The hands that placed the stones in the castle structure, if they were hands at all, were invisible hands. Perhaps they were the same hands that created Bucket, in the beginning, as a special gift. The crystals dictated the structures based on how they fit together. In the case of the castle, this is how they settled after the whales emerged from beneath the planet’s crust. Everything that was Olo was rearranged. Some described it as the planet being turned inside out. Others thought of the castle growing from the plateau, with its roots reaching deep into Olo’s core. No one argued about it, anyway. There was a castle that towered above the mountain. Everyone could see it, and access it, particularly the courtyard. That was all that mattered. They couldn’t explain it any more than they could explain the glasslike spires, the crimson plain, or even the edifices that their own hands had had a role in assembling.
Within the castle, were private living quarters, where the royal family and others lived. There were more public spaces, too. There were great ballrooms where celebrations occurred. There were concerts and plays. There were feasts and presentations. Everyone was welcome. There were also more private events, because of course the castle was a home.
Whales circled the castle, swimming in the air and casting their shadows on the walls, which brought the holograms inside to life. On the shaded side of the castle, light was reflected off the whales creating similar, but opposite effects. This was all unintentional. The whales and the gems just coexisted in a symbiotic relationship.
Prince Eeli and Princess Aada weren’t hidden away. They could come and go freely. They were recognized, of course, and they were loved. Even the king and queen would be seen walking outside the castle walls. They were there to help.
Flash Meridian also lived in the castle, and he normally exited his apartment off the balcony. One night, he found himself wide awake, and he decided to take a walk indoors. He lifted the wrought iron latch and pulled the heavy door open. The corridor was lit by crystals. They sat in sconces between tapestries that hung on these interior walls. Dark beams arched above him in the vaulted ceiling, and he walked on thick carpet, which was woven with scenes and patterns depicting Ololian events and themes. He treaded silently in the dim but warm light, and couldn’t help thinking of the cave, which was adorned by a different kind of art. He knew his way through the castle, of course, but it looked so different at night. The hallway opened here and there to empty sitting areas, and alcoves that housed statues that seemed to watch him pass. At the end of the passageway, a broad, winding staircase spiraled down the interior of a tower. The circular wall twinkled with gems. Not only did the faceted stones reflect the light, but the crystals themselves glowed softly from within, having spent the day projecting forms into the interior. The stairs, like the corridors, were thickly carpeted, and Flash made no sound as he descended the vast height of the citadel.

Upon reaching the main floor, he entered the portrait gallery, which was dark, but for the pools of light that illuminated the faces in the paintings of the royal family.
Flash stood for a while in front a formal portrait of Buffy and Skip, the queen and king, along with Aada and Eeli.

The prince and princess looked so young. They grew quickly, as children do, and Flash sighed, remembering that day when his own daughter suddenly grew too big to hold anymore.
Another image showed the king and queen with baby Eeli before Aada was born.

Individual pictures showed the prince and princess as young adults, and Flash was reminded again of the rapid passage of time, which seemed to stop for a while in the rich solitude of this night.
Flash made his way deep into the castle, to a darkened recess whose back wall was a hidden doorway to another stairway. This was a dark space. He reached out slightly and felt the stone walls on either side as he went down into the mountain to the maze of tunnels below.
He passed through the wine cellars before descending into the catacombs. Racks of wine lined the walls, preserved in the cool darkness. Flash could just make out some of the calligraphic labels in the soft glow of a stone he carried. The dreams of the makers were safe and accessible in these bottles. He passed through room after room filled with bottles, and also stacks of barrels of wine made more recently by the king himself. These young wines would be brought up to the crimson plain on festival days, while the bottles would be served at dinner parties in the castle, or given as gifts.
Flash enjoyed exploring the less visited parts of Olo, inside the castle, in or above the forests, or deep beneath the planet’s surface. On sleepless nights like this, the whole world took on a different flavor.
On this particular night, he enjoyed the cool air, which grew colder the deeper he went.
Down here beneath Olo’s surface, Flash felt more connected to his inner child, who he had found in the cave. He also felt closer to his grandson Luuu, who had guided him there, and to his ancestors who had been laid to rest beneath the soil back on Earth.