"We of the Slytherin Snake Sect, are guests of the King and Queen, here to attend the Royal Banquet, not to become a joke for entertainment!
Either stop with this childish game and let us pass, or we shall retreat and never come back!"
There was no reason for the Slytherin Snake Sect to lower their heads and soften the situation.
Since they were being tested, they were going to show serosity in their actions, but most importantly they were going to show a stance that didn't leave much space for interpretation.
Show too soft of an attitude and people will start taking you for granted and play around with you, show too haughty of an attitude and people will think you are out of control.
It's important to show guts while making sure that you don't surpass the boundaries.
This was exactly what Eric wanted to do in this moment, he wanted the Slytherin Snake Sect to show some spine, without losing all pretence with the Royal Family.
