Here is the sequel to my fanfic The First Christmas. I would suggest reading that story first before reading this one. This fanfic was inspired by the Lord of the Rings books and the fanfic The Endless Aftermath by TwistedTelepath. Be sure to check that fanfic out!
I would like to thank Pure Red Crane, purple-pink-ice, RalphWolfandSamSheepdog55, Dimmadangit, Amethyst Dzarich, Mistress Peverell, Stephanie Silverfield, quinn321, Jaslyn, and Melly196, for beta reading and helping me improve!
I am always open to feedback.
Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen. Frozen is owned by Disney. A lot of the monsters are owned by Ironhide Game Studio and FlyAnvil.
Chapter 1
An enormous and ominous castle stood within the center of a large, deep moat. Thunder and lightning rumbled from the dark clouds hanging above.
Hordes of monsters stood upon the moat's long stone bridge, with many more surrounding the castle.
There were a multitude of monsters, including many different types of orcs, ogres, werewolves, wulvers, wolves, worgs, golems, goblins, trolls, centaurs, minotaurs, reapers, and skeletons.
Evil Overlord Bellinor gazed out into the distance from the balcony of the tallest tower in the castle.
He snickered, enjoying the gloomy atmosphere before him. The evil overlord jeered as he fixed the spiky black crown on his head.
As the evil overlord continued looking at the monsters below him, a dragon approached him from behind. Bellinor turned around upon feeling the dragon breathe on his neck.
"Ah, yes, it is your feeding time, Xidrym. I shall feed you, Zevries, Frormayrail, and Tezayly right now," Bellinor said as he headed into the tower. Once inside, he saw his four dragons snapping their jaws.
The overlord waved his hands, summoning four enormous portions of meat. Once he set them onto the ground, the dragons immediately came over and began to devour their meal.
"Enjoy, my pets," Bellinor said with a smirk as he left the room, allowing his dragons to eat in peace.
Orc Captain Kegth soon approached the overlord. "My Lord, I report that everything is going according to plan."
"Perfect. We will plan our next attack shortly," Bellinor stated as he summoned a staff with an orb on top of it. He waved a hand above the orb, and the cloudy appearance inside gave an aerial view of a city.
"I have placed a curse on the world, which will become permanent when the clock strikes midnight on the 31st of August. After that, when I rule the world, you and the other monsters will be free to do whatever you wish," the overlord elaborated with an evil grin.
"What city do I see in your staff, My Lord?" Kegth wondered.
"You are gazing upon Brussels, the capital of Belgium. After everything that King Joseph and General Basil put me through, I am going to make them wish they never banished me. Prepare our army for attacking Brussels on the day that the curse will be complete," Bellinor responded.
"I will do whatever you ask, My Lord," the orc captain replied.
"Excellent. Then off you go. Get the troops ready for the attack," the overlord ordered.
"Consider it done, My Lord," Kegth said as he left to prepare the soldiers.
OoOoOoOoOoO
Inside the palace in the kingdom of Brussels, King Joseph sat on his throne. Sitting beside him were his wife and three children.
The kingdom's general, Basil, approached the royals. He bowed respectfully. "Your Majesty."
"I would like to thank you for coming here on such short notice, General Basil," King Joseph stated.
"Anything for you, King Joseph. What can I do for you?" the general asked.
"There have been numerous attacks from monsters at the edge of the kingdom. While there have been no casualties yet, I dread that if nothing is done, a lot of my citizens will get injured or killed. My theory is these monsters were created by Bellinor," King Joseph explained.
"Ah yes. The scoundrel we banished long ago after his attempt to conquer Brussels. Just in case it is Bellinor, I will get the army ready. I shall send soldiers over to where the kingdom is being attacked at once," Basil declared.
"See to it that you do. I cannot stand the thought of innocent people losing their lives in this conflict," Joseph ordered. "There is also one more thing I would like to discuss."
"Yes, King Joseph?" the general asked as he listened attentively.
"Our army alone will not be able to defeat Bellinor. I know exactly who can help us. While I send letters to their kingdoms, I would like you and the soldiers to get ready. A difficult battle is coming. We must be ready to protect the kingdom at all costs," Joseph elaborated.
