Eshmore

It was another cold day. It was always cold in Eshmore. No one could remember a time when it was not cold. Cenna had to believe that somewhere it was not winter. Somewhere it was warm and sunny and people living there didn’t have to live in the mud and the snow or under multiple layers of clothes. Cenna didn’t mind though, not really. She loved th snow. She loved being able to play in it when her governess gave her breaks or when she sneaks off. There’s a beauty to the world just after a fresh snowfall when everything is covered in a nice fluffy white blanket. There’s a quiet that falls over everything in those moments. A calm that Cenna always loves to embrace and savor with the busyness of castle life.

               Being the prime age of 12, there’s something new for the young heiress to do or learn or study and Lady MacNeil, the aforementioned governess, is far too strict for her liking. Cenna loves learning and knows it’s important for her to learn the ways of her kingdom, but she would much rather be out exploring the woods and visiting ancient ruins than staring at ancient books for hours until she can no longer see straight. And that is precisely what she’s taken it upon herself to do on this day. Cenna was successfully able to sneak away from the clutches of Lady MacNeil and is now making her way through the woods to the ancient Eshmore castle.

               There were several ancient ruins surrounding the current Eshmore castle that were easily within walking distance but this was by far Cenna’s favorite. She had read and heard countless stories about life in this castle from hundreds of years ago, many of which were of the glamorous parties that the first Lord and Lady Eshmore would throw, quite frequently from the sounds of it. The first Lord and Lady Eshmore came from a humble life. Only being granted their land and title by the King as a thank you for saving his life. They were excited and honored to join high society but this made them very eager to impress, throwing lavish balls every month in the first several years. However they were not quick to forget where they came from, a humble background of farming allowed them to form strong connections with the local farmers and villages, often offering to buy the land in exchange for the farms providing food to the castle. The system worked well until their grandson inherited the title and allowed his greed to cloud his judgement, a trait passed on through the generations afterwards.

This castle stood strong for three-hundred years before the famine caused the uprising of peasants from surrounding villages that lay upon the Eshmore estate. The family was forced to flee from their home, but were able to bring peace to their lands and return to build to present family home of Eshmore. There were few relics that survived from that time, the siege that caused ruin’s current state destroyed most things. One of those relics however was a beautiful painting of the first Lord and Lady Eshmore, which Cenna sees everyday as it lives in the great hall of her home, as do paintings of all the Lords and Ladies of Eshmore since. The first Lord and Lady always fascinated Cenna. They were humble farmers who then joined high society, and they were a very handsome pair. Lady Eshmore had long ginger locks, (most certainly where Cenna got her hair color), bright green eyes, and a kind smile. Lord Eshmore was a tall man, short curly brown hair who had a strong back and a strong jaw, and you just knew that was a man who had worked hard his whole life and never took a day for granted.

Whenever Cenna visited the castle ruins, she always imagined herself being there during one of their lavish balls. Dressed in her fanciest dress, brand new for the occasion of course, hair done up in the typical fashion of the day, and with a gorgeous man on her arm to guide her through the dances. Of course, she was not old enough to have any man that was not her father or one of her brothers guide her around for a dance, but a girl can dream can’t she? The court dances had not changed much from those times, some new ones came along, but there were some that any child of noble birth learned. Cenna would dance these dances with her imaginary partner all the time in her room, the grand ball room, the state rooms, the gardens, the kitchens, anywhere she could. And when she visited the ruins she would dance them there as well.

There was not much left of the castle now other than the main outer walls, and some interior walls and rooms but there was no roofing left to keep the snow out. However, Cenna’s favorite part of the ruins was the courtyard garden that lie in the center. Now completely overgrown, it once boasted a colorful array of flowers and trees that Cenna could only imagine created such a beautiful spectacle and no doubt the pièce de résistance of the castle. At the moment, it is covered in knee deep snow but that does not stop Cenna from venturing into the garden and taking in the moment. She could stay here forever, but her peace is disturbed by the shout of her name.

“Lady Cenna!!”

Lady MacNeil has found her…