Keresken Castle

by Kiera Cass

**Keresken**is the main setting of The Betrothed. Inspired by Mont Saint Michel by his stones, location and architecture. The Castle's built on the plateau of Borady, which serves as the base, it offers a Magical and Unforgettable landscape. View of the Colvard River, Keresken becomes Massif and Enorme. Intersecting in shades of grey, red and beige/brown. These warm tones make the castle more welcoming.

The castle, an architectural feat quite unique but modern. Says "A jewel of architecture."

She's out of the ordinary thanks to the accomplished sculptor who intervenes for the finishing of the architectural or decorative elements: Moulding, sculpture, pinnacle and more.

Keresken is assembled by lime, sand and water with a variety of stones in warm tones:

* Sandstone: A sandy rock consisting of Quartz and Feldspar (colour: Ochre, red or brown).

* Shale: A laminated rock consisting of clay, mica and quartz (colour: Red or black).

* Leucogranite: A granite rock, very popular, consisting of Quartz, Feldspar and muscovite and sometimes pink to red garnet depending on the provenance (color: Yellow to brown).

* Biotite: A mineral as "laminated" consisting of granite, gneiss and micaschist (colour: dark brown to black).

* Muscovitis: A mineral leaf (colour: Yellow, brown to red tones).

The capital, Tobbar and his counties, hangs around the castle. The houses of the inhabitants are made of granite, often the roof is covered with thatch or stones for the most financially or for the manors.

If we refer to Mont Saint Michel, Keresken Castle could rise to 92 meters of altitude for a perimeter of 960 meters.

## Building

Keresken consists of four floors (which includes the sub-floor) and 4 wings. It also includes flower gardens, a stable, an archery stand close to a hedge maze and a space reserved for tournaments and jousts.

**The North Wing**: It's really very small but reserved for the long lines of Coroa. It is closer to the Grand Salon and the King. It is also reserved for Ambassadors and visiting dignitaries. It is also here that the King Quinten was accommodated when he came and a room is reserved for a royal mistress/a favorite

**The South Wing**: It's located at the back of the castle, the corridors of this wing are mostly empty and only 3 or 4 families coming from Isolte, including the Eastoffe's family. It's reserved for families with the least prestigious family trees. It moves away from the central corridor. It has a door that leads to the outbuildings of the castle (outside). Moreover, on the evening of the coronation of King Jameson, the south wing was ravaged by a fire which there completely devastated, only the walls and vaults resisted the flames.

**The East Wing**: It's respectable, it has the best located apartments, it's reserved for Notables and Eminent characters of the Kingdom. It's also at the entrance of this wing that the Brite houses. The first floor of this wing welcomes the "all-round", the people who stay there must remain discreet.

**The West Wing**: It's mentioned very little in The Betrothed, we only know that it looks like The East Wing, it has the best located apartments and it is reserved for Notables and Eminent characters of the Kingdom.

**The basement**: Also called "main level" is reserved only for employees, it's here that they are housed.

**It's important to note that families at the extremities of all wings have no influence at court.**

## Rooms

### **Great Room**

It's a very large room, it has several functions and it's used for balls, receptions or for the banquet of every evening where is fed the Royal family, the inhabitants of the castle and the guests. The tables are assembled and dismantled at the end of the banquet. In this room stands a monumental fireplace. **The east wall** is reserved for musicians and there is a small staircase that leads to a gallery. **The west wall** is composed of seven stained glass windows, episodes from the history of Coroa, very high windows (from floor to ceiling) letting in light: All the elegance and lightness of the architecture burst in the Great Room. One must imagine this wall with windows lined with shimmering stained-glass windows, paintings covering the vaults, as well as tapestries covering the floor with glazed paving.

* Stained glass 1: It represents the coronation of Estus.

* Stained glass window 2: It represents women dancing in a field.

