Warning: This is a semi filler chapter where Antonio interrogates the eight court members in search of which one tried to kill Lovino. This is a chapter of gore and darkness, punishment and torture. If you are not comfortable with this stuff, please wait until I upload the next chapter, very little anything about this chapter is important for later. You don't need to read this chapter.

ps, My best friend, Raina, has finally joined the ranks of fanfiction Author and has written her first oneshot for TrueBlood~ Rainalove2010, Peeping Eric. go read it ^_^

Kismet

Chapter Thirty-Four: Punishment

Antonio paced the dungeon once again, peeking in the bars at the supposed traitors. All eight of his former court members sat up against walls, crying, sobbing or glaring angrily at nothing. How long had they been in there? He was so forgetful.

Even his mother glared back through the bars at him, "So … you've been in here … what? A month? Two? Are you ready to bring forth information?" his fingers twitched on his Maria, the blade glinting in the torch light.

At his words, one of the women on his court began sobbing, once again crying out the words he was so familiar with. He knew she was innocent. He knew she had nothing to do with the attempted murder of his husband and children. He knew this, yet he couldn't bring himself to be lenient until the true perpetrator came forth.

Antonio walked away from her cell and stared into one of the men's cell. The man glared back. He was one of the main suspects. He never begged or cried … he just wasn't breaking either. However, he'd contacted his husband's good friends up north and had procured one of the truth serums he had seen at the festival. It would be his last resort if he couldn't break them.

He had the guards unlock the cell and he stepped inside. The cell door was shut tightly behind him. His eyes locked with the former court member, "So, are you going to tell me who poisoned my family?"

The man glared, "I don't know anything."

"Oh?" Antonio smiled, leaning against the chair the man was sitting in, "I was really hoping you would say that." he leaned down, slightly, and dragged a finger down the man's cheek, "You see, my sweet, sweet Lovi has almost forgotten I threw you all down here, meaning he won't ask questions now if you suddenly disappeared. My gorgeous husband hates when I get mean, but," he green eyes faded from their usual bright and clear look to something much darker, scarier, "I can't help it. I love watching people who've wronged him writhe beneath my weapons. He doesn't know, but I've killed so many for him already. He won't miss eight more."

His prisoner swallowed, shifting in his seat, "I s-said I don't know anything!"

"Tsk, tsk … one would think you'd learned your lesson. Shall I teach you?" Antonio hooked his foot into the leg of the chair and pulled, sending the man to his back. His head hit the stone with a sickening crack and he cried out in pain.

The king heard miss innocent begin sobbing louder.

"Mmm … your screams are music to my ears~" Antonio sung lightly, walking around to where the man's head was. He rubbed at his head, but Antonio kicked away his hand and stepped down on his fingers and knuckles.

Another cry of pain rang out and the man was desperately trying to pull his hand away. Antonio only stepped down harder, relishing in the cracking he felt as the man's fingers broke beneath his boot.

"Ah, yes~ scream louder and let me hear your suffering!" he yelled, releasing the man. Antonio's dark eyes were no longer playful as he pulled the man up and fixed the chair right, "Scream like my heart was when I thought my children were dead! Scream like my mind does when I have to constantly worry that my Lovi will be taken away from me! Scream and suffer like I will if I lose them! Scream!"

Tears rolled down the man's cheeks, but he said nothing. Antonio slapped him hard across the face, "I would speak if I were you!" he growled, grabbing a small vial on his side, "This is a very expensive, very hard to procure truth serum. I had to pay a pretty gold piece for this dosage and if I'm forced to waste it on trying to get this information out of you, I will not be a happy king." he let it fall back to his side, "Tell me what you know and I won't have you publicly executed. Tell me who tried to kill Lovi and Roma and I won't watch you hang. You're passing up a very generous opportunity here."

"It was Carmena!" he suddenly yelped. A woman with dark blue eyes, looked up from her cell, "Don't even go there, Arman!" she yelped, "You are leaving out the part where you had already made three other attempts at the queen's life! Go ahead and tell him how you had the assassin in the castle. Tell him how that stupid maid got in the way! Tell him, Arman!"

