Chapter 648: A Dowry Like No Other
"Rise, Hauke," Ashlynn said, stepping forward and holding out both of her hands to the young Frost Walker before anyone in the crowd could truly react to the stunning declaration the young man had made.
Only Savis, sitting among the honored guests, possessed an understanding of how momentous this moment really was. The two rings in his ear marked not only the fall of mighty Eldritch Lords, but also the victories that brought their territories into the Tangled Wood, expanding Hamdi’s reach and paving the way for his recognition as a High Lord rather than a mere Eldritch Lord.
Savis could have claimed those territories for himself, becoming the next Eldritch Lord of the Granite Spire or the Dark Warrens, but doing so would have been a betrayal of the gift of power and unending life that Hamdi had bestowed on him. Now, the oldest vampire in the room leaned forward with a slow grin spreading on his lips, eager to see how things would unfold here now that the future Eldritch Lord of the High Pass asked that its throne be shattered by the women who had conquered it.
"Hauke," Ashlynn said as she looked up into his calm, pale eyes. "You are the very best kind of protector for his people," she praised. "You recognize the true threats they face and you seek the best protection for them, even if it costs you the throne that could be yours. Few would have your courage or your selflessness in a moment like this."
"I promise you," Ashlynn said solemnly. "Your time will come, if not at the Eldritch Lord of the High Pass than as a witch in my coven and as my voice among your people. But to make the High Pass a part of the Vale of Mists, that requires a voice other than mine. Will you trust me to do what must be done?"
"Always, Teacher Ashlynn," Hauke said, lowering his horn in such deep submission that it pointed at the ground. "I’m your apprentice and I still have much to learn, so, if my teacher can help my people, I can only be grateful."
"Go join the others," Ashlynn said softly, glancing briefly at Virve to walk the young Frost Walker to his place on her side of the table with Heila and Ignatious. When he addressed the crowd, his voice was loud and clear, but when Ashlynn held his hands, she felt the tremors that rippled through his body and his fur as he struggled to meet the challenge of this moment. Now, however, it was time for her to play her role, and in so doing, change the Vale of Mists forever.
More than that, it was time to take a step that she and Nyrielle had been yearning for with increasing intensity ever since their return to the Vale of Mists. Thus far, she had played the role of loyal Seneschal and the Mother of Trees before the people of the Vale, but now, there was another role she wanted to fill, and she wanted the whole world to know how happy that role would make both her and Nyrielle.
"Everyone," Ashlynn said, sending a pulse of energy rippling across the cedar boughs on the floor, intensifying the rich, woody scent in the room and putting a stop to the few whispered conversations that had begun at the tables further back from the raised dais. Slowly, a hush fell across the hall as the crowd began to anticipate what would happen next.
Each new announcement that Lady Ashlynn and Lady Nyrielle had made this evening had dramatically shifted their view of the Vale of Mists and its changing place in the world. Now that it seemed like the Mother of Trees was preparing another announcement, they leaned forward in their chairs, straining their ears as though they were afraid they would miss even a single word of what she had to say.
"You all know, now, that I arrived in the Vale of Mists with nothing," Ashlynn said slowly as she fought to keep her breathing steady and her voice calm. "For a time, everything I had was a gift bestowed on me by Mistress Nyrielle. Even when I went to the market to shop for my own things, the coins in my purse were still gifts from her. So how could I, the cast out, broken, fallen noblewoman that I was, ever hope to match up to her?"