Castle news

31-10-2009


Yesterday was the eve of All Hallows night, known by most as Halloween. Lady Cheryl had been out and about preparing for the following night, when all the children in the village would come calling. It was a tradition that had lasted for centuries, and was celebrated in many Kingdoms.

Our Lady had decorated the castle and grounds. Using hollowed out pumpkins with candles placed inside. Spider webs with make believe spiders were put in window casements and entrances. She had raided the broom closets and taken the brooms , strategically placed to look like witches brooms. Caricatures of skeletons and bats adorned the castle walls and ceilings. Murals of skeletons climbing over dungeon gates were pasted on the boundary walls. Banners ran along the perimeters warning all who entered that they did so at their own risk.

Believing that the children would be suitably duped into believing that this was a place of nightmares, she returned indoors to prepare the bucket for the treats of sweetmeats and pastries. This was the reward for the children dressing up as vampires, witches and pirates or whatever ghoul took their fancy. She covered the top with fake cobwebs and a huge spider with red glowing eyes. She had collected the hair for the spider from the stables. So lifelike was it that it would require nerves of steel to plunge a hand into the bucket and claim the reward for being so brave. A true test for the future Knights and Ladies.

Castle News

30-10-2009

The health of our Knight's father, Lord Gilbert, was failing. He had been taken to the infirmary in the county of the flat cliff (Plattekloof). Accompanied by his wife, the Dowager Lady Edna, who found it difficult to restrain herself from having a panic attack, which she was prone to do.

Sir Trevor, unable to to return to the castle in time to be of any aide, called on the service of his sister, the Lady Rose. Hastening to answer the call, Lady Rose went straight to the infirmary, to watch over their father and to give comfort to their mother.

It was cause for deep distress to see Her father lying there so helpless. She was glad when the opportunity arose to take her mother back to her castle. She left her father Lord Gilbert, in the more than capable hands of the experienced ladies in charge of the ward. After her mother was bedded down for the night she sent a carrier pigeon to her brother, Sir Trevor, informing him of the health of their father.

Sir Trevor , after reading the message made sure he would be able to see his father in the Infirmary the following day. Lady Cheryl knew her beloved so well, sensed that he dreaded seeing his father in that condition, and had tried to avoid it. Even though as everyone could attest to, he loved his father dearly and would anything for him. About this situation though he was helpless and could nought to alter it. It was this helplessness that drove him frantic, he was used to having the answers to most problems and being able to right them.

Castle News

Virtute et Valore
(By virtue and valour)

29-10-2009


Sir Trevor had duties to perform once more in the county of Constantia. It was always a pleasant ride, crossing the bridge over the Deep River, then following the meandering trail along the Black River. Keeping close to the mountain shaped like a table, passing the forest of the New Lands then up the hills to the scenic vista laid out before one entered this fair place.


It was a place favoured by ambassadors from far away Kingdoms. A veritable stewing pot of who's who. No matter race, colour or creed, as long as their pockets and their treasure chests were full, they were made welcome to make this there home.





Sir Trevor though never felt out of place and easily held his own. He had been fortunate to receive the very best private education, tutored by none other than St. George's best. Had he not been hellbent on becoming a minstrel, who knows what he might have become?


Happy and content he was that he had followed his own path. He had the fondest memories, that only one who had been able to do exactly what he wanted, could possibly have. Now he was a noble Knight , owner of his own castle and land, a seaside cottage and with a lovely Lady by his side.


Life was good, with a wonderful steed to transport him, going about the duties for the Lords of the Privy Purse and aiding so many people every day. He was most grateful for his choices made years before. In truth at the time they had invoked the wrath of his mother, the Dowager Lady Edwina, who had made it clear to him, how much they had sacrificed to pay for his education. Now it was obvious that the good education had never been wasted, but instead had aided Sir Trevor in achieving his goals. Needless to say he would always be grateful to his parents for that.

Castle News

News 28-10-2009

Sir Trevor gave Lady Cheryl a few pennies for the market. She had to replenish their vegetables before baking her favourite pie later. He would remain at the castle completing reports and answering messages from the people who had need to replace possessions stolen or lost through fire or flood.

Of course there were always those who became cantankerous, and would raise their voices, making lewd suggestions as to what they would like to do to the Lords of the Privy Purse and Sir Trevor alike. Over the years experience had shown that most people who blustered and shouted, had something to hide, and most if not all of them, were fraudsters attempting to gain pennies unlawfully.

The honest folk saw the Lords of the of the Privy Purse and Sir Trevor as benefactors to their cause. Thankfully these were the majority who made the tasks and duties a rewarding venture for our Knight.

Lady Cheryl meantime, at the market, had chosen and purchased juicy orange carrots, freshly picked wild brown mushrooms, rich ripe red tomatoes and a few other provisions. Seeing that she had time to spare Lady Cheryl went to listen to her favourite minstrels, at the stall called Musica. There she found the shiny discs that had replaced the recorders. The called these new discs seedees. Purchasing three of these, she then stopped by the stall of Inside Intelligence. It had become one of her favourite stalls, she needed to purchase scrapbook software for her small box of moving pictures. She had been wanting to start a journal called " Castle News".

