"As do I," Agathe said, muttering a nearly-silent prayer under her breath as she closed her eyes... Then opened them again, staring down at Edmund's as she lifted her helmet's visor, revealing her sharp-featured, pale-skinned face. For a woman who held little rank and little real experience, she showed practically none of that, meeting Edmund with the firmness one might expect of his betters, not someone that was several years his younger. Whether his concern was genuine or a mere placation, however, she didn't know.

"My Canoness has gracefully granted me permission to join you- though there will be stipulations," she said, casting her mind back to the conversational lessons of her time as a Cantus.

[i]Both a carrot and a stick, Agathe. Stand firm,[/i] she reminded herself.

"...In order to ensure I can adequately meet my other duties to Him, of course. I will require that I be permitted to take leave on Shrine Worlds when able, for example. My oath will be to Him, then to His Imperium, then your dynasty, and I will not be able to sign a contract that binds me to service in perpetuity," Agathe explained, rolling the tension out of her shoulders.