    "Yes! We will see you guys later!" the princess exclaimed.


    The English prince smiled as Elsa took his hand. "Hope you have fun, Elsa. I will see you later," Edmund replied.


    "I will see you in a little while, Edmund. Make sure not to drink too much," the Ice Queen said teasingly.


    "You do realize I do not drink alcohol, right?" Edmund responded.


    This made the Snow Queen laugh. "I am just teasing, Edmund."


    Edmund chuckled. "I know." He kissed his girlfriend''s hand. "I hope you, Anna, and Olivia have a good time."


    "You as well, Edmund," Elsa said with a beam as she waved at her boyfriend.


    The English prince waved back with a smile as everyone went their separate ways.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Edmund, Stephen, Lucas, Cade, and Kristoff walked around town for a little bit before they saw a tavern.


    "Have any of you guys been to a tavern before?" Edmund asked.


    "I have been to taverns a few times in the past. While I have never had any alcohol in my life, there are other things you can do inside a tavern besides just drinking," Stephen said.


    "I was beginning to wonder if I would even be allowed inside an establishment like that since I am only nineteen," Cade replied.


    "You should be fine honestly, as long as you do not consume any alcoholic beverages," the English prince pointed out. "I myself have been to taverns several times, and not once have I had any alcohol."


    "I began to go to taverns when I was a teenager. My family and I went there for the first time together when I turned sixteen. While I do not plan on ever consuming alcohol, they do have good non-alcoholic sparkling ciders I enjoy during special occasions," Lucas explained.


    Kristoff was a little hesitant to go inside the tavern. He was not exactly used to large crowds of people. With a special event such as New Years, he expected the tavern to be packed. However, it did ease his mind knowing he would be going with people he knew.


    "Not once in my life have I ever been to a tavern. I was never really around people until after I met Anna," the ice harvester explained.


    "It sounds like life was a little lonely for you," Cade said, sympathy in his voice.


    Kristoff shrugged. "It wasn''t too bad honestly. At first, I didn''t like being around other people. During my time living in the mountains, other than being with Sven, I was a loner. That is, until I met Anna. Since then, I''ve come to realize people aren''t as bad as I thought they were."


    The Scottish prince smiled. "I am happy Anna was able to help your life become much brighter."


    The ice harvester grinned. "I wouldn''t necessarily say my life was dark or anything like that. Thank you though."


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    "You are welcome, Kristoff," Cade replied with a nod of approval.


    Soon the five men entered the tavern. As they expected, there were a lot of people inside, eating numerous types of food and consuming mugs of beer. There were others sitting around a lit fireplace to keep warm.


    The bartender greeted them. "Good evening, gentlemen. How many are in your group tonight?"


    "We would like your finest table for five please," Edmund said.


    "Certainly. Right this way, gentlemen," the bartender replied as he led them to a table with a large lit candle in the middle surrounded by a glass container.


    Once everyone had seated themselves around the table, the bartender asked, "What may I get started for you gentlemen tonight?"


    "Do you have any non-alcoholic beverages?" Stephen asked.


    "We certainly do. There is water, sparkling cider, tea, coffee, hot chocolate, and more," the bartender explained.


    The five men decided to have sparkling apple cider. They thought it would be the perfect drink to consume for the occasion.


    Once the royals received their drinks, Edmund raised his glass. "I would like to give a toast to a great year, and to everyone I have in my life. Cheers."


    The five men clinked their glasses together and began to drink their sparkling cider.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Elsa, Anna, and Olivia were consuming some chocolate chip cookies at the kingdom bakery. Numerous residents were also eating assorted baked goods, such as cupcakes and pastries.


    "These are delicious chocolate chip cookies. Some of the best I have ever had," the Swedish princess said with a smile.


    "Glad you like them, Your Highness," the baker stated, happy the three royals enjoyed his chocolate chip cookies. The baker took baking very seriously, only getting the best ingredients money could buy. He cared much more about making a great product than about money. While he knew it did help to have profits, the baker wanted to make sure he was only baking the best baked goods possible.


    "You have never let me, my sister, or anyone else down. We are thankful you are the kingdom baker," Elsa added, grinning.


    "I am just doing what I love every day to the best of my ability," the baker said, touched by the Ice Queen''s words.


    The princess was wolfing down some cookies, which made Elsa and Olivia giggle silently.


    "You might want to slow down a little bit, Anna. We cannot have you getting sick on New Year''s," Olivia said.


    "Don''t worry Olivia. I''ll be fine," Anna replied with a smirk as she finished the last of her chocolate chip cookies.


    Once the three women had eaten their chocolate chip cookies and paid for them, they wished the baker a Happy New Year and then left the bakery.


    "What would you guys like to do next?" Anna asked.


    "I was thinking we let Olivia decide since she is the guest," Elsa suggested.


    "While I do appreciate that, we can do whatever you two would like. I am up for anything," Olivia replied.


    "Maybe we could walk around for a little bit?" the princess suggested.


    "Works for me," the Swedish princess responded with a grin as the three women began to walk around town.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    The royals had a wonderful time that evening. After the five men were done spending time at the tavern, they met the three women in town square. Everyone spent the rest of the time before midnight doing various activities around town, browsing through the numerous stores and shops the town offered. The atmosphere was convivial the entire time.


    Time went by fast for everyone. Before they knew it, the clock tower indicated midnight was nearing. The royals and the townspeople gathered in the middle of the town square in anticipation of the new year.


    "Since the New Year is upon us, what is everyone hoping for this upcoming year?" Stephen asked.


    "I am hoping the New Year will begin on a high note with your fiftieth birthday, and that Elsa and I can continue to grow together as a couple," Edmund replied with a smile as he gently wrapped an arm around Elsa''s waist.


    "What I would like to see for this new year is to continue with making sure Arendelle continues to thrive for many years to come. It makes me happy to call this wonderful kingdom home," Elsa said, smiling up at Edmund''s handsome face.


    "Nothing would thrill me more than for this new year to be the best year yet for everyone. Not only is it a new year, but a new decade as well," Lucas stated before turning to Olivia. "I would also like to see Olivia and I grow together as well."


    "The feeling is mutual," the Swedish princess responded with a beam.


    "As for me, I would like to continue with raising Rachel and hopefully maybe find my special someone in the next couple of years. However, I will not rush it as I would like to make sure to find the right women for both of us," Cade explained.


    "The biggest goal for me is to continue growing as a person and continue to develop relationships with those I am closest to," Kristoff said.


    Anna nuzzled up to the ice harvester''s shoulder. The couple smiled at each other before Anna said, "Same goes for me. Hope this new year is great for everyone!"


    A few moments later, the clocktower struck midnight, and everyone erupted into cheers, chanting "Happy New Year!" and giving hugs to their loved ones.


    Elsa and Edmund hugged each other, along with Anna and Kristoff, and Olivia and Lucas. Stephen and Cade shook each other''s hands before they patted each other on the back.


    Soon everyone hugged one another, shook hands, and patted each other''s backs in celebration.


    The loud cheers went on for a good ten minutes before everyone began to quiet down.


    Elsa made her way to the center of the town.


    "Good evening, everyone, and Happy New Year!" Elsa started with jubilance.


    The crowd cheered.


    "I would like to thank everyone for celebrating the New Year and making tonight special," the Snow Queen continued. "It is very late now, and I am sure everyone is getting tired. Before we call it a night, it is okay if everyone could stay up for just one more hour? Sir Stephen''s birthday is today, and he was officially born at one o''clock in the morning. He is turning fifty today, and I was hoping we could make his fiftieth birthday his best one yet. Does that work for everyone?"


    There was a moment of silence before the crowd cheered again, all while chanting Stephen''s name.


    That reaction said it all. The townspeople were more than happy to ensure Stephen''s birthday was a memorable one.


    Most of the buildings were closed for New Years at that point, but to Stephen it did not matter. He only cared about everyone having a great time.


    One of the few buildings that was still open was the tavern. Thus, everyone went there. With the freezing weather outside, they were just going somewhere to stay warm in the freezing weather.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    "Only fifteen minutes until one o''clock!" the bartender announced as the crowd cheered. In only fifteen minutes, Stephen would be halfway to being a century old.


    It was hard for Stephen to believe he was turning fifty. Time had gone by so fast for him. He enjoyed every moment of his life, but it felt like only yesterday his earliest memory had taken place.


    Stephen''s earliest memory was his first birthday. He remembered when his parents were smiling and laughing, as he had cake all over his face. While he was only a toddler back then, Stephen remembered he was giggling after he ate the cake his parents had given him.


    Stephen was gathered at the finest table in the tavern with the other four men, along with Elsa, Anna, and Olivia. The three women had never been in a tavern before, and though they did feel a little uncomfortable, they took solace knowing they were with people they trusted, and the bartender made sure to make them feel welcome.


    The royals were consuming glasses of sparkling apple cider. They took sips of their drinks and set their glasses back onto the table.


    Edmund noticed his mentor was thinking about something. "Is everything alright, Stephen?"


    Stephen nodded at his student. "Everything is great. I was just thinking about my earliest memory."


    The English prince''s eyebrows rose in curiosity. "What was your earliest memory?"


    Stephen cleared his throat so he could speak to everyone at the table. At that moment, Stephen had the attention of Edmund and the other royals.


    "The earliest thing I can remember is the day I turned one year old. As you could probably guess, because I was just a little toddler back then, I did not exactly know how to eat properly with silverware. My parents gave me some cake to eat, and after I was finished eating, I had cake all over my face," the brown-haired man said with a sheepish smile.


    This caused the other royals to laugh.


    "Since you will be fifty very soon, what do you hope to accomplish in your fifties?" Elsa asked.


    "I am hoping to continue taking extremely good care of my body. The older you get, the stricter your diet must be to keep your body in shape. At this point, my prime days are behind me, but I feel like I still have a lot left in the tank. I would advise you guys to enjoy your twenties while you can, because in the blink of an eye, you will all be my age," Stephen said with a smile.


    "That sounds like a good goal, Stephen," the Snow Queen said, beaming.


    "I am just trying to do whatever I can to live as long a life as possible," Stephen replied with a shrug.


    "With how healthy your diet is, I would not be surprised if you lived to be one hundred or older," Lucas stated.


    "As much as I would like to reach the century mark, I will take it one day at a time. The only day you can control is today. Therefore, I think I will enjoy today with you guys. I am very thankful to be celebrating my fiftieth birthday with such amazing people. You all are like children to me I never had," Stephen stated with a grateful beam.


    The young royals were touched by Stephen''s words. It meant a lot to them how Stephen considered them to be his kids in everything but blood.


    "We are also thankful for having you and the other guests in our lives, Stephen. You, Edmund, Lucas, Cade, Rachel, and Olivia are the greatest guests we could ever ask for," Anna said with a smile.


    "Looks like one o''clock is about to take place," Cade said after glancing at the clock.


    Soon the clock struck one. The moment it did, the tavern erupted into cheers, and everyone was chanting Stephen''s name and giving him birthday wishes.


    Everyone had a great time, especially Stephen. It warmed his heart everyone had gone out of their way to make his birthday special.


    Soon everyone got tired and made their way home, but not before wishing Stephen a Happy Birthday one last time before they left the tavern.


    The royals were the last to leave the tavern. Everyone was exhausted from staying up so late. However, it had all been worth it to help Stephen have a birthday he would never forget.


    Once everyone returned to the castle, the royals all wished Stephen a Happy Birthday one more time before they went to bed.


    It had been a wonderful fiftieth birthday for Stephen. He did not think it could have gone any better. With how easygoing a man he was, Stephen was perfectly fine with not getting any gifts. All he cared about was everyone having a great time. Besides, he did not think any gift could top Loyal Protector or Tempest.


    He looked forward to celebrating many more birthdays in the future. For now, though, he was content with being fifty.

 Chapter 37

    I would like to thank roxygoth, BurningFox6, krystal lazuli, and LukeJames for beta reading and helping me improve!


    Feedback is always appreciated!


    Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen. Frozen is owned by Disney. I only lay claim to Prince Edmund, Prince Lucas, Master Stephen, Prince Cade, Princess Olivia, and anyone else you do not recognize from Frozen.


    Chapter 37


    Most of the royals slept in for New Year''s Day, except for Edmund and Stephen. They were up earlier than everyone else as the two men got their usual six hours of sleep they needed to be fully recharged for the following day.


    "Happy Birthday, Stephen," Edmund said to his mentor, smiling.


    "Thank you, Edmund. Everyone has made my birthday a truly extraordinary one this year," Stephen responded with a grin.


    "Well, you only turn fifty once," the English prince pointed out.


    "That is true. I would like to enjoy the milestone while I can," Stephen replied.


    The two men soon reached the Great Hall. Stephen was surprised at what he saw on the long table.


