I would like to thank roxygoth, BurningFox6, krystal lazuli, and LukeJames for beta reading and helping me improve!

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Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen. Frozen is owned by Disney. I only lay claim to Prince Edmund, Prince Lucas, Master Stephen, and anyone else you do not recognize from Frozen.

Chapter 19

Once the retirement ceremony in honor of Sir Stephen had concluded, everyone wished him the best with retirement, along with giving King Matthew early birthday wishes, before they went back to the festival to enjoy themselves.

As the group walked, Edmund congratulated his mentor on yet another archery tournament victory. "That was an unbelievable shot you made to win the contest, Master."

"Thank you, Edmund. It was a tough shot considering how far back the target was. Another few inches and it would have been out of the bow's range. Even the ranged weapons that shoot the furthest have their limitations in range," Stephen explained.

"You are welcome, Master. Looks like you really had to be focused to hit the bullseye from such a distance," the young English prince said with a nod.

"Yeah, that was one heck of a shot at the end!" Jane exclaimed with excitement.

Stephen smiled at how full of life Jane was. No wonder George and Maria considered her the sunshine of their household.

"I noticed before the contest you spoke with the judge about something. What did you say to the judge?" Lucas wondered.

"Since I have now won the archery tournament twenty years in a row, I decided I have nothing more to prove. Thus, I chose to retire from any future archery contests," Stephen explained.

"What did the judge have to say about that? Was he upset?" the young Belgian prince asked.

The thirty-five-year-old man shook his head. "Upon speaking with the judge, he said it was a nice ride while it lasted, and that it was very nice of me to allow other archers their chances to shine. The judge even made the decision to name the trophy after me starting next year."

"I am glad he understood why you made the decision to retire," Lucas said with a grin.

Edmund smiled as well. "The whole tournament was certainly fun to watch. I hope someday I will be able to participate in the professional archery tournament."

"Yeah, me too," Lucas said.

"Me three," Richard replied. "That way all three of us can show everyone how good at archery we are."

"I cannot wait to see you guys compete when we grow up!" Jane exclaimed.

"We still have a while to go until we are adults. None of us are even ten years old yet," Edmund stated.

"That is true. We will all be grown up before we know it though," Lucas said with a wink. This caused Jane to giggle.

"Now that the archery contests are over, what is next, Master?" Edmund asked his mentor.

"There are many more contests to participate in such as weightlifting, running, swimming, and many more. Would you like to participate in any more contests, Edmund?" Stephen asked.

"Yes please," Edmund responded. "May Richard also participate please?"

"Of course, he may. There are many more contests for young boys your age, I am sure of it," Stephen replied.

"Thank you, Sir Stephen. I appreciate it," Richard said with a grateful smile.

"You are welcome, Richard," the brown-haired man responded with a grin.

OoOoOoOoOoO

About an hour after the group had lunch, they walked around and saw a race being held for young boys aged eight to eleven, just like the archery contest earlier. The boys were walking to the starting line after they signed up for the race.

"That looks like a running contest over there. How does that sound, Edmund?" Matthew asked.

"Sounds good to me. My lunch has settled for a while now. Thus, I do not think I will have to worry about it during the race," Edmund replied.

"It has been about an hour, so you should be fine, my son," the king reassured.

The black-haired boy nodded in agreement.

"I wish I could join you, Edmund. However, it seems you must be eight years old to participate in any of the contests for young boys," Lucas said.

"Are you upset about not being able to take part in the contests, Luc?" Edmund asked.

The dirty-blonde-haired boy shrugged and shook his head. "It is okay really. I enjoy watching you and Richard competing and putting on a show before the crowd."

"You do?" Edmund asked.

"Of course, Edmund. You have already proven to be the best young archer in the world. Now I am eager to see how you do in the running contest," Lucas responded with a smile.

"Thank you, Lucas," Edmund said.

"You are welcome! Good luck to you and Richard. We will see you guys at the finish line," Lucas replied.

"Good luck you guys! I hope you win, Edmund!" Jane cheered.

"I will try, Jane. Thank you for the encouragement," the young English prince said.

"Of course!" the young girl exclaimed.

Richard also asked his parents if he could join the race, and they said yes.

Once Edmund and Richard had signed up for the race, they were next to each other at the starting line. Numerous other boys either the same height as Edmund and Richard or taller were at the starting line, ready to burst out as fast as they could once the race was underway.

"Are you ready, Richard?" Edmund asked.

"Ready. Are you?" Richard replied.

"Yes," the young English prince said.

The judge announced the race would go around the city for a little bit, through the park, and the finish line would be at the exit of the park. Another judge would be at the finish line to present the medals to the first three boys to cross the finish line.

Then the judge got out a horn he would blow to signal the start of the race. "On your mark, get set," the judge started before he blew the horn and the boys sprinted forward as the race began.

People had gathered around the route of the race and were cheering for the young boys as they ran along.

