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.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"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.