Warnings: Nothing major. Just angst and mild violence.
He smiles his scorn, and turns the key;
He quits the grate; I knelt in vain;
His glimmering lamp still, still I see,—
'T is gone! And all is gloom again.
Cold, bitter cold—No warmth! No light!
Life, all the comforts once I had;
Yet here I'm chained, this freezing night,
Although not mad; no, no,—not mad!
Matthew Gregory Lewis (Excerpt from The Maniac.)
Blank, green orbs stared silently at the ceiling. Her eyes burned like fire and heat rose to her pale cheeks, causing wetness to format the edge of her lids. Teela tried to blink back the tears, but to no avail. The dampness trickled down her face, splattering on the pillow bellow. She hated this, hated crying in front of everyone. It had been far more humiliating when the Masters found her in the dank cell. The way their faces twisted in horror upon viewing her naked, battered form had sent shudders down her spine. The reaction from He-Man was even more damming. After taking one glance at her, he ran out. Ran out......Why? There was only one answer in her mind. He was disgusted by her. It was the only reasonable explanation. He-Man knew what Skeletor had done to her and now he would never want her, a woman tainted by Skeletor's foul touch.
She was back in the Royal Palace now, but that did little to alleviate the horrendous pictures racing through her mind. She clenched her eyes shut, trying to drown out the reoccurring images of the evil being hovering over her.
"Teela?" a voice called.
The girl opened her eyes, finding herself gazing up at her father. Unable to bear the sight of him, she turned her head away. She wished everyone would leave the room and give her peace. It was awful wondering what the others thought of her. Did they think of her as weak? Did they believe she was a whore? Shame came over Teela, but she realized the others must have been far more ashamed.
"Teela....how are you feeling?" Man at Arms inquired.
Teela shook her head at his uneasy tone. She rolled to her side, desperately trying to avoid his sad, piercing gaze.
"Skeletor?" Teela croaked. She could feel her father's fists knotting in the bed sheets at the sound of his name. "Where is he? What happened?"
There was a momentary pause. "After finding you in the cell He-Man, along with several other masters, went off to search for Skeletor. By this time, you had passed out and I brought you back to the Palace. The others returned hours later, but brought grevious news. It seems the coward has gone into hiding. No one, not even He-Man, could find him."
A firm, but gentle hand griped her shoulder, making her head twist around. Prince Adam. His eyes were red and his pale cheeks were stained with tear trails. The sight did surprise her. She had never expected him to cry for her.
"Don't worry, Teela," Adam murmured. "We'll get Skeletor for this."
Teela turned away, through, and shrugged his hand off. She did not want his sympathy. It occurred to her now, at how weak they must of thought of her. She would show them; she would prove them wrong. Teela rose from the bed, grimacing slightly as she stood. The ache in her pelvis was still strong.
"You mustn't be up so soon," Man at Arms, reaching for her. "Your wounds have not fully healed. The healers specified that......"
"I am fine father," Teela lied. "I am not a frail, little girl you know."
Man at Arms cocked an eyebrow, staring over his daughter suspiciously. "No one here is calling you weak, Teela. It's just that you have been through a horrible ordeal. What Skeletor has done....."
"Father, I really do not want to discuss this right now," Teela mumbled, "especially in front of them." The Masters murmured to one another, taken back by her bitter attitude. "I just want to be alone for a while, to gather my thoughts."
Man at Arms gave a disgruntled sigh, but complied with her nonetheless. "Very well, Teela."
He ventured out of the room, taking the other Masters along with him. Only Adam remained in the room.
"You too Adam," Teela snarled.
"Teela, I just want to say how sorry I am about everything," Adam choked. "What happened.....it should have never happened."
Teela shrugged her shoulders. "It wasn't your fault Adam; you weren't near the battle anyway." She caught him lowering his head, as if in shame. "I can't help but wonder through; where was He-Man? Why did it take so long for him and the Masters to find me?"
A sob rose in Adam's throat and repeated, "I'm sorry."
