Intro
This is the 21st story in the New World Series. Like Butcher & Baker in the previous story, it took some digging to reconstruct the history of the Candlelit Castle and the settlement it represents. Unlike Butcher & Baker, the history of the Castle goes much farther back, back to the time of the Orc Wars and the Battle for Middle Earth. The Castle withstood those dark times but not the passage of time itself or the ravages of wind and weather. The Candlelit Castle is north of Butcher & Baker of story 20 and west of Bricks & Mortar and the mud flats of story 18.
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Map seed # 503645344 Plains One River, Small, Fair, Disasters On, Easy 8 seeds
Mods activated for this map and load order:
Map Changing and Starting Mods: Banished UI Maps, Banished UI Town Names, Labor Window, RK Minimized Status, CC Light Rain, overrideFewer Trees, override Map, Settlers Deco, Jinxie Natural Decorations, Kid Deco Tree Fall, Kid Tree Replacer x-Light, New Flora Edit, Family Start
Tweak Mods: Better Fields, Better Stock Piles, Better Stock Piles Storage, Bigger Wheelbarrows, Fishing Dock +25%, Hunting, Hunting Season, Increased CC, 1:1 Alternative (Voeille), override Rural Clothes, Rock Respawn, Tiny Smoke.
Major or Must Have Mods: An Empty Square, Nomads (Kid), override Uneducated, Storage Crates, Kid Workshop, Jinxie Bitty Chicken Coop, Jinxie Bitty Rabbit Hutch, Jinxie Bitty Village Set, Jinxie Festival Park, Kid Abandoned Places SE, Kid Gothic Deco, Kid Gothic Fantasy, Kid Gothic Farm (updated with Gothic Textures), Gothic Tithes & Tributes, Kid Medieval Grace (updated with sheep shed and wall pieces), Kid Workplace
Supporting Mods: DS Fences and Decorations, I See Fire (RK), Kid Deco People, Kid Farmyard, Kid Hedgerow, Kid Houseboat, Kid Jam & Wine, Kid Market Carts, Kid Market Foods, Kid Washing Mod, Specialized Stockpiles, Tiny Quarry, Training Camp Deco (RK)
Welcome, eager explorer, no need for formalities, just call me Benni. My husband is Ranco. He was the eldest grandson and heir, and was told by his dying grandfather that it was time he reclaim the family castle. Come sit by the fire and I'll tell you the Castle's early history and what we found when we arrived here years ago.
Chapter 1
No, eager explorer, we never expected to live in a castle, to be called Lord and Lady, or to be responsible for the well-being of an entire village. We thought the tales of a castle and knights of old that were told to my husband as a child were nothing more than bedtime stories. Ranco's mother died during childbirth, his father and grandmother died during an epidemic a short time later. Ranco and his younger brother were raised by their grandfather who was a west coast shipping baron. The younger brother was more suited to handling the fur trade than he was. Ranco inherited the title and the castle being his father's eldest son. We had just been married, his grandfather wished us well even though I was just a village girl. Ranco was given a huge old key to the keep, a deed, and some information about the castle and told its location. I was told to have a son.
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It was a long and tiring journey east. Word had been sent ahead that we were coming. A small group of grandfather's servants accompanied us. One of his merchant ships carried us most of the way but could go no further; the last part of the journey was on foot over a treacherous mountain range south of the castle. We got our first look at our inheritance from that vantage point. Needless to say, we were shocked by what we saw in the distance. It was no small castle; it was a large, ruined castle surrounded by some large buildings and an outlying village.
After our dangerous mountain climb, without heavy weapons and armor, we could understand why the castle was built in this location all those years ago.
Chapter 2
We were greeted by the villagers as Lord and Lady. They apologized for the condition of the castle and village. The monks tried several times to contact the owner but received no reply; there was nothing they could do but hope that one day someone would come. We learned a lot about the castle from the villagers.