    There were assorted fruits and vegetables of every kind on the table. Seeing the two royals enter, the head chef bowed. "Good morning, gentlemen. I have heard Sir Stephen''s birthday is today. Therefore, I prepared an all you can eat fruits and vegetables meal for him. Happy Birthday, Sir Stephen," the head chef explained with a beam.


    "Thank you very much. I appreciate it," Stephen stated gratefully.


    "You are welcome, Your Highness. I hope you enjoy," the head cook replied before he went back into the kitchen to let Stephen enjoy his food.


    Stephen gazed at the vast variety of fresh fruits and vegetables in front of him, noting many of his favorites such as oranges, blueberries, and bananas were included. With a smile of satisfaction at such a healthy choice of food for his meal, he filled his plate and sat down to enjoy it. After eating for a few moments, Stephen noticed his student was still standing by the table.


    "Are you going to have anything to eat, Edmund?" Stephen wondered.


    "This is your birthday breakfast," Edmund said, hesitant to touch any of the fruits and vegetables.


    The brown-haired man chuckled. "Ed, I do not mind sharing. With how many fruits and vegetables there are, I have no chance of eating all of this by myself. Sure, you and I eat a lot, but I can guarantee you there is enough food on this table for everyone else as well once they wake up," Stephen said before adding, "Besides, there is a reason why they say sharing is caring."


    "You are correct about that," Edmund responded with a sheepish smile before he sat down and began to consume some oranges.


    There was a pleasant silence as the two men continued eating. Ever since they were little boys, both men knew diets high in fruits and vegetables would go a long way with how long they would be around. Even when treating themselves, they still consumed lots of assorted fruits and vegetables every day.


    "Is there anything special you would like to do for your birthday?" the English prince asked his mentor, curious if there was still something Stephen hoped to do before his birthday passed.


    "Honestly, we do not need to do anything special. While that would be appreciated, it is not necessary. I was touched that the entire kingdom stayed up late enough for my official birthday. That made my night. Still, if you guys would like to do something fun today, I would be more than happy to see what you have in mind," Stephen elaborated.


    "Will do," Edmund replied with a grin.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Elsa was the first of the other royals to wake up. Upon waking up and getting dressed, she looked out the window. It was a cloudy day with a little wind. Not enough to cause any serious wind chills but still enough where one could notice. It looked like snow would fall later in the day.


    The Snow Queen smiled. She was thrilled the people of her kingdom were willing to stay up long enough for Stephen. They would likely sleep in later than they usually did, but it was all worth it to make Stephen''s birthday one he would never forget.


    The Ice Queen made her way to the Great Hall for breakfast. Upon entering, she saw Edmund and Stephen consuming numerous fruits and vegetables in bowls scattered across the table.


    "Happy Birthday, Stephen," Elsa greeted with a smile.


    "Thank you, Elsa. Feel free to help yourself to all these fruits and vegetables the cooks served," Stephen said, gesturing towards the fruits and vegetables with a grin.


    "Will do. Thank you," the Snow Queen responded as she sat beside her boyfriend and picked some strawberries out of one of the bowls.


    "How did you sleep, Edmund?" Elsa asked.


    "I slept great. How about you?" Edmund wondered.


    "It felt good to sleep in after staying up late," the Snow Queen said.


    "At least it was worth it to celebrate the exact time Stephen was born on New Year''s Day, right?" the English prince asked.


    "Absolutely," Elsa replied with a smile.


    "I appreciate everything you and everyone else have done for me today. Really, I do," Stephen said gratefully.


    "Of course, Stephen. You deserve to have your fiftieth birthday be the best birthday yet," Elsa responded.


    "Everyone has done a wonderful job to ensure just that," the brown-haired man replied with a nod of approval.


    "Is everyone else still sleeping?" Edmund wondered.


    "Last time I saw them, yes. They should be here any moment now though," Elsa responded.


    Soon enough, Anna, Kristoff, Olivia, Lucas, Cade, and Rachel joined the three in the Great Hall. Once they entered, everyone made sure to wish Stephen a Happy Birthday before they sat down at the table to enjoy the fruits and vegetables the cooks provided them with for breakfast.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Once the royals finished the fruits and vegetables, they made their way down the castle hallways.


    "Would everyone like to do another snowball fight in the courtyard?" Stephen suggested.


    "Yes! That would be great!" Anna exclaimed.


    "Perfect. Then shall we head over there?" Stephen asked.


    "We shall," Anna responded with a grin as the royals began to walk to the courtyard.


    Soon the royals were in the courtyard, ready to begin their snowball fight.


    "Hey guys? Is it okay if I sit this one out? I would like to let Rachel have her chance to play in the snow," Cade said.


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    "Of course, Cade. I can create a snowy area where no snowballs can reach you and Rachel," Elsa replied as she summoned up the snowy battlefield, making sure to create an area in one of the corners of the courtyard where Cade could spend time with his daughter. The last thing anyone wanted was for the toddler to get injured by someone accidentally hitting her with a snowball. That would not be a good thing to experience.


    "Thank you, Elsa. I hope you guys have fun," the Scottish prince said with a smile.


    "You are welcome, Cade," the Snow Queen replied, beaming.


    The Scottish prince led his young daughter to the area where they would be protected from the snowballs that would inevitably fly there. After that, everyone was deciding on teams.


    "I was thinking this time, it could just be free for all. Everyone for themselves?" Stephen suggested.


    "That sounds like fun. We have yet to do a match like that," Elsa said in agreement. A snowball then formed in her hand as she smirked. "Let the match begin."


    The Ice Queen then unleashed a flurry of snowballs at everyone while they all ran to take cover behind the snow structures.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Cade was watching his daughter going down the snow slides, smiling. He was proud to call Rachel his daughter.


    As he watched her, he was thinking about some of his earliest memories from when he was Rachel''s age. The Scottish prince remembered when he saw a similar snow slide Rachel had gone down while they were in town. Unlike his daughter, he went right up to the slide without any fear. His parents, however, were concerned about the possibility of him falling off and getting injured. Therefore, Cade was only allowed to go down the tall slide under the supervision of Catherine and Kenneth. He did not mind one bit, however, as he at least got to go down the slide.


    Cade did not notice his daughter walk up to him with snow in one of her hands. He was snapped from his thoughts when Rachel shoved snow in his face and laughed.


    The Scottish prince brushed the snow off his face and smiled sheepishly.


    "Hey Rachel," Cade said with a smirk on his face.


    "What, Daddy?" Rachel asked.


    "I am going to get you!" Cade exclaimed as he began to chase his daughter.


    Rachel screamed with delight as she did her best to get away from her father. She ran as fast as her two-year-old legs would allow. Cade made sure to run fast enough where he could keep up with her, but also slow enough where he would move at the same speed as her.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    A snowball struck Lucas in the face. Olivia had been the one to throw it.


    "That was you, Olivia!" the Belgian prince called out with a grin.


    "You better believe it!" the Swedish princess answered, smirking.


    Lucas made his way around the snow buildings, searching for Olivia. Soon he found her hiding behind a snowbank, throwing a snowball at Stephen. Lucas hid behind the structure before Olivia could notice him, watching as Stephen effortlessly dodged the snowball.


    Seeing his chance, the Belgian prince threw the snowball at Olivia, managing to strike her in the back.


    The Swedish princess immediately turned around to see who managed to get her. "Alright who was that? Was that you, Lucas?"


    Lucas appeared out of his hiding place. "Yes, it was," he replied with a smirk.


    Olivia formed a snowball and threw it at the Belgian prince, who effortlessly dodged it. She then began to chase Lucas, only to have him hide behind a snow structure and wrap his arms around her waist. He then lifted her up in the air, and Olivia shrieked with delight.


    "Hey! No fair!" the Swedish princess exclaimed. "You pick me up like I do not weigh anything!"


    This caused Lucas to chuckle before he set her down on her feet. "You do not weigh anything."


    Olivia giggled as she placed her hands on one of Lucas'' arms. His arm felt so hard underneath his clothing.


    "You are so strong. What have you done to get so strong?" the Swedish princess wondered.


    "I love to lift weights and run," Lucas replied. "Ever since I started lifting weights, I found it to be something I really enjoy."


    "I sure can respect that," Olivia said with a smile before it turned into a smirk.


    "What is with that smirk on your face?" Lucas asked, only to have some snow shoved into his face by the Swedish princess.


    Olivia laughed as Lucas wiped the snow off his face, grinning. "Oh, I see how it is," Lucas said as he went after the Swedish princess, who screamed with delight as she ran, trying to outrun the Belgian prince.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Stephen was expertly dodging all the snowballs Elsa was unleashing at him. Even at fifty years old, he could still exercise vigorously for several hours without getting tired.


    The brown-haired man then ran forward and jumped behind a snowbank for protection.


    Elsa smiled as she then summoned a large snowball above where she thought Stephen was and whirled it to the ground. Stephen, however, was ready, as he rolled out of the way and sent a snowball right into the Snow Queen''s face.


    The Ice Queen wiped the snow off her face with a smile. "How did you do that Stephen? Even behind the snowbank, you still knew where I was aiming that snowball."


    Stephen merely shrugged. "Noah taught me to respect my surroundings, no matter where you are. You must remain alert at all times."


    Elsa grinned before she summoned another snowball in her hand. Before she could throw it at Stephen, however, she got hit with a snowball by Edmund.


    "I am going to get you for that one, Edmund!" Elsa called before she ran after her boyfriend with another snowball.


    The English prince smirked as he got ready to throw a snowball of his own in her direction.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Anna darted out from a snow building, managing to get Kristoff square in the forehead with a snowball.


    "Ha! Gotcha, Kristoff!" the Arendelle princess exclaimed.


    The ice harvester shook his head with a chuckle. "You just wait, Anna! I will get you back!" he called to his girlfriend as he followed where he saw Anna disappear behind a snow structure.


    A snowball flew his way, and this time Kristoff was able to duck before the snowball could hit him. Seizing his chance, he went after Anna, and managed to strike her with a snowball of his own.


    "Alright! You got me!" Anna replied as she shook her head with a grin.


    "Told you so," Kristoff replied with a smirk.


    The couple then burst out laughing as they playfully chased each other around, throwing snowballs at each other.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    The snowball fight was perhaps the most intense one they had had since the guests first arrived a month ago. Everyone was dripping wet from all the snow they struck each other with. Regardless, everyone had a great time, especially Stephen. It brought back memories from his childhood when he had snowball fights with the other young boys back in Ireland. Stephen remembered at one point, before he met Matthew, he was having a very intense snowball fight one winter, and of all the boys that participated, he was the only one not to get hit. The other boys were impressed with his strategic skills, and they told young Stephen those skills could prove useful when he was older. After training with Noah, Stephen realized there were so many skills that were useful to becoming a great fighter, and some of them might have had nothing to do with fighting at all.


    Cade and Rachel were a little wet from the snow, but not nearly as much as everyone else. The Scottish prince could not help but chuckle at how wet everyone was from the snowball fight. Even though he did not participate, he was perfectly fine with it. The royals were some of the closest friends he ever had. Cade felt like they were family to him. Nothing mattered more to Cade and the other royals than family.


    After everyone had taken their baths and gotten into fresh clothes, they did many assorted activities Stephen enjoyed. Stephen played more piano pieces for everyone, and the royals also read some books and played chess.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Dinner for the royals consisted of salmon and assorted vegetables. Salmon was Stephen''s favorite kind of fish to eat.


    After having the big ball for her birthday, Elsa decided to keep it small for Stephen. While she knew Stephen would be okay either way, Elsa thought it was best for him to celebrate his birthday with those he was closest to. The Snow Queen felt like Stephen was a father figure to her and the other young royals.


    "This salmon is great! I would like to thank you for allowing me to choose salmon for my birthday dinner," Stephen said with a smile.


    "You do like to eat healthy, Stephen. Therefore, I thought fish would be a good choice for you to make. After all, your birthday is only once a year," Elsa replied.


    "That is true," Stephen responded with a nod.


    After dinner, everyone had cake and ice cream for dessert. Stephen had requested a yellow cake for his birthday. Like her birthday, Elsa had the castle cooks and the kingdom baker work together to bake only the highest quality cake they could muster.


    It deeply touched Stephen that everyone had gone out of their way to make sure his fiftieth birthday was a special one. While the milestone was huge, Stephen was not one to demand doing anything big for his birthday. All he cared about was spending time with those he was closest to.


    Once dessert had concluded, everyone made sure to give Stephen birthday wishes one more time before they went to bed.


    While the other royals went to their rooms to get some rest, Stephen decided he did not want to go to bed just yet. He went to the doctor''s office to see Captain William.


    "Ah, Sir Stephen. Happy Birthday to you, my good sir," the captain greeted.


    "Thank you, Captain. How is your knee feeling?" Stephen asked.


    "Much better than when I first injured it. While I am not one hundred percent just yet, I am confident I will get there before the end of winter. I will still follow the doctor''s orders though to make sure there are no long-term complications or aggravations," the captain explained. "How was your birthday today?"


