Re: Gwen's favor. {{Invite only now}}

[Guest]

Venis took a deep breath. "I know it sounds silly, but until I see otherwise, I will not believe otherwise." As irrational as it sounded, that was how Venis felt about it. They weren't far from the outer gates of the Keep. "You know, I still have to name the place." She was trying to think of something that would reflect who Venis was and what she was about.

[Gwendolan]

Gwen smiled. She was a very rational being; and to her the fact that it could not possibly be haunted any more was logical.

"So when you see with your own eyes, you will feel better about it."

She simply nodded.

"A name is a very powerful thing, and it should mean something to the one that names it."

[Guest]

Venis gave a single nod. "Yes, in this case, seeing is believing." She nodded when Gwendolan mentioned the power of a name. "Maybe I'll come up with something along the way. Like, big keep of horror?" A joke of course, maybe Gwendolan would find it funny?

[Gwendolan]

Gwen just smiled at Venis joke, she did get it. As they rode on Gwen decided to ask her a question.

"What was Manny like when he was young?"

[Guest]

The wickedest of grins curled up at the corners of Venis' lips. Oh how lovely, a loaded question. This was where being the older of the two came in oh so handy. She was getting the chance to tell all the embarrassing stuff. "Well, mostly he was a good kid." Mostly, ha, this was going to be fun. "But ... Let's see, one time, he and some friends of his were playing hide and seek in the castle. Manny hid in a bathroom behind the commode. He fell asleep there. There's a picture of him sleeping with his head resting against the commode at the castle, don't let me forget to show it to you." Ok, this was going to be even more fun than she thought.

[Gwendolan]

Gwen smiled and then started to laugh.

"He fell asleep with his head on the commode?"

She had something that she would be able to use to tease Manny.

"I won't let you forget."

[Guest]

Venis was already laughing. "Oh that's nothing, when he was about eight I think it was, back when I was still Aunty Venis and Seleen was still Aunty Seleen. He had a bad dream. Well, Seleen's room was closer to his than mine, and his parents were out for a night, like a date night. So anyway, he crawls out of bed. Rubbing his eyes and almost crying from the bad dream. He walks into Seleen's room and without even really looking first, crawls into bed with her." Venis was trying to hard not to laugh.

"Well, needless to say, Seleen was entertaining that night. And she was a little too busy to notice him crawling into bed with her and her guest. Imagine his surprise when she started crying out and he finally opened his eyes to see why." She burst out laughing. Most kids would have been totally traumatized by that. But Manny was growing up in a castle full of vampires. Venis was laughing so hard she was getting ready to cry.

[Gwendolan]

A bad dream wasen't funny, she did not understand why Venis was laughing, it was bad enough to almost make him cry. So he went to Seleen's room.

"When you say entertaining..."

She turned red but started laughing again.

"Poor Manny."

[Guest]

Venis nodded when she asked about the entertaining comment. "Oh it gets better. A few years later, he did something, I honestly cannot remember what it was. But Aunty Sel got a paddle board and bent him over her knee." She was already trying not to bust up at the thought. "Well, after she popped him a few times she let him up. He folded his hands in front of him, um, below his waist. Like he was hiding something. A short time after that, he quit calling her Aunty Sel, said he was too mature for that." She burst out laughing.

[Gwendolan]

She looked at Venis confused.

"What is so funny about him getting a spanking?"

[Guest]

Venis tucked both her lips in her mouth before she spoke. "It's not so much the spanking that's funny. It was what popped up as a result of him having to bend over Aunty Sel's lap. Especially given he had seen her in her all togethers just a few years prior. He was after all, a maturing young man." She gave Gwendolan a wink and hoped she caught the innuendo this time, because Venis was one step away from vulgarity. And she was trying to avoid that.

[Gwendolan]

She got it now and she turned bright red even the tips of her ears.

"I umm."

Gwen was at a loss for words. This was something she would never be able to tease Manny about. How embaressing for him.

[Guest]

Venis gave Gwendolan a break and picked a cute one. "I knew Manny would someday be in charge of my employees from the time he was four. He used to line up all his stuffed animals, and he would carry around this little clip board, and there was a pen tied to it. He would name off each critter and tell them something to do. Like 'George, keep my pillow company today.' And he would set him on the bed leaning against his pillow. It was so cute." She smiled. There were so many more stories she could tell, but she could see the wall of the Keep coming up.

[Gwendolan]

Gwen smiled.

"That sounds like my Manny. Always taking charge of the situation."

She saw the walls of the keep coming up. She knew the storys had been a good distraction for Venis, now it was time to face her ghosts.

"Come on Venis, lets get you in there."

