Anya's strength was that of a true Knight of the Round.
Although her selection had probably owed much to Marianne, that same connection had greatly improved her piloting skills.
Now that Marianne was gone, her muscle memory and piloting habits remained. Her abilities might have declined somewhat, but she still met the minimum standard for a Knight of the Round.
At heart, however, she was still a fifteen-year-old girl.
Giving her sufficient justification, then firmly "coercing" her, was enough to make her obey.
Already deeply shaken by what had happened with Marianne, Anya needed only an excuse to either defect or remain loyal-an excuse she could use to convince herself.
And Ask had given her exactly that.
Then, even if she did something that violated her principles, she could soothe her conscience with an excuse like, "I was forced into it. I had no choice."
Avoidance was what boys and girls her age liked best, and what they instinctively resorted to.
Ask had recognized precisely that.
As for loyalty...
Just as affection could grow with time, so could loyalty.
As he had expected, before the wedding began the following day, Anya knelt on one knee before him and made her choice.
Looking into her dark eyes, Ask could see that she still harbored some hesitation and unease, but that little bit of unease would not affect anything.
A cup of hot tea, a bite of cake, and the pleasure of watching the wedding would put her in a good enough mood to smooth it all away.
Ask ruffled her hair, signaled for her to keep quiet, then headed into the banquet and took a seat beside the place of honor.
Monica and Leila stood behind him.
In the seat of honor, Ossidius looked excited, in stark contrast to the frightened,