"There is no need to worry about his disapproval, he will not mind." She laughed a little musical chuckle, opening the cabinet where the bridals and saddles were kept.  "Unless of course, you somehow kill her."  Lilliana held up the saddle and bridal in either hand.  "Would you like to ride with a saddle or bareback?"<br/><br/>Eurich gave an inviting smile, or as best he could manage.  He loved the catacombs, they were his private sanctuary.  Well, private save for Winnefred.  He beckoned the young man to follow him down a few flights of stairs which went from wood to stone in transition into the lowest parts of the  castle structure.  Winnefred was waiting  like a little hound on the steps with something attatched to her backside.  There was a long string of silk leading to a thickly-wrapped, squirming parcel.  Eurich sighed, kneeling to separate the string from the spider.  He picked her up and placed her on his shoulder, footing the little wrapped thing off to the side.  How she loved to bring him gifts.<br/><br/>A series of winding corridoors finally led them to a stone opening with iron bars and a curtain to protect what it held inside.  The key was long since useless, as the lock had rusted through.  Eurich pulled the gate away from the opening.  it swung with a creek and stuck four fifths of the way open.  He pushed the thick red curtain aside and admitted the young man to enter first.<br/><br/>In the large, C-shaped room, the walls were almost completely lined with bookshelves. They were pannaled in glass so as to protect the tomes from moisture.  Most of the shelves were covered in books, but some had little artifacts and peculiar curios on them.  There was a writing desk with it's hood down in the far bend and a comfertable set of chairs near a large metal bowl on a tripod used to light fires.  A hole in the wall angled above it for the smoke to seep through.<br/><br/>Eurich withdrew the slate again and wrote: Welcome to my private quarters.  I'm here more than anywhere else.  Please forgive the dissarray.<br/><br/><br/>In the upstairs portion of the castle.  The King rose to command the crowd.  "We call upon the heads of these visiting families to join us in the largest of Our drawing rooms.  All others may continue here or retire to their chosen quarters.  There shall be human servents to guide you, but please leave them be! As they are keepers of Our house."  With that, the king helped his queen up by the hand and escorted her to the drawing room of which he spoke a moment ago.<br/><br/>If you had to pick a theme for the drawing room, it would have been red.  Red carpet, red apolstry, and red drapes.  There was a fire roaring in the fireplace, prepared earlier by the servents.  Pipes were also lain out by the dozen, waiting to be filled.  Except for the king's ,which was already packed and waiting for him on the small table neareste the chair by the fire.