[Guest]

As they rode up to clearing where they had a full view of the gate, Venis stopped. She looked at that wall with it's big wooden doors and she sighed. She pet the side of Empyrean's neck as she looked at it. "That's just the door to the Keep. Once we cross that threshold, we are safe from intruders, no one who does not have my blood flowing through their veins can open a portal into or out of the Keep." Stall tactics. She was having to work up the courage to even go into the keep. Because the castle was in the keep, though clear on the other side. But once they entered that gate, they would be able to see parts of the castle, even from that far away.

She closed her eyes and lowered her head. Gwendolan would see her lips moving if she looked over at her. But not a single sound was emitted to give away what she was saying. She placed her hand over the amulet where it rested just below her bust line. And with a deep breath that came out like a sigh, she raised her head to once again look at the door and that huge wall. It was the only direct way in or out and it was heavily guarded as her employees lived behind those walls. She drew in her bottom lip and tried to work up the courage to enter that gate.

[Gwendolan]

Gwen got her first look at the keep when they road through the clearing. She stopped Rapture next to V and looked over at her. She watched her closely.

"Safe is good, that means only your bloodline can just appear it is a good precaution."

She knew that V was stalling and she let her for the moment. Facing ones fears was a hard thing to do. She would only allow her so long, Venis had told her to make sure that she did this. After a few moments she urged Rapture forward.

"Come on lets go."

[Guest]

It was a good thing that Empyrean had a mind of his own, or they would be sitting there forever. He started to walk towards the gate when Gwendolan said let's go. Venis could have probably stopped him, but she didn't, she just let him follow along. As they came upon the gate, the guards opened it for them.

Passing through that threshold was the easier of the two. She looked around as they walked. She had not been back to the keep since that weekend. That weekend happened to be when that cursed church was also opened. As you walked through the gate the first thing you would see was that the sides of the road were fenced. If you looked off in either direction you would see animals.

There were a lot of Clydesdale's, some Thoroughbreds, a few Mustangs, and some Arabs. There were even a few Paints, some Tennessee Walkers, a couple of Dapple Grey's and about a dozen Shetland Ponies about. Though not all would be visible from the road at this point.

Also in all that free space one would find cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, and a few other various farm animals. All of which had free reign of most of the space along the wall. It was like two giant L shaped pastures. They ran over half way down the East and West walls. The gate they had come through was on the South wall. The castle was at the North end of the Keep, dead center. So it was pretty much a straight shot to the castle.

There in laid the problem. Venis could see the castle from where they were. It was a great distance away, and there were buildings along the roadside once you got past the pastures, so the view was somewhat obscured, but she could see it. So it was Empyrean who was moving them forward. Because Venis was frozen in place upon his back.

[Gwendolan]

As they road forward Gwen saw just how heavily guarded the gates where. She was glad they just opened them and let them through Gwen really didn't want to stop and talk right now.

When they went through the gates Gwen was in aww; there was so much to take in, horses cattle, farm animals. A chicken ran across the road, it made Gwen smile.

She saw the castle off in the distance, they still had a long way to go.

Gwen took in the sights and smells like a child would in a candy store. She looked back at Venis and gave her an encouraging smile.

[Guest]

Venis saw the smile and returned it. It seemed to get her out of her paralyzed state she was in. "Coming up on the left you'll see the Church. The Church of the Protective Flame." And after a few buildings, there it was, standing proud. A little white church with a Christian cross atop it's steeple. Venis looked towards it, but that was about it. "We can stop if you would like to go in and look. Though it looks like just about every other Church. Only they have a large bowl with an eternal flame burning behind the alter." Yep, that was why Venis had been to all fifty-two of them.

[Gwendolan]

Gwen looked at the church and smiled. It was very pretty there were trees all around it. Gwen was smiling as she took a closer look. She saw three stained glass windows on the church. The two side ones where shaped like triangles. They had flames in them. The center window was round, that window had a blood red rose in it.

"I like it, very simple. There is no reason to go inside. I prefer to worship nature outside."

She smiled, she would spare Venis having to go inside.

"I do like that they have a ramp going up for people that can not use the stairs."

[Guest]

Venis nodded. "Manny happened across the plans for it when they were getting ready to build it. It was supposed to originally be some gigantic cathedral with an abbey. He vetoed that very quickly. He reminded them that I lived in a house, not even a mansion. They scrapped the whole thing and came up with this. I would have made them tear down the other one." That would have stripped too much of her land and would have been a waist of resources.

She patted Empyrean on the side of his neck and he began to move forward again. There were several houses along the road. Most of them were adobe style with thatch rooftops. They were clustered in duplex style. Two houses made one building. These were the smaller dwellings for people who wanted a more communal type of living. If she would look down some of the side roads she would see more modernized type housing.

