IVAN POV
The castle felt busier than usual. People moved about carrying whatever they could lay their hands on to build the castle. Every creak of a wheelbarrow and every thud of a hammer reverberated through the castle grounds, a cacophony of chaos that somehow managed to breathe life into the ancient stone walls. The air smelled of freshly cut timber sweat and the faint tang of mortar.
I stood at the base of the eastern wall, hands on my hips, watching as the workers, mostly villagers and old retainers who had served my family for years, moved what they could, stacking stones to reinforce the foundation and patching the cracks in the weathered walls.
It wasn't easy, but I was doing it.
It's been a month and two weeks since Arianne left us. It was difficult but I kept on pushing through. Her absence was a wound that refused to heal but I kept on pushing through. What other choice did I have?
The castle needed me or so I told myself.