d e v o n
Monterey Bay Aquarium
almost home
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Janaina Medeiros
Today's Document
Cosimo Galluzzi
Claire Keane
roma★
ellievsbear
if i look back, i am lost
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he wasn't even looking at me and he found me
AnasAbdin
hello vonnie
Misplaced Lens Cap
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$LAYYYTER
Sade Olutola
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seen from Malaysia
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@kingmalcolmv
“I enjoy it. It’s… Untamed. It’s wonderful.”
“Of course you may. I would greatly enjoy the company.”
“Thank you, your Grace, I’ll try not to intrude for too long. Well, it’s but a day’s ride to Loch Lomond from here, your Grace, I’m sure should such a reprieve when things appear to calm occur, you may be able to join a party in venture to its banks and forests.”
“My apologies. Were you addressing me?”
“Er-- Yes? Yes, yes, I-- I was. I was merely inquiring as to, well-- Are you...enjoying yourself?”
“It’s certainly beautiful.”
“We have brought it with us to every residence at which we have resided. Look--” He steps a little closer, bringing his thumb up to the wallhanging and putting it to the edge, where a flower in the hunting scene is blossoming. “A candle once burned here. We had it repaired, rather than replaced. It’s always nice to have such fond memories of possessions, is it not?”
“I believe that is commonly called hiding.”
“I am. Your country is lovely.”
“That is one way to put it. There are those who find it too wild. I’m glad it’s to your liking in these troubled times. Do you...mind if I...avoid my mother...here?”
There was no time to argue against it as he placed the cloak on her shoulders, Isabel offered a small smile. “Thank you, your majesty. But will you not be cold yourself?” she questions, feeling the fabric of the cloak. “It is very warming”
“I’m well used to the weather here, your Grace. This is where I spent the majority of my childhood, after all. Here, you are my guest, and so I am glad to assist. Is this better?”
“Yes, and thank God for that, too. The days been much gloomier than before.”
“With the longer days, it certainly is hopeful. I’m sorry, am I intruding, my lady?”
Indeed it is. As it does every morning. My lord .
One would hope so. It’s remarkable, isn’t it? Even in dark times, nothing stops the turn of the day.
“And what are you doing up before the sun?”
“I was awoken by the crows. They like to sit outside my window. And yourself?”
It seems that you have the best of both, the way which you word it— I hope that by being in the middle, you at least have some sunlight during the warmer time of year? Barbary this time of year is indeed quite different to here— we see just two rainfalls a year, most years.
We’ve some sunlight, aye. Thing is, being at the top of the hill, it’s good for seeing out, but it’s not so warm.
Looking up at the tapestries hanging in the Queen’s Outer Hall, he noticed somebody stepping up beside him. “This one’s my favourite...”
I have heard terrifying tales of the Scottish weather, sir. It does seem as if this rain will last a lifetime.
“It’s not all bad. Thankfully we lie neither too East nor too West to suffer the extremities of either climate, so our breezes may chill and our rain may drizzle, but we’ll rarely be drenched completely. I hope you have no need to grow used to it, though I’m sure the weather is very different in your country. Warmer, aye?”
All of this awkward junction is the Forework.
Picture One: Once again, the awkward area between the royal gardens to the left (underneath that slope, which is pictured from the other side in Picture Two), the French Spur to the right, the way out to the bottom, upper left bringing you up to yet another defensive thing, and straight ahead bringing you to the Outer Close. Above each of the circular towers (of which there were originally four), there would have been steep conical turrets, stepped gables, and gilded stone lions and unicorns (the unicorn is the national animal of Scotland), which would have risen each tower to twice the height pictured.
Picture Two: Lovely slope that brings you up to said ‘yet another defensive thing’. Walls so thick there are literal vaults underneath it.
Picture Three: This is the view of the castle from the defensive wall. The jutting building is the Prince’s Tower (with all the amenities of a castle [kitchen, residencies etc], currently unoccupied), and the other few windows in that general area are to the Queen’s Lodgings.
Picture Four: James IV wanted this to be breathtaking. So, the walls were probably painted in ‘king’s gold’. In case you’re wondering what colour that is, it’s the same colour as that yellow building in the background (the Great Hall). Above the gateway there would have been the lion rampant, the royal arms of Scotland.
And from the French Spur, across the slope, under the archway and here we have the Queen Anne Garden (though it would’ve just been called the royal gardens at that point because Queen Anne wasn’t born until 1665). These are located on the [sometimes sunny] south side of the castle, and a lot of plants like wild garlic, honeysuckle, foxglove, and marsh mallow would’ve been grown here in the terraced sides. This would’ve been where a number of lawn games might have been played as well, like quoits and badminton. The tree is a beech. Also, the 1500s folk didn’t believe in bannisters or railings, and 90% of deaths and injuries were probably directly caused by this. The stairs in the second last picture lead through to the inner close, also accessible through that slope up to the right in the first picture.
The stone scarring in the first and second pictures is where you should imagine an extra guard tower, by the way. It isn’t there anymore but definitely would have been. Ignoring the car and the fellow on the phone, these strong-ass armament fortifications are the product of how awesome France & England historically were together. -Unsure how that plays into the setting of this RPG, but the fact still remains.- It’s within the walls of the castle but outside the castle itself, and the last picture depicts a possible blind spot for maybe some late night meetings?
Here be the entrance from the guardroom square past the main entrance. As you can see, most of these tunnel-like entrances, especially evident in Stirling Castle, had little doors for guards, servants, etcetera. They’re also really small. Maybe 4′6? Useful for hiding in the shadows at night.
((Due to the sheer amount of reference pictures I took of Stirling Castle, I’m afraid I’m going to have to split them up into their respective bundles.))
Depicted here is the entrance to the castle. Yes, that is what was once a moat. There was a moat. The area in front of the castle was rocky and windy past the moat. How did they get the water INTO the moat on top of the hill? Rain, probably. It IS Scotland. Additionally, pictured in the second-last photograph, there's a little hole/possibly-drainage-thing; possibly where the uh...chamberpots were emptied? Who knows at this point, it's not like they really advertise 1500s pooping habits. There’s also a portcullis, you just can’t see it because it’s dark in the final picture. The cobbled ground, however, is definitely a bitch for extended walking, but I'd imagine they'd have been used to it. You can fit a 4x4 van through that gate, so probably 2-3 horses abreast or a carriage.
“Of course Your Majesty.”
“May I ask why you’re hiding from your mother?”
“It’s not that I’m hiding from her, per say, your Grace, more...I would prefer it if she did not find me. Are you well, at least?”