Vast fields abound as they traveled along the path. To say path would have been proper as there were no cemented roads within the keep. Venis had demanded the removal of pavement upon the roads. Parking lots and driveways were not even paved. Very few walkways were even paved. She didn't want all of that taking away from the feel of the Keep. But, if you chose to go down some of the side roads that went East or West from the main road, the closer you got to the wall, you would notice that some of the homes were modernized, some even had cable TV.

But they were staying on the main road today. They would pass a general store along the way. Small little place built in the same style as the houses. There was also a Merchatile down the road from that. At one point they would pass the road that led to two of the largest stables even Venis had ever seen. It was the only thing on either end of the East to West road. Both roads were void of buildings and the barns and stables were at the ends of them. They marked the end of where the pastures ran to. This was where the animals received care and feedings. It was also where they were set free to roam the grounds every few days.

[Gwendolan]

Gwen listened to Venis and smiled. She liked the idea that Venis and Manny had respected Nature over a big chathedral.

"That was a great idea, I am glad the plans were changed."

She was surprised when she saw the living structures. The seemed to be made from mud and straw, adobe she thought it was called. She was taking in everything that she could see. There where some grander homes as well.

"They are so neat, most things here are so simple."

That was definitely not an insult coming from Gwen. There where shops set up too. She was riding and taking everything in. After the shops there where stables, huge stables, even Lady Casandra's stables where not that big.

"It is so beautiful here."

[Guest]

Venis smiled then. "Thank you." As they continued along towards the castle there were some more homes and businesses. It was like an entire town contained within those walls. If a town needed it to survive, it was there. Although everything along the main road was less than modern in appearance. But when you looked down the side roads, you would see signs of progress.

Some of the roads even had automobiles parked in front of houses. There were covered wagons, coaches and carriages as well. It was a very diverse land. People were about all through the keep as well. The style of dress was as varied as the dwellings themselves. Some looked like they belonged at a medieval keep, others looked like they belonged on Earth in the 20th century. But everyone lives in harmony with each other. Mostly.

There were, of course, guards about the area. But they had no need to patrol the area, their main purpose was to guard the gates, and solve the occasional domestic dispute. No one ever committed crimes like theft or murder or anything like that. They were afraid of what the punishment would be. The biggest sin committed within the walls of Venis keep were probably adultery or maybe coveting thy neighbors wife. Stuff that Venis would never be able to punish others for. She didn't believe in 'do as I say, not as I do'.

As they neared the castle more of it would come into view. And Venis would look everywhere except straight ahead. She was waving to people and looking over the place. After all, she had not been there in several years. She was proud of what her employees had accomplished with the place. After all, she had just handed it off to them to deal with. She had wanted nothing more to do with this place after that first weekend.

[Gwendolan]

"You're welcome."

She let the ride continue in silence as she took in the homes. The mix of the old with the new was interesting to her. The people here were not scared of Venis, though most seemed shocked to see her. Or so it appeared to Gwen. They all waved and smiled as the two women rode by.

The style of living here was so varied, some people wanted the bare necessities, some wanted all the modern conveniences, and they lived right next to each other. She was in aww of how the keep was structured.

More stores where seen, a few more stables as well but nothing as big as the ones that they had passed before. This was like a large town inside the walls; the destination was coming closer and closer.

When the reached the Castle Gwen stopped Rapture. The castle was surrounded by a mote, and the drawbridge was closed. How where they going to get across?

[Guest]

Empyrean and Rapture were halted at the edge of the mote. Well, almost the edge. They were about three feet back from the edge. That was when ice blue orbs gazed upon the castle full on for the first time in so many years. "I had forgotten how beautiful it was." There before them, on the other side of a nineteen foot wide body of water that was as smooth as glass, rose seventy five feet of stone.

There were five stories of rooms. The bottom floor contained a kitchen, a formal dining room, a breakfast room, a throne room, a library, a ballroom, and the drawing room. Once someone passed over the threshold that would be unveiled by the lowering of the drawbridge, they would find themselves still in the open air. For this castle had four walls that encompassed a vacuity. From that vacuity one would find several doors.

To turn to the South, where the drawbridge was, there would be a door to the left. That door would lead to the kitchen,the location of the first entrance into the basement and wine cellar. From the kitchen you could get to the breakfast room, which also had an outside door. Off of that was the formal dining room, again, with an outside door. And off of the dining room was a hall that turned to go along the East wall. In that hall was the first stairwell.

Going along the East on the bottom floor were several rooms. Some of which were closets for linens and cleaning supplies. Most of which were the 'small' bedrooms. They were nothing more than a bedroom. Queen sized bed, chest of drawers, dressing table, and armoire. There were also three bathrooms in this area. One in the South East end of the hall, one in the very center, and one in the North East end.

