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 40
Elsa hoped to take Edmund to her ice castle to celebrate his birthday. Unfortunately, a snowstorm hit on the day of the English prince's birthday. The Snow Queen was crestfallen she could not show her boyfriend the ice castle she created during the frozen summer. She had no doubt he would be astonished upon seeing it.
While it was late winter in Arendelle, Elsa realized that while spring would arrive soon, winter was not ready to give up just yet. The snow did not start melting in the kingdom until late March or early April. Since Edmund was not returning to England until April, Elsa thought she could perhaps take Edmund to her ice castle sometime after the snowstorm cleared up. She really hoped to show him her ice castle at some point before his departure.
The royals greeted Edmund and wished him a Happy Birthday upon seeing him enter the Great Hall.
As the royals ate, Elsa turned her attention to Edmund. "There was something I was hoping to do to celebrate your birthday, but the weather will not allow it."
"Oh really? What did you have in mind?" the English prince asked.
"I was going to show you the ice castle I created during the eternal winter," Elsa said.
Edmund's eyes widened. "You built an ice castle? Where is it located?"
"On the North Mountain, the tallest mountain in the kingdom. I feel dejected I cannot show it to you due to the heavy snow outside," the Snow Queen stated remorsefully.
"It is not your fault, Elsa. Since it is still winter, I figured the snowy weather was not over just yet. I very much appreciate the thought though. Thank you," Edmund said with a grateful smile before adding, "Maybe once the weather clears up, we can go see your ice castle."
"I am sure your ice castle is amazing. Hopefully we get the chance to see it while we are here," Lucas added enthusiastically.
"How were you able to build something like that? If you do not mind me asking?" Cade wondered. "It sounds like your powers are capable of wonderous things."
"I utilized my powers after I fled Arendelle to build the ice castle. This was before I knew how to control my powers and prior to me knowing I accidentally froze the kingdom," Elsa explained, still feeling bad about everything that happened then, even eight months later. "I also unknowingly created Olaf as well. At that time, I did not know he was alive." The Ice Queen smiled at the memory.
"I bet you were astonished when you found out you could create live beings of snow, right?" Lucas asked.
Elsa nodded. "Olaf reminded me of when Anna and I built him when we were little girls. Only he was not alive back then."
The Belgian prince nodded in understanding. "Have you created any other snow beings?"
"I created Marshmallow when I just wanted to be alone in the North Mountain. At that time, I was afraid of hurting someone with my powers," Elsa explained.
"You did learn to control them though in the end, right?" Lucas asked with a smile.
"Yes, I did, thanks to Anna's determination to help me no matter what," the Snow Queen replied with a beam.
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After breakfast, the royals did every activity they could think of while not going out into the snowstorm. Edmund played the piano for a little while, and the royals also played chess, read books, and spent time with each other.
While the English prince did wish everyone and himself could have done something outside such as ice-skating or walking around town, he preferred not making anyone sick. He cared very deeply about the royals like they were his own family. Edmund knew the cold and heavy snow were not ideal weather for such activities.
Despite not being able to go outside, it was a wonderful birthday for Edmund. For dinner, he requested chicken curry. Since no one else had tried it outside of himself and Stephen, Edmund decided everyone else should try chicken curry themselves to see if they liked it.
The castle cooks were unsure of how to make chicken curry, as they had never cooked a dish like that before. Thus, Edmund guided them, making sure his instructions were easy to follow.
Once the cooks had completed making the chicken curry, they tasted it for themselves. While it was the first time the cooks made chicken curry, they loved it. The head chef enjoyed the intense flavor of the curry sauce.
"This is amazing, Edmund. I have never had chicken curry before, and it is already one of my favorite dishes," Kristoff praised.
"Excellent choice, Edmund. Chicken curry is different than any other dish I have ever had," Anna said before adding, "A good different."
That made the English prince chuckle. "Well, I am glad you guys like chicken curry. It has been one of my favorite dishes for many years."
"When was the first time you had chicken curry?" Lucas wondered.
Edmund thought for a moment. "I think I was like five years old when I had it for the first time. At that time, I had no idea what chicken curry was, nor did I know what country it originated from. Upon taking the first bite, however, I have loved it ever since and expressed a strong desire to know more about the dish and its origins."
