bury the light

Venom seemed amused by his response, it wasn't his intention but he appreciated her reaction all the same. Maybe his dry sense of humour wouldn't be lost on the wolves of Boreas, but that was yet to be seen as he assumed Venom was unlike any other wolf. The empress took a moment to think before she finally responded and it brought a subdued frown to his features. Perhaps his question was unfair. As simple as it sounded it was a difficult one to answer, with no simple solution in sight. Her options were limited and Hattori felt as though he'd backed her into a corner, even if she didn't seem all that offended. Letting it go, Hattori's gaze took in the sights of the palace, it was beautiful and opulent a fitting home for an empress but quiet, far removed from the open hustle and bustle of the Iga estate.

Joining her inside, Hattori's cold gaze took in everything. He could see how a palace like this could make a leader soft and ignorant of the state of their own empire. It was no doubt tempting but if the pack was suffering with sloth then it trickled down from the top, like a slow running waterfall, the former empress had set a precedent and her subordinates had followed suit. If Venom truly wanted to shake off the dust then she needed to lead by example, keeping the royal residence to herself would cement the fact that she was above all, but on the other paw it would make her seem distant. As though others could do as they pleased given that she was so far removed from the rest.

"Yes." Hattori told her with a slight dip of his head, when he looked up his gaze was sharp and knowing. Regardless of his servant airs he knew a thing or two about ruling. "But a palace is more than a home, it must also serve as administrative centre. Show the world and your empire that this palace is not a place of sloth, but of change."

Which was to say she ought to make parts of the palace accessible for the day to day running of the empire, for meetings and other executive affairs, but her quarters were her own and should remain as such.