Yeah, that was the best I could come up with. Like I said, lying or trying to cover it up probably would have made things worse. So I figure being out-in-the-open about it would be the best approach.
Plus, Zimelda still isn't used to the whole "crime and legal punishment" system; making a slave out of someone who wronged you (or anybody, really) is probably quite common in Drow society, so she probably doesn't realize that her making him a lackey isn't quite how things work here.
At any rate, should I roll Diplomacy or something? Or will roleplaying be enough to determine the outcome of this?