Chapter 393: A Magical Gathering (Part One)
That evening, Ashlynn dressed simply, wearing her plain emerald green Traveling Hat along with a simple green and brown dress that would have been suitable to wear for a long day riding a horse or visiting Eldritch villages in the countryside.
"Are you sure you this is the right tone, my lady?" Heila asked as she helped style Ashlynn’s hair into a simple, thick braid that gathered her long, blond tresses at the base of her neck. "You are the Mother of Trees now. The others joining us will understand what that means better than most."
"I know," Ashlynn said with a light smile. "But it’s because they understand that this is so necessary. As witches, you and I may be powerful, but we are both still beginners in our craft. A few months of training, no matter how intense, can never take the place of years of study, and everyone else tonight will have studied their arts longer than you or I have been alive."
"If I wore the Fancy Hat and the jeweled gown that goes with it, they could never forget who I am," she explained. "But this way, once we turn to discussions of witchcraft and sorcery, it will be easier for them to forget about my status and speak plainly if I don’t try to over awe them with finery."
"I see," Heila said, placing a simple wooden pin in Ashlynn’s hair to hold everything in place. "Then, should we eat family style, the way we did with Aunt Amahle?"
"Too casual for the palace," Ashlynn said with a sigh. She’d originally tried to make the suggestion but when she explained to the palace staff that she wanted to borrow a kitchen so that she and each of the attendees of this gathering could cook a dish, the horrified looks she received told her that some things were just too far out of the norm. Evidently, letting the Mother of Trees and the Harbinger of Death into the kitchens to cook was more than they could tolerate.
"And Mistress Nyrielle will be with us," Ashlynn reminded Heila. "We benefit from Big Sister Amahle’s prestige here. Everyone knows the power of the Mother of Thorns and they respect her. Nyrielle is fighting to establish the prestige of the Harbinger of Death because her prestige as the Eldritch Lady of the Vale of Mists isn’t what it should be here. I can diminish my own prestige in front of our guests, but I can’t diminish hers too much."
"You know you don’t need to worry so much about me," Nyrielle said from the door as she glided into the room. "But I appreciate that my darling is always considering so many things," she added as she swept Ashlynn into a tight embrace.