Chapter 4:

Broken, Beat, and Scarred

A/N: I had a review on the last chapter that said the story was going too fast, and I agree with them. I'll slow down. This chapter and the following ones will be more dedicated to emotions and internal conflict.

In the days that followed, Elsa was a shadow of her former self. Much like she did during her thirteen years of isolation, she remained cooped up in her room, barely talking to anyone. Anna tried her best to console Elsa during this difficult time, but Elsa was too traumatized to talk about it. No one could understand what happened to her. Stefan had violated her, taken her virginity, left his disgusting mark inside of her forever. Elsa felt dirty; drenched with the filth of that despicable man. She often took long baths, scrubbing herself with soap, until her skin was red and raw, but it still didn't matter. Nothing could erase his mark from him. The torment lasted Elsa all the time. She feared going to sleep, fearing that she would wake up to find Stefan or another man thrusting himself inside of her. A part of her knew that that wasn't possible, but the fear still lingered. Elsa always was scared to go to sleep, because she feared seeing Stefan in her nightmare's. Even though she was semi-conscious when it happened, she could still see his face, feel his warm breath against her skin, and his hands caressing her breasts. Following the rape, the doctor did a thorough examination of her, in which he determined that she had indeed been penetrated. Elsa feared that something more could come of this. What if she was pregnant? The thought hadn't occurred to her at first, but after awhile it became very real to her. What if Stefan impregnated her with his child? Elsa didn't want to have a baby! She didn't even want to get married, but what if this man's horrid actions resulted in the birth of a child! Once the thought entered her mind, she couldn't get it out. Elsa would have talked to Anna about it, but the idea of being around people, including her sister, still made her feel uncomfortable.

As for Stefan, he was charged with rape, a punishment that would most likely result in death. When the citizens of Arendelle found out what he had done to Elsa, there were immediate cries for his execution. Elsa was beloved by everybody, so the fact that someone among them would commit such a dastardly deed against her, was revolting beyond belief! While he sat in the dungeons, awaiting his fate, Anna took Elsa's duties in her own hands. She knew full well that she couldn't sentence the man, since she was not Queen, but she could do whatever else to make him as miserable as possible. Finally, over a week had passed, and Elsa still hadn't come out of her room. The Council wanted immediate action regarding Stefan, due to the horrific nature of his crime. Anna promised them that she would talk to Elsa, but couldn't promise that she would get a decision out of her.

When she opened the door to her room, Anna saw Elsa sitting by the window. She was staring out at the mountains in the distance. Her hair was wet from where she had taken a bath, and Anna could see that her skin was freshly red from all the scrubbing she had done. By now, Elsa had scrubbed so much, that her skin was peeling off. It was a terrible sight. She hated to see her sister this way.

"Elsa," Anna said, gently.

Elsa didn't turn around, but continued to stare out the window. Anna took a seat beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. At this action, Elsa flinched, cowering in fear. It was simple too much for anyone to touch her.

"I'm sorry. I just…came to talk, that's all."

Even in the darkness, Anna could see the tears streaming from Elsa's eyes. Anna wanted to cradle her in her arms, but she knew that that was too much right now.

"Elsa, the Council keeps asking about what you've decided to do about…him," Anna said.

Anna didn't dare speak his name. Elsa was already distraught enough as it was. The last thing she needed was to hear the name of her tormenter.

"I want to see this man pay for what's he's done," Anna said. "In all honesty, I want him to die. What he did to you is evil beyond comprehension. I'm not the only one who feels this way. Kristoff, Kai, Gerda, the Council, and even the citizens of Arendelle want the same thing! But I know that we can't call the shots. It's up to you. I know you're hurting. I can't imagine what you're going through, but let's start healing from this by punishing the man who did this to you. What do you want to do?"

There was no denying that a part of her also wanted to see Stefan be executed for what he did, but another part of her thought that in doing so, she would be no worse than he was. Years ago, she almost killed two men, when they attacked her at her ice castle. In that moment, she could have easily become a murderer, a monster. Once that line was crossed, there was no turning back. It was forever marked on your soul. As ruler of Arendelle, she prided herself on being a kind and generous leader, even going as far as to offer reform to people who committed crimes. In the years since she became queen, there had been no executions in her kingdom. Even if the person committed the evilest acts imaginable, she didn't want blood on her hands. She was not a murderer. After having such a terrible crime committed against her, the idea did cross Elsa's mind. All she had to do was to say the word, and Stefan would be executed. He would be taken up to the gallows and beheaded for all to see. No woman would ever be threatened by his menace ever again. It was as simple as that. Still, the thought of taking a life, no matter how awful, still ate away at her. Elsa didn't think she could live with herself knowing that she was directly responsible for the death of somebody. But with Stefan spending the rest of his life in the dungeons, he would suffer even more. As the years rolled on, he'd be cramped up in a tiny cell with no sunlight, visitors, or even family to comfort him. In this way, it was a fate worse than death.

Lifting her head to face Anna, she softly spoke. "Tell the Council I sentence him to life in prison. Death is a mercy that this man doesn't deserve."

As shocked as she was by Elsa's decision, Anna respected it. She left the room to tell the council the news. The very next day, Stefan was sentenced to life in prison. When the verdict was read, he showed no emotion. It was clear that prison didn't mean anything to him. As he was led away in chains, he cast a glance at Anna who was watching the proceedings. Stefan winked at her as he past, which caused Anna to look upon him with disgust and hatred. Later that evening, Elsa was told the news, but it didn't give her much comfort. Stefan had already won. He robbed her of her peace of mind. That's something she could never get back.

A/N: What do you think of Elsa's decision regarding Stefan's sentence?