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 3
The royals traveled eastwards, watching the trees go by. Due to having been born and raised in Belgium, Lucas decided to lead everyone. The other royals agreed since the Belgian prince knew the country best.
While the heat was oppressive, there were no other weather effects the royals had to worry about; there was no wind, and the sky was cloudless.
Given the sun's position in the sky, Lucas was unsure whether the group could make it all the way to Brussels. The Belgian prince hoped they could at least make it to Aatler, if not Ghent. He wanted to make sure everyone could get as far as possible before nightfall.
The royals decided to wear simple clothing on their journey to avoid any unwanted attention and prevent the unnecessary drama of getting attacked by thugs.
After some time, they passed north of Jabbeke. To everyone's surprise, no one encountered any monsters on the journey. Regardless, all four men had their ranged weapons handy just in case.
However, Lucas began to feel the effects of the heat. Glancing back to check on his friends, Lucas grew concerned when he saw the look on everyone's faces. Everyone was panting and covered in sweat.
Unwilling to let his friends suffer, the Belgian prince decided they should take a break. He felt it was important to make sure everyone was getting enough rest and water to drink.
Seeing the kingdom of Bruges come into sight, the Belgian prince announced, "We will stop in Bruges to get a breather."
Everyone nodded before they reached the gates to the kingdom. The royals noticed the gates to Bruges were rusty and crooked, in contrast to the shiny, straight gates of Ostenda.
Edmund spoke to his friend, "Are you sure you would like to stop here, Lucas? Bruges looks like it is unsafe. I would rather not have anything happen to anyone."
Lucas nodded in understanding. "I understand why you would feel that way. Bruges has unfortunately been suffering for over three hundred years. Ever since the Zwin channel silted up, Bruges has gone downhill. Prior to 1500, during the Golden Era, it was once a prosperous city, and one of the most important port cities in Europe. While I am reluctant to stop here, I feel it is for the best. You and everyone else are all sweaty, and we need to rest up before we continue our journey."
"Okay. We just need to be careful. I cannot stand the thought of you or anyone else getting hurt," Edmund cautioned.
Lucas nodded in agreement. He made a mental note to keep his guard up, as Bruges was one of the most dangerous kingdoms in Belgium.
The royals brought their horses to the kingdom stables. As they walked around, they noticed the buildings were not as well-kept as Ostenda. There were broken windows, peeling paint, and the wood of the buildings was old. Homeless people dressed in ragged clothing roamed the streets, and some were fighting each other for money and food.
"I don't like this place," Anna said softly.
"Me neither, Anna, but Lucas wouldn't stop here without a good reason. Stay close, and I'll protect you," Kristoff assured.
Anna smiled as the ice harvester gently wrapped a protective arm around her shoulders.
"How could a kingdom end up like this? This is so sad," Olivia said, sadness in her green eyes.
"The silting of the channel was something we unfortunately could not do anything about. It pains me to see how Bruges turned from a thriving kingdom into a place struggling to maintain its importance. I hope someday the kingdom can overcome the challenges it is facing," Lucas explained.
"I hope so too. The people here are suffering dearly. No one deserves to go through this," the Swedish princess stated.
The Belgian prince nodded solemnly in agreement. He wrapped an arm around his girlfriend to comfort her.
"Are there any areas like this in London?" Elsa asked the English prince.
"I know it may be hard to believe, but yes, there are dangerous areas in London. There is no such thing as a kingdom that is completely safe or perfect. No matter how good of a ruler you are, there are always going to be issues to address," Edmund explained. "Has there been anything atrocious that has taken place in Arendelle?"
"Well, there was a bar fight a few months after I began ruling Arendelle. Other than that, there really have not been any major catastrophes," Elsa replied.
"I am happy to hear everything is going well in your kingdom," Edmund said with a beam.
"Me too," Elsa smiled, looking up at the English prince's handsome face.