* Stained glass window 3: It was destroyed during a war but it was replaced Prince Telau paying homage to Queen Thenelope. He’s also Hollis' favorite.
* Stained glass window 7: It represents in the background, the Isolten army in blue and in the foreground, King Etan accompanied by Hollis dressed in a dress red Coroan. This stained glass window was built on the orders of Queen Hollis, so that every day of her life she could see Etan and also so that the Coroans would know what he did for their country.

##### (The other stained glass windows were not described.)

On **the north wall**, there is a very large stone platform, is here that dines the King, it is quite spacious for a family. A little further back, there are several doors that lead to the King’s apartments.

It was also here that Jameson met Hollis and found his smile and joy of life.

In the corridor leading to the Great Room, Silas and Hollis made their first kiss.

Jameson died in that room.

### **The Treasure Room**

Only present in ***Chapter 6***, it's a small blind room, lit with candlesticks, accessible with a special key. It preserves all the royal jewels. The rings of Jameson, the crown of Estus, from the ribbons of sapphire, to the rivers of Diamonds.

This is where Jameson and Hollis first kissed.

### **The Royal Seamstress**

It's a small room, mentioned a few times, at the bottom of **the East Wing**, on the floor just above Hollis. This part of the Castle is dark. Once Queen, Hollis had it added to every floor.

### **The King's Chambers**

The King’s Chambers are private and few people have access to them, not even the ladies of Hollis. They are completely made of stone, with vaulted ceilings. Richly decorated, they contain, a work cabinet, a private chapel and offices. With of course his room. A spiral staircase links the King’s apartments to those of the Queen.

### **The Queen's Chambers**

The Queen’s Chambers, they were attributed to Hollis in the ***Chapter 12*** The last four Queens of Coroa have lodged there (Lahja, Albrade, Thenelope and Ramira). Everything has been renovated: bedding, tapiseries..

There is a large four-poster bed on the right with a large window on the left that overlooks the Colvard river and there is a meridian under the window. The left wall is a wall with a small corridor that leads into the anti-rooms. Behind the bed is a door that opens onto a hallway with rooms, offices, reception rooms, private meeting rooms another anti-bedroom and a collection of wardrobes.

More information about the piece -> here.

### **Gardens**

The gardens of Coroa are flowery and have spaces for cultivated flowers and they are mixed to be pleasing to the eye and to the smell. There are also fruit trees such as: Apple, pear or plum trees, very popular in the summer for pastries during the festivities. There are also places to read, walk or rest.

### **Others**

A spiral staircase connects the 3 upper floors and in one of the upper floors there is a collection of sculptures and paintings. With also a library, it contains many books on the history of Coroa and on royal relations such as "Isolte and Mooreland".

## Residents

### *The Royal Family :*

Estus Barclay †

Leeson Barclay † - Honovi Barclay †

Klaus Barclay †

Presley Barclay † - Lahja Barclay †

Shane Barclay † - Albrade Barclay †

Thenelope Barclay † - Prince Telau †

Marcellus Barclay † - Ramira Barclay †

Jameson Barclay † - Hollis Barclay

### *The passaging guests :*

Quinten Pardus - Valentina Pardus

Hadrian Pardus †

Reid Northcott - Jovana Northcott

Etan Northcott

### *The Brite Family :*

Claudia Brite † - Noor Brite †

Hollis Eastoffe (Moved to Isolte and become Queen of Coroa)

### *The Eastoffe Family :*

Whitley Eastoffe (moved to Isolte) - Dashiell Eastoffe †

Silas Eastoffe †

Sullivan Eastoffe †

Scarlet Eastoffe (moved to Isolte)

Saul Eastoffe †

### *Guests :*

Anna-Sophia

Cecily

Delia Grace (Moved to Great Perine)

Hannah

Lady Clara

Nora Littrell

Lady Warrington

Lord Warrington

Lord Mendel

Lord Seema

Myra

Yoana

## Trivia

* The Map started to be drawn on February 11, 2020 by Kiera Cass.
* This article was made using source : Documents French on the Mont Saint Michel, including the book of Chêne Edition.
* Measures take in 2020.
* Hollis stated that one of the first things she would do as a queen will be installed a seamstress on each floor of the castle.