"I think he'd be very proud of the woman you're becoming," Isabell said, setting a hand on Ashlynn's shoulder and guiding her to a seat on one of the comfortable sofas facing the fire. Rather than taking a seat on the opposite sofa, Isabell sat directly next to Ashlynn, ignoring any sense of etiquette or distance between their positions in order to stay close and comfort her friend.
"Truthfully, I think that if he could see you now, he'd curse the King himself and petition the Ruling Council for permission to pass his throne to you," Isabell said as she looked at the young lady. There was a great deal of Count Rhys's strength and determination in her bearing and she was clearly comfortable making the sort of heavy decisions followed by committed actions that had characterized her father's rule.
