In the same way the Vanguard shadow guards were fiercely, undeniably loyal to Heena and her grandfather, the Black Feathers were the Emperor's personal attack dogs. But while the Vanguard guards still possessed a shred of human morality and familial warmth, the Black Feathers had none of it.
They only knew the Emperor. They only cared for the Emperor.
Titles, wealth, and aristocratic honor meant absolutely nothing to them. If the Emperor suddenly pointed a finger at his own beloved Empress and ordered them to execute her, the Black Feathers wouldn't even blink before severing her head. If the Emperor ordered them to slaughter the entire capital city, they would draw their swords and start marching down the streets without a second thought.
You couldn't argue with them. You couldn't bribe them. You couldn't threaten them.
The Emperor almost never let them out of the inner palace unless he needed something incredibly dangerous quietly taken care of.
