The Interrogation

by Robin Roseau

  "It might depend upon how fast it rotated, what I'd eaten, if there had been alcohol."

  She turned me to face her. "What happened with Henry was my fault. But if you balk or give me that look again, you will find yourself in that cage. Do I make myself clear?"

  "Yes, Katrina," I said immediately. I eyed the cage.

  "Get a good look," she said. "I'm not sure what it would do to our relationship if you make me put you up there. It amuses Henry to stick Lila up there, but I didn't bring you to let you spin in a cage. I would be embarrassed if you make me cage you."

  I nodded understanding, but it was all very overwhelming, and I knew I was in over my head.

  She turned me around, facing the cage again, pulling me back against her chest. "Look at Lila." I looked up at her. "Do you think she looks hot?"

  "I don't know," I admitted. "She's pretty enough."

  "Do you think it looks hot to see a sub in a cage like that?"

  "I-" I paused. "Does it make me hot to see her there? No." Then I lowered my gaze to Katrina. "It makes me a little hot to think of you caging me though, but not enough to risk disappointing you."

  I looked back up at Lila. "I think I'd get bored awfully quickly. I wouldn't want to be that far from you for very long."

  She paused for just a moment then changed the topic. "Do you drink wine?"

  "Yes."

  "What types do you prefer?"

  "Anything red or a German white. I don't care for Chardonnay."

  She glanced at me. "Is it becoming easier to answer my questions without hesitation or prevarication?"

  I smiled. "Yes."

  "Good. If I ask a question, I want an answer, and I will rarely be patient while you find a pretty way to dance around the truth."

  "I understand, Katrina. It is hard. We are brought up to believe politeness is more important than honesty."

  "I know. Let us find some wine and a bite to eat." She tugged on the chain, and I followed her through the room.

  She found a waiter distributing wine and took a glass of red, turning to me. She drank first, then held it to my lips. I reached for it, but she shook her head subtly before offering it again. I allowed her to hold the glass while I drank.

  Then she turned away and led me to a buffet table.

  "Hold this," she said, handing me the wine glass. "Do not drink any."

  "Yes, Katrina."

  Then she handed me a plate. We worked our way down the buffet table, Katrina adding bits of this and that to the plate.

  "All right," she said. "I do not want you scuffing your coat by sitting on the tails. I would like to sit on the patio, but the concrete will be cold to your bare ass. We'll find somewhere else."

  She led me through the house, finally locating a sofa with room on one end. She introduced herself to the occupant at the other end, a woman of nearly sixty, attended to by a muscular man half her age. Katrina sat, then took the food from me and gestured with her nose. I sat on the floor, and she gave me her legs to lean against.

  She fed both of us, popping things into my mouth, but she let me hold the wine myself when I drank. She entered into a conversation with the woman, and it appeared they each knew of each other, but didn't know each other.

  Then the plate and wine glass were both empty. "Belle," Katrina ordered. "I require another glass of wine and more of the fruit. Dispose of these. Return promptly."

  I climbed from my feet. Katrina allowed my leash to hang loose, and it dangled down my front, stopping a few inches from the floor. I took the plate and glass and looked for something to do with them. I finally stopped a waiter and asked, and he pointed to a low table along one side of the room. I dropped off the plate and glass then moved into line for the buffet again, standing behind a short woman being attended by a pair of tall blondes. Just as I reached the table, a man stepped in front of me, and then another man, and I thought it was quite rude. But finally I was able to fill a plate for Katrina.

  She hadn't given me permission to take anything for myself, so I stuck to the fruit. Even though I really wanted one of the dinner rolls.

  There was a bowl of pineapple right at the end of the buffet table, so I was forced to wait my turn. I collected a piece of the pineapple and was about to turn away when I found myself facing the short woman with the two blondes.

  "Aren't you lovely?" she said, looking me up and down.

  "Thank you," I said. "Excuse me." But one of the blondes stepped into my path, and I found myself hemmed in by the three of them.

  "Do not be rude," blonde number one said.

