"No. Of course not. If it were my project to begin with, I would go with the next best option."

"But obviously I can't just order you to prioritize conquering Queenscourt and handing it to me, or it would result in you taking the most effective option; and you can see why I might not want to have you running around with no orders whatsoever when you've been comfortably working for the Queen for who knows how long."

Royal scrutinizes Arcane's face for a moment and then says, "Are you offended?"

"A not inaccurate description," says Arcane, "although that is not how I would have put it."

"I sympathize, but given what's at stake here, have you considered getting over yourself?"

"Your suggestion is noted."

Tea snorts.

"Offended by...?"

"I did say that is not how I would have put it."

"Well, how would you put it?"

"I understand that my ability to work comfortably as a member of the Queenscourt is not favourable evidence about my character, but more direct evidence is available. On practical grounds, my free cooperation is a more effective resource than my constrained assistance. In most respects you appear to be the sort of person I want in charge of the Queenscourt and therefore the sort of person I would freely cooperate with. But rather than being interested in determining whether you can trust my free cooperation and then asking for it, you appear to instead be interested in convincing me to willingly agree to be your tool of conquest rather than the Queen's."

"How would you like me to determine if I can trust your free cooperation? I produced a mortal character reference; similar are going to be thin on the ground for you and you could always agree and then change your mind."

"You may determine if you can trust my free cooperation by asking," says Arcane. "I have no knowledge of your criteria. But I am entirely capable of predicting how and under what circumstances I might change my mind. It is overwhelmingly unlikely that I will abandon cooperating with you unless you turn out to be secretly malevolent, or you fuck up the conquest of the Queenscourt so irreparably that the only sensible option remaining is to flee as far and as fast as possible."

"And you can firmly trust your predictions here because...?"

"I have an extremely long and extremely reliable track record of understanding myself to exactly the degree I think I do."

"That is... acceptable. I would like more time to think but I anticipate agreeing at the end of it."

"All right."

"Thank you for your help, Royal. Do you want to stick around?"

"Not sure. I'm definitely interested in offering all reasonable assistance to the conquest of the Queenscourt, but it seems like you haven't quite even reached the planning stages yet."

"Not quite, no. But a more comprehensive idea of what mortal magic we can get our hands on would be good once we do."

"I can arrange for us to get our hands on a lot of mortal magic, potentially," she says. "Besides just what Castle can manage, which is already a lot. I think I'm going to start looking into unusually effective, flexible, useful, and recent magic systems - see what I can add to the toolbox, and see if I can catch any inventors like Castle who might be inclined to help out."

"Thanks."

"Happy to help."