Staring at his perfectly smooth hands, Isis fell silent, understanding the weight of the choice laid out before her. There was a small silence that left only the sound of the city outside to be heard. Her mouth danced, opening and closing as she weighed up the option, and peeking behind Augustus, she saw his Lessers, the men and women he bound in collars. It was horrid, even she couldn't deny it, but she could also see that those people, no matter what form of slavery Augustus used to justify himself, were treated well, not a blemish on their skin, their smiles, real.
Licking her lips, she went to speak but was cut off by Seth's quiet voice, "You treat them well, priest." Each word was said slowly, letting the last one drag, "But you are not the standard. Why don't you show her how most master treat their Lessers?" Augustus slowly curled his fingers and pulled his hands back, placing them behind his back.
"My vision is the city's," Augustus replied with a relaxed tone.
