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

Chapter 41

Less than one week after the royals returned from staying at Elsa's ice castle, the winter snow in and around Arendelle began to melt. Over the first several days of April, patches of green grass began to appear in the snow, and flowers started to bloom. Spring had arrived in the kingdom.

While the Snow Queen was happy at the arrival of spring in Arendelle, it also meant Edmund would be returning to England soon. This deeply saddened her. Elsa loved her boyfriend with all her heart, and it pained her they would be separated from each other.

Before the month of April began, however, the guards told the royals some shocking news about Richard. He and his twenty men were found dead in their dungeon cells, and the weapons Brutality Gaziniblade and Eztli Deathbow were nowhere to be found. The guards did everything they could to find who was responsible but were fruitless with determining who murdered Richard and his men.

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Edmund could not help but feel pity for Richard and his men. Despite everything they had done, the English prince felt his former friend could have been saved had things been done differently when they were kids. Perhaps if Edmund prevented him from going down a dark path, he and his men would still be alive.

The English prince had just finished packing his belongings, along with Stephen. They would depart for England in two days.

Edmund felt terrible having to leave his girlfriend. He loved Elsa dearly. The Snow Queen meant so much to him with her kindness, wisdom, and warm heart. Maybe someday Edmund could take Elsa to England so she could see London and the rest of the country herself.

The English prince also felt sorrowful about being away from Lucas, Cade, Rachel, and Olivia. All four of them were fantastic people, just like his mentor and the royal family of Arendelle. They were some of the best friends he could ever ask for. Edmund hoped to see all of them again one day.

As he was placing his luggage by his bed in the suite, Stephen noticed the look on his student's face.

"I am sure you feel remorseful having to become separated from Elsa," Stephen said sympathetically.

The English prince nodded with a sad smile. "Yes. I also feel bad about being separated from Lucas and everyone else as well. With everything that everyone has done for me during our stay in Arendelle, they mean a lot to me. I could not ask for better friends or a better girlfriend."

Edmund's mentor placed a hand on his shoulder. "I am thrilled you have found the perfect woman. Elsa feels the same way about having you as a boyfriend."

Edmund nodded in understanding. "I have no doubt she does. After everything we have been through together, I could not be happier to have her in my life."

Stephen smiled. "Nothing makes me happier than when you are happy, Edmund. With how you and Elsa feel about each other, I would not be surprised one bit if you two married in the future."

"As much as I would love for that to happen one day, right now is not the right time to be thinking about marriage. I will propose to Elsa when the right time comes," Edmund responded.

Stephen chuckled. "Yes, you will. Whenever you choose to propose to her, she will be blown away."

"I hope so," the English prince said. "What did you think about our stay in Arendelle?"

"It was an amazing stay, to say the least. Other than a few mishaps, I would not have it any other way," Stephen replied.

"Me neither," Edmund responded in agreement, grinning.

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Elsa was looking at the spring landscape of Arendelle outside of her bedroom window. While it signaled growing season was returning to the kingdom, the Snow Queen felt her heart ache thinking about being separated from Edmund. She had never met a man with so much humility and generosity.

The Ice Queen turned and left her room to see her boyfriend. She hoped to spend as much time with him as possible before he left.

Elsa knocked on the door of Edmund and Stephen's suite, and from the other side Edmund said, "Come in."

The Snow Queen opened the door and greeted, "Hey gentlemen."

"Hello Elsa," Edmund replied with a smile.

"Is everything alright?" Stephen asked.

"Yes. Everything is okay," the Ice Queen responded.

Deciding to let Elsa and Edmund have some alone time, Stephen made a move to leave the suite. "I will give you two some privacy, if you do not mind."

"Not at all, Stephen," the English prince replied as he and Stephen patted each other on the shoulder before Stephen left the suite, closing the door behind him.

Edmund then met his girlfriend's eyes. "Are you sure you are okay, Elsa?"

Elsa nodded. "I am just fine, Edmund."

The English prince, however, was not convinced. "You are not fine, Elsa. Please tell me what is wrong."

The Snow Queen knew there was no way out of this. She wrapped her arms around her boyfriend.

Edmund was surprised for a moment, but he then gently wrapped his muscular arms around Elsa as the couple gazed at each other.

"I am just sad you will be leaving soon," Elsa said as she started crying. "Do you have to go back to England?"

Edmund gently brushed her tears away with his thumb. He nodded solemnly. "I do not want to leave you, but I unfortunately have no choice. Stephen and I must help my father make sure everything in England is running smoothly."