The English prince then turned to Stephen. "I remember saying for you to surprise me when you asked me what I would like to have for my fifth birthday dinner."
Stephen nodded fondly. "I do, and chicken curry is the first dish that came to my mind. While your last name being Curry did play a small part in my decision, I also remembered you would eat anything as long as it is good."
Edmund nodded with a grin. "Precisely. Food is food to me. Usually I prefer healthy food, but on occasions like today, I will gladly treat myself."
"Where did chicken curry originate?" Olivia wondered.
"I was going to ask the same question. Was it in like Asia?" Cade added, curious as well.
"Curry powder has been around for several thousand years. While the dish originated in India, I found out there is no standard ingredient list for curry. The word curry originally comes from the Tamil word, "Kari" which means sauce. What is used in curry will depend on the culture, nationality, and country. Curry has an assorted number of spices mixed together, rather than it being just one spice. For example, there is yellow curry, red curry, green curry, and more. The first ever chicken curry was "Country Captains Chicken" made in Madras Courier on April 26th, 1792," Edmund elaborated.
"That is amazing! I never knew that before," the Swedish princess replied with a smile.
"Me neither. Thank you for sharing," Cade added, grinning.
"You are welcome," Edmund responded, beaming.
Dessert consisted of ice cream and red velvet cake. After dessert, the royals wished the English prince a Happy Birthday before returning to their guestrooms.
Elsa, Edmund, and Lucas were the last to leave the Great Hall.
"I would like to thank you guys for making my twenty-third birthday special. While I do wish we could have done something outside, it was a great time, to say the least," Edmund said with a grateful smile.
"Anything for my boyfriend," Elsa responded as she took Edmund's hand in hers.
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"I am glad to hear you had a good time, buddy," Lucas stated with a grin as he shook hands with his best friend.
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Four days after Edmund's birthday, the snowstorm finally cleared up. Elsa decided it would be a golden opportunity to have the English prince see her ice castle. Edmund asked if everyone else could join them, and the Ice Queen was more than happy to have the other royals come with them.
While everyone was excited to see the ice palace, Stephen insisted he stay behind to make sure everything was in order while the royals were gone. Therefore, the Snow Queen left Stephen in charge, feeling he could hold down the fort.
Anna and Kristoff rode together in the ice harvester's sled. Elsa, Edmund, Olivia, Lucas, and Cade rode on the most durable horses in the kingdom; the horses could handle even the most extreme conditions when traveling. Cade made sure to have one of the castle staff members take care of Rachel while he was away. Though the Scottish prince was tempted to take his daughter along to see the ice palace, he decided she was too young to go with them. Rachel would get her chance one day when she was older.
Sven galloped while pulling the sled through the snowy forest, the five horses right behind him.
Anna was watching the snow-covered trees go by, while Kristoff was guiding his reindeer pal along. The ice harvester noticed that while it was cold, the air was a little warmer than when he went ice harvesting with Edmund and Lucas. It was still too cold for the snow to start melting, but with spring right around the corner, the ice harvester knew it was only a matter of time before the snow begin to melt away.
"Feels like old times, huh Kristoff?" Anna asked with a smirk.
Kristoff chuckled. "Yes, it does."
Anna then thought of something. She remembered the last time they were at Elsa's ice palace, and when Elsa created Marshmallow to get them to leave. After she threw a snowball at Marshmallow and provoked him, Anna was beginning to worry what would happen if the snow monster saw her again.
The ice harvester noticed his girlfriend's uneasiness. "Anna? You alright?"
Anna turned her attention to her boyfriend. "I was just thinking about what happened the last time we were at Elsa's ice castle. You remember Marshmallow?"
Kristoff nodded. "You mean the snow monster Elsa created to throw us out?"
"One and the same," Anna confirmed. "I'm worried about how he will react upon seeing us."
The ice harvester nodded in understanding. "We should be fine, as long as we don't do anything to provoke him." Kristoff sent a stern look at Anna. "That means not throwing anything at him."
Anna couldn't help but giggle at that. "Okay then."