The villagers could not tell us the name of the first Lord or where he came from; they thought that the castle was once referred to as Riverbend Stronghold but weren't sure. They knew the first Lord was a human, but he had dwarves and elves with him in those early days. The dwarves were probably the stone cutters and castle builders, and the elves managed the forest and the hunting. They all fought together to defend the castle.
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As we discovered, the south mountain range was a natural defense, as was the river itself; it was a natural mote around most of the castle. The river was dangerous and fast moving; there was a steep waterfall upriver to the southwest. That had to be the reason the merchant ship could take us no further. There were mountains to the north and mud flats to the east; heavily armed troops would be exhausted by the time they got anywhere near the river and the castle. They would be easy targets for elven archers and dwarves with catapults up on the towers. The builders always had time to build scaffolding along the walls for the archers; the castle soothsayer always knew when an army or a severe storm was approaching. Yes, eager explorer, soothsayer; those were the days of seers and wizards. The lord of the castle always sent a warning to the neighboring settlements and our village to come seek shelter in the castle. The villagers felt safe and cared for.
We can only image, eager explorer, what it must have been like living in those dangerous times.
Chapter 3
Some changes were made to the castle over time but in those very early days, it was more a place of defense and security. When warned of approaching danger, the villagers would gather their children and what livestock and belongings they could and head to the castle. The outer ward of the castle had a pen for their animals; the women and young children were taken to the inner ward where there were rooms for them to stay in the 2 large well-defended core towers. The men and older boys stayed in the outer ward and were give weapons to practice with preparing for battle; there were archery targets and practice dummies for sword and battle axe users.
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In the outer ward was an anvil for tool and weapon making, and a wood cutter for firewood for the houses and cookfires. The hunters would have returned to the castle and venison would be roasting on the spit. A tailor workplace made hide coats with the leather the hunters provided, and warm coats with the hides and wool from the villager's sheep. There was a large stockpile and a storage building for food and supplies and 2 wells for drinking water and firefighting. There was an apple tree and chestnut tree in the outer ward; it was important that there was food stored and produced in the castle in the event of a long siege. Torches were lit and practice continued well into the night; the men and boys gathered around the spit to eat and rest when they could.
Chapter 4
The inner ward of the castle was the home of the Lord and Lady of the castle and their family. They lived in the upper level of the keep; the house servants lived in the lower level and the best soldiers were permanently garrisoned there. Below the keep was a secret storage area that housed 2 wells for drinking and cooking water, foods that kept well lasted even longer when stored there, a must for long sieges. A long escape tunnel led from the storage area to the south mountains. If ever the attacking army was overpowering, the elderly and the women and young children sheltered in the underground storage area could escape through the tunnel if need be. The tunnel had collapsed long ago.
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Across from the keep was the grand hall where food and drink were served. There was a pantry and a kitchen area on one side of the grand hall and a bread baker on the other. There was little grain but a small workplace grinder in the outer ward ground what they had into flour. The kitchen often roasted chickens that were housed in the inner ward and provided eggs as well as meat. Some grain, fruits, and vegetables were grown along one wall; there were corn, cabbage, potatoes, and berries. There was a water well for firefighting between the keep and the small chapel, and across from the chapel next to one of the corner towers was the soothsayer's house. All four of the castle's corner towers housed a look-out soldier and his family.
The inner ward was well guarded at all times and was the last retreat of the outer ward soldiers if the castle should become overrun. There was little chance of that ever happening to this castle.
Chapter 5
The villagers were well treated by the Lord and Lady and residents of the castle; they were always welcome in the outer ward, and given tools, meat, and whatever else they needed in exchange for what foods and supplies they brought to the castle.
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The village women couldn't really tell us when the village came to be outside the castle. Their best guess was that their ancestors came from one or more of the small outlying villages over the hills that were in the direct path of an approaching army, and they fled here to the castle for protection and stayed. The castle was raising some of their own food and hunting was good; there were large herds of deer around the castle and in the forest to the south. Hunters would just have been sent out when a herd was nearby. Fishing was never very good in the fast-moving waters of the river.
