Gallienus glared at him.

Cassius dismissed his father and turned to the recorder.

“Read the charges, if you will,” he bid.

The charges were read.

“Preposterous!” Gallienus shouted.

The new law was read.

“Ludicrous!” Gallienus yelled.

Cassius had never really paid much mind to his father.

His casual cruelties, yes.

His flagrant sadism, yes.

His childish tantrums.

Alas, no.

He noted them now, but he did so nonverbally.

Verbally, he commenced proceedings as they had planned.

Hadrian shared shortly and without detail what he had witnessed in the king’s bedchamber. Antonius did the same.

And when asked, Domitia declared that this was so.

And when asked, both women attested in brief to the physical and sexual abuse that had occurred throughout their marriages.

That done swiftly, Cassius turned to his father.

“It was not law before, but your violation of her Honorable Domitia was an offense after. Do you deny this version of events as presented here today?” he asked.

“It is not a crime to handle my wife as I see fit,” Gallienus sniffed.

“This is incorrect. As the law was read, it is a crime now. So with your words, for the record, you do not deny this version of events as presented here today,” Cassius repeated on a sigh.

“Of course I don’t,” Gallienus snapped.

“So be it,” Cassius said. “I therefore find you guilty of one charge of assault and battery of a person and one charge of sexual violation of a person. Thus, you are hereby sentenced to ten years as an issue four prisoner in Slán Bailey for the first charge. This you will serve after you serve the sentence of fifteen years as an issue five prisoner for the charge of sexual violation of a person. This sentence will begin immediately. And with that, this tribunal has ended.”

There were more murmurings about the room, but Cassius ignored them.

And even as he straightened from his throne, he nodded to Reginald and his prison guard that stood with Nero at the foot of the box, an indication to take Gallienus away.

“I’ll be in that Bailey maybe a week,” his father asserted.

He would be there for twenty-five years, if he lived that long.

But Cass did not share that.

He noted his father saying “a week.”

So, his father’s allies intended to move in some manner in that week.

That did not matter for the now.

For the now, at least, this was over.

For Horatia. For Cornelia. For Domitia. For Aelia.

And for himself.

He turned and reached his hand to Elena.

She took it.

“Enjoy this frippery!” Gallienus shouted. “I will have it all torn down and it will burn while your Nadirii watches your head leave your body as you kneel on the gallows and the blade falls. This before she is enjoyed by every lord of this realm.”

His body tightened, but her hand squeezed his and his gaze caught hers.

When it did, his grip relaxed.

“Felix has called first go!” Gallienus bellowed, sounding like he was hollering at the same time struggling.