High in a turret of a great castle rising on a black crag above snowy plains, besieged and grand, crammed full of an empire's treasure, and he sitting by a log fire with a sad and lovely princess. . . . I used to dream about such things, he thought. I used to long for them, ache for them. They seemed the very stuff of life, its essence. So why does all this taste of ashes?
The scene is set in a castle perched on a rugged cliff, a grand fortress filled with the riches of an empire. The protagonist finds himself beside a beautiful yet melancholic princess, creating an image of both romance and isolation. Despite the opulence surrounding him, he reflects on how these once coveted dreams now feel hollow and unfulfilling, leaving him with a sense of despair.
This internal conflict raises questions about...