Chapter 8

The Decision

Over the next couple of days, Elsa thought long and hard about her decision. It was not an easy one to make, especially when she weighed the options of each choice. She knew that Anna and Kristoff would respect whatever she chose, but how would the people of Arendelle react? The entire kingdom knew that Elsa had been raped, but they still didn't know she was pregnant. Elsa could see a bump beginning to grow in her stomach, which told her that the baby was slowly growing. Eventually, a week had past and Elsa had made her decision. She was going to keep the baby. Upon hearing this, Anna and Kristoff were true to their word, and showed their support. Even Olaf showed his appreciation.

"Does this mean I'm going to be an uncle?" he asked.

Elsa was happy that her family accepted her decision, but she was still unsure of how the people of Arendelle would take the news. Stefan was reviled throughout the kingdom for what he did to Elsa. There were numerous death threats made against him. In fact, it got so dangerous that Stefan had to be kept in isolation, away from the other prisoners for his own safety. The Royal Guard didn't understand why Elsa went through such great measures to keep the man who raped her alive, but Elsa didn't feel the need to explain it to them. She was the Queen, so it was her order. In addition, Elsa knew that many people would frown upon the idea of a Queen conceiving a baby out of wedlock, even if it was through an act of rape. The scandalous nature of conception didn't fade away due to the circumstances. Finally, the day came when Elsa was ready to announce her pregnancy. Taking her place on the balcony, overlooking the kingdom, Anna, Kristoff, and Olaf stood by her side as she made her announcement.

"Citizens of Arendelle, it is a pleasure to see you all," Elsa began.

The crowd erupted in cheers, showing their support for the Queen that they loved so much.

"It has been a difficult month for me. As you know, I was violently raped. But here I stand before you today, a strong woman recovering from her ordeal. I don't wish to say the name of the man who perpetuated such a heinous act upon me, but I will assure you that he will spend the rest of his days in prison. That being said, there has been something else to this whole event that I wish to share with you. I understand that many of you will be shocked, outraged, and even sad, but it's something that I can't hide any longer.

Elsa took a step forward, removing the cloak that concealed her body, which revealed the small bump in her stomach. The crowd gasped at the sight, knowing instantly what it meant. Elsa placed a hand on her stomach, tracing the outline of the bump with her fingers.

"Yes, I am pregnant. And the man who raped me is the father. I understand that you are upset over this, believe me, it was a shock to me as well. But I even though this baby is the baby of my rapist, I do not hold a grudge against it. The baby is also my child. For that reason, I have decided to keep the baby."

More gasps arose from the audience. People turned to each other to whisper things, which could not be heard, but the looks on their faces said everything. It was apparent that people were against Elsa's decision to give birth to the child of her rapist. Of course, this was understandable, seeing as how it was the child of Stefan, a man hated by everybody in the kingdom. Nonetheless, there were people who supported Elsa. A crowd of women stood in the far corner, shouting praise to Elsa for becoming a mother. They adored her as Queen, so naturally they believed that she would make a great mother.

"I can tell that there are mixed feelings about all of this. I hope that in time those of you who disagree with my choice, will come to respect my decision. I believe that this child deserves to be born and live a full life. Thank you for taking the time to be here today."

Elsa bid her people farewell, before returning inside. She could hear the crowd shouting a mixture of "Yays" and "Boos" but tried not to let it get to her. It was her body, so this was her decision. If people agreed with it, then she was happy, but if not, they didn't have a say in the matter.

Anna and Kristoff walked with Elsa back to her room, watching as Elsa kept a hand on her stomach. Both felt a sense of pride as they listened to Elsa speak to her unborn child.

"It's going to be OK, little one. You'll be here soon, and I'll be the mom that you deserve."

A/N: The next couple of chapters will be focused on Elsa's pregnancy. They'll be really fun to read!