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, Prince Cade, Princess Olivia, and anyone else you do not recognize from Frozen.

Chapter 36

Courtesy of Olaf, it did not take long for the rest of the royals to know about Elsa and Edmund becoming an official couple. Everyone was so excited and happy for the two royals. The Snow Queen and the English prince insisted however, that they were taking it slow. It was much too early to be thinking about marriage when they had barely started dating.

Over the next several days after Christmas, Elsa and Edmund went on numerous dates, and both enjoyed every single one of them. Their first date was walking around the kingdom to enjoy themselves. The townspeople were thrilled their Queen had a new boyfriend, and they congratulated her on becoming a girlfriend.

Following the first date, they attended a couple of plays and concerts, and other times the couple just had some fun with Elsa's powers in the ballroom.

While Elsa was elated to call herself Edmund's girlfriend, there were times she worried about messing things up, as she had never dated anyone before. The English prince assured her, however, that she would be just fine. Edmund's words deeply touched the Snow Queen. She was happy to be dating a man who would do anything to make her happy. The royals may have just started dating each other, but that did not stop Elsa from thinking about the possibility of them getting married in the future. She wondered what would happen if Edmund became her husband.

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It was New Year's Eve. Not only did it mean a new year was upon them, but Stephen's birthday as well. The brown-haired man had been born at one o'clock in the morning on New Year's Day. While the royals were usually deep in their sleep by that time, they figured they could at least stay awake long enough for Stephen's official birthday to celebrate it. They could just sleep in or go to bed early on New Year's Day to make up for any sleep they lost.

The Ice Queen had planned a New Year's celebration for the townspeople as well.

Olaf gasped upon hearing the news about Stephen turning fifty. "Yay! I am so happy for him! Does this mean we all get cake and ice cream?"

Elsa nodded with a giggle. "Yes, it does. That does not mean you get it all to yourself, Olaf. Just remember it is Stephen's birthday, not yours."

"Okay!" the snowman responded with a nod and a grin.

The Snow Queen could not help but giggle silently at the snowman's mischievous personality. Elsa reminded herself to keep an eye on him to make sure he did not eat all the cake and ice cream.

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The royals spent the day having a good time with each other. After breakfast, they had another snowball fight in the courtyard. Once their snowball fight had concluded, they did everything they could think of; the royals played chess, read books, listened to Edmund and Stephen play the piano, and did many more activities. Cade made sure to spend some time with his daughter, as he knew Rachel would not be able to stay up until midnight. That would be well past her bedtime.

Everyone bundled up after dinner to head into the town, except Elsa. Since the cold never bothered her, the Snow Queen never felt the need for a jacket.

The Scottish prince had decided to have his daughter go to bed early. He did not want her to stay up too late and end up crabby. Cade made sure to find someone to look after her while he was in the town.

Upon arriving in the town, the royals were greeted by the townspeople. They gazed at the clock tower. It read seven o'clock, meaning there were five hours left in the year, and six until Stephen's true birthday.

"I was thinking it could be just the guys and the girls spending time with each other for a little while. Maybe Elsa, Olivia, and I could go look around while you guys go to a tavern or something," Anna suggested.

"That is a great idea," Edmund said, nodding in agreement. "Should we maybe meet up again at the town square in a while?"

"Yes! We will see you guys later!" the princess exclaimed.

The English prince smiled as Elsa took his hand. "Hope you have fun, Elsa. I will see you later," Edmund replied.

"I will see you in a little while, Edmund. Make sure not to drink too much," the Ice Queen said teasingly.

"You do realize I do not drink alcohol, right?" Edmund responded.

This made the Snow Queen laugh. "I am just teasing, Edmund."

Edmund chuckled. "I know." He kissed his girlfriend's hand. "I hope you, Anna, and Olivia have a good time."

"You as well, Edmund," Elsa said with a beam as she waved at her boyfriend.

The English prince waved back with a smile as everyone went their separate ways.

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Edmund, Stephen, Lucas, Cade, and Kristoff walked around town for a little bit before they saw a tavern.

"Have any of you guys been to a tavern before?" Edmund asked.

"I have been to taverns a few times in the past. While I have never had any alcohol in my life, there are other things you can do inside a tavern besides just drinking," Stephen said.

"I was beginning to wonder if I would even be allowed inside an establishment like that since I am only nineteen," Cade replied.

"You should be fine honestly, as long as you do not consume any alcoholic beverages," the English prince pointed out. "I myself have been to taverns several times, and not once have I had any alcohol."

"I began to go to taverns when I was a teenager. My family and I went there for the first time together when I turned sixteen. While I do not plan on ever consuming alcohol, they do have good non-alcoholic sparkling ciders I enjoy during special occasions," Lucas explained.

Kristoff was a little hesitant to go inside the tavern. He was not exactly used to large crowds of people. With a special event such as New Years, he expected the tavern to be packed. However, it did ease his mind knowing he would be going with people he knew.

"Not once in my life have I ever been to a tavern. I was never really around people until after I met Anna," the ice harvester explained.

