He lifted his brows high in surprise, “opposite of my usual behavior?” he mused. He looked mildly offended. “I can assure you, lakeman, that my composure is on par with my pedigree. Impeccable. Why I would be so well-mannered that they would invite me to dinner!” He crossed his arms tightly against his chest. This is not how he expected the morning to go. He thought for certain he would get to the bottom of things for his father, and be back to Laketown by late afternoon. Oh no. This was going to be a long day, with one man he found it the toughest to be civil with.
’Twas a fine day to be out on the lake. The sun had not come out to greet them, but the temperature was pleasant. And there was beauty to be found in the matching gray colours of water and sky as Bard’s barge glided through, causing ripples and small waves. He had chosen not to further waste his breath arguing with Destrian; the way the lake surrounded them was too lovely a sight to ruin with venomous words. He considered, briefly, that it might prove fruitful to at least try and be pleasant with Destrian. It certainly could not do any harm. If they were to spend the rest of the day together, and the rest of their lives encountering one another in a relatively small town, it might be wise indeed to try and make amends. And it certainly might make the rest of the day a little more bearable…
“So I suppose you’ll be taking over once your father retires?” he began, keeping his voice carefully polite. “That must be quite the responsibility to take on.”
