<strong>Ashburne - Amberthorne</strong><br/><br/><div class="floatleft">(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/54/29/2e/54292eda7aecbf7e8de1395949b4700a.jpg)<div align="center"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: georgia;"><strong>Asher Bray</strong></span></div></div>Asher remained quiet while Stanton and Graham questioned her; together, the two of them asked the most pertinent question regarding her situation, while expressing just how precarious of a position that simply housing her under the Ellery name put them all in.  Graham wanted to make sure it was clear that they needed evidence to both defend her and hold those hunting her and her family accountable.  They knew she had the answers; whether she would grant them access to all of them was entirely up to her, but neither of the three men would let her feed them bullshit.  Not when they had so much at stake.  Asher shifted in his chair so he was leaning more to the side, propped up by an elbow on the armrest as he listened intently.  Anything he would have wanted to know from her was already taken care of with their rhetoric, and after everything was laid out, all eyes were turned to her expectantly.<br/><br/>She’d already divulged that her father had planned on getting back into the king’s good graces by taking matters into his own hands and uncovering a traitorous plot against the throne, but had lost his life before he could accomplish his task.  As she spoke, she revealed that she had in her possession the evidence to hold the plotters responsible… if they weren’t written in a way that was not easily decipherable.  He found it both intriguing and infuriating, and as his eyes flicked across the table to Graham, he could only assume that his lord’s opinion would land more toward the latter than the former.  It meant there was one more obstacle between the evidence they needed and releasing the Ellery estate.  If her enemies produced something more substantial against her, she could already be sunk too deep in the mud to be pulled free.<br/><br/>Meg looked between all three men, with Asher turning his attention back to her just in time to meet her gaze and be held by it.  He noted the change in her coloring, and wondered if she thought he was the safest route.  Graham had been gentle with her in his own way, but he could come across as cold and stern even at his most considerate.  She seemed to have more to say, releasing a breath in preparation for what was to come next.  Asher was still silent, but he gave her a small, yet encouraging nod to proceed.  It was to say that even though her burden was heavy, she still had support as long as she gave them the means to properly do so.<br/><br/>She produced the basket she hadn’t parted with since her rescue, and reached inside to pull out a necklace glimmering with precious jewels.  And although there was no outward indication, Asher felt his heart take a dive into his gut.  With her family gone, she would need things to remember them by; keepsakes that were unreplaceable.  The value of such a trinket would not be able to save Ashburne, but it said a lot about her character that she would at least try to compensate them for their trouble.<br/><br/>As much as he wanted to tell her to put it away, he knew the decision was ultimately up to Graham, so instead of causing confusion by possibly giving her conflicting orders, he spoke out on another point.  “My lady,” he paused, then quickly corrected himself, “<em>Meg</em>, if you know where your brother may be located, then we can send word that you are safe.  However, spreading lies would not save you, I’m afraid.”  He leaned forward while he spoke, placing his arms on the table and crossing them without a break between his words, “When bargains struck in the dark are brought to the light men start fearing for their lives, and as you’ve found out, that makes them quite dangerous.  There will be an outcry, and nothing will save you but the truth.”  His tone was calm and matter-of-fact.  He wasn’t accusing her of anything; he was simply stating what he knew.<br/><br/>“Any code can be cracked, and with your brother not readily available, it could be quicker if one of ours had a look at those letters.”