Kristoff smiled before he turned his attention back to guiding Sven.
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Elsa watched the snowy forest go by as she guided her horse. She remembered the last time she went through the snowy forest outside the kingdom. It was when she ran away from the kingdom to protect everyone, unknowingly casting the eternal winter upon Arendelle. This time, however, the snowy forest did not have anything to do with her. Arendelle was in the final several days of winter, and while the Snow Queen was enjoying the scene before her, she was nevertheless looking forward to seeing what spring would bring everyone.
"Are you doing okay, Elsa?" Edmund asked as he glanced behind him to make sure his girlfriend was alright.
"Yes. I am doing fine. Thank you for asking," Elsa replied, smiling.
"Of course," the English prince responded with a charming grin as he made sure his horse was following Sven.
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"Wow! Winter is amazing here in Arendelle," an awestruck Olivia stated.
"It sure is. We might as well enjoy it while we can, because in a couple of weeks, the snow will be melting," Lucas replied.
"That is true. Spring will be here very soon," the Swedish princess said.
Lucas nodded in agreement. "You okay, Olivia?"
Olivia nodded with a smile. "Yes. I am doing alright."
"Good to hear," the Belgian prince responded, beaming.
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Cade admired the wintry scene before him. The Scottish prince never thought winter could be so beautiful, even in his wildest dreams. He hoped that once his daughter was old enough, she could see something like this.
The Scottish prince made sure to remain cautelous, as he did not want to become distracted and potentially cause an injury to the horse or himself.
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Once the royals arrived at the ice palace, the guests were awestruck at what they saw. Edmund himself was particularly astounded at how his girlfriend could create something so magnificent.
"Wow. Never in my most dazzling of dreams have I seen something so brilliant," the English prince said in awe.
"Do you like it, Edmund?" Elsa asked.
"I love it! This is amazing!" Edmund exclaimed as he took the Snow Queen's hand and led her to the icy staircase.
Lucas stared at the ice palace with a sense of wonder, Olivia leaning against his shoulder with an astonished look on her face. He never thought the Ice Queen was capable of something like this.
Kristoff grinned as he placed a hand on the Belgian prince's shoulder. "You know, I had a very similar reaction too when I saw the ice castle for the first time."
Lucas smiled as he turned to the ice harvester, "I am certain you thought this was simply incredible, right?"
The ice harvester chuckled. "Yeah. It felt like I was in heaven, considering that ice is my life."
"I would probably feel the same way if I were an ice harvester," the Belgian prince responded.
Lucas then turned to Olivia. "What do you think, Olivia?"
"This is beautiful. I have never seen a castle made of ice before," the Swedish princess responded with a smile.
"Me neither," Lucas replied. "Shall we head up the staircase?"
"Yes," Olivia responded as she took Lucas' hand, and they made their way up to the palace.
Anna was walking along, with Kristoff and Cade beside her. She noticed the flabbergasted look on Cade's face.
"Pretty cool, huh?" Anna asked the Scottish prince.
"That is an understatement. I never thought one person could build something like this. This is unbelievable," Cade said, beaming. "Man do I wish Rachel could have seen the ice palace."
"I take it you think it is amazing?" Anna wondered with a smile.
Cade nodded approvingly as he ran his hand along the rails of the ice stairs.
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Soon the royals reached the entrance to the ice palace. Elsa decided it would be wise to let the guests know about Marshmallow.
"I think you guys should wait out here for just a few minutes. You see, I created a snow monster named Marshmallow during the eternal winter, and I would like to make sure he does not attack any of you," Elsa elaborated.
"Okay. Do you think he will recognize you?" Edmund wondered, concern in his blue eyes.
"Well, only one way to find out," the Snow Queen responded as she took a deep breath and opened the palace doors.
Elsa walked inside, looking upon the familiar layout of the ice castle. She walked around until she saw some snowy boulders in one corner of the palace, her old tiara on top of them.
The boulders moved around, and Marshmallow revealed himself to the Ice Queen. Marshmallow then looked down and carefully studied Elsa.
"Mama?" the snow monster asked.
"Hello Marshmallow. Yes, it is me, the one who created you," Elsa said as she slowly made her way towards the snow monster, gently patting the snow monster's nose.
