I immediately pulled back when her face twisted in wrath.

And pain.

“I had a love,” she bit out. “A gentle man who was gentle to me and he loved me.” She leaned my way so threateningly, Cassius moved partially in front of me. “Loved me,” she hissed. “But then, I caught the eye of the king.”

Oh no.

“He petitioned, my Coram did,” she went on angrily. “He petitioned the king to release me so he could have my hand. There is one thing I’m sure you know, my Princess Regent. You know what the king’s answer was to that.”

“Horatia,” I whispered, stunned at hearing this news and hating the hearing of it.

“And my king,” she threw her hands to the sides and continued to glare at me, “oh, how delighted he was with his new acquisition. Yes, he was.” Her expression became a sneer. “He simply could not get enough of me.”

I felt cold overtake me.

“So yes, absolutely, when Cornelia came along, I saw an opportunity,” she shared. “And yes, when she was there, I knew I would finally have some relief. So yes, absolutely yes, my Princess Regent, I contrived to offer her up. I contrived so he would turn to her and not to me. I schemed to keep her his favorite and bow her to my whim, for I had few whims available to me. And when Domitia arrived, I did the same. And I’d do it again. Make no mistake, I feel no remorse. I’d do it again and again and again.”

“You were correct,” I said carefully. “I do not understand your world.”

“You still judge,” she retorted snidely.

“I don’t,” I said softly.

It was as if she didn’t hear me when she carried on, “Living in your homes in the trees, free from tyranny. You have no idea how it feels to wake in the morning every morning and know there is no goodness to be had that day, as there was none the day before, and there will be none the day after, and yet you wake, but you wish you did not.”

I decided, belatedly, to stop speaking.

Though I did it knowing my heart was bleeding.

“Will you speak to his treatment of you and the others?” Cassius asked, his voice reserved.

“No, I will not,” she returned.

“It is not on deaf ears your words have fallen,” Cassius told her. “But you will face tribunal yourself, Horatia, if you do not agree. In what you have shared, I hope you understand that all who aid this kind of behavior must learn not to do as such.” Cassius warned. “I lament that was the life you led. But I can do naught about the past. Only your future. And your future includes a long time in this room, Horatia, if you do not agree to speak to his treatment of his wives.”

She looked side to side and declared, “It is not so very terrible here.” Her attention returned to Cassius. “Indeed, sire, a fire, a book, naught but my own company, this is paradise.”