Finding exactly what she wanted, she rode her riding hack The Grey, back to the castle with plenty of time to spare, before preparing the evenings repast. Steak and Kidney Pie, followed by apricot jam tartlets were on the menu. Her love would eat well that night, the mood set with the songs on the seedee.

Castle News

27-10-2009


There was a fearsome storm overnight in the county. Winds gusted at hurricane force, bending the limbs of trees and whipping their branches. Thunder and lightning rent the air, waking up most of the people asleep in their beds. Sir Trevor alarmed jumped from his sleeping mattress and quickly donned his suit of armour, fearing they were under attack.




He felt more than a little foolish when another bolt of lightning struck outside, followed by a rumble of thunder. It was nature demonstrating her power over all things. Greatly relieved that they were not under siege, he returned to the boudoir and removed his armour. Pulling back the bedsheets he felt quite consternated looking at the sleeping face of his love. She was normally so alert and here she was sleeping right through, oblivious of the raging storm.


There had to be a good reason for this, may hap our Lady had given herself up in exhaustion. She had experienced a particularly stressful few days. Smiling gently he tucked her in and retired to the parlour. Knowing sleep was out of the question he made a pot of calming tea. As he started to relax he gave thanks that there were no canons aimed at the castle walls.

Castle News

26-10-2009


It had seemed to be anything but a day of rest for our Knight and Lady. Sir Trevor had much to catch up on for his duties with the Lords of the Privy Purse. He was also suffering from a small dose of the stomach cramps, keeping him tied to the chamberpot for most of the time. He could ill afford for this to happen, but nature would have her way. In the meantime Lady Cheryl busied herself round the castle and the gardens, planting new seedlings.


Having a few seedlings left over and no room for them, she took them to Lady Jowyne, her neighbour and friend from the castle next to their boundary. On her arrival she found Lady Jowyne and Lord Marvyn hard at work in their own arbour. Lord Marvyn had purchased a fountain for the grounds as a gift for Lady Jowyne. Standing back to admire it Lady Cheryl remarked how pleasant it was to see others also take pride in their surrounds.


Gifting them the seedlings, she was touched indeed by their insistence that she accept in return a selection of plants they had grown. Thanking them for their generosity and visiting awhile our Lady hastened back to her castle. Feeling the pangs of hunger grip her, she went directly to the parlour. Choosing her ingredients she prepared a repast in the kitchen. Bacon, toast, wild mushrooms and double yolked eggs.


Summoning her love who was much better, she served the repast with a goblet of freshly squeezed orange juice, grown in the orchards in the valley of Ceres. Following the meal she poured a fragrant pot of herbal tea. For Sir Trevor it was the tea picked from the red bushes grown in the Kingdom. Found nowhere else the leaves were sent to lands far and wide. It was a favourite of our Knights. For our Lady it was the brew favoured by the Earl of Grey. Feeling replete after their meal the two continued with their day.




It was late in the afternoon when Sir Robert the Scot and Lady Angelique called on them. A cask of Rose mead made by the Four Cousins was cracked open and a good few chalices were drunk. While they were enjoying each others company Sir Trevor was directing work on the illumination of the picnic area. He had bought many different coloured lamps and they could hardly contain themselves till nightfall, when they would be lit, and they could see the effect. As night fell, the lamps were lit. The picnic area was transformed to a magical playground. To say our Knight and Lady were well pleased with the result would be putting it mildly. They would be spending many an hour here in the approaching hot summer nights.

Castle News

25=10-2009


The day before had marked the birth date of Lady Giselle Brigitte, our Lady's youngest daughter, who after marrying the wandering Portuguese, Sir Joaquin, had set up home with him in the Kingdom of The Long White Cloud, New Zealand. It lay far away on the other side of the world. She was sorely missed by Lady Cheryl, who did her best to keep up communications via racing pigeons and using the signals that had been discovered in the stars. Called satellites, they allowed communications via the little boxes with moving pictures.


Lady Giselle's siblings, Lady Angelique and Sir Peter arrived to send greetings to their sister and assure her of their love and support. Obvious it was just how greatly she was missed. Her tender heart and great sense of humour were admired by so many. She would always be affectionately remembered.


At noon, leaving Sir Trevor penning his reports, Lady Cheryl visited the local nursery. She loved to wander around looking for unusual plants for her own gardens. Soaking up the fragrances as she went about, it was not long before she had a bevy followers, all admiring her choices of plants. She could not help but impart some of her knowledge to those who needed or asked for assistance. Her experience stood her in good stead to recognise what needed to be done in order to be successful raising plants, in what could be unforgiving conditions in their county.


She returned with her bounty and offloaded The Grey, who snorted with indignation at being treated as a common cart horse, and not the beautiful riding hack that he was. Sir Trevor came out to see what his love had returned with. Shaking his head, he gently suggested that they would need a larger stretch of land, to accommodate all these new acquisitions. Not to mention far larger pockets to hold the many pennies it took to pay for all this.