Slowly, one eyelid twitches.

"Why isn't free will included in the base model?

"Why isn't she allowed to have a sex drive by default? Why is she forbidden to fall in love?

"Why is long life an afterthought?

"Why are you asking me what the [i]human[/i] wants? Why do you think the only thing a servitor can be besides a tool is a pet? Why aren't you asking [i]Mynx[/i] any of this?

So many questions, lining up and throwing themselves against the gates of her mouth, all screaming to be released and none of them allowed to get out and oh [i]gods[/i] how can they be so calm about this? How can they look at this and know this and think this is alright? How can you be so calm about this, act like trillions of people being hand-crafted to be the perfect tools is right?! It's me! It's you! How can you just [i]accept[/i] that your purpose is to make sure this continues?

Inside her head, her words are bringing up a battering ram.

"Redana does not want a pet," finally slips out, and she's proud that it [i]is[/i] a slip, and not a scream. "She could have had any number of royal pets back in the palace. She wants a friend, but not one who's only her friend because she's the princess. You're sure free will can't be had with her biology?"