(Disclaimer: I do not own Treasure Planet; just Maryam and my other OC's.)
(Authors Note: Hello again dear readers and fellow writers! Thank you all so much for taking the time to read this latest chapter. If you'd like, please leave a review as I enjoy reading your comments and draw further inspiration from them :) Thank you and enjoy!)
(Warning! This chapter contains implications of non-consensual intercourse/sexual assault, so if you don't wish to proceed, there's no shame in it. Fortunately, I didn't actually write the depictions, but it's implied nonetheless.)
Chapter 14
Upon entering the White Whale inn and tavern, Maryam felt multiple sets of eyes on her as she and Will (and Scrapper) made their way over towards the bar, where a portly shark-like alien was cleaning pint glasses. Of course, upon seeing the young woman, his black eyes widened in recognition:
"By the gods, Maryam...is that you?"
"Aye," she answered with a small smile lining her face before it faded and was replaced with a look of worry. "Mr. Thrash, do you happen to know where my Father is? He's not at the shop and it's not like him to be absent during work hours."
*sigh* "..I'm sorry, Miss Weller…but yer Pa was taken to the sanatorium nearly three weeks ago."
Hearing that, the young hybrid's stomach dropped as she felt a wave of nausea hit her, causing her to suddenly turn on her heel and dart out into the pouring rain, where she immediately purged her stomach of its contents.
Moments later, Will appeared beside her and offered his handkerchief, to which she graciously accepted and cleaned the remaining bile off her face: "..Thank you.."
He simply nodded and placed a hand on her shoulder as a form of comfort and support, while mentally praying that her Father was still alive.
XXXXX
-Later-
Despite wanting to travel back to the spaceport and head over to the sanatorium to see her Father, Maryam Weller and Will were currently back within her family's shop as there were no more shuttles departing off-world at this time. Having offered Will (and Scrapper) her Father's bed to sleep in for the night, Maryam was now lying in her old bed and hugging her (spare) pillow to her chest as she softly cried into the soft material.
Although she tried to fall asleep, she was finding it impossible to do so: she tossed and turned, as the sound of heavy rain pelting against the glass of her window seemed too loud for her ears to handle. At one point, it was merely a white noise that helped her to sleep, but now it was an annoying hindrance. Having spent the last several weeks aboard the Walrus, Maryam had become well acquainted with the subtle sounds of the ship, as well as the light snoring of its Captain and the strong beating of his heart.
'Nathaniel..,' her mind turned towards Flint as she suddenly felt cold and alone without his presence. Curling in on herself, Maryam began to shiver, despite having three layers of covers draped across her frame. She hadn't realized, until now, just how cold her room actually was compared to the Captain's cabin. Of course, being accustomed to the cooler temperature, she had nothing else prior to compare it to. That, and Flint was rather warm-bodied in general.
Closing her sapphire eyes, Maryam forced herself to try and sleep, despite her mind wanting to relive every moment during her time with Flint. From their not-so-warm greeting, to last night's intimacy, she replayed those memories over and over like one of her holo-stories. Feeling fresh tears seeping onto the pillow, she then realized that not only did she miss him, she loved him!
Love.
Love was a familial attribute or something she read about in books. There was no love between herself and Edmund Swift, yet, she knew without a doubt that she loved Captain Nathaniel Flint. She loved the tender/caring nature he displayed towards her. She loved the subtle little smiles he only reserved for her when they were among his crew. And she loved how he listened to her whenever she spoke. Sure, he was a fearsome pirate, but he was also a man, and she loved him.
Hugging her pillow a bit tighter, Maryam continued to softly cry until she finally fell into a dreamless sleep.
XXXXX
*ZZBANG, ZZBANG, ZZBANG, ZZBANG*
The sound of laser shots and a loud crashing sound startled Maryam awake, to which she was instantly met with the sight of three large men in her bedroom. She was about to scream for help when one of the men (a densadron) shoved a funny-smelling rag underneath her nose, causing her to suddenly lose consciousness, allowing him to scoop her up and carry her out of the room with his comrades following behind him.
Meanwhile, Will laid on the floor of Tobias Weller's bedroom, wounded and heavily bleeding, while Scrapper worriedly chittered/squeaked beside him. Although he was injured, he was more concerned about Maryam's safety and well-being. Dragging himself across the floor (as both of his legs had been shot, along with his right arm and abdomen), the young Canid determinedly made his way over to Miss Weller's bedroom, only to find it empty. She had been taken! He needed to find her and ensure she was unharmed; however, he couldn't do much of anything while in his current condition. He needed medical attention, and fast.