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The small cemetery gave no hint as to the age of the village. The village did not seem to be anywhere near as old as the castle; they would not have needed a forester for many years. The forest would have been thicker, and they would have just sent workers out to cut trees as needed. Then again, the forester may have been built later than the village houses, it seemed to have held up better over the years. There was an abundance of wild foods to be gathered in the forest and a gatherer's workplace was set up by the foresters' houses.
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A hunter's workplace was built near the farmyards south of the castle. There were 3 farmyards and a chicken coop; they cut their own firewood and made wool coats from the sheep they raised. There was an apple tree, and they grew beans, cabbage, carrots, oats, potatoes, and wheat. Goats provided milk. The farmwork was pretty much left up to the womenfolk; the children were a big help especially when it came to gathering wild oats which they liked for breakfast. They were curious and wanted to know about everything; it was certainly thanks to the children that so much information was passed down from one generation to the next.
Chapter 6
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The castle too was passed down from one generation to the next. A time of peace had come and there were changes made inside and outside the castle. The archery targets and practice dummies, along with the tables and weapons were moved into the outer ward's storage shed. The anvil was stored in the underground storeroom beneath the keep should it ever again be need in a time of war.
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A smith's workshop for making tools for the builders, farmers, and foresters was built on one side of the storage shed in the outer ward. The tailor's workplace was also stored away, and a tailor workshop was built on the other side of the storage shed. A small market was built near the front entrances so a wider variety of foods would be available inside the castle walls. Two more small houses were built in the outer ward.
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The inner ward also saw some renovations. More roads were added, and the chickens were fenced in rather than roaming free. The baker's oven was replaced with a bakehouse for baking breads. Workers in both the outer and inner ward were happy to have sheltered workplaces especially in winter.
Chapter 7
Several years had passed, progress was slow; a lot of wood and stone was needed. Two stone tower houses were built outside the front of the castle. In between the two, a brewer workplace was set up to make ale whenever there was a surplus of apples. Tables were set up so villagers could sit and visit with neighbors while enjoying a mug of ale. Two more houses and two more wells were built nearby.
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A few more wells were added to the older parts of the village also, as well as a few more houses for young couples or young singles who wanted a place of their own. The Lord at the time offered to have new houses built for all the villagers but they were comfortable in their old cottages and did not want to move. All cottages were inspected and needed repairs were made. There were two new farmhouses built on either side of the old village; the new farmyards each grew beans, had an apple tree for ale making, and grew wheat for flour making.
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A mill with a storage space was built not far from the old village storage barn. The storage area at the base of the mill would be a better place to keep the wheat and flour until needed. The villagers were very happy with how well their needs were looked after by the Lord and Lady of the Castle. Whenever firewood was in short supply, the chicken and venison roasting was paused inside the castle to ensure that there was enough firewood for everyone. The villagers were also encouraged to come to the outer ward market if they did not find what they needed in their storage barn.
Chapter 8
The needs of the people both inside and out were further met by the monks who arrived at the castle while the renovation projects were being worked on. The village women weren't exactly clear on where or why the monks came here but it was peacetime and people were on the move. Several young people set off on adventures from both the castle and the village during that time.
The Lord and Lady welcomed the monks and allowed them to build a monastery and a crafter's guild next to the castle. The monks brought grapevines with them and planted a vineyard. They began making cheese while waiting for a grape harvest, and they built a garden corner so folks could come and enjoy wine and cheese whenever they came seeking spiritual advice.
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Three small houses for workers were built as well as a sheep shed for sheering. The crafter's guild could make many types of coats, tools, breads, and sausages, whatever we needed. They asked the villagers first but were told they would have to ask the Lord of the castle. The Lady of the castle had several baskets of fruits and vegetables delivered to them and told them to visit the castle market if there was anything they needed. She told them our tool and coat supplies were good at the moment, but some venison sausages would be a welcome treat. An archway was built into the castle wall for easy access to and from the monastery.
