Chapter 5

Over the next few weeks, Pyra trained Anna whenever they both had the time, Anna now spending half of her free time with Elsa (who now started playing and connecting with Anna again), and Pyra now having far more free time since Arran, who was a Lieutenant in the Arendelle Military, took back his old jobs, and therefore, Pyra only had to train the recruits four days a week. So far, knighthood training for Anna included learning to sing, dance and use manners, which Anna was confused about, but then Pyra told her "Usually, the ladies of the court would teach a knight manners, singing and dancing. This is to make sure the knight-in-training was polite, and well versed in the arts. Since I'm also a lady as well as a knight, your parents have made me your lady-in-waiting to compliment this."

It was true. After the first week of premature training, The King and Queen decided to make Pyra her lady-in-waiting so she could teach her manners and ladylike qualities, which co-exist with the mannerisms taught in knighthood. However, while Pyra was polite and well-mannered around the royal family, foreign dignitaries and her higher ranking officers, around her friends and her trainees in Battle School, she was loud, vulgar mouthed, and highly inappropriate for young or classier audience. However, despite her telling Anna's parents so and asked if they were absolutely sure of this, they were certain, and Pyra had no choice but to accept.

However, she did warn them that if Anna started to swear, don't blame her because it was their fault for leaving Anna in her care.

Another thing that happened as well was religious training with the chaplain of the church, or the church's head priest to the common folk. It was important for Anna to learn to fight for God and protect God's people, as per tradition. Personally though, Pyra only prayed before battle to make it out alive and plead forgiveness for the lives she will take, or if she was concerned about someone, like Anna.

Currently though, Pyra, who was uncharacteristically wearing a sleeveless dress and corset of a deep red colour, was about to awaken Anna for the day, as it was the little princess' sixth birthday. She approached her door and knocked thrice sharply on the door, calling out "Anna? Are you awake yet?"

She heard some mumbling and a snore and Pyra sighed while laughing slightly and continued gently "Okay, I'm coming in now, alright?"

Another few mumbles were sounded from behind the door, and Pyra took that as her cue to enter, turning the door handle and striding into the large room.

The room was fairly tidy, with just a bit of clutter on Anna's desk from her English and French homework, but the messiest part of the room was Anna's bed, where the blankets were tangled and twisted and warped around a small lump snoring loudly on the bed, with only a frizz of strawberry blonde hair being visible from the blankets. Pyra giggled at this and walked over to Anna's bedside, carefully peering over the side to look at the sleeping and snoring child.

Pyra snorted as she saw Anna's comatose form, as the princess was sprawled out everywhere, drool running down the sides of her mouth, and her hair frizzing out like an afro. Pyra leaned over the edge of the bed and gently shook Anna awake, earning a mumbled replied from Anna and she said gently "Anna, it's time to wake up! You're six years old today, so it's time for breakfast and presents!"

Anna bolted upright and nearly collided with Pyra's head, before jumping out of bed, chanting happily "I'm six years old today! I'm six years old today!"

Pyra laughed and stilled the child with gentle hands, leading her over to her bathroom and said "I'll draw the water in your bathtub for you, and you can get ready to bathe, okay?"

Anna nodded and slipped behind her changing screen and threw her nightgown away and put a bathrobe on. She came out from behind the screen to see Pyra put one lit finger into the bath water, and not two seconds later, steam started to rise from the bath and Pyra took her finger out, shook off the water and poured a bubble bath solution into the water, covering the water's surface in bubbles. Anna looked happily at the hot bath and quickly threw off her robe and jumped into the bath, not heeding Pyra's cry of "Anna! It'll be too hot for you!"

However, surprisingly Anna wasn't affected and said in a relaxed voice "Ah! So nice and warm!"

Pyra just looked hugely confused by her reaction, before putting on a deadpan expression with a matching voice and stated "Oh, right, royal Kageran blood. Therefore unaffected by heat."

Pyra sighed and placed a towel over her dress so it wouldn't get wet, and began washing the happy princess' hair, being extra gentle on her scalp. Anna noticed this and remarked "You have really gentle hands, Pyra! It feels great when you wash my hair!"

Pyra smiled at this and replied "Thank you, Anna. Now, let's get you fully cleaned, groomed and dressed and take you to breakfast, shall we?"

Fifteen minutes later, Anna was clean, her hair was brushed and put into her traditional two pigtails, which had slightly grown, and was dressed in a pretty green dress with a white blouse and stockings underneath, with black shoes on her feet. Pyra walked hand-in-hand with Anna to the dining hall and opened the door, leading Anna to the table where the happy family was waiting for her with presents on the table.

"Happy Birthday, Anna!" the family chanted together, smiling broadly at her.

Anna positively beamed at this and clambered onto her chair, saying loudly "Thank you, Mama, Papa and Elsa! And thank you to, Pyra!"

They all smiled a bit wider at this and The King told her "We've got food coming out now, so we'll eat first, then open your presents, okay?"