Grabbing the corner of the bedding, Will pulled the blankets off of Maryam's bed and began tearing the thinnest one into bandage strips, to which he began tying off his wounds, hoping to stop the bleeding long enough for him to get help or get back to the spaceport where Mr. Sterneck was still guarding the lifeboat.
XXXXX
With a groan, Maryam slowly awoke to find herself lying in a large bed in an equally large room. A warm fire illuminated the surrounding vicinity and a small table sat nearby with a variety of foods enticingly placed out for her to (presumably) consume. As her eyes adjusted to her new surroundings, an eerie figure slowly stepped into the vicinity:
"Sleep well," a familiar, gravelly voice asked, to which Maryam's face paled as the figure revealed itself to be none other than her fiance, Edmund Swift! Unlike the last time she saw him, his face was now scarred on the left side as a result of a fire that engulfed the Eastwind after Flint and his crew attacked.
Swallowing the lump in her throat, the young hybrid timidly asked, "..W-Where am I and why am I here?"
Quipping a slight smirk, the Mantavor approached her bedside and brushed the side of her cheek and neck with the back of his claw, "Well, when one of my informants notified me of your return to Portersville, I thought it would be in everyone's best interest if we were to resume with our wedding. I had almost given up on seeing you on Audra again as you weren't among the survivors from the Eastwind, nor were you counted among the dead. That could only mean you were taken captive by those filthy pirates; however, with no way of tracking them, I was unable to reclaim you."
Frowning, she averted her gaze before he spoke up once more, "As for where you are, you're in my home, which will also be your home by this time tomorrow night. The room you're currently in will be your personal chamber to do with as you see fit." He then ran a claw through her silky golden hair, causing her to slightly flinch. "Also, you may have noticed your Father's absence upon your return."
She nodded and hesitantly met his gaze, "..I-I was told that he was taken to the sanatorium weeks ago."
"Correct. He's still alive and undergoing treatments, but as you know, the admission and medication is quite expensive. It would be a shame if he was suddenly unable to receive said treatments," he added, darkly.
Realizing that he was trapping her in a gilded cage and holding her Father's life hostage in a sense, Maryam felt tears starting to form in her eyes; however, she refused to cry. No! She would not let him see her cry.
"Now, I've arranged for our marriage to take place at nine o'clock tomorrow morning; however, I feel compelled to finish what we started back on the Eastwind."
At that her sapphire eyes widened in horror as Edmund suddenly and forcefully advanced himself on her.
XXXXX
Meanwhile, Will somehow managed to drag himself out of Maryam's home/shop and over to the docks where the shuttles were now accepting passengers to take off-world to the spaceport. While he wanted to look for a doctor, he was unfamiliar with Portersville and figured he'd have a better chance of finding medical help if he were back at the spaceport. That, and he had a feeling that many of the folks in this soggy town were in the pockets of Edmund Swift, as he was the one who was likely responsible for the unprovoked attack on himself, as well as the capture of Miss Weller.
No, it was better to get off-world and go from there.
Fortunately, a kindly young (human) woman was about to board the shuttle when she saw him. "By the stars, what happened to you?"
"..Ngh, got shot..need..a d-doctor..," he grunted as he swayed and nearly fell; however, she fortunately caught him and braced him against her smaller frame.
"Here, let me help you. My Uncle is a doctor up at the spaceport. I'll take you to him."
"..T-Thank you..Miss.."
"Ophelia. Ophelia Tiller."
"..F-Fitzwilliam Doggerson," he replied with a pained smile, while Scrapper remained content within the satchel he was riding in, knowing his friend/master was now being assisted and would receive medical aid.
XXXXX
Upon dispersing his seed and finishing his assault on her, Edmund finally released his grip on Maryam and adjusted himself before speaking once more, "Now, let that be a lesson as to why it's best not to defy me. You'd do well to remember that when we are married," he darkly added before exiting the room and locking the door behind him, leaving her alone, bleeding and trembling in pain and shock at having been sexually assaulted.
Allowing her tears to finally fall, Maryam rolled onto her side and curled in on herself, knowing there was nothing she could do to save herself or her Father from this terrible fate. To try was futile as her Father's life literally depended on her marrying Edmund. And what of Will? Was he even still alive!? What would happen to Captain Flint and his crew? Would they be persecuted and hung for their crimes!? Or would they simply leave and resume roaming the cosmos in search of treasure?
No! She refused to believe that Nathaniel would be so easily captured.
