>>5272946“Female,” you address her with great derision, without proper title, “you cause me a particular sort of fatigue.”
“A weak constitution, is it?” she chides, tutting. “Another defect in our Defective Dragonborn?”
You glower, but she is nonplussed. You sigh. You can ill afford to lose face before you have built up a reputation with a victory, and she well knows this. Even so…
“If you reveal my secret, your own chance to see the surface will be lost along with my own future,” you point out.
“Nonsense!” The Novice says cheerily. “The Chaplain assigned you this task, and he already knows what you are.”
“If another males ousts me, do you think he will be as permissive of your childish attempts at subterfuge and psychological warfare?”
“I suppose we’ll see!” she says, seemingly unbothered.
You meet her gaze levelly, attempting to stare her down… But damnit, the Novice will not break, even to your Presence!
>12“Fine,” you spit, “you may choose a member of your choice for our retinue, if you keep the secret of my birth and prevent your father from learning of my departure with the Green Dragonborn.”
“W-what?” she stammers. “No! That isn’t how this works – you don’t get to choose the favour! I do, OBVIOUSLY!”
“Take it or leave it,” you day sternly, crossing your arms. “I will not give the likes of you the opportunity to lord an unconditional debt over my head indefinitely, you exasperating creature. Besides, surely one as highborn and well-connected as you has many allies who might fill the slot?”
“But I don’t have…” she trails off, averting her eyes for the first time. She is still now, no longer fidgeting happily… And when she moves again, it is a discomfited squirming. Her smarmy expression gains an odd edge to it when she meets your eyes once more.
“I will choose an entire research staff,” she says. “Four more experts in fields of my choosing. This will leave you the freedom to select another eight meat-shields to keep us safe as we attend to our REAL work.”
You groan, and roll your shoulders in a shrug. That’s seven more worthy males, after the Pit-Guard is accounted for: a party of 14, all said and done. Respectable.
“Yes, alright,” you relent. “Trouble me no longer. I have more important things to attend to.”
“Like gallivanting around, playing with your ‘brother’? Ha! Have fuu~uun! Your secret waste-of-time is safe with me!”
You pointedly ignore her as you leave.