Aileas laughed, teeth-bared, the sound indolent and growling-low with pleasure. She shook her head and passed him, nudging their shoulders together as she prowled back around the desk. "Wouldn't care if you did, pup; none of my concern if lofty views or stone towers get you hard."

But her levity lapsed slowly into seriousness, and she ran her knuckles along the scars in the desk's surface. Paused, for a moment, head cocked, listening to something far beyond any hearing but her own. Ran her tongue over her teeth and frowned.

"But this feud, pup, this war... it concerns me. Nothing to be gained from it, already too much lost." She lifted her golden gaze to him, lips compressed, weathered face hard and grave. "Help me do well by us and ours. I'm no diplomat."