Edmund and Richard explosively got off to a quick start as soon as the horn had sounded. Surprisingly, they were able to keep up with the ten and eleven-year-olds without a problem.

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As the race continued, the boys continued running as hard as they could through the cobblestone streets while the crowd cheered for them.

It would not be long before Edmund and Richard reached the entrance of the park. They were even with a few of the older boys in the race. Every boy was determined to cross the finish line first.

Once the finish line came into sight, Edmund saw his father, mentor, and everyone else waiting for him there. Jane was waving ecstatically while Lucas was smiling determinedly.

Edmund and Richard were now in front of the other boys, stealing glances at each other with grins of determination as the finish line approached.

Despite Richard putting up a good fight, the race was won by Edmund when he got just the tiniest burst of speed, right before he and Richard crossed the finish line.

"Our winner is Prince Edmund of England!" the judge at the finish line announced as the crowd erupted into cheers.

Edmund and Richard were panting from the race but wore grins on their faces.

Richard groaned good-naturedly but nevertheless accepted defeat with dignity. "Congratulations on yet another win, Edmund. That was an exhausting race, huh?"

"You can say that again. It appears everyone is tired from the race," the English prince replied.

The judge walked up to Edmund, clutching three different color medals in his hands. With a smile, he put the gold medal on around the black-haired prince's neck. "Congratulations, Your Highness."

"Thank you," Edmund stated with a smile.

"You are welcome," the judge responded before turning to Richard with the silver medal.

"Congratulations, young man," the judge stated, grinning.

"Thank you," Richard said, grinning.

"Of course," the judge replied before he turned his attention to an eleven-year-old boy who had placed third with the bronze medal.

Edmund and Richard watched as the boy accepted the bronze medal while being congratulated by the judge. The two boys then walked up to the other boy to shake hands with him.

King Matthew, Sir Stephen, Jane and her parents, Lucas, and his parents, along with Richard's parents, approached the two young boys with proud looks on their faces after Edmund and Richard were finished congratulating the boy who placed third.

"Well done, Edmund. It seems you will be getting more than one surprise today," Stephen praised with a nod of approval.

"Thank you, Master. While I am good with just one surprise, I am eager to see what surprises you have in mind for me later," Edmund said gratefully.

"You are welcome, Edmund. As I said before, you will enjoy what I have in mind for you," the English prince's mentor stated with a beam.

"What a marvelous job you did out there, Edmund. Not only did you win the race, but you were also a good sport as well," Matthew said with a smile.

"Thank you, father. You have always taught me to make sure I am fair to the other competitors in any contests I participate in," the black-haired boy replied.

"I am pleased to know I have taught you well, my son," the king said with a proud nod.

"That is why you are the best father anyone could ever ask for," Edmund responded with a broad smile.

King Matthew was touched by what his young son said to him. He was happy to know Edmund really enjoyed having him as a father.

"You won again, Edmund! Congratulations!" Jane exclaimed with a big grin on her face.

"Thank you, Jane. Like in the archery contest, Richard sure made me work hard for it. All the other boys went hard in the race. You have to give Richard credit for making me earn first place," Edmund said, smiling shyly.

"Are you and Richard tired from the race?" the young girl wondered.

Edmund and Richard nodded.

"I am glad we had lunch before the race. Otherwise, we might have gotten tired a lot faster than we did," Richard explained. "Had that been the case, Edmund and I would not have placed first or second."

"Yes. Running, swimming, and other activities like that will take a lot of energy out of you," Edmund elaborated.

The English prince then turned his attention to Lucas while Richard and Jane engaged in a conversation.

Lucas was smiling. "Those were some great performances by you and Richard, Edmund. I do not think I would have been able to keep up with you guys."

"Thank you, Lucas. I am sure you will be able to defeat either me or Richard when you are able to participate next year," Edmund said modestly.

"Well, we will see about that. You and Richard are fast! Even the older boys could not outrun you guys," Lucas said with awe on his face.

The black-haired boy shrugged. "Stephen and I are exercising every day to ensure we are in the best shape possible. While I would say my body feels amazing, I still have a long way before I get where I would like to go. I am not nearly as fast as the adults."

"With time, I have no doubt you will be the fastest man to ever set foot on Earth!" Lucas stated with a beam.

"I appreciate the encouraging words, Lucas. While I will try to become as fast as possible, I am sure there are or have been some very fast guys in the history of the planet," Edmund said.

"That is true. Nonetheless, I hope you will join those guys someday," Lucas replied.

"I will try my best. However, I will take it one day as a time as my master has said since my training began," Edmund explained.

"Smart. The only day we can control is today," Lucas responded.

"Exactly," Edmund said in agreement.

OoOoOoOoOoO

The festival was a wonderful time for every kingdom King Matthew had invited. Everyone appreciated all the activities and festivities the festival had to offer. Not only did the festival have so much to do, but the city of London itself had an abundance of sights and activities as well. Some of the kingdoms that were invited looked around the city to see what it had to offer, from the restaurants to the parks, stores and shops, museums, theaters and so much more.

