Maid Aegirine left, leaving Rodgardae to wonder what was so peculiar about her presence. She had the strong, solid build of women of the tradesman class, or perhaps a farmer, but twice now she had faced him directly and held herself with a quiet dignity that Rodgardae found surprising.

Usually, even experienced dragon maids found him off-putting and intimidating in his dragon form. In general, his experience with the dragon maids of Kaaltendt was that they were often plucked from the lower classes, so he had always ranked his expectations of them accordingly. But Maid Aegirine struck a note with him that he could not quite hear clearly, as if she were familiar or known outside of a time when he had surely seen her with the other maids working in the fort. It had startled him when she had first encountered him the week before, and the discomfort had not faded on their second meeting. He shook his head again and turned back to the matter at hand.

Interesting? he asked through the bond he shared with Mani. In his dragon form, thoughts and language were precarious things to translate for the human brain, but Mani, the son of a dragon and the sibling of many others, was used to extrapolating the complexities.

“I’ve seen plenty of people who were not scared of you, but few who would look you in the eye and then step closer.” Mani sipped at his drink, his eyes still on the door Maid Aegirine had bolted out of a few moments earlier.

Strong, Rodgardae said.

“Strong…hmm…yes, but not like a human is strong. Strong the way a dragon is strong: curious, proud, self-confident.”

Not a dragon.

“Definitely not. She would never have been accepted as an apprentice dragon maid. In fact she’d be sitting at Queen Theaedra’s elegantly clawed foot.” He sighed heavily. “But it does suggest she has prior exposure to dragons, does it not? Along with her comment about her father. Very, very interesting.” Mani tapped the glass in his hands with his fingernails, much as a dragon would tap a rock while thinking.

Rodgardae decided not to ask any further about it, but was not surprised that Maid Aegirine showed up on the list of recommendations for Dr. Worthan’s assistant. When Mani had time to needle Mistress Seraphinite about it, Rodgardae had no idea, and he was genuinely happier that way.

A few days later, when he had reshaped himself back into his walking form, he held a meeting with Captain Wildt and the headmistress. Each had brought their own assistants with them — Lt. Helmnen for Wildt, and Maid Pyrite for Seraphinite — as the matter was considered of high priority. They all stood in his office, at attention, as he reviewed the list. Mani was behind him, but sitting in his favorite lounge chair and drinking tea, feigning disinterest.

“The scores on these three are fairly equitable. I do not know them personally, however. Mistress Seraphinite, as you work with all three apprentice maids, do you have an opinion to offer on which one would suit Dr. Worthan best?”

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Mistress Seraphinite looked blankly at Rodgardae for a long moment. She was an intimidating woman and her behavior always impeccably proper. He found it a comfort that a woman with such a stern hand had some say in the aerie. She hardly replaced a queen dragon, of course, but the effect was similar if less powerful.

“I recommend Maid Aegirine. She’s of fine mind and strong stock, but she has a genteel hand.”

She was also straightforward and honest in her opinions. Rodgardae appreciated that, as too often people were intimidated by him so much they did little more than stammer. She was an excellent choice for training future dragon maids, he thought absently before nodding at her. “The maid will suit, then.”

She nodded back. “I am glad to hear it, my lord.”

Wildt was self-consciously studying the wall opposite him. Rodgardae looked at him directly. “Have a comment to add, Lieutenant?”

Wildt’s eyes shifted quickly to Mistress Seraphinite before turning to Rodgardae. “No, my lord. I trust the opinion of the headmistress without question. The maid will suit.”

Rodgardae tried not to let his surprise at Wildt’s brusque formality show, and wondered if possibly Wildt and the headmistress suffered a falling out in their working relationship. He wasn’t blind to Wildt’s interest in the headmistress, but he also knew that dragon maids were contractually prohibited from engaging in any kind of romantic or sexual liaisons with the dragons under their care. He resolved to ask Mani about it later, dismissing the matter for the present. “Then we’re settled. Have her schedule rearranged to assist Dr. Worthan when he arrives.”

“Perhaps assign her some advanced dragon anatomy books as preparation,” Wildt offered, then looked surprised at his own audacity before turning to face front again.

“Thank you for the suggestion, Captain,” Seraphinite said primly, although the tone of it did not sound like gratitude in the least. Rodgardae tried not smirk as Mani made an inelegant grunt of amusement behind him.

“You all are dismissed,” Rodgardae said instead, pushing back from his desk to stand.

They all bowed, and Mistress Seraphinite cast a quick, hard glance towards Wildt before leaving the room quickly, a very flustered Maid Pyrite on her heels. Wildt and Helmnen left after only a brief pause, nodding at Mani as they retreated.

“Brave man to tell the headmistress her own job,” Mani said, a wicked smile to his lips.

“You can tell some dragons have never been in direct service to a queen.” Rodgardae picked up his own tea cup and settled across the small table from Mani, who was laughing. They relaxed and drank tea for a few moments before Mani looked him over.

“Did you truly have no opinions about the list of candidates for the position?”

“I did, but unlike Wildt, I know when to bend my neck. Mistress Seraphinite says Maid Aegirine is the right choice, then I will take her at her word.”

“Hm.” Mani pursed his lips. “Yet she did not seem very happy about it.”

“More to her credit. It’s one thing not to like a colleague serving with you in a hellhole like this, but to recommend them for a prestigious position such as being assistant to a draconic physician despite that shows character.”

Mani sighed. “You forget where you are, beloved. Most natives of Kaaltendt would not consider that a prestigious position.” He drank the dregs of his tea in one full swallow and gave Rodgardae a sardonic, slightly pitying look which Rodgardae accepted as his due.