THE CASTLE NEVER FALLS CHAPTER 8: Changes archiveofourown.org/works/68… "The noblewoman held his little hand. A warm constant in the boy’s life, much to his father’s displeasure. The man was a stern shadow in their home, his voice sweeping through the corridors like a cold wind. Yet the boy sensed that his father loved him more than his own life. His only child. Yet his father always scolded him still, as soon as his father was not looking, Vollmoth sought out his mother’s hand again. Just as he was doing now, as she led him deeper into their family tower. Vollmoth felt the cool stonework against his free hand, rough and covered with fine moss, as they entered the area that lay underwater. He realized he didn’t know this part of the tower at all. They were walking through the area that seemed to be locked at all times. But this time, the heavy oak doors with their iron fittings were open. Faded coats of arms and yellowed paintings hung on the walls, their faces seeming to flicker in the glow of the faint flames. The smell changed, no longer just the musty scent of the salons, but a mixture of old leather, oil, and the metallic aftertaste of ink. Vollmoth pulled his mother’s hand closer to him, as if she were protecting him from the unknown."