Standing before the assembled men and women of Nyrielle's army as well as hundreds of Frost Walkers, Ashlynn tried to summon a fraction of the calm, self assured demeanor she'd seen so often from her father when he sat upon his throne in Blackwell Manor. Nothing ever seemed to phase him when he sat in judgment, no matter whether he was overseeing a dispute about a fence line or pronouncing the sentence for a convicted murderer.
Whether he could maintain that calm in front of this audience or not, she had no idea, but just the thought of him sitting here beside her, watching her do as he had done so many times helped her to firm up her resolve as they approached the critical point in this trial. Perhaps one day, he truly would be able to watch over her, but for now, she would have to continue on as he taught her.