"It sounds like life was a little lonely for you," Cade said, sympathy in his voice.

Kristoff shrugged. "It wasn't too bad honestly. At first, I didn't like being around other people. During my time living in the mountains, other than being with Sven, I was a loner. That is, until I met Anna. Since then, I've come to realize people aren't as bad as I thought they were."

The Scottish prince smiled. "I am happy Anna was able to help your life become much brighter."

The ice harvester grinned. "I wouldn't necessarily say my life was dark or anything like that. Thank you though."

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"You are welcome, Kristoff," Cade replied with a nod of approval.

Soon the five men entered the tavern. As they expected, there were a lot of people inside, eating numerous types of food and consuming mugs of beer. There were others sitting around a lit fireplace to keep warm.

The bartender greeted them. "Good evening, gentlemen. How many are in your group tonight?"

"We would like your finest table for five please," Edmund said.

"Certainly. Right this way, gentlemen," the bartender replied as he led them to a table with a large lit candle in the middle surrounded by a glass container.

Once everyone had seated themselves around the table, the bartender asked, "What may I get started for you gentlemen tonight?"

"Do you have any non-alcoholic beverages?" Stephen asked.

"We certainly do. There is water, sparkling cider, tea, coffee, hot chocolate, and more," the bartender explained.

The five men decided to have sparkling apple cider. They thought it would be the perfect drink to consume for the occasion.

Once the royals received their drinks, Edmund raised his glass. "I would like to give a toast to a great year, and to everyone I have in my life. Cheers."

The five men clinked their glasses together and began to drink their sparkling cider.

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Elsa, Anna, and Olivia were consuming some chocolate chip cookies at the kingdom bakery. Numerous residents were also eating assorted baked goods, such as cupcakes and pastries.

"These are delicious chocolate chip cookies. Some of the best I have ever had," the Swedish princess said with a smile.

"Glad you like them, Your Highness," the baker stated, happy the three royals enjoyed his chocolate chip cookies. The baker took baking very seriously, only getting the best ingredients money could buy. He cared much more about making a great product than about money. While he knew it did help to have profits, the baker wanted to make sure he was only baking the best baked goods possible.

"You have never let me, my sister, or anyone else down. We are thankful you are the kingdom baker," Elsa added, grinning.

"I am just doing what I love every day to the best of my ability," the baker said, touched by the Ice Queen's words.

The princess was wolfing down some cookies, which made Elsa and Olivia giggle silently.

"You might want to slow down a little bit, Anna. We cannot have you getting sick on New Year's," Olivia said.

"Don't worry Olivia. I'll be fine," Anna replied with a smirk as she finished the last of her chocolate chip cookies.

Once the three women had eaten their chocolate chip cookies and paid for them, they wished the baker a Happy New Year and then left the bakery.

"What would you guys like to do next?" Anna asked.

"I was thinking we let Olivia decide since she is the guest," Elsa suggested.

"While I do appreciate that, we can do whatever you two would like. I am up for anything," Olivia replied.

"Maybe we could walk around for a little bit?" the princess suggested.

"Works for me," the Swedish princess responded with a grin as the three women began to walk around town.

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The royals had a wonderful time that evening. After the five men were done spending time at the tavern, they met the three women in town square. Everyone spent the rest of the time before midnight doing various activities around town, browsing through the numerous stores and shops the town offered. The atmosphere was convivial the entire time.

Time went by fast for everyone. Before they knew it, the clock tower indicated midnight was nearing. The royals and the townspeople gathered in the middle of the town square in anticipation of the new year.

"Since the New Year is upon us, what is everyone hoping for this upcoming year?" Stephen asked.

"I am hoping the New Year will begin on a high note with your fiftieth birthday, and that Elsa and I can continue to grow together as a couple," Edmund replied with a smile as he gently wrapped an arm around Elsa's waist.

"What I would like to see for this new year is to continue with making sure Arendelle continues to thrive for many years to come. It makes me happy to call this wonderful kingdom home," Elsa said, smiling up at Edmund's handsome face.

"Nothing would thrill me more than for this new year to be the best year yet for everyone. Not only is it a new year, but a new decade as well," Lucas stated before turning to Olivia. "I would also like to see Olivia and I grow together as well."

"The feeling is mutual," the Swedish princess responded with a beam.

"As for me, I would like to continue with raising Rachel and hopefully maybe find my special someone in the next couple of years. However, I will not rush it as I would like to make sure to find the right women for both of us," Cade explained.

"The biggest goal for me is to continue growing as a person and continue to develop relationships with those I am closest to," Kristoff said.

Anna nuzzled up to the ice harvester's shoulder. The couple smiled at each other before Anna said, "Same goes for me. Hope this new year is great for everyone!"

A few moments later, the clocktower struck midnight, and everyone erupted into cheers, chanting "Happy New Year!" and giving hugs to their loved ones.

Elsa and Edmund hugged each other, along with Anna and Kristoff, and Olivia and Lucas. Stephen and Cade shook each other's hands before they patted each other on the back.

