The Vampire & Her Witch Chapter 1637: Sleepover Stories (Part Two)

To her credit, despite the evening's many surprises, Jocelynn did not completely lose consciousness upon discovering her sister's intention to wed the formidable vampire known to the human world as the 'Demon Lady of the Vale.'

It was a very near thing, though, and Jocelynn might have stumbled to the ground if Ashlynn had not offered a steadying hand.

"Jocy?" Ashlynn inquired softly, meeting her sister's wide-eyed stare. "Are you well?"

"Hm?" Jocelynn responded, her gaze distant. "Oh, I... I am fine," she stammered, shaking her head and re-engaging with the present. "It's just, for a moment, I thought you said you were going to marry..."

"I am," Ashlynn confirmed, her tone both tender and resolute. "I have found love, Jocy, true love, and someone who brings me a happiness I never imagined possible. We were betrothed a month ago in the Vale of Mists," she elaborated.

"I had hoped to devise a way to bring Mother and Father to our wedding," Ashlynn continued, watching Jocelynn's jaw drop in astonishment. "I intended to visit them this winter, but with all that transpired in the march, a secret journey across the kingdom simply wasn't feasible."

Nyrielle had offered to accompany her should she wish to visit. In the dead of winter, with its long nights and short days, they could have completed the round trip within two months. However, had they done so, Owain would have wed Jocelynn after defeating Bors, and she would have been lost to her sister forever...

"You truly love her?" Jocelynn questioned, raising an eyebrow at her sister. "Is it solely due to the blood bond between you, or is this a matter of politics once more?" she added, a sense of righteous indignation beginning to surface.

"No, it is not that," Ashlynn affirmed swiftly, shaking her head. "The bond helped us to understand each other," Ashlynn explained, her fingers lightly touching her chest where she could sense the echo of Nyrielle's heartbeat entwining with her own.

"We can share dreams," Ashlynn went on to explain. "On some nights, she reveals vistas in distant lands beyond the mountains, places I may not reach for years... Sometimes, I share memories of home with her, like the Festival of Light in Blackwell," she murmured, her eyes meeting her sister's.

"The last time you and I attended the festival alone together," Ashlynn added quietly. "I shared that with her, as it was my most cherished memory of home. I... I hope you do not mind," she confessed, faltering slightly as she considered her sister's potential feelings about sharing such a significant night with someone Jocelynn did not know. "But it is through such connections that we have grown so close in such a short time..."

"Mmm, I do not mind," Jocelynn replied, though the concept of 'sharing dreams' with another was somewhat foreign to her. Yet, knowing that the night the two of them had spent at the festival held a place as one of her most treasured memories of home, even if it concluded with the news of Ashlynn's betrothal to Owain...

The realization settled around Jocelynn's heart like a comforting, warm embrace, and a smile graced her lips for the first time in what felt like an age.

"Poor Father," Jocelynn mused aloud, envisioning their father's reaction to this news. "He will be overjoyed to know you are alive, and I am certain he will attend your wedding, regardless of the groom, but..."

"I understand," Ashlynn said softly. "No grandchildren. We can devise alternative methods for handling the succession in Blackwell," she stated dismissively, as if it were of little consequence. "Perhaps you could assume the title of Countess Blackwell or something similar for the next century or two. If Father consents, my intention is to integrate Blackwell into our new dominion, along with Uncle Dylan and DuCoumont County, should they agree to join us."

"New kingdom?" Jocelynn exclaimed, taken aback as Ashlynn casually unveiled yet more astonishing tidings. She was still grappling with the revelation that her sister had found love with a woman, an ancient vampire no less, when Ashlynn proposed the idea of annexing two entire counties to the territory she had recently subjugated in Lothian March, and presumably, the Vale of Mists as well.

"You... you are going to rebel against the Church and the King," Jocelynn whispered, pressing her fingers to her lips as she contemplated the immense scale of conflict Ashlynn was poised to ignite. "The Holy War..."

