"Well ... right now," Lenore points out, lifting her brows a little. "We already went over the part where you're an asset. And as far as I know, you're only an asset with a sword. I'm guessing that you don't know how to farm, or cook, or weave ... If that's so, then your only option is to be a mercenary. We want you to fight, for us, for pay. So we give you a mercenary's room, a mercenary's pay, point you at whatever sword fighting we want fought, repeat."

A reasonable enough offer, and also a hint that the swordswoman could have that life elsewhere, if she wanted it, down the road. Signing on with armies for pay, then moving on to the next battle. Transient, thankless, but still a life that plenty of people chose. A lot of freedom in that, as long as you didn't mind the orders that came with the pay.

"But maybe you're more special than that. A swordmaster. A prodigy. I could use a bodyguard, which would mean you go where I go, eat what I eat, and enjoy the life of the highest rank of servant. I'm offering you the chance to negotiate. So what is it that you want?"