It had become provincial, in a negative way? The reasonable, sober part of Aimery's brain recognized that Ivan probably wasn't intending anything derogatory and it was merely a language issue —Provencal being the language of the region his father was from— but the phrasing still made him bristle slightly due to a combination of alcohol and lingering affection for his heritage.

"You dislike that Bristol has become more provincial, yet would choose a French city? Because Paris is less boring?" Aimery shuffled at and stared hard at his cards as he added, "My father was from a town near Limoges, in Aquitaine."