Chapter 9
The monks discussed the health and happiness of the people with the Lord and Lady of the castle. The monks pointed out that there was only the small chapel in the inner ward, and there was no school; they were surprised that the Lord and Lady had no children. The monks learned that there were plans to build a cathedral and cemetery on the land next to the castle where many elders and war heroes had been buried. A new archway already led from the inner ward to that area and the castle wall was being extended to enclose the expansion.
Shortly after that meeting, a small school was built in the inner ward; one of the younger monks would teach reading, writing, and arithmetic. There were only 3 students from the castle attending.
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The monks built an herbalist healer on the road that led to the castle's front entrance. Behind that they built a large chapel and an education center for everyone whether they lived in the castle or outside it in the village. The monks built a hall of records behind the chapel where village records of births and deaths could be kept as well as those of the castle.
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Just inside the castle archway, the sheep were moved from the animal pen to the monk's animal shed, and the goats were moved to the farmyard that already had a few goats of their own. The area where the pen had been now had a house and a butcher shop; there would be venison sausages in the market for everyone.
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Chapter 10
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Work on the castle expansion and cathedral was slow going; the laborers had far to go to gather stone. A lot of stone was needed; the wall was long and the cathedral quite large. A tiny quarry was dug not far from the fishing pier. The area under development was enclosed with the extented castle wall and a corner watch tower. A guard and his family moved in while the cathedral was being completed. Many remains were moved to the walled cemetery and work had begun on constructing stone crypts.
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It was late autumn of the following year, just before the first snow that the Castle's cathedral and surrounding area was completed. The first service was especially meaningful because thanks to the monk's herbalist healer, the settlements overall heath had improved, and the Lady of the Castle was at long last expecting their first child.
Chapter 11
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Work began almost immediately on expanding the Castle further. An archway was constructed in the wall of the outer ward to the area just below the Cathedral's. The new area would be sheltered from the north and west by the castle walls and would receive full sun in the morning and midday: it would be a perfect spot for an orchard with honeybees to pollinate the fruit. A lower wall was built on the east and south sides of the area. Four patches of apple trees were being planted, tables for beehives were set up, and workplace sheds were being built, weather permitting. A jam house was built close to the archway leading to the outer ward; there were berry bushes planted along the north castle wall. Jam would be made from the berries and honey; the apples would go to the ale-making barrel and into winter storage.
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By the time spring arrived, 2 small houses were being constructed across from the jam maker. It was then that the soothsayer issued a dire warning. The alignment of the planets and stars was not good; it was an ill omen. The soothsayer had a bad feeling that something bad was about to happen.
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Though any kind of attack on the castle was unlikely, the guard towers watch was doubled. Fearing an outbreak of some disease, a bitty hospital was built across from the herbalist healer. Fearing for the health of the unborn child, the Lady of the Castle took to her bed; the monk's doctor visited daily. A stillness settled over the Castle and village as if everyone was holding their breath waiting for some to happen. All was still, not a leaf moved, it was the calm before the storm.
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Chapter 12
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And then the sky grew dark and the wind picked up. A dark ominous cloud hovered over the hills across the river to the east and a swirling funnel formed touching down and traveling toward the river and settlement. Everyone outside ran to the castle for cover. The funnel veered south when it came to the river and then turned west and traveled along the foothills of the south mountain, tearing up trees as it went before suddenly dissipating into nothingness and leaving only stillness and forest destruction behind.
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The Castle and the village had been spared.
