To Strange Horizons

Chapter Twelve.

Mariana sat the the corner, far from the door she had barricaded. She held a candelabra in her hands, her makeshift weapon, and cried.

Pearl meowed frantically, circling in front of the door. Shouting and aggressive crashing was all they could hear.

After what seemed like hours, the door moved. Not open, her barricade was quite heavy.

"Mari, it's me." Jake's voice called.

She hesitated, fear keeping her frozen to the floor.

"Baby, please open the door. It's over, they're gone."

Slowly, she pulled herself from the ground, grunting as she shoved the junk away from the door.

Jake fell into the room, covered in blood and littered with scrapes and gashes.

"Oh my god." Mariana fell into his arms, blubbering yet again.

His rough hands pet her hair, he planted kiss after kiss atop her head, even crying himself. Only a little bit.

"I'm here. It's over." He held the Princess' face in his bloody hands, taking in every little detail he thought he'd never see again. "You were so brave, Mariana."

Mari couldn't help but laugh. "I ran."

Jake didn't argue, he knew the truth. Instead he smiled and pulled his angel close again.

"Can I go up? I need some air." Mari asked, voice muffled against Jake's chest.

He let her go, following her up the stairs.

The sun had fully set, leaving the deck dark and foggy. The crew had begun lighting the torches, revealing the horrific reality of what had happened.

Dead bodies littered the wooden planks, mostly royal casualties, but two distinct bodies were that of their own crew.

Mari didn't quite know their names, but her heart became tight nonetheless.

"This is my fault." She cried quietly.

"Not fully. I was fightin' fer me own life, not yers." The old man from that morning chuckled as he lit a torch.

"Not helping, Harry." Jake called, but Mariana did find it a bit silly.

She gravitated towards a body, a familiar one near the edge of the boat. Hiram laid, mutilated and lifeless, in a pool of his own blood.

"Mariana! Come here, you shouldn't have to see that." Jake tried to pull her away from all the death, until he noticed who it was.

"Look... I'm sorry, Angel. I didn't want to hurt anybody, okay? God I hate it! I hate all the fucking violence!" His voice cracked. "I'm sorry, baby. I had to."

Mariana wasn't particularly fond of Hiram, but he was the closest she had to a father. Tears fell onto her cheeks as she stared. He was almost unrecognizable.

"Mariana-" Jake began to speak, but was interrupted.

"We killed your father." Mari stated. She had assumed he passed naturally.

"Mari."

"No, Jake. You don't owe me an apology." She took his hand in hers.

"I'll be downstairs. Goodnight, Captain." She placed a light kiss to his cheek.