"Mama!" Marshmallow exclaimed as he held his arms out in excitement, happy to see his creator again.
This made Elsa smile and giggle silently. "I see you are wearing my old tiara," she said.
The snow monster made a move to give it back, but Elsa stopped him. "No, you can keep it. The tiara looks good on you."
Marshmallow nodded; the snow monster was glad he was able to keep the tiara.
"Now Marshmallow. I would like to tell you something. There are guests waiting outside as we speak, and I can assure you they do not mean us any harm. Can you do me a favor and not attack them?" Elsa asked.
The snow monster nodded in understanding.
"Thank you," Elsa replied as she turned to the palace doors. "You can come inside now," she stated, making sure to be loud enough for everyone to hear.
Anna, Kristoff, and the guests made their way inside, and they stiffened upon seeing the snow monster.
As astonished as the guests were at seeing Elsa's ice palace, they were perhaps even more so at seeing Marshmallow. While they had already met Olaf, Marshmallow was quite different from Olaf. Olaf was an average size snowman who was happy and friendly with everyone. Marshmallow, on the other hand, was huge and had a rather intimidating appearance.
"It is okay guys. Marshmallow will not hurt anyone," Elsa insisted.
Edmund was the first to approach the snow monster. He cautiously made his way toward Marshmallow, and the snow monster studied the English prince carefully. Marshmallow had never seen this man before.
The Snow Queen saw how hesitant her boyfriend was to approach Marshmallow. Thus, she took his hand and led him over to the snow monster. "Marshmallow, this is Edmund, my boyfriend."
"Edmund?" Marshmallow asked.
Edmund nodded as he slowly approached the snow monster. He took great care not to make any sudden movement. The English prince did not want to provoke Marshmallow in any way.
Marshmallow crouched down as the English prince approached him. Once he was close enough, Edmund carefully reached out with his right hand and placed it on the snow monster's nose.
"Hey big guy," Edmund greeted. "Elsa has told me all about you."
The English prince was expecting the snow monster to get upset, but to his surprise, Marshmallow grinned at him and said, "Hi."
Edmund chuckled. "Well, it is good to meet you, Marshmallow." He then gestured towards the other royals. "These are my good friends."
The other royals carefully made their way towards the snow monster. Elsa beamed with pride when she saw Marshmallow greet everyone with a wave. She was happy the snow monster had been living a nice life in the ice palace.
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The royals stayed at the ice castle for three nights. It was an amazing experience for all of them. True to his word, Marshmallow did not make any attempt to attack the guests. Instead, the snow monster made sure the royals felt welcome during their stay.
On the fourth day, the royals said farewell to Marshmallow, wishing him only the best with his life in the North Mountain. Elsa knew the snow monster would be just fine; Marshmallow could take care of himself.
Once the royals arrived back in Arendelle, Stephen was there to greet them, along with Gerda and Kai.
"Good afternoon, everyone. How was your vacation?" Stephen asked.
"It was an amazing time, to say the least. You should have seen Elsa's ice palace. It was magnificent," Edmund said with a smile.
"I feel bad I could not go with you guys, but I have no doubt the ice castle is amazing," Stephen said with a nod of approval.
"Thank you, Stephen," Elsa said gratefully. "How was everything while we were gone?"
"Everything went very well. Sir Stephen here did a wonderful job making sure everything was in order. He certainly deserves to be a king of his own kingdom," Kai explained, praising Stephen.
"As much as I appreciate the praise, I am content with just being Edmund's mentor. Elsa is a much better ruler than I could ever be," Stephen responded modestly. "After all, she is a very bright young woman with a bright future ahead of her."
Elsa was touched by Stephen's words. It made her happy she had everyone's support.
"Queen Elsa is indeed wise beyond her years. We appreciate everything she has done for us," Gerda said.
"Thank you, Gerda. I also appreciate what you, Kai, and everyone else have done during my reign. Without you guys, ruling Arendelle would not be the same," the Snow Queen said.
"Of course, Queen Elsa," Kai replied with a smile. He and his wife always had the royal family of Arendelle's backs no matter what. They would be there for them whenever they needed them to be.