Chapter 3 #8
“That being said,” he continued, his voice almost apologetic, “the focus of the renovations was on utility more than on architectural beauty. The castle is quite stark in appearance.”
Maxi smiled awkwardly. Her mission was now clear. “H-How many rooms a-are there in t-total?”
“More than one hundred rooms in the main keep alone. The tower and annex hold some forty chambers. When you count the guard barracks and knights’ quarters, there are two hundred fifty rooms.”
His answer dismayed her. How could she possibly redecorate so many rooms?
But Rodrigo was not finished.
“There are five drawing rooms, two banquet halls, and refreshment rooms on each floor, but none have seen use in decades,” he lamented. “The knights do not care for tea. I must confess, it has been far too long since I last brewed a nice pot.”
Maxi pictured Riftan holding a dainty teacup. It was a dreadfully unflattering image. She chuckled to herself, and Rodrigo gave a discreet cough.
“Do you enjoy drinking tea, my lady?”
“I…I do.”
“Then I’ll have the page prepare refreshments. Nothing but the finest tea leaves for you, my lady.”
“Th-Thank you.”
A soft smile spread across the old man’s wrinkled face, and Maxi’s anxiety dissipated. The steward seemed to be a gentle soul.
“Shall we move on to the next room?”
Maxi nodded and followed Rodrigo up the stairs.
“You must already be aware, my lady, but the dining hall is on the first floor next to the grand hall, and your ladyship’s bedchamber is on the third floor.
Lord Calypse’s study is located at the northern end of the same floor.
The second floor holds the banquet hall and guest quarters, and the library can be found on the fourth floor. ”
“Th-There’s a l-library?”
“Yes. The lord owns a collection of some eight thousand books, though most are from the days of the Roemian Empire. Would you like to see the library?”
She hesitated. Books were costly, and Riftan might not want her rummaging through them. Maxi shook her head.
“N-Next time, p-perhaps…”
“Of course. Then let us proceed to the drawing room and banquet hall.”
She nodded. Drawing rooms and banquet halls served the vital function of receiving guests, and it seemed prudent to survey the rooms before planning their decoration.
The banquet hall was completely bare. Not a single chandelier hung from the vaulted ceiling, and a chill rose up from the stone floor. Cracks in the windows allowed a draft to sweep through the barren hall, completing the dreary atmosphere.
“We’ve never held a banquet here, you see…” Rodrigo trailed off in embarrassment.
“Y-You must have had g-guests visit?”
“The only guests who visit Lord Calypse are knights who do not care for balls or banquets. The lord opens the wine casks for such guests from time to time, but he has never hosted a formal dinner with other lords. The reconstruction of the castle and walls required so much gold that there was none to spare for the entertainment of guests.” Rodrigo sighed.
“After years of disuse, his lordship seems to have forgotten about the very existence of these halls.”
Exasperated, Maxi resisted the urge to clutch at her hair.
Riftan may have managed to avoid hosting banquets thus far, but he was now a man of influence.
He was lauded as the strongest knight on the continent.
Sooner or later, guests would flock to the castle, and she could not leave it in such a sorry state.
“P-Please ask the merchants to c-come as soon as p-possible.”
Rodrigo nodded eagerly before leading her to the drawing room and guest quarters.
The drawing room was in no better shape—the guest quarters, at least, contained sufficient furnishings.
There were sturdy beds and clean sheets in each room, and elegant shelves by the windows.
Maxi appraised the rooms before following Rodrigo to the servants’ quarters on the first floor.
“The men live in the annex,” Rodrigo explained, “and the maidservants sleep on the first floor of the keep so they can answer summons at all times. You need only ring the bell in your room to call for them, even in the small hours of the night.”
According to Rodrigo, a total of eighty-seven servants worked in the castle, a number that seemed far from sufficient for maintaining a castle so large. Perhaps there hadn’t been a need for more hands, with the master of the castle absent for so long?
After introducing Maxi to the maidservants, Rodrigo led her to the spacious kitchen, the last stop of their tour. There, she encountered a warmth that was absent from the other rooms.
An enormous flame-spitting oven and a row of fireplaces lined the wall. A bathtub-sized pot simmered on red-hot coals, and in an open oven beneath the air vent, a deer roasted on a spit, its flesh dripping and sizzling tantalizingly.
Everywhere Maxi looked, servants were busy kneading dough, peeling potatoes, carving smoked meat, and washing a veritable mountain of dishes at the sink.