"Yes, Your Majesty. It shall be done immediately," the general said as he bowed and left the throne room.
OoOoOoOoOoO
Edmund woke up feeling refreshed. He smiled as he looked out the window in his bedroom. It was a sunny day in mid-July. His father's birthday had just passed, and during the festival, he got to reunite with Lucas, Cade, Rachel, and Olivia.
The English prince was disappointed the Arendelle royal family was unable to attend the festival. Edmund understood, however, that Elsa had her duties as queen to focus on and she needed Anna and Kristoff by her side. Edmund also figured that since it had been only a year since the frozen summer, Arendelle would do something to celebrate the end of it amongst its people.
Edmund walked to the balcony of his bedroom and opened the door. He winced as the air from outside hit him like a slap in the face. It was unusually hot. The English prince had never felt such heat before. Sure, it was the middle of summer, but he could not remember it ever being so hot.
Before he could contemplate the extreme weather any further, Stephen cleared his throat from behind.
"Good morning, Edmund," Stephen greeted, holding two letters.
"Good morning, Stephen. How did you sleep?" Edmund asked.
"I slept very well despite the scorching weather we have been dealing with lately," Stephen replied.
"Yes, it has been sweltering since the festival ended. I am glad no one must be outside in the heat," the English prince stated.
"Me too. I feel everyone would have gotten sick had the heat been here longer," Stephen responded in agreement. He then presented the two letters to Edmund. "These letters are for you, Edmund."
"Thank you, Stephen," Edmund said with a grin as he accepted the letters.
"Of course, Edmund," Stephen replied with a nod of approval.
The English prince opened the first letter and read,
Dear Edmund,
I would like to thank you for staying in touch these last few months. It has not been the same without you, Stephen, Lucas, Cade, Rachel, and Olivia. I hope they are doing well, along with you.
The people of Arendelle have really warmed up to me ever since your visit. Immediately after I brought back summer to Arendelle, there were still some people that were nervous around me and were hesitant to even speak to me. Now, everything is different. Whenever I greet any of the townspeople, they are more than happy to return the greeting, which I greatly appreciate. It feels wonderful, knowing the residents of the kingdom accept me as their queen.
We recently had the anniversary festival to celebrate the end of the eternal winter. It was a tremendous success, if I must say. Everyone had a great time.
Anna says hello. She recently turned nineteen. I unfortunately got a cold on the day of her birthday, but she still had a wonderful time. A few days later, I felt much better thanks to her taking care of me.
Kristoff says he really misses you. He has not forgotten taking you and Lucas to go ice harvesting at the East Lake.
I have been thinking about you every day since you left to return to England. Hopefully you and I will see each other again soon. I could not be more thankful to call you my boyfriend. Tell your father and Stephen I said hello.
Yours truly,
Elsa
Edmund smiled fondly as he finished reading the letter. "Elsa says hello, Stephen."
"I say hello back. Hope Elsa and her family are doing well," Stephen said, smiling.
"I hope so too," the English prince replied as he set the letter on his nightstand before he opened the other one Stephen had brought him.
Dear Prince Edmund of England,
I am not sure if we have met in person or not. If not, I apologize if this letter sounds a little strange.
Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.
Times have been strange in the kingdom of Brussels. There have been numerous unusual occurrences, such as an ongoing drought and many attacks from multiple types of monsters. We do not know for sure who or what might be the cause of these situations, but we theorize a man by the name of Bellinor is responsible for these incidents.
We banished him from Brussels long ago after we discovered he was using wicked magic to take over the kingdom.
I am sending this letter to you as I was told of your magnificent fighting abilities. Bellinor is a dangerous man, and with his powerful magical abilities, I do not think our army can defeat him alone. We are hoping you can help us defeat him and his army.
To reach Brussels, you must first arrive in Ostenda before traveling to Brussels by horse. We will make sure to keep your identity a secret to avoid attracting any unwanted attention.
My kingdom and I would greatly appreciate your assistance. Thank you for your consideration.
