“Come, Brother Llun. I want you to meet someone.”
They took an unobtrusive door in the keep’s wall that led to a twisting staircase. It was dusty and disused, and Llun was sure that this was where he would be suddenly attacked from behind and thrown into a dungeon. Instead, at the top of the staircase, Aspidían opened another unobtrusive door. Facing the golden light that streamed into the stairwell was like staring into the sun. When Llun’s eyes adjusted, he saw they were in a vaulted chamber covered in frescoes. Every inch of the curved ceilings and walls burst with giant-sized fancies on the theme of flowers and birds. Bumblebees painted with actual gold leaf seemed to buzz on purple and red petals of peonies. Strawberries and blueberries burst from the confines of their green and yell
