Lina remained calm and turned toward Baldwin de Flanders with a friendly smile. "Is something the matter, Duke of Flanders? Do you have something you would like to say?"
"Nothing at all, Your Majesty."
By now, Baldwin had realized that the Queen had come prepared. He was furious at what he suspected was an agreement between Lina and the Duke of Upper Burgundy, but he could find no reasonable grounds on which to challenge her decision.
After all, no law prohibited legitimate children from taking their mother's surname. Lina had also made it clear that this was a special privilege granted to the Duchess of Upper Burgundy, not a change she intended to impose on every noble family in the empire. How could Baldwin possibly argue that the arrangement was unlawful? If he did, he would have to explain why the Duke of Lower Burgundy should be allowed to inherit everything from his uncle's family simply because he was a man.
That was hardly an argument Baldwin wanted to make in public.
