The Vampire & Her Witch

”I suppose I only have one other question,” Diarmuid said as he pushed aside his tangled feelings about the Church to make sure he understood what was being asked of him.

”You mentioned a Lord Minister of Education,” Diarmuid said, turning to Ashlynn. ”Where does my responsibility stop and theirs begin when it comes to the teaching of sorcery? Is the Ministry of the Mysteries to establish academies and curriculum to train the sorcerers of the empire or is that someone else’s role?”

”Sorcery is like any other trade or profession,” Ashlynn said. ”Some will learn in academies, some will learn from their families, and some will become apprentices following a master,” she explained. ”Your job isn’t to see that sorcery is taught, but to ensure that those who teach do so in a way that is both safe and honest,” she said as her tone grew sharper.

”I think we’ve all seen firsthand what happens when sorcerers make bargains they don’t understand,” Ashlynn said.

”Indeed we have,” Diarmuid said with a heavy sigh. ”I won’t make promises I can’t keep, your Dominion, your Eternity,” Diarmuid said as he touched the tips of his fingers to his chest and bowed his head. ”But as your Lord Minister of the Mysteries, I’ll do my best to ensure that doesn’t happen in the Bloodroot Empire.”

”That’s all we can ask,” Ashlynn said with a smile as Diarmuid accepted the position.

”For the remaining ministries,” Ashlynn said as she turned back to the hall. ”We will accept nominations from any lord of the realm, and you are welcome to nominate yourselves,” Ashlynn said, looking briefly at Lord Dirar.

”I know you have many scholars in the cities of the Southern Steppe,” Ashlynn said. ”Our empire could benefit greatly from their expertise in the establishment of academies and the management of treasuries,” she said, offering a boon to the Southern Steppe that would help to balance the power it wielded in the highest levels of government with the humans in the realm.

Technically, Jocelynn could be said to represent the Sunrise Shores while Hugo represented the Verdant Hills and Diarmuid owed no loyalty to any of the empire’s Hearts. Not everyone would see things that way, however. Many would notice that all the Lord Ministers appointed so far were human and that the Eldritch seemed to have been shut out.

While Ashlynn didn’t intend to allow Dirar to select ministers directly, she had little doubt that he could produce some of the most qualified candidates in the empire. By asking him to do so publicly, she reminded everyone in the room that the Eldritch had their own expertise to offer and that the empire wouldn’t ignore people with great skill, no matter where they came from.

”We will also need an excellent Lord Minister of the Commons,” Ashlynn said, turning to Ollie. ”If it weren’t for the fact that both your interests and talents lay elsewhere, I would have offered the position to you, Sir Ollie,” she said with a soft smile.

”Your origins are among the most humble of everyone gathered here,” Ashlynn said. ”And you have never lost sight of the struggles of the common man. The empire can learn a great deal from your example.”

”You know I’m not meant for politics, Mother Ashlynn,” Ollie said awkwardly as he thought of the mess he’d made of things when he visited the Dunns to help Liam broker an agreement between Ashlynn and his father, Loghlan. ”I just want to do my best as a knight, or, Gardener I guess,” he said awkwardly.

”You’ll always be a knight,” Ashlynn said warmly. ”There’s no reason for the tradition of knights to die out just because they no longer serve as the lords of villages.”

”But the common people do need a voice, and not just the voice of one designated representative,” Ashlynn continued. ”So while the Lord Governors, Lords of the Blood and Lord Ministers will sit at the High Table to draft the laws of the empire and manage its affairs, we will have a second table to serve the interests of the common folk.”

”The Long Table has a seat for every Gardener, every Warden, and every Lord Gardener and Lord Warden as well,” Ashlynn explained. ”You are the voices of the villagers and the townsfolk. The farmers and the tradesmen, housewives and herders... You are the ones who will speak for them, and when you speak, the Crown will hear your grievances and the High Table will act on them.”

”That’s going to be a very long table,” Carwyn said softly as he tried to imagine a gathering of the lords of every town and village not just in the Verdant Hills, but the Vale of Mists, the Southern Steppe, and especially the lands to the east that had been settled for hundreds of years longer than Lothian March.”

”We don’t expect the full Long Table to gather very often,” Ashlynn said, smiling at the young knight. ”And a smaller table can gather within each Heart to raise grievances or issues that are specific to their region. I wouldn’t expect the full Long Table to gather to discuss a conflict over fishing limits in the Sunrise Shores, or to discuss waystations and road maintenance in the treacherous terrain of the Four Peaks either.”

”But if several regions are raising the same issue,” Ashlynn added. ”Protesting a tax or a law of the empire, for example, then the full Long Table may be called to make their voices heard, and we are bound to listen.”

”I nominate friend Carwyn,” Barsali said quickly. ”He will speak for common folk!”

”What? No, no,” Carwyn said quickly as sweat broke out on his brow. ”I know where I belong, and it’s at home, with Olwyna and our little ones,” he added, wrapping an arm around his heavily pregnant wife. ”I mean no disrespect, your Dominion,” he said. ”But I have no ambitions beyond what I already have.”

”That’s fine,” Ashlynn said, smiling at the expectant father. ”It isn’t a matter that needs to be settled tonight. For now, we’ve kept Master Jean’s feast waiting long enough,” she said. ”I think that’s enough ’business’ for the evening.”

”Now, everyone, please spend some time getting to know your neighbors,” she said, gesturing to the staff by the doors to bring in the feast. ”We have much to celebrate tonight, so please don’t be shy,” she said as she retrieved a goblet from the table, raising it high in the air.

”To the Bloodroot Empire! Forever may we thrive!”