Despite the seemingly tense situation, Andrew could tell that Elder Arkos was not actually hostile, but genuinely concerned. The mere fact that he appeared at this meeting and calmly asked for explanations was proof of this.
Noticing this, Andrew did not want to complicate the situation any further and, relaxing his tone a bit, began to explain, "Venerable Elder, my intention is not to create discord, nor to generate humiliation or anger, but you have to understand my position."
Andrew paused and looked at the Elder to see if his change in attitude had the desired reaction and seeing that the Elder seemed more assertive he continued, "We all have our hidden cards, but that does not mean that I am keeping them because I am planning to use them against you."
