“It is not that simple,” she said evenly, gliding across the water. He actually sat up in alarm and scrambled to his feet when he saw her draw nearer to the spot in the water where the White Stag stood before the throne, almost knocking over the still petrified ponies. Ashaia simply seemed to pass through it as if it wasn’t even there, not so much as acknowledging it or even noticing the disturbed water where it stood. Handy simply blinked in confusion at the sight. “There is power in kingship. Even if a king has no real authority, they are a symbol, a physical representation of the past, present, and the future of a people. A pact like this cannot be made without one.”