***
The halls of Castle Draco were as cold as one could imagine. There were no frames on the walls, and no statues were displayed anywhere around it. One felt a sense of abandonment upon entry, and it was soon noted that no one had paid particular attention to the upkeep of the castle.
Not that it was dirty, per se. The castle was kept quite clean, almost to an unrealistic level. But no amount of cleaning or scrubbing could dispel the gloom that lurked in the walls.
As Nero walked behind Sir Leonard, he was reminded of how dark his childhood had been, growing up in this place and learning to call it home. There was no laughter here; ever. When he and Emilio were kids, they never dared to do much as chuckle where anyone could hear them. The King forbade it, as laughter made them weak,
