clearly, the existence of the dog is a negative externality to me

It started like all of their arguments did, which is to say that it started like all of their conversations did, because their conversations and their arguments were the same, equivalent sets.

In most cases, Minoth took the offense, a gentle roast of (virtually nonexistent) princely derriere, and Addam the defense, a round and affable wincing ease about the whole affair. On occasion, though it was rare, it would be Addam persistently pulling at some thread or other of Minoth's thin-wearing patience and thinner self-esteemed core beneath; the former was reserved in such condition for the prince in particular, and the latter reserved for all parties but yet only so neatly exposed by one so cluelessly adept as the bastard man himself.

But it started, and so it did start, with eventuality and with bangs and whimpers both.

"Did you really have to tell them about that?"

"About what?" Minoth snarled, as if somehow simultaneously feigning a vested interest in the issue and rearing his head from distraction.

He didn't want Addam to repeat the offending factoid of revelation, no, but he didn't want to acknowledge that he'd known this was coming, either. A vestige of Amalthus, perhaps; knowing quite intimately when and how to pick and choose his battles and advantages both alike.

So Addam relented: "That I didn't want to awaken Mythra. People aren't supposed to know that, you know." Not straight out, anyway.

"Since when are you compulsed about what people are and aren't supposed to know?" Still casually, Minoth spoke. Tossed-off. "People aren't supposed to like you, but they do, and you don't hate them for it."

And consider that, wouldn't you, Minoth? People aren't supposed to like you, but they do, and you don't hate them for it, because you can't, so why not yourself?

But that was and is little more than a sidebar. More telling and pressing was Addam's use of the Aegis's name, rather than their title.

Thinking back over the prince's words, Minoth found them suspiciously well-tailored to Addam's semi-hushed, incensed tone of voice. No one ever said that Addam didn't see Mythra as a person - he wasn't quite that far gone on his fear - but the issue here was about Aegisdom, principally, and all that implied.

Minoth brushed it off. "You act like I was trading gossip about someone I didn't know. All I said was that you'd had your reservations about it."

At that, Addam exploded. "Had my reservations?! You really expect me to believe that after all the rampant, slimy politicking you've borne witness to, you think you can just stand off as a casual anonymous source telling old ladies in the market about people - the most important people in all of Alrest, relatively, though I'm much more than loath to admit it - having their reservations?

"It doesn't make me look smart, Minoth. It just makes me look like an ass."

"You are one. You haven't got one, but you are one."

"Believe me, I'm trying my best!"

"Well-" no pause here, and no one could say if it'd have been better or worse if there had been, "-your best isn't good enough."

Gritted teeth. Clenched jaw.

Pace. Pace. Pace.

"Neither is yours."

Scowling, Addam made to abandon any semblance of level head and stormed off without so much as a shove at Minoth's arm as he passed.