The Royal Palace of Valdemar is part of the Palace Complex at the center of Haven. The original defensive keep has been added on to many times over the centuries. It is now a vast, sprawling building incorporating several wings and a number of towers.
The Royal family have their own wing. The Heralds' wing was completed just before a teenaged Vanyel first arrived in Haven.[1]
The Old Palace was rumored to date all the way back to the Founding of Valdemar, and it was said that King Valdemar had used the old magics that were only in tales to help to construct it. Certainly no one in these days would have attempted to build walls with blocks of granite the size of a cottage, and no one really had any idea how the massive blocks could have been set in place to the height of six stories. There were even rumors that the blocks were hollow and contained a warren of secret passages. ... the outer walls were at least two ells thick, and you could tap on them until you were a graybeard and never get a hollow echo.[2]
The original Palace, now referred to as the Old Palace, truly was built when Kordas Valdemar settled there with his refugees. The local Tayledras arranged for it to be "grown" by an entity that lived underneath the k'Vesla Vale.[3]
The Old Palace has a Work room which Heralds sometimes use when employing their Gifts for the Queen's business.[4] There is an identical, far older magic work room located directly underneath it.[5] This room was "forgotten" during the years when there was no magic in Valdemar. It is connected to a Heartstone, formerly a node which Vanyel nurtured during his life to power his revised Web-Spell. The stone is connected all the way down to the bedrock. In Queen Selenay's time, the spirit of Vanyel stole the power of the k'Sheyna Heartstone and deposited it here to provide a source for Valdemar's new mages.
The royal wing includes the Queen's Garden, which is only accessible through the Queen's suite.
The palace has numerous suites for Guests and for courtiers and their families. The palace kitchens serve all of the meals at Court.
Notes[]
This deposit incidentally cause a massive headache to all Heralds and Companions[6]. Firesong said the move also disturbed Valdemar's magic, contributing to the storms caused by Ancar carelessly using magic.[7]
References[]
- ↑ Magic's Pawn
- ↑ Take a Thief, Chapter 16
- ↑ Into the West
- ↑ Arrows of the Queen
- ↑ Winds of Fury
- ↑ Winds of Fury, Chapter 2
- ↑ Winds of Fury, Chapter 8