The Snow Queen was unable to hold her sobs back any longer. She leaned into her boyfriend as he started to sway them back and forth to comfort her.

"Elsa, please do not cry. I promise we will see each other again. You will see me again before you know it," Edmund said empathetically.

The Snow Queen looked up at the English prince with teary eyes. "You promise me?"

Edmund nodded solemnly. "You have my word, Elsa."

Elsa smiled sadly at that. "I am going to miss you, Edmund."

Edmund cupped her face with his large hands. "I will miss you too, Elsa."

The couple then leaned forward and gently kissed each other. Elsa and Edmund just did not want to let go of each other, feeling as if they did, they would never see each other again.

Once the couple ran out of breath, they pulled away, still hugging each other lovingly.

"I love you, Elsa," Edmund said with a charming grin.

Elsa smiled up at Edmund's handsome face. "I love you too, Edmund."

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"That spring landscape sure looks wonderful," Olivia stated, beaming.

"It sure does," Lucas agreed. The Belgian prince and the Swedish princess had completed packing their things. Now they were in Lucas' suite, looking at the kingdom landscape from the balcony.

As the royals gazed upon what was in front of them, Lucas wrapped an arm around Olivia's waist. She in return leaned onto his shoulder.

"Can you believe we will be returning to our respective kingdoms in two days? These four months went by in a flash!" the Swedish princess exclaimed.

"As much as I wish our stay here in Arendelle were longer, I enjoyed every moment of it. Not only did I get to meet you, Cade, and Rachel, but I also reunited with Edmund and Stephen," the Belgian prince said gratefully.

"I loved my stay here as well. You got to see your best friend again, make some new friends, and we became a couple. All in all, I would say it was an outstanding four months," Olivia replied.

"Except when Richard and his men attacked the castle, kidnapped Elsa and Anna, and injured Captain William and Kristoff in the process," Lucas replied with remorse in his voice.

Olivia's eyes widened. "The castle was attacked?! Were Elsa and Anna injured? Did Captain William and Kristoff recover from their injuries?"

The Belgian prince solemnly looked at his girlfriend. "Richard was once friends with Edmund and I. Three years after I met them, Richard turned evil and became dedicated to a life of crime. It seems he and his men were able to find some way to follow him and Stephen here to Arendelle. Shortly after we arrived here, that was when the first attack took place. While no one got hurt in the first attack, Captain William suffered a knee sprain the next time Richard showed up. Then he and his men captured Elsa and Anna. While we were able to rescue them successfully, one of the scoundrels caused Kristoff to injure his ankle."

"At least everything is okay now, right?" the Swedish princess asked worriedly.

"Yes. Captain William and Kristoff are fully recovered. We were especially thankful Kristoff recovered in time for the ball. It would have been miserable had he been unable to dance with Anna. They are perfect for each other," Lucas said with a smile.

"Yes, they are, as are Elsa and Edmund," Olivia replied, giggling.

"Us too," Lucas pointed out.

"Right of course," the Swedish princess responded as she made a move to kiss her boyfriend on the cheek. However, Olivia saw Lucas was not grinning anymore. "You okay, Lucas?"

"As despicable as Richard's actions were, along with his men, I cannot help but feel bad about them. Their deaths were out of the blue, and even though the guards did their best to find out who killed them, their efforts were for naught," the Belgian prince said with a sad look on his face.

"I am sure we will find out who is responsible," the Swedish princess replied determinedly.

"Gosh I hope so. Whoever did it was very thorough. They did not leave a single piece of evidence behind. I feel like they are a threat that must be stopped. Hopefully we will get our chance to stop them," Lucas responded.

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"We will Lucas. I have seen how great a fighter you are. They will not want to mess with you," Olivia said, beaming.

"Thank you for the support, Olivia," Lucas said gratefully.

"Of course," Olivia said with a sweet smile on her face. "I love you, Lucas."

"I love you too, Olivia," Lucas replied before adding, "I could not be happier to call you my girlfriend."

"As I could not be prouder to call you my boyfriend," Olivia stated as they gazed at each other lovingly.

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Cade finished with getting his belongings ready to return to Scotland. The Scottish prince had also helped his daughter pack her things as well.

"What do you think, Rachel? Did you have a good time here in Arendelle?" Cade asked as he held his daughter in his arms.

"Yes Daddy! It was amazing!" Rachel exclaimed excitedly.

"I am happy to hear that," the Scottish prince replied with a smile on his face.

The young toddler smiled up at her father, reaching her hands out to place them on Cade's cheeks. This made the Scottish prince chuckle.

