The Adulteress Queen

We gasp in fear at the sound of hooves approaching the house as I attempt to quiet the baby in my arms. How I wish we had discussed this with my father before following through with Faustos's plan. I would like to think that if we had, we could be safely tucked away in his castle, even ruling over the Starsands Kingdom right now. I gently sway the baby side to side as I hold him tightly against my bosom, casting a nervous, questioning glance at Faustos. Faustos has been protectively keeping watch over us, preparing for the day they would find us. But he must be nearing total exhaustion by now. Even with Gohan's help, I fear this journey has been too long and grueling for either of them to continue with this level of exertion. The hooves slow as they come closer, and Faustos glances over his shoulder at me, as if to check that I am still here. I nod understandingly at him as the baby in my arms begins to doze, to my relief. Faustos shifts his attention to Gohan, who is carefully eyeing our pursuer through the broken boards of the shutters in this old, abandoned structure. I catch sight of Gohan narrowing his eyes perceptively through the light of the cracks, and Gohan's eyes suddenly widen. I cannot recognize his emotion through the shadows casting over his face. Is he scared of who he sees? Is it simply recognition? Or perhaps relief? I wish to go to him, but to protect my newborn baby, I have to stay back and rely on Faustos and my first son. I have to patiently await our fate and put my trust in them. I only hope that we can make our escape. I look upon my newborn son, the spitting image of his father as he sleeps peacefully in my arms, blissfully unaware of the danger his birth has caused us all. To think that my life would become this, I never would have imagined. My travel into the Harrenhal Kingdom years ago was just as frightening, just as much a trip into the unknown, yet not nearly as dangerous as the ride I am now taking to escape that very kingdom. The vibration became almost unbearable to my queasy stomach as my carriage rolled over a rocky patch of terrain. I pulled the sheer aside to view out the small window and hopefully give myself some relief from this motion sickness. This journey was a long one, and at this point I was unsure whether I had the tolerance to make it to my destination. Outside, the view was gorgeous that day. There were mountains in the distance beyond a thick canopy of treetops. The sky was blue and cloudless, and it was quite bright and sunny outside. If I weren't headed for something I found so dreadful, I would have been completely at peace. Perhaps my motion sickness was not that at all. Perhaps it was all nerves. I shuddered in anticipation of arriving and meeting the prince. What if he hated me? What if he was revolting? What if he was dreading this as much as I was? In all honesty, dread was a very mild way of putting it. I was furious. I found this entire arrangement repugnant. My father was practically selling me off, as if I were an object. Me, the princess of the Starsands Kingdom! And he had the audacity to defend this arrangement by assuring me that this was for the good of the kingdom. Perhaps there was some truth to that. Uniting our kingdom with that of the Harrenhal kingdom would strengthen us greatly. But there had to be a better way to do it, which did not involve my marriage. "Princess Katarina! We will be arriving shortly!" I was pulled from my thoughts when my driver made the announcement, and my anxiety bubbled to the surface. I gazed outside again, focusing on the view and the sounds of birds chirping and the horses' hooves and carriage wheels hitting the gravelly road in hopes that it all might have distracted me. It worked, except that feeling in the pit of my stomach would not go away. I closed my eyes and concentrated, breathing deeply as I prepared for the meeting. I knew how to behave as a princess should, and despite my nerves, I refused to show my fears to my royal hosts. King Sebastian, Queen Kenya and Prince Sebastian of the Harrenhal kingdom would be expecting me, no doubt greeting me upon my arrival. When I glanced out the window again, I noticed the approaching castle walls in the distance. The castle was large, but not as large as mine. I missed home already. I would be calling this place home now, and I reminded myself to get used to the idea. Perhaps if the prince was not to my liking, I could make some new friends in this kingdom to help me pass the time. I hated having to think that way, but I was preparing myself for the worst. It was better than being disappointed. The carriage passed through the castle gates and an uproar occurred outside my carriage. We were passing through the bustling market of the kingdom and the poorer living areas. Of course, my driver so kindly reminded me to remain concealed in the carriage here. Peasants were potentially hostile to royalty. As if they did