"Now that we have completed the tour of the grounds, let us travel inside the Castle." Flora comments, her voice soothing and sultry. Looking again at her, it appears she's managed to change clothes. Entirely. She continues. "Once we finish with the tour, which will end in the private rooms, I will hand out your room assignments. Let's begin, shall we . . . ?"
"Benedict fought long and hard against the inclusion of the Solarium in this revision of the Castle. Of course, if it were up to the General, then we would all still be living in an arcane stone fortress with forboding walls and no balconies. I swear, I am the only one with an eye for beauty in this family."However, asthetics won out over military practicality and we are left with this wonderful sitting room. As you can see, the view from here is specacular, with most of city Amber and all of the harbor laid out for your view. The magical glass encasing the room can be removed with a flick of a switch on the wall, allowing the fresh ocean breeze to float into the room.
"The viewing glass, called by some a "telescope", can be attuned, through a series of crystal lenses, to view the Lighthouse across the harbor, even the stars in the sky. Overhead, you'll notice wide-bladed ceiling fans and crystal lights to stir the air and light the room at night. Though electricity still, sadly, has not been brought to Amber, special applications of magical spells have allowed us to replicate electrical effects. The luxuries have been extended to all the rooms in the castle."
"Heading inside, I must announce that there are far too many rooms to be included in a proper tour. Some, such as the Pattern Room, will be shown to you later, others are simple mirrors of the rooms we'll visit, and still others you will be left to discover on your own. As Princesses and Princes of Amber, there is no part of the Castle that is closed to you, with, of course, the obvious exception of private sleeping chambers."Now, this is one of the many atriums that lead to stairs to the upper levels of the castle. As you'll find the walls of the Castle of often decorated with a beautiful brocaded fabric as well as pictures of the family and various events painted by those of us with a knack for the arts. Off to the left, you'll see the entry to one of many small libraries spread throughout the castle. These rooms provide secluded areas for study or relaxation.
"They may also be warded for additional privacy with simple spells. Since the room is small, the privacy spell is usually very effective. Those of you that have no talent for that particular Art may contact Fiona or Bleys who will be more than eager to help you with that, I'm sure. Books may be brought here from the Great Library, and will magically return there when the reader is done with them. In addition, new books are constantly being brought back by most of the family from their voyages in Shadow. Gerard, for one, has contributed quite a collection of medical books and papers, and Benedict has sought military manuals from far and wide."
"All of which brings us to our next destination, up at the head of the stairs, the Great Library. Here is, oddly, where great family meetings have been traditionally held. Oberon keeps one of his offices here and the fireplace creates a welcome hearth for family discussions."Ample seating is provided by comfortable Begman leather chairs, the room is walled by rich mahogany bookcases and matching tables. Natural light is provided through the large bay windows during the day, and through light crystals at night. Over all, the atmosphere is calm and tranquil, though I usually prefer the Solarium for my reading than the stuffy-by-comparison library the boys prefer.
"Ah, and the faint smell of Cuban cigars you can thank Caine for. He's recently taken up smoking, though I've put my foot down about smoking in here. He's been restricted to the somewhat pleasant smell of cigars and pipes. I can't have my delicate sense of smell damaged, you know?"
"Down the hall and located near the kitchens is the master dining room. Here is where all family dinners are held, the table can accomodate the entire family, as they grow, so does it. However, rare is the occasion when all of us are gathered together at once. Oberon rarely holds "Court" anymore usually running affairs, and I use that term in all its intended meanings, out in Shadow, leaving the overseeing of the city to Eric and the various other castle duties to us. Honestly, Amber is a monarchy in pretty much name only. But, the current arrangement works and Daddy is happy with it."This main dining hall is also used for Royal Banquets with visiting dignitaries and ambassadors from the Golden Circle or the Courts of Chaos. The kitchen staff comprises the best chefs of Shadow and can prepare even grand meals in record time. Someone in the kitchens is usually always available, and private meals can be ordered into your rooms, I couldn't live without room service, the library, the solarium, or in any of the smaller dining rooms reserved for smaller group meals.
"Wolfgang, the head chef, is also very talented at learning to prepare entreés from various Shadows, so if you're afraid you're never going to get your favorite dish again, never fear. And, of course, our proximity to the sea and a lucrative trade agreement with Queen Moire of Rebma ensures that seafood dishes prepared here are always fresh and exquisite. Now, let's leave quickly, shall we, before I get hungry and ruin my diet."
"The upper floors have their own small libraries and dining rooms, as well as restrooms, but by far their biggest feature is the array of guest rooms and private rooms of the family. The entirity of the third floor is dedicated to guest rooms for visitors, and they're just as plush and inviting as our actual rooms. Well, your actual rooms, my room is near on par with Daddy's. It's good to be the favorite."At any rate, we'll go on up to the fourth floor where the majority of private rooms are located. We've also kept an array of rooms on the fifth floor for additional family as well. Some of you will be staying there.
"This is the first empty room, so well conclude our tour here. This is the receiving room for you to entertain guests or retire to your own privacy. Privacy of personal rooms is inviolate and invading that privacy will be met with retribution of varying degrees. I've heard that Fiona still has a coatrack from the last person who broke into her rooms. The sitting room has all the amenities of the smaller library without the clutter of books. Most rooms have a pleasant, if small, balcony off the sitting room. Light and fans, as you can see, are available in here as well. And, usually, the view through the bay windows is quite breathtaking."
"Finally, we move into the large bedrooms. Complete with a private bath, fireplace and a bed large enough to accomodate, well, at least three people, I must say this is the crowning achievement in my requirements for the new look of the castle. Lights, fan, even the darkness of the windows can all be controlled from the doorframe as well as a special panel secreted in the headboard."These are all decorated, currently, to match the decor of the castle, just to maintain appearances for guests, however, you may feel free to redecorate your rooms in whatever style you choose, and the city of Amber has a large collection, provided by yours truly, of course, of the best interior decorators in the Realm. Though I am sure some of your tastes will offend me to my very core, your rooms are just that, your rooms, and you may do with them what you will.
"However, the King has asked that you don't alter the basic structure of the room, or create windows or doorways where there are none. Some walls are load-bearing and need to remain that way. I've also noticed that some rooms inexplicably have secret rooms or hidden passages attached to them. I've not mapped them all, and their discovery remains in your hands. If, however, the secret access would benefit the castle as a whole, say for defense or something, you should please bring it to someone's attentions."
"Well, that concludes the official tour." Flora says, once again smoothing her flawless gown. From nowhere she produces an elegantly decorated clipboard and a writing quill. "Daddy has suggested that he'd like to meet with each of you individually so I recommend getting settled in and getting ready. I notice some of you have a rather. . . distinct . . . style and that is welcomed, however I would encourage you to visit with some of our tailors for some more "native" clothing. Now, let's get on with your room assignments, shall we. . . ?"
