[grey-area]

I would ask politely for 11 months, as that is what you feel you are due given the work you did - anything more is unreasonable. Then take what you are offered on the second round, which may be less, but should be more than 3.5 months. They want the release, you want a bit more for your efforts - there's bound to be a settlement somewhere in the middle.

These shares might be worth a lot in a few years time, or (more likely) they might be worth nothing, they are therefore not necessarily worth sacrificing lots of your time and money over, unless you are convinced that they will soon be worth millions. Remember also that even if you get these options, the board could still dilute them to virtually nothing very easily. They could easily make them worthless by fiat (by expanding the shares pool and assigning you no more) if they want to in future.

What's important for you is to move on with your life feeling you have made the best of a bad situation, rather than wasting energy on a potentially fruitless lawsuit or public spat, neither of which will do your career or character any good. You don't want to end up in Jarndyce v Jarndyce for the next few years and waste some of your life, only to find at the end you have some worthless bits of paper and lasting bitterness.