I was re-watching Attack of the Clones a few days ago and a scene got me questioning...Padme needs protection so Palpatine and the Jedi agree to assign her someone. Then Palpatine, with a mishievous grin, says something like: "Maybe an old friend: Obi-Wan Kenobi!". Why was Palpatine so eager and pleased to reunite Obi-Wan and Padme? Maybe because he knew this would mean Anakin would have a chance to see Padme again? But why would this matter to him at this point so early in the story? He has yet to know the part she will have to play in Anakin's downfall..or could he really predict the future so far ahead? If he really manipulated the events right from the start, even Anakin and Padme's love, I would say my hat off to The Emperor. With a mastermind like this, you can not blame anyone for having been tricked by his plan. On one side I do believe he could have simply thought that by putting Padme and Anakin together they would maybe fall in love and he would have Padme as a "pawn" to play in Anakin's downfall later on...but if this is true, Palpy is a true visionary! It is after all a big stretch of imagination to think that Padme, such a dedicated senator, would lose all her senses and give in to a forbidden love with Anakin! Indeed they decide not to give into it. Only when faced with death, in the Arena, does Padme decide to confess her love for Anakin. So for Palpatine to be able to see all this already before Anakin and Padme even met again would be amazing....maybe a bit too far-fetched. Did he maybe have other reasons to assign Obi-Wan/Anakin to Padme for protection?