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 24

More and more guests arrived in Arendelle for the ball over the course of several days. The guests were from several countries including Iceland, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany, Netherlands, France, Spain, Portugal, Scotland, and Ireland. There were more guests than the royal family of Arendelle were expecting, but they did not seem to mind too much. Without at least a decent number of guests, it would not really be a ball, after all.

Over the course of those days, Elsa spent more time with Edmund. They got gifts for everyone, the English prince took her to a play, and they just had more fun in the snow. After having a great time with Edmund, the Snow Queen was surprised Edmund was taking a step back to allow Lucas to spend time with her. However, after spending a few days with Lucas, Elsa was pleased Edmund was so thoughtful as to let his best friend get to know her better. Just like her time with Edmund, the Ice Queen had a wonderful time with Lucas. The Belgian prince had snowball fights with her and took her to a concert. Elsa was really beginning to take a liking for the two young princes. She admired their handsome looks and how nice they were to her. Edmund and Lucas were polite to her and were more than happy to take up any suggestions she had for them on what to do for fun. One thing that really surprised her, however, was when the two princes taught her how to dance. Elsa was very hesitant at first as she had never learned how to dance in her life. After Edmund and Lucas assured her that they would be patient with her when teaching her, Elsa decided to give dancing a try. To her pleasant surprise, whenever she accidentally stomped on their feet, they did not get the slightest upset. Instead, they merely laughed it off as if nothing happened. Whenever Elsa asked them to do a certain dance move over again, Edmund and Lucas were more than happy to show her the same move until she felt comfortable enough doing it. They were patient with her and made sure to give instructions that were clear and easy to follow, which Elsa greatly appreciated. After dancing with both princes, the Snow Queen felt she could hold her own on the dance floor once the ball arrived.

Now that the Snow Queen had gotten to know Edmund and Lucas better, the possibility of either one of them being her true love was strengthening. However, she wondered how they would react should she fall in love with one of them. Would the other get upset? That thought worried her.

The royals were gathered in the Great Hall for dinner. Except for Edmund.

Elsa noticed the English prince was not in the Great Hall and was wondering where he was. "Stephen? Lucas? Where is Edmund?" she asked.

"I think he is in our guestroom as we speak," Stephen replied.

"Should I go check on him?" Elsa wondered.

"Of course. We will be here waiting for you two," Stephen responded with a nod.

"I hope he is okay," Lucas added as Elsa made her way out of the Great Hall.

"I hope so too," the Snow Queen replied as she left the Great Hall and made her way to Edmund and Stephen's guestroom.

Upon reaching the door, Elsa politely knocked on the door. "Edmund? This is Elsa. I was just checking on you to make sure you were okay."

Elsa grew concerned when she did not get a response from the English prince. "Edmund? Are you alright?" She was tempted to give him some alone time, but instead opened the door and found the English prince sitting on the bed.

The Snow Queen walked up to Edmund and saw a look of sadness on his face. "Edmund? What is wrong?"

Edmund turned his attention to Elsa as she sat down next to him. "Did I ever mention Jane during my time here in Arendelle?"

The Ice Queen shook her head. "No. I do not remember you mentioning her. Who is she?"

"Jane was my fiancée. Two years ago, on this day, she and I were engaged to be married. That night was supposed to be one of the happiest nights of my life. Instead, it became one of the worst," Edmund lamented.

Elsa gasped silently as she began to grow fearful. "What happened? Did the engagement end up not working out for you and Jane?"

Edmund shook his head. "Not in the way you are thinking. She was taken away from me. Jane was kidnapped and murdered. I felt like I had failed her and her family."

The Snow Queen gasped in shock and disbelief. She knew the feeling of losing someone close, but to lose someone you were going to marry must have been a tragic experience for the English prince.

"If I may ask, how old were you, when you lost your parents?" Edmund asked as tears began to form in his eyes.

Elsa took a moment to answer. "Eighteen."

"Jane was nineteen when she died. She did not deserve to die so young. I felt like if I had done things differently, she would still be alive today," the English prince stated, beginning to sob quietly. "If only I had been there to protect her. Then whoever took her would not have touched her."

The Snow Queen placed a hand on his broad shoulder, trying to comfort him. "I am very sorry about Jane, Edmund. It must have been very hard on you and her family."

"It is not your fault, Elsa. The one to blame is the one who took her. If only I could have..." Edmund stopped midsentence. It was just too much for the English prince to bear. He broke down, covering his face with his hands and sobbing as he recalled the events of that horrific night.

Elsa's heart ached for the English prince. She had never seen Edmund so sad. With a sympathetic look on her face, the Snow Queen decided she should do something to try to cheer him up.

Elsa slowly reached out and was about to take one of Edmund's hands into hers, when she hesitated. Would he tell her to leave him alone? Should she maybe just leave the room and wait until Edmund felt better?

