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, Master Stephen, and anyone else you do not recognize from Frozen.

Chapter 21

Fifteen-year-old Edmund was training with his mentor on a mid-March day. The English prince proved to be a prodigy in not only fighting, but in his academics as well. Edmund did so well in school he completed his schooling at age thirteen with the highest honors possible. While it was an enormous triumph for the black-haired teenager, Edmund always insisted he was doing what was important to become successful in life.

Four years had passed since Richard was sent to the youth detention center. The next day, however, the blonde-haired boy had disappeared without a trace. Despite extensive searches, Richard was nowhere to be found. Richard's betrayal haunted Edmund for a little while. However, he was eventually able to move on from it with his instructor's help.

The time eventually came for Edmund to prove he had mastered every fighting style known to man.

"Alright, Edmund. You have come such a long way since I began training you. Now, you must prove you have mastered everything I have taught you," Stephen stated. "Are you ready?"

"Ready, Master," Edmund replied as he and his mentor entered a fighting stance. Both were in a special room within the palace where Stephen trained the English prince every day.

"One last thing before we begin," the brown-haired man said. "No matter what you do, you can never hurt me. This is a real test. Thus, you must not worry about injuring me."

"Will do, Master," Edmund responded as the two men got ready to demonstrate the English prince's abilities.

Stephen sent a punch flying Edmund's way. Edmund simply blocked it and threw a punch of his own at his mentor. The brown-haired man ducked out of the way and swung his foot at his student. Edmund rolled out of the way, quickly getting back to his feet, facing Stephen.

The battle between the two men was very evenly matched. No matter what happened, neither could land a hit to gain the upper hand.

Stephen used his momentum and tremendous leaping ability to climb up the wall. Upon reaching a certain point, he lunged off the wall at Edmund. Edmund leaped out of the way as his mentor recovered swiftly and they faced each other once more.

"You have done well, Edmund," Stephen praised. "We shall keep going until one of us lands a hit on the other."

"Yes, Master," Edmund responded.

The two men continued throwing punches and kicks at each other, trying to land the finishing blow. Even Edmund himself was astonished at how he was able to keep up with his master, as he was still just fifteen years old. Stephen, on the other hand, was forty-two and had over forty years of experience under his belt.

Edmund soon saw his mentor change his fighting stance. Seizing his chance, Edmund ran up to Stephen. He leaped into the air and landed a kick on his mentor's chin that knocked him to the ground. Before Stephen could recover, Edmund was right on top of him, pinning his arms to the ground.

The brown-haired man realized that reality had set in. Edmund really had mastered every fighting style in existence. Stephen himself did not master everything until he was out of his teens. For Edmund to accomplish the feat at such a young age, made him very proud of his student.

"Well done, Edmund. You have officially mastered every fighting style there is," Stephen said with a nod of approval.

"Thank you, Master. I would not be here today without you," Edmund said with a grin as he helped his instructor off the floor. "Thank you for everything."

"You are very welcome, Edmund. I am so proud of you," Stephen replied. "I knew this day was coming. Time has gone by so fast."

Edmund nodded in agreement. "It has gone by a little too quickly for my liking. However, I do not regret a single moment from our training."

"Neither do I, Edmund," Stephen stated. "It seems like only yesterday I was beginning to train you when you were just an infant in your father's arms. Now, you are nearly grown up."

"Almost. I would like to enjoy my teenage years while I can. In five years, I will not be a teenager anymore," Edmund said.

"That is true," Stephen said. "We should definitely tell your father the good news."

"I agree. Let's go tell him," Edmund agreed as he and his mentor went to tell Matthew the news of Edmund's training being completed.

The king was looking at documents in his office when he heard a knock on the door. "Come in," Matthew said.

The door opened, and Edmund entered with his mentor. "Matthew, there is something I have to tell you," the brown-haired man stated.

"Of course, Stephen. What is it?" Matthew asked curiously.

"I would like to announce that Edmund has mastered everything I have taught him," Stephen announced with a grin.

"That is wonderful!" Matthew exclaimed as he got up and walked to Edmund. He hugged his teenage son, and Edmund returned the hug to his father.