not already know who I was by their kingdom's announcement and the outer appearance of my royal carriage. I heard them all cheering and yelling, some kind words, others insulting. It was to be expected. Everyone was entitled to their opinion on the matter, even measly peasants. The only comments from the peasants that did rattle me were the ones revolving around the prince. Some were shouting of their disdain towards his unruly temper. Some were almost patronizing towards me, as if I was being royally sacrificed by being promised to their prince. What in the hell could they be going on about? The prince could not be that cruel, could he? The carriage stopped, and I took a deep breath, forcing myself to put on my most charming smile as the driver walked around to my door, opening it for me as it was now time to make my appearance. Just as expected, there was a reception awaiting me as soon as I stepped out of the carriage. I immediately noticed the king, an older male with a stunning regal crown. He had black hair, spiked above his head in almost a flame-shape within the crown. His faced was bearded and he appeared to be in his late fifties. He was, of course, dressed in fine clothing, though not as tall as I expected. My father would dwarf this king. I couldn't help smirking at the thought of them standing aside one another as they must have done when they made this arrangement. Next to him was his beautiful queen. She appeared to be in her mid-forties, with long black hair, pulled back in a smooth, delicate braid. She was slender and elegantly dressed in cobalt silk, holding a stern expression, not at all welcoming. Two guards surrounded them, one a rather large bald man, resembling my father's size, and another very tall, gaunt-faced muscular man with long black hair pulled into a ponytail. Both looked angry as they stood aside the king and queen, their eyes fixated dead ahead of themselves. Before I even looked at the prince, my own guard ran to my side, gesturing for me to proceed as he escorted me up the steps to meet them. I did not want to be obvious, but my curiosity won over my manners. I glanced discreetly at the prince as I ascended the steps to meet his parents, disappointed to find that he was scowling and not even bothering to look at me. That was the first thing that registered upon seeing Sebastian. Not his strong resemblance to his father, not the fact that he was also rather short, or quite muscular and had a handsome face. But the fact that he was already angry and ignoring me, without even giving me a glance. I was not happy about the situation either, but at least I was willing to give it a try. I let out an inadvertent growl, and my guard patted my hand soothingly, knowing how I could be sometimes. I looked up to give him a thankful smile, glad that he caught me before my infamous temper bested me. This was not the time. I could deal with the prince's rudeness later. I smiled again at the king and queen, curtsying politely as the king gave a regal bow and the queen curtsied to me as well. "Welcome, Princess Katarina." Queen Kenya said with a forced smile. It was obvious she did not practice the expression often. "Yes, welcome Princess." King Sebastian added as he grabbed his queen's hand. He looked to his side, eyeing his son expectantly. "Thank you for receiving me so promptly, your majesties." I responded. Well practiced and beautifully said, I thought smugly. The king cleared his throat, and there was an awkward silence as the prince continued silently standing with the back of his head towards us. I frowned deeply at him. The king and queen must have been humiliated by their son's lack of greeting to his future bride, I could tell by the looks on their faces. "Please, you had a long journey. Why don't you let Sir Brolly show you to your room?" The king said as he gestured towards his taller guard, who stepped forward in response. "We can reconvene for dinner tonight, and you can be properly introduced to my son." The king said with a calculated diplomacy that I rather appreciated at the moment. I did not want an awkward meeting with the prince now, not with the way he was acting. I would most certainly lose my temper after that appalling reception. I needed some time to cool off. I nodded curtly, my guard and I following the guard Brolly through the palace, while my maid servant followed close behind with my belongings. After traveling through the throne room, which was quite lavish and impressive, we traversed the stairs and some halls until arriving at a grand door. Brolly indicated this as my room, and I nodded in appreciation as he took his leave and my guard opened the door. It was a beautiful room. The fabrics were fine and luxurious, the room was well decorated with a pleasing color scheme of lavender with coral accents, and the size of the room was quite large. I may have even liked the room better than my own room back in my father's castle. I settled