Chapter 13
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A special service of Thanksgiving was celebrated in Cathedral. There was a feast in the Great Hall in the inner ward and one around the roasting spit in the outer ward. There was merrymaking in the Monastery's Garden Center with wine and cheese, and a lot of ale drinking at the brewer barrel in front of the castle entrance. It began a happy time for all; they were happy to be alive. According to the monks' census taken around that time, there were 178 happy and healthy citizens, 94 adults, 27 students, and 57 young children.
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The whole town was aglow with a new light. The orchard was doing well, producing apples, honey, and beeswax. The wax was used by the candlemaker shop that was built next to the market in the outer ward. The Castle, chapels, and Monastery were all aglow on cloudy days and on those long autumn and winter evenings. That's why the castle became known as Candlelit Castle.
A few of the oldest villagers we talked to remembered those days, eager explorer. They were light and happy days. The Lord and Lady's first and only son was born; he was the sole heir of the Castle. You guessed it, eager explorer. The boy was my husband, Ranco's, grandfather.
Chapter 14
Many happy years followed. There was plenty of food, firewood, tools, and warm clothes, the citizens wanted for nothing. New houses were built for young couples and old buildings were replaced.
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There was a new fishing pier and the fisherman's house was rebuilt. The forester's workplace and their 3 houses were rebuilt.
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The old farm cottages were rebuilt and there were a new storage barn and a few new sheds scattered around the village. Counting the houses and towers in the Castle, the houses in the Monastery courtyard, and those in the village, there were 46 homes for 59 families; there were many young adults living at home with their parents including the young lord of the Castle, but not for long.
Chapter 15
When the young lord became of age, the Lord and Lady informed him he would marry the daughter of the captain of the guards, she was quite a bit older but was a good match. They would be married in the Cathedral on his 15th birthday. The young lord had other ideas; he was in love with a village girl he met at the market. She was a bit younger but was expecting his child, he would have no other for wife. Yes, eager explorer, it must have been a shock to his parents.
The village women could not say for sure what happened, whether the Lord of the Castle threw his son out or whether the young lord left of his own accord, but he and the young village girl slipped away, she left a goodbye note for her parents. Neither the young lord or village girl were seen or heard from again, as far as the village women knew.
We pointed out that we had a key to the keep and a deed so there must have been some contact; we doubted those items would have been given to the young lord before he left the castle. The village women agreed and recalled that 3 young monks left shortly after the young lord and his young lady did; the monks were gone for quite some time, perhaps they went in search of him.
Dark days fell over the Castle after that, few if any candles were lit. The Lord and Lady of the Castle were rarely seen. There were no new projects started or repairs being done. There was no merrymaking at the monk's garden center or the village brewer barrel. The grape vines were not being tended, and the apple orchard was neglected and overrun with other trees. More young people left the village and castle.
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Chapter 16
The quality of life in the Castle and village further deteriorated in the following years, especially after the Lord and Lady died of influenza. There was no one left in charge to oversee the day-to-day running of the castle. There was no market worker in the Castle going to the village to gather food and other items; villagers did not think they should continue to go get food and other items from the Castle market.
The old monks began making cheese instead of wine in the monastery, and their crafter's guild was baking bread; they saw to it that both the Castle folks and the villagers got some. The old village mill had been severely damaged during a storm. The old butcher, baker, and other old workplaces in the Castle were no longer safe to work in either. The newer candlemaker had no beeswax from the neglected orchard to make candles with. The old anvil was brought up from the underground storage and taken to the village to ensure the farmers had tools to work with.
Several severe storms along with years of wind and rain further damaged the buildings and the castle walls. The newer monastery and village buildings weather the storms and the years much better than the Castle did.
What was once a beautiful castle bustling with happiness and light was little more than a ruin when we arrived to claim the inheritance.
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Chapter 17
There were 6 of us who arrived in early autumn, Ranco and I plus 4 servants; a few good friends promised to follow us later. We were met by a few of the villagers and given a quick tour of the settlement. Our view from the hilltops gave us a basic idea of the layout; we saw the village with the damaged windmill in the foreground and the ruined castle behind it with the monastery buildings to the west. The tour began in front of the castle by the front entrance. Only 1 of the entrance arches remained standing. We could see that most of the original castle walls had crumbled away.
