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.
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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 has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
"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.
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"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."
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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.
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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.