on the bed happily, lying on my back in the fluffy comforter as I gazed up at the ceiling. I sighed in relief. Relief from the end of that abhorrent ride, relief at finally being alone (aside from my two companions), and relief from having to wonder about my betrothed any longer. I might not be satisfied with the first encounter with him, but it was better than the unknown. I was not going to think about him again until dinner, and for now, would make myself comfortable. "Sir Tien, you may be excused, I'm sure one of the guards around the castle can show you to your quarters." I said promptly to my guard before rising from the bed. He startled, apparently lost in his own daydream at the moment, and I sat up to see his reaction. He always was shy around me, even when I was a little girl. I giggled at his floundering as he quickly left the room with a curt nod and not a word. I probably should not have taken such joy in his discomfort, but I found his cute, nervous reaction a good distraction from my worries. "Would you like me to draw you a bath, my princess?" My maid asked as she brushed her long blue curls aside from her shoulder. I smiled brightly at her. After so many years together (the woman had been tending to me since I was just a girl) she predicted my requests impeccably. I did not even need to say a word; my grateful smile was all the answer she needed as she headed into my washroom and prepared a bath. I stood from the bed and began undressing, as much as I could without Launch's assistance. I waited for her to finish prepping the bath before calling for her assistance with my corset. God forbid I distracted her before she completed a task. I've learned that lesson one too many times. After the undressing and preparations were out of the way, I stepped into the warm tub, sighing heavily as I sunk into the heated water. I leaned back and stretched out in the tub, feeling so much relief. I never did enjoy traveling like that, and always felt so dirty afterwards. It always washed away in a nice bath. I opened one eye, wondering where Launch had disappeared to. Was I in the tub for long already? "Launch?" I called experimentally, listening carefully for what I expected to be a distant response. My assumption was not far off, as her voice resounded from deep within the bedroom. "Yes, my princess?" She asked, but did not come running as she typically would. She must have been busy with something. I grabbed a sponge and began washing while waiting for her. I knew she would come soon enough. I smiled when she showed her smiling face through the doorway. "How much time do I have until dinner?" I asked with closed eyes as I washed my hair. "Hmmm..." Launch hummed thoughtfully as she leaned out the door to check the time. "About two hours. I laid out some garments for you, and there was a knock at your door earlier with a message for you." I rinsed my hair and opened my eyes with surprise. Hopefully it wasn't some heinous message from the prince trying to send me away. "Well, open it and read it to me." I instructed. Launch frowned for a moment, then obediently retrieved the letter. I watched her continuing to frown as she tore it open. "Launch, have some confidence, will you?" I asked encouragingly, and it seemed to work as she took a deep breath and studied the letter intensely. "Princess Katarina, would you be so kind as to att-atte-attend a show with my friends and I in the pal-lace gar-gardens tommmm-" "Tomorrow" I assisted, knowing Launch was still having difficulty with this word since I began teaching her to read. Only noble people were taught to read in my kingdom, but I insisted on teaching Launch for moments such as this. "Who is it signed by?" I prompted, more interested in knowing the identity of the sender than whatever else the invitation might have said. "Lady Bluma?" Launch answered uncertainly. I stood from the tub, gazing at her quizzically as water droplets cascaded down my skin and I waved her over to show me the letter. "Lady Rebekah." I corrected. Interesting name. No doubt the ladies of the court here were interested in satisfying their own curiosities about me and finding new cause for gossip. Nevertheless, I was more curious about them. The invitation specified lunch time, which sounded pleasant, lunch in the gardens with a show and gossiping ladies. "Tell Lady Rebekah that I will be there." I said sternly as Launch toweled me dry and I returned to my bedroom to dress for dinner. "Are you sure, Princess?" Launch asked worriedly as she helped me dress. "What if the king and queen have plans for you tomorrow, or the prince even!" Launch said with a slight gasp which made me chuckle lightly. "Firstly, they can work around my lunch plans. I am not planning my entire day. Secondly, I doubt it. A dinner like this should be sufficient contact to last us for a few days, and I'm sure they are not eager for my company." I said this with bitterness seeping through