    "It was a great birthday, to say the least. Elsa, Edmund, and everyone else made sure it was one I would never forget. Fifty never felt so good," Stephen said with a smile.


    "My word! Wow! You are older than I thought!" the captain replied with a chuckle. "Looking good."


    Stephen chuckled in return. "Thank you, Captain. I am thrilled to hear you are getting better every day. At this rate, you will without a doubt be back to full strength before winter is over."


    "You are welcome, Stephen," the captain responded with a grin.


    "I think I am going to get some rest now. Have a good night, Captain," Stephen stated.


    "You do the same, Stephen. Happy Birthday," Captain William replied, beaming.


    The two men shook hands and saluted each other before Stephen left the doctor''s office. Gently closing the door, the brown-haired man smiled. This was a birthday he would remember for the rest of his life. Even though he knew he had peaked already, he still felt his story was far from over.


    It was a new decade for the brown-haired man, as well as a new chapter in his life. He was looking forward to seeing where his fifties would take him.

 Chapter 38

    I would like to thank roxygoth, BurningFox6, krystal lazuli, and LukeJames for beta reading and helping me improve!


    Feedback is always appreciated!


    Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen. Frozen is owned by Disney. I only lay claim to Prince Edmund, Prince Lucas, Master Stephen, Prince Cade, Princess Olivia, and anyone else you do not recognize from Frozen.


    Chapter 38


    The month of January went by quickly for the royals. Over the course of the month, Elsa and Edmund spent more time with each other, going on numerous dates and sometimes just staying inside the castle to read books. Edmund realized he was truly grateful to call the Ice Queen his girlfriend.


    Toward the end of January, Lucas worked up the courage to ask Olivia out on a date, which she gladly accepted. The first date for the two was going to a concert, just like Lucas had done while spending time with Elsa. With how the Belgian prince felt about the Swedish princess, he was content to having a friendship with the Snow Queen. Everyone was happy for Lucas, especially Edmund. The English prince was thrilled his best friend had found the right woman.


    Anna and Kristoff went on a few dates as well. The ice harvester took his girlfriend on a ride with Sven in his sled, and they had another snowball fight. Kristoff loved Anna more than anything and wanted to do anything he could to ensure her happiness and well-being. However, the ice harvester felt they were still not ready to take the next step yet. They had known each other for six months, which Kristoff felt was not quite long enough to think about proposing to Anna. He would ask for her hand in marriage when the right time came.


    Captain William had fully recovered by the end of January, much to everyone''s delight, especially Stephen. Now they could go back to their routine of taking turns patrolling the palace. Stephen was relieved the injury would not be a long-term issue for the captain.


    Cade spent time with Rachel, allowing his daughter to play in the snow under his supervision. Though he was tempted to teach the young girl how to ice-skate, the Scottish prince felt Rachel was not ready to do that just yet. Cade did not want to do anything that could risk his young daughter getting injured.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    February meant Lucas would be turning twenty-two years old. The royals spent the first week of the month preparing for the Belgian prince''s birthday.


    "What do you think we should do for Lucas to celebrate his birthday?" Elsa asked.


    "I am sure whatever we come up with, big or small, Lucas will enjoy it," the English prince responded. "Luc is the kind of guy that only cares about having a great time with those he is closest to."


    "Perhaps we could do ice-skating?" the Snow Queen suggested.


    Edmund nodded at the suggestion with a smile. "Perfect! I have not ice-skated here yet, and I heard about it being the finest in the world here upon arriving two months ago."


    Elsa grinned. "After I thawed Arendelle from the eternal winter, the kingdom and I celebrated by ice-skating in the courtyard. I remember teaching Anna how to ice-skate. She was hesitant at first, but I insisted she would do just fine."


    "How did your sister do?" Edmund wondered.


    "She did great! Not once did she fall over," the Snow Queen replied.


    "I am glad to hear she did not hurt herself," the English prince stated. "Did you create the ice rink yourself? With your powers?"


    Elsa nodded. "We had a great time. I thought it was the perfect way to celebrate me learning how to control my powers and successfully bringing back summer."


    "I am happy to hear you were able to end the frozen summer. It sounds like things would not have ended so well had you been unable to control your powers," Edmund said sympathetically as he gently wrapped an arm around her waist.


    "Everything would have been horrible had I not learned to control them. Thanks to Anna''s determination, I learned how to control them," Elsa said, wrapping an arm around her boyfriend''s broad shoulders.


    "Through love, right?" Edmund inquired.


    "Precisely," the Ice Queen replied with a smile. "I love you, Edmund. You have no idea how proud I am to call you my boyfriend."


    The English prince beamed. "I love you too, Elsa." He then leaned down and kissed her passionately, and she happily returned the kiss.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    "Can you believe your birthday is coming up? You will be twenty-two soon!" Olivia exclaimed, excited for her boyfriend.


    "I know. It is hard to believe I will be twenty-two. I am getting old," Lucas said jokingly with a smile.


    The Swedish princess giggled. "You have not even touched your prime years, Lucas. Might as well enjoy your twenties while you can."


    "Right," the Belgian prince responded with a chuckle. "When is your birthday?"


    "May 13th," Olivia responded. "I will be turning twenty-one this year."


    Lucas smiled at his girlfriend. "Will you be doing anything special for your birthday this year?"


    "My family is planning on having a ball the day of my birthday," Olivia responded.


    "That is what my family has planned as well for my birthday once I return to Ostenda," Lucas said.


    "What are you parents like?" the Swedish princess wondered.


    "They are wonderful parents. Their names are Victoria and Arthur. I am glad to call them my parents," the Belgian prince stated, grinning. "What about you? How would you describe your parents?"


    "My parents are always making sure to look out for me and give me support whenever I need it. I really think they would like you," Olivia explained with a smile.


    "As I think my parents would like you as well," Lucas responded with a nod of approval. "I am glad to call you my girlfriend, Olivia. Now that I have gotten to know you more, I have realized you are a sweet girl."


    "Thank you so much, Lucas. I share the sentiment. You are the best boyfriend I could ever ask for," Olivia said with a smile as the couple then gently kissed each other.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    The day of Lucas'' birthday had soon arrived. He insisted they could do something small for his birthday. The Belgian prince did not need anything extravagant to celebrate his special day. Once Lucas entered the Great Hall, everyone greeted him and wished him a Happy Birthday. After everyone had breakfast, the Belgian prince suggested ice-skating as an activity to celebrate. Elsa was more than happy to oblige, creating an ice-skating rink for everyone in the courtyard.


    Cade made sure to have one of the castle staff members watch his daughter while he ice-skated with the other royals. The Scottish prince determined Rachel was too young to ice-skate. He was confident, however, that she would learn how to ice-skate in the future.


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    Olaf joined the royals in their ice-skating rink. "Slide! Pivot!" the snowman exclaimed as he glided across the icy surface.


    Olivia and Lucas were skating with each other, the Belgian prince gently twirling her around and ending with a small dip.


    "You sure know how to ice-skate and dance. I am impressed," the Swedish princess said with a smile.


    "Ice-skating is among my favorite things to do during the winter months. I was taught how to ice-skate in Ostenda during the winter when I was a kid," Lucas explained.


    "How does being twenty-two feel?" Olivia asked.


    "Honestly not any different since turning eighteen. Still young," the Belgian prince replied with a chuckle.


    "That is true," Olivia responded, giggling. "Happy Birthday, Lucas."


    "Thank you, Olivia. It really means a lot," Lucas replied gratefully.


    "Anything for my boyfriend," the Swedish princess said, smiling at Lucas'' handsome face.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    After everyone ice-skated for a while, everyone decided to sit down, except for Elsa and Anna. The other royals agreed to let the two sisters have some time for themselves to ice-skate together.


    Edmund smiled at his girlfriend gliding on the ice with her younger sister. He really liked how well Elsa and Anna got along with each other. It was something he would never get to experience himself due to being an only child. Regardless, he was happy to have the Arendelle sisters, along with Lucas, Cade, and Kristoff in his life. He considered them family due to how close he was to them and how much he cared about them.


    The English prince saw Kristoff smiling at his girlfriend skating with her big sister.


    "They sure are amazing rulers," Edmund said to the ice harvester.


    The ice harvester nodded in agreement. "Yes, they are. Anna is the best girlfriend I could ever ask for."


    "I feel the same way about Elsa. She is a magnificent woman," the English prince said with a charming grin. Something then came to his mind. "Hey, Kristoff?"


    "Yes, Edmund?" Kristoff asked, turning to face Edmund.


    "I remembered those questions you asked me, Lucas, and Stephen when we first arrived in Arendelle. Now that I think about it, I cannot help but wonder if you were asking us those questions because of what happened with Prince Hans of the Southern Isles?" Edmund wondered.


    The ice harvester nodded. "After I realized how amazing Elsa and Anna were as people, I was willing to do anything to keep them safe from harm. With what Hans did to Anna and what he was doing to Elsa, I was ready to clobber him."


    Edmund nodded in understanding. "You were asking us those questions because you were just trying to protect Elsa and Anna. Another thing you were doing was making sure we were nothing like Hans."


    "Exactly. Since I have known you guys for a couple months, I have realized you guys, along with Cade, are nothing like Hans. You guys are amazing, just like Anna and Elsa," the ice harvester stated.


    "We try our best to treat others the way we would like to be treated; with respect," Edmund said. "Now that I am Elsa''s boyfriend, I do have a question for you."


    "Sure, go right ahead Edmund," Kristoff replied.


    "Do you approve of me being her boyfriend? I know you get along with me and everyone else spending the holidays here, but I just wanted to ask if you are okay with me dating Elsa," Edmund responded.


    The ice harvester nodded with a smile. "Of course, I do, Edmund. You and Elsa are a great couple. I can also tell how you feel about her. In fact, I had a feeling you were beginning to have feelings for Elsa before Christmas even arrived."


    Edmund grinned. "Well, I am glad you are fine with me dating Elsa. She is the most beautiful, kind-hearted woman I have ever met."


    "I can say the same thing about Anna. Life has been great having her by my side," Kristoff added, smiling.


    The two men patted each other on the shoulder before they turned their attention back to the sisters skating with each other.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    "It was sure nice of Lucas to suggest ice-skating!" Anna exclaimed as she glided around with her older sister.


    "Yes. They are such fun people to be around," Elsa replied, smiling.


    "Indeed, they are," Anna said in agreement. "Do you remember when we ice-skated here after you brought back summer?"


    "I do remember. It was one of the best days of my life, knowing the gates would never be closed again, and our bond being restored," the Snow Queen replied. "Hard to believe it was almost seven months ago."


    "Yeah! Time goes by so fast!" Anna replied excitedly. "How is it going with you and Edmund?"


    The Ice Queen blushed at the mention of her boyfriend. "Edmund is such a good man. I could not be happier to call him my boyfriend," Elsa replied before she added, "We have only been dating for about a month and a half. Therefore, it is too early to be thinking about marriage."


    "I know. Kristoff and I feel the same way. We are not ready to take the next step just yet, but we will someday," Anna said.


    "Yes. I know you and Kristoff will always be happy together. Nothing would make me happier than for you to have your happy ending," Elsa stated with a beam.


    "I feel the same way about you and Edmund. Whenever you two decide to marry, I know he will make you happy as well, Elsa," Anna said, grinning.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    "How is your birthday thus far?" Cade asked Lucas.


    "It has been a wonderful birthday, to say the least. I have you guys to thank for that," Lucas replied with a smile.


    "I am glad we could make your birthday special," the Scottish prince added with a nod of approval. "It seems you and Olivia are very happy together."


    "Yes. I am happy to call Olivia my girlfriend," Lucas said with a charming grin, gently wrapping his arm around the shoulders of the Swedish princess.


    "We hope you can find your true love someday," Olivia stated.


    "Hopefully one day. After what happened with Gladys, I will be cautious with whom the right woman is for me. It would not be only for me, but also for Rachel," the Scottish prince responded.


    The Swedish princess nodded in understanding. "Lucas told me what happened between you and Gladys. What she did to you and your daughter was wrong."


    "As upset as I was about it, I realized after a while that there are unkind people in the world," Cade replied with a shrug.


    "You do hope that someday you will get to call Rachel a big sister, right?" the Belgian prince wondered.


    "Absolutely. I love Rachel more than anything. One child is honestly not enough for me," Cade said.


    "How many children do you hope to have?" Lucas asked.


    "Not an outrageous amount. There will come a point where I think after that will be too many. That being said, I do hope for at least a decent sized family in the future. I would have to say I would like to have four children," Cade elaborated.


    "Sounds like a good plan. That is after you get married again, I presume?" Lucas wondered.


    Cade nodded. "I will not rush it as I am still only nineteen. Based on what I have seen from other couples in my kingdom, there are not very many that had kids before turning twenty years old. Destiny does work differently for everyone though. Some have kids at a younger age, while others may wait until they are a little older to have children."


