"Truthfully, I don't think he has a criteria. He just silently puzzles it out." Ruli shrugged, pronging a few mushrooms and devouring them. He nodded in agreement at the mention of a picnic by a waterfall. Not that it would be too difficult, having two people that jumped out of the normal means of transportation. 
"Are you going to tell her she'll be empress before or after she weds?" Ruli wondered. "Do you think it will impact her decision at all?"

And when she mentioned the Seer, Ruli froze, raising his head and pausing in his chewing. Listening, he continued to chew slowly, blinking. "What does that mean?" he wondered. "How ... how do you prepare for soemthing if you don't ... I mean, say you prepare for another Gemini fiasco, only instead its some plague?"