Cade looked around. With everything going on around them, he made sure to keep a close eye on Rachel. He felt thankful that he did not have to raise his daughter in a kingdom going through hard times. Still, the Scottish prince felt terrible for what the people of Bruges were going through.
"Who is the ruler of Bruges, Lucas?" Cade wondered.
"King Dennis. Despite the condition the kingdom is in, King Dennis means well. He is doing everything he can to help his kingdom," Lucas elaborated.
"I hope he succeeds one day," Cade stated.
"Yes. I hope so too," the Belgian prince replied in agreement.
The royals walked through the kingdom. Even with the hard stares they were receiving, no one bothered them.
As they approached the center of the city, the buildings began to look more prosperous, and the people on the street were better dressed.
Soon the royals reached the entrance to the castle. One of the guards at the gate spoke up as they approached. "Who goes there?"
Lucas approached the guards, and they recognized him. "Ah, Prince Lucas of Ostenda. It is a pleasure to see you again." They bowed respectfully.
"The pleasure is mine, gentlemen," Lucas greeted.
"Who, may we ask, is accompanying you today?" one of the guards asked.
"Accompanying me today are Prince Edmund of England, Princess Olivia of Halmstad, Sweden, Queen Elsa, Princess Anna, and Sir Kristoff of Arendelle, along with Prince Cade and Princess Rachel of Scotland," Lucas explained, introducing everyone.
The guards bowed respectfully to the other royals before one of them said, "You may enter. Enjoy your stay, Your Majesties."
"Thank you, gentlemen," Lucas stated.
"Of course," the guard replied before they closed the gates after the royals were inside.
The palace ahead of them, Edmund noted, was a good-sized castle, but not nearly as large as the palace in London. As huge as the London palace was, it was not the largest castle the English prince had ever been to.
He remembered traveling to the town of Malbork, Poland. Just outside the town was the Castle of the Teutonic Order in Malbork, the largest castle in the world. Upon seeing it, Edmund was astounded at how enormous it was.
The English prince was seventeen years old when he visited Poland with his father and mentor. King Roger owned the palace, and he happily gave them a tour. The king explained the history of the castle, starting with its construction from 1274 to 1406. King Roger also explained how it was the most complete and ornate example of a Gothic brick-built castle complex in the characteristic and unique style of the Teutonic Order. The style evolved independently from those which prevailed in contemporary castles in western Europe and the Near East. That spectacular fortress bore witness to the phenomenon of the Teutonic Order state in Prussia. The state was founded in the 13th century by German communities of military monks who carried out crusades against the pagan Prussians and Lithuanians living on the south Baltic coast, as well as against the Christian Kingdom of Poland. It had its greatest influence in the 14th century before construction was complete. The castle-convent embodied the drama of late medieval Christianity, straining between extremes of sanctity and violence.
Edmund had just finished recalling that fond memory when the royals entered the palace. Soon everyone reached the entrance to the throne room.
Upon entering, they saw King Dennis sitting on his throne. He was well past his prime, but he still looked handsome for his age. His skin was fair with some wrinkles, and his hair was gray. The king wore a dark red royal jacket, grey pants, black boots, and a bronze belt.
King Dennis rose to his feet. Once he did, the Captain of the Guards of Bruges announced, "Presenting Prince Lucas of Ostenda, accompanied by Prince Edmund of England, Princess Olivia of Halmstad, Sweden, Queen Elsa, Princess Anna and Sir Kristoff of Arendelle, along with Prince Cade and Princess Rachel of Scotland."
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The royals bowed and curtsied before the King of Bruges, who bowed in return. "Welcome to Bruges. I hope everyone had a safe journey here."
"Yes, we did, Your Majesty," Lucas responded.
King Dennis laughed. "How many times do I have to tell you, Lucas? You can call me Dennis." He managed to calm himself down before he smiled and hugged the Belgian prince. "It is good to see you again, Lucas."
