Free The Veredor Chronicles: Book 02 - The Journey West by E J Gilmour

As they rounded the western side they could see a very large and old stone house; it looked to be almost a part of the hillside. The grey stone walls were covered in moss and ivy and a gabled roof rose high above the many arched windows. A short wall surrounded the house, and an open gate led them into a stunningly beautiful rose garden within the wall.
    An old man st epped down from the threshold. He wore a red woollen overcoat, and his long grey beard descended all the way down to his belly. His aged face showed a certain degree of gentleness. He walked toward them slowly and warmly smiled as he approached.
    ‘My name is Sir Norman of the Sunset Hills. I am the Guardian of Stonehaven.’
    ‘ I introduce to you Sir Red of Ortaria, Lady Stella his wife, and his two servants. They are guests of King Edric and on a journey to Faircastle for the council,’ said Charles. Eben and Cassiel smiled across at each other at the mention of being Red’s servants.
    ‘You are most welcome here at Stonehaven,’ said Sir Norman. ‘Please, come down from your horses. I will have the house cook prepare a feast to honour your arrival.’
    ‘I must say what a beau tiful garden you have,’ said Stella as she dismounted.
    ‘Thank you , Lady Stella. For centuries these gardens have been kept mostly the same as they are now. Stonehaven is the furthest westerly abode of the Irvarian Royal Family; a stopover for royalty that take the journey into the Eastern Lands. It is rare that we have any of the royal family staying with us these days; however, we must always keep the gardens and house ready. Mostly we serve as a guesthouse for noble travellers and knights passing this way along the river road.’
    ‘Are there any soldiers stationed here?’ asked Red as they tied the horses to a water trough.
    ‘Only the house guard. We have si x guardsmen who protect us. Of course they rarely see any action. The Brigades of the Sunset Hills keeps anything wicked from crossing into Irvaria. Please, come inside. I will show you the house.’
    Sir Norman led them through the front door. They were all immediately amazed by the lavish surroundings. The wooden floors were polished to shine, the whitewashed stone walls were adorned with magnificent paintings, and wonderful crystal chandeliers hung from the high ceilings above. A long hallway led them down to a large open room with a sitting area beside a burning open fireplace. On either side of the fireplace were two large bookcases that stood wide and tall, reaching up toward the ceiling above. Thousands of leather bound books adorned the shelves. Cassiel gazed on the books with wonder.
    ‘You are welcom e to read any book you desire,’ said Sir Norman, having spotted Cassiel’s interest. ‘This is only a small part of the royal collection. It is rather unfortunate that they are rarely read. Occasionally I read a little, but mostly they are left as they are, apart from the regular dusting they receive.’
    ‘Thank you ,’ said Cassiel as he walked over and browsed the shelves.
    ‘P lease, Sir Red, consider Stonehaven as you would your own home. I will have your rooms prepared and inform the house staff of your arrival. I expect that you will be leaving in the morning for Faircastle. The journey is a three day ride, or five days on a barge, but I dare say that you should ride because the first day of summer is only five days from now, and I’m sure you would prefer to be early for the council.’
    ‘Of course,’ said Red. ‘Thank you for your kind hospitality.’
    ‘ It’s a pleasure,’ said Sir Norman warmly. ‘I must say you are the first Ortarian Knight that I have ever met. I’m very glad to have you as my guests.’
    With this Sir Norman left the room. They all sat down on the large comfortable chairs.
    ‘I think I like the Sunset Hills ,’ said Red, smiling at Stella. ‘Perhaps it would be a good place to raise our children.’
    ‘We’ll see Red,’ answered Stella , smiling back