Chapter 87: Ruthless Nyrielle
"What am I missing?" Ashlynn asked, looking into the vampire’s midnight blue eyes. She was afraid she’d see disappointment there but instead she found a hint of... amusement? "You don’t need to fight Hauke at all," Nyrielle said, her voice losing its warmth and gaining a faint edge. "Destroy someone else, perhaps one of his rivals. Find an excuse to do it preemptively. The difficulty is more or less the same but your harvest will be much greater."
"But you asked me what to do if Hauke is the one testing me," Ashlynn asked, confused about why Nyrielle would mention a proactive attack.
"Yes, but no one ever said he would come at you directly," Nyrielle said, shaking her head. "You’ve seen human noblemen and merchants scheme against each other in all manner of subtle ways. Don’t think that the Eldritch won’t scheme against you simply because we value contests of strength."
"But if the test is coming from Hauke and I strike out at someone who is blameless..." Ashlynn started, only to be silenced by a finger placed gently on her lips.
"No one who desires the power to rule is blameless," the vampire said, all emotion draining away from her face, leaving her cold and expressionless. "When you rule, you must see a wider world. Anyone who opposes Eldritch Lord Ritchel is a valid target when your goal is, as you said, to protect the favorable relationship between the Vale of Mists and the High Pass."
"If you crush one of Hauke’s rivals, eliminating him from the board," Nyrielle continued. "You are selling a favor to both Hauke and Lord Ritchel."
Ashlynn’s brows lowered, furrowed in thought as she considered the implications of Nyrielle’s approach. She could prove her strength, eliminate a rival for Hauke, and send a loud signal that the Vale of Mists supported Ritchel’s chosen successor. All of these things were positive outcomes.
Achieving it, however, would mean attacking someone who had done nothing to draw her ire. While Nyrielle said that no one who desired the power to rule was blameless, Ashlynn struggled to see it the same way.
Thane taught her that the Eldritch placed the strongest member of their nations on a throne and with that throne came the obligation to protect and support their people. If a person felt they would be a better protector for the High Pass than Hauke would, shouldn’t that be respected as long as they had the ability to do so?
"How many rivals does Hauke have?" Ashlynn asked, trying to read anything from Nyrielle’s cold, expressionless mask.
"Are you hoping one of them will have flaws that make them feel more palatable for you to target?" Nyrielle asked, a hint of disapproval coloring her unusually cold voice. "Perhaps you’re hoping one of them will resemble Sir Kaefin?"