Maela smiled as she watched Ashlynn bounce from one dish to the next, explaining each with an enthusiasm that reminded Maela of the way a much younger Ashlynn had burst into her mother's sitting room with a book in hand, overflowing with the desire to talk about the latest exciting thing she'd read.
Some of the things her daughter said, however, gave her considerable pause, and when it came to visiting the Vale of Mists, Maela put her hand up, shaking it slightly for Ashlynn to stop.
"Slow down," Maela said, holding up the morsel of breaded fish that Ashlynn had called a 'fish fry.' "You said these are special; should we try one now or wait until you've brought the surprise dish? It seems like Sir Ollie has gone to fetch it without you," Maela said, nodding at the servant's door that Ollie had vanished through while Ashlynn explained the other dishes.
