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.

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"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.