Thane's words cracked over the Great Hall like a peal of thunder. A few knights, particularly the vassals of Tybal Aleese, whether they'd stood or not, had the decency to look ashamed. The few who didn't, Thane pressed even harder.
"For months, Lady Ashlynn has reminded her commanders, their captains and all of their soldiers, that we must find a way to settle old grudges without sparking new ones," Thane said, glaring out over the assembled human nobles. "In Hanrahan, after it fell, she compensated every villager and farmer who lost goods to her raids by paying double the value of what she took, and twice again as an apology," Thane explained.
"In Dunn, she's done much the same," Thane continued. "Lord Liam had possessed the extraordinary integrity to negotiate a truce between Dunn and the Vale, returning stolen lands or paying its fair value while accepting investments from the Vale in the name of developing a future together."