"I am so proud of you, son. You have grown so much, especially in these last few years. Soon you will either be ruling England or another kingdom out there," Matthew said with a smile.

"Thank you, father. While I will do my best to be the best king I can be when the time comes, England will never have another king like you," Edmund said modestly.

"Ah, stop being so modest, Edmund. You will be a wonderful king," Matthew said with a chuckle.

"Well, I would prefer being modest and humble like you have raised me to become. Thanks to you and Stephen, that is exactly how I have turned out. I would not have it any other way," Edmund said.

"That is why I am proud to call you my son," Matthew replied gratefully.

"As I am to call you my father," Edmund responded as they hugged each other once more. Stephen smiled as he watched his best friend and student in a warm embrace.

OoOoOoOoOoO

One month after completing his training, Edmund was participating in a chess tournament that was being held for only the best chess players in the world. The English prince was surprised he was eligible to participate, considering he was by far the youngest participant. While there were some accusations of favoritism, the judges said that despite the fact Prince Edmund was in the competition, they would be treating him just the same as any other competitor. The person who put together the list of the chess players in the world was completely unconnected with King Matthew, the judges assured. Thus, the accusations were put to rest.

"You ready to show them what you got, Edmund?" Jane asked with a determined smile. Over the years, the brown-haired girl had gotten more and more beautiful with each passing year. Fourteen years old now, Jane developed a crush on the black-haired prince as they got older. Edmund returned the feelings, hoping they could marry someday despite their social differences.

"I am ready as I will ever be, Jane. Thank you for your encouragement," Edmund replied with a grateful beam.

"Anything for you, Ed," Jane responded with a giggle.

The English prince winked at the brown-haired girl before turning his attention to his father.

"Good luck, son," Matthew encouraged.

"I appreciate it, father. Do you really think I can win this tournament? I am only one of the best two-hundred-fifty-six chess players in the world," Edmund said.

"You put your mind to it, you can do anything, Edmund. Stephen and I have taught you numerous strategies for the game of chess. Now it is time for you to show everyone what we have instructed you with," the king responded before adding, "Even if you do not win, I will be proud of you no matter how far you make it. These are some very experienced chess players you will be facing."

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

"They are indeed. Regardless, I will do my best," the English prince stated.

"That is what I am talking about," Matthew said with an encouraging smile.

Edmund returned the smile.

Soon every chess player in the tournament was gathered in the kingdom library, with numerous residents from England watching eagerly to see who would take the glory.

The English prince took a deep breath as he prepared for his first chess opponent.

Edmund's first opponent was a chess player from France named Gabriel. Once the two men were settled at their chessboard, Gabriel smiled warmly and greeted the English prince. "Good morning, Your Highness. I am Gabriel. Are you ready for this tournament?"

"Good morning, Gabriel. I am ready to begin. Let the chess match commence," Edmund replied.

"As you wish, Prince Edmund," Gabriel replied with a grin as the chess tournament began.

Since Edmund was on the white side of the chessboard, he made the first move. He moved a pawn in front of the queen two spaces forward. Gabriel made the same move with a black pawn.

As Edmund was in deep thought, he remembered Stephen saying that controlling the center of the board and developing pieces quickly was one of the most important strategies in chess.

Deciding to go with those strategies his mentor taught him, the English prince made his next move.

The match ended with Edmund winning rather quickly. Gabriel was surprised he had gotten defeated so fast. However, the Frenchman accepted defeat with a grin.

"Congratulations on advancing, Your Highness. I wish you luck in the next round. You have a very bright future ahead of you," Gabriel said.

"Thank you, Gabriel. It was fun playing chess with you," Edmund responded.

"Likewise. Good luck to you, Prince Edmund," Gabriel replied with a grin as he waved and joined the other chess players who had been eliminated.

Much to his surprise, Edmund managed to make it to the finals relatively easily. He came up with strategies to ensure he took control of the center of the chessboard early enough to have more room to achieve a checkmate.

The English prince became curious with whom he would face in the finals. Who was it? Where were they from?