The Ice Queen thought of something as she took one of Edmund's hands. Edmund did not tell Elsa to leave as she gently helped him stand back up. Looking back on some of the dance moves he and Lucas had taught her, Elsa got herself and Edmund ready to dance. Even though there was no music playing, the Snow Queen figured practicing their dancing would be a good thing to do to help the English prince feel better.

Soon the two royals started dancing. As they danced, Edmund stopped crying and smiled at Elsa as the two danced together. The Ice Queen was happy she was succeeding in cheering Edmund up.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Stephen and Lucas had gone up to the guestroom to see if everything was alright with Edmund. When they peered through the ajar door to see Edmund dancing with Elsa, the two men smiled fondly.

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

"Elsa sure knows how to make someone feel better when they are feeling under the weather," Lucas whispered as he watched his best friend and the Snow Queen.

"I will say," Stephen said in agreement. "Maybe we should leave them alone until they get hungry enough to come down to the Great Hall."

The Belgian prince nodded as he and Stephen decided to leave Elsa and Edmund to spend time together alone.

OoOoOoOoOoO

After dancing for a little while, Edmund did not feel sad anymore.

"Do you feel better, Edmund?" Elsa asked.

The English prince nodded with a charming grin. "Much better now. Thank you. You sure know how to make one feel better when they are feeling down."

"Well, I try," the Snow Queen responded, beaming.

"I feel like I should let you know I am not the only one in my family to have gone through a tragic experience," Edmund said.

Elsa's eyes widened. Had Edmund's father, or perhaps his mentor, lost someone they were close to in the past? "You mean your father or mentor lost someone they care about deeply?"

Edmund nodded solemnly. "My father. You see, I grew up without a mother. My mother died from an illness shortly after I was born. Thus, I have no memory of her whatsoever."

The Ice Queen gasped. It may have been heartbreaking for her and Anna to lose their parents when they were teenagers, but the sisters had no idea what it was like to only have one parent in their lives the entire time. "It sounds like your father was devastated when his wife died. Was her name Isabella?"

"Yes. Despite the arranged marriage between the two, my father loved Isabella very much, and vice versa. After my mother passed away, my father was not only devastated at losing her, but fearful he would have an enormous load on his shoulders raising me and ruling England at the same time. Fortunately, Master Stephen made things easier for both me and my father. Whenever my father was doing his royal duties, Master Stephen would raise me as if I were his own son. My mentor had been training me since the day I was born. Obviously, he did make sure to take it easy on me at first, because although babies are very flexible, they are very prone to injury," the English prince elaborated.

Elsa nodded in understanding as Edmund finished his story. "I feel horrible you had to lose your mother to illness. You were so young."

"That and I was too young at the time to understand how life works. It was not until I was eighteen that my father told me the truth about my mother. While I remained curious as to what happened to her, my father decided not to tell me until I was old enough to understand," Edmund explained.

"Were you upset when your father told you about Isabella?" Elsa wondered.

"At first yes, I was, but I eventually came to realize death is a part of life. It may have been tough for me and my father at first. However, I eventually came to understand I should be thankful for what I had back then, as well as what I have now," Edmund stated.

The Snow Queen nodded. "Do you ever wonder what would have happened had your mother still been alive today?"

"There have been times where I think about it. However, I try not to dwell on the past too much as the only thing that matters is what you choose to be today. I am relieved that even without a mother, my father and mentor helped shape me into the man I am today," Edmund explained.

"King Matthew and Sir Stephen have done a wonderful job on raising you, Edmund. You are the humblest, kindest, handsomest, and most intelligent man I have ever met," Elsa said with a smile.

"Well, I try. Thank you," Edmund replied with a grin of his own.

"You are welcome," the Ice Queen replied. "Since you feel better, would you like to get some dinner?"

"Yes please," Edmund responded as the two royals made their way to the Great Hall.

OoOoOoOoOoO

After dinner, the royal family of Arendelle was walking through the castle hallways.

"I heard Edmund was not feeling happy earlier. What happened?" Anna asked her big sister.

"Edmund was sad after what happened to him two years ago. He had a fiancée that was kidnapped and murdered," Elsa stated.

Anna gasped in shock and Kristoff's eyes widened. "Oh dear! I am sorry about Edmund having to go through that," the princess said with sadness in her eyes.

"Yeah, I can never imagine going through losing the love of my life," Kristoff added. "I did nearly lose Anna back in July, but her act of true love saved her. It pains me to know that whoever Edmund was engaged to, she will never come back."

"Her name was Jane. Edmund said he had known her since they were little kids. With how much Jane meant to Edmund, I know that even if she is truly gone, Jane will always have a place in his heart," Elsa said.

