[ He is quite cold. Nothing untoward about companionably sitting by one another! ]

You flatter me.

[ He smiles. Look, he grew up among nobles, he knows how to play nice. ]

I hail from across the sea. I was born there, and studied under the Brothers of the Blade, who is my Lord and patron. Myself and my brothers arrived upon these lands in order to provide aid to the needy. Though you can imagine that my plans did not include becoming a vampire -- I hardly believed such beings existed, until very recently.

[ He's putting this as nicely as he can, because again, Astarion is his teacher and they share a court. He's not going to pick a fight. ]