"Likewise, Dennis," Lucas replied with a chuckle. "How have you been?"
"I have been doing as well as I can. How are you and your family doing?" King Dennis asked.
"My family and I are doing well," Lucas responded before continuing, "There is something I must ask of you."
"Of course, Lucas. What can I do for you?" King Dennis wondered.
"We are attempting to get to Brussels. Unfortunately, the heat was too much for us to handle. Therefore, we stopped here to get some rest and cool off," Lucas explained.
King Dennis nodded in understanding. "This heat has taken its toll on the residents of Bruges, especially the homeless. It makes me sad that despite everything I have done to help, my kingdom still struggles to get out of the troubles it continues to deal with."
"I remain confident you can turn it all around eventually," Lucas encouraged.
"Thank you for your support, Lucas. It really means a lot. You and your friends are more than welcome to stay here for as long as you need to," King Dennis said with a nod of approval.
"I appreciate your hospitality, Dennis," Lucas replied gratefully.
"Anything for you, Lucas," King Dennis replied before he called a servant over. "Could you show everyone to the finest rooms in the palace and get them some refreshments please?"
"Yes, Your Majesty," the servant replied with a bow.
OoOoOoOoOoO
Olivia and Lucas were settling into their room, drinking glasses of ice water. They looked out the window. The sun was setting, indicating nightfall was nearing.
"I feel like we could not have gone much further in the heat," Olivia stated.
Lucas nodded in agreement. "As much as I wanted to reach Aatler, I am far more worried about yours and everyone else's health. The last thing I want to happen is everyone getting heat stroke."
"You are so gracious, Lucas. That is one thing I like about you. You always think of others," the Swedish princess praised with a smile.
"Always. It is the right thing to do. Showing courtesy to others means a lot to me," the Belgian prince responded, chuckling.
Olivia and Lucas hugged each other lovingly. They gazed at each other before Lucas leaned down and passionately kissed her. Olivia happily returned the kiss.
Soon the couple ran out of breath. They set their empty glasses on a nearby table, then walked over to the window, holding hands.
"Do you think monsters will attack Bruges soon?" Olivia asked worriedly.
"I would not be surprised if they did. Bellinor seems to know each kingdom in Belgium is important in their own way. If Brussels falls, the rest of the country will follow. That is why we must stop Bellinor as soon as we can," Lucas explained.
"When were you thinking of leaving tomorrow?" Olivia wondered.
"We must make sure we get enough sleep. At the same time though, we need to leave as early as possible. If we depart early enough, we will not have to endure the heat as much," Lucas replied.
"That is true. I noticed how much cooler it is now than it was in the afternoon," Olivia said.
"The afternoon hours are the hottest time of day. Therefore, we should try to limit our traveling during that time. If anything, we should rest during the afternoon hours and stay out of the sun," the Belgian prince commented.
"Yes. I have a feeling we will not be able to defeat Bellinor if the heat wears us down too much," Olivia stated.
"Which is why we need to preserve our strength as much as possible. The more strength we can maintain, the better chances we have of defeating Bellinor," Lucas said.
Olivia nodded in agreement before she leaned into his shoulder. Lucas grinned before he gave her a kiss on the cheek.
OoOoOoOoOoO
Cade was watching over his sleeping daughter. Rachel was tired not only from the journey, but the heat as well. The Scottish prince made sure both he and his daughter were properly hydrated. He never experienced dehydration, but knew what the effects of it were, and they were not pleasant.
Cade remembered how one of his closest friends from childhood got severely dehydrated. It did not end well for his friend; he got sick with stomach flu and succumbed only a week later.
It was one of the saddest things to happen during Cade's boyhood. Other than the tragedy, the Scottish prince had a very happy childhood. He had amazing parents and siblings who served as good role models for him. There were times where he and his sister Kate would fight, but Colin would step in and break it up. Colin was the peacemaker of the family.
