"Pride? No, I'm merely offering you perspective. I deal death with purpose and intent, which makes me different from a murderer. However, the work is very similar." It wasn't a matter that he would ordinarily concede, but if Rohaan was so curious to ask, then he would receive an honest answer. Guilt wasn't an emotion he ordinarily experienced, therefore he lived out much of his life without regret. There was only one thing that he truly regretted and it had happened so long ago that there was barely any benefit in thinking about it at all. Very soon, it would be left in the dust of the past, where it truly belonged. Perhaps his lack of humanity was something to regret on its own. Does anyone miss something that they never had? It doesn't matter. No one holds onto power through the generosity of others.

"It may also be worthwhile for you to remember that there are no men like me." The Emperor didn't speak in a conceited manner. There was a hidden meaning within his words, of course, although that was assuming anyone was being particularly observant. Needless pondering would only amount to little more than weightless speculation. Karl Valdemar could hardly ever be described as being an "open book" in any sense of the word. Oddly enough, it could also be said that he was more than just a man, or at the same time, others may say that he was less than. Depends on the perspective. In Karl Valdemar's own view, the distinction wasn't all that significant.

Rohaan didn't trust Karl Valdemar. It would have been amusing if he did, though the Emperor hadn't made any effort to establish trust in the first place. Nor would he ever. The damage had been done generations ago and it was a waste of time to overcome that fact. Besides, trust was an illusion. The only tangible difference between loyalty and betrayal were the incentives. He knew that Rohaan would relish the chance to betray him. It would be much the same for nearly anyone else who had a similar shared experience as the Shifter. It was all about the incentive and opportunity to do so, and the Emperor had went well out of his way to stack the deck in his own favor. This would persist until his daughter was back in Last Vigil and then the question would become irrelevant.

For all intents and purposes, it had seems as if the deal had been struck. That was good. It would have been less than optimal if the negotiations had dragged on for any longer. He'd commit it all to paper soon in the pavilion. They were losing the light of the day much faster than he would have liked, and besides, it was a bit windy outside for the signing of official documents. Still a pointless gesture, ultimately. If he were to die suddenly, he truly doubted that even a signed document would make much of a difference. It would be far from the first time proper procedure was ignored at the disadvantage of a non-human. Rohaan needed the Emperor or his daughter, and that was exactly what Karl Valdemar was counting on.

Then the Shifter spit ale in the Emperor's face. That was... entirely different from the dozens of things that he had thought the Vokurian would do in response to a perceived poisoning. In a certain way, Rohaan still hadn't disappointed him. Any tension that may have existed had broken, and it was admittedly an entertaining outcome. Possibly the greatest shame was that the ale wasn't even that good. He wouldn't even be able to chastise Rohaan for wasting quality alcohol. This had gained the attention of the Imperial soldiers, and they were beginning to move in to assist their emperor. Most had nearly gotten to the banquet table before Karl Valdemar managed to react.

"At ease! The only harm that's been done to me is that I now smell like a drunkard." He had already taken a finely embroidered handkerchief to wipe his face down. His eyes were still stinging from the alcohol while Rohaan broke into a laughing fit. Yes, the tension had clearly been broken. Karl Valdemar spat on the ground to remove the ale that had found its way into his mouth.

"I've no idea what you're rambling about," Karl Valdemar managed, though he clearly wasn't trying to be all that convincing. "I wagered that you wouldn't mind a taste of whiskey from my person collection, especially after all that ale." He shrugged, putting the diversion to a definitive end. 

"The rest of you may as well help yourselves. Negotiations are nearly concluded, and there's far too much food and drink left." He directed this to the soldiers and servants within range, and they did as he commanded. None were bold enough to ever disobey him. It truly was a shame. If he had subordinates like Rohaan, then being emperor would definitely be more interesting. Not to say that the constant assassination attempts weren't a different kind of entertaining.

There was only silence as Rohaan transformed himself into the Emperor. It was much more disturbing than watching the Shifter change into an animal like he had done. It was certainly a surreal experience to see a nearly perfect doppelgänger of yourself, but the eyes gave it away. It was always the eyes. His left arm was already reacting to the transformation, causing Karl Valdemar to turn his back to everyone so it was less noticeable. His arm twisted and convulsed, much more than it had before. There was an audible cracking noise, as if bones were breaking or joints were dislocating. However, just as quick as the transformation, his arm calmed. When Karl Valdemar turned back around, nothing was strange, he was simply rolling his shoulder as if he had slept on it wrong. His soldier were already on their feet, readying their weapons in opposition to the Shifter.

The Shifter was now openly taunting him by offering to remove the glove. Karl Valdemar's eyes narrowed. Rohaan's curiosity no longer seemed charming or interesting. "Captain, if the shiftling removes the glove, kill him." With that command, all weapons were fully unsheathed and at the ready, fully prepared for Rohaan to make the next move. Some secrets were better left unknown.