  "Magdalena is talking to you," said blonde number two.

  "I am sorry," I said. "No offense was intended." I looked into Magdalena's eyes.

  "And yet you meet my gaze?" she said, her eyes narrowing. "Eyes down!"

  I smiled sweetly. "I am sorry," I said. "Excuse me." Again I tried to step past them, but the blondes were efficient at hemming me in, and there was nowhere behind me to escape; the buffet table blocked my retreat.

  I turned back to the domme. "Is there something you would like?"

  "Yes," she said. "You, kneeling in front of me."

  "We don't always get what we want," I told her. "Now please, Katrina will be waiting for me."

  "You are Katrina's toy?"

  "I am Katrina's Belle," I replied.

  "Well, Katrina is very good about sharing her toys," the woman said. "Kneel. Now!"

  "I am very sorry, and I mean no disrespect, but Katrina was very clear in her directions. Please excuse me."

  None of them moved. I think I surprised the woman, but now she didn't know how to save face, and I wasn't going to help her. Instead of getting out of my way, she held her hand out, and blonde number two placed some kind of whip in it.

  "Kneel!" she ordered firmly. "And pray I don't beat you unconscious."

  "No. Stand aside."

  She raised the whip.

  "Touch me with that, and I will have you arrested for assault," I told her. I didn't even have to glance around to know we had an audience. "I swear, I will press every charge I can envision. I do not belong to you. I answer to exactly one person, and that is not you. Stand. Aside. If you want to see me beaten, you can complain to Katrina, and it becomes her decision. Now get out of my way, you harridan!"

  The woman was so shocked, she didn't even react when I stepped between her and blonde number one. I scanned the room and, without slowing, grabbed a glass of wine, nearly running back to Katrina.

  I leaned over the back of the sofa and whispered to her, "You are going to get a very bad report about me."

  "Follow me," she said immediately, grabbing my leash and drawing me into the foyer and up the stairs. I hurried after her, and she soon pulled me into one of the bedrooms.

  "Are you all right?"

  "Yes."

  She took the glass and plate from me, setting them aside, and pulled me into her arms.

  "You're trembling."

  "I thought she was going to beat me." That was when I realized my heart was pounding. And then I was clutching her.

  "Don't smudge your makeup if you can avoid it," she said. "Try to calm down and tell me what happened."

  I took several deep breaths. "Tighter," I said. "Hold me tighter."

  And so she did, stroking my back, and then she slipped her hands underneath my coat so she could caress my skin instead.

  "Shhh," she said. "You're safe. Am I going to be forced to punish you?"

  "I don't know," I said in a stammer. I was still trembling. "Damn it, I am not like this. You must think I'm a foolish girl."

  "I think you are deeply out of your element and very intimidated by your surroundings. Tell me what happened."

  "I got your food," I said. "I wanted a roll, too, but you didn't tell me I could."

  "I'm sorry," she said. "Half the fruit is for you though. Go on."

  "There was a woman. Older. With two subs with her."

  "Men or women?"

  "All th
ree women. Her name is Magdalena, or at least that's what blonde number two called her."

  "Oh. Yes. She and I have history. What happened?"

  "She stopped me." I relayed the story. "But Katrina, I was so angry at the end, I called her a harridan. Please don't let her hurt me! If you have to punish me, I understand, but don't let her do it."

  But Katrina began laughing. "Oh honey, she is a harridan. Maybe I would rather you hadn't called her that, because it may complicate things for me, but no one is punishing you."

  "Will Henry be angry?"

  "He will believe Magdalena's account until he hears yours. He may order me to punish you."

  "I understand."

  "If he does, we will instead leave. You did nothing wrong. I will not have you mistreated."

  I clutched at her, feeling safe in her arms.

  "All better?"

  I nodded.

  "All right. Let's get a little bit more food in you and a tiny bit of the wine. Not too much of either."

  She fed me from her own hand then made sure I was safe to hold the wine.

  "We'll get you water after this. You need a clear head."

