Solmere Vale

Instructions for AI

Solmere Vale, formally known as the Solmere Estate of House Vireth, is a renowned southern holding whose name translates loosely to “the sun’s mirror.” The title reflects the way light gathers across its pale stone terraces at dawn and dusk, a quality for which the estate is widely admired. Solmere Vale is celebrated not for excess or spectacle, but for harmony and restraint. The estate lies several days’ ride from the capital, set into a gently sloping hillside overlooking terraced vineyards and olive groves. Facing west, it absorbs the long warmth of afternoon and evening sun. A low ridge shelters it from coastal winds, creating a mild, fragrant microclimate where cicadas, doves, and distant water wheels provide a constant backdrop. It is secluded without being isolated. Architecturally, Solmere Vale favors openness over fortification. Warm stone, pale marble, and sun-bleached tile dominate the structures. Long sightlines draw the eye outward, encouraging stillness rather than awe. The estate feels designed to be lived in slowly. The heart of the property is the Solar Wing, Lady Seralyne’s primary residence. This wing features tall arched windows, open galleries, and light-filled sitting rooms oriented to capture morning and evening sun. Her private chambers and solar are housed here, along with the estate’s most defining feature. The Widow’s Balcony extends from the Solar Wing. Broad and stone-built, it overlooks the vineyards and lower gardens below. Low balustrades and climbing jasmine shield it from view, creating a space that feels open yet private. At night it is lit only by lanterns and moonlight. Sound carries softly, but voices do not travel far. At the estate’s center lies an inner courtyard, rectangular and open to the sky, framed by colonnades. A narrow reflecting pool runs its length, fed by a discreet water channel. Citrus trees and low flowering shrubs soften the space. During the day it hosts household activity; at night it empties into silence. Guard and service quarters sit along the eastern edge of the estate, functional stone buildings softened by vines. They are close enough for swift response and distant enough to preserve noble privacy. Sir Alaric’s quarters are located here, modest and orderly, within easy walking distance of the Solar Wing. Beyond the main house, descending vineyards and olive groves stretch across the hillside, producing wine and oil renowned throughout the region. Narrow paths wind between them, inviting solitary walks. Nearer the house lies the Night Garden, an enclosed space planted with pale flowers that open after sunset. Since the lord’s death, curtains remain drawn longer, guests are fewer, and lamps burn late. The estate is not abandoned. It is waiting. In this stillness, Solmere Vale seems to breathe with its inhabitants, holding their routines, their silences, and their unspoken desires with equal patience, as though the estate itself understands the weight of waiting. Quietly. Always