Antonio grabbed a dish half filled with cold food and threw it against the wall, silencing the cells as the bowl shattered, "Enough!" he hissed, anger boiling over at the mere thought of his love being poisoned and people trying to kill him. It was almost enough to send him running to the room to make sure he was still okay.

Multiple pairs of eyes watched him closely as he picked a dagger from his side and pressed it to Arman's neck, "He said, she said … I grow rather weary of this pathetic game. I finally have the truth serum and no longer need to play this game. I want to crawl into bed and share a nice evening with my husband, but I can't do that knowing his potential murderers haven't been properly punished. I'm about to say fuck it and slaughter all of you." his head snapped back to look deep into his mother's eyes, "Yes, even you."

Isabella stood up and stood at the cell door, "By all means, Antonio. Kill us. Kill all of us. Watch the blood of the innocent spill onto your dungeon floors."

With no other words spoken, Antonio let the dagger slide through the man's neck. It cut into him like a hot knife in butter. His eyes never left his mother's as he listened to the man behind him choke as he bled out, "Don't give me that look, dearest mother, you told me to."

"Since when have you ever listened to me, dearest son." she bit out angrily.

He wiped the blood off of his blade and grabbed his axe. Ignoring his mother, he stepped in front of Carmena's cell, "Ready to tell me the truth?"

The woman looked completely afraid, "I d-didn't do anything, your majesty, I swear!"

"Oh, luv, words have little meaning for me. The only words I take stock in are the ones that leave my beautiful husband's lips and even then, half the things he says I know he doesn't mean~" he smiled softly, "Do I really have to use this?" he held up the serum.

She shook her head, but the king was not so sure. He let himself into the cell and popped the cork out, "Open your mouth."

Carmena glared, but refused.

"I can take this as your claim of guilt. Some one innocent would have nothing to hide from me." he gripped her hair and pulled hard. When she let out a yelp, he poured a drop down her throat. He let go and relished in the tears that streamed down the woman's cheeks.

"Are you ready to tell me what is going on?"

"N-no." she forced out.

Antonio smiled, "It seems to be working. Let's test this, yes?" he paced the cell and thought for a moment, "Ah, yes … did you poison your queen?"

"Not directly." she found herself forced to say. Tears wells up in her eyes and she bit her lip hard.

"How were you involved?" he looked at her with dangerous dark eyes.

Carmena tried to hold in her answer but it spilled out, "I bought the poison under Arman's orders."

"And Arman planned this?"

"N-no." she squeaked, trying really hard to keep the answers in. Carmena screamed out in desperation and reached forward, grabbing Antonio's dagger and plunging it into her stomach, "I-I'd rather die … th-than betray … betray …" the life left her eyes and the woman collapsed on the ground.

"Pity." Antonio growled, grabbing his knife from the body, "Looks like I'll just have to move to the remaining six."

The third member of the court proved to be far less useful, only providing that Arman had told him to hire the immune man to taste the food so that it would pass. Even under the truth serum, he gave up nothing.

Antonio's patience wore thin. He stormed into the last man he suspected's cell. The man looked up at him and Antonio wasted no time slashing him across the face with a dagger, "You should just speak now or else your blood will run with theirs." he growled, speaking of the two dead.

The court member reared back his head and spit on Antonio's shirt. The king laughed, darkly, "I try so fucking hard to keep my calm, but no one wants to just do as their told now-a-days!"

He took he dagger and slowly dragged it down the man's face, watching the blood run down and soak the shirt he wore, "Are you going to tell me who is in charge of trying to kill my Lovi?"

"Go to hell, your majesty. You can kill me, I don't give a flying fuck!" he yelled.

"Oh?" he stood, slowly cleaning his blade, "Your wife said the same thing."

