“My king, let us go,” his mother urged, taking Wilmer’s hand and shifting toward the door.

“I’m happy to leave,” Gallienus declared. “All this talk of the injustice of Airen? Hypocrisy.” He stopped at the door and leveled his eyes on Mars. “Even a traitor I’d give a tribunal.”

“Sadly, I cannot ask any descendants of the women your ancestor put to death after the Night of the Fallen Masters as they were put to death without tribunal, therefore they have no descendants,” Mars noted drolly.

Gallienus sniffed before he stormed out.

Wilmer and Mercy followed him.

When the door closed behind them, True turned again to Mars.

“When the sorcery behind the asps is uncovered, they are given to me,” he decreed.

“They killed my second mother,” Mars said quietly.

“They killed my mother-in-law, the grandmother my children will never know, but their intent was to kill my princess,” True retorted. “Thus, whoever killed Sofia will be given to me.”

“For tribunal?” Mars asked.

“Yes,” True answered. “And then he’ll be given a torch and the length of time it takes for it to burn out before he’ll find himself covered in snakes in a different kind of pit in Wodell. It’ll be Farah’s decision if she wishes to watch. But I shall do so. Until the end.”

Mars’s lips twitched before he stated, “I find this acceptable.”

“I don’t very much care,” True muttered.

“I find that acceptable too,” Mars shared.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, can we move this along?” Cassius entered the conversation.

“It’s clear, with the attack of the asps, Farah was the target,” Ophelia noted.

No one spoke to that.

“They try to break the prophecy,” the Nadirii queen continued.

“Perhaps, regardless of our grave losses this evening, we can take heart in understanding they fear the prophecy enough to try to do something about it,” Ha-Lah noted.

“Your sisters, along with Nandra, must cast over this palace,” Mars said to Ophelia.

“Protection spells will be done while you’re at the pits,” Ophelia agreed.

“And cast over the women,” Cassius added.

“Ah yes, seeing as, due to you having a magical appendage, you need no protection spell cast on you,” Elena clipped to her betrothed.

True studied her, feeling something strange, but his mind was consumed with so many other things, the most important being getting to Farah and checking on her before he had to attend this bloody procession, he couldn’t put his finger on what that feeling was.

“We’ll cast over the men too,” Ophelia put in quickly, before Cassius could reply, as he’d opened his mouth to do.

Cassius wisely shut his mouth and a muscle danced in his cheek.

Elena turned away from her intended and crossed her arms angrily on her chest.

“I need a moment with my bride,” Mars decreed.

Excellent.

Mars would see to Silence.