The Adulteress Queen

Chapter 16

"She is down here?" I asked as I stalked through the dark, moist and disgustingly odorous halls of the dungeon with Sir Nappa by torchlight, and a bag filled with food and a flask hanging from my arm.

"Yes, your Grace. Like all the others, she is not too happy to be here." Nappa answered with a vicious smirk. I smiled to myself. I knew it was cruel to find relief in her suffering, but I could not help myself. Korin informed me that Fasha was known to gab and gossip, and he was certain she had mentioned my name when doing so in the past. That woman could have ruined me, she could have ruined Gohan's future, and I could not risk that. We had been walking for a while; we had to be close. I finally saw it; a cold, stoned pillar with a miserable, robed young woman crouched against it and bound. Nappa raised the torch to light her face.

"You have a visitor, Fasha." Nappa announced, startling the woman who glanced up with a gasp.

"Hello, Fasha." I said with a smile as I stepped closer to her. Nappa placed the torch in the holder on the wall, giving us just enough lighting to be able to converse, though expressions were barely readable by that light. "Sir Nappa, come back in ten minutes. That should be all the time alone I need with her." I told him, glancing over my shoulder at the wary guard.

"Yes, your Grace. Are you certain you will be alright?" Nappa asked, eyeing Fasha suspiciously.

"Of course. I can handle a simple peasant girl." I answered as I smiled at Fasha, the little she-devil's eyes shining in the darkness enough for me to note that she was glaring back at me.

"I will be back in ten minutes, not a second more, your Grace." Nappa replied before I heard his footsteps echoing down the hall.

"Queen Katarina. I thought you did not want me in the castle." Fasha remarked facetiously. I clicked my tongue in annoyance. I supposed being imprisoned had not dampened her wit…yet.

"I found that this position seems most fitting for you, Fasha." I spat venomously at her.

"You should have accepted my proposal, your Grace. You think locking me up will silence me?" Fasha threatened, a threat I came prepared for. "How did you justify locking me away, anyways?" Fasha narrowed her eyes at me as she asked. I was sure she was shocked when the guards arrested her and brought her to the dungeons by the queen's orders.

"It was simple enough, Fasha. I could not allow you to roam around the kingdom spreading your lies, ruining the reputation of all the nobility of the kingdom. When I told Sebastian, your king, how you were planning to ruin the entire Son family, he wholeheartedly agreed with me that you needed to be dealt with. You do know that Lord Raditz is a dear friend of Sebastian's, don't you?" Fasha bore her teeth at me, furious at what had been done to her.

"I never threatened the Son family! And I don't lie." Fasha seemed exasperated, and it was a relief to see her lose some composure finally.

"I came here to tell you that no one will believe your lies now. There will only be Sir Nappa and Sir Brolly and other prisoners here to listen to them, until the day you die." I said as I crossed my arms. "Sir Nappa and Sir Brolly highly regard the Son family as well, so don't get any ideas about convincing them of anything. They already know you have many stories to tell. And they will report to me if you speak ill again about myself or any members of the Son family." Fasha seemed to become inattentive as I spoke, and I kicked her angrily to get her attention.

"Listen here! If that happens, if you breathe one word about me again, I will personally come down here and cut that lying tongue from your mouth." I threatened cruelly. It was a gruesome threat, but I was just angry enough at that woman to do it. Her eyes met mine, and finally I saw the fear in them that I thought that woman would never show. She knew I made no empty threat.

"Goodbye, Fasha." I said as I heard the footsteps of Nappa returning. "Enjoy your new employment." Nappa opened the cell and grabbed the torch from the wall. I followed him down the hall, leaving Fasha to wallow in solitary darkness again. "Sir Nappa, there is one more prisoner I must see before I leave." I said as we walked, and Nappa looked at me expectantly. "Krillin Frate. How does he fare down here?" I asked. Nappa chuckled cruelly, not at all a good sign.

"Your Grace, Lord Krillin is a murderer. It would not be safe for you to visit with him." Nappa advised. Now I knew he was being mistreated. I only hoped he was capable of speaking coherently with me.

"Nonsense. He is bound, is he not?" I asked impatiently with a scowl. Nappa frowned in agreement, noting the determination on my face.

