Chapter 6

The next morning Emily was laying on the cold, damp floor of the ship's dungeon. Shirtless and freezing, she was curled up in a ball. Her teeth chattered and her body shivered. But every movement she made, her body still screamed in pain. Even though her lashings were partially healed they still hurt. She tried her best to keep the tears from falling more than they had been the past few days. She could still remember the pain that came the more slashings she had gotten that unforgettable day. She remembers falling to her knees and breaking down crying and screaming as the wounds got deeper and her back was nothing but raw and bloody. She remembers blacking out as salt water was thrown onto her back and stung her entire back until she couldn't handle it anymore. Then they left her there, no new shirt to wear, no water to drink, no food to eat, and left her by herself with her thoughts. And her regrets. "I was a fool to think that i could have anything with Elsa. Heck its been years and we were just kids. She's Queen and I was way over my head and look what I get for it." She thought to herself. She then started to hear footsteps making their way towards the dungeon. The door swung open and she could hear the steps coming closer to her cell. She heard the clinking of keys and the swinging open of her cell. She didn't want to move. She didn't want to go anywhere.

"Stand up. Here's your uniform. We head back to the castle in an hour." Barren instructed and then walked away. Emily squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her fists as she pushed her hurting body off the ground. She stumbled over to her clothes and put them on, being sure to move slowly to not activate her already stinging wounds. She gritted her teeth and hissed at every wrong movement. After 45 minutes of getting dressed she walked slowly out of the dungeon, which 2was unlocked for her, and walked on the deck of the ship to where Barren awaited her.

"We leave now. And remember your place Porter. I hope you learned your lesson. I could care less about your miserable life right now but I need a trained guard with me at all times." He then made his way down a ladder on the side of the boat to a rowboat below. Emily closed her eyes and took a deep breath and made her way painfully following Barren into the boat.

*Knock knock knock*

"Come in" Elsa instructed as she watched the door open and a servant enter, bowing as she faced the Queen.

"Your highness. Prince Barren has returned. He wanted me to notify you of his return and that he will be present for the final meeting concerning your alliance with his kingdom." Elsa nodded at this information and thanked the servant, dismissing them as she looked out of her office window. She knew she'd have to make a decision on the alliance but marriage was not something she wanted. She also knew she would have to face Emily again. She didn't know what had happened when Barren had sent her away. She stood from her desk and left the room, heading towards the garden to clear her head before the final meeting. She opened the garden door and walked out. As she walked past the bench, memories started to flood her mind again. Memories of Emily's beautiful eyes, eyes filled with the wonder she had missed from when she was younger. How she hid that wonder so well, until Elsa made her show it again. Elsa took a deep breath until she heard a commotion from back inside the castle. She carefully made her way back inside and looked around the corner to see Barren talking to someone. Elsa couldn't see who he was talking to but she didn't like the way he was acting. She couldn't hear all of what he said. Then her eyes went wide as Barren raised his hand up and Elsa heard a loud *smack*.

"And you better obey my orders bitch or you'll have no more back to call your own when I'm done with you." And then he stormed off. Elsa looked around harder for the poor soul that Barren had just slapped, only to have her heart fall deep into her stomach as she saw a short solider start walking after the prince. Their long blonde hair falling in a ponytail behind them as they walked slowly and carefully after Barren. Her eyes grew misty as she watched Emily walk away. She needed to talk to her, to comfort her.

She ran up to Emily and was only a few yards away when she called out to her.

"Emily! Wait, please." Emily froze in place, midstride. Her eyes widened in fear and she swallowed. She knew she'd have to face Elsa sooner or later but she was hoping it wasn't this soon. She knew she couldn't talk or look at the queen and that hurt her more than the lashings. She just stood there, refusing to face Elsa as the queen kept walking closer.

"Emily I saw Barren slap you, are you okay? What happened?" Elsa came up behind Emily and unconsciously placed her hand on Emily's shoulder. The blonde soldier flinched away and took a step away from Elsa's reach, bringing her hand up to cover the spot Elsa had touched. Elsa stood there stunned and then felt bad. She walked in front of Emily and saw her eyes looking at the ground in front of her.

"Emily, will you please look at me? We need to talk. I….I want to talk with you." She looked for a reaction and got nothing. She could sense Emily blocking all her emotions away. Elsa brought her hand up to Emily's chin and guided her face to face hers. She looked at the soldier's eyes and noticed them blank, looking past her at some imaginary object. She didn't like this. What had Barren done to her. She saw the redness of the girls cheek from where she was slapped and brought her hand up to caress the skin there to sooth it with her cool touch. Emily flinched away and this time she took a step away. Only this time her eyes focused onto Elsa's and Elsa's breath hitched as she looked into those void bluish-grey orbs. Her heart yearned for Emily to say something. She was shutting herself out again. Then she saw those eyes meld into pure...sadness and...longing. Elsa opened her mouth to say something when she felt Emily push past her and walk briskly past her, off in the direction Barren had disappeared. She stood there in shock, confusion, and sadness. She didn't know what had happened to Emily, but she would find out. She walked after Emily and came to the meeting hall, where Barren stood, talking to one of her counselors, with Emily standing right behind him, looking at the counselor with void eyes. Elsa slowed her pace and walked towards the group of people, most likely awaiting her arrival. Barren noticed Elsa's presence and bowed to her.

