Bastion could have kissed Lawrence.Some of the stiffness in Bastion’s neck and limbs bled away as a few men nodded.
Then, Lord Kyrith said something that zapped Bastion’s short-lived relief.“This is all a formality.Bastion has already taken the knee.”
Stunned silence followed.
King Torvald leaned forwards over his thighs, a flash of annoyance and curiosity competing with each other on his face.Another mannerism Endre had adopted.“You were knighted?”
Bastion nodded.The council members' eyes held the same focus as a line of arrows trained on a target.He fought to keep his shoulders back while his stomach threatened to jump into his mouth.
“By whom?”Queen Thyra asked.
Bastion took a deep, steadying breath.“Lady Nesrin, Your Majesty.”
The council erupted.
“What!”
“She did not!”
“That’s preposterous!”
The outrage continued, each exclamation as sharp as a whip crack.The king stroked his beard thoughtfully.A tremor tingled through Bastion’s fingers.He glanced at Hanniel, who hadn’t commented, but tipped his head back and inhaled deeply.Bastion took the cue and matched him, blocking the outrage and remembering his training.
Torvald cleared his throat.
“Only royalty can knight someone!”
“Are you challenging my daughter's place in the royal family?”Kyrith bellowed.“She’s third in line for the throne!”
“She’s a woman!”
“Silence!”the king thundered.
The room quieted, but the air was heavy with vitriol and scorn.Torvald shook his head.He waited a beat, then said, “Fetch Lady Nesrin.”
The doors opened, and Bastion’s mouth went dry, fearing he’d made a grave misstep.
A moment later, the strong, purposeful slap of Nesrin’s footsteps echoed behind him.Then, she stood at his side, the mask of a royal firmly in place.
“Hello, niece,” King Torvald said.“Your father tells us that you knighted Bastion.Is that true?”
The only evidence of her feelings was the vein still throbbing in her neck.“It is.”
Torvald raised a hand, silencing any whispers before they escalated.
“Tell us how it happened.”
“I ordered him to kneel, and then I knighted him.”
A series of scoffs ruptured behind them.A sharp look from the king cut off any simmering remarks.
“Why?”Torvald asked.
"I needed a knight at my side, Your Majesty,” Nesrin replied, “to fortify my men and make them believe that we would not just survive, but win.We didn’t know what was coming for us, only that we were likely outnumbered.If Sir Bastion had not come when he did, we would have been caught unaware.From the moment he set foot in the palace, Sir Bastion has been a truer example of knighthood than most who have earned the title."
The king sat back.“How so?”
Nesrin didn’t hesitate.“From day one, Bastion has been a friend to those weaker than himself.He has always helped and protected those who were in need.His origins may be humble, but he has often acted more nobly than those who now hold his fate in their hands.”