    "That is true," the Belgian prince said in agreement. "Regardless of when you find your special someone, I hope you will be happy with whoever you fall in love with, and vice versa. You deserve to be happy, Cade."


    The Scottish prince smiled. "Thank you, Lucas. I appreciate that."


    "You are welcome, Cade," the Belgian prince responded with a beam.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    For his birthday dinner, Lucas requested rice noodles with chicken and vegetables. Although he loved eating healthy, the Belgian prince also decided to choose something both healthy and delicious.


    "These noodles are very tasty. They go very well with the vegetables and chicken," Lucas stated with a thumbs up.


    "Yes, they do. Good choice, Lucas," Elsa praised.


    The Belgian prince smiled as the royals enjoyed their dinner.


    Once everyone had finished their dinner, cake and ice cream were served. To ensure there was some variety, Lucas requested a lemon cake. The Snow Queen decided that for every single birthday the royals had in Arendelle, the castle cooks and kingdom baker would work together when baking their cakes.


    On special occasions, he was more than happy to have any kind of cake. However, since they had already done chocolate and yellow cake for Elsa''s and Stephen''s birthdays, the Belgian prince chose a flavor they had not done yet.


    Soon dessert was over, and everyone made sure to wish Lucas a Happy Birthday one more time before they went to bed.


    Lucas was in his suite, Olivia in the room with him.


    "Happy Birthday, Lucas. How was today?" Olivia asked.


    "Today was a wonderful day, to say the least. I will never forget it," Lucas said with a smile. "I was thinking that next year, since you enjoy baking, I can have you bake my birthday cake."


    The Swedish princess smiled at the suggestion. "I would love to."


    "Great!" the Belgian prince stated. "Did you have a good time today?"


    "It is always a good time with you," Olivia replied, grinning. "How could I not have a good time with a great boyfriend such as yourself?"


    "I will take that as a yes," Lucas said, chuckling.


    "Yes. It was a wonderful time today. I was happy I could make your birthday a good time," the Swedish princess responded with a giggle.


    "Well, I think I am going to get some rest. Good night, Olivia," Lucas said.


    "Good night, Lucas," Olivia replied with a smile as the two royals hugged each other. "I love you."


    The Belgian prince smiled at his girlfriend. "I love you too, Olivia." They then kissed each other with passion. Once they were out of breath, the Swedish princess left the suite to allow her boyfriend some sleep.


    Lucas was beaming at the spectacular day he had for his twenty-second birthday. He was touched his friends had gone out of their way to make sure it was a good time.


    It had been a very eventful two months for the Belgian prince. Not only was he reunited with Edmund, but he also met and fell in love with Olivia. The Belgian prince was very happy he accepted Elsa''s invitation to Arendelle. Lucas liked how friendly everyone was and how the royals made him feel like he was a part of their family.


    The Belgian prince looked out the window leading to the balcony. There was a lot of snow on the balcony, and he saw it was snowing outside, even though it was dark.


    Smiling at the sight, he realized how beautiful winter could be after he and Edmund went to harvest ice with Kristoff. Before then, he did not really understand the beauty of every season, he had to admit. After going through the snowy forest outside the kingdom, however, Lucas recognized every season could be beautiful in their own way.


    The Belgian prince got ready for bed. After reading for a little bit, he extinguished the candles in his room and fell asleep.

 Chapter 39

    I would like to thank roxygoth, BurningFox6, krystal lazuli, and LukeJames for beta reading and helping me improve!


    Feedback is always appreciated!


    Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen. Frozen is owned by Disney. I only lay claim to Prince Edmund, Prince Lucas, Master Stephen, Prince Cade, Princess Olivia, and anyone else you do not recognize from Frozen.


    Chapter 39


    Valentine''s Day soon arrived. The night before, Cade and Stephen got red roses and boxes of chocolate for Edmund, Lucas, and Kristoff to give to their girlfriends in celebration of the holiday.


    All five men were in the castle hallways early in the morning, making sure to keep enough distance from Elsa, Anna, and Olivia''s rooms so they would not hear them. The last thing the men wanted was the surprise for the three women to be ruined.


    "All right, men. Are you ready to give your gifts to your girlfriends?" Stephen asked.


    "Absolutely. Elsa will love these," Edmund replied with a smile.


    "You bet. Wait until Olivia sees the roses and chocolate," Lucas said, grinning.


    "I cannot wait to see how Anna will react," Kristoff responded, beaming. "It was nice of you and Cade to get the roses and chocolate for us."


    "Of course, Kristoff," Cade responded with a nod of approval. The Scottish prince may have been single at that time, but he certainly knew how a man should surprise his girl on Valentine''s Day.


    "Then you three go right ahead. Cade and I will meet you all in the Great Hall for breakfast," Stephen said encouragingly.


    Edmund, Lucas, and Kristoff smiled as they made their way to their girlfriends'' rooms.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Edmund was soon at the door to Elsa''s bedroom. He hoped she was not still sleeping. The English prince preferred not disturbing her while she was in bed.


    Knocking on her door, he said, "Elsa? Are you awake yet? If not, I could just come back later."


    "Yes, I am awake. I will be there in a minute," the Snow Queen replied.


    After a moment, the Ice Queen opened her door, gasping at what her boyfriend had in his hands.


    "Happy Valentine''s Day, Elsa," Edmund greeted with a charming grin. He then offered the roses and box of chocolate to Elsa.


    "Oh Edmund! Thank you so much!" Elsa exclaimed as she happily took the roses and chocolate. She then hugged her boyfriend. "You are so sweet."


    "Of course. You like the roses and chocolate?" Edmund asked.


    "Absolutely. Thank you," the Snow Queen stated with a smile.


    "You are welcome," the English prince responded, grinning. He was happy Elsa appreciated the roses and chocolate.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Lucas had just arrived outside Olivia''s room when the Swedish princess opened the door. Her eyes widened when she saw what her boyfriend was holding. "Are those for me?"


    The Belgian prince nodded with smile. "They are. Happy Valentine''s Day, Olivia." He then handed the roses and chocolate to his girlfriend with a flourish.


    "Thank you, Lucas!" Olivia exclaimed with a beam.


    "Of course," Lucas replied, grinning.


    The Swedish princess then leaped forward, enveloping Lucas with a hug. Lucas happily returned the hug. He was very happy to call the Swedish princess his girlfriend.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Kristoff knocked on Anna''s door, the roses and chocolate in tow. Anna answered.


    "Happy Valentine''s Day, Anna," the ice harvester greeted with a smile on his face.


    "Kristoff!" Anna exclaimed excitedly as she jumped forward and hugged Kristoff. The ice harvester nearly lost his balance but was able to regain his footing as he returned the hug.


    After the couple let go of each other, Kristoff handed the roses and chocolate to Anna, which she gladly accepted.


    "You are so sweet, Kristoff," Anna said with a grateful beam.


    "I try. Just thought I would surprise you since it''s our first Valentine''s Day together," the ice harvester replied.


    "The first of many to come," Anna stated with a wink.


    Kristoff chuckled. "Yes. For now, let''s enjoy today."


    "I agree," Anna said in agreement.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    After the royals had breakfast, the couples decided to spend the day with each other. Cade spent time with his daughter before he then went to Edmund and Stephen''s guestroom. The Scottish prince remembered how Stephen had taught Edmund and Lucas how to fight. Thus, Cade decided to show Stephen his abilities and see if he could learn anything new from him.


    The two men were currently sparring with each other, taking care not to hit anything in the suite. With how huge the room was, Stephen and Cade did not have to worry about knocking anything over.


    Stephen was impressed with Cade''s abilities. He was just as great a fighter as himself, Edmund, and Lucas. One thing Stephen noticed about the Scottish prince was his quickness; he was faster than himself, Edmund, or Lucas. As fast as Edmund, Stephen, and Lucas were, Cade seemed to be slightly faster.


    Once the two men shoved each other backwards, they both landed on their feet. Both men bowed to each other respectfully, effectively ending their sparring match.


    "Well done, Cade. I am impressed," Stephen praised.


    "I appreciate it, Stephen. You are one heck of an instructor," Cade replied with a nod of approval.


    "Well, I try," Stephen responded with a shrug before he said, "You are actually the first person I have ever met that does dual wielding."


    "Dual wielding is not a very common practice. Regardless, I chose to do it even though I was told it would not be easy. It took a lot of hard work and dedication, but I was able to master dual wielding just before Rachel was born," Cade explained.


    "Every fighter has their unique fighting style, and I am glad you were able to find yours, as Edmund and Lucas were able to find theirs," Stephen said.


    "Yes. One thing I have learned is to never compare yourself to someone else. Always do your best no matter what," the Scottish prince stated.


    Stephen nodded in agreement. "Exactly. That is one thing my master Noah taught me; to keep doing your best."


    Cade nodded. "While dual wielding and bows are my weapons of choice, I am aware of the strengths and weaknesses of dual wielding. When I began dual wielding, I was only a little boy. Therefore, I could only use smaller weapons such as small axes and daggers. As I got older, I eventually chose to focus solely on swords as my dual weapons. I learned that no matter what, the user must be capable of wielding two different weapons with ease in combat. Another important thing is to have speed, power, accuracy, and an extremely fast reaction time in order to maneuver through and counter any attacks from enemies and to make up for the lack of defense. I made sure to work very hard on all four, as possessing two weapons at the same time can often leave one vulnerable on defense."


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    "Precisely. It seems you can hold your own defensively, though," Stephen said.


    "I try my best," the Scottish prince replied. "What else would you like to show me?"


    Stephen smiled at Cade''s willingness to continue learning more about fighting, just like Edmund and Lucas.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Elsa and Edmund were in the library, reading fantasy novels. Before they went there, the Snow Queen placed her roses in a vase filled with water. She then put the vase onto a table in her bedroom.


    As they read, the Ice Queen glanced at her boyfriend from time to time. She could not deny how handsome the English prince really was. As handsome as he was, it was his kind personality Elsa liked most about him.


    The English prince broke the silence. "Hey Elsa?"


    "Yes, Edmund?" Elsa asked.


    "Would you like something hot to drink? Hot chocolate or tea, perhaps?" Edmund offered.


    "Tea please," the Snow Queen responded with a smile.


    "Coming right up," Edmund replied with a chuckle as he set his book down and went to get the drinks.


    Soon Edmund returned with two steaming cups of tea. He handed one of them to his girlfriend with a flourish.


    "Thank you, Edmund," the Snow Queen stated gratefully.


    "Of course," the English prince replied with a grin. "The tea has honey in it. Is that okay with you?"


    "That is perfectly fine with me," Elsa said with a nod.


    "Perfect! I just wanted to make sure," Edmund stated with a beam.


    The Snow Queen smiled at her boyfriend as the two royals sipped their tea and read their books.


    "Who is your favorite writer, Edmund?" Elsa asked after a little while.


    "There are quite a few writers I like. To name a few, I like Jane Austen. She is among the greatest writers in English history. Her most famous works are Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma, Persuasion and Northanger Abbey. I also like William Wordsworth," Edmund explained. "Who is your favorite author?"


    "I really like Ludvig Holberg. He was born in Norway. I am surprised, however, that he only wrote one novel in his lifetime. It is called Niels Klim''s Underground Travels," Elsa elaborated.


    "Nice! Have you read it before?" Edmund asked.


    "I have. It is one of my favorite novels," the Snow Queen replied. "What about you? Have you read it?"


    The English prince shook his head. "Not once. Is it good?"


    Elsa nodded. "I like it. Maybe you would enjoy it as well."


    "Then that is what I will read next," Edmund responded with a smile.


    The Ice Queen grinned; she was glad she could suggest another book for her boyfriend.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Anna and Kristoff were riding in the ice harvester''s sled in the forest outside of the kingdom. Though the coldest time of year had already passed, winter still had a firm grip on the kingdom. Snow was still very deep, with none of it having melted since the past November. It usually was not until towards the end of March that the winter snow began to melt in Arendelle.


    It was cloudy, but there was no wind or snow falling. That meant perfect weather for a sled ride.


    "Remember when I told you Sven and I like to go fast?" Kristoff asked.


    "I do! Another thing I remember is telling you I like to go fast, too," Anna replied with a smile.


    The ice harvester chuckled. During their time riding in Kristoff''s old sled, he recalled when he had just gotten fresh lacquer on it and made Anna put her feet down.


    "Another thing I recall is you asking me if I was raised in a barn," Anna added with a giggle.


    "Oh yes. That. I also got spit all over you when I was cleaning the lacquer on my old sled," Kristoff looked at his girlfriend with a look of shame. "I never apologized for spitting on you. Sorry about that."


    Anna only laughed. "It''s okay, Kristoff! I know you meant no harm. The one to blame here is me for putting my feet up when I shouldn''t have done so."


    "Still though, I could''ve made you sick," the ice harvester pointed out.