"Yes, your Grace. Right this way." Nappa answered reluctantly, leading me down another dark hall with his torch light extended in front of us. I cringed at the stench again. I could not get used to it, as it intermingled with the scent of the torch's burning oils. Fortunately for Krillin, I was considerate enough to bring the food and water for him. Who knew how rarely they gave him sustenance down here. As we approached a pillar, I frowned at the sight of a crouched figure on the ground, who Nappa seemed to be approaching. The roughly bearded, thinning and dirtied man before me hardly resembled the Lord Krillin he once was, but now seemed as a peasant.

"So…if something were to happen to Fasha down here…" Nappa asked me carefully as we approached Lord Krillin.

"Like?" I asked absently as I stared at the broken man before me, his head slowly rising as he squinted towards us, blinded by the light of the torch fire in contrast to his usual companion of blackness.

"If we were discreet, your Grace…" Nappa asked with a vicious smirk. I saw what he was thinking. I was shocked he was bothering to ask me. I thought he and Brolly would do what they pleased down here. Prisoners were fair game, though I preferred to turn a blind eye to the calamities that occurred down in the dark, imprisoning chambers below the castle. Fasha had earned her place here, though. I turned to Nappa with a permissive smile.

"Nappa, I leave her in your hands." I said with a light pat to his cheek, leaving my guard happy with his new charge. "Do what you like, but leave me alone with Lord Frate. I know the way out." I said insistently as Nappa frowned at the idea of leaving the queen unescorted in the dungeons. I nodded forcefully to reassure him, and Nappa bowed respectfully as he took a step back.

"Yes, your Grace." He responded dutifully. He was grinning from ear to ear as he turned on his heels, heading back to where we just came from.

"Lord Krillin." I said as I stepped closer, noting the recognition in the man's eyes as his vision finally adjusted and he took in the sight of me, quite appreciatively I might add. I smirked in amusement as I placed the torch I held in a nearby shelf, and then offered the flask of water to the man. He shakily reached for it, hurrying to drink as he hastily placed the water to his lips. "I've never been to your castle, but I imagine the accommodations must be better than this. What provoked you to put yourself here?" I asked in a clearly skeptical tone as Lord Krillin drank, the water spilling over his face as he guzzled too quickly. "Not too fast. You'll choke." I maternally advised as I carefully pried the canteen from the disappointed man's hands for his own good.

"Your Grace." Krillin finally said with a loud gasp and a raspy voice. He coughed, quite harshly, before wiping the back of his hand against his mouth. "What brings the queen to see me?" He asked suspiciously as he narrowed his eyes at me astutely. I sighed. What a good question.

"You are fortunate to have friends in high places, Lord Krillin." I crouched in front of him, placing the food I brought into his hands and meeting his eyes meaningfully. "You are not so fortunate for your connection to a certain greedy woman, though." Krillin frowned deeply at my statement as he held the wrapped cheese and bread I had provided, looking away from me for a moment.

"Your Grace, I don't know what you are talking about." Lord Krillin lied sadly. I stood again, covering my mouth and nose as my stomach turned from bearing the stench of the dungeons for too long.

"I have no intentions of spending any longer in here, do you?" I asked as Krillin suddenly met my eyes with a shocked expression, a hopeful look much different than the look he wore earlier.

"Your Grace, I don't see how I could-" Krillin began with a perplexed expression.

"You could tell the truth, Lord Krillin. And have the right person on trial for murder rather than making a martyr of yourself. I could free you right now." I said as I placed a hand on my hip and gave the man a stern look. He frowned at me resolutely, a stubborn look I did not appreciate seeing at the moment.

"I will not." Krillin said stubbornly. "She is my wife, your Grace, the mother of my child." Krillin coughed as he became emotional, and I frowned sadly at him. I supposed if it were me and Faustos…no. If he were cruel enough to murder his own brother for money, I certainly would not rot in a dungeon for his sake.

"I do not understand, Lord Krillin." I said through my teeth, growing annoyed by his resistance. "You would die down here?" Krillin nodded with determination, before his expression became dejected, much like the look he wore when I first arrived. I sighed and crossed my arms. "You are certainly determined to keep her safe." I mused quietly before pursing my lips thoughtfully.