Over the course of the festival, Edmund, along with his friends and family, would spend the entire week enjoying the activities and sometimes just looking around the city to show Lucas around London and to find anything interesting the royal family of Ostenda never knew before about England.

Edmund, Richard, and Stephen would take place in just about every contest the festival had; the young English prince and his mentor were given special awards for winning the most contests of their respective age groups.

There were a few days where the royal families would just stay inside the palace and watch what was taking place before them. It gave Edmund and Lucas time to bond and know more about each other. King Matthew even invited Jane and Richard's respective families into the castle for a few days. Jane and Richard gladly accepted the king's invitation to stay within the palace and see what it looked like on the inside.

During the days the royal families and their friends stayed within the palace, the children would do a lot of fun activities such as swimming in the pond inside the castle gardens, as well as climb the apple trees in the apple orchard.

On King Matthew's birthday, the entire kingdom celebrated their beloved king turning thirty years old. Everyone residing in London wanted to make sure Matthew's birthday was one he would never forget. Every restaurant offered the king being able to eat free in their establishments, and the wealthiest residents even got him some very expensive kingly items such as the fanciest shoes and clothes. While Matthew was grateful for how loyal everyone in his kingdom was to him and touched by their offers, he respectfully turned them down, insisting that all he cared about was having a great day.

When the festival did end, however, Edmund was saddened Lucas and his family had to leave.

Everyone was at the kingdom docks along the harbor, saying their goodbyes.

"That was one fun week, huh Lucas?" Edmund asked Lucas.

"It sure was. I just wish the festival were longer," Lucas replied.

"Yeah, me too. That way we could have gotten to spend more time with each other," the young English prince stated. "I am going to miss you, Luc."

The young Belgian prince nodded sadly. "I will miss you too, Ed."

Edmund and Lucas then hugged each other tightly, both boys wishing they could never let go of each other. The two young princes viewed each other as brothers they never had.

When Edmund and Lucas finally let go, Lucas' parents smiled warmly at the English prince. "Prince Edmund, I would like to thank you for making my son's stay wonderful," King Arthur said with a nod of approval.

"You are welcome, King Arthur. Perhaps we will see each other again someday?" Edmund stated respectfully.

"Of course," the king of Ostenda replied. "You and Lucas seem to be best friends. We will do anything to ensure you and Lucas see each other again someday."

"I appreciate it, King Arthur," the young black-haired prince responded with a grin.

King Arthur and Queen Victoria smiled. "We would also like to thank your father, King Matthew, for inviting us to help celebrate his birthday. The festival was the most fun my family and I have ever had in our lives," King Arthur elaborated.

"I am thrilled to hear you had a wonderful time in London," Edmund said with a nod, to which Arthur and Victoria grinned.

The young dirty-blonde-haired prince was saying goodbye to Jane and Richard. After giving both a hug, he said, "Farewell, Jane and Richard. I hope you guys continue to do well in England. Take care of Edmund."

"I will!" Jane exclaimed with a smile and somewhat solemn expression on her face, indicating she intended to take care of the young English prince.

"Same here. Edmund is a great kid, as are you, Lucas," Richard said.

"Thank you, Richard! Edmund is indeed the nicest person I have ever met. Not only did he and the rest of the royal family of London have great hospitality, but you guys did as well. My parents and I greatly appreciate that," Lucas stated.

"You are welcome, Lucas," Richard replied with a smile.

After King Arthur and Queen Victoria said goodbye to King Matthew, Sir Stephen, Jane's parents, and Richard's parents, they exchanged handshakes and hugs before the Ostenda royal family entered their ship to begin their voyage back to Belgium. Lucas had given Edmund one last hug before he and his family boarded their ship.

As the ship sailed away into the ocean, Edmund and Lucas beamed and waved at each other the entire time.

Once the ship was out of sight, Edmund kept looking out into the sea.

His father and mentor walked up to him.

"You really miss Lucas, do you Edmund?" Matthew asked.

"I do, father," Edmund said. "I am very happy to have met him. He is my best friend. Without your invitation, I would never have met him."

The king smiled. "Lucas is a good kid. You got along quite well with him during their stay here."

"Will I ever see him again?" the young English prince asked worriedly.

"Of course, you will, Edmund. With how close you two became over the course of the festival, I have no doubt you and Lucas will reunite someday. Until you two do see each other again, I bet you will never stop thinking about him, as Lucas will not stop thinking about you," Stephen assured. "You and Lucas can stay in touch by writing letters to each other."

"Thank you, Master," Edmund stated.

"You are welcome, Edmund," Stephen responded. "Why don't we head back to the palace now?"

"Yes, Master," the black-haired boy responded as he followed his father and mentor back to the castle.