<span style="font-size: 12px">He shook his head at her words, the ever-amused smile dancing on his lips.  "Oh, fledgling," he sighed.  "Surely you are more intelligent than that.  There is an entire <i>culture</i> here, and whether or not you accept it or even know of it, it is still half of you."<br/>
<br/>
Raffe shrugged, remarking, "I don't need your loyalty, just your obedience."  He snickers internally. <br/>
<br/>
When they finally reached his room, far away in the eastern corner of the castle, he held the heavy doors open for her, waiting for her to step inside.<br/>
<br/>
"I'm sure, fledgling, that whatever you have in store for me, I will not be disappointed."  Raffe smiled, but there was no warmth or kindness to it.  His smiles were rather automatic, something one learned early on living among royalty and high ranking nobles.  He wasn't sure if he ever grinned freely or easily or without an enigmatic condescension, or <i>just because</i> anymore. No matter.  He could learn to smile like that once he got what he deserved.<br/>
<br/>
"Welcome home," he said.<br/>
<br/>
His room was ostentatiously large.  The opposite wall was essentially made of all windows, with two large glass doors leading to an equally luxurious balcony.  The curtains were pulled back, showcasing the view of forests and mountains, and in the distance, a far off ocean. <br/>
<br/>
His room was brightly lit with natural light, shining on the shelves and shelves of books that reached the tall ceiling. There was a massive bed in the corner, a beautifully crafted desk in another, and an array of random knickknacks and scrolls and small sculptures littered throughout the space. His room wasn’t particularly dirty, but it was obvious that he spent a lot of time in it, reading and studying (and any whimsical shenanigan that came to mind). <br/>
<br/>
“I don’t expect you to clean,” he informed her.  “Not really anyways. A method to the madness, is the phrase, I believe.  I’ll give you duties as they come to mind.”  He glanced at her scales, the bright way in which they glinted against the incoming light. Majestic wasn’t quite the word — magnificent?  He wasn’t particularly enchanted, but perhaps <i>fascinated</i>, intrigued. New toys didn’t always do that for him, as he knew how easily they could break. This fledgling seemed different, however.<br/>
<br/>
“Ah, you’ll be sleeping here, as well,” Raffe informed her. “I like my belongings close by, after all. We need you out of those rags, too, and you could use a good scathing scrub.”</span>