"Tell you what. When we return to Scotland, I will get you a sweet treat since you behaved so well while we were here. How does that sound?" Cade asked.

"Yes please!" Rachel excitedly agreed. She was a very well-behaved little girl and loved receiving sweet treats from time to time. However, like her father, she did not like having too many sweets at once. Ever since she was born, Cade made sure to only feed her the good stuff. That way she would grow up to be big and strong like he was.

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The royals got together and did whatever they could think of with the time remaining before the guests departed for their respective kingdoms.

Their activities together started with a snowball fight in the ballroom, followed by going into town to enjoy the early spring atmosphere. While there was still snow on the ground, it was mixed in with patches of green grass.

Other things they did together were reading books, playing chess, and listening to Edmund and Stephen play pieces on the piano.

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On the night before their departure, Anna and Kristoff were in Anna's room sitting in chairs across from each other.

"What do you think of Edmund, Stephen, Lucas, Cade, Rachel, and Olivia, Kristoff?" Anna wondered.

"They are some of the nicest people I have ever met. Over the course of their stay in Arendelle, they have become some of my closest friends. I'm very happy they were invited to spend the holidays with us," the ice harvester replied with a grin. "Edmund, Lucas, and Cade are like brothers to me, and Stephen is a father figure to us all."

"I'm happy as well. They're wonderful people. Glad you get along with them so well, and vice versa," Anna said, smiling.

"Hopefully we'll see them again someday. I'm really going to miss them," Kristoff said with sadness in his voice.

"I'll miss them too," Anna responded in agreement, also with anguish in her voice. "We'll see them again. I'm sure of it."

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The next morning, after breakfast, the royals were gathered on the docks of the harbor, getting ready to board their ships to return to their kingdoms. Everyone thanked the royal family of Arendelle for inviting them to spend the holidays with them, wishing them only the best in the future.

There was still a little bit of time left before the ships were supposed to leave. Thus, the royals decided to talk a little more while they waited.

"I would like to thank the royal family of Arendelle for inviting me and Stephen to spend these amazing four months in their kingdom. It was a wonderful time, to say the least," Edmund said with a grateful smile.

He turned his attention to Lucas. "Lucas! It was great to see you again after all these years. When we met at my father's birthday festival, I knew you would be a special friend. From the moment we said we enjoyed each other's company, I will never forget all the time we spent together. On the first day we met, I recall how we talked to each other for hours about everything we enjoyed doing for fun, as well as the weapons we chose to train with. While I do feel bad you were unfortunately too young to participate in the contests for boys aged eight to eleven, I am impressed you did not complain about it one single time. Instead, you cheered me on and supported me from the stands along with the rest of my family. I commend you for the way you handled it and how great your attitude was and still is. That week we spent together I will remember for the rest of my life. When the festival ended, I felt saddened when you and your family left. The hug you and I shared before you departed is something I will cherish forever. It made me realize you are like a brother to me. Even after all the time we were separated from each other, I never ceased thinking about you. Not once did I lose faith that someday, we would see each other again. I am very grateful we got to catch up during our time in this amazing kingdom," Edmund elaborated with a smile before adding, "Since you have visited me in London, I will ensure I visit Ostenda one day."

The Belgian prince grinned as he took Edmund's hand and shook it. "It was great to see you as well, Edmund. I am glad we had these last few months to spend time with each other. Say hello to your father for me."

"Will do Luc," the English prince responded as he and Lucas then hugged each other. They stayed in their embrace for a few moments. Once they felt they were hugging for long enough, they let go of each other. It reminded them of the hug they shared as young boys after King Matthew's festival almost fifteen years ago. The two princes could not believe it had been that long since then.

Edmund then turned to Olivia. "Olivia, I think you are the perfect woman for Lucas. The night of Elsa's birthday, when I saw you dancing with Luc, I knew you two would be happy together. Now that I have gotten to know you more, seeing how well you and Lucas get along, I know you two will be together for many years to come."

The Swedish princess smiled. "Thank you, Edmund. That was so sweet of you." She then hugged Edmund, and the English prince hugged her back. After they let go, Olivia asked, "Will you visit Sweden sometime?"

"Absolutely. I would love to see what Sweden is like," Edmund responded, grinning.

"You will like it. Sweden is a beautiful country," Olivia assured with a beam.

"I will take your word for it," the English prince replied with a charming smile.

