[Bigby is surprised just how short of an audience this winds up being. It seems to be over just as quickly as it had started, and the Emperor leaves just as quietly as they had appeared. Once they're escorted out by their guards, everyone else starts following suit. Soon, the aisles are filled with people milling around, some quicker to leave than others; probably to talk about what just happened outside in a less oppressive setting. Bigby can't really blame them, but he's not in a hurry to leave just yet. Instead of getting up, he remains seated, looking down at his knees as he thinks about what just happened.
So, the Emperor doesn't actually want to save this world — just their people. It's funny; for someone so to the point, they sure know how to evade a question. They never did answer what makes them so different from the Priestess other than what they hope to win from this war. That they didn't even bother to come up with a lie and just skirted around the topic entirely is beyond questionable, and it tells Bigby what he thinks he's already decided about them even before they met. They can't be trusted, not entirely. The power they used to get them all here isn't even their own, just a contract forged with otherworldly beings.
Bigby's eyes drift to his hands, spread out over his legs. Wolves. At least he got a lead out of this. Whether or not it's a good one remains to be seen, and he supposes that much doesn't depend on the Emperor. He supposes that depends entirely on him and how quickly he can get himself up to full strength. After all, he wouldn't want to make a bad first impression with whoever he's going to meet out in the woods.
Eventually, the chamber empties out almost entirely but there are still a few people around. One of them ends up beside him, either by accident or intentionally. Doesn't matter. He'll acknowledge them just the same.]
So. We're being used, right? Just so we're on the same level here.
throne room, post audience
So, the Emperor doesn't actually want to save this world — just their people. It's funny; for someone so to the point, they sure know how to evade a question. They never did answer what makes them so different from the Priestess other than what they hope to win from this war. That they didn't even bother to come up with a lie and just skirted around the topic entirely is beyond questionable, and it tells Bigby what he thinks he's already decided about them even before they met. They can't be trusted, not entirely. The power they used to get them all here isn't even their own, just a contract forged with otherworldly beings.
Bigby's eyes drift to his hands, spread out over his legs. Wolves. At least he got a lead out of this. Whether or not it's a good one remains to be seen, and he supposes that much doesn't depend on the Emperor. He supposes that depends entirely on him and how quickly he can get himself up to full strength. After all, he wouldn't want to make a bad first impression with whoever he's going to meet out in the woods.
Eventually, the chamber empties out almost entirely but there are still a few people around. One of them ends up beside him, either by accident or intentionally. Doesn't matter. He'll acknowledge them just the same.]
So. We're being used, right? Just so we're on the same level here.