"My Queen my apologizes for leaving but I have returned and look forward for us to come to an agreement." He then stood up straight and beckoned for her to enter the room first. She walked past him, but without first glancing at Emily, who had her eyes fully trained to the floor. Elsa inwardly frowned and then walked to the head of the table to start the meeting. She knew she must reach a decision but what was happening with Emily was distracting her. She looked at Emily standing behind Barren and noticed how her eyes were downcast towards the floor and her shoulders slouched. Elsa wanted to try and cheer her up, but how? She grinned to herself as she flicked her wrist underneath the table and watched snow lightly start falling on top of Emily's head. All the other counselors were too busy talking to notice. Elsa saw the flakes start to land on the soldier's lashes and she giggled to herself. Emily, meanwhile, was trying her hardest not to look at Elsa. She could feel the queens eyes on her but she refused to look up, afraid of the consequences. Why hurt yourself when you had no chance. Then she felt something cold start falling on her head. White specks covered her eye lashes. She blinked them away and looked up to see it snowing on her. Not even another lashing could stop the smile that spread across her face. She got lost in the moment and stuck out her tongue to catch the snowflakes. One landed on her tongue and she let it melt in her mouth. She then opened her eyes and looked at the Queen. Emily's eyes shone blue as she looked into the even bluer eyes of the queen. Elsa's breath hitched as Emily looked into her eyes and saw the smile on her face. Then Emily smiled turned into a smirk as she casually winked at Elsa. The Queen's cheeks burst into a light shade of pink and she shyly looked away, trying to focus back onto the meeting at hand. But her mind was stuck on the blonde soldier, now smiling at her embarrassed state.

"What do you think, my queen?" Barren's voice pushed past her thoughts and she sat there, not knowing what had just been said.

"I'm sorry Prince Barren what was that?" She looked at the prince and could notice Emily grinning from behind him.

"I was saying, your majesty, that the best way to form an alliance after discussing all the ways we could help each other, is through joining our kingdoms with a marriage." He repeated, puffing out his chest proudly. Elsa gulped lightly but composed herself. She really didn't want to marry the man whom she saw slap Emily. She searched her mind for any other way.

"As my counsel knows, I am not interested in marriage to form an alliance with my kingdom. If you would be interested, your majesty, may I suggest just a plain alliance where both our kingdoms benefit without the ties of marriage?" The council erupted into murmurs and Barren blinked at the idea.

"May I ask you to reconsider my queen? A marriage would better secure this alliance to our kingdoms and help produce an heir to help Arendelle grow." Elsa's hands gripped her dress in her lap and she clenched her jaw. Marriage was one thing, but marriage for the whole purpose of having a child was another. She didn't want to be used for pleasure or for conceiving offspring to some man so that he'd take over HER kingdom. She could feel her anger starting to break through her calm mask.

"Prince Barren, I would refrain from having an heir with you when you tend to have no problem slapping and beating your soldiers in my own castle!" She stood up as she spoke this and grinned to herself as she saw the prince shrink back into his seat. Emily's eyes went wide at this and she felt her throat go dry. Did she know that she was lashed? She looked at Elsa and saw the rage in her eyes. That look scared her.

"If we will receive soldiers from your kingdom with this alliance I'd hope they are not beaten or slapped by their ruler so carelessly. I would like to end this meeting, we will come back to it another time you are dismissed." Elsa clenched her jaw and sat back down. She watched as all her counselors bowed and left. The last ones to leave were Barren and Emily. Barren left, his face starting to turn red with rage. Emily, before she followed Barren, looked over her shoulder and saw Elsa watching her go, a look of sadness filling the space where the anger had been. Emily simply gave her a small smile and followed Barren out. She knew Barren would put the blame on her, afterall she was the one he was caught hitting. They rounded a corner and Barren stopped in his tracks, fits clenched at his sides. Emily swallowed and stood in attention behind him.

"You just like to keep ruining everything don't you Porter." He growled as he turned to face Emily. She could see the pure rage in his eyes.

"Your highness, forgive me." She bowed lightly. She really didn't want anymore pain, but unfortunately for her, that would not happen.

"I've about had it. We were close and then she had to go and turn down the marriage AND judge me on the way i train my troops. She's weak and I am not going to stand for this."

"The Queen is just doing what she thinks is best for her and her kingdom." Emily injected. She saw it too late and Barren brought his arm around and jabbed her in the stomach. She bent over and tried to regain her breath, but the punches kept coming. One to her face and another to her stomach until she was on the ground with Barren standing over her. His rage was too much that he didnt even realize where he was or what he was doing.

"You go defending the queen like she's your lover, so you'll suffer for her like she is your lover." He growled and then started kicking Emily on the ground. She could feel all the air leave her lungs and the blood that started to sputter out of her mouth. Her vision became hazy and she tried to protect herself, but her lashings made her too weak. Her vision started fading to black and she knew she may die soon. Finally the kicks ceased, why she didn't know. All she remembered was how she felt very cold and saw a frozen Barren standing over her. She then remembers seeing the most beautiful set of blue eyes she's ever seen look into her tear stained opens with such love and worry. And then...blackness.

Author's Note:

Sorry if this one seems a bit rushed. Wrote it at my job and was having some writer's block. Thanks for reading!