Heila stood on the floor of the arena, allowing the cheers of the crowd to wash over her like the sound of distant rain as she soaked in the far more intimate feeling of Ashlynn's magic. She had known that Ashlynn was planning something, but once again, her lady had surprised her with a gesture so deeply touching that she struggled to find the words to respond when she heard Ashlynn's voice calling out to her to show them what she was truly capable of.
"Though I am small and unworthy," Heila said after a brief pause. Her voice was clear and echoed off the arena walls as she faced Ashlynn and Nyrielle's figures in High Lady Erna's private box, showing no sign of the turmoil she felt within her heart. "I dedicate my victory to the Harbinger of Death and the Mother of Trees, long may you rule!"
"Long may you rule!" the crowd echoed, taking up Heila's resonant cry. "Long may you rule!"