Over the course of the tournament, he reminded himself not to look ahead. The English prince knew he had to defeat his finals opponent before he could even think about holding the trophy at the end.

Edmund's finals opponent was an older gentleman with a determined smirk on his face named Otto. The man was from Germany and appeared to be gruffer than his previous opponents.

"You really think you can beat me, Your Highness? Just wait until you see me holding the first-place trophy," Otto said cockily as he tried to get into the English prince's head before the match.

The English prince, however, remained calm and refused to take the bait. "Shall we get this match underway, Otto?" Edmund asked politely.

"Yes. You will not win, though," the German responded confidently as their match commenced.

Over the course of the tournament, Edmund switched between whether he was on the white side of the board or the black side. In the first round, Edmund was on the white side. Now that he was in the finals, he was on the black side of the chessboard.

Otto proved to be a much tougher opponent for Edmund than anyone else he had faced in the tournament. Numerous scares of a checkmate on Edmund took place over the course of the match. Had the English prince failed to keep his composure the whole time, he very well might have made a move that opened the door for Otto to checkmate him.

The German was beginning to grow frustrated he was unable to get into Edmund's head. Nevertheless, he made sure to not let it affect the way he played.

Edmund and Otto's match lasted much longer than the previous matches the English prince took place in. The English prince understood as each round was progressively harder than the last.

Edmund eventually saw his chance at a checkmate and took advantage of it.

"I guess that is checkmate. It was a good match with you," Edmund said as he held out his hand.

Otto refused to shake it, however, angry over his defeat. "How could I lose to a pathetic teenager such as you?"

King Matthew heard the German man's words and walked over with a stern look on his face. "Do not ever speak to my son that way. I am not the one who oversees the tournament. If you should ever get the gall to do that again, I will never allow you to participate in any events taking place in my kingdom."

The person in charge of the tournament also arrived with a look of disapproval on his face. "King Matthew is certainly speaking the truth. I am responsible for this tournament, and I will not tolerate any poor sportsmanship."

Otto remained silent with a deathly glare on his face before he got up and stormed out of the building.

Edmund was in stunned silence at how poor a sport Otto was. "Father, did I do anything wrong?"

"You did nothing wrong, my son," Matthew assured Edmund. "Otto was just a poor sport since he lost. Not everyone will accept defeat with dignity, unfortunately. I am glad you did not lash out at him and kept your composure."

"Thank you, father. I did not see any reason to go after him as he did not threaten you, Master Stephen, or anyone else," Edmund replied.

"That is true," the king responded with a nod. "Congratulations on winning the tournament, my son. There is a special room down the hall where you will receive your trophy."

Edmund was led to a room as he waited to see who would be handing out the trophies for the chess tournament. He entered the room, and to his surprise, he saw his mentor was the one handing out the trophies.

"Hello, Edmund," Stephen greeted with a grin. "I hear you won the chess tournament. Is that true?"

Edmund nodded. "Yes, Master."

Stephen's grin grew wider as he handed the first-place trophy to his student. Edmund gazed at the trophy with a sense of wonder. The trophy looked like a chess king and was made of solid gold.

"Congratulations, Edmund," the brown-haired man stated. He then thought of something and snapped his fingers. "Tell you what, Edmund. Since you won the tournament, we will go to The Knight's Pantry after everything from the tournament is put back where it belongs. Does that sound good to you?"

"That sounds like a plan, Master. For now, maybe I should help with getting everything to where it needs to go?" the black-haired prince suggested.

"Sounds good to me, Edmund. I will assist with everything as well to help the work get done faster," Stephen responded as he and his student started helping those who set up the tournaments get everything put away and stored where it would be until the next tournament.

The English prince was now wondering how different the tournament would have been had Stephen participated. Edmund had no doubt his master would be holding the gold trophy himself if he did. Ever since his victory over Prince Hugo, Stephen was the best chess player in the world. Edmund doubted he could defeat Stephen in a chess match considering his mentor had taught him about chess and knew about all his strategies and tactics.

While Stephen was surprised at first that Edmund had won a chess tournament at such a young age, he was nonetheless very happy his teachings with the young prince had paid off.

