"So, if your cousin would be such a poor match," Loman said as he forced himself to shake off the feeling of dejection that came from being told he couldn't afford to court Ashlynn's cousin. "Who would I match up well with? Be honest," he said as he turned the wounded side of his face toward her. "I can take a blow," he added, trying to make light of his injuries instead of letting them become a constant source of torment and shame.
"You should marry someone who makes you happy, Loman," Ashlynn said with a gentle smile as her mind drifted back to the betrothal banquet that she and Nyrielle had held where the mighty Harbinger of Death proclaimed her love for the Mother of Trees, and Ashlynn told the world that Nyrielle already owned her heart.