"I am glad Edmund will never forget her. He must have been heartbroken," Anna stated sympathetically.

"Yes. It really broke his heart when he was unable to save her," the Ice Queen said with some sadness in her voice.

"Who would do this to her? Did Edmund find out who killed Jane?" Kristoff wondered. He was hoping Edmund did discover whoever committed the despicable deed and was able to bring them to justice.

"Sadly, he says he does not have any idea who did it," Elsa said. "Ed also said he felt like he could never love again after the tragedy."

Anna and Kristoff nodded in understanding. They could only imagine the pain and agony the English prince went through when losing Jane. The princess and the ice harvester hoped they would never have to experience a tragedy like that themselves.

"At least he managed to fully recover from the loss, right?" the princess asked.

Elsa nodded. "Edmund told me that while he was still able to go through his training and daily routine like usual, Jane's kidnapping and death continued to haunt him for several months and seemed to still get to him even today."

The Snow Queen paused for a moment. "After he had finished telling the story about Jane, I decided to try to help make him feel better and to forget about the tragic night that should have been one of the happiest nights of his life."

"What did you and Edmund do?" Anna said, a note of light teasing in her voice.

"Edmund and I danced for a little while until we came down to the Great Hall for dinner. After we were done dancing, he felt a lot better," Elsa responded.

"That was very sweet of you, Elsa. You know how to make someone happy when they are upset," the princess said with a smile.

"I did my best," Elsa replied modestly.

"I am surprised you are learning how to dance. When you said you did not dance at your coronation, I was beginning to think you might not ever learn to do it," Anna stated.

"Well, it never hurts to learn new things. Edmund and Lucas made it easy for me to learn as they made sure I understood every dance move they showed me," Elsa explained.

"Ah, that is so nice of them! Teaching you how to dance! I think Edmund likes you," the princess said with a smile.

Elsa's face went red. "Maybe he does, but it has not even been two weeks since we met. While it is possible either Edmund or Lucas could be the right man for me, I am still uncertain about that right now."

"Elsa is right, Anna. Love is something that should never be rushed. I love you with all my heart, yet I am not rushing anything with you because I do not wish to do anything that will make you feel uncomfortable," Kristoff said in agreement.

"I know, and that is what I like about you, Kristoff," the princess said with a grin. That made the ice harvester smile at his girlfriend.

"Either Edmund or Lucas would be perfect guys for you. You deserve to find happiness Elsa. I will be by your side and there to help you no matter what," Anna continued.

"What makes you say that, Anna?" Elsa asked, curious to know where her little sister was going with this.

"I think either Edmund or Lucas will sweep you off your feet at the Ball," Anna responded with a smirk.

Elsa's face was the color of red delicious apples. She had her arms crossed, noticing Kristoff shaking his head behind the princess.

OoOoOoOoOoO

"What happened earlier, Edmund? Are you alright?" Lucas asked as he, Edmund, and Stephen were in Edmund's and Stephen's guestroom.

"It was just that two years have passed since I lost Jane," Edmund said.

"What happened to her?" the Belgian prince asked, worry in his voice.

"She was abducted from her own house. I desperately tried to save her but failed to reach her in time as I found her dead in an abandoned building located in one of the most dangerous areas of London," the English prince explained.

Lucas' eyes widened in shock and disbelief. "Edmund, I am very sorry for your loss. My condolences to you and Jane's family."

"Thank you, Lucas. I appreciate it," Edmund said with a grateful smile.

"Anything for you, Edmund," Lucas replied with a reassuring beam. "I noticed you were dancing with Elsa earlier. Did she help you feel better?"

"She did. It seems Elsa helped me move on from that terrible night and realize Jane will always have a place in my heart, even if she is not around anymore," Edmund replied.

Stephen was listening to the whole conversation and decided to say something. "It seems you might be developing feelings for the Snow Queen. I must admit, she is the most beautiful woman I have ever met."

Edmund chuckled. "I agree. Elsa is not only beautiful, but she is generous and knows how to brighten up anyone's day."

"With the Christmas Ball coming up on Christmas Eve, what will you do? Will you ask her to go to the Ball with you?" Lucas asked.

"As tempting as it is, I would prefer that all of us go to the ball together as one group with Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff. I would like you to get your chance at sweeping her off her feet, Lucas. Thus, I think we should just dance with her to have a good time. Just as friends and nothing more. At least not until a later period," Edmund said.

Lucas nodded in agreement. "I am humbly appreciative of you giving me this opportunity, Edmund. However, what if any of the other guests happen to catch my interest at the ball?"

"Then I will be happy for you, whether Elsa is your true love or not. You deserve to be with someone that will make you happy," Edmund said with his charming grin.

"Thank you, Edmund. You deserve happiness as well," Lucas responded, smiling.