Knights of the Realm

"I pledge my service and my loyalty, body and soul, to my Lord. When the clarion call is sounded, I will ride out and fight in the name of liege and Lady. Whilst I draw breath, the lands bequeathed unto me will remain untainted by evil. Honor is All! Chivalry is All! This I swear on my blood and my breath"

- The Knight's Vow

A Knight of the Realm is a fully-fledged Knight of Bretonnia who has taken the Knight's Vow after undertaking a great deed as a Knight Errand that has awarded the Knight with an estate, a title, and the status as a noblemen. Making up the bulk of the nobility within Bretonnian society, the Knights of the Realm form the mainstay of all Bretonnian armies, and are given the responsibility of administrating a domain, which is generally a simple few acres of land, a village and a castle from which he has absolute rule. Those under the Knights rule are bound to his service, to work the fields and pay his taxes, and in exchange the Knight provides his subjects with protection. Within the hierarchy of Bretonnia's Feudal System, the Knights of the Realm form the foundations of the nobility, from which they are bound by fealty to another Lord of higher status and prestige, which grows all the way up the Royarch himself.

A Knight of the Realm is duty-bound to defend his people and his estate until death. Trained in the art of war, a single Knight of the Realm is expected to defend himself and his subjects from only the most minor of threats. Should the situation become too desperate, a Knight of the Realm is allowed to marshall the peasants of the village into battle, or to shelter them within the confines of his castle until help arrives from the neighboring domain. Above all however, a Knight of the Realm is to obey and embody the standards of Chivalry.

When called to war, each Knight of the Realm is required by fealty to answer the call from his Lord and join him on his campaign. Each Knight of the Realm is required to maintain his own company of soldiers, such as a company of Men-at-Arms to either fight on his behalf, or to defend his domain while on leave. When a Knight of the Realm leaves for a campaign, he brings as many Men-at-Arms company as he possible can to bolster the ranks of his Lords army.

When on the battlefield, a Knight of the Realm forms up around others of similar status and forms the bulk of most Bretonnian cavalry squadrons. Though their Errand quest are done, a Knight of the Realm are still all too eager to show their mantle in battle, and would glady face the toughest enemy opponent to prove such a point.

Source

 * Warhammer Armies: Bretonnia (6th Edition) -- p. 51