As Cade became a teenager, he and his sister got along much better. They never fought again once the Scottish prince turned thirteen. From that point on, his maturity skyrocketed. After Rachel was born, Cade had to grow up even more to raise her properly.
The Scottish prince was hoping everyone could live peaceful lives after they defeated Bellinor. Until then, he would be a threat to the country and the rest of the world.
Deciding to take his mind off things, Cade picked out a book from the bookshelf in the room and began to read.
OoOoOoOoOoO
"We didn't make it as far as I thought we would. Lucas mentioned trying to get to Aatler before stopping," Anna said.
"Yes, but Lucas cares about our health. If it weren't for the heat, I'm sure we could've made it to Aatler. With how hot it is outside, I felt Lucas made the right decision by having us rest for the remainder of the day," Kristoff replied.
"I hope we can stop Bellinor. What if we fail to do so?" Anna asked worriedly.
"We'll stop him. Obviously if we don't, the world will be doomed. As long as we work together, I feel like we can accomplish anything," Kristoff responded with a determined look on his face.
"Have you thought about having Edmund, Lucas, and Cade train you to become a better fighter?" Anna wondered.
The ice harvester pondered for a moment. "If that is what it'll take for us to defeat Bellinor, then I will gladly train with them. Although I am not sure if they have ever taught anyone to fight before. They seem to have been students their entire lives."
"Are you saying you don't want to train with them?" Anna asked with a raised eyebrow.
"No, it's not that. I'm sure they could help me become a better fighter. I just don't want to overburden them with something they haven't done before," Kristoff explained.
Anna nodded. Kristoff did have a point. "What do you think you could learn from them?"
"I'm thinking I could learn how to use Arnav Battle Axe and Barbeau Throwing Axe. Not once have I used them since they got them for me. Don't get me wrong, I like the weapons they gave me. I just haven't had a reason to use them. Now that we are facing an evil overlord, I feel like I finally have a reason to wield them," Kristoff elaborated.
"They do seem to be able to fight well, even without weapons," Anna stated.
"Absolutely. Edmund, Lucas, and Cade are better fighters than I could ever dream of being. They've been training since very early on in their lives. Not once did I have someone teach me how to fight," Kristoff said.
There was a moment of silence. If there was anyone who could teach the ice harvester how to fight, it was the three princes. Kristoff contemplated for a moment before he reached a decision.
"I will ask Edmund, Lucas, and Cade how I can become a better fighter," the ice harvester declared.
"That's the spirit, Kristoff!" Anna exclaimed.
Kristoff chuckled. "I have no doubt that they will be happy about it."
"Then why don't you ask them now?" Anna suggested before she playfully punched his shoulder.
"Alright then," the ice harvester stated in mock offense before he laughed and made his way out of their room.
OoOoOoOoOoO
Elsa and Edmund had finished their glasses of water. They were sitting across from each other at a table in their room.
"How are you feeling Elsa?" Edmund implored.
"I am doing okay. Still, I do not know how much longer I can stand this heat," Elsa responded.
"Me neither. It has seriously taken a toll on everyone," the English prince stated before he got up and walked over to his girlfriend. He gently gave her a hug from behind.
Elsa giggled as she felt Edmund wrap his muscular arms around her. "You are such a charmer, you know that, Edmund?"
Edmund smiled. "I am just trying to be the best boyfriend I can be."
"You certainly do a wonderful job," Elsa praised. A thought came to her mind. "Have you thought about our future lately?"
"What do you mean?" Edmund wondered, curious to where Elsa was going.
"Us, getting married?" the Snow Queen asked.
Edmund let go of her and kneeled to her level with a sincere look on his face. "It is pretty early to be thinking about that. While I feel great about where our relationship is right now, it has only been seven months since we first met. I do not feel like I am ready for that just yet."
Elsa nodded in understanding. "I feel the same way."
The English prince took her hand in hers. "When I was staying with you and your family in Arendelle, I meant every word I said about us taking our time. We will take the next step only when both of us are ready. It would be unwise to rush love."