After the chessboards from the tournament were all put away in a closet inside the library, everyone was walking to the entrance of the building.

"Massive congratulations, Edmund. You have certainly made me very proud of you today," Stephen said with a nod of approval.

"Thank you very much, Master. I had fun playing chess with everyone today," Edmund responded with a smile.

"You are very welcome, Ed," Stephen replied, patting the English prince on the shoulder.

Matthew and Jane turned to the English prince with smiles on their faces.

"Massive congratulations once more, my son. You did it," Matthew said with a broad smile.

"Thank you, father. Everyone in the tournament really made me work for it, though. They were all good opponents, that is for sure," Edmund replied with a beam of his own.

"I have no doubt everyone was a nice challenge. Challenges are always a good thing in life," the king said as he turned his attention to his best friend. "I wonder how things would have turned out had you participated in the tournament."

"Well, I think Edmund still would have won the tournament as he is a special young man," Stephen praised.

"I appreciate the compliment, Master. However, since you are the best chess player in the world, there is no way I would have defeated you," Edmund replied.

"Honestly, with how long a way you have come, I think you would have had a legit chance to beat me. There is a first for everything, you know," Stephen responded.

"You do have a point there, Master. Still, it is tough to defeat the best of the best," Edmund said with a smile.

"I suppose it is. If anyone does defeat me in chess someday, I hope it is you that pulls off the feat," Stephen stated.

"Likewise. Maybe we could face each other in the next tournament?" Edmund suggested.

"Perhaps, or we could just have a fun match later today," the brown-haired man said.

"That is true," the English prince said before he saw Jane smiling at him.

"Congratulations, Edmund," Jane said with a smile. While she was not as excitable as she once was, the brown-haired girl was still the same kind and gentle girl Edmund had met nine years ago.

"Thank you, Jane. It was a fun tournament, to say the least," Edmund said, grinning.

"Yeah, except for the guy you faced in the finals. He was a jerk if you ask me," Jane said in disdain.

"He may have been that way. However, it was not worth causing unnecessary drama," the English prince replied. "If I had let my emotions win, there is the possibility I would have been disqualified from the tournament. Had that been the case, he would have been holding this trophy instead of me."

"That is true. It is what I like about you, Edmund. You have such an even temper," Jane said with approval.

"Well, I try," Edmund said with a shy smile.

OoOoOoOoOoO

As a man of his word, Stephen took Edmund and everyone else to The Knight's Pantry.

While his mentor insisted that he could get anything he desired, Edmund insisted on getting something healthy to eat. Stephen had taught his student that having a healthy diet is key to a long life. Thus, the English prince decided he should continue eating as healthy as possible, while only indulging on chocolate occasionally.

After everyone was finished with their meals and paid for the food, the group left the restaurant.

Edmund was walking with Jane alongside him while Matthew and Stephen were in front of them.

"Excuse me, father? Master?" Edmund asked.

"Yes, Edmund?" Stephen responded. "Did you need something?"

"I did. Could Jane and I talk for a little bit please? Alone?" Edmund asked.

Matthew raised an eyebrow curiously, but nodded, nonetheless. "Yes, you may, Ed."

"Thank you," the English prince asked as he led Jane to a nearby area where only they could hear each other.

"What is it you would like to talk about Edmund?" Jane asked, wondering where Edmund was going with this.

"Jane, you are the warmest, kindest girl I have ever met. I am very happy to have you in my life. Life would not be the same without you," Edmund elaborated.

The brown-haired girl was deeply touched by Edmund's words. "Thank you very much, Edmund. That means a lot to me."

"You are very welcome, Jane," the English prince responded with a charming grin. "There is something I must ask you."

"Of course, Edmund. What is it?" Jane began to grow curious as to what Edmund would say next.

"Would you go on a date with me?" Edmund asked.

Flabbergasted, Jane gasped before she nodded with an ecstatic smile on her face. "Yes! I would love to do that, Edmund!"

The English prince returned the beam, taking Jane's hand in his. "We should tell my father and master about this."

"Yes! They will be happy to hear the news!" Jane exclaimed as she and the English prince went to tell Matthew and Stephen the wonderful news.