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Index | Time Under Chaos | Gazetteer | Amber | Castle Amber
See also Castle Amber
East Wing
- Petra's View: The East Wing, it seemed, was little used these days, but tonight it was brightened by limelight and an escort was waiting upon a crimson carpet. ... As she alighted, the opening bars of a Handel concerto drifted down the steps, amplified by the acoustics of the reception hall. Banners unfurled, purple and silvery gray, covering the Doric columns either side of the entrance. ...
The rather severe portraits of Amberites past and present stared down from the walls, flickering torchlight giving them an air of disapproval. Some were instantly recognizable – like Oberon and Swayvill glowering at each other – but not all. By their distinguished appearance they were all royal, and probably dead. Vikund breezed past them with hardly a look, for he was headed to the chamber beyond, lit much like the one they had left. Most of the Palace enjoyed magical light, but not here. Still, it was bright enough to show off the marble and murals to good effect. This domed chamber had a huge frieze of cloud, sky and a seraph of angels staring down from the ceiling, but it was the floor to which he drew Petra’s attention. It was a design in gold at the center of a checkerboard pattern. “What is this place?” “The Sky Room,” Vikund replied. “Sister to the Ocean, Vulcan and Earth Rooms. What is significant is that this is the one where Oberon allowed the guilds to place their mark. And here it remains.” She glanced down at the gold symbol shimmering on the floor beneath their feet as he swept her across it.
He ... led Petra down a different corridor. Half way down was a huge full-length mirror, and he paused there a moment, pulling her close. ... [He] led her towards a different reception hall, their footfalls echoing through the empty corridors. Suddenly, they were out in the night air again. The lack of ornamentation gave the impression of a tradesman’s or servants’ entrance ... - Assignation, Amber
Exterior
- Petra's View: Perhaps the Castle had lost some of its luster over the years, but as the carriage brought Petra up the long winding road, it was still an impressive presence, especially on a night like this. Flora’s delicate touch was evident in the forest of pennants that swirled high in the air above the walls, evoking Camelot and fortresses of legend. The stones seemed to shimmer in the torchlight that illuminated the gateway, as if reflecting and amplifying the dancing flames to magnify its grandeur. The carriage swept to the left, away from the main drive, past pristine lawns and long beds of nodding roses. - Assignation, Amber
Individuals' Rooms
- Vikund's Rooms: ... across the open courtyard towards a solid-looking oak door. ... Inside was a tack room, filled with the smell of oiled leather. ... down a narrow corridor with flagstone floor. Suddenly the rooms were coming hard and fast, some whose use was obscure, others more obvious. True to his word, he stumbled into a laundry room and frightened a maid, who suddenly found the stacked sheets at her elbow of infinite fascination. ... emerging into a more decorated hall, hung with portraits. He stopped suddenly and gazed upward. They were standing at the foot of a wide staircase leading upward. Though the rosewood banister was highly burnished, there was something about the hall that suggested it served a functional rather than ceremonial purpose. ... they were up the stairs. Two, three, four flights? ... He paused, breathing heavily, glancing this way and that up long and similar corridors that went to left, right and straight ahead. “Ok, we have the ... scenic route, the direct route or the ... ‘I don’t know where I’m going’ route,” he proposed. ... He took her hand and gestured down the left hand corridor. ... The corridors here were notably wider than those they had encountered so far, and the carpet quality was distinctly improved. Petra’s feet seemed to sink into the surface that was also springy like moss, and the deep pile was richly patterned with subtle mystic designs. The walls were mostly bare wood panels, but here and there broken by tapestries of hunting scenes or depictions of Arthurian legend. What was most noticeable was the light. There were few windows, yet every corridor and hallway was illuminated along its length despite there being no torches, sconces or lanterns, and none of the distinctive smell of burning oil. Vikund strode purposefully down the corridor for some distance before stopping suddenly beside a tapestry depicting a Serpent and Unicorn locked in mortal combat. He studied it a while before grabbing the edge and pushing it aside. The heavy material slid along the metal rail from which it was suspended, revealing a narrow unlit corridor. ...
There was a moments’ resistance as their outstretched intertwined hands touched the wall, then none at all. In the blink of an eye, they were standing in a small study, illuminated only by single candle on a desk heaped with papers. ... He didn’t dally in the study, though, and led her next door. A larger room had its broad dining table set as if expecting several visitors. The only illumination was a series of small candles under large silver covered platters along the spine of the table. ... Vikund said, and moved over to a large paraffin lamp in the corner. Reaching underneath the broad amber dome of the lamp-shade, he turned up the wick, creating a splash of light at that end of the room. He covered the distance to the other lamp with the grace of one born to service, and soon the shadows were dispersed. The heavy iridescent green curtains were drawn, which no doubt contributed to the warmth of the room. It had the atmosphere of somewhere little used, but the polished surfaces were all immaculate as if tended with loving care. A mantel clock in Viennese style marked out the time with a steady purposeful tick. ... - Assignation, Amber
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