The Ice Queen smiled fondly. "What did I do to deserve you, Edmund?"
"I think the correct question is what have I done to deserve you?" Edmund replied with a charming grin.
Elsa stood up and the royals kissed each other passionately.
Their moment of affection was interrupted when a knock sounded at their door.
"I will go get it," Edmund said as he went to answer the door.
The English prince opened the door and saw Kristoff. "Ah, Kristoff. Good afternoon. How are you doing?"
"I'm doing good. How about yourself, Edmund?" the ice harvester asked.
"I am doing well. Please come in," Edmund insisted with a beam as he led Kristoff into their room.
"Hi, Kristoff," Elsa greeted with a smile.
"Hey, Elsa," Kristoff greeted back.
"What brings you here?" the Snow Queen wondered.
"I wanted to ask Edmund something," the ice harvester said.
"Certainly Kristoff. What can I do for you?" the English prince wondered.
"Do you remember when Stephen offered to train me?" Kristoff asked.
Edmund nodded. "Have you decided you would like to become a better fighter?"
"Yes, I have. I'm not sure you would feel comfortable training me, as I understand you've only been a student your entire life. With that being said, I would like to become a better fighter," Kristoff stated.
"While it is true that I have never been a teacher, that does not mean I am unwilling to try," Edmund responded. "I feel like my teaching style will be very different from Stephen's. Hopefully, you will be able to follow it."
"I'm sure your style will be just fine. Not only was I hoping to train with you, but with Lucas and Cade as well," Kristoff added.
"Then I will train you. I have no doubt Lucas and Cade will be more than happy to train you as well," Edmund decided with a smile.
"Thank you, Edmund," Kristoff said with a grin.
"Of course," the English prince replied before he cautioned, "I should warn you though that the training I have in mind will not be easy. You will need to work hard every day, eat lots of healthy foods, and things like that. It will take some time to become a good fighter. Stephen started training me the day I was born - I did not just become a great fighter overnight. It took years and years of hard work, perseverance, dedication, and resilience for me to become the fighter I am today."
"I am up for the challenge," the ice harvester stated. "If I can handle a hard lifestyle like ice harvesting, I don't see how I can't handle becoming a better fighter."
"You are already off to a good start," Edmund praised.
"How so?" Kristoff wondered.
"One important thing I have always had while training is a positive attitude. Even though I have mastered every fighting style in existence, I still feel like there is always something I can work on. No matter how good you are at something, you can always get better," Edmund explained.
"What is something that you feel you can work on?" the ice harvester asked.
"Stealth is one of my biggest weaknesses. While I have improved over the years, I still feel as if there are many people who are better at it than I am. For example, Cade is much stealthier than either me or Lucas. He has no problem with catching anyone by surprise," the English prince elaborated.
Kristoff nodded in comprehension. "When do we start training?"
"I was thinking we could begin tomorrow. After how everyone felt today from the heat, I think it is for the best that everyone gets some rest for the day. That way we can all feel refreshed and rejuvenated for tomorrow," Edmund stated.
The ice harvester nodded in agreement. "Hopefully we can make it a little further than we did today."
"I hope so too. Lucas mentioned getting a very early start tomorrow morning while it is cooler out. He said we will need to minimize travelling during the afternoon hours, as it is the hottest part of the day," the English prince said.
"Do you think we will be able to make it to Brussels tomorrow?" Kristoff wondered.
"I guess we will find out," Edmund stated.
Kristoff nodded. "Well, I think I am going to head back to my room now. Anna is probably wondering what I'm up to."
The English prince chuckled. "I am sure she will not be upset at you for stopping by."
"Alright. See you later, Edmund. Later Elsa," Kristoff said as he left the room with a wave.
"See you later, Kristoff," Edmund waved with a smile.
"Bye, Kristoff," Elsa beamed as she waved to the ice harvester.