"Only one who knew it was better than the alternatives," Lambert responds, simply. The Northern Realms were never peaceful; borders shift all the time as kings conquer and re conquer each other.

It's honestly a surprise that Strange doesn't get into it, but it's probably for the best. An argument would only stubbornly set Lambert's mind against it further. Just because it's in your bones doesn't mean you owe your loyalty to it, he'd argue. That sounds too much like destiny -- or the loss of choice that passes itself off as such. But as easy as he suspects it would be to keep picking at that scab, he'll grudgingly hold off. Strange hasn't pissed him off, and he's not asking him to swear loyalty to the Raven King. Lambert can think he's both impressive and someone he would never fucking want to beholden to, and things will have to be left at that (at least, until they ever get piss drunk and Lambert wants to start a fight again.)

Instead, he diverts the conversation onto a different topic entirely:

"So, what did your wife think of the Raven King? She did work on the book."