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The market in the outer ward had little food, the storage unit was all but destroyed, as was the butcher, baker, and smith. The houses were newer and had been repaired by the residents over the years. To the right, the wall had crumbled away revealing the overgrown apple orchard. To the left was the monastery complex. The buildings seemed to be in good repair, but the grounds and the vineyard were overrun with weeds.
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The walls of the inner ward were almost completely gone. One of the tall guard towers was badly damaged, as was the small chapel next to it, and the bakehouse, grand hall, and the kitchen pantry. The school still had a few students. There were chickens running loose and the small farmyard was still producing some crops.
The outside of the keep had held up well but not the inside. The villagers prepared rooms for us in the 1 tall tower that remaining standing. We were tired and hungry.
Chapter 18
The servants only found beans, cabbage, cheese, and some berries in the crates near the destroyed kitchen pantry. There was nothing edible but honey at the market in the outer ward.
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Ranco set to work immediately. He assigned a worker to the market to gather more food and sent for a hunter to bring venison for the big roasting spit in the outer ward. Chickens were put on the small spit in the inner ward. He sent for the monks to bring bread and cheese, and when they arrived, he asked if there was any wine left at all. The monks went back to the monastery and returned with several bottles of wine and some ale.
Those inside and outside the Castle had a lot of work ahead of them. They needed good food and drink. Ranco had word sent out to one and all that dinner was being served in the outer ward.
When we finally returned to our tower room for the night, we found it softly aglow with candlelight.
Chapter 19
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The next morning, we toured the village farms. They all were well kept and seemed to be producing well. The barn was well stocked with a nice variety even after the vendor had transferred some to the market. There was quite a bit of wheat; Ranco inspected the damaged mill and concluded that the base was sturdy and only the top part of the mill needed rebuilding. The builders got right to work and there would soon be flour. Ranco told the farmers and builders that they should not hesitate to help themselves to new tools from the storage crates in the castle. We agreed that I would supervise food production and the inventory records, and he would supervise the workers and see to rebuilding the Castle.
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It was a gloomy rainy day when a fire broke out in one of the castle towers; everyone got out safely, but the old tower was completely destroyed despite the rain and all the citizens with buckets of water from the wells. The workers all seemed surprised to see Ranco and I with buckets too. The residents of that tower moved into the tall tower with us.
Ranco thought that the wind blowing through the Castle kept fanning the flames resulting in the towers complete destruction; the castle walls needed rebuilding as well as 2 towers now. There was stone on the stockpile, residents tried to keep up with clearing the rumble from the crumbling walls, but it would not be enough. Ranco assigned 3 workers to the tiny quarry. Work began clearing more rubble and again the townspeople were surprised the see their new Lord of the Castle working alongside of them.
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Chapter 20
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The hedgerow with the apple and chestnut tree in the outer ward also had stones in it from the crumbled wall behind it. From there we could see the weedy berry bushes along the cathedral wall and the overgrown apple orchard. I thought the area should be restored before winter so the berries and apples would have a good start regrowing in spring. Ranco sent 2 of the foresters to help with cutting the unwanted trees that had grown in among the apple trees, and I got a couple of the village women to help with weeding the berry row. They looked a bit shocked to see the Lady of the Castle on her hands and knees pulling out weeds and dead branches. We had a rather fun afternoon working together.
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By the time of the first snowfall in late autumn, the orchard apple trees were pruned and had more sun and room to grow. A few of the beehive tables were replaced as well as one or two of the hives themselves. The berry bush row was also neat and tidy and would be more productive next season. The jam house was in good shape and after a good cleaning would be ready to make berry jam again.
