FROZEN: The Queen and Her Knight

CHAPTER 4 — Year Seven

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"Anna, hold on!"

"Nope! Go, Mr. Horsey!"

Leon quickly moved out of the way before the redheaded blur darted past him, riding atop her imaginary horse as her arms stretched out like she was holding invisible reins.

The four-year-old princess let out a giggle as she galloped down the hallway, her small feet pattering against the polished floors with Elsa jogging behind her to catch up.

"Excuse me, Princess."

With a resigned sigh, Leon gently picked up the elder princess before he took off after Anna.

"Princess, please slow down! You’ll trip—"

A yelp. A stumble.

Leon lunged forward just in time to catch her before she hit the ground, bending his body as his back dropped to the floor with two princesses in each arm. Anna blinks up at him, momentarily startled, before she bursts into laughter.

He let out a quiet groan as the weight of two small princesses pressed down on him. Elsa, still in his arms, looked down at him with worry, while Anna simply grinned as she swung her legs as if this was all part of her grand adventure.

"That was so fun! Let’s do it again!"

Leon exhaled through his nose as he explained after looking at the elder princess' face.

"Princess Anna, I don’t think your sister shares your enthusiasm."

Elsa sighed, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face.

"Anna, be careful. One of these days, you really will fall, and Leon might not be able to catch you in time."

"But he always catches me!"

Leon arched a brow.

"And what if I don’t?"

The four-year-old blinked as if the thought had never occurred to her. Then, after a moment, she grinned again.

"Then Elsa will catch me!"

Elsa groaned, clearly done with her little sister’s antics. Leon only chuckled before adjusting his hold on them both.

"Alright, alright. Let’s get you two on your feet."

With that, he hoisted them up with ease, setting them down gently. Elsa smoothed out her dress with a prim nod, while Anna immediately tugged at Leon’s sleeve.

"Can we play some more?"

Leon stared at her for a moment before shaking his head with a laugh. Four years in the castle, and Anna still found ways to keep him on his toes. She certainly is more active than Elsa was at her age.

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Swinging downward, metal clashed against metal as sparks flew from the friction. Leon gritted his teeth as he pushed against the weight of his father’s strike, but he swiftly stepped back, narrowly avoiding being thrown off balance.

The opposite metal blade followed unrelentingly. Raising his sword again before another strike came crashing down, he prepared himself as the strike came, making him pivot on his heel and sidestep, letting the blade flow down to his side that left a brief opening.

With a sharp inhale, he shifted his stance and thrust, his blade slicing through the air. The attack didn't land, though, as his father managed to parry in time, their swords clashing once more.

Spectators, consisting of the knights of Arendelle, gathered around the training grounds, their murmurs growing louder with each exchange of blows. To say that the commander's son wasn't talented was as if saying that the sun didn’t rise over Arendelle.

Many of the younger knights couldn't keep up with the amount of training that Leon endured daily. He pushed himself beyond what was expected of a boy his age, often training more vigorously than adults further his age.

And just last year alone did the boy surpass the normal knight in terms of combat. The usual sparring partners no longer provided the difficulty he needed to improve. His skill had grown beyond that of an average knight, forcing even the elites to take him seriously in battle.

Now, facing his father, the commander himself, Leon was proving just how far he had come after 7 years of dedication.

The murmurs among the gathered knights grew louder.

"He’s forcing the commander to fight seriously."

"At this rate, he might even—"

A sudden downward swing that missed his father by a centimeter.

In that split second, his father shifted a step backward before lunging forward with an attack.

Leon's eyes glinted as the time to bring out his secret technique arose. His grip on his sword immediately changed as he reeled his arms back as hard as he could.

The sword that swung down, as if gravity were inverted, shot upwards at fast speeds.

The force of the unexpected upward strike caught his father off guard. Metal screeched against metal as the commander barely managed to twist his sword in time to block, but the impact forced him to stagger back a step with his guard wide open.

A quick step forward with his sword raised, and his blade stops inches from his father’s exposed neck.

The training grounds stood still; the only sounds were their heavy breathing.

A slow, satisfied smile formed on his father’s lips as the murmurs turned into stunned applause.

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His studies had encountered a brick wall recently.

Not because of him, but due to the fact that his tutors had run out of material to teach him.

At his current level, he was as smart as peers a few years older than him, with additional knowledge of miscellaneous subjects that many nobles his age had yet to even consider.

So while his tutors were scrambling to get more materials that could challenge him, Leon found that he had a surprising amount of free time on his hands—time that he used to watch over the princesses.

Taking over the maids was fairly easy, considering he probably had more experience caring for Elsa than the recently hired staff.

So, while he watched over the two, Leon found himself observing the princesses, noting their stark differences.

Elsa, ever composed and careful, carried herself with a quiet grace fitting for the heir to the throne, with the hint of adventure in her eyes that he'd had the honor of witnessing firsthand back then.

Anna, on the other hand, was a whirlwind of energy, her laughter echoing through the halls as she dragged anyone willing into her misadventures.

Despite their contrasting personalities, one thing was clear—Elsa adored her younger sister, and Anna her elder sister. That much was evident in the way they treat each other, their bond much deeper than royal siblings that you see in other kingdoms.

And as for him? It wasn't really a question at all; he had come to care for them both.

It was in the quiet moments when Elsa allowed herself to relax after her agendas, when she would glance his way with a knowing look for a quick snack.

It was in the way Anna would grab his hand without hesitation, dragging him along on whatever wild adventure she had in mind.

They had wormed their way into his heart, and he wouldn't have it any other way.