The Vampire & Her Witch Chapter 1843: Lords of the Rides (Part One)

By the time Harrod finished translating Barsali’s words for Olwyna and the rest of the table, there were tears rolling down Olwyna’s cheeks, and it was all she could do to hold herself back from rushing over to give the serpentine warrior a fierce hug.

Carwyn, however, showed no such restraint. As soon as Ashlynn gestured for them to rise, Carwyn took Barsali’s sword hand in his, squeezing firmly while he threw an arm around the other man’s shoulder for a tight hug that had no room for shame or embarrassment despite the size of the crowd watching them.

"You may have heard of the ’demon knight’ who nearly killed Sir Carwyn not long ago," Ashlynn said to the assembled lords and ladies in the Great Hall. "What you may not know is that Barsali challenged Carwyn to a duel between champions, and he has always respected how hard Carwyn fought for his people."

"Ever since that day," Ashlynn said, smiling at the pair of men making their way back to their seats. "They’ve worked hard to become friends. It was Barsali who learned Lady Olwyna is carrying twins, and when a zealot from the Church tried to murder Sir Carwyn’s family for ’consorting with demons, ’ it was Barsali who defended them."

"I doubt that there are many pairs quite like these two among all the knight protectors of the villages in the Verdant Hills," Ashlynn said. "And I will not force any of you to welcome an Eldritch warrior into your village as a Warden or an Eldritch lord to serve as a Gardener if you can’t approach each other openly and as friends."

"Empress Ashlynn," Sir Gilander said with some difficulty as he forced himself to stand and bow respectfully to the woman who had turned his world on its head. "Do you mean to say that we must divide the rule of our villages with another person, but we are free to choose who that person is?"

"You are free to nominate whoever you wish," Ashlynn said. "For now, final approval of appointments will rest with Nyri and me. The days when a man is given a position of power and authority simply because his father once held it have come to an end. Nyri and I won’t always be the ones ensuring new lords are competent, but in the beginning, our empire needs careful tending to ensure that our people benefit from wise and capable leadership."

"There are other decisions you could make, as you’ll see," Ashlynn said blandly. "So long as each village is tended by a Gardener and protected by a Warden, there are many options for who those individuals will be. Be patient, Sir Gilander; there is much more you need to know, and you may find your questions are answered before you even ask."

"Of course, your Dominion," Gilander said politely as he returned to his seat. At the very least, he wouldn’t be saddled with an Eldritch warrior holding a knife to his throat and taking over his soldiers. But the rest of what she’d said, that a father might not be allowed to pass down his title to his sons, sat like a stone in the pit of his stomach as he returned to his seat.

Gilander wasn’t the only one disturbed by Ashlynn’s casual declaration.

"No wonder she wants all of our heirs to attend her academy," Brighde murmured. "Just watch, if they don’t attend, they won’t be allowed to inherit. And while they attend, she and her ’teachers’ will raise them up to accept her way of thinking. We can’t let this stand, Telent."

"What right do we have to refuse?" Telent whispered back. "I don’t like it either, but..." he said, looking helpless and useless as he shrugged while looking at Tybal Aleese. The baron to the south of them had seen his life and his lands made the subject of a wager, one he wasn’t likely to win, and Ashlynn had forced him to accept it. The last thing Telent wanted was to wind up the next Tybal Aleese.

"She’s given a window of a year," Brighde said quietly. "That’s enough time to gather some support amongst the others," she started to say, only to cut herself off when Ashlynn started to speak again.

"Just as the villages of the Verdant Hills will need to change, so too will the baronies," Ashlynn said, looking out at the lords from Otker, LeGleau, Rundel, Aleese, Leufroy, and Saliou. "Baronies have been the backbone of power in Lothian March, but the Kingdom of Gaal restricted them greatly."

"The Lothians weren’t allowed to recognize more than ten baronies even when several villages had grown into small towns that weren’t only worthy of greater leadership; they required it," Ashlynn explained. "Meanwhile, the existing baronies were prevented from establishing new villages or training more knights because the crown feared the lesser lords gaining too much power."

"We are not afraid," Nyrielle said with a snort at the notion that they would ever have a reason to fear their own vassals. "And we will not force someone to make themselves smaller because it comforts our fears," she said, giving Ashlynn a brief, knowing look.

"Today marks the end of baronies as you have known them," Ashlynn decreed. "Instead, each small town will serve as the center of a Ride. The Lord Gardener and Lord Warden of each Ride will not only be responsible for their own small town, but for all the villages within a roughly day’s ride of their town."

"Lady Tosha," Ashlynn said, smiling at the widow whom she’d last spoken to about serving as the regent of her late husband’s barony until her son came of age. "I see no reason that a woman cannot hold a throne in her own name. Saliou is in need of a Lord Gardener to help its people thrive. Are you willing to take up this charge?"

"Before you answer," Ashlynn said when she saw a hesitant look flicker across Tosha’s face. "You should know that a Lord Gardener will be supported by several others in their Ride. A Lord Gardener must carry the burden of wielding high justice, but you will have the support of a trained Magistrate to administer low justice within the town of Saliou."

"You will also have the support of a Lord Warden who will organize and train the town watch," Ashlynn explained. "Along with holding responsibility for overseeing the Sheriff of the Ride. You won’t rule alone, Lady Tosha; you will have support from above and below. So what say you?"

"Wait," Nyrielle said, raising her hand to prevent Tosha from giving her answer. "As my darling said, we don’t intend to force the lords of the Verdant Hills to accept Eldritch partners in ruling their domains, but I have carefully considered the circumstances of Saliou, and I would like to recommend someone to serve as the Lord Warden of Saliou...."