    "Well, you didn''t. Quit worrying about it, Kristoff!" Anna exclaimed as she playfully punched her boyfriend in the shoulder.


    Kristoff laughed. "Alright then. I''ll stop worrying about it."


    "Good!" Anna said with a smile.


    The ice harvester was thinking about when he rode in a sled with Anna for the first time. It was before they had started dating as they had only met that night. Unlike their Valentine''s Day ride, it was dark out, and they were eventually chased by wolves. Kristoff also remembered losing his old sled as it was too heavy to go over the gap they jumped across. After Anna had promised to replace his sled, however, he chose to stick along with her, and over time, he became very loyal to her and protective of her as well. Anna kept her word after Elsa thawed the kingdom and gave Kristoff a new sled. The ice harvester remembered how speechless he was at seeing the most amazing sled he had ever laid his eyes on. With how much the new sled meant to him, the ice harvester was determined not to let anything happen to it. After everything Anna had done for him, Kristoff wanted to treat the sled with great care and respect.


    The Valentine''s Day ride, however, was during broad daylight, and wolves usually did not come out until after sunset.


    Over the course of the ride, the royals did not encounter any wolves or thugs. Soon the couple returned safely to the kingdom.


    "That was fun! Thanks for the ride, Kristoff!" Anna exclaimed as she hugged the ice harvester.


    "You''re welcome, Anna. I''m glad you had a good time," Kristoff replied with a smile. The ice harvester was happy his first Valentine''s Day with Anna went well. He loved her more than anything, and he was looking forward to many more with her.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Olivia and Lucas were walking around town, looking upon the winter atmosphere. As Christmas was over, the buildings were still covered in snow, but without the decorations.


    The couple were walking along, holding hands.


    "Winter is such a beautiful season, especially here in Arendelle. I never thought winter could be so amazing," Olivia said.


    "I agree. When I first arrived here, I thought the same thing while Edmund and I were ice harvesting with Kristoff in the mountains. I believe every season can be beautiful in its own way," Lucas replied.


    "I have heard about ice harvesting before. Just never got into it, as it sounds like it is very tedious," the Swedish princess stated. "It sounds like something I would not be nearly strong enough to do."


    "Kristoff explained to Edmund and I how ice harvesting is done. He made sure to have instructions that were easy for us to follow," Lucas explained.


    "How was it? Were you tired afterwards?" Olivia wondered.


    "Edmund and I were not tired at all. He and I thought we would all be worn out after doing something like that. Even Kristoff was surprised we were not panting. Edmund and I felt like we should have been catching our breath with how much work must be put into harvesting ice," Lucas said.


    "You and Edmund look like you are very strong men. How are you two so strong?" the Swedish princess wondered in awe.


    "Edmund and I have been lifting weights since we were little boys. It was not until I was four that I began to life weights. On the other hand, Edmund has been training his entire life. Stephen had trained him since the day he was born. With how great a mentor Steph is, I cannot help but wonder what would have happened had he trained me my entire life as well," Lucas elaborated.


    "Wow! You two really do care about your health, along with Stephen and Cade," Olivia said with a giggle.


    "Yes, we do. I am not saying any of us are better than the others with our abilities. We all have unique abilities and strengths. I would say that me, Edmund, Cade, and Stephen are great fighters in our own ways," Lucas stated, chuckling. "Anyway, that is enough about me. Besides horseback riding, baking, reading, and ice skating, what else do you like to do?"


    "I also like to read books and go on adventures," Olivia replied.


    "Me too. I always like to explore the outside of every kingdom to see what lies in the forests," Lucas stated.


    "It sounds like you and I have some things in common," Olivia said with a smile.


    "I guess we do," the Belgian prince replied, grinning.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    It was a memorable Valentine''s Day for the three royal couples. All of them had a wonderful time with each other.


    Edmund, Lucas, and Kristoff did feel kind of bad Cade and Stephen did not have an amazing woman to spend time with them, but the Scottish prince said it was alright. He did have his daughter after all. Cade considered Rachel to be his Valentine. Stephen insisted he was perfectly fine with being single. All he cared about was everyone having a wonderful time.


    After they spent all day with each other, the royals had clam chowder, lobster, and crab cakes for dinner. Dessert consisted of red velvet cake and ice cream.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    "Did you have fun today, Elsa?" Edmund asked as he and the Snow Queen were gazing out of the window in Elsa''s bedroom.


    Elsa smiled. "I had a wonderful time today, Edmund. Thank you."


    The English prince grinned. "Of course, Elsa. Since this is our first Valentine''s Day together, I wanted to make it a good one."


    "You certainly did a good job of that," the Ice Queen replied with a giggle.


    "I did my best," Edmund replied with a grin. "It makes me happy you had a good time, today. Hope you sleep well tonight. Good night, Elsa."


    "Thank you, Edmund. Good night," the Ice Queen responded as the royal couple smiled at each other before they kissed each other. After they pulled away, Edmund left to allow his girlfriend some rest.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    "Thanks for a great time today, Kristoff! It was amazing!" Anna exclaimed as she and Kristoff walked through the hallways towards her bedroom.


    "You''re welcome, Anna. Glad you had a good time," Kristoff replied with a beam.


    "Not bad for a first Valentine''s Day together, huh?" Anna asked with a smirk.


    The ice harvester chuckled. "Not bad at all."


    "I am looking forward to many more together," Anna said with a smile.


    "Me too," the ice harvester responded, grinning.


    Once the two royals entered Anna''s room, they kissed each other goodnight before Kristoff left to let Anna get some sleep.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    "I wanted to thank you for today, Lucas. This was a great first Valentine''s Day together," Olivia said, smiling.


    "It was a wonderful time indeed. I cannot wait to spend many more with you in the future," Lucas replied, grinning.


    "Would you like to do anything, tomorrow?" the Swedish princess asked.


    "Certainly. What would you like to do?" the Belgian prince wondered.


    "I guess we can figure that out tomorrow. For now, I would like to get some rest," Olivia said.


    "Me too," Lucas responded before he and Olivia kissed each other goodnight.


    "Good night, Olivia. I will see you in the morning," the Belgian prince said with a smile.


    "Good night, Lucas. See you tomorrow," the Swedish princess replied with a beam as her boyfriend left the room to allow her some rest.

 Chapter 40

    I would like to thank roxygoth, BurningFox6, krystal lazuli, and LukeJames for beta reading and helping me improve!


    Feedback is always appreciated!


    Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen. Frozen is owned by Disney. I only lay claim to Prince Edmund, Prince Lucas, Master Stephen, Prince Cade, Princess Olivia, and anyone else you do not recognize from Frozen.


    Chapter 40


    Elsa hoped to take Edmund to her ice castle to celebrate his birthday. Unfortunately, a snowstorm hit on the day of the English prince''s birthday. The Snow Queen was crestfallen she could not show her boyfriend the ice castle she created during the frozen summer. She had no doubt he would be astonished upon seeing it.


    While it was late winter in Arendelle, Elsa realized that while spring would arrive soon, winter was not ready to give up just yet. The snow did not start melting in the kingdom until late March or early April. Since Edmund was not returning to England until April, Elsa thought she could perhaps take Edmund to her ice castle sometime after the snowstorm cleared up. She really hoped to show him her ice castle at some point before his departure.


    The royals greeted Edmund and wished him a Happy Birthday upon seeing him enter the Great Hall.


    As the royals ate, Elsa turned her attention to Edmund. "There was something I was hoping to do to celebrate your birthday, but the weather will not allow it."


    "Oh really? What did you have in mind?" the English prince asked.


    "I was going to show you the ice castle I created during the eternal winter," Elsa said.


    Edmund''s eyes widened. "You built an ice castle? Where is it located?"


    "On the North Mountain, the tallest mountain in the kingdom. I feel dejected I cannot show it to you due to the heavy snow outside," the Snow Queen stated remorsefully.


    "It is not your fault, Elsa. Since it is still winter, I figured the snowy weather was not over just yet. I very much appreciate the thought though. Thank you," Edmund said with a grateful smile before adding, "Maybe once the weather clears up, we can go see your ice castle."


    "I am sure your ice castle is amazing. Hopefully we get the chance to see it while we are here," Lucas added enthusiastically.


    "How were you able to build something like that? If you do not mind me asking?" Cade wondered. "It sounds like your powers are capable of wonderous things."


    "I utilized my powers after I fled Arendelle to build the ice castle. This was before I knew how to control my powers and prior to me knowing I accidentally froze the kingdom," Elsa explained, still feeling bad about everything that happened then, even eight months later. "I also unknowingly created Olaf as well. At that time, I did not know he was alive." The Ice Queen smiled at the memory.


    "I bet you were astonished when you found out you could create live beings of snow, right?" Lucas asked.


    Elsa nodded. "Olaf reminded me of when Anna and I built him when we were little girls. Only he was not alive back then."


    The Belgian prince nodded in understanding. "Have you created any other snow beings?"


    "I created Marshmallow when I just wanted to be alone in the North Mountain. At that time, I was afraid of hurting someone with my powers," Elsa explained.


    "You did learn to control them though in the end, right?" Lucas asked with a smile.


    "Yes, I did, thanks to Anna''s determination to help me no matter what," the Snow Queen replied with a beam.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    After breakfast, the royals did every activity they could think of while not going out into the snowstorm. Edmund played the piano for a little while, and the royals also played chess, read books, and spent time with each other.


    While the English prince did wish everyone and himself could have done something outside such as ice-skating or walking around town, he preferred not making anyone sick. He cared very deeply about the royals like they were his own family. Edmund knew the cold and heavy snow were not ideal weather for such activities.


    Despite not being able to go outside, it was a wonderful birthday for Edmund. For dinner, he requested chicken curry. Since no one else had tried it outside of himself and Stephen, Edmund decided everyone else should try chicken curry themselves to see if they liked it.


    The castle cooks were unsure of how to make chicken curry, as they had never cooked a dish like that before. Thus, Edmund guided them, making sure his instructions were easy to follow.


    Once the cooks had completed making the chicken curry, they tasted it for themselves. While it was the first time the cooks made chicken curry, they loved it. The head chef enjoyed the intense flavor of the curry sauce.


    "This is amazing, Edmund. I have never had chicken curry before, and it is already one of my favorite dishes," Kristoff praised.


    "Excellent choice, Edmund. Chicken curry is different than any other dish I have ever had," Anna said before adding, "A good different."


    That made the English prince chuckle. "Well, I am glad you guys like chicken curry. It has been one of my favorite dishes for many years."


    "When was the first time you had chicken curry?" Lucas wondered.


    Edmund thought for a moment. "I think I was like five years old when I had it for the first time. At that time, I had no idea what chicken curry was, nor did I know what country it originated from. Upon taking the first bite, however, I have loved it ever since and expressed a strong desire to know more about the dish and its origins."


    The English prince then turned to Stephen. "I remember saying for you to surprise me when you asked me what I would like to have for my fifth birthday dinner."


    Stephen nodded fondly. "I do, and chicken curry is the first dish that came to my mind. While your last name being Curry did play a small part in my decision, I also remembered you would eat anything as long as it is good."


    Edmund nodded with a grin. "Precisely. Food is food to me. Usually I prefer healthy food, but on occasions like today, I will gladly treat myself."


    "Where did chicken curry originate?" Olivia wondered.


    "I was going to ask the same question. Was it in like Asia?" Cade added, curious as well.


    "Curry powder has been around for several thousand years. While the dish originated in India, I found out there is no standard ingredient list for curry. The word curry originally comes from the Tamil word, "Kari" which means sauce. What is used in curry will depend on the culture, nationality, and country. Curry has an assorted number of spices mixed together, rather than it being just one spice. For example, there is yellow curry, red curry, green curry, and more. The first ever chicken curry was "Country Captains Chicken" made in Madras Courier on April 26th, 1792," Edmund elaborated.


    "That is amazing! I never knew that before," the Swedish princess replied with a smile.


    "Me neither. Thank you for sharing," Cade added, grinning.


    "You are welcome," Edmund responded, beaming.


    Dessert consisted of ice cream and red velvet cake. After dessert, the royals wished the English prince a Happy Birthday before returning to their guestrooms.


    Elsa, Edmund, and Lucas were the last to leave the Great Hall.


    "I would like to thank you guys for making my twenty-third birthday special. While I do wish we could have done something outside, it was a great time, to say the least," Edmund said with a grateful smile.


    "Anything for my boyfriend," Elsa responded as she took Edmund''s hand in hers.


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    "I am glad to hear you had a good time, buddy," Lucas stated with a grin as he shook hands with his best friend.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Four days after Edmund''s birthday, the snowstorm finally cleared up. Elsa decided it would be a golden opportunity to have the English prince see her ice castle. Edmund asked if everyone else could join them, and the Ice Queen was more than happy to have the other royals come with them.


    While everyone was excited to see the ice palace, Stephen insisted he stay behind to make sure everything was in order while the royals were gone. Therefore, the Snow Queen left Stephen in charge, feeling he could hold down the fort.