In the corner of her eye, Teela saw Adam stretch out his arms, attempting to embrace her. At that moment, her eyes filled with another vision. No longer did she view Prince Adam; she only saw Skeletor. His red eyes were blazing down at her and his strong arms wrapped around her, drawing her into a crushing embrace. A sadistic grin beamed on his face and his hands seemed to travel lower, tugging at the sash of her robe. Teela shook her head. Not again. This couldn't be happening again. No, she would fight back better this time. He wasn't going to violate her again.
Snarling, she drew back her fist and slammed it across Skeletor's face. A loud crack echoed in the room and he fell to the floor, grasping at the area where she had struck. Teela dove forward, sending another strong blow, hitting him in the socket. His body sprawled further across the tile floor, making his back crash violently into the wall. Teela was upon him in an instant. She ignored the stabbing pain growing in her knuckles and continued to rain blow after blow after blow. However, she found herself stopping when she felt a warm liquid splash onto her hands. Gazing down, she found it to be blood. How could that be, though? Skeletor did not shed blood from the face.
She gazed back down and her stomach twisted in knots. Adam was cowering on the ground, raising his arms in defense over his face. Blood was streaming from both his nostrils and there were crimson welts all along his cheeks. Teela gasped when he lowered his hand, reveling a swollen eye. She reached out to touch him, to apologize, but he broke away, bolting out the doorway. Teela was left gazing in shock. What had she done? The girl rose up from the floor, heading back to her bed. She felt so empty inside. Her eyes brimmed with tears and she allowed them to fall. She had attacked a friend.
Time passed, and a soft knock was heard. Teela lifted her head and glanced over at one of the Palace healers. The woman stepped forward.
"Good afternoon to you Teela," the woman stated. "My name is Aldridia. Your father has sent me here to discuss...."
"Then, you can tell my father that I'm not interested," Teela interrupted. "Whatever you have to say can wait. I have more important things to think about right now."
Aldridia coughed. "Well, Teela, this is of great importance. I think you had better listen."
Teela sighed. "Fine. What is so important?"
"I...I know that is a touchy subject and extremely personal, but I have to know," Aldridia explained. She paused, trying to find the right words. "Did---did Skeletor's seed enter your body?"
Teela's eyes bulged at the intrusive question. "What business is that of yours?!"
"I apologize," Aldridia bowed, "but I must know this information, along with the other healers. If his semen entered you, then there is a possibility that you could become pregnant."
Dizziness came over Teela, making her hunch over on the bed. The healer rushed to her side, pressing her palm against the girl's forehead.
"You have a fever," Aldridia stuttered. "Come, lie back down. All this exertion is not good for you."
Aldridia took a moist washcloth and draped it over Teela's head.
Teela roughly grasped the woman's arm. "Tell me, what are my chances of becoming pregnant!"
"I can not answer that," Aldridia shook. "It is uncertain at the moment. However, there is a test that can be administered, which would give you an answer. If you like, I can have it arranged for you tomorrow."
"Why can't I have it now?!" Teela screeched. "I have to know now!"
"Calm yourself," Aldridia soothed. "You need more time to rest for the results to be accurate. I will see you in the morning. If you need anything, there is a servant down the hall. Just call for her and she will take care of your needs."
The woman left the room and Teela remained still. The thought of becoming pregnant had never crossed her mind. It was terrifying, knowing that she could be with child. She was possibly carrying his offspring. Sketetor's offspring.
Teela shot out of bed, running over to the drawers. Jerking them open, she rummaged through, throwing everything out in a desperate search. She could not go through with this. It was one thing to be deconsecrated by Skeletor, but bearing his child was another matter. She would not go through with it.
Her movements stilled when she found the object. The steel blade gleamed in the light and her hand wove securely around the handle. She gazed down at it, pondering. What was the point in living? The scars from being trapped in Snake Mountain would always be fresh in her soul. The agony would always be present. She couldn't go one like this. The shame was overwhelming.. She thought back to her friends, wondering if she had any left. The image of Adam, lying on the ground in a petrified state, was still racing in her head. So much pain. So much shame. She couldn't handle it.
A soft voice grew in her mind, trying to convince her otherwise, but she ignored it. Positioning the sharp blade over her wrist, Teela dug in deep.
To be continued.