after my cold meeting earlier with the Harrenhal royals, but I was only in the company of my maid at the moment. This was the time to let it out. Launch finished tying off the lace of my gown, causing me to gasp as she pulled it tight. Then she obediently left the room with a bow of the head. I looked over myself in the mirror, realizing the dress Launch chose for me was rather fancy. Of course, this dinner would be a formal occasion. I loved the white lace that just barely peeked beneath the hem and sleeves and collar of my gown. It was a light blue gown, not exactly my favorite color, but Launch's choice must have been playing off the color choice of my hosts, who all seemed to be wearing blue when I arrived earlier. I quickly regretted sending Launch away so soon, as she always did my hair and makeup and I was now staring at my wet hair and unmade face in my reflection. I grabbed a comb and combed out my matted hair before it had time to dry. My hair is black, long and smooth as silk. I always received compliments when I wore it long and let it cascade down my back, but perhaps I would tie it up in a bun for tonight. I could at least do that hairstyle myself, and I felt no desire to impress my prince after his earlier behavior. As I fixed my hair, there was a knock at my door. Usually Launch answered for me. I was not yet presentable for anyone to see me. I sighed as I heard a second knock. "Who is it?" I asked loudly so my visitor would hear through the door. "Princess Katarina…" Yes, I know who I am, I thought impatiently as I finished my hair and began accessorizing with jewelry. "It's Tien. The king and queen have requested that you join them earlier for dinner." I now recognized Tien's voice, as well as his apologetic tone. "Earlier? I am not yet ready. I can be down as soon as I am dressed." I paused, then continued quickly as I pictured Tien hurrying away to deliver that message. "Tien, please find Launch for me. I need her." I ordered. Tien quickly assented to do so and I continued with my shoes as I wondered why the royal family was moving dinnertime. The first day here was certainly not going smoothly. I looked out my window as I waited for Launch to arrive, seeing the view for the first time. I was happily surprised to see the palace gardens, the very gardens I would be lunching in tomorrow. The flowers were beautiful and the layout of the garden was done superbly. I was quite jealous, never having such a garden in my castle. Then I realized that there was no cause for jealousy. Soon this would be my kingdom, and this castle would be my home. I would not be in this room for long, though. I fumed at the thought of sharing a room with the prince. Perhaps we could arrange for separate rooms. I turned to the sound of my door opening, relief washing over me as Launch hurried in. She immediately set to work on my face, of course chastising me for the hairstyle I chose. Within thirty minutes, I entered the dining room to find the king, queen and prince already waiting with guards and a few other faces that were still strangers to me. I curtsied as the people seated around the table rose upon my arrival, even the prince, to my surprise. There was one empty seat at the table, obviously mine as it was directly across from the prince. I refused to look at him and frowned only for a moment. I smiled at the queen beside me and king at the head of the table as Tien pulled out my chair and I sat. Servers immediately filed into the dining room with trays of steaming food, which they served to everyone at the table as the king was kind enough to introduce me to the others. "Lords and Ladies, this is Princess Katarina, my son's betrothed." Many friendly smiles and nods followed in my direction, to which I smiled back. "Princess Katarina." The king addressed me as I turned back to face him. It was rather inconvenient as he was to my right and the people he gestured towards were to my left, so I had to turn my head back again as he began introducing. "This is Lord Negou Gero, a renowned scientist in our kingdom." The white-haired old man nodded to me, his leathery wrinkled skin creasing heavily at his slight contortion of a small smile before King Sebastian began the next introduction. "This is Lord Piccolo Namek. He is our royal officiant and clergyman, and will be the one conducting your wedding ceremony, as well as your coronations as king and queen." The stern-faced, hairless man nodded at me, but I failed to acknowledge him. My ears rang as the shock hit me with what the king just said. I cut him off as he began introducing someone else. "Coronation?" I asked doubtfully, noticing the prince out of my peripheral vision, grimacing at my question. Was I not supposed to address that little detail? I thought I was just marrying the prince. Since when was I becoming queen? The king and queen exchanged a glance, and the queen answered me before the king had the chance. "Yes. Didn't your father