    Anna and Kristoff rode together in the ice harvester''s sled. Elsa, Edmund, Olivia, Lucas, and Cade rode on the most durable horses in the kingdom; the horses could handle even the most extreme conditions when traveling. Cade made sure to have one of the castle staff members take care of Rachel while he was away. Though the Scottish prince was tempted to take his daughter along to see the ice palace, he decided she was too young to go with them. Rachel would get her chance one day when she was older.


    Sven galloped while pulling the sled through the snowy forest, the five horses right behind him.


    Anna was watching the snow-covered trees go by, while Kristoff was guiding his reindeer pal along. The ice harvester noticed that while it was cold, the air was a little warmer than when he went ice harvesting with Edmund and Lucas. It was still too cold for the snow to start melting, but with spring right around the corner, the ice harvester knew it was only a matter of time before the snow begin to melt away.


    "Feels like old times, huh Kristoff?" Anna asked with a smirk.


    Kristoff chuckled. "Yes, it does."


    Anna then thought of something. She remembered the last time they were at Elsa''s ice palace, and when Elsa created Marshmallow to get them to leave. After she threw a snowball at Marshmallow and provoked him, Anna was beginning to worry what would happen if the snow monster saw her again.


    The ice harvester noticed his girlfriend''s uneasiness. "Anna? You alright?"


    Anna turned her attention to her boyfriend. "I was just thinking about what happened the last time we were at Elsa''s ice castle. You remember Marshmallow?"


    Kristoff nodded. "You mean the snow monster Elsa created to throw us out?"


    "One and the same," Anna confirmed. "I''m worried about how he will react upon seeing us."


    The ice harvester nodded in understanding. "We should be fine, as long as we don''t do anything to provoke him." Kristoff sent a stern look at Anna. "That means not throwing anything at him."


    Anna couldn''t help but giggle at that. "Okay then."


    Kristoff smiled before he turned his attention back to guiding Sven.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Elsa watched the snowy forest go by as she guided her horse. She remembered the last time she went through the snowy forest outside the kingdom. It was when she ran away from the kingdom to protect everyone, unknowingly casting the eternal winter upon Arendelle. This time, however, the snowy forest did not have anything to do with her. Arendelle was in the final several days of winter, and while the Snow Queen was enjoying the scene before her, she was nevertheless looking forward to seeing what spring would bring everyone.


    "Are you doing okay, Elsa?" Edmund asked as he glanced behind him to make sure his girlfriend was alright.


    "Yes. I am doing fine. Thank you for asking," Elsa replied, smiling.


    "Of course," the English prince responded with a charming grin as he made sure his horse was following Sven.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    "Wow! Winter is amazing here in Arendelle," an awestruck Olivia stated.


    "It sure is. We might as well enjoy it while we can, because in a couple of weeks, the snow will be melting," Lucas replied.


    "That is true. Spring will be here very soon," the Swedish princess said.


    Lucas nodded in agreement. "You okay, Olivia?"


    Olivia nodded with a smile. "Yes. I am doing alright."


    "Good to hear," the Belgian prince responded, beaming.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Cade admired the wintry scene before him. The Scottish prince never thought winter could be so beautiful, even in his wildest dreams. He hoped that once his daughter was old enough, she could see something like this.


    The Scottish prince made sure to remain cautelous, as he did not want to become distracted and potentially cause an injury to the horse or himself.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Once the royals arrived at the ice palace, the guests were awestruck at what they saw. Edmund himself was particularly astounded at how his girlfriend could create something so magnificent.


    "Wow. Never in my most dazzling of dreams have I seen something so brilliant," the English prince said in awe.


    "Do you like it, Edmund?" Elsa asked.


    "I love it! This is amazing!" Edmund exclaimed as he took the Snow Queen''s hand and led her to the icy staircase.


    Lucas stared at the ice palace with a sense of wonder, Olivia leaning against his shoulder with an astonished look on her face. He never thought the Ice Queen was capable of something like this.


    Kristoff grinned as he placed a hand on the Belgian prince''s shoulder. "You know, I had a very similar reaction too when I saw the ice castle for the first time."


    Lucas smiled as he turned to the ice harvester, "I am certain you thought this was simply incredible, right?"


    The ice harvester chuckled. "Yeah. It felt like I was in heaven, considering that ice is my life."


    "I would probably feel the same way if I were an ice harvester," the Belgian prince responded.


    Lucas then turned to Olivia. "What do you think, Olivia?"


    "This is beautiful. I have never seen a castle made of ice before," the Swedish princess responded with a smile.


    "Me neither," Lucas replied. "Shall we head up the staircase?"


    "Yes," Olivia responded as she took Lucas'' hand, and they made their way up to the palace.


    Anna was walking along, with Kristoff and Cade beside her. She noticed the flabbergasted look on Cade''s face.


    "Pretty cool, huh?" Anna asked the Scottish prince.


    "That is an understatement. I never thought one person could build something like this. This is unbelievable," Cade said, beaming. "Man do I wish Rachel could have seen the ice palace."


    "I take it you think it is amazing?" Anna wondered with a smile.


    Cade nodded approvingly as he ran his hand along the rails of the ice stairs.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Soon the royals reached the entrance to the ice palace. Elsa decided it would be wise to let the guests know about Marshmallow.


    "I think you guys should wait out here for just a few minutes. You see, I created a snow monster named Marshmallow during the eternal winter, and I would like to make sure he does not attack any of you," Elsa elaborated.


    "Okay. Do you think he will recognize you?" Edmund wondered, concern in his blue eyes.


    "Well, only one way to find out," the Snow Queen responded as she took a deep breath and opened the palace doors.


    Elsa walked inside, looking upon the familiar layout of the ice castle. She walked around until she saw some snowy boulders in one corner of the palace, her old tiara on top of them.


    The boulders moved around, and Marshmallow revealed himself to the Ice Queen. Marshmallow then looked down and carefully studied Elsa.


    "Mama?" the snow monster asked.


    "Hello Marshmallow. Yes, it is me, the one who created you," Elsa said as she slowly made her way towards the snow monster, gently patting the snow monster''s nose.


    "Mama!" Marshmallow exclaimed as he held his arms out in excitement, happy to see his creator again.


    This made Elsa smile and giggle silently. "I see you are wearing my old tiara," she said.


    The snow monster made a move to give it back, but Elsa stopped him. "No, you can keep it. The tiara looks good on you."


    Marshmallow nodded; the snow monster was glad he was able to keep the tiara.


    "Now Marshmallow. I would like to tell you something. There are guests waiting outside as we speak, and I can assure you they do not mean us any harm. Can you do me a favor and not attack them?" Elsa asked.


    The snow monster nodded in understanding.


    "Thank you," Elsa replied as she turned to the palace doors. "You can come inside now," she stated, making sure to be loud enough for everyone to hear.


    Anna, Kristoff, and the guests made their way inside, and they stiffened upon seeing the snow monster.


    As astonished as the guests were at seeing Elsa''s ice palace, they were perhaps even more so at seeing Marshmallow. While they had already met Olaf, Marshmallow was quite different from Olaf. Olaf was an average size snowman who was happy and friendly with everyone. Marshmallow, on the other hand, was huge and had a rather intimidating appearance.


    "It is okay guys. Marshmallow will not hurt anyone," Elsa insisted.


    Edmund was the first to approach the snow monster. He cautiously made his way toward Marshmallow, and the snow monster studied the English prince carefully. Marshmallow had never seen this man before.


    The Snow Queen saw how hesitant her boyfriend was to approach Marshmallow. Thus, she took his hand and led him over to the snow monster. "Marshmallow, this is Edmund, my boyfriend."


    "Edmund?" Marshmallow asked.


    Edmund nodded as he slowly approached the snow monster. He took great care not to make any sudden movement. The English prince did not want to provoke Marshmallow in any way.


    Marshmallow crouched down as the English prince approached him. Once he was close enough, Edmund carefully reached out with his right hand and placed it on the snow monster''s nose.


    "Hey big guy," Edmund greeted. "Elsa has told me all about you."


    The English prince was expecting the snow monster to get upset, but to his surprise, Marshmallow grinned at him and said, "Hi."


    Edmund chuckled. "Well, it is good to meet you, Marshmallow." He then gestured towards the other royals. "These are my good friends."


    The other royals carefully made their way towards the snow monster. Elsa beamed with pride when she saw Marshmallow greet everyone with a wave. She was happy the snow monster had been living a nice life in the ice palace.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    The royals stayed at the ice castle for three nights. It was an amazing experience for all of them. True to his word, Marshmallow did not make any attempt to attack the guests. Instead, the snow monster made sure the royals felt welcome during their stay.


    On the fourth day, the royals said farewell to Marshmallow, wishing him only the best with his life in the North Mountain. Elsa knew the snow monster would be just fine; Marshmallow could take care of himself.


    Once the royals arrived back in Arendelle, Stephen was there to greet them, along with Gerda and Kai.


    "Good afternoon, everyone. How was your vacation?" Stephen asked.


    "It was an amazing time, to say the least. You should have seen Elsa''s ice palace. It was magnificent," Edmund said with a smile.


    "I feel bad I could not go with you guys, but I have no doubt the ice castle is amazing," Stephen said with a nod of approval.


    "Thank you, Stephen," Elsa said gratefully. "How was everything while we were gone?"


    "Everything went very well. Sir Stephen here did a wonderful job making sure everything was in order. He certainly deserves to be a king of his own kingdom," Kai explained, praising Stephen.


    "As much as I appreciate the praise, I am content with just being Edmund''s mentor. Elsa is a much better ruler than I could ever be," Stephen responded modestly. "After all, she is a very bright young woman with a bright future ahead of her."


    Elsa was touched by Stephen''s words. It made her happy she had everyone''s support.


    "Queen Elsa is indeed wise beyond her years. We appreciate everything she has done for us," Gerda said.


    "Thank you, Gerda. I also appreciate what you, Kai, and everyone else have done during my reign. Without you guys, ruling Arendelle would not be the same," the Snow Queen said.


    "Of course, Queen Elsa," Kai replied with a smile. He and his wife always had the royal family of Arendelle''s backs no matter what. They would be there for them whenever they needed them to be.

 Chapter 41

    I would like to thank roxygoth, BurningFox6, krystal lazuli, and LukeJames for beta reading and helping me improve!


    Feedback is greatly appreciated!


    Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen. Frozen is owned by Disney. I only lay claim to Prince Edmund, Prince Lucas, Master Stephen, Prince Cade, Princess Olivia, and anyone else you do not recognize from Frozen.


    Chapter 41


    Less than one week after the royals returned from staying at Elsa''s ice castle, the winter snow in and around Arendelle began to melt. Over the first several days of April, patches of green grass began to appear in the snow, and flowers started to bloom. Spring had arrived in the kingdom.


    While the Snow Queen was happy at the arrival of spring in Arendelle, it also meant Edmund would be returning to England soon. This deeply saddened her. Elsa loved her boyfriend with all her heart, and it pained her they would be separated from each other.


    Before the month of April began, however, the guards told the royals some shocking news about Richard. He and his twenty men were found dead in their dungeon cells, and the weapons Brutality Gaziniblade and Eztli Deathbow were nowhere to be found. The guards did everything they could to find who was responsible but were fruitless with determining who murdered Richard and his men.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Edmund could not help but feel pity for Richard and his men. Despite everything they had done, the English prince felt his former friend could have been saved had things been done differently when they were kids. Perhaps if Edmund prevented him from going down a dark path, he and his men would still be alive.


    The English prince had just finished packing his belongings, along with Stephen. They would depart for England in two days.


    Edmund felt terrible having to leave his girlfriend. He loved Elsa dearly. The Snow Queen meant so much to him with her kindness, wisdom, and warm heart. Maybe someday Edmund could take Elsa to England so she could see London and the rest of the country herself.


    The English prince also felt sorrowful about being away from Lucas, Cade, Rachel, and Olivia. All four of them were fantastic people, just like his mentor and the royal family of Arendelle. They were some of the best friends he could ever ask for. Edmund hoped to see all of them again one day.


    As he was placing his luggage by his bed in the suite, Stephen noticed the look on his student''s face.


    "I am sure you feel remorseful having to become separated from Elsa," Stephen said sympathetically.


    The English prince nodded with a sad smile. "Yes. I also feel bad about being separated from Lucas and everyone else as well. With everything that everyone has done for me during our stay in Arendelle, they mean a lot to me. I could not ask for better friends or a better girlfriend."


    Edmund''s mentor placed a hand on his shoulder. "I am thrilled you have found the perfect woman. Elsa feels the same way about having you as a boyfriend."


    Edmund nodded in understanding. "I have no doubt she does. After everything we have been through together, I could not be happier to have her in my life."


    Stephen smiled. "Nothing makes me happier than when you are happy, Edmund. With how you and Elsa feel about each other, I would not be surprised one bit if you two married in the future."


