Highgarden Castle

Highgarden Castle is a palace located in the capital city of Chaelia — Jacross — which serves as the home and workplace of the Archduce and their family. This palace is known for its extensive gardens and its renowned vineyards, which grow only the finest varieties of wine grapes in the nation. The palace is also a tourist hotspot.

Construction

Exterior

The palace was constructed in two parts: the east wing and the west wing. These wings contrast each other in color and style of construction. While the older east wing is made of a green marble and follows the traditional L-shape of Chaelian homes, the newer west wing is constructed out of a white marble and follows more of a shallow zig-zag pattern.

The color of the exterior walls is what has given the Highgarden Castle the epithet "The Green 'n' Cream Palace" among the populace.

Interior

The palace's interior walls are all boarded with planks of wood which massive murals have been painted on. Most walls of the castle are intricately decorated with paint, with sconces and tapestries pre-planned and accented by the murals.

The ground floor has tiles of dark, variegated marble covering the floor, but the floors of the upper levels are made of stained wood.

Garden

The gardens of the palace are expansive, and include a conservatorium. All plants grown in the gardens are native to the Shelcier Steppe or the surrounding mountains, and the gardens are said to celebrate the variety of the nation which they represent.

The adjoining vineyard is a quaint affair compared to the massive wineries of the countryside outside Jacross, but the monastery responsible for producing the wine from the castle-grown grapes is known for its quality, which only increases with age.

Tourism

As a building by-and-large representing the whole of Chaelia to the outside world, tourism is a source of pride (and revenue) for the castle. All tours of the palace are guided and escorted by a set of guards, and the price of entry is 13 Sakra. Tours include trips into a sitting room, the larger of the two dining rooms, and an unused guest room before letting the tourists have their choice of one (supervised) hour in the Royal Library or tea in the previously visited sitting room (for an additional fee of 15 Sakra).

During the summer months, the castle holds a lottery for five civilians to dine with the Archduce and their family. This event is a heavily-guarded affair. Entry costs the diners 1 Sakra each — the price of their lottery ticket — and they are treated to an extravagant meal as well as wine made from the grapes grown on the castle grounds. Each diner is given a bottle of said wine to commemorate the event.

Pronunciation Guide*

Algar / ˈæl gɑr /

Chaelia / ˈʃeɪˌli ə /

Chaelian / ˈʃeɪˌli æn /

Jacross / ˈyɑ krɒs /

Leaqu / ˈli ku /**

Sakra / ˈsɔ krɔ /

Shelcier / ˌʃɛlˈsi ɛər /

Thia / ˈθi ə /**

Green Marble by MykolaVoid on NightCafe

Alternative Names

Highgarden Palace
The Green 'n' Cream Palace

Type

Palace

Parent Location

Jacross

Owner

Algar Primrose

Ruling/Owning Rank

Archduce

Owning Organization

Chaelia