Edmund smiled at Cade as he held his daughter in his arms. "Cade! It was a great pleasure getting the opportunity to meet you. There are not very many nineteen-year-olds with as much maturity as you, and you have done a wonderful job with raising Rachel. I will admit I was surprised you became a father at such a young age. After what you said about raising any children you had, however, I realized you are an amazing father. When we first met, I was worried I was disturbing you. As soon as you told me I was not, I realized you are one of the most gracious people I have ever met. After we talked more, I envisioned you becoming another brother to me, and that it what eventually happened. Along with Lucas and everyone else, you are one of the nicest people I have ever met, and I am glad to call you my friend. I hope you will find your special someone someday," Edmund elaborated.

The Scottish prince smiled as he shook Edmund's hand. "Thank you, Edmund. I appreciate that. The way you greeted me made me realize how polite and honorable you are; the fact you were worried about disturbing me, even though you did not, tells me you are a fantastic man. I wish you and Stephen only the best."

"Thank you, Cade. Maybe someday, when I visit Scotland, you can show me around Edinburgh?" Edmund asked.

"Of course," the Scottish prince responded with a smile. Cade would have hugged Edmund, but he did not want to injure his daughter by accident.

Rachel giggled as she waved at Edmund, and the English prince waved back with a chuckle.

Edmund turned to the ice harvester. "Kristoff! I would like to thank you for taking Lucas and I ice harvesting. It was a lot of fun getting to explore the forest outside of Arendelle and see all the wonders winter can bring. Going up to the East Lake gave us a great opportunity to get to know each other and find out what our interests were. The instructions you gave us were easy to follow, and I am glad we could get enough ice to last the kingdom for a while. When you offered Lucas and I to come with you, it was an opportunity I could not pass up. I felt like it was a golden opportunity to learn something new, and I am always open to learn new things. Another thing I noticed about you is how protective of Elsa and Anna you are. I laud you for that, as I am sure they feel thankful to have someone who has their backs no matter what. Hopefully we get the chance to go ice harvesting again sometime. You are a great friend," Edmund stated.

"No problem, Edmund," Kristoff replied with a smile as he shook Edmund's hand before they hugged each other. "Harvesting ice with you and Lucas was a blast. I was worried you two wouldn't know what you were doing, but you guys got the hang of it rather quickly."

"We tried our best," the English prince said with a smile. The ice harvester chuckled in response.

Edmund turned to Anna. "Anna! You are so full of life. I appreciate the way you, Elsa, and Kristoff greeted me and Stephen when we set foot inside the palace. You have one of the sunniest personalities of anyone I have ever met, and upon seeing you and Kristoff together, I realized you two are a perfect match for each other," Edmund said.

"Ah, you're so sweet Edmund!" Anna exclaimed as she hugged Edmund, who returned the favor. "I hope we see you again!"

"You will one day," Edmund replied with a smile.

Lastly, Edmund turned to his girlfriend. The English prince took a deep breath as his eyes met Elsa's. "Elsa. It is hard to put into words how much you mean to me. From our first conversation the day we arrived in Arendelle, I did not realize at the time how much your invitation would change my life. When the invitation arrived in England, I had no idea who you, Anna, and Kristoff were. Upon entering the palace, however, I realized you, Anna, and Kristoff are some of the most genuine, compassionate people I have ever met. The bond between you and your sister is something I really admire. You two are always by each other's side, no matter what the situation is, and I applaud you two for that. When you introduced me to your powers, I will admit I was shocked at first, but I realized they are a part of you, and your powers do not define who you truly are. As we spent more time together, I came to realize you are the most beautiful woman I have ever met, and you have the warmest heart as well. Whenever I look into your eyes, I see a lot of warmth in them. I see a Queen who rules her kingdom with a genuine smile and ensures Arendelle will remain thriving and prosperous for as long as you are Queen of Arendelle. After the first attack from Richard, I began to realize just how I felt about you. You are very special, and I am happy to have you in my life, as well as calling you my girlfriend. When we danced at the ball on Christmas Eve, I realized a spark formed that night. It was then I recognized my growing feelings for you, and after what took place on Christmas night, I came to realize just how thankful I am to have met you. Without the invitation, we never would have met, nor would we have fallen in love. I love you Elsa, and I hope you and the rest of the kingdom will take care," Edmund elaborated with a grin.

Elsa's eyes teared up as she smiled. "I love you too, Edmund. Thank you so much." The Snow Queen then hugged her boyfriend, and Edmund hugged her in return. Elsa and Edmund just did not want to let go of each other. With how they felt about each other, the couple wished they could be in their embrace forever.

