Robert Hastings has sworn an oath to serve the king and refuses to break his oath and turn traitor. More than that he despises the fact that Englishmen are fighting and killing other Englishmen over what he views as petty squabbles. Robert would much rather fight England’s external enemies, but the inner turmoil must be dealt with first. In his eyes, the rebellion will only hurt the people of England and weaken it as a whole.