But Servius made a great mistake when he married his daughters. For before long Lucius hated his quiet wife, and killed both her and his brother Aruns, so that he and Tullia the elder might be free to marry each other.
No sooner had Lucius Tarquinius married Tullia, than, encouraged by her, he joined the discontented nobles, who hated Servius.
Day by day Lucius grew more bold, more rude to Servius, and at length he put on the royal robes and sat on the king’s seat in the Senate house, unrebuked by the nobles.
Servius was now no longer young, but when he heard how Lucius had dared to behave he went at once to the door of the Senate house, and bade the prince come down from the throne, and lay aside the royal robes.
But Lucius paid no heed to the king’s command. Then, as the king repeated his words, Lucius seized the old man and flung him down the stone steps of the Senate house.
Servius, bruised and dazed by his fall, yet struggled to his feet, and slowly turned away toward the palace.
Lucius dared not let the king live now that he had defied him. So, sending his servants after Servius, he bade them kill the old man.
It was easy to overtake him, and the fellows soon slew their king, leaving his body lying in the middle of the street.
When Tullia heard what her husband had done, she had no grief to spare for her father’s cruel death. She ordered her chariot, and drove quickly to the Forum to greet her husband as king.
But Lucius did not wish the people to see the triumph of his wife, and he sternly bade her go home.