"I assure you," and it's very dry, "that things were run very well with a woman at the helm."

Alanna quirks an eyebrow, every inch the proud knight. But Gibbs will be Gibbs, and she soon smiles.

"I had to convince him to take on the job. But yes, we still work closely together. I only stepped down because I'm needed at home. Tortall's crops failed last year, and things have been uneasy ever since."

Laughing, she pokes him in the arm and nods.

"Aye, though you lot hold a special place in my heart, I'm honor-bound to treat you as I would any patron. But as long as you don't try to kill anybody, I don't see it being a problem."