Yours truly,
King Joseph of Belgium
The English prince was curious as to how King Joseph knew about his abilities. "Hey Stephen?"
"What is it, Edmund? Are you wondering how the King of Belgium found out about your abilities?" Stephen wondered.
Edmund nodded. "That is exactly what I was thinking. Have we met King Joseph before?"
Stephen pondered for a moment. "I do not think you have met him. However, I have met him. It was for a business trip when you were sixteen and I was forty-three. King Joseph called me to Belgium to take care of some important matters."
"Was there something he needed assistance with?" Edmund asked.
Stephen nodded. "It was to discuss continuing to be trade partners with them. We have been trading partners with many countries for a long time."
Edmund nodded in understanding. "Did you see Lucas while you were on your trip?"
Stephen shook his head. "Unfortunately, I did not port in Ostenda. Once I got to Belgium, I arrived in the town of Knokke before I made my way to Brussels. Knokke is a popular vacation spot in Belgium."
"I have never been there before. Maybe we should go sometime," Edmund suggested.
"You would like it. It is a very nice town," Stephen responded.
"I will take your word for it," the English prince said. "Is everything packed and ready on the ship, including Thunder Delmoreblade and Whispermarino Phoenix?"
"Yes. Your weapons have been packed. I have also packed Loyal Protector and Tempest, as well as the sets of armor," Stephen replied. "Before we head to Belgium, however, we will stop in Arendelle."
"Do you think Elsa received a letter from King Joseph?" Edmund asked.
Stephen nodded. "I would not be surprised if she did. We will depart after breakfast."
OoOoOoOoOoO
Elsa let out a pensive sigh as she turned a page of the novel she was reading. Reading books was an activity that always seemed to ease her mind whenever she needed to relax. There were limitless possibilities to where the books could take her. Reading was also something she did to keep her mind off Edmund.
The Snow Queen deeply missed Edmund. When they first met, Elsa could not imagine what would happen over the next four months. Despite everything the English prince had been through, he was the nicest man she had ever met. Even though Elsa did admire how handsome he was, it was Edmund's humility and generosity she liked most about him.
After she gently closed her book and rose from her seat, Elsa placed it back on the bookshelf.
Once the Ice Queen left the library, Kai walked up to her.
"Hello Kai. Is there something you need?" Elsa asked.
"Yes, Queen Elsa. Visitors have arrived in the harbor," Kai told her.
The Snow Queen raised her eyebrows. "Where are the visitors from?"
"They are from England, Belgium, Scotland, and Sweden, Your Majesty," Kai replied.
Elsa nodded. "Thank you, Kai. I will head over to the docks immediately."
"Of course, Queen Elsa," Kai said as he bowed respectfully before he and Elsa went their separate ways.
OoOoOoOoOoO
The Snow Queen briskly walked towards the docks. Anna and Kristoff joined her as she left the palace.
When the Arendelle royals arrived, they saw the ships from the four countries. Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff approached the English ship and saw Edmund and Stephen waiting there.
The Arendelle royals stopped in her tracks once they felt they were close enough. Edmund then turned his head and saw Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff. The English prince smiled shyly and waved. "Hello, guys."
"Edmund!" Elsa exclaimed as she ran forth and hugged her boyfriend. Edmund beamed as he returned the hug. "It is so good to see you! I missed you."
"Same here, Elsa. Not one day passed where I did not think about you," Edmund responded.
"Me too," the Snow Queen replied in agreement. The two royals stayed in their embrace for a few moments before they finally let go.
"It is good to see you, Elsa. I take it you and your family are doing well?" Stephen inquired as he and Elsa shook hands.
"Yes, we are doing well, Stephen. Thank you for asking," Elsa said with a grin.
"Of course," Stephen stated with a nod of approval.
The English prince and his mentor turned their attention to Anna and Kristoff.
"Hello, Anna. Hey, Kristoff. How are you two doing?" Edmund asked as he shook Anna's hand.
"We are doing well, Edmund. How was the voyage?" Anna wondered, smiling.
"The voyage was rather smooth, if I must say," the English prince replied, grinning.
