Ch. 11
Kel was riding between Neal and Cleon. She was starting to get annoyed by their constant chaffing, yet didn't say anything. Through the dense forest, she could spy a few high towers and turrets. The air started to get more humid, she could feel her hair curling a little bit. Was that the sea she heard? She hadn't realized that the castle was so close to the sea! (AN Cornwall, England, that's what I'm thinking.) The trees broke. The most enormous castle she had ever seen sat in front of her. Gardens stretched out to the sides. A sloping green lawn carried down almost to the edge of the forest. The chaffing ceased; Alanna, Daine, Numair, and even the Kind and Queen stopped their conversation. This was incredible. High in a tower, they could see a maid shaking a rug free of dust.
"Cleon," Kel started, "have you ever seen anything so big?"
"N-no, I don't think so…I wonder if they steal from the poor to have this huge castle…"
"I don't think so," Daine interjected. "I've been reading up on these people, it seems that have old money, this whole castle is hundreds of years old…it's simply amazing how old it is, yet everyone says it's in wonderful condition…and all the taxes go towards the city, not the Duke's castle. Even the ball will be paid out of his private income. At least, that's what Numair's friend said. He'd been here before."
"Oh. I see. Is the Duke nice?"
"He said that he was the epitome of kindness, and his niece, the Duchess, was even nicer. I wonder if that's true. Most noble ladies are not very kind."
All of the Tortallans stared up at the imposing structure.
Kel was riding between Neal and Cleon. She was starting to get annoyed by their constant chaffing, yet didn't say anything. Through the dense forest, she could spy a few high towers and turrets. The air started to get more humid, she could feel her hair curling a little bit. Was that the sea she heard? She hadn't realized that the castle was so close to the sea! (AN Cornwall, England, that's what I'm thinking.) The trees broke. The most enormous castle she had ever seen sat in front of her. Gardens stretched out to the sides. A sloping green lawn carried down almost to the edge of the forest. The chaffing ceased; Alanna, Daine, Numair, and even the Kind and Queen stopped their conversation. This was incredible. High in a tower, they could see a maid shaking a rug free of dust.
"Cleon," Kel started, "have you ever seen anything so big?"
"N-no, I don't think so…I wonder if they steal from the poor to have this huge castle…"
"I don't think so," Daine interjected. "I've been reading up on these people, it seems that have old money, this whole castle is hundreds of years old…it's simply amazing how old it is, yet everyone says it's in wonderful condition…and all the taxes go towards the city, not the Duke's castle. Even the ball will be paid out of his private income. At least, that's what Numair's friend said. He'd been here before."
"Oh. I see. Is the Duke nice?"
"He said that he was the epitome of kindness, and his niece, the Duchess, was even nicer. I wonder if that's true. Most noble ladies are not very kind."
All of the Tortallans stared up at the imposing structure.