Anna nodded with a happy "Mmm-hm!" and the servants entered the hall, bringing plates of pancakes, honey, sugar, lemons and cream with them. Anna nearly drooled at the sight and smell, and as soon as they placed her plate down with a smile and a "Happy birthday, Your Highness!" she thanked them gratefully and said prayers with her family. After prayers was said, Anna dug in without a second thought, smothering her pancakes in honey and cream.

Pyra noticed the stack of pancakes Anna had on her plate and mused "It'll be a miracle if you managed to eat all six of those pancakes with that much topping."

Anna looked smug at this and declared "Then I'll make a miracle: challenge accepted!"

And to the surprise of everyone at the table, she managed it in no time at all.

All Pyra had to murmur at that was "Unbelievable!"

After the family finished eating their own plates at a much more acceptable pace, the servants whisked away the plates and the family waited for Anna's reaction as she opened a fairly large box that was from her parents. Anna tore off the ribbon and lifted off the lid, standing on her chair to look over the box and gasped in wonder and ecstasy as she saw the gleaming and brand new lute in the box. She looked at her parents, her eyes gleaming ecstatically and exclaimed "I've always wanted to play the lute! Thank you, Mama and Papa!"

They smiled lovingly at Anna and both exchanged hug with her, before Anna turned to Elsa, who slid a small box to Anna shyly and said "It's not much, but I hope you'll like it!"

Anna undid the box carefully, and gasped in awe at the item inside the box, carefully taking it out tho show everyone what it was.

It was a crystal ball in a winter setting, with two ice figures inside, one figure being Elsa, the other figure being Anna. They were extremely detailed, and they were playing beside a small, miniature Olaf, the snowman they always built in winter. A small cloud above the figures at the to of the inside of the ball snowed softly on them to keep them cool, and to make sure that they wouldn't melt.

Anna cooed as she hugged Elsa tightly "Oh Elsa! It's perfect! Thank you, thank you, thank you soo much!"

Elsa grinned and hugged Anna back just as tightly, before moving on to her final present from Pyra.

Anna pulled Pyra's long thin present towards herself, but Pyra said before she opened it "Now Anna, this present isn't to be used until you are fully able to, and are allowed to, use it. I managed to make this myself, and consider it a welcome present to your soldiery training."

Anna was now curious to find out what it was, and opened it with ginger hands, before peering into the package and gasping at the beautiful sight she saw.

It was a long, and beautifully made rapier of the highest order. The intricately crafted swept hilt, and the pommel, was made of gold, the handle being made of white platinum, and the sheathe was made of black leather with gold designs and solid gold on its tip. Anna carefully unsheathed the rapier and saw that the blade was not made of steel, but was actually made of diamonds smelted and shaped together into an elegant blade.

Anna and the royal family gaped at it and Anna stammered "B-Bu … wha … how … just-huh?"

Pyra smiled at that and said "Since I'm related to you, I used the diamonds and gold that belonged to my many great grandmother and smelted them together to make the blade, hilt and pommel. The platinum was tricky to get, but my boyfriend received a bar of platinum from the King of Germany after dealing with a huge threat of terrorism. He suggested that I should use that for the handle as he had no need of it, and, well, here's the end result."

Anna just wordlessly sheathed the sword and hugged Pyra firmly, the latter congratulating warmly "Happy Birthday, Anna."

Pyra then stood and stated "My husband actually has another gift for you as well, and one for Elsa to make things fair, so, do you want to come outside?"

The girls nodded wordlessly and pulled on their winter coats and mittens with their parents due to the winter weather outside, and followed Pyra outside, who told the girls to close their eyes and lead them down the stairs to the courtyard. After a few moments, two objects were placed in their hands and Pyra instructed "Now, look at the objects in your hands."

The children did so and saw an apple in their hands, making them frown in confusion. Then Pyra said "Now, look up."

The girls did so and they gasped, not believing their eyes.

Before them was Arran, dressed in a midnight blue winter coat and gloves, holding onto two dark brown reins in his hands, which were attached to two dark brown bridals, that were worn by two snow white ponies, one slightly larger than the other one. Pyra then told them "Elsa, the larger one is yours, and Anna, the smaller one is yours. Now, go up and say hello!"

The girls did as she said and ran to the horses, slowing down as they neared them and held out their apples to their respective horses. The horses munched gratefully on the offerings and swished their tails, allowing the two girls to pet them.

Arran then told them gently "They're both girls: Elsa, yours is called Malena, and Anna, yours is called Maria. They're young, and can't be ridden just yet until you've had lessons on a bigger horse, but they're yours now to love and care for."

They both turned to Arran and hugged him, exclaiming "Thank you, Arran! They're beautiful!"

The family were all smiles at this and spent the rest of the day playing in the snow, until night fell and they went inside for dinner, some hot chocolate, and a bedtime story.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The figure sighed with a happy smile and remarked "What a glorious day" before finishing off the bowl of fruit and savoured some cheese and crackers before writing the next chapter.