" He felt numb with defeat before the battle even begun. Then he remembered his father. He had told Stanton that a good knight never refused a fight simply because the odds were against him. In such times he was more likely to engage in combat. As a boy he had watched his father face four armed men at the same time. Stanton wondered where his father had found the strength.
"First you, then Serena," Lambert promised and looked up at the bedroom window. "She won't expect my attack tonight."
Stanton pulled himself up with new strength. He understood now the source of his father's bravery. It had come from his need to protect Stanton, the same way Stanton wanted to save Serena. "

― Lynne Ewing , The Sacrifice (Daughters of the Moon, #5)