"Good to see you, Ed," the ice harvester greeted as he shook Edmund's hand.
"Likewise, Kristoff," Edmund beamed.
"We missed you guys. How is everything in England?" Kristoff inquired.
"England is thriving as we speak. My father says hello," Edmund empathized.
"That's good to hear," the ice harvester replied, beaming.
After Stephen greeted Anna and Kristoff, the five royals were then approached by Lucas, Cade, Rachel, and Olivia.
Edmund's eyes lit up upon seeing his best friend. "Lucas!"
"Edmund!" the Belgian prince exclaimed as the two men darted towards each other and hugged tightly.
"It is good to see you again, buddy," Edmund said.
"Same to you, my friend," Lucas replied with a smile. "How have you been?"
"I have been doing very well. Everything has been prosperous in London, if I must say. Is everything going smoothly in Ostenda?" Edmund wondered.
"Everything is going exactly as planned," Lucas replied with a beam.
"I am thrilled to hear that," the English prince replied.
"I appreciate that, Edmund. It makes me happy to hear everything is going well for you and your family in England," the Belgian prince responded, grinning.
The two princes did a fist bump before they turned to greeting the other royals.
Lucas turned to Olivia. "Olivia! It is good to see you. I missed you." Lucas then hugged his girlfriend.
"I missed you too, Lucas. After we separated, I never stopped thinking about you and the adventures we had during our time here," the Swedish princess said with a smile.
"I share the sentiment. When we are apart, I feel some kind of pain within me. You mean the world to me," Lucas said.
"You mean the world to me as well, Lucas. I am glad we met," Olivia said with a smile.
After everyone was done greeting each other, Cade broke the silence, a solemn look on his face. "I think we should head to the palace. As great as it is to see everyone again, I am afraid we have a lot to talk about."
OoOoOoOoOoO
The royals gathered in the library, showing each other the letters they received from King Joseph of Belgium.
"You guys got letters from King Joseph as well?" Edmund asked. "Whatever is taking place in Belgium, I think we must do something about it. It sounds like this Bellinor guy is extremely powerful."
"Based on what King Joseph said, Bellinor sounds like an evil overlord with horrendous magical abilities. I do not believe King Joseph would send us these letters if he felt the Belgian army could handle Bellinor and his army on their own," Lucas elaborated.
Cade nodded in agreement as he gently rocked his napping daughter back and forth. "I have a gut feeling Bellinor is not only a threat to Belgium. Considering his motives and powers, he is a threat to the entire world. Together, I think we can stop him. What I am worried about is if we all leave Arendelle, who will be in charge while we are away?"
"I was just thinking the same thing, Cade. If we all leave, I am unsure on who should step up while Anna, Kristoff, and I are not here," Elsa replied.
Stephen thought about it. He had never ruled a kingdom before, not even as a temporary ruler, still… "I can be in charge while you guys are fighting Bellinor."
Everyone turned to Stephen with eyes wide in surprise.
"I have no doubt you would do a magnificent job, but are you sure you can handle something like this?" Edmund wondered.
"Well, there is only one way to find out," Stephen said with a determined look on his face. "You guys must stop Bellinor before he becomes a bigger threat than he already is. King Joseph and his army will need all the help they can get to stop him. I can assure you everything here in Arendelle will be just fine."
Elsa was touched that Stephen was willing to look after her kingdom while they were gone. Still, she was worried about how Stephen would handle such a daunting responsibility.
"I appreciate how you are not afraid to take my place while we fight Bellinor, Stephen. However, I should warn you that running a kingdom is no easy task. Although I have been Queen for a year now, even I make mistakes from time to time," Elsa said, trying to caution Stephen about what he was getting himself into.
"Thank you for your concern, Elsa. I will admit I am a little worried about what might happen while you guys are not here by my side. As long as I just be myself though, I am confident everything will be just fine," Stephen assured everyone.
"Then I leave you in charge, Stephen," the Snow Queen finalized.
"On my honor, Elsa. I will not let you down," Stephen responded, determined to do well.
OoOoOoOoOoO
Everyone made sure to give Stephen a proper farewell before departing for Belgium. The royals would port in Ostenda, then travel by horseback to the capital of the country: Brussels.
Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff decided to accompany Edmund on the English ship. The Arendelle family did ask the other royals about going on the voyage with them on their ships. Lucas, Cade, and Olivia insisted they could go with Edmund. They would meet each other again in Ostenda.
Elsa and the two men were below deck, while Anna stayed above to enjoy the view.
"This sure feels spontaneous, doesn't it?" Edmund asked.
Elsa nodded in agreement. "Just as we are reunited, we are summoned to fight an evil overlord who could potentially take over the world. I would say this is out of the blue. This is very unexpected."
"Me neither. Regardless, King Joseph and the Belgian army will need all the help they can get. The more assistance we can provide, the greater the chances are that Bellinor will get defeated," Edmund explained.
"Do you think we can stop Bellinor?" Kristoff asked with concern.
"I think we can. However, this sounds like something I will not be able to do by myself. As great as my abilities are, even I need assistance from time to time. Doing everything by yourself is a tedious task. Sometimes, it is good to have a little help," the English prince elaborated.
The ice harvester nodded. "We'll have your back no matter what, Ed. If you ever need any help from us, just let us know."
"Thank you, Kristoff. I appreciate that," Edmund said gratefully.
"You're welcome, Edmund," Kristoff replied with a smile.
"Anyway, how have you and Anna been doing?" the English prince asked.
"We've been doing well. Anna and I aren't ready to take the next step just yet, but when the time comes, I will propose to her," the ice harvester explained.
"You and Anna are perfect for each other. I do hope you two will get married someday," Edmund stated with a charming grin.
"I appreciate the support, Edmund," Kristoff replied.
"Of course. That is what friends are for - to support each other," Edmund responded as he and the ice harvester did a fist bump.
Anna then entered the room the other three royals were in.
"Hey guys! It sure is a nice view out there!" Anna exclaimed.
"I have no doubt it is. How about we see it for ourselves?" Edmund suggested.
"Sure," Kristoff replied with a smile.
"Of course," Elsa responded as the four royals went above deck to enjoy the view.
At that point, Arendelle was out of sight, and there was nothing they could see but the gentle ripples of the sea.
After the royals observed the scene before them for a little while, a thought came to Edmund's mind. "Hey, Elsa?"
"Yes, Edmund?" the Snow Queen asked, turning her attention to her boyfriend.
"The day I received your letter, I noticed it was extremely hot in London, and King Joseph mentioned Belgium was in the middle of a severe drought. Did you notice any unusually warm weather in Arendelle by chance?" Edmund asked.
"It was warmer than I have ever felt it. Are you thinking Bellinor is responsible for the heat as well as the drought in Belgium?" Elsa wondered.
"That is exactly what I am beginning to theorize. I feel like Bellinor is a lot more powerful than we initially thought. Taking on an evil overlord is going to be a daunting task. I believe, however, that we can defeat him before he takes over the world," Edmund said confidently.
"I hope so," the Ice Queen replied, worried about the possibility of what would happen should they fail to stop Bellinor.
"Another thing that worries me is how things will go in Arendelle while we are away," the English prince admitted.
"I am worried as well, but I know Stephen will do a great job," Elsa replied as she leaned into his shoulder, trying to reassure him.
Edmund smiled as he gently wrapped an arm around her slender waist. "How did I get so lucky?"
"I guess it had something to do with me inviting you and Stephen to Arendelle to spend the holidays with us?" Elsa said with raised eyebrows and a smile.
"Sounds about right," the English prince responded. "That was the greatest four months of my life. Arendelle is one of the smallest kingdoms I have ever been to, but I would have to say it is my favorite."
"I appreciate the compliment, Edmund. What is your favorite thing about Arendelle?" Elsa asked.
"I love how nice the townspeople are and how they make everyone feel welcome. They make anyone from another kingdom feel as if they are a part of Arendelle," Edmund explained.
"We try our best to make sure everyone who visits feels welcome," Elsa responded, smiling.
"Under your leadership, everyone does a wonderful job doing that," Edmund stated with a beaming smile.