“The kitchen is the busiest place in the castle,” Rodrigo said, gesturing at the bustling activity. “The servants can barely rest, as they must cook for the knights and soldiers every day. We’re short on labor, so every servant in the castle is involved with the preparation of lunch and dinner.”
“So th-that’s why th-there were n-no servants in the o-other rooms….” Maxi silently resolved to ask Riftan to hire more servants.
“Shall we head to the annex, my lady?”
Under the sun, the gardens looked even more barren than before. The earth was thick with weeds, and the leafless tree next to the pavilion was long overdue to be cut down.
The great hall was the pride of every lord.
The gardens leading to the entrance of the main keep were always designed to impress guests, for they were the first thing that visitors would see.
Her father had always ensured that the gates of Croyso Castle were decorated with many colorful flowers and a host of well-groomed trees, no matter the season.
The gardens don’t need to be extravagant, but I must improve them so that no one can ridicule Calypse Castle or Riftan.
“I-Is there no g-gardener?” Maxi asked with a frown.
“The servants usually take turns cleaning the gardens,” answered Rodrigo, wiping the sweat from his forehead. “That is to say we don’t have any gardeners.”
The servants could not be blamed. It was the responsibility of the lord and lady to keep the castle presentable. When Riftan departed for the long campaign, the task should have fallen to Maxi. She finally understood her husband’s earlier rebuke.
Maxi rubbed her temples, overwhelmed by the amount of work to be done. “I’d l-like to see the a-annex now.”
“Certainly, my lady. This way.”
She followed Rodrigo through the gardens and along a narrow dirt path. A few ancient-looking oak trees cast delicate shadows on the ground.
“In the past,” Rodrigo said, “the annex was the residence of Lord Anatol’s kin, but it has since been renovated and now serves as lodging for the squires.”
“Are there m-many s-squires here?”
“Around thirty, I would say. After Lord Calypse became commander of the Remdragon Knights, many lords sent their sons here. After a period of apprenticeship, they will be knighted and formally inducted into the order.”
Rodrigo came to a halt. “Ah, it’s their training hour.”
Maxi stopped beside him. In a wide clearing at the end of the path, a group of youths who looked no older than fifteen stood in neat rows, wooden swords in their hands.
“Shall I announce your presence, my lady?”
“N-No…I d-don’t wish to d-disturb them. We c-can see the annex l-later.” Maxi waved her hands in agitation as she spoke, but quickly froze—Riftan stood before the youths in the shade of a tree, his figure tall and imposing.
“It seems his lordship is overseeing their training,” the steward said, his voice suddenly nervous. “I think it’s best if we head back, my lady. The lord doesn’t approve of anyone intruding on his training sessions.”
“All right. L-Let us r-return, then,” Maxi said, turning back the way they had come. But before she could take a step, someone grabbed her wrist and she whirled around in surprise.
It was Riftan. Just a moment ago, he was standing over by the tree. How had he approached her so quickly?
“Were you going to leave without saying a word?” he asked, still gripping her wrist.
“I d-didn’t want to d-disturb you…”
“You’re not disturbing us at all.” He took hold of her arm and turned around to face the squires. The young men were drenched in sweat, their faces red with exertion as they watched their lord curiously.
“We’re taking a break!” Riftan bellowed. “We’ll resume in an hour. Go and rest in the annex.”
With his hand over hers, he pulled Maxi away. Flustered, she turned to look at Rodrigo, but the steward stood with his hands politely clasped, making it clear he did not intend to follow.
“Have you eaten?” Riftan asked, his eyes fixed on the path before them.
“I…I-I ate in the d-d-dining hall. The s-steward g-g-g—was g-giving me a t-tour of the c-castle….” she stammered, without once meeting his eyes. Remembering how she had fallen asleep while bathing with him, her cheeks grew hot.
“F-Forgive me…for t-troubling you last n-night.”
“Troubling me?” He slowed his pace so he could look at her.
“I f-fell asleep, j-j-just like th-that….”
“It’s fine. You’re not used to long journeys,” he answered brusquely before picking up his pace again.
Maxi studied his expression. Despite his reassuring words, he looked displeased. “S-Still, you must have been t-tired too….But you had to t-take care of m-me…”
“I wasn’t tired,” Riftan replied coolly. “Quite the opposite, actually.”
“P-Pardon?”
Riftan glanced sharply at her. When she flinched, he let out a sigh. “Never mind. You said you were looking around the castle? I’ll guide you.”
“Al-All right…” Though Maxi wanted to ask if she had done something wrong, she decided it was best to keep quiet.