In a way, Hugo had made his decision clear when he abandoned the finery he would have worn as Ian Hanrahan's son for the simpler, subdued outfit in the style favored by the knights of the Vale of Mists. He was ready to let go of the position he'd once held in order to start a new life in the Vale of Mists.
But then, Ashlynn expected that. Hugo understood that there wouldn't be a place for him in Hanrahan once Dame Sybyll reclaimed her birthright, and he knew there wouldn't be a place for him with the Lothians once Ashlynn took her vengeance. While it was possible that he would ask to return to Keating and the life he'd built there once it was possible for him to do so, Ashlynn had been confident that he'd choose some kind of life in the Vale, whether it was at her side or not.
