That’s what being human means: to be master of your own fate. - Karl Schroeder

Even the gods fight boredom in vain.

“Then you have no more wish to rule? The country needs you now more than ever.”
She shook her head. “I’ve been crushed under the weight of power all my life. I think I’m going to enjoy missing it.” She laughed at the lightness with which she dismissed royal power. Every moment was a surprise, these days. She hoped that that feeling would never end.

The being was trying to get him to think about what he was saying, not just recite.