Soon everyone hugged one another, shook hands, and patted each other's backs in celebration.

The loud cheers went on for a good ten minutes before everyone began to quiet down.

Elsa made her way to the center of the town.

"Good evening, everyone, and Happy New Year!" Elsa started with jubilance.

The crowd cheered.

"I would like to thank everyone for celebrating the New Year and making tonight special," the Snow Queen continued. "It is very late now, and I am sure everyone is getting tired. Before we call it a night, it is okay if everyone could stay up for just one more hour? Sir Stephen's birthday is today, and he was officially born at one o'clock in the morning. He is turning fifty today, and I was hoping we could make his fiftieth birthday his best one yet. Does that work for everyone?"

There was a moment of silence before the crowd cheered again, all while chanting Stephen's name.

That reaction said it all. The townspeople were more than happy to ensure Stephen's birthday was a memorable one.

Most of the buildings were closed for New Years at that point, but to Stephen it did not matter. He only cared about everyone having a great time.

One of the few buildings that was still open was the tavern. Thus, everyone went there. With the freezing weather outside, they were just going somewhere to stay warm in the freezing weather.

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"Only fifteen minutes until one o'clock!" the bartender announced as the crowd cheered. In only fifteen minutes, Stephen would be halfway to being a century old.

It was hard for Stephen to believe he was turning fifty. Time had gone by so fast for him. He enjoyed every moment of his life, but it felt like only yesterday his earliest memory had taken place.

Stephen's earliest memory was his first birthday. He remembered when his parents were smiling and laughing, as he had cake all over his face. While he was only a toddler back then, Stephen remembered he was giggling after he ate the cake his parents had given him.

Stephen was gathered at the finest table in the tavern with the other four men, along with Elsa, Anna, and Olivia. The three women had never been in a tavern before, and though they did feel a little uncomfortable, they took solace knowing they were with people they trusted, and the bartender made sure to make them feel welcome.

The royals were consuming glasses of sparkling apple cider. They took sips of their drinks and set their glasses back onto the table.

Edmund noticed his mentor was thinking about something. "Is everything alright, Stephen?"

Stephen nodded at his student. "Everything is great. I was just thinking about my earliest memory."

The English prince's eyebrows rose in curiosity. "What was your earliest memory?"

Stephen cleared his throat so he could speak to everyone at the table. At that moment, Stephen had the attention of Edmund and the other royals.

"The earliest thing I can remember is the day I turned one year old. As you could probably guess, because I was just a little toddler back then, I did not exactly know how to eat properly with silverware. My parents gave me some cake to eat, and after I was finished eating, I had cake all over my face," the brown-haired man said with a sheepish smile.

This caused the other royals to laugh.

"Since you will be fifty very soon, what do you hope to accomplish in your fifties?" Elsa asked.

"I am hoping to continue taking extremely good care of my body. The older you get, the stricter your diet must be to keep your body in shape. At this point, my prime days are behind me, but I feel like I still have a lot left in the tank. I would advise you guys to enjoy your twenties while you can, because in the blink of an eye, you will all be my age," Stephen said with a smile.

"That sounds like a good goal, Stephen," the Snow Queen said, beaming.

"I am just trying to do whatever I can to live as long a life as possible," Stephen replied with a shrug.

"With how healthy your diet is, I would not be surprised if you lived to be one hundred or older," Lucas stated.

"As much as I would like to reach the century mark, I will take it one day at a time. The only day you can control is today. Therefore, I think I will enjoy today with you guys. I am very thankful to be celebrating my fiftieth birthday with such amazing people. You all are like children to me I never had," Stephen stated with a grateful beam.

The young royals were touched by Stephen's words. It meant a lot to them how Stephen considered them to be his kids in everything but blood.

"We are also thankful for having you and the other guests in our lives, Stephen. You, Edmund, Lucas, Cade, Rachel, and Olivia are the greatest guests we could ever ask for," Anna said with a smile.

"Looks like one o'clock is about to take place," Cade said after glancing at the clock.

Soon the clock struck one. The moment it did, the tavern erupted into cheers, and everyone was chanting Stephen's name and giving him birthday wishes.

Everyone had a great time, especially Stephen. It warmed his heart everyone had gone out of their way to make his birthday special.

Soon everyone got tired and made their way home, but not before wishing Stephen a Happy Birthday one last time before they left the tavern.

The royals were the last to leave the tavern. Everyone was exhausted from staying up so late. However, it had all been worth it to help Stephen have a birthday he would never forget.

Once everyone returned to the castle, the royals all wished Stephen a Happy Birthday one more time before they went to bed.

It had been a wonderful fiftieth birthday for Stephen. He did not think it could have gone any better. With how easygoing a man he was, Stephen was perfectly fine with not getting any gifts. All he cared about was everyone having a great time. Besides, he did not think any gift could top Loyal Protector or Tempest.

He looked forward to celebrating many more birthdays in the future. For now, though, he was content with being fifty.