Reality set in, however, and Elsa and Edmund let go of each other several minutes later. After everyone exchanged hugs and handshakes, everyone made their way to their respective ships.

Edmund and Stephen were the last of the royals to begin boarding their ship. Stephen made his way up the gangplank first. As Edmund was about to do the same, Elsa grabbed his hand. "Edmund wait!"

Edmund turned around to face Elsa. "What is it, Elsa?"

The Snow Queen looked up at Edmund's handsome face with anguish on her face. She did not want the English prince to leave. "Please promise me we will see each other again."

Edmund nodded with a smile, trying to reassure her. "As you wish, Elsa. You have my word."

The Ice Queen smiled sadly as she hugged Edmund for what she figured would be the last time for a while.

"Edmund! We are prepared to depart!" one of the men on the ship called.

"Coming! I will be there in a minute!" Edmund called back. The English prince looked into his girlfriend's eyes. "Well, so long Elsa. I will see you soon."

"See you soon, Edmund," Elsa responded.

The couple let go of each other. Elsa watched her boyfriend walk up the gangplank. As soon as Edmund was on the ship, he gazed out to Elsa and waved to her. The Snow Queen smiled as she waved back, the ship inching away from the dock.

Elsa and Edmund waved to each other until the ship was out of sight.

The Snow Queen kept looking out into the sea, even with all the guests' ships out of sight.

Anna and Kristoff walked up beside her.

"You already miss Edmund, don't you?" Anna asked.

"Yes, I do. However, he promised me we will see each other again someday," Elsa replied.

"Don't worry, Elsa. You will see him again. He is a man of his word, after all," the princess pointed out.

"Yes, he is. That is what I like about Edmund. He is honest, smart, humble, kind, and very generous," the Snow Queen said with a smile.

"He is very handsome, too!" Anna added.

"Edmund is handsome. I will give you that," Elsa responded with a giggle.

"Aren't you saying I'm not handsome?" Kristoff asked Anna.

"I didn't say that Kristoff! Why would I say something like that about you?" Anna replied in bewilderment.

The ice harvester chuckled. "I'm just kidding, Anna!"

Anna playfully punched his shoulder. "Ha! I had a pretty good idea."

Kristoff shook his head in amusement. He then cleared his throat and said, "Hey Elsa?"

Elsa turned and faced the ice harvester. "What is it, Kristoff?"

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry about how harsh I was with Edmund, Stephen, and Lucas. At first, we didn't know who they were as people. Upon knowing who they really are, I wish I hadn't acted so tough on them," the ice harvester said regretfully.

The Snow Queen gave him a reassuring smile. "You have nothing to apologize for, Kristoff. Anna and I understand you were just trying to keep us safe. At first, I had no idea what kind of people Edmund, Stephen, and Lucas were either. Considering at that time, we had only met them. After knowing them for four months, I have realized they are some of the nicest people I have ever met. I never thought Edmund would become my boyfriend."

"Edmund, Stephen, and Lucas are indeed very nice, as are Cade, Rachel, and Olivia. It warmed my heart with what Edmund said about me before they left. I am pleasantly surprised he and Lucas enjoyed harvesting the ice with me. Most people wouldn't have even bothered to try it because of how hard it is to do. The fact they're willing to do it again says it all; I'm very thankful to call them my friends," Kristoff said with a smile.

"I am glad you approve of them, Kristoff," Elsa said gratefully.

"No problem, Elsa," Kristoff replied with a smile. "I've got to admit it, you and Edmund are a great-looking couple."

"Well thank you. I greatly appreciate Edmund seeing past my powers and the way he accepts me for who I am," the Snow Queen said gratefully.

"Edmund is such a great man!" Anna exclaimed, feeling the need to chime in at that point.

Kristoff nodded in agreement. "Yes, he is. Stephen, Lucas, and Cade are great guys as well. Olivia is also very nice." The ice harvester smirked. "I also noticed you developed a fondness for Cade's daughter."

"Alright, you got me! Rachel is so adorable! I don't remember the last time I ever held a baby or a toddler in my arms," Anna replied.

"It's surprising, isn't it? Cade is younger than me and Elsa, and he's already a father," Kristoff stated.

"Yes, but Cade is a fantastic father," the princess said with a smile.

"He sure is," Kristoff agreed. "Anyway, I'd like to get something to eat. I'm starving."

"Me too!" Anna exclaimed as she followed her boyfriend back to the castle.

Elsa stared at the sea for a few more moments. She felt a gentle breeze make its way past her.

The Snow Queen smiled, content that someday, she would see Edmund again.