"We are left with no alternative, Jocy," Ashlynn declared, rising from her chair to embrace her younger sister. She could feel Jocelynn trembling, and she was certain that the prospect of confronting the Inquisition once more, especially after having accepted her own burgeoning identity as a witch, weighed heavily on Jocelynn's mind.

"War is inevitable, whether we desire it or not," Ashlynn stated, her fingers gently stroking her sister's hair. "However, despair is not warranted. For decades, Nyri has deliberately restrained her power against the Lothians, hoping to avoid provoking the Church into initiating another Crusade against her. Now that conflict is unavoidable, there is no longer any need to conceal the might of the Vale."

"And now she has me," Ashlynn added, pulling back to meet her sister's gaze. "And soon, you will join us as well. We have already secured High Pass, the territories governed by the Frostwalkers in the mountains beyond the Vale, and Lord Jalal's people on Airgead Mountain. Including the march, DuCoumont County, Blackwell County, and, if fortune favors us, the Southern Steppe as well..."

"And with all of that, you will command a realm that rivals Gaal," Jocelynn remarked, envisioning the vast empire her sister intended to forge. "Your dominion will stretch from the eastern shores to the western peaks, encompassing the Blackwell Isles too. Yet, the Church will not tolerate such expansion, nor will the King."

Ashlynn had not mentioned Keating, but Jocelynn could easily deduce that the southernmost Duchy would become a critical point of contention between Ashlynn's burgeoning empire and the Kingdom. Based on the current maps, even with the allegiance of DuCoumont and Blackwell, a territorial gap would persist between the southern boundary of DuCoumont and the northern edge of Blackwell.

Jocelynn perceived a strategy to bridge this divide, but its execution would effectively sever Keating's connection to the Kingdom of Gaal. The Duke of Keating, much like the King, would find such a proposition unacceptable, even if he were willing to cede an entire county to Ashlynn's expanding domain.

No ruler readily relinquishes territory they deem their own. What Ashlynn was proposing – the absorption of an entire march and two counties, coupled with the isolation of a duchy – represented a significant loss that no king could easily accept.

"It makes no difference," Ashlynn declared with conviction. "My intention is not to engage them in conflict, and I will earnestly seek a peaceful resolution if attainable. Negotiations for our future may still be possible. Regardless, if we aspire to a homeland where witches are free from fear, we cannot yield to the Church and their puppet King."

"It is a monumental undertaking," Jocelynn whispered, her mind overwhelmed by the sheer scale of Ashlynn's ambitions. Contrasted with the prospect of establishing a new kingdom on the continent, the idea of her sister marrying another woman suddenly seemed far less daunting.

Jocelynn harbored concerns about her sister's current beloved. Merely nine months had passed, a duration less than half of the time Ashlynn had devoted to courting Owain. Yet, the tender warmth and deep affection evident when Ashlynn spoke her lover's name were unlike anything Jocelynn had ever witnessed before.

If Ashlynn had truly found love, especially after the profound suffering they endured under Owain's influence, then Jocelynn was resolved to offer her unwavering support, regardless of their family's potential objections. Whether their father expressed disappointment over the lack of grandchildren or their mother's devout faith recoiled at the notion of Ashlynn marrying a vampire, Jocelynn would steadfastly defend her sister's choice.

But a war against both the Church and the Kingdom...

"This is too much for one night, Jocey," Ashlynn murmured softly, taking her sister's hands within her own. "Tonight, we shall simply rest," she added, her gaze scanning the room for a towel to dry herself. "Tomorrow, I will convene with the lords and ladies of the march to set our plans in motion. But for the remainder of this night, it is solely about you and me."

"Very well," Jocelynn agreed, releasing Ashlynn's hands so that she could retrieve the towel warming beside the hearth. "Will you… will you share a bed with me again tonight?" Jocelynn inquired hesitantly. "We can stay awake and converse until one of us drifts off to sleep, just as… just as we used to…"

"There is nothing I would desire more," Ashlynn responded, her face illuminated by a radiant smile as she looked at her sister. "Just like the old days…"