>>5441477“There’s still the matter of this woman you’ve brought home Nero.”
Your mother who had been silent up until now finally speaks.
“I must say I am glad to see you have had a female companion all this time. All those years without any youthful indiscretion, spending all your time hunting and training. I was beginning to think you preferred men.”
Althea was starting to look very embarrassed right about now.
“Given that you have cared for her all this time and she has never betrayed you, your word is enough to convince me that she’s trustworthy.”
You sigh in relief.
“At least it would be if she were human, but she’s clearly not human. Her strange appearance, her unnatural strength and most damning of all the fact that she was repelled by the same shard that kept the wastes monsters at bay. How do I know that your dear Althea is not another Dragon waiting to awaken and wreak havoc?”
Althea looked down at the floor, crestfallen at your mother’s accusations.
“Mother I swear to you just as I swear to Tyrol that Althea is no threat to the house of Falkner. In fact she is an indispensable asset and I must have her at my side.”
Your mother gave an exasperated smile.
“Oh Nero my son. If we were in any less dire circumstances I would deem the both of you too great of a risk, but the house stands on the verge of destruction, soon all manner of enemies will be at our gates looking to take advantage of our weakness. If anyone can guide house Falkner through this storm it’s you.”
