"I do," Emryn snaps, looking like he's trying to figure out how to go around the solid wall of Nyx in front of him. "And I will thank his unwashed guardsman to step aside, you--"

"Say another word about my guardsman," Laurent warned, smoothly hooking his arm through Nyx's, "and I'll have you thrown out of this court." He didn't know what was behind Nyx's bizarre behavior, but he wasn't about to tolerate insults to Nyx, especially not from Emryn.