  "Thank you, Katrina."

  She touched my cheek and smiled. "You did the right thing. And referring to her the way you did may have been the shock she needed to let you past without getting physical."

  "I got physical," I said. "I nudged her and the blonde apart."

  "Well. You are the wronged party, and you did the best you could."

  We finished the food. Katrina took the wine then wrapped her hand around my leash very near my neck. "I don't want us getting separated," she said. She led me back downstairs.

  It turns out, we were expected, and our location was whispered to Henry, and moments later we found ourselves summoned.

  "Not a word except in direct response to a direct question from me," Katrina said. "Not even if Henry asks you questions, but he won't. Do not respond to the slightest thing the harridan says."

  I giggled weakly.

  Moments later we found ourselves in front of Henry, who looked quite annoyed. Magdalena stood next to him, and I saw the girl from the cage draped over Henry's opposite arm. She watched me with a sort of hunger in her eyes, and I realized she thought I was about to be severely punished.

  "Henry," Katrina said before we had closed the distance. "I had hoped to handle this somewhat more privately, but I feel the need to register a complaint against one of your guests."

  Henry lifted an eyebrow. "Oh? What is the nature of your complaint?"

  "Attempted theft of my property."

  Magdalena pointed to me. "That rude thing is yours, Katrina?" she asked. "I had no idea. I couldn't imagine you keeping such a rude, disobedient slave." She turned to Henry. "At no point did she indicate to me she belonged to anyone. I thought she was free range. If she wasn't, she should have said something."

  Katrina tugged very gently on my chain, reminding me to say nothing. I stood quietly, huddled behind Katrina's right shoulder, my hand on her shoulder, her hand still bunched in my leash.

  Henry looked back and forth between me and Magdalena. I thought perhaps he believed me already, but she was a dominant and I was just a submissive. I wasn't sure my word would be sufficient, and she had her subs who would surely back her up.

  "Katrina, as it has been reported to me, your submissive bumped into one of my guests and then rudely refused to apologize. If these allegations are true, she must be punished for her insolence."

  Katrina tugged on my leash again, very subtly, but I already knew I was to respond only to her.

  "She doesn't even defend herself," said the woman, pointing at me again.

  "That is because she doesn't answer to you, Magdalena, and I think you knew that when you stopped her. If there is anyone in this room who does not know Belle is mine, I would be shocked. You have never had a reputation for being oblivious."

  "She bumped me, and she was rude."

  "I bumped her as I left," I said only barely loud enough for Katrina to hear me. She nodded once, letting me know she had heard me.

  "I know she was rude," Katrina replied. "I believe she was quite rude. And I know she bumped you."

  "Then she must be punished," Henry repeated.

  "I believe she called you-" she turned to me. "What word did you use, Belle?"

  "Harridan, Katrina. I called her a harridan." There was a small gasp as I admitted it, but I'm sure half the room had heard me.

  "Ah, yes, thank you." She turned back. "And she bumped you when you wouldn't allow her passage after repeated requests and after repeatedly invoking my name. You interfered with my property while she was on an errand for me. Furthermore, she reports you threatened to strike her."

  "She was rude and requires a beating. You obviously coddle her, Katrina."

  "Ah, so you admit threatening to strike her?"

  "Of course I was going to strike her."

  "And is that when she bumped you, to escape from your threats? Do you dare touch my property?" The last was thundered.

  "She was rude!" Magdalena said.

  "But she didn't bump you until you refused to allow her to escape." Katrina turned to me. "How many times did you invoke my name?"

  "At least three, Katrina. She even asked me if I was your toy, and I replied I was Katrina's Belle."

  "Ah, yes," Katrina said. "Quite correct."

  Katrina turned back. "Well?"

  "She never mentioned your name, not once," Magdalena replied. "Did she, Clo?"

  "No, Madam," said blonde number one with blonde number two nodding agreement.

  "You see? She lies. She must be punished for her rudeness to me and for her lies." She turned to Henry. "Punish her, Henry."

