Al snorted, not giving up the loot. "Oh, now you're making me choose? Didn't we already establish that I needed better options than those two - besides - what happened to the veela on that list? Or centaurs. Or merfolk. Not to mention several dozen of other omitted humanoid magical species." He pressed his lips together and declared after a pause. "Just for that, I want royalty. Someone exotic."
He tried to keep up the teasing tone, but somehow, somewhere, it softened out of his voice altogether.