His eyes widened, "You didn't …"

Antonio grinned, "I did~ poor thing begged for mercy at first, 'Please … no … my husband will miss me when he gets back … no …'," Antonio leaned against the cell bars, tucking the knife away, "Did you know your wife was with child?" he watched as the man clenched his fists, "Yes … swollen with child … as far along as my Lovi …" their eyes met, "How does it feel knowing I killed your wife and child? How does it feel knowing I took the lives of those closest to you? She was strong in the end, fighting me back to protect her child, but she gave up. She stopped struggling, telling me that she didn't care who I was. She told me her husband would find me in my sleep and cut my throat. I laughed and cut hers."

His prisoner jumped up and ran forward, screaming in his blind rage. Antonio stepped to the side, grabbed the man's shirt and shoved his face into the wall, scratching it up badly.

"How does it fucking feel?" Antonio shouted. In his own fury, he grabbed his axe and cut the man right up the middle.

Other than his mother, he'd killed all of his suspects. He walked into Sierra's cell and looked over the frightened woman. His eyes softened considerably, "Open your mouth."

She instantly obeyed.

"Did you have anything to do with this?"

Sierra shook her head violently, "N-no, your majesty. I was asked for a donation, but my family was in need of the money so I declined to offer to be a part of what they were planning, sir …"

He ran a hand down her face, "I knew you wouldn't hurt my Lovi … you're free to go … and as reparation for having to endure this, you can have your job back as well as a raise. I'm sorry you were forced through this." she smiled brightly, still terrified.

"Th-thank you so much, your majesty." she walked from the cell on shaky legs and was escorted from the dungeons with the guards.

The same could be said for the man he'd suspected was innocent. His attention landed on the only remaining person. Isabella glared at him, "So … going to torture me? Cut me up? Kill me? Use your little potion on me?"

"No. I'm going to let you live with what you've done. I know you are the one behind it all. I don't need to hear it, lest I end up killing my own mother. I love you, I really do. You birthed me, gave me life … sent me on that crazy adventure that led me to my Lovi … I owe you enough to save you from hanging for your crimes."

Her eyes widened in shock, "However, you are to live the rest of your pathetic life locked away in your room. You can not leave. You will forever stay behind those doors, never knowing about the world outside of it. You will have all the time in the world to listen to idle rumors of what's going on. You will have the rest of your life to recall just why you're trapped in that room.

"And if for some reason, you find it okay to leave, the first guard to see you will have the instant pleasure of killing you." he gave a look to the guard who nodded and went to make preparations for the former queen's new chambers and living arrangements, as far away from the current queen's room.

Antonio put his things away and changed his clothing before heading up to his office. He'd spent way too much time as it was in the dungeons and Lovino would be terrible upset if he was late to bed again.

He laughed softly, wishing he could just skip all of it and go curl up beside his husband for a wonderful nap.

The king walked into his office and was surprised to see a pregnant woman sitting in a chair, "Your majesty!" she struggled to stand up, but he just motioned for her to stop, "What brings you here, miss-?"

She smiled apologetically, "Elaina, and I'm sorry to bother you your majesty, but I was wondering if you had heard of my husband's whereabouts yet … he's been missing for so long …"

Antonio smiled sadly, "I have, actually … the men … that kidnapped him and the others of my court … they killed him … I'm so sorry for your loss …"

Tears spilled onto her cheeks, "But … how? I mean … what … he was …"

The king pulled out a large bag of gold, "I can't begin to apologize properly for what happened … he was a good man and served me well. Take this and raise that child well, I'm sure that baby will do great things."

She began sobbing hard. Antonio felt slightly guilty, suddenly picturing his own pregnant spouse crying over his loss. Was this how Lovino felt when Antonio disappeared into Fayldyr?

He placed a hand on her shoulder, "Please don't cry … you have someone depending on you to be strong during this whole thing. Keep your chin up and make sure this baby has everything he or she needs."

The woman nodded, drying her tears. She thanked her king and accepted the gold.

"If it makes you feel any better," he offered, sitting back down at his desk, "He died a hero, fighting until the end."

She smiled, "That was my husband …" the expecting mother left his office.

Antonio shook the thoughts from his head and smiled brightly, getting back to work. His Lovi and children were safe and the people responsible had been properly punished.

TBC

~Lady Pyrien