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Meanwhile, Ranco had been working on the front castle wall and missing arch. He said the workers were getting used to seeing the Lord of the Castle working with them. The tower that was destroyed by the fire was also rebuilt. Once the wall was completed, the brewer barrel was in a nice shelter spot for residence to enjoy their mugs of ale. The tables were repaired or replaced and all had new umbrellas. The workers were surprised to find some of the apples from the outer ward hedgerow already brewing in the barrel.
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I was surprised when the old soothsayer approached me and advised me to leave the heavy work to the laborers and villagers, for the sake of my unborn son. I had only just begun to suspect I might be with child. What? Yes, eager explorer, he was right about our first born being a boy. He also predicted that our second child would be a girl and our third would be another boy.
Chapter 21
By spring, the back walls of the castle were rebuilt but there were still the side walls of both the inner and outer wards, and the 2nd tall tower that was severely damaged that also needed rebuilding.
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Everyone celebrated with us when little lord Flinton was born that spring. There was a feast with roast meat and chicken, bread, cheese, vegetables, and wine and ale. Not surprising, a few of the young people took off with two of the few remaining bottles of wine; there was a lot of heavy labor yet to be done on the walls and on rebuilding.
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Grapes were needed for more wine, but the grape vines were doing poorly because of the weeds. The village women and I again did the weeding and pruning and soon had the vineyard and monastery complex in good shape, and we had fun doing it. Little lord Flinton in his basket was dotted on the whole time.
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The men worked hard that spring and summer and soon had all the castle wall repaired or replaced. There was another celebration with wine and ale.
Chapter 22
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The following year, there was a lot more work to be done. The tailor and smith in the outer ward were next on the builders list. When those 2 buildings were up and running it was time to turn their attention to the storage shed in the outer ward and the kitchen pantry in the inner ward. There was a lot of food still in crates and barrels and they needed to be in proper storage buildings before winter came again. The tall tower was rebuilt at the same time.
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When the butcher shop was rebuilt no one was surprised to find venison sausages at the market; the monk's crafter's guild had been baking bread, so it had been a long time since there were sausages to be had. However, when the bakery in the inner ward was completed, the citizens were surprised to see me, the Lady of the Castle, carrying a heavy sack of flour from the market to the bakery, and even more surprised when I baked several batches of honey and oat cookies. My oat cookies disappeared almost immediately every time they appeared at the market.
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The newly restored orchard and beehives did well that year. The beeswax was again being used at the candlemaker; only some clean-up and minor repairs were needed inside. Candlelit Castle was again worthy of its name.
Chapter 23
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It did not take long to rebuild the small chapel in the inner ward, or to demolish the small school. Both Ranco and I agreed, when the time came, we wanted our children to go to school with all the other children. The monk's education center was large and could school a lot of children, it was centrally located and easy enough for all the children to get there even in winter.
By autumn, a fall food market stand was built where the small school had been. There were roast corn, potatoes, or apples to have for a quick snack depending upon which of those foods were available in the kitchen pantry. There were always oat cookies available at the bakehouse, across from which a small park for the children was built, all the children inside and outside the castle were welcome to come and play. It looked very festive in autumn.
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It was just before the first snow of the season that Ranco and I and Flinton and baby Halline moved into the 2nd floor of the renovated keep; the servants and their families moved into the ground floor. The builders insisted on working on the keep whenever there was a lull between building projects. We knew the village women had a hand in decorating our quarters. A bench with cushions and a rocking chair with a knit blanket stood before the small fireplace. There was a table with chairs and a small well-stocked pantry in the main room as well. There were 2 sleeping chambers, one for us and one for the children, both nicely furnished. There were candles everywhere and a bottle of wine on the table.
Chapter 24
Having moved into the keep, there was room in the two tall towers for all of our friends from back home when they arrived. There were 4 couples with 5 adult children and 2 young ones. It was wonderful to see then after so long, we all had families now. We laughed and teased each other like old time but one of the old villagers scolded that we were not being shown the proper respect when we were called Ranco and Benni instead of Lord Ranco and Lady Bennifred. That title alone got quite a few laughs. They brought news; Ranco's younger brother and the shipping business were doing well; he was married now too with 2 children. We had a small feast in the grand hall to celebrate our friends' arrival.
