The room went quiet. Augustus looked over at Giovannus and felt happy at the sight of him squirming. “We all feel it, don’t we? Giovannus is not fit for his position. That was why none of you objected when Giovanni said he was no longer heir because you all knew he didn’t have the skills. You knew it then but then betrayed your own judgement after my father’s inconveniently timed death. Now, I say inconvenient, but that is only from my perspective, from another perspective, say that of Giovannus’, it was actually very convenient timing. If you would believe my brother about everything, time weaves itself into a knot to bend to his will.” The room became so silent Augustus could hear the sound of the footsteps of the servants walking through the halls.

Augustus waited, letting them think it through for themselves. They needed to confront the feelings that they held back when Giovannus was ousted in those moments. Once someone allied themselves with Giovannus, it would be a hard thing to force them to renounce him. They would be dug into that way of thinking, to admit they were wrong to admit they themselves were flawed and prone to mistakes. Some people found that thought unacceptable. By making them acknowledge the fact that they too once held an unfavourable opinion was the best way of disarming their current views. It allowed one to change their mind without sacrificing their self-worth, they weren’t wrong, merely right at the wrong time.

“Are you done speaking?” asked Giovannus with an aggressive tone, suddenly standing up from his chair. The long silence seemed to imply so but it was only Augustus letting the moment linger for as long as he could afford.

“Not quite yet. Just gathering my thoughts on the next statement,” said Augustus with a friendly smile. He knew the audience would notice that tone inappropriate smile. It implied to the crowd his strength and advantage. Everything he did was aimed at that goal, to make it appear that Augustus would win the vote, because if it appeared he would win, then the crowd would vote for him because he would win. It was a circular game. “One last thing. A wedge has formed in this family. I’m sure you all can see now there is an irreconcilable difference between me and my brother, but it doesn’t just involve me and my brother. You all can already see, up here on this stage, people who have taken a side and you all must decide, today, which side you wish to be on. That is all I have to say.”

Augustus turn around and headed back to his seat, feeling the eyes of the audience on his back. He looked at his brother in his seat making sure he saw his taunting smile. Augustus mouthed the words he thought would most enrage him, “they know.” He needed Giovannus angry, just like he always was when he began losing the games they’d play. This was a moment that needed focus above all else, and Augustus hoped to deprive him of it. He saw it, that flash of anger on Giovannus’ face as he stood up and walked at an aggressive pace to begin his second speech. Augustus sat and watched it unfold with glee.

“He lies!” declared Giovannus, his face flush with anger. “I didn’t even know the expedition finalized the sale of its goods and closed out the account.”

Giovannus could of course deny everything Augustus said, but it held no impact. In that desperate tone, he couldn’t endear people towards him. He looked like a raving man in the street, not the dignified head of their family. Everything Augustus said was hard to deny, or at least hard for Giovannus to deny. Augustus had brought and shared evidence concerning the payout and the expedition’s timing, and refuting evidence with only a person’s word wouldn’t hold much weight. For the matter concerning Marcus, Giovannus was too biased for anyone to value what he had to say. The more he denied, the more desperate he would look, and in denying look more guilty of transgressions, the paradox of defence. Augustus thought the best speech Giovannus could have made against his was to simply stand up calmly, walk to the podium and laugh as he quickly denied it all in a sentence or two, then sat down again with confidence.

Instead, he was angry and ranting. “How dare he imply Marcus betrayed our family? How much wealth has he put in each of your pockets!” As Augustus thought, he was too emotionally invested in Marcus. The audience wasn’t grateful for past deeds. They were Castellians, they viewed employees of the family as mere tools to that end. “Lies! Each and every word! And he has the audacity to call me the liar. The finances of the family are fantastic. I have the ledgers.”

“Then why were there no payments?!” shouted a voice from the crowd. It was Quintus.

“Yeah,” shouted Hapernius from a separate part of the audience.

“Silence!” Shouted Julianna.

The crowd was not allowed to speak but had done so at Augustus’ instruction.

“I explained it already,” continued Giovannus, “it was to fund investments.”

“You’re the liar!” Shouted another voice, Augustus thought it must’ve been Gillius or one of the others he had bribed. “You bring us to ruin!”

“Enough!” Julianna stood up from her seat and the crowd silenced itself again.

“Julianna,” said Pascal. He put his hand on her shoulder. “Maybe we should just move to the vote. Clearly, you can see this speech isn’t doing him any favours.”

Giovannus heard Pascal and understood the situation. He had lost. He looked at Augustus with those eyes of defeat, the same eyes he’d wear when at the end of their stixis games when they were children. “Fine, let’s hold the vote.”

Julianna nodded then set out the rules. “We have set two boxes with slits at the top on either side of the exit. Place your vote in the left box to vote to keep Giovannus as head of the family, place it in the right one to remove him. You may now vote or, if you wish, you may ask questions of those on the stage. The timelimit to vote will be one measure of our hourglass. The boxes will be brought on stage and counted in view of anyone who wishes to stay and view it.”

The bribes had bought the few who asked the first questions. They asked questions critical of Giovannus’ character and abilities. There was no doubt in Augustus’ mind that Giovannus too had urged, maybe even bribed, people in the audience to ask questions critical of Augustus, but with the beginning to turn so clearly in Augustus’ favour they must’ve felt fearful. A critical voice was such a personal and remembered attack.

People voted quickly and long before the hourglass had finished letting its sand fall, everyone had completed their vote. Because of how short the vote was, the crowd that stayed to watch the results was exactly the same as those before the vote. It was an important moment, and no one wanted to miss seeing the results.

The boxes were carried up by two servants. They opened up the top of the boxes and flipped them over to empty their contents onto two separate tables and the result was obvious with a simple glance. One box held only a few pieces of paper while the other was almost full.

Augustus stood up and pointed at the servant of the box that obviously won. “You, which box is this? The vote to expunge or the vote to keep?”

“These are the votes to expunge.”

It was over. It felt like a weight was lifted off his chest when he heard the sweet words. Giovannus had been removed. Augustus looked over to him to see his reaction, his eyes were staring at the ground his shoulders hunched. He walked away slowly, but then in a flurry kicked one of the chairs sending it across the stage in a loud sudden sound.

“Julianna,” said Augustus again, “there’s no need to count this. He’s been voted out. We need an interim leader while we wait for the next vote.”

“Are there any nominations?” asked Julianna to the audience.

“Yes, I have a nomination,” said Cladius before anyone else. “I nominate Pascal.”

Augustus lamented that Quintus wasn’t quicker to act. He had the job of nominating Augustus for the role, to better ensure that he would, in the end, hold the permanent position. Pascal wasn’t such an unfortunate choice. He looked at Pascal who seemed to shrug at the nomination. He probably looked at the role as a nuisance. He was more interested in his own personal projects, like whatever he was up to with the Magician’s Guild. However, he would do the duty with grace. Maybe that was better, it would allow Augustus to handle a few things before having the task of putting the family business back in order.

“I will second the nomination,” said Augustus. It would be too much for him to contest Pascal, he was too good a choice and an ally, opposing it would make him look petty. If he couldn’t oppose it, he knew he should show his trust in Pascal by being the second nominee.

“Anyone opposed?” asked Julianna. Silence followed. “Then it is decided. Giovannus is removed and for the next three days, Pascal will lead the family until a new head of the family is decided.”