"Are you dissatisfied as well?"
Every ounce of royal training was demanded of Bane in that moment. He could not show the emotions that surely boiled within him. He could not agree with the protestors without sounding weak and entitled, as if he feared a fair fight. He was trapped, and the masterful player had to find a way out.
He stepped forward, and when he spoke, his voice was clear, confident, and carried a warmth that belied the ice in his veins.
He offered his father a respectful bow, and then a smile that was every bit as flawless and composed as the one he had been wearing.
"Dissatisfied, Father?" Bane said, his tone laced with humble conviction. "How could I be? You have just offered me the one thing I have always wanted above all else."
He paused, letting the curiosity build.
