The Great Hall
☾
Reception lounge of the Castle-Wide bed & breakfast — the warm front room of a very old, very lived-in castle in the town of Dragon’s Lair.
Where the dragon dreams under the moon.
Come in, traveler
You’ve found the Great Hall: part lobby, part parlor, part living room of the Castle-Wide B&B. The door is heavy; the welcome is not. Hang your cloak on a peg — any peg. They’re all taken, and none of them mind. Then follow the smell of woodsmoke and supper toward the lamplight.
First things first
- Ring the little brass bell on the reception desk. Cinder will appear — our Steward of Hospitality, a grown dragon lady with beautiful penmanship. The cat may appear too. The cat cannot check you in, whatever he claims.
- Sign the guest ledger — the big one with the ribbon. Doodles in the margins are encouraged.
- Take a key from the row of hooks. Yours is the one that’s warm.
The room itself
The fireplace
It has not gone out since 1893, and nobody remembers who lit it. Above the mantel, a carved dragon curls around a crescent moon — the mark of the house. The armchairs pulled close are the best seats in Castle-Wide, and they are defended accordingly.
The reception desk
Carved wood, a hundred years of guests’ initials, and everything a traveler needs: the bell, the ledger, a jar of keys, a drawer of lost things — claim yours at your own risk — and a stack of maps of Dragon’s Lair drawn by guests. Take one. Leave one.
Corners worth noticing
Wisteria trails down from the stairwell and does not care that it’s indoors. Moss grows in the cracks of the moonlit stone — Cal, our grounds-and-maintenance dwarf, insists it’s load-bearing. And the cabinet of oddities holds what travelers have left behind: one glass slipper, a compass that points at breakfast, and three (3) haunted teaspoons.
Pinned to the notice board
Current happenings, in the castle’s own words — re-pinned whenever someone remembers.
From the Ember Kitchen
- Soup weather arrived early. The cook is making something with barley, and no one is allowed to ask what the something is.
- Bread at dusk, every dusk. If you miss it, the crumbs are still worth the trip down the warm-smelling stairs.
The Daily Raven
- The west-tower raven has learned a new word. Nobody will say which one.
- Lost: one (1) left slipper, possibly near the courtyard. Found: one (1) right slipper, absolutely nowhere near the courtyard.
- The bridge club meets Thursdays. The bridge is a metaphor. Bring snacks.
Out on the Grounds
- The lanterns along the garden path have been relit after the moth incident.
- Something is nesting in the old dovecote. We have decided it is a guest now.
Where the corridors lead
Six doorways, six kinds of trouble. All of them worth it.
Ember Kitchen
Down the warm-smelling stairs. Guests are welcome at the big table; the cook accepts compliments and trades recipes.
Creature Care
Past the scullery, follow the chirping. The mews, the stables, and very patient staff. Ask before feeding anything.
Library & Archives
Third floor — mind the whispering stacks. The card catalogue bites, but only gently. Tea is provided.
The Haunted Courtyard
Through the green door, best at dusk. The haunting is house-trained and enjoys compliments.
Vera’s Office
Knock twice. Vera keeps the castle’s books — billing, budgets, and the occasional lecture on the full history of the castle, abridged. For keys, muffins, or a warm welcome, see Cinder at the front desk.
Castle-Wide Productions
The resident storytellers, down the long hall. Rehearsals are open; heckling is traditional.
Beyond the front step
The castle door opens onto Dragon’s Lair proper — a small town with strong opinions about pie. The market lane is two minutes down the hill; the square, with its statue of somebody’s dragon, sits just past it. Ask at the desk for the guest-drawn maps. The good ones have monsters marked in the margins.
House notes, in small print
- Check-in is whenever you arrive. Check-out is whenever you can bear to leave.
- The desk bell is rung for service, not for fun. (Fun ringing is tolerated before ten.)
- The cat is named Chairman. The Chairman decides the seating plan.
- If a door is breathing, knock.
☾
The lamps are lit, the kettle’s on, and there’s a chair with your name on it.
Welcome to Castle-Wide.
