THERE was a moment of silence after the duke said that. Because it's such an awkward way to introduce yourself. Astrid was suddenly reminded of that iconic scene in a popular sci-fi movie from his past life, where Darth Vader revealed to Luke Skywalker that he was his father. If the duke and Reas had been in the middle of a duel, this moment would have carried the same energy as that.
It was probably a blessing in disguise that he had already met the duke before the 'big reveal' happened. At least, he wouldn't be subjected to this 'I'm your grandfather' announcement.
Astrid glanced at Reas and, sure enough, noticed the muscles twitching on his brother's face. It was clear he was struggling to maintain a straight expression.
He sighed inwardly. Just as he was about to change the subject to spare his brother from further awkwardness, someone else beat him to it.
