The judge doesn't seem to have anything to say to that. He's staring blankly at his tea-stained paperwork.

"You seem like you maybe need to think things through a little better."

He makes a choked sound that's a hybrid between a whimper and a sob.

"Want to declare me innocent now?"

Whimper-nod.

"Oh good!"

"Thank you. Anyone else involved?"

The judge swallows, then mumbles a name to his lap.

"H-he said you were. Trying to get his brother into trouble."

"Was he. Then that," says Zeothe, "will be my next stop. But I should just be able to handle that on my own, if I'm no longer legally dead. Unless you particularly want to come?" He looks at Sekar.

"Nah, have fun."

"Probably at least a little."

He looks at the judge.

"Estimated time for when I will no longer be a wanted man?"

"I - I can file the paperwork today, but - ah - sometime tomorrow to be safe?"

"Guess I find somewhere to sleep tonight and go be a terror tomorrow, then."

The Emperor makes a portal back to his sitting room and steps through it, with a slight beckoning wave to Zeothe.

"Have a nice night," says Zeothe to the judge, neutrally. Then: sitting room!

Eselle's nestled on the couch, engrossed in her book.

"That went well, I think!"

"Yeah, I think so too."

Eselle - after a pause - looks up from her book and gives a little smile.

"Good! Um, should I not ask questions about how it went well, or...?"

"Nah, it's fine. We basically were just ourselves at him and he cracked and started crying near immediately."

... Snort. "Okay."

"He had some ill-considered opinions about self-dedication."

"And had someone killed for it?" she says, bewildered.

"I think there were some other factors at play, he mentioned someone telling him I'd been trying to get his brother into trouble, but, uh." He sits on the couch next to his sister. "Basically yes."