During the next month, Maeve was subjected to horror after horror; her first night with Tallan had only been a sample of the pain to come. Barely would one wound begin to heal before the same or perhaps a completely new one would be opened. Whippings and beating were commonplace. In fact, Maeve came to expect them and accept that they would come. Her spirit was broken, and she could not even think of a way to heal it.
Tallan, for the most part, forgot that Sinbad and the others were even there. At least, that was what his actions suggested. No more did he come to instigate the sailor. He only acknowledged their existence by ordering that food be brought to them, though not much. There was just enough brought to ensure that they would stay alive since Tallan still wanted them all to be witness to Maeve’s spiritual, physical, and emotional decay.
Doubar, Rongar, and Firouz could hear her cries at all hours of the day and night, for often she would be wakened in the middle of the night so that Tallan could beat her. But they did not see the damage first-hand as Sinbad did. He watched most of Maeve’s beatings, and though she was taken from the room when she was flogged, he saw the countless whip-marks every time she was brought back. From past experience he knew what the sting of a whip felt like and longed to choke the life out of Tallan’s evil body every time even a single drop of blood or tear fell to the ground.
Often Maeve would plead with Tallan to stop, and that was what hurt Sinbad the most. Though scars would remain from many of her physical wounds, they would eventually heal. But she might never recover from her loss of confidence and self-respect. The fire was gone from her eyes, and she felt completely empty inside. Her quest to find Dim Dim was ended along with her magical abilities. Dermott was now forever free of his feathered form, and any form at all for that matter. Now that her brother was dead, there was nothing that she could do to help him. Her friends were locked away somewhere unknown to her. Tallan had begun to give Maeve a bit of freedom to wander throughout the fortress, but with guards around every corner and almost no strength left, Maeve had no hope of escape. Then there was Sinbad. Maeve might have been able to handle some of the other things on her own, but the loss of Sinbad was the catalyst that threw her over the edge into a bottomless pit of despair. All of Maeve’s happiness and joy were gone. All she had left was her pain.
Maeve never felt the same after that first night with Tallan. She wasn’t quite sure exactly what it was, but she was often sick and decided that maybe Tallan had put a spell on her to make her feel that way. What little food she got wouldn’t stay down long, and she began to wonder if perhaps she was dying. Then she realized that Tallan would not let it end that easily. He would make her suffer for years before letting her drift into nonexistence. What, then, was the problem?
Maeve sat down on the bed to think over what was going on, trying not to think back to the day that Sinbad had died. She still had some minor magical abilities left, though they could in no way aid her in an escape attempt or even in trying to kill or harm Tallan. It was something like a telepathic ability, yet still very different. Maeve could look inside of herself to see what her body was going through. She had done this once after a beating and was so disgusted at what she saw that she hadn’t ventured to do such a thing again yet. But now she was getting worried, and this seemed like the only way to know for sure.
Maeve laid down on her back on the bed and closed her eyes as if to go into a sort of trance. Gradually her mind began to clear and she began the journey into her own body. It took much more time than it normally would have since she was so terribly weakened by what had been happening to her over the last month. The fact that Tallan had stolen all of her seemingly useful powers did not help matters much, either. But, eventually, Maeve managed to bring into her mind an unfocused image of her stomach, which she decided must be the problem. When she found nothing there that seemed out of the ordinary, besides its being so small from the lack of having enough to eat, she moved on. Maeve’s consciousness traveled aimlessly until she saw something that was definitely not as it usually was. She saw the dim figure of something that was moving, something that seemed to have - no, to be - a life of its own. Looking closer Maeve saw it to be a very tiny version of a person. Startled at the realization what she was seeing, Maeve quickly came out of her trance.
“Oh, gods, no,” Maeve whispered quietly, yet it was just loud enough for Sinbad to hear from the other side of his wall. Immediately concerned for her, he moved closer and could see the unshed tears in Maeve’s eyes. “No, I can’t believe it, Tallan is getting exactly what he wanted: a son to rule in his place when he’s gone. Oh, this can’t be!” With those words Maeve broke down in tears but made an effort to control herself so that she could think more clearly.
*I’m going to have a child,* Maeve thought and silently repeated the words over and over again to herself. For now, Tallan probably didn’t know, but it wouldn’t take long for him to find out. After all, he was a sorcerer, and things like this were easily enough discovered. There would be no way for Maeve to hide it if he were to become suspicious. Maeve was afraid that perhaps he already knew, but then she decided that she was only being paranoid, that there was no way he could have even guessed if she was only now just finding it out herself.
