Palpatine was so very good at hiding it, in some ways. But in others, not so much. Or perhaps he had just been used to children like Padmé rather than children like Anakin, who had to have a very keen sense of who was a predator of any type, and who wasn't, in order to have even lived to ten.
"Padmé manages to come up with things that work against them in the War." That wasn't a denial, quite the opposite in fact - they had spoken a few times, about how Palpatine had acted as a mentor to her as well, starting when she had been just three. And he'd been the Senator from Naboo when she was in the Junior Legislature, so they'd worked together then as well. If he really was calling the shots behind the scenes, it would take someone who thought like he did to out maneuver him.
"All kinds of reasons, someone to manipulate, mid-rim solidarity, I don't know, I was ten." And focused on Padmé, not the Senate or the Queen.
But there was still a refusal there, Anakin digging his heels in.
There were other things that made him suspicious, things Palpatine had always managed to explain away. The art and artifacts in his private office that felt so distinctly Dark they made Anakin feel a little ill to be around, explained at pieces of art or antiques he liked to collect - certainly not all of it was Dark after all. The mural in his office, a depiction of the last Sith-Jedi Wars.
"He said he knew what it was like to be an outsider on Coruscant." But even to Anakin's ears, his voice sounded weak. Palpatine's attention, both at Naboo's celebration ceremony and later on Coruscant had made him uneasy for reasons he'd never discussed, with anyone. Mostly due to shame, Palpatine had been so kind to him and Anakin had truly been suspect of his motives at first. After all his own experience with wealthy, powerful, older men who took an interest in children they were not at all related to was to assume abuse would happen. But it hadn't, at all. Palpatine had even figured out what Anakin was worried about an reassured him, hadn't even been angry with him and had tried not to embarrass him when he explained how much Anakin was misunderstanding and didn't know.
He'd been good. And had always supported Anakin, even with things Anakin had always known he could never talk to Obi-Wan about. Like his mother and what had happened.
holy bad themes and gaslighting batman
"Padmé manages to come up with things that work against them in the War." That wasn't a denial, quite the opposite in fact - they had spoken a few times, about how Palpatine had acted as a mentor to her as well, starting when she had been just three. And he'd been the Senator from Naboo when she was in the Junior Legislature, so they'd worked together then as well. If he really was calling the shots behind the scenes, it would take someone who thought like he did to out maneuver him.
"All kinds of reasons, someone to manipulate, mid-rim solidarity, I don't know, I was ten." And focused on Padmé, not the Senate or the Queen.
But there was still a refusal there, Anakin digging his heels in.
There were other things that made him suspicious, things Palpatine had always managed to explain away. The art and artifacts in his private office that felt so distinctly Dark they made Anakin feel a little ill to be around, explained at pieces of art or antiques he liked to collect - certainly not all of it was Dark after all. The mural in his office, a depiction of the last Sith-Jedi Wars.
"He said he knew what it was like to be an outsider on Coruscant." But even to Anakin's ears, his voice sounded weak. Palpatine's attention, both at Naboo's celebration ceremony and later on Coruscant had made him uneasy for reasons he'd never discussed, with anyone. Mostly due to shame, Palpatine had been so kind to him and Anakin had truly been suspect of his motives at first. After all his own experience with wealthy, powerful, older men who took an interest in children they were not at all related to was to assume abuse would happen. But it hadn't, at all. Palpatine had even figured out what Anakin was worried about an reassured him, hadn't even been angry with him and had tried not to embarrass him when he explained how much Anakin was misunderstanding and didn't know.
He'd been good. And had always supported Anakin, even with things Anakin had always known he could never talk to Obi-Wan about. Like his mother and what had happened.