"The lord who surrendered it acted outside his authority!" Cedric countered, a flush of dark color rising along his neck, though he kept his tone low and restrained. "It was an ancestral heirloom belonging to the bloodline, not his personal property to throw at the feet of a king to buy political favor. House Valecroft has sought its return for generations."
Aurelia looked from the husband to the wife, her blue eyes entirely unbothered by his rising heat. "And yet, regardless of who you believe holds moral right to this ancient steel or stone... I fail to see where I fit into your family's grievance. I am the Queen of Virelia, not the master of lost property."