Maeve thought of how she would like to run away with the child and start a new life, but those thoughts quickly dissolved. She had been severely punished for her first and only escape attempt. The ordeal had nearly killed her, and she was not about to subject an unborn child to such treatment. But then again, wouldn’t the child be treated badly anyway just for being Maeve’s child? Perhaps it would be better for the child if he was never born at all... But, no. There was no way that Maeve could even think of killing her baby, even if it was to be a mercy killing, if there really was such a thing. The child brought a tiny glimmer of a light back into her life: finally there was something to look forward to other than death. Maeve’s only wish was that the child had been created out of love rather than the lust and darkness that filled its father. Still, there was no way that Maeve was going to hand this baby over to Tallan without a fight.
Sinbad was by now thoroughly confused by Maeve’s silence. But thinking of Maeve’s earlier words and the way she now seemed to be shielding her stomach, he guessed that she must be pregnant. *A child of darkness...* he thought. For though Maeve was a kind and gentle person, her light had begun to fade in the shadow of pain and loss. If only she had known that Sinbad was sitting so near to her, perhaps he could have sparked a rebirth of the fire within her. For now, all she had to draw strength from was the fact that she was now completely responsible for the lives of four people: Doubar, Rongar, and Firouz, whom she still believed hated her, and her unborn child, her son, her only hope.
Recovering from her earlier tears, Maeve tried to make herself comfortable on the bed and get some rest, knowing that too much emotional strain would most likely not be good for the child. So she welcomed the neutrality of slumber as it overtook her and slept for the rest of the day and night.
Maeve had amazingly been able to sleep undisturbed for the entire night. The morning, however, was to be a different story altogether. Tallan appeared and began much as he did on their wedding night, kissing Maeve and then trying to take it farther than she wanted. Over the last month, Maeve had developed a habit of letting Tallan do whatever it was he wanted to do to her in order to avoid any more unnecessary pain. She would simply do what he told her and hope that it would be over soon. But now, she was afraid of what it might do to the baby if Tallan got angry and violent again.
Maeve had to think for a moment of how to deal with the situation. Right now she was just lying there on the bed under Tallan; she had found that he was much kinder if she did not resist. But sooner or later she would resist, whether because she was in pain or just completely repulsed by him. Then he would become angry and hit her, and she was in a delicate condition. Maeve decided that she should not try to push him away, but rather delay him.
“Tallan?” Maeve said.
“What is it, dear, I’m kind of busy,” he answered as he kissed her and undid the thin sash that was around her waist.
“Can we... Can we please talk for a moment?”
“What? Why? It will have to wait, I’m enjoying myself.”
“Please, my,” Maeve hesitated, “my love?” Maeve hated herself for calling him that. He was no more her love than she was a witch. She had killed her love over a month ago.
Tallan paused at Maeve’s words. Never before had she called him her love. Perhaps now she was coming around and finally understanding her place. “What do you have to say?” Tallan asked as he moved to sit beside her.
Maeve sat up and took a deep breath. Should she tell him or not? He would find out soon on his own anyway, so she might as well tell him now. “Tallan, I think I’m pregnant.” Tallan was silent and unmoving for a few minutes, and Maeve knew better than to say anything to him while he was thinking. Then he raised one hand in front of Maeve’s stomach and a black beam of magic went from him to her. Maeve flinched a bit at the action. Even though this particular spell was not meant to cause harm, black magic was always an uncomfortable, if not painful, experience for Maeve. It was over quickly, though, as Tallan easily confirmed what Maeve had suspected: that she was with child.
“Well, my dear, it appears that we are going to have a baby boy,” Tallan said proudly.
Maeve, however, was not as excited. *What do you mean WE’RE going to have a baby?* she thought. *Yeah, maybe you’d like to carry a child around for eight more months and then go through gods only know how many more hours of labor!* She didn’t dare speak these thoughts out loud, though, for fear of Tallan’s reaction.
“Why, darling, why don’t you look very happy about our wonderful blessing?”
Maeve couldn’t tell him what she was really thinking; it would surely lead to yet another beating. Instead she lied, “Tallan, my husband, I simply can’t wait for the child to be born so that we will be a real family.” Sinbad, who as always was listening in, would have screamed out if he had thought that there was any truth to Maeve’s last words.
