"You aren't the only one who remembers that," Ashlynn said, gesturing for the servants to withdraw. "You're just the only one who's chosen such a foolish method of fighting back. You want me to strike you. Maybe you're even willing to die at my hands if that's what it takes because you know that the instant I treat you with violence it 'proves' that I'm the evil one, the 'enemy' who has to be resisted. The 'demon' you all fear," Ashlynn said disdainfully.
She'd wondered why Sir Rain had pushed things so hard with Ollie in the beginning, forcing Ollie to fight a duel with him in front of Hugo and Carwyn, but now she was starting to understand. Sir Rain was Owain's right-hand man, and he was good at playing the provocateur in order to create opportunities for Owain to be the 'voice of reason.'
