CHAPTER 781: ASHLYNN’S NEXT TARGET

If anyone else had said what Thane just had about capturing the minds of a young lord and his escort and forcing them to march all the way to the Vale to be captured, there might have been some argument. After all, sorcery powerful enough to ensnare the mind of even one or two people was taxing enough that few sorcerers could maintain it for more than a few minutes.

But nearly everyone present had also been present when Thane demonstrated his ability to command Savis, and the memory of the lupine vampire all but whimpering as Thane commanded him to ’heel’ was enough to convince everyone present that Nyrielle’s greatest progeny really could accomplish this feat as effortlessly as he made it sound.

"None that would be affected by what you do tonight," Ashlynn said after a moment of thought. "Thank you, Thane," she said with a warm smile. "I know it isn’t easy to do things this way, but the fewer people who lose their lives in this, the easier it will be to bring the march to heel when this war ends."

"I know," Thane said, smiling in pride as his ’little sister’ worked through her plans. After hearing the news of her sister’s treachery, he’d been worried that she’d lose focus on their larger goals in her haste to resolve matters with Jocelynn and Owain Lothian, but it seemed like he’d been worried for nothing.

"In that case, Marcel, I’ll have another task for you," Ashlynn said. "But the timing won’t be as critical. I just need you to obtain a few things for me that may be hard to find in winter."

"The whole of my little business empire is at your disposal," Marcel said, bowing in his chair with a flourish as he placed his hand over his heart. "If it can be found in the Kingdom of Gaal or even the hidden villages in Lothian, I’ll find whatever it is that you require."

"Thank you Marcel," Ashlynn said before she turned to face the first of the commanders whose support she needed this evening. "Commander Savis," she said, addressing the white-furred vampire who commanded the Second Army of elite forces. "I need to borrow Captain Ipiktok and his men, along with twenty men from your Black Wolf Brigade," Ashlynn said as she glanced briefly at Ollie and Virve.

"My men are yours to command," Savis said, smiling widely enough to reveal his elongated fangs. "But if it’s Ipiktok’s Tuscans and the Black Wolf Brigade, you won’t be taking many prisoners. The Black Wolves are trained for slaughter and the Tuscans aren’t exactly... subtle in their methods."

"I know," Ashlynn said, meeting the Golden Eyed vampire’s challenging gaze directly. Wherever she could, she was working hard to minimize casualties but for this plan, casualties were not only unavoidable, they were a necessary component of her plan. "Commander Bassinger, I’d like two dozen of your men as well, placed under the command of Constable Daithi," Ashlynn said as she glanced at Ollie.

"Daithi proved himself well, Ollie," Ashlynn said proudly as her expression briefly softened. "For this attack, I intend to slaughter soldiers but we can take servants captive and I think having the good constable with us will help to put their minds at ease, at least enough to prevent anyone from escaping that we don’t want to get away."

"We even have a friend to rescue along the way," she added. "And our debt to Mister Otis for his help is long overdue."

"Otis?" Ollie said, blinking in surprise at the name he hadn’t heard in more than half a year. "You intend to attack the Summer Villa," he realized as he thought about the cook who had set the kitchens on fire to cover for their escape after Ashlynn killed Sir Kaefin for attempting to force himself on her.

"For the past half a year, Owain has been maintaining a charade that I’m dutifully bearing his heir at the Summer Villa, and he’s been keeping an imposter there to keep up appearances," Ashlynn said with a smile that grew darker and more predatory the longer it hung on her lips.

"According to Samira, the woman who’s impersonating me, Owain’s original plan was to have his ’wife’ die in childbirth during the winter, allowing him to play the grieving widower while he married Jocelynn," she continued, her voice taking on a cold, bitter edge as she recalled the lookalike who Owain had convinced not only to participate in his charade but to warm his bed as well.

After meeting Samira, it was hard for Ashlynn to bear much resentment to the poor serving woman who had been lured into such a scandalous position. She was too simple and pure to be a true conspirator, rather, she was just another one of Owain’s many victims in this whole sordid affair.

"But if ’demons’ and witches attack the Summer Villa and slaughter his pregnant wife and unborn heir in a spectacular raid," Ashlynn said, allowing her voice to trail off suggestively.

"He’ll be forced to respond immediately," Thane said, nodding as understanding dawned in his amber eyes. "He can’t wait for spring or take time to properly prepare his forces. At the very least, he’ll have to lead some kind of retaliatory strike like he did when he attacked the Heartwood clan after you killed Sir Kaefin and Sir Broll at the Summer Villa in the spring."

"It goes beyond that," Marcel said, tapping the table as he thought through the various forces who Ashlynn’s assault on the Summer Villa would provoke. "Bors is clearly favoring Loman to inherit his throne, but he has yet to find a justification to strip Owain of his position as heir."

"Ye think Bors’ll make a fuss o’er this ta strip Owain of his position?" Sybyll asked with a raised brow. "That he’ll recall Loman ta put ’im on the throne?"

"Hardly," Marcel said, shaking his head. "You underestimate Bors’ ruthlessness. He’ll use this as an opportunity to send Owain to his death along with any of the knights or the young lords who have fallen into Owain’s camp. To Bors’, this will be a heavensent opportunity to clear the way for Loman’s ascendancy."

"The Church won’t be able to ignore this either," Ignatious pointed out. "To defend the Summer Villa through the winter while Lady Ashlynn is supposedly there, there must be a number of Templars and at least one priest stationed there, even if there isn’t an Inquisitor. Those losses will have to be answered."

"Exactly," Ashlynn said with grim satisfaction. "The lords of the march will demand vengeance for such a brazen attack. The Church will call for immediate action against the ’demons’ and witches who murdered a noble lady and her unborn child. Owain will have no choice but to march against us in winter, on our terms, with whatever forces Bors will allow him to bring to bear against us."

"And if he hesitates or suggests waiting for better conditions," Marcel added with an appreciative grin. "He’ll look like a coward who doesn’t care about avenging his own family. He’s spent years building himself up as the ’hero’ who will lead the march to greatness against the Eldritch, but if he can’t even avenge his own wife, his support among the barons of the march will crumble and he knows it."

"Since he’s fighting so hard to present the appearance that his pregnant wife is safely ensconced in their little fortress retreat," Ashlynn said, her smile turning predatory, "then let’s see what he does when we force him to avenge her spectacular death!"