  "Katrina, it is your property's word against that of one of my guests as well as her property. Does your property offer proof?"

  "She has no proof but her good word, which I believe," Katrina said. "I have great reason to believe she is of the utmost integrity."

  "Nevertheless," said Henry. "I can not accept her word over my guest's. How will you punish her?"

  "I will not," Katrina said. "I will vacate your house."

  He stared at Katrina, and I could see his eyes were pleading with her. He raised his voice. "Did anyone else witness Katrina's property announce Katrina as her owner?"

  No one said a word. I knew people had seen me. They had to have heard me.

  "We had an audience," I whispered very quietly. "If you need to punish me, I understand. It's enough you believe me."

  She tugged my leash very lightly, and I waited.

  "No one?" asked Henry.

  A man stepped forward, and I realized it was one of the men who had cut in line in front of me.

  "I didn't see the altercation until the end, and I can vouch the slave was very rude. But I also heard her invoke Katrina's name repeatedly. I did not make an exact count."

  "Thank you, Marcus," Henry said.

  "You heard him!" Magdalena said. "She was very rude."

  "Oh yes," Katrina agreed. "She was quite rude. But I do not believe she started out by being rude. Did you give her a choice, Magdalena? How many times did she politely ask you to step aside before you turned it ugly?"

  "She was rude!" the woman said. "And she bumped me when she left. She must be punished! Punish her. Severely."

  "Earlier you stated she bumped you, and that is what began the altercation," Henry said. "Now you admit it was at the end, after you threatened to strike her, and after you refused to allow her a safe retreat. Which was it, Magdalena?"

  "I was so angry, I may have misremembered some of the details," Magdalena admitted.

  "And do you now remember her stating she belonged to Katrina?" Henry asked.

  "She may have mentioned it. I do not recall. She was still rude."

  "She herself admits she was rude." Henry turned back to Katrina. "For that, she must be punished."

  "It's okay, Katrina," I said quietly. "Please
end this. Please."

  She turned to me and whispered to me, "We can leave. Henry is doing this to save face for himself."

  "It's okay," I told her. "You believe me, don't you?"

  "Yes, honey. Did you want to spend a little time in the cage?"

  "Will it be a long time?"

  "As little as it takes to satisfy Henry, but that may be an hour or even two."

  I glanced up at the cage.

  "You believe me?"

  "Yes, honey."

  "Then whatever you decide."

  "Good girl."

  She turned around. "Henry, to show respect for your house, I will cage my Belle."

  "She must be beaten!" Magdalena yelled.

  "Lila," he said to the girl on his arm. "Lower the cage."

  The girl stepped away, and I lost track of her, but the cage nearly above us began to descend to the floor. I watched it with a certain amount of trepidation.

  Once it had descended to the floor, Katrina led me to it. She opened the small door. "You must enter head first and do a little summersault," she said quietly. "Hang onto the bars over your head and tuck your legs as you roll in." She unlatched my leash and pressed me gently towards the cage. I entered it the way she had indicated, banging the backs of my legs against the entrance on the way in, finding myself on my back with my legs poking out the door. There were titters, but I tucked my legs in and levered myself to a sitting position.

  Katrina pulled on my hands until I released the bars, and I realized she couldn't close the door until I did so.

  "I'm sorry," I whispered to her.

  "You did nothing wrong," she said. "Everyone knows it." Then she closed the door, and somehow it latched. I couldn't see the mechanism. A moment later, it began to rise, swaying lightly and turning very slowly.

  I looked down at Katrina, suddenly filled with fear. She watched me then blew me a kiss, and I smiled.

  With a jerk, the ascent ended, and I was very high, near the tall ceiling.

  "Spin it, Lila," Henry ordered. "A three."

  The cage began to turn, slowly at first, then faster, finally settling down to a rotation every few seconds. I got dizzy watching Katrina, so I slammed my eyes shut and vowed to be stoic.

  I heard Katrina say, "The issue of this woman attempting to steal my property is not yet resolved."