"If I must die to do so, I will." Krillin said quietly with a disappointed sneer as he turned his face away from me in shame. It seemed I would have to take things a step further to free Faustos's friend. I only hoped Faustos took no offense to my brasher methods. I reached for the torch in the wall as I watched Krillin's utterly defeated and broken expression.

"Goodbye, Lord Krillin. Take care down here. I will keep you in my prayers." I said genuinely as I tossed him the canteen and turned on my heels, not casting him a second glance as I headed for the exit of the dungeons. I knew he would not have to reside in the dungeons for much longer. It would have been pointless to inform him of my plan, at that time. But I knew what I had to do. The dungeons seemed to be filling quickly that year.

After the Fasha incident, whispers spread around the kingdom about what transpired between her and me. Shortly after my visit to the dungeons, Gohan returned and my motherly side was shown to the kingdom as I kept him by my side constantly. It was not enough kindness to push aside the public opinion I earned through the Fasha incident, though. Rebekah and Yamcha told me that their servants feared angering me. Faustos was angry with me, claiming I was too hard on Fasha. I understood, from his perspective, it must have been hard to see her punished. He would forgive me soon enough. Sebastian showed me more respect after that incident. It almost seemed he was proud of his queen for showing her power over the people. Perhaps that new respect would work in my favor as I put my plan in action to free Lord Krillin.

Sebastian and I dined together in our usual quiet ambiance, with Gohan just recently being dismissed from the table and put to bed. I was surprised by the calmness of our dinner that night. Not that it was unusual, but given what I had done earlier in the day, I expected more tension from Sebastian. He must not have known yet. I sighed heavily as I finished my meal and turned my gaze on Sebastian, who of course, was not even looking at me. I braced myself for his reaction as I placed my utensils on the table and opened my mouth to speak.

"I suppose no one told you." I said carefully, finally claiming Sebastian's attention as he turned to my words in surprise. "Earlier today, I sent Sir Brolly to seize Lord Raditz. He should be in the dungeons by now." I said calmly, despite the fact that Sebastian was clenching his teeth at me with an enraged expression before I finished speaking. He pounded his fist forcefully on the table, and I fought the urge to jump at the sudden rattle of utensils and dishes and the forceful vibration against my arms.

"For what reason?!" Sebastian yelled at me in outrage. I was sure Sebastian's reaction was not wholly due to Raditz's imprisonment. He clearly despised my audacity to claim a prisoner without his authority. He must have also been angered that no one else had informed him before I did. I was quite surprised at that, myself. I shook my head calmly and frowned at Sebastian.

"I'm afraid your friend is guilty of murder, Sebastian. I could not stay silent any longer when an innocent man was rotting in the dungeons in his place." I said slyly as Sebastian stared back at me, confused and aghast at my accusation.

"Just who do you think Raditz murdered?" He asked me more rationally, though still angry and seething with annoyance.

"Lapis Gero." I answered with a roll of my eyes. Who else had been murdered recently that was notable enough to arrest a nobleman over? Sebastian frowned at me, looking disturbed by my accusation. I knew it was time to enlighten him. "I saw them together, Sebastian. Did you not know?" I asked with an amused smirk as I lifted my goblet and sipped my wine.

"Know what?" Sebastian asked abrasively, looking like he was ready to leave the table, though he was too invested in what I was saying to be able to leave. I raised my brows at him meaningfully, then nodded as the answer seemed to dawn on him.

"About Lapis and Raditz." I explained smoothly. Sebastian sneered in disgust, though I could tell he was processing the possibility that it was true. He shook his head in disagreement and glared at me again.

"Nappa! Release Lord Raditz at once!" Sebastian yelled, turning his head to the guard who stood near the entrance and ran from the room rapidly to do as he was bid. "I don't believe you." Sebastian growled lowly at me.

"Sir Nappa!" I yelled loudly before Nappa had a chance to disappear. The guard ran back into the room, looking anxiously between us as Sebastian glared at him for returning at my order. I spoke lowly to Sebastian as Nappa warily awaited our orders. "If you don't believe it, go down there and ask Raditz yourself. You will see that what I say about him and Lapis is true. And maybe then you will believe that it was Raditz that stabbed the man in cold blood. It was a lover's quarrel, Sebastian." Sebastian glowered hatefully at me.

