The North Tower

New Home

Astrid pulled into the driveway with the lawyer. The trip from the US to Wales had been a long haul, and to say she was exhausted was an understatement.

"Is this it then?" She asked, stepping out from the car.

"Yes ma'am." The lawyer, Mala Throk replied, a briefcase and a set of keys in hand.

The castle was set upon a hill, and looked over a sizable town on one side, and a lake on the other. It was huge and looked to be mostly intact. Of course, Astrid knew this wasn't the case as she had visited the castle as a child on Holidays.

"Your Uncle left a very specific set of instructions on what he wanted you to do with the castle," the lawyer explained, being the one to draft the will. "The South Tower, the one we are going into now is to be used for guests, and they are not to venture farther than the ballroom on the western wall. This is the only part of the castle that is fully renovated for renting out."

The lawyer unlocked the front door with a skeleton key.

"Right," Astrid agreed. "When my uncle had my family visit for Christmas, he had us stay in the South and West Towers. The West Tower isn't as fancy, but it's still spacious and historic."

"And on that note," Mala pushed her way inside, stepping into the lavish, but dank smelling, lobby. "The West Tower is only for family and hired hands for events. It is renovated servants quarters."

Astrid twirled slowly in place, taking in the rich architecture and vivid tapestries. Directly in front, there was a long hallway lined with suits of armor that led to the ballroom, this Astrid remembered it from when the great Christmas tree sat in the corner, flooded with silver packages. It had a huge fireplace, big enough to sit in. It was the largest room in the house. On either side of the hall, a double staircase led to the dining hall. Iron statutes in the shape of people sat on the railings, baring torches. To the right and left of Astrid, two more halls lead down to the East and West Towers. A wrought iron chandelier hung from the vaulted ceiling. "It's more beautiful then I remember."

"I apologize for the smell," Mala stated, going to a window. "I was instructed to have the castle shut up until you arrived. The power should be back up sometime during the night. Your uncle has dehumidifiers in the ceiling, so the air should smell better in the morning."

"It's not so bad. It beats city air at least." Astrid strolled the hall and opened another window, framed by rich mahogany and satin curtains. "I'm sorry I couldn't move in sooner, I was just so close to finishing my degree."

"I'm not concerned with it," Mala smiled. "The groundskeeper, a man named Eret, was left a hefty sum of money by your Uncle, and went on Holiday. I'm sure he appreciated the time off. Finishing your degree was a wise choice, especially if you want to continue your Uncle's work at restoring the castle."

"I've dreamed of it ever since I was a little girl." She grinned, "every Christmas I looked forward to coming to visit the castle. And my Uncle would take me to the library and tell me the history of the land. I'm eager to get to work."

Mala grinned. "I'm so glad to hear it." At this point, the duo headed back out to the car to get Astrid's luggage.

"Thanks again, for all your help getting me settled in. My parents aren't able to come until next week."

"Oh, it's no problem at all." Mala promised, "I love this castle. In the many times I visited Finn Hofferson, he gave me tour after tour, and told me the stories behind various art and rooms. Even on his death bed, he recounted things he spent years studying and writing down. His library is surely a wealth of knowledge...and his home...There's just something magical about it."