After the war, Ashe was formally knighted and appointed the new head of House Gaspard, which had no successors. The young and inexperienced lord faced a great deal of difficulty in governing. Though he was famously tenacious and never lost heart, it was perhaps only due to the constant counsel of his wife, Mercedes, that he managed to overcome all obstacles. When not busy governing their territory, the couple lifted one another's spirits by baking delicious sweets for each other. The tradition was so heartwarming that it became popular for husbands and wives in that region to do the same for generations.