tell you, dear?" The queen asked skeptically while placing her wine goblet down. "You will be Sebastian's queen, not his princess. My husband is ill, and will be passing his throne to his son." The queen seemed miffed about this, and I imagined her not enjoying the loss of power as queen. "I-I'm sorry." I said quietly. "I thought we were simply uniting our kingdoms for strength against the Ice Empire to the north." I don't know why I was apologizing. It was not at all my fault that I was misinformed. As if it wasn't bad enough that I was being married to a strange man who seemed to already hate me, I had to be sent here and embarrassed because no one told me what I was really getting into. I looked down at my plate to hide the flush of my cheeks from the embarrassment, as well as the furrowing of my brows from my anger. I could not afford to ruin this for my father; our kingdom needed this union. After an awkward moment of silence, the prince across from me chuckled into his wine glass. I lifted my gaze to him, and he glared at me through the glass as he took a sip. "Is something funny?" I asked him challengingly. The rest of the table was silent and tense, all eyes on us. I guess that is not something they expected from me. Sebastian placed his wine glass down and stared at me for a moment as he traced his finger around the rim. "Is that really what this is about?" Sebastian asked, never removing his gaze from me, though I knew the question was not directed to me. "You think the Starsands Kingdom will protect us from the Ice people?" Sebastian asked, c*****g his head to the side towards his father and raising an eyebrow mockingly. The king fumed angrily as he glared at his son. I could almost see him turning red. "Everyone, out now!" King Sebastian yelled, startling me as I did not expect him to take such a tone. I considered rising from my seat as the lords and ladies left, including some I had not yet been introduced to. I only made it about an inch off my chair when a gentle hand was placed on my arm. I looked to the queen at my side, who shook her head against me going. "You stay here, dear. We need to talk." Queen Kenya said in a hushed tone, followed by a scolding glare at her son who continued drinking his wine. I wished she would stop calling me dear. I could swear the queen despised me more than the prince did. "Sebastian, our population is dwindling. We need more subjects!" The king yelled once the room was cleared. "If the Ice Empire decides to attack our lands, we'll be greatly outnumbered. This union is necessary." The King stated firmly, ripping his teeth into a large chicken leg that was on his plate as he watched his son carefully, waiting for a response. "Hn." Sebastian practically snorted with an arrogant demeanor. "I can handle them myself. I don't need this union, father." Sebastian cast his eyes on me as he mentioned the union, and his gaze burned into me with a loathing that I did not deserve. "You are blind if you don't see the necessity of this!" I seethed through my teeth, all chances of withholding my temper lost after seeing his disdain for me. "If it weren't necessary, I would not be here right now! You are not going to waste my time coming all this way and risking my happiness because you want to be stubborn! Do you understand!?" I practically shrieked as my tongue ran away with me. I blushed and quickly looked down at the table in mortification as I realized what I just did. I could not look. I dared not look. What did they think of me? How would Sebastian react to that? No one spoke, and the tension was driving me mad. Finally, someone spoke. Of course, it was the one I really did not want to hear. "You do not give me orders, woman. If we are going through with this arrangement; that is the first thing you have to understand. As long as you understand that this is simply an arrangement, which it seems you do, we should be able to pull this off. And the damn Ice people better stay the hell away from my kingdom." I looked up to see Sebastian glaring at his father, who was staring right back at him. They seemed to be having a staring competition. Queen Kenya seemed unperturbed by this exchange, so I guess it was typical behavior for the king and prince. I proceeded to eat my meal quietly, feeling sorry for the others who waited outside the dining room while their meals were getting cold. "It seems you two have worked out your first disagreement." King Sebastian finally stated with a smug smile. "You'll be an excellent king and queen yet." He resumed eating, and the queen waved for the servants to let the others back into the room. The lords and ladies filed back into their places at the table as I continued eating. This little incident was the first lesson of many for me in the difficulties of being married to Sebastian. But who would stop my outbursts from becoming an issue? After all, being married to Sebastian, I would probably be having a lot of them.