yeah it was just kinda crazy for doc scratch to be like btw its expected for heiresses to challenge the empress for the throne [this will never come up again for feferi] like it's just sad... she should've been there... or at the very least she should've been part of the story to some extent that her not being there was a specific subversion... and now i can only hope that that she comes up to then act a commentary for the fact that she wasnt there as some grander point on audience expectation and then disappointment at not meeting that expectation... idk...