Shortly after they arrived that spring, 2 river boatmen pulled up along shore by the Monastery. There were 2 of them because of the waterfall; they had to portage the boat over land past the waterfall to find us. Apparently, word was out that we had exceptionally good wine made by monks. The river boatmen were looking to get some for their customers. They wanted to know if we would consider trading some of the wine for whatever we needed, as long as it was not too heavy to be portaged around the waterfall with the boat. The only thing we could think of was wheat seeds; we had everything else. Over a meal by the big roasting spit by the market, they saw we had candles and textiles, they would gladly accept those in trade too.
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We immediately built a trading post there by the monastery complex and began stocking it with wine, candles, flax, and honey. We were surprised when, in late winter, Durwardo, the seed merchant, arrived with the wheat seeds. He said it was actually easier to portage the boat over the snow-covered land; it was like pulling a sled.
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We made the trade for the wheat, and he was soon on his way. It was only after he left that we thought we should have ordered oat seeds; only one of our farmers grew oats but everyone loved the oat cookies. The boatman did say he would return. When spring came again, the wheat was planted in a 7'x14' field behind the windmill.
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Chapter 25
So, eager explorer, there really isn't much we can tell you about the river boatmen. We thought it commendable that they go to the extra trouble of portaging around the waterfall in the river to get to us, but there really was nothing we need. Even the boatman remarked how self-sufficient we were. Other towns don't do as well.
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We are quite proud of our Candlelit Castle but for the most part we have the villagers to thank for all their hard work maintaining their homes and farms. The tower residents and the monks did their fair share also. Restoring the castle took a lot of teamwork.
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The outer and inner wards are again bustling with activity and productivity, the orchard too. The Cathedral district is a peaceful respite, and so is the monks' garden corner. The farmers and foresters keep the Castle well supplied with food and logs for building and firewood.
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The Castle is again a happy place to live and is aglow with candlelight when times get dark.
Chapter 26
We really do appreciate you coming by, eager explorer. It must have been an experience for you traveling by riverboat. But as you can see, there really is nothing we need, but we will be happy to supply the river boatmen with wine and candles if they want to make the trip around the waterfall. We plan to keep those items stocked at the trading post. The boat should be here soon to deliver our oat seeds and to pick you up and take you back to your houseboat, you've been here a long time.
(https://i.imgur.com/2WFxTzD.jpeg)
We can't believe how long it's been since we first arrived here at the ruined Castle; our children are all grown now but still living at home with us. Other young people are still living at home too ; there are 74 families living in 51 homes. It's time to build more now that all the castle renovations have been done.
(https://i.imgur.com/R3G9cmU.jpeg)
Candlelit Castle has 243 citizens, 124 adults, 51 students, and 68 young children. The students all attend the monk's education center together. Our citizens are all healthy and happy, and busy now lighting candles; the autumn evening come early.
Good night, eager explorer.
The End
I have uploaded new updates. :)
Medieval Grace 1.32
https://worldofbanished.com/index.php?action=downloads;sa=view;id=407
Gothic Farm 1.12
https://worldofbanished.com/index.php?action=downloads;sa=view;id=370
Have fun. :)
@Abandoned ;D :thumbsup Thank you for the beautiful story. Nice combination of village and castle.
@kid1293 ;D :thumbsup Thank you for the new updates mods Medieval Grace 1.32, Gothic Farm 1.12
How's Halloween going?We don't have such a tradition here, but I personally like pumpkin very much and I put it in jars and season it with a little vinegar, cloves and sugar - a very good appetizer for the holidays.Regards
:) Thanks
@taniu Hope all goes well with you. :)