Beauty In The Darkness

Chapter 9:

After our delightful conversation, I headed inside. We stayed the night at Harriet's. Then the next morning, I got up, showered, got change and got on the horses to head into the mainland's.

We arrived at the mainland's at 2pm. No-one really paid that much attention to us. The place was stunning. The trees and plants were so fresh and bright, everyone looked happy. Everything was beautiful and bright. There was a calming sense in the air. Humans and animals roaming the ground together in harmony. It was perfect.

Have you ever heard of the word Hiraeth. It's a Welsh word it means a deep and intense homesickness for a place that is long gone or a place you've never visited. Honestly, that's the only word that can describe what I was feeling and seeing.

I used to dream of this place when I was younger. I thought it didn't exist, but it does. It's here. It's home. It's always been my home. I just thought it was a dream. A place that didn't exist. A place I thought was long gone, but this whole time. It was here. It's always been here.

We arrived at the castle. Honestly, it was nothing like you would expect. All those stories from when you were kids all those movies and tv shows about medieval times honestly it doesn't put it to justice.

The castle was surrounded by a moat. The drawbridge was made of wood and was down being held on by large thick chains. The steel barricades were opening leading us into the castle grounds.

The castle was built of stone with four tall towers at each corner all with dark brown roofs. There was battlements connecting each tower together. The main castle. AKA. The keep was huge with what looked like hundreds of windows.

There was red, purple, and white climbing plants, crawling up each tower and along the battlements. However, the castle remained untouched. Standing tall and powerful. It was stunning.

As we rode over the draw bridge, we entered the courtyard. It just took my breath away. There was cobblestone path going straight from the drawbridge to the castle doors. To the left it honestly looked like a fucking farm.

There was a large stable with ten horses inside. A small, fenced area with a chicken coop in the middle. Another fenced area with four sheep and two lambs inside. A large pond with ducks and frogs swimming around inside. It looked stunning.

To the right, well I don't really know how to describe it. It was like a fighting arena. There was a padded wall, meant for punching and kicking. There was an impressive sward, knife, arrow, and axe collection. There was eight targets. Three for knife throwing, two for axe throwing and three for firing arrows. It was impressive actual. It looked like they did actual train and fight.

Anyhow, they disbanded the horses, and tied them outside the stables. While I stood just outside the large double wooden castle doors with decorative iron hinges. I stood there staring at the doors for five minutes. Not moving just looking.

I honestly didn't know what I would see or feel when I walked through the doors. I was actual a little scared. For the first time in a long time. I was nervous. I was actual starting to worry about what they thought of me, and I've never care about that before, but this time I did.

"Something wrong?" Althea asked as she stood next to me, as the others stood talking beside the stables.

"Nervous" I replied.

"Don't blame you. I would be to. I mean fuck. This place is your home."

"Is it though?"

"You're the princess Lara. There is no doubt that you are Lara Claymore."