Well the food wasn't too poor in quality. He'd gotten used to military cooking early in his career, and by the standards of his previous experiences, this was certainly adequate. What he found issue with was his seating arrangements. The two officers beside him were in the midst of their own conversations, and he and Sabatine seemed to have begun a private contest on who could keep quiet the longest. He didn't feel like much of a victor when she broke her silence.

He almost laughed out loud at her words. For a brief moment he knew she was giving the equivalent of a kidney shot and he [i]almost[/i] admired it. But the good humor quickly fell away. Kaiden was arrogant enough to not bother with acting, but he decided to play along for now regardless. If she was going to be a bitch, he could be a right bastard. 

"Last I checked he was doing wonderfully." Kaiden said, his fingers gliding over to his glass he'd filled with wine and downing half of its contents in a single gulp. He would have downed the entirety of it, but he didn't want to cause more of a scene as of yet. "It's so kind of you to ask. Which reminds me, when was the last time you spoke to brother? The oldest brother who got you into the navy. I know you were attached to the hip, given how much he used to dote on you."

Of course he used ambiguous wording, as 'sending' her in wasn't necessarily bankrolling her. But it was just vague enough to let her worry over others overhearing. "Have you tried the wine, by the way? It's sweet and tart in all of the best ways. I should have been transferred earlier." 
[@Penny]