    "As much as I would love for that to happen one day, right now is not the right time to be thinking about marriage. I will propose to Elsa when the right time comes," Edmund responded.


    Stephen chuckled. "Yes, you will. Whenever you choose to propose to her, she will be blown away."


    "I hope so," the English prince said. "What did you think about our stay in Arendelle?"


    "It was an amazing stay, to say the least. Other than a few mishaps, I would not have it any other way," Stephen replied.


    "Me neither," Edmund responded in agreement, grinning.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Elsa was looking at the spring landscape of Arendelle outside of her bedroom window. While it signaled growing season was returning to the kingdom, the Snow Queen felt her heart ache thinking about being separated from Edmund. She had never met a man with so much humility and generosity.


    The Ice Queen turned and left her room to see her boyfriend. She hoped to spend as much time with him as possible before he left.


    Elsa knocked on the door of Edmund and Stephen''s suite, and from the other side Edmund said, "Come in."


    The Snow Queen opened the door and greeted, "Hey gentlemen."


    "Hello Elsa," Edmund replied with a smile.


    "Is everything alright?" Stephen asked.


    "Yes. Everything is okay," the Ice Queen responded.


    Deciding to let Elsa and Edmund have some alone time, Stephen made a move to leave the suite. "I will give you two some privacy, if you do not mind."


    "Not at all, Stephen," the English prince replied as he and Stephen patted each other on the shoulder before Stephen left the suite, closing the door behind him.


    Edmund then met his girlfriend''s eyes. "Are you sure you are okay, Elsa?"


    Elsa nodded. "I am just fine, Edmund."


    The English prince, however, was not convinced. "You are not fine, Elsa. Please tell me what is wrong."


    The Snow Queen knew there was no way out of this. She wrapped her arms around her boyfriend.


    Edmund was surprised for a moment, but he then gently wrapped his muscular arms around Elsa as the couple gazed at each other.


    "I am just sad you will be leaving soon," Elsa said as she started crying. "Do you have to go back to England?"


    Edmund gently brushed her tears away with his thumb. He nodded solemnly. "I do not want to leave you, but I unfortunately have no choice. Stephen and I must help my father make sure everything in England is running smoothly."


    The Snow Queen was unable to hold her sobs back any longer. She leaned into her boyfriend as he started to sway them back and forth to comfort her.


    "Elsa, please do not cry. I promise we will see each other again. You will see me again before you know it," Edmund said empathetically.


    The Snow Queen looked up at the English prince with teary eyes. "You promise me?"


    Edmund nodded solemnly. "You have my word, Elsa."


    Elsa smiled sadly at that. "I am going to miss you, Edmund."


    Edmund cupped her face with his large hands. "I will miss you too, Elsa."


    The couple then leaned forward and gently kissed each other. Elsa and Edmund just did not want to let go of each other, feeling as if they did, they would never see each other again.


    Once the couple ran out of breath, they pulled away, still hugging each other lovingly.


    "I love you, Elsa," Edmund said with a charming grin.


    Elsa smiled up at Edmund''s handsome face. "I love you too, Edmund."


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    "That spring landscape sure looks wonderful," Olivia stated, beaming.


    "It sure does," Lucas agreed. The Belgian prince and the Swedish princess had completed packing their things. Now they were in Lucas'' suite, looking at the kingdom landscape from the balcony.


    As the royals gazed upon what was in front of them, Lucas wrapped an arm around Olivia''s waist. She in return leaned onto his shoulder.


    "Can you believe we will be returning to our respective kingdoms in two days? These four months went by in a flash!" the Swedish princess exclaimed.


    "As much as I wish our stay here in Arendelle were longer, I enjoyed every moment of it. Not only did I get to meet you, Cade, and Rachel, but I also reunited with Edmund and Stephen," the Belgian prince said gratefully.


    "I loved my stay here as well. You got to see your best friend again, make some new friends, and we became a couple. All in all, I would say it was an outstanding four months," Olivia replied.


    "Except when Richard and his men attacked the castle, kidnapped Elsa and Anna, and injured Captain William and Kristoff in the process," Lucas replied with remorse in his voice.


    Olivia''s eyes widened. "The castle was attacked?! Were Elsa and Anna injured? Did Captain William and Kristoff recover from their injuries?"


    The Belgian prince solemnly looked at his girlfriend. "Richard was once friends with Edmund and I. Three years after I met them, Richard turned evil and became dedicated to a life of crime. It seems he and his men were able to find some way to follow him and Stephen here to Arendelle. Shortly after we arrived here, that was when the first attack took place. While no one got hurt in the first attack, Captain William suffered a knee sprain the next time Richard showed up. Then he and his men captured Elsa and Anna. While we were able to rescue them successfully, one of the scoundrels caused Kristoff to injure his ankle."


    "At least everything is okay now, right?" the Swedish princess asked worriedly.


    "Yes. Captain William and Kristoff are fully recovered. We were especially thankful Kristoff recovered in time for the ball. It would have been miserable had he been unable to dance with Anna. They are perfect for each other," Lucas said with a smile.


    "Yes, they are, as are Elsa and Edmund," Olivia replied, giggling.


    "Us too," Lucas pointed out.


    "Right of course," the Swedish princess responded as she made a move to kiss her boyfriend on the cheek. However, Olivia saw Lucas was not grinning anymore. "You okay, Lucas?"


    "As despicable as Richard''s actions were, along with his men, I cannot help but feel bad about them. Their deaths were out of the blue, and even though the guards did their best to find out who killed them, their efforts were for naught," the Belgian prince said with a sad look on his face.


    "I am sure we will find out who is responsible," the Swedish princess replied determinedly.


    "Gosh I hope so. Whoever did it was very thorough. They did not leave a single piece of evidence behind. I feel like they are a threat that must be stopped. Hopefully we will get our chance to stop them," Lucas responded.


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    "We will Lucas. I have seen how great a fighter you are. They will not want to mess with you," Olivia said, beaming.


    "Thank you for the support, Olivia," Lucas said gratefully.


    "Of course," Olivia said with a sweet smile on her face. "I love you, Lucas."


    "I love you too, Olivia," Lucas replied before adding, "I could not be happier to call you my girlfriend."


    "As I could not be prouder to call you my boyfriend," Olivia stated as they gazed at each other lovingly.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    Cade finished with getting his belongings ready to return to Scotland. The Scottish prince had also helped his daughter pack her things as well.


    "What do you think, Rachel? Did you have a good time here in Arendelle?" Cade asked as he held his daughter in his arms.


    "Yes Daddy! It was amazing!" Rachel exclaimed excitedly.


    "I am happy to hear that," the Scottish prince replied with a smile on his face.


    The young toddler smiled up at her father, reaching her hands out to place them on Cade''s cheeks. This made the Scottish prince chuckle.


    "Tell you what. When we return to Scotland, I will get you a sweet treat since you behaved so well while we were here. How does that sound?" Cade asked.


    "Yes please!" Rachel excitedly agreed. She was a very well-behaved little girl and loved receiving sweet treats from time to time. However, like her father, she did not like having too many sweets at once. Ever since she was born, Cade made sure to only feed her the good stuff. That way she would grow up to be big and strong like he was.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    The royals got together and did whatever they could think of with the time remaining before the guests departed for their respective kingdoms.


    Their activities together started with a snowball fight in the ballroom, followed by going into town to enjoy the early spring atmosphere. While there was still snow on the ground, it was mixed in with patches of green grass.


    Other things they did together were reading books, playing chess, and listening to Edmund and Stephen play pieces on the piano.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    On the night before their departure, Anna and Kristoff were in Anna''s room sitting in chairs across from each other.


    "What do you think of Edmund, Stephen, Lucas, Cade, Rachel, and Olivia, Kristoff?" Anna wondered.


    "They are some of the nicest people I have ever met. Over the course of their stay in Arendelle, they have become some of my closest friends. I''m very happy they were invited to spend the holidays with us," the ice harvester replied with a grin. "Edmund, Lucas, and Cade are like brothers to me, and Stephen is a father figure to us all."


    "I''m happy as well. They''re wonderful people. Glad you get along with them so well, and vice versa," Anna said, smiling.


    "Hopefully we''ll see them again someday. I''m really going to miss them," Kristoff said with sadness in his voice.


    "I''ll miss them too," Anna responded in agreement, also with anguish in her voice. "We''ll see them again. I''m sure of it."


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    The next morning, after breakfast, the royals were gathered on the docks of the harbor, getting ready to board their ships to return to their kingdoms. Everyone thanked the royal family of Arendelle for inviting them to spend the holidays with them, wishing them only the best in the future.


    There was still a little bit of time left before the ships were supposed to leave. Thus, the royals decided to talk a little more while they waited.


    "I would like to thank the royal family of Arendelle for inviting me and Stephen to spend these amazing four months in their kingdom. It was a wonderful time, to say the least," Edmund said with a grateful smile.


    He turned his attention to Lucas. "Lucas! It was great to see you again after all these years. When we met at my father''s birthday festival, I knew you would be a special friend. From the moment we said we enjoyed each other''s company, I will never forget all the time we spent together. On the first day we met, I recall how we talked to each other for hours about everything we enjoyed doing for fun, as well as the weapons we chose to train with. While I do feel bad you were unfortunately too young to participate in the contests for boys aged eight to eleven, I am impressed you did not complain about it one single time. Instead, you cheered me on and supported me from the stands along with the rest of my family. I commend you for the way you handled it and how great your attitude was and still is. That week we spent together I will remember for the rest of my life. When the festival ended, I felt saddened when you and your family left. The hug you and I shared before you departed is something I will cherish forever. It made me realize you are like a brother to me. Even after all the time we were separated from each other, I never ceased thinking about you. Not once did I lose faith that someday, we would see each other again. I am very grateful we got to catch up during our time in this amazing kingdom," Edmund elaborated with a smile before adding, "Since you have visited me in London, I will ensure I visit Ostenda one day."


    The Belgian prince grinned as he took Edmund''s hand and shook it. "It was great to see you as well, Edmund. I am glad we had these last few months to spend time with each other. Say hello to your father for me."


    "Will do Luc," the English prince responded as he and Lucas then hugged each other. They stayed in their embrace for a few moments. Once they felt they were hugging for long enough, they let go of each other. It reminded them of the hug they shared as young boys after King Matthew''s festival almost fifteen years ago. The two princes could not believe it had been that long since then.


    Edmund then turned to Olivia. "Olivia, I think you are the perfect woman for Lucas. The night of Elsa''s birthday, when I saw you dancing with Luc, I knew you two would be happy together. Now that I have gotten to know you more, seeing how well you and Lucas get along, I know you two will be together for many years to come."


    The Swedish princess smiled. "Thank you, Edmund. That was so sweet of you." She then hugged Edmund, and the English prince hugged her back. After they let go, Olivia asked, "Will you visit Sweden sometime?"


    "Absolutely. I would love to see what Sweden is like," Edmund responded, grinning.


    "You will like it. Sweden is a beautiful country," Olivia assured with a beam.


    "I will take your word for it," the English prince replied with a charming smile.


    Edmund smiled at Cade as he held his daughter in his arms. "Cade! It was a great pleasure getting the opportunity to meet you. There are not very many nineteen-year-olds with as much maturity as you, and you have done a wonderful job with raising Rachel. I will admit I was surprised you became a father at such a young age. After what you said about raising any children you had, however, I realized you are an amazing father. When we first met, I was worried I was disturbing you. As soon as you told me I was not, I realized you are one of the most gracious people I have ever met. After we talked more, I envisioned you becoming another brother to me, and that it what eventually happened. Along with Lucas and everyone else, you are one of the nicest people I have ever met, and I am glad to call you my friend. I hope you will find your special someone someday," Edmund elaborated.


    The Scottish prince smiled as he shook Edmund''s hand. "Thank you, Edmund. I appreciate that. The way you greeted me made me realize how polite and honorable you are; the fact you were worried about disturbing me, even though you did not, tells me you are a fantastic man. I wish you and Stephen only the best."


    "Thank you, Cade. Maybe someday, when I visit Scotland, you can show me around Edinburgh?" Edmund asked.


    "Of course," the Scottish prince responded with a smile. Cade would have hugged Edmund, but he did not want to injure his daughter by accident.


    Rachel giggled as she waved at Edmund, and the English prince waved back with a chuckle.


    Edmund turned to the ice harvester. "Kristoff! I would like to thank you for taking Lucas and I ice harvesting. It was a lot of fun getting to explore the forest outside of Arendelle and see all the wonders winter can bring. Going up to the East Lake gave us a great opportunity to get to know each other and find out what our interests were. The instructions you gave us were easy to follow, and I am glad we could get enough ice to last the kingdom for a while. When you offered Lucas and I to come with you, it was an opportunity I could not pass up. I felt like it was a golden opportunity to learn something new, and I am always open to learn new things. Another thing I noticed about you is how protective of Elsa and Anna you are. I laud you for that, as I am sure they feel thankful to have someone who has their backs no matter what. Hopefully we get the chance to go ice harvesting again sometime. You are a great friend," Edmund stated.