"Are we looking for a repeat of that crime in this kingdom, Katarina?" Sebastian asked me threateningly as I noted how tightly he was clenching the edge of the table. "Because we are certainly headed that way, and no one would dare seize the king." I gulped nervously as I attempted to hide my fear from Sebastian. I could not allow him to scare me off if this was to work.

"Certainly not, Sebastian. And I would hate to see your friend severely punished, especially over the death of a man that no one seems to miss." I whispered to him in a sweet manner. Aside from Lord Raditz, but he was no longer in a position to argue for prosecution. "Perhaps you can pardon him?" I suggested hopefully, as Sebastian loosened his grip on the table and raised his brow in consideration of the suggestion. "I would hate for it to come to a trial. Then I would have to testify to the court about the intimate manner in which I found Lord Lapis and Lord Raditz together." I smiled widely at Sebastian as he bit his lip harshly with frustration and continued glaring at me. I knew Sebastian would never punish Raditz over that murder, and would prefer to remain discreet about Raditz's personal matters. He was the perfect scapegoat for Lord Krillin. I turned to the patiently waiting and confused guard, satisfied with Sebastian's lack of response as I addressed Nappa again.

"Sir Nappa, free Lord Raditz and Lord Krillin." I ordered the guard, smirking at Sebastian who frowned dubiously back at me. Nappa looked confused as he hesitated, unsure of his orders.

"You really expect me to pardon Krillin Frate?" Sebastian asked me disbelievingly.

"No. I expect you to pardon Lord Raditz. Lord Krillin is innocent, by the queen's word. Do you think any part of a trial would prove otherwise?" I asked haughtily. Sebastian raised his brows in surprise at my audacity, then narrowed his eyes and smirked at me. He waved his hand absently at Nappa, and I watched as the guard bowed and proceeded to exit the room again, swinging the doors closed behind him as he left us alone in the dining room and heading for the dungeons as he was bid.

"Katarina." Sebastian said roughly, closing in on me as soon as Nappa was gone. I gasped in worried surprise as I turned my face to meet his. Was he angry enough about that to carry out his threat and hurt me? I was shocked when his lips planted fiercely against mine and he pushed our bodies together, leading me to the dining table. Apparently his anger towards me was having a different effect on him that night. He roughly swept his arm across the table, knocking its contents on the ground as he lifted me onto it and continued kissing me brutally. In spite of my continued fear, I could not help being excited by the unexpected passion we had not shared for many months as I kissed him back. He lifted my dress and took me right there on the dining room table, despite the possibility of someone seeing us and the anger I still sensed radiating off of him. He was certainly not gentle that night, but it did seem to start a pattern for us where the nights we fought were the rare occasions where we found our passion for one another.

In the days following that, Sebastian was arrogant and hateful towards me. He was quite clearly annoyed by my act of cornering him into releasing Lord Krillin. I thought he was secretly looking forward to seeing the meek lord executed. Raditz's and Krillin's names were cleared shortly after, and Lord Krillin was returned to lord over his castle and his family. Faustos thanked me vehemently for helping his friend after I personally delivered that news to Montpaus. It seemed his friend's misfortune paid well for me in the end.

I eventually hired a young girl named Erasa as Gohan's nanny, keeping Launch in my own service. Erasa was excellent with children and immediately took a liking to Gohan. Sebastian and I saw eye to eye on more issues during the following years as Gohan grew from a baby into a young boy, though we kept separate bedrooms still. We lay together maybe once a month, sometimes to meet our obligations of trying to produce more heirs, sometimes out of purely physical desire. I secretly imbibed moon tea on occasion, as I felt unprepared for a second pregnancy, though the pressure was always there to conceive.

Faustos and I did not see each other as much during those years. With his parents keeping a close eye on our relationship and the lack of a pretense to see each other regularly, the opportunity was not there for us to be alone together. I missed him, and it was only on special occasions and at dinner parties during those years when we could be together, escape from the group and find our privacy to speak freely with one another and share our passion that had been stifled so many months at a time.

As Gohan's fourth name day approached, I was filled with dread. Not solely because my baby was growing up. I dreaded another event that year, one I had been dreading for the last five years. Videl was turning sixteen, and she and Faustos would marry. I tried not to think of it, and thanked the Gods that I had Gohan to distract me from my anxiety. I never wanted Gohan to discover that he was a bastard. I could not show him how deeply that wedding would affect me.