“But, my dearest Maeve, you don’t have to wait very long at all,” Tallan said as his eyes began to glow a dark green. Maeve was instantly frozen in fear, knowing that this was definitely not a good sign. Tallan reached a hand toward Maeve’s stomach and it began to glow the same color as his eyes. A moment after his hand came into contact with her, Maeve cried out and curled up on the bed in pain. Her stomach suddenly felt as if it was on fire, and she could see it growing slightly larger right before her eyes.
“Wha-- What’s happening?” Maeve stuttered.
“You said you couldn’t wait, so now you don’t have to,” Tallan answered.
“I don’t... understand,” Maeve said through teeth clenched in pain.
“I’ve sped up the growth of our child. He’ll be born in a matter of hours. I can’t say that it will be a pleasant experience for you, but within a few hours I’ll be a father and you a mother.” Tallan spat out his next words sarcastically, “And then we’ll all be one big happy family.” Tallan then misted out of the room and left Maeve alone with her pain and her quickly growing child. Sinbad watched helplessly as Maeve writhed on the bed in agony.
Nearly four hours later the expansion of Maeve’s stomach stopped and the contractions began. Tallan misted in just long enough to take the growth spell off of his son. He wanted Maeve to go through a long birth. Then Tallan summoned several chambermaids and misted out once again.
Maeve rejoiced at the fact that the baby seemed to be in a hurry. It did not take long for one of the maids to shout that the baby was coming and for Maeve to just hold on a little bit longer. Maeve gritted her teeth and gave one final push and then laid back in the covers, nearly unconscious from all the strength she had just used. For several minutes she grew worried and panicked, hearing nothing and fearing that the stress of the quick pregnancy had been too much and had killed the child. Her worries were put to rest, though, as a high-pitched cry reached her ears and her baby boy was handed to her.
She held it tight and thought to herself, *Now at least I’m not so alone. Now I have you; I have a reason to live.* Maeve wanted to think of a name for the baby, but was too tired soon fell asleep with her baby still cradled within her arms.
She fell asleep so quickly after the baby was born that she did not even notice when Tallan misted into the room, an evil grin spread across his face. He knew that he had accomplished what he set out to do: to take Maeve as his wife and create a son who could carry on his reign once he conquered the world. Tallan let out a low laugh of purely evil contentment and misted out of the room.
Sinbad was amazed at what he had just witnessed. Never before had he seen such a display! Maeve had only a few hours ago told Tallan that she was pregnant, and now she was holding a child in her arms! *No!* he thought, *This isn't how it's supposed to be! Maeve marrying Tallan was bad enough, but now she has had his child!?* Sinbad paced around the room in frustration. *Damnit, I'm the Captain! I'm supposed to PREVENT situations like this, or at least fix them once the harm has been done! But how am I supposed to fix this? Oh, Allah, why have you turned against me!? The woman I love has just had another man's child!*
Maeve awakened at the sound of the child crying. Quickly she sat up and wrapped his blanket tighter about him and rocked him gently back and forth. *She's a good mother,* Sinbad thought as he watched, but even he could see the sadness in Maeve's eyes.
"Why, why, my child, did you have to be born with Tallan as your father? Why couldn't it have been someone noble, someone good, someone full of the light instead of the darkness? Tallan may have sired you, but he is no father in any sense of the word. Neither is he my husband in my heart or my soul, but only by his law. Oh, I hate him so much, but I can't help but love you! It wasn't your choice to be born, or to be Tallan's son. You're an innocent, a sweet innocent soul that does not yet know whether to take the path of light or darkness. But I tell you, the path of light is the better, for even though one of the darkness may corrupt and harm your body and mind, if you remain strong he cannot take your soul. In the end it is all you really have left. Never let it go."
For the first time in over a month, Maeve smiled. Sinbad saw this and almost did not believe his eyes; how could someone smile in a situation like this? He watched, though, and decided that Maeve looked like she was planning something. She had a thought, an idea, but what he did not know.
*Stupid Tallan,* Maeve thought as she picked up her child and headed toward the door. It opened easily and she walked out into the corridor, thinking, *Giving me the freedom to roam this place was a big mistake on your part. There's no way I'm going to let you turn my child to the darkness. I'm going to find what I seek, and then I'm getting out of here, no matter what the cost.* With that final thought, Maeve headed down the passageway, determined to find three friends who she hoped would still be in a condition to help her excape with them.