“Isaac.” Derek’s voice was quiet, but commanding. He leaned back in his seat, looking over the Argents. “There are no serfs here,” he told the pair. “Nor slaves. No man may own another in my lands.”
Lord Argent bristled. “Do you say your laws run in my lands as well? Your so-called knight stole one of my serfs, and I demand it be returned. Is this the honour of the Hales?”
“It,” said Derek, voice dreadfully low. “Humans are not property, and by my law anyone in my lands is free. There are no serfs here.”
“And what of the maiming of my son? Is there to be no recompense for that? A fine prince you have here,” Lord Argent sneered. “The son is less fit to rule than even the mother was. No wonder your kingdom is so weak, ruled by such women.”
Isaac prickled with indignation as he was berated, but nevertheless, he held his tongue, not yet wanting to add more fuel to the fire unless Sir Kit spoke out of turn.
But it appeared Derek had some tricks under his sleeve, and he watched with admiration as his brother stood upright and uttered the rules of the land aloud, and he smiled inwardly. Even Sir Kit and the others would struggle to find fault with those regulations.
“Don’t say that!” he hissed then, outraged by the slur against his adopted family and before anyone could stop him, he’d strode across the room with the tip of his dagger being pressed under the chin of Sir Argent. He knew full well he would be punished for this, but he couldn’t stand to hear a negative word targeted against his family.
Lord Argent delicately removed the point of the dagger from his skin with a fingertip. “Am I to understand you are challenging me?” he said silkily. “Very well, I accept. Of course you understand that as a ruling lord, I cannot run the risk of being unexpectedly killed over such a trifle — I’m sure you’ll be just as willing to face my champion, won’t you, Sir Isaac?” The expression he showed couldn’t be mistaken for a smile, despite the flashing of his teeth.
He turned and beckoned to his retinue, and a burly, dark knight, fully half a head taller than Isaac, stepped forward. “I’m sure Sir Ennis will bear my honour proudly.”