I awoke Velador as he asked, and he led me through the halls with a torch because the steward hadn’t lit all of the candles just yet. He started pointing out hiding spots from when he was younger. He’d avoid his father’s curfew or eavesdrop on the nobles with the other children. He showed me the dining hall although not exactly relevant to my appetite. Still a great feast would be enjoyable to witness, minus the silverware.
“Finally, the best room in the castle,” I said after poking my head into a lower chamber.
“What’s that?”
“The wine cellar,” I said and tapped on a barrel and then another. “Hollow. Hollow. Are all of these empty?”
“Most likely. Lugging barrels up the mountainside requires effort.”
“For shame,” I sighed.
Velador led us back upstairs to the bathhouse and all its splendor. He locked both doors and said, “We have our privacy now.”