Their destination was a breathtaking castle unlike any she had ever seen. Hart Helm was built atop a cliff, but Clogwyn Keep was built
into a cliff. It looked nearly as old as Hart Helm, but it weathered better from the protection of the cliff, known as Lady's Peak. The white stone was in stark contrast to the natural cliff. It felt further out of place with its square towers and square windows. It was obviously a manmade homestead, and yet it was beautifully married to nature.
Clogwyn's Keep was within sight of the ocean. The horizon was easily spotted, but shore hidden from view be another drop of terrain. The rocky shores below left little room to walk between the beating waves and cliff face. That was assuming one found a way to safely get down to it. Off in the distance, a port city led a quiet life, being the closest ship access to the Keep. It was another difference from Hart Helm, which was built above the port. Still, at least she would be able to watch the ocean and the nearby ships coming and leaving. Hopefully, with an active and present viscountess, the nearby city will become livelier.
The winding road up to the Keep felt long. It was not until they stopped, and she stepped out, did she realize how large the Keep actually was. It made the assignment even more of a daunting task. A Keep so large, unmanned for who knew how long, would require a lot of repairs, staff, and time. Thank Zachrin that they delayed their journey so that things could be put into some resemblance of order.
"Wow."
"You took the words right out of my mouth." Cordelia looked away from the Keep and up to her husband, giving a smile.
"Not too shabby for our new home, huh?"
"Do you think it has a dungeon?"
"I'd say so."
Alice offered her agreements as she got out of the carriage with Winter Pearle in her arms. The redheaded grandmother with her redheaded granddaughter stood beside them, waiting, before urging,
"Well, come on, let's go see the inside!"
Cordelia laughed at the eagerness of Lady Everhart. She could tell her mother was more excited than she was. Together, the little family walked up to the door and let themselves in. The entry hall was long and narrow, although not too narrow that they could not all walk alongside each other. Two chandelier of candles hung from the ceiling and braziers were spaced out so there was two on each side at the entrances. The entry had three windows facing out towards the ocean, with tapestries of wolves, stags, and pear flowers hanging between. They were ones that she had spent all year working on with her mother, to represent that household of Cordelia and Rhozin. The natural light was a nice touch, making the entry feel less narrow. It was not until they reached the end of the entry did they finally see someone.
In the anteroom, a woman was rifling through some papers on the coffee table. She sat on the floor with her back to the entry. Cordelia cleared her throat to announce their presence. Surprised, the woman looked up and stood, turning around as she did so. Her brown eyes grew wide as she realized who stood before her from a family portrait hanging in that very room.
"Lady Highlands, Lord Highlands, forgive me for not welcoming you." She bowed her head in respect and embarrassment.
"I am Beatrice Busiet; it's the greatest pleasure to finally be meeting you face to face."
Beatrice Busiet was the woman hired by Mark to care for the estate. Beatrice was her own steward for Clogwyn Keep, while Mark remained in Hart Helm. The woman did not appear to be much older than she was, which was likely intentional so she might have a friend. She had black hair and light brown eyes, with a freckled nose and naturally arched brows. Her complexion told she spent little time outside, which concerned the lady of the house. Cordelia was a firm believer that humans were essentially house plants. They needed the sun. She personally spent some time in the sun each day, weather permitting.
Cordelia approached the taller girl with a kind smile.
"It's alright. You seemed quite enthralled, and we made our arrival more swiftly than expected. I would appreciate it if you called me Cordelia in informal settings, or my lady if you must. We will be spending much time together and I prefer to be comfortable in my home."
Beatrice nodded.
"Me as well: Rhozin, if you would."
Again, the woman nodded. Alice remained quiet, blue eyes wandering.
"Please, let me give you all a tour."
As a group, they went through the next door, leaving the sitting area behind. The walls were different in the next room. Instead of white rock, there lay the bare cliff of grey and black. The stairs were located into this room, but they paused before moving on.
"The cellar is right there."
After she pointed to the only other door in the room, they climbed the stairs. To their immediate right was a large room with a wide archway. Beatrice smiled as she turned around, waving her hand to the entryway.
"This is the Lady's Hall."
Curious, Cordelia moved forward and entered the lord's hall for the first time. At the far end of the room sat a stone chair covered in pelts and a cushion to sit on beneath. She continued forward to the raised chair and upon reaching it, she turned and sat down. Both arms lay on the armrests as she looked forward to take in the room. The walls were presently bare, besides the windows. A worn chandelier hung down, with braziers in each corner of the room. There was some work to be done before she sat before the public, but it had great bones.
She stood, contently smiling. Beatrice smiled in return, before apologizing,
"I am sorry that I could not have this room perfect for you in time."
"Thank you, but you do not need to apologize. The Keep was neglected for a very long time. I am surprised it is as clean and put together as it is in the little time you had to do so. This place is huge. It's what, five floors?"
"Six if you include the top tower and tunnels to the surface of Lady's Peak, my lady."
"See, there's no need to be hard on yourself. Let's continue."
The group moved on from the lord's hall and back into the stairwell. They crossed to the left and entered another anteroom, before being shown the guard gate much further down the hall. They retraced their steps to the stairwell and transcended to the third floor. There, above the lord's hall, was the large dining area and kitchen. A grand and beautiful table sat in the center of the room, with two looming chairs on either end. Chairs lined the sides. Altogether, the table would sit eighteen, with eight chairs on either side.
"How beautiful. And you can smell the ocean from up here." Alice moved to a window to take in a fresh breeze before they moved on. Through the stairwell again they came to the Hall of Justice, and through that, the torture room. She did not expect that room to ever be in use as the continued with the tour.
Finally, they reached the lord's chambers. They were large, with an adjoining room for Winter. Not only was the size appealing, there was an even larger terrace outside their window, with their own privies at a nice distance from the door. A large bed lay waiting for them, with wardrobes soon to be filled on the opposite wall. Beside the bedroom as a chapel, and through that, the chaplain's room. They met Priest Arturon of the Faith and had a short conversation. He seemed like a kind, older man with white hair and clean shaven. He was, however, covered in translucent scales. It was intriguing, but she kept her questions to herself.
Above the master's room was a nicely sized guest room and staff quarters. Alice gave her approval, again commenting on the view of the ocean. Then, there was the last and final floor. The top of the tower gave way to a hall carved directly into the stone. They wandered the tunnel, up stairs occasionally as they moved uphill. Her smile grew as they reached the top and opened the heavy metal clad door. Fresh air swooped in and they stepped out into the sun. When they turned around, there was a stunning view of the ocean and surrounding land.
"Welcome to Clogwyn Keep, my lady."