    "No problem, Edmund," Kristoff replied with a smile as he shook Edmund''s hand before they hugged each other. "Harvesting ice with you and Lucas was a blast. I was worried you two wouldn''t know what you were doing, but you guys got the hang of it rather quickly."


    "We tried our best," the English prince said with a smile. The ice harvester chuckled in response.


    Edmund turned to Anna. "Anna! You are so full of life. I appreciate the way you, Elsa, and Kristoff greeted me and Stephen when we set foot inside the palace. You have one of the sunniest personalities of anyone I have ever met, and upon seeing you and Kristoff together, I realized you two are a perfect match for each other," Edmund said.


    "Ah, you''re so sweet Edmund!" Anna exclaimed as she hugged Edmund, who returned the favor. "I hope we see you again!"


    "You will one day," Edmund replied with a smile.


    Lastly, Edmund turned to his girlfriend. The English prince took a deep breath as his eyes met Elsa''s. "Elsa. It is hard to put into words how much you mean to me. From our first conversation the day we arrived in Arendelle, I did not realize at the time how much your invitation would change my life. When the invitation arrived in England, I had no idea who you, Anna, and Kristoff were. Upon entering the palace, however, I realized you, Anna, and Kristoff are some of the most genuine, compassionate people I have ever met. The bond between you and your sister is something I really admire. You two are always by each other''s side, no matter what the situation is, and I applaud you two for that. When you introduced me to your powers, I will admit I was shocked at first, but I realized they are a part of you, and your powers do not define who you truly are. As we spent more time together, I came to realize you are the most beautiful woman I have ever met, and you have the warmest heart as well. Whenever I look into your eyes, I see a lot of warmth in them. I see a Queen who rules her kingdom with a genuine smile and ensures Arendelle will remain thriving and prosperous for as long as you are Queen of Arendelle. After the first attack from Richard, I began to realize just how I felt about you. You are very special, and I am happy to have you in my life, as well as calling you my girlfriend. When we danced at the ball on Christmas Eve, I realized a spark formed that night. It was then I recognized my growing feelings for you, and after what took place on Christmas night, I came to realize just how thankful I am to have met you. Without the invitation, we never would have met, nor would we have fallen in love. I love you Elsa, and I hope you and the rest of the kingdom will take care," Edmund elaborated with a grin.


    Elsa''s eyes teared up as she smiled. "I love you too, Edmund. Thank you so much." The Snow Queen then hugged her boyfriend, and Edmund hugged her in return. Elsa and Edmund just did not want to let go of each other. With how they felt about each other, the couple wished they could be in their embrace forever.


    Reality set in, however, and Elsa and Edmund let go of each other several minutes later. After everyone exchanged hugs and handshakes, everyone made their way to their respective ships.


    Edmund and Stephen were the last of the royals to begin boarding their ship. Stephen made his way up the gangplank first. As Edmund was about to do the same, Elsa grabbed his hand. "Edmund wait!"


    Edmund turned around to face Elsa. "What is it, Elsa?"


    The Snow Queen looked up at Edmund''s handsome face with anguish on her face. She did not want the English prince to leave. "Please promise me we will see each other again."


    Edmund nodded with a smile, trying to reassure her. "As you wish, Elsa. You have my word."


    The Ice Queen smiled sadly as she hugged Edmund for what she figured would be the last time for a while.


    "Edmund! We are prepared to depart!" one of the men on the ship called.


    "Coming! I will be there in a minute!" Edmund called back. The English prince looked into his girlfriend''s eyes. "Well, so long Elsa. I will see you soon."


    "See you soon, Edmund," Elsa responded.


    The couple let go of each other. Elsa watched her boyfriend walk up the gangplank. As soon as Edmund was on the ship, he gazed out to Elsa and waved to her. The Snow Queen smiled as she waved back, the ship inching away from the dock.


    Elsa and Edmund waved to each other until the ship was out of sight.


    The Snow Queen kept looking out into the sea, even with all the guests'' ships out of sight.


    Anna and Kristoff walked up beside her.


    "You already miss Edmund, don''t you?" Anna asked.


    "Yes, I do. However, he promised me we will see each other again someday," Elsa replied.


    "Don''t worry, Elsa. You will see him again. He is a man of his word, after all," the princess pointed out.


    "Yes, he is. That is what I like about Edmund. He is honest, smart, humble, kind, and very generous," the Snow Queen said with a smile.


    "He is very handsome, too!" Anna added.


    "Edmund is handsome. I will give you that," Elsa responded with a giggle.


    "Aren''t you saying I''m not handsome?" Kristoff asked Anna.


    "I didn''t say that Kristoff! Why would I say something like that about you?" Anna replied in bewilderment.


    The ice harvester chuckled. "I''m just kidding, Anna!"


    Anna playfully punched his shoulder. "Ha! I had a pretty good idea."


    Kristoff shook his head in amusement. He then cleared his throat and said, "Hey Elsa?"


    Elsa turned and faced the ice harvester. "What is it, Kristoff?"


    "I just wanted to say I''m sorry about how harsh I was with Edmund, Stephen, and Lucas. At first, we didn''t know who they were as people. Upon knowing who they really are, I wish I hadn''t acted so tough on them," the ice harvester said regretfully.


    The Snow Queen gave him a reassuring smile. "You have nothing to apologize for, Kristoff. Anna and I understand you were just trying to keep us safe. At first, I had no idea what kind of people Edmund, Stephen, and Lucas were either. Considering at that time, we had only met them. After knowing them for four months, I have realized they are some of the nicest people I have ever met. I never thought Edmund would become my boyfriend."


    "Edmund, Stephen, and Lucas are indeed very nice, as are Cade, Rachel, and Olivia. It warmed my heart with what Edmund said about me before they left. I am pleasantly surprised he and Lucas enjoyed harvesting the ice with me. Most people wouldn''t have even bothered to try it because of how hard it is to do. The fact they''re willing to do it again says it all; I''m very thankful to call them my friends," Kristoff said with a smile.


    "I am glad you approve of them, Kristoff," Elsa said gratefully.


    "No problem, Elsa," Kristoff replied with a smile. "I''ve got to admit it, you and Edmund are a great-looking couple."


    "Well thank you. I greatly appreciate Edmund seeing past my powers and the way he accepts me for who I am," the Snow Queen said gratefully.


    "Edmund is such a great man!" Anna exclaimed, feeling the need to chime in at that point.


    Kristoff nodded in agreement. "Yes, he is. Stephen, Lucas, and Cade are great guys as well. Olivia is also very nice." The ice harvester smirked. "I also noticed you developed a fondness for Cade''s daughter."


    "Alright, you got me! Rachel is so adorable! I don''t remember the last time I ever held a baby or a toddler in my arms," Anna replied.


    "It''s surprising, isn''t it? Cade is younger than me and Elsa, and he''s already a father," Kristoff stated.


    "Yes, but Cade is a fantastic father," the princess said with a smile.


    "He sure is," Kristoff agreed. "Anyway, I''d like to get something to eat. I''m starving."


    "Me too!" Anna exclaimed as she followed her boyfriend back to the castle.


    Elsa stared at the sea for a few more moments. She felt a gentle breeze make its way past her.


    The Snow Queen smiled, content that someday, she would see Edmund again.

 Fun Facts

    Fun Facts


    Frozen was released on November 27th, 2013.


    While writing the fanfic, there were numerous years in which Frozen is said to take place. At the time I began The First Christmas, sources said Frozen took place in July of 1839. Therefore, I decided to stick with that year even after seeing Disney Wikia saying Frozen takes place in July 1843.


    The name Elsa means "God is my oath". It is a German and Scandinavian form of Elisabeth which is from the Hebrew Elisheba.


    The name Anna means "grace" or "favor". It was used by the ancient Romans as a name meaning "the year''s cycle."


    The name Kristoff means "bearing Christ". It is a short Scandinavian form of the English name Christopher, which derived from the Greek name Christophorus.


    The name Olaf means "ancestor''s descendant". There were five kings of Norway that were named Olaf, such as Saint Olaf (Olaf II).


    The name Kai is of Welsh, Scandinavian, and Greek origin and means "keeper of the keys; earth."


    The name Gerda is a Scandinavian name that means "Guardian. Peace. Fertility."


    The name William comes from Germanic root Wilhelm which is composed of the elements wil (will or desire) and helm (helmet or protection).


    The name Theodor is a name that derives from the Greek name Theodore and means "God''s gift."


    The name Robert is an old German name that means "bright fame."


    The name Edmund is of English origin and means "fortunate protector."


    The name Stephen is of Greek origin derived from the word Stephanos meaning "crown" or "garland."


    The name Lucas is from the Greek name Loukas, and it means "man from Lucania" and "bringer of light."


    The name Cade is from a Middle English personal name, Cade, a survival of the Old English personal name or byname Cada, which is probably from a Germanic root meaning "lump, swelling."


    The name Rachel is a Hebrew name meaning "ewe".


    The name Olivia is a Latin name meaning "olive tree", and the feminine alternative to the boy name Oliver.


    The name Matthew stems originally from the Hebrew name Mattityahu, which means "gift of Yahweh," or "gift of God." Matthew itself simply means "gift," though there are those who say it still means "gift of God," or even "gift from God."


    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    The name Jamian is of Hebrew origin and means "right hand of favor."


    The name Jane is of English origin and means "God is gracious."


    The name Maria is a historically feminine name of Latin origin. It can be translated to either mean "of the sea," "bitter," "beloved," or "rebellious."


    The name George is from the Greek name Georgios, from georgos, meaning "farmer, earthworker", which is from ge, meaning "earth" and ergon, meaning "work".


    The name Richard means "brave ruler" and is Germanic in origin.


    The surname Curry is a common surname used in Ireland, Scotland, and England. It originated in the British Isles.


    The surname White has several different possible origins: White is usually a descriptive name or nickname given to a person with very light hair or complexion, from the Middle English whit, meaning "white."


    The surname Vermeulen is of Dutch and Belgian origin: reduced form of Vandermeulen, a topographic name for someone who lived at a mill.


    The surname Mitchell is English and Scottish in origin and has two main points of origin. Most commonly it comes from the Norman name ''Michel/Michael'' and is patronymic, referring to those who are the son or descendant of a bearer of that name.


    The surname Grant is an English, Scottish, and French surname derived from the French graund meaning "tall" or "large". It was originally a nickname given to those with remarkable size.


    The surname Smith dates to the Anglo-Saxon era and derives from the occupation of "smith", from the Old English "Smid", which means to hit or to strike, and was used to describe someone who worked with metal (a blacksmith for example).


    I intentionally made this fanfic forty-one chapters in honor of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. That is how many symphonies he wrote in his lifetime. My favorite symphony written by Mozart is his last symphony, the "Jupiter" symphony. It is not only his biggest and longest symphony but is also one of the greatest symphonies in the history of classical music. According to the greatest conductors around the world, it is the third greatest symphony of all-time, behind only Ludwig van Beethoven''s Ninth and Third symphonies, respectively. The mood as a whole is happy. It does have its dark moments, but overall, to reiterate, the mood is cheerful. You can read more about the greatest symphonies of all time on The Guardian. The article was published on August 4th, 2016 by Mark Brown.


    Prince Edmund Thomas Curry of England is 6''3".


    Sir Stephen Conor White is also 6''3".


    Prince Lucas Finn Vermeulen of Ostenda is 6''7".


    Prince Cade Phillip Mitchell of Scotland is 6''8".


    King Matthew Dylan Curry of England is 6''2".


    I do not have heights for the other characters. Thus, I will let you guys be the judge on what their respective heights are.


    Edmund was inspired by NBA player Stephen Curry. Stephen Curry is the greatest shooter in NBA history.


    Stephen was inspired by Mr. Han from the 2010 version of the movie Karate Kid.


    Lucas was inspired by NBA player Klay Thompson. Along with teammate Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson is one of the "Splash Brothers" who are known for their excellent shooting abilities.


    Cade was inspired by NBA player Cade Cunningham. Cade Cunningham was the first overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft.


    Olivia was inspired by the name Oliver. I thought it would be a good name for the love interest of Lucas.


    Rachel was inspired by Riley, the daughter of NBA player Cade Cunningham.


    William is a common name in Norway, and that is the name I chose for the Captain of the Guards in Arendelle.


    OoOoOoOoOoO


    I would like to say thank you very much to my amazing readers. It was an unbelievable ride. When I first began to write The First Christmas, I never thought it would become one of the most popular Frozen fanfics. I dedicate this story to my readers, my beta readers, and to everyone that has supported me during this incredible journey.


    The sequel is up! It is called Southern Lord.


    See you all later! Keep reading and writing!


    AurulentBallista