Athelstan gets up feeling a reprimindation coming on for his untrustworthiness. He follows Béar into the kitchen.
[sblock] Looking evenly up into the big man's face, Athelstan speaks defensively right back:
Listen, pal, I couldn't help but fall over how concerned you are for your queen... so I'll try not to be too offended by your demanding tone. Just get one thing straight, though... I'm no soldier boy of yours, least ways just yet, so reign that attitude back. Far as you, personally, are concerned... I'm sorry if voicing myself gave you some kind of offense. But I'm not willing to throw in with ANYBODY unless they can take me speaking my mind and give me a straight answer back without a pause. Looking like THIS (holds his left hand hand palm-forward up into the other man's face) all your life can kinda kill any belief in others' to look below the skin.
Now if we're in agreement that your queen is on the up an' up, swell. I appreciated your working WITH me rather than AGAINST me during all of that craziness out there (jerks his thumb towards the door to the main room) and not believing straight off that I had something to do with that misery. But make no mistake, you won't gain my attentiveness nor my thankfulness by barking at me like that again. Do we agree to stop acting like heathens at each other?
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