17. Chapter 17

Chapter seventeen

T revor had been right, it hadn't taken long for someone to open the large castle doors and usher Haven and Roman inside. Even though there was no indoor lighting, save for some unlit sconces along the walls, the room they entered was bright. There was a colorful rug under their feet and some beautiful artwork on the walls. Haven could see two hallways, each one through an open door on either side of the room. She looked forward to finding out where they went. She could also see what appeared to be a great hall through the third set of doors directly ahead of them.

"Hello, my name is Wendy. I'll be showing you around the castle." The woman who greeted them at the doors spoke. She was short, older with graying blonde hair, light blue eyes and a warm smile that helped put Haven at ease .

Roman introduced himself while shaking her hand and Haven did the same.

"Hello, my name is Haven."

Wendy smiled another warm smile, "It's nice to finally have you here Haven"

Haven didn't know how to respond to that so she simply smiled back at the woman and followed her through the double doors into what she assumed was the great hall, or possibly a ballroom.

"This is the throne room," Wendy said. So not the great hall or ballroom, Haven thought.

"It is also used as our ballroom and great hall"

Haven snickered under her breath.

Looking around the large room, Haven noticed the rows and rows of windows lining the walls. There was a painting in between each, some depicting people, others showed scenes and landscapes. She could see a small door on the left side of the back wall behind a raised platform where a throne sat. She assumed that would be where the queen or king sat if they had one. Haven absently wondered what it would be like to have all that power, to rule.

Binahs words had freaked Haven out at first. But barring her anxiety a few moments ago, now that she'd had some time on the ride here to do nothing other than think, Haven decided that whatever happened, she would be okay with it. Whether she ended up sitting on a throne somewhere, either as the only fae from a missing bloodline or from a bloodline with so many siblings she'd need a notebook to keep them all straight, or if she ended up a no named princess last in line for just about everything, Haven decided that any option would be alright. She'd hope for the best-case scenario and be happy with the worst. She just had to decide what scenario she considered the best.

Wendy led them back out of the throne room and down the hall to their left. Almost immediately there was a set of stairs that the three of them began climbing.

"So," Wendy started, "You've seen the throne room. It takes up the entirety of the first floor, both the passageways off the entry room take you up to the rooftop where you access the rest of the floors. The second level is made up of entertaining rooms where meetings are held, offices, the kitchens, library and store rooms." Haven sucked in a breath at the mention of the library, remembering Binahs words. She hoped to visit that room sooner rather than later.

"The third level is made up of only bedchambers, whether it's for visiting nobles or servants who stay at the castle; that's where you will find their bedchambers" Haven was too lost to her own mind to pay close attention to what Wendy was saying,

"And no one ever enters the fourth level, it is the royal quarters and no one has stayed there since the creation of this realm. It is enchanted to stay clean and no one dares go up there out of respect for our lost royal bloodline" Wendy finished, a slightly sad tone in her voice.

"The crown regent doesn't stay there?" Haven asked, finally snapping out of her thoughts. Apparently she'd been paying closer attention than she realized.

Wendy gasped, "He does not dare"

It seemed a little silly to waste an entire level out of respect for someone that people appeared sure would never show. Haven decided it was best not to say anything else on the subject, based off the offended look on Wendys face.

After exiting the door at the top of the staircase, she found herself standing on the rooftop of the first level with Roman behind her.

The view of the castle had been nice but the view from the castle was nothing short of awe inspiring. She could see the sprawling lake situated behind the castle glittering in the sunlight, the forest that encased the entire left side of the castle and circled the backside of the lake.

The gardens were even better to look at from this angle. Haven couldn't see exactly how big they were but she could tell they easily outmatched any garden she'd ever seen. She'd be more than willing to bet they outsized the castle. There appeared to be some sort of hedge maze, people were picking baskets of fruits and vegetables and colorful flowers sprang up every which way.

Haven wondered how amazing it would feel to walk through the gardens just before sunset, during golden hour. It was her favorite time of day. Her mother used to take garden walks during that time and ever since she was old enough to walk, she joined her mom whenever she could. Haven didn't always make those walks a priority. Other things often got in the way, school clubs, trips out with the few friends she had or getting lost in a book. Now that she was faced with the possibility of staying in the fae realm for the foreseeable future, she regretted not making those walks a priority.

For as long as she was here, Haven told herself, she would keep up the tradition as often as she could, walking through the gardens just before sunset and enjoying the moment like her mother always did.