If one was to go into the door to the left of the drawbridge they would come upon the drawing room. Off of that would be the library and after that would be the ball room. From the ballroom you could get to the West hall. The West hall was almost identical to the East hall. The main difference was that it went stairs, bathroom, laundry room, closet, bathroom, bedrooms, closet, bathroom. Most of the bedrooms on this floor were vacant as the majority of the employees had houses within the keep.

Now the North wall had one main room in the center with a door to the outside. The throne room. On either side of the throne room one would find access to the basement area. Which encompassed the entire underside of the castle. In the basement there was a very large wine cellar, there was storage space, there was a room full of weaponry, there was a large vault, and there was a dungeon. The dungeon came complete with cells and various torture devices. Venis had never ordered it to be cleared, so it remained.

The second floor was the large bedrooms. Each room held a king sized bed, two chests of drawers, two armories a dressing table and a private bathroom. All of the bathrooms in the castle as well as the kitchen had been fitted with indoor pluming. And the whole castle had been wired for electricity as well. The bedroom's on the South wall to the West were Mikayla's, Krystal's and Giskarl's. Along the West wall from the South it went Dre, Redon, Alex, Eledril, Terran, Venis and Kahn.

There were more bedrooms of the same size along the North wall. sixteen of them to be exact. Because there was no drawbridge in this wall there was room for four more. Along the North wall went Tasha, Casie, Gawain, Gypzee, and then twelve more empty rooms. Four of those were going to be set up to be filled soon, as Casie had her children back and Seleen had returned with her from Earth, and of course, Kyra needed her own room as well.

The six bedrooms along the East as well as the three on the East side of the South wall had been being used as closets. From North to South it went. Venis and Kahn, Venis and Kahn, Tasha, Tasha, Krystal, and Mikayla. Across the South wall from the East went Dre and Alex, Terran and Giskarl, Redon and Eledril. The boys each shared because they didn't have as much to store.

The other three floors were a mystery to Venis. She had never gone up to them. She knew that the stairs to go from the second to the third floor were in the Northern corners of the East and West halls. She also knew that the stairs to go from the third to the fourth were back in the South corners, and fourth to the fifth, back in the North corners. The stairs were actually in the four towers that were the corners of the building. At the top of each stair case was a space that let in a lot of light and had great places for reading, and the door that led to the hall the stairs had led up to. But she had been told that information from Manny.

The room that Venis and Gwendolan would be going to was a storage room in the basement. With thirteen foot ceilings in every room on every floor, even the rooms in the basement were large. Now Venis had no idea why the drawbridge was closed at this time. And she had no idea how the employees requested it to be opened when it was closed. So she did the only thing she could think to do. She reached into the saddle bag behind her on the right. She pulled from it a cross bow pistol. She pulled back the mechanism with ease. She loaded the bolt into the slot and with the tip of her finger she lit it.

She looked over at Gwendolan as she aimed the pistol high in the sky. Seventy five feet was quite a distance. And the idea was for it to land in the vacuity in the middle of the castle. She fired and watched as the bolt sliced through the air along it's way. She would know if it landed in the right area soon enough. As well as if there was anyone there to open the drawbridge. After all, who wanted to swim across a murky mote, even if it was only nineteen feet across.

It was only a few short minutes before the creaking of wood could be heard followed by the rattling of chains. Slowly the twenty foot wooden aperture came away from the mass of stones that it had rested against. And it began it's slow descent to the ground. As this process took place, Venis closed her eyes She thought about all those rooms and tried to imagine them filled with life. She pictured it all in her mind, family and friends and no ghosts.

The resounding thud of the drawbridge hitting the ground, and the shaking that resulted from it, was what stirred Venis and caused her to open her eyes. She put her cross bow pistol away and rose up in the saddle. The leather creaked and Empyrean adjusted his stance as Venis' long, denim covered, right leg swung over and she lowered herself to the ground. She walked around Empyrean and handed his reigns to Gwendolan. Then silently she walked over to the edge of that drawbridge.

There was the slightest click as her high heel hit the wood when she stepped up onto the drawbridge. She took a deep breath and grasped the amulet through her shirt. She closed her eyes for one more moment as she stood there. Perhaps it could be heard, what she whispered under her breath. "God grant me the serenity to accept the things that I cannot change, the courage to change those which I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." It was after that when she would open her eyes and take her long slow walk across the drawbridge. Twenty feet of her heels clicking upon the wood before she stepped off on the other side. There she just stood as she tried to get a feel for the place. If Gwendolan wished to join her, it would be fine for her to do so at this point.

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