I HATE WINTER! There was a big, major blizzard a little while ago and that usually leads to shoveling the driveway EVERY hour and pushing cars that got stuck in the snow. My back is killing me!

Ok I'm good now. Really off topic but some of you probably know that I'm a swimmer and I'm happy to announce that I am 1 of about 6 other ladies in my school that qualified for finals! Wish me luck!

I went to see Frozen a yesterday and I absolutely loved it. I went with a few friends and we were probably the loudest people in a sold out show. I ship the idea that Elsa and Anna are the daughters of Jack and Rapunzel but they won't make an appearance in the story for a few reasons, mainly plot reasons. I'm hoping to add them into future fanfictions

There are a few things to report in this chapter. Mentions of rape, abuse, some language and a character death. Character death, huh? Maybe that character's name starts with a J and ends with -ack? I don't know. Read and find out.

Chapter #22: Revealed

Merida's POV

The silence of the kemenade was only broken by the occasional sound of the two small children playing by the corner.

The morning was still young but the castle was already bustling with activity. Today was my last day in this castle. Tomorrow, I would return home. I was excited to go home but I refrained myself to keep the excitement in me.

I stared out the window at the endless green and the miniature figures walking on it, going about their lives; a life I would never understand.

The three knocks at the door turned our attention away from what we were doing. Christine answered to the knock regally.

Tooth came in; she had a letter in her hand

"Your majesty," She said, "This came for you this morning." She held the letter out to me. I walked to her and took it, recognizing the symbol in the wax.

"Thank you, Tooth." And I waved my hand to dismiss her. She curtsied and left the room quietly. I broke the wax and read the letter. It was short but it held urgency and panic even. When I finished the letter, I looked to the children in the corner. They both looked at me, "Seòras, Katherine. Leave. Please."

"What is it?" Christine asked as she stood up, the book she had been reading still in her hand. The letter crumpled under the force of my angry hands,

"Artair attacked my best friend and stabbed her husband in the shoulder." I looked at Christine, who had dropped her book, "Because my friend wouldn't go to bed with him." The silence in the room was brief. It was broken by the quiet sobs of Anna

"Is there anything they can't do?" She whispered to herself, her hand running nervously through her hair, "William, Artair, the MacInroy men?" Anna's voice was quiet but Christine and I heard every word. Christine spoke first,

"Anna, what do you mean by William? What did William do?" Anna shook her head and walked to the door, "Anna?" The woman kept walking, "ANNA WAIT!" Christine followed her sister-in-law and grabbed her arm. Anna screamed in pain and now the tears began to roll down her pink cheeks. Christine pulled up the sleeve to Anna's dress and gasped loudly when she saw the many bruises, few healing, splattered on her arm, "Anna, what happened? What did this to you?" The two women looked at each other and Christine said, in a much darker tone, "Who did this to you?"

Anna's breathing became quickened and the tears flowed faster. Soon, her legs gave out and Christine lowered the two of them to the ground, Christine holding Anna like a mother would hold an upset child. I joined them on the floor and took Anna's hand,

"Who gave you the bruises, Anna?" I asked quietly. Anna mumbled her answer,

"It was William."

Silence.

Christine let out a breathless gasp and my heart pounded. So, this was the truth beneath the rose. This was the beast behind the beauty.

"You remember a few weeks back that William came here for business?" Anna gasped quietly through sobs. I did remember; that was the week of the gathering, where I had danced with Onceler and Hendry,

"He asked me to come too." Anna continued, "He said that he wanted to negotiate with the Gilmore family again. The first night there, he asked me to come to his private chambers and then he forced himself onto me. I told him no and fought back." She began to cry more, "Then he threatened my Katherine. He said he would kill her if I didn't give him what he wanted." Christine hugged Anna tighter and Anna clung to her even more "But that's not the worst. He asked me to his chambers a few times in the last week and he'd beat me, always threatening that he'd kill my daughter." Anna broke down, no longer able to keep the emotions locked inside her. Christine played with Anna's blonde hair, whispering reassurances to her.

"Anna," Christine determinedly said, "I promise that Katherine will be safe from him. And I promise you that William will not get away with this."

Still Merida's POV

Christine had confronted William. Though the door was locked and further away, Anna and I could hear them scream and yell at each other. Anna flinched every time she heard her name being yelled. I had taken her hand in mine to comfort her but if it was helping, I didn't know. Christine's voice bellowed,

"Was it love, William?! Or just another woman you wanted to stick your cock into?!"

"Hold your tongue!" We heard William scream,

"I won't!" There was a moment of quieter speech before Christine raised her voice again, "You think I haven't noticed you sneaking out in the middle of the night to go to brothels?! You are just as promiscuous as father was but I had never realized that your morals were so low that you'd rape your own family!" Silence. And then...

THUD!

Something fell in the room. A door down the hallway opened and William stormed out. He saw us and walked the opposite direction. When we were certain he was gone, we walked into the room.

Christine lay on the floor beside a fallen table and shards of glass, her hand on her red cheek. She looked at us, her eyes begging for some comfort. We all fell to the ground and embraced each other.

What kind of man would hit his own sister? What kind of man would rape his sister-in-law? Who would threaten to hurt children?

As we held each other, I was only sure of one thing. Any feelings I had for William, any love that I carried for him was gone.

Still Merida's POV

The party was frivolous, the music lively, the food delicious but all the ones that witnessed the fight between Christine and William were silent, stoic, and unable to enjoy the festivities. I cradled a goblet of wine as I watched the other guests danced and make merry.

The time passed fast but unnoticed.

It must have been around midnight when a messenger from Lord MacIntosh came into the hall. He rushed to Ewan and whispered something in his ear. An expression of shock fell across Ewan's face for only a moment before he dismissed the messenger and excused himself from the head table. Anna followed him closely.

I didn't know how long they were gone for before I left to find them. I found Ewan and Anna in their room, Ewan sitting in a chair by the fireplace, crying, while Anna knelt beside him, trying to comfort him.

"What happened?" I asked quietly. Ewan looked at me with red eyes,

"My father is dead."

And it wasn't Jack. Review, favorite, follow.