We return down to the corridor, and I open the basement hatch and continue down to the wings basement. We look at the two large reservoirs in front of the basement stairs. They're stone and a part of the foundation, and even I need to stand on my toes to lift the lid and check inside, and the others are too short. There are a couple of groves in the surface for climbing, but there is a ladder leaning against the wall. Pedr say the workers needed it, but its ment to stay here. I explain that most of the roof's rainwater that should flow to the courtyard, and part of the roof towards west, instead via gutters, leaf separators and three filters flows down to the bottom of these two large reservoirs, 1500 liters each, clad with copper inside and with lid on top. The overflow from the reservoirs flows out via a channel to the large floor drain in the basement. It is possible to light a fire under each of these reservoirs, and there is a small chimney in the wall facing the courtyard. The idea was to be able to boil the water for extra disinfection, but I now see that 1500 liters is such a huge volume of water that it will consume a heck of lot of wood if it ever gets hot enough to boil, so I undersized there. Oops. Jane finds some joy in the fact that I made a mistake.

This is the backup water reservoir, and will be hand-pumped up to the tanks in the attic for easier use. Its about 190m² of roof that will be led to these tanks so 1mm of rain gives 190 liters in the tanks, and they will be filled or replaced by 16mm of rain. They have no idea how much that is, so I say it should only take a rainy day to half fill them. If the rain is far too heavy, there will be problems with the flow through the filtration, and as a precaution if there is too much standing water on top of the filter, overflows is automatically led past via pipes out to the normal drain, and in case of extremely heavy rain it will also overflow out to the courtyard. In such situations, its more important that the basement doesn't flood and the water is clean and filtered, than every drop is saved. The filters can be easily removed so that maintenance can be done, both on the filters and to be able to scrub the water channels. I don't know how good the filters will be, but they will be stones on top of peat and coal and at the bottom white moss on top of more stones. I have also thought to try sand in filters, but not here.

Should the well for some reason fail or the pipes freeze and crack during winter, this is a water reservoir for two weeks for everyone if we 'skimp' and only use 15 liters per person and day, staff included. I have counted on 4 liters for drinking, and the rest for cooking, frugal showering every third day etc. That is without counting the volume of the tanks up in the attic if they are already full, because that is another 1200 liters, where half is warm water, ie a few more days with that rationing. That should be enough time to solve most problems, or to manually refill the reservoirs via buckets that can be hoisted up of moved by wagon. I have already planned to make a horse-drawn carriage with a large barrel and pump to be able to move water when needed; for animals, feasts or other things like watering fields. There is also a reservoir in the boiler room that increases the time or available daily amount per person, even if it is intended for the steam boiler and the greenhouse.

When I explain and Pedr shows and confirms, I get even more impressed faces from them, and Iselin, Kari and Jane finds it entertaining and reassuring that I really try to have backup plans for the most things, and preferably several backup plans if that's important.

Elvira entertainingly just stares when Jalida asks to confirm, that they will never fetch water in buckets from the small stream or the lake that should be on the other side of the mountain. They just pull a handle here, or out on the well every other day and then it doesn't matter if someone wants to bathe, shower or wash for the rest of the time; water is available and already warm without them having to do anything, and they even get to wash clothes in warm water. Indoor. I confirm, but say that they might need to fetch well water for certain cooking or brewing that requires fermentation, because it may be that water from metal vessels can prevent fermentation, and the water here will be saved in copper vessels, and comes from copper roofs. But yes, hopefully they will never have to fetch water in buckets, and although it will take time to pump, it is much faster and less strenuous than fetching via buckets. In the future, it is possible that they don't even need to pump because I plan to try a wind pump.

My audience is mostly speechless.

Ciara is smug when she says that they're beginning to understand how good and comfortable life as my maids will be, and Jalida and Elvira's faces when they look at each other are telling. Once the greenhouse is up and running and we get more animals, they get more to do, but of course I will try to manufacture as much labor-saving equipment as possible. I just have to see and learn how they do things here before I try to improve it, and focus on what takes the most time or is the most strenuous. They will definitely wash and clean more than normal and that is an incredible amount of work here, and the cooking will also be a lot of work.

Pedr opens the door and we go out into the basement hall which is most of the west side of the wing. Its large and feels nice, and is surprisingly good in terms of lighting. The light tunnels leading in enough light to walk around and fetch things up, without having to use a torch or lantern, but there will of course be lanterns available when there is no daylight. I am very pleased that I designed the light tunnels extra large, many and had them whitewashed, and they have also whitewashed the vaulted ceilings and walls. Pedr is proud of how good it has become. He is very proud over our praise for the building so far, as it might be my design, but its his and the workers craftsmanship.

The basement hall is large and 21m long, with four basement vaults in a row on the east side where the furthers one is smaller at just 8.5m² and the remaining three at 14m², and there is a separate vault in the end for the steam boiler. The smaller vault is divided by a by ironbars with its own door and will be our vault for more valuable things. I know there is an extra basement vault behind under the main building, but the others don't that know. At least not yet. There should be plenty of space down here to store stuff, food and drink, and I point out the hole in the stone wall that is the lower part of the food elevator, and everyone sticks their heads in to look up. People, its just a hole.

We go and check the boiler room and the stone foundation for the steam boiler and its chimney. Here, too, there is no finished fireplace or boiler, just a chimney, foundation and ventilation, as I expect to need to adapt and upgrade. The fire will need lots of air, so to avoid negative pressure inside this room, the fire will suck cold air from a valve at the floor to the basement hall. Heat must be able to flow out to the greenhouse via the two very narrow but high windows in the wall, but for that to happen, there must be an air flow out, instead of into the boiler room. There are only a few iron bars in place that divide the windows into 15cm holes. Glass plates and nets must be installed so that mice and rats cannot find their way into the basement, while waste heat from the boiler room can be ventilated into the greenhouse in the winter. There will probably be a cat door in one of the lower holes. Krosp, our cat, will probably appreciated that, and the cats smell will probably keep rats and mice away from the window holes.

In the outer corner there is a similar water reservoir, but it lacks heating and isn't copper clad, and its overflow is directed south. This will be an additional 1300 liters, which will be filled much faster as more roofs flow are directed here. Pumping up from here will be possible to do with a pipe up following the future boiler pipes, and this water will also be used to water the greenhouse, with a pipe through one of the windows. So, a cat door in one, and a water pipe in the other.

I'm actually looking forward to the first really heavy rain and storm, to see how everything works, as well as see how well water flows down from the cliffs. But it's better there than to have the courtyard drenched.

Its time to show the main building, so we leave through the basement door, up the stairs and back to the main entrance.

The front doors open up to a wide and large entrance hall where we will hang outdoor clothes and avoid dragging in dirt, mud and snow. I will demand that shoes be removed in the main building to avoid dirt and mud, perhaps with separate indoor shoes considering socks doesn't seem to exist here, as they use foot wraps. This isn't a stamped earth floor, stone floor or simple plank floor. Or well, the entrance hall and the wing have stone floors, but just like the wing its finer gray slate stone, and the wood floor is fine oak. Right now its dry outside so everyone can walk inside with their shoes, and since we're moving in, today it will be more practical. The courtyard is mostly stone and gravel, which helps, and we have brought simple doormats for the entrances. At larger feasts, shoes may have to be allowed as our guests won't be used to removing their shoes, and it is a status thing to wear shoes, and pretty shoes. Maybe we can have shoes, sandals or something to lend to guests.

There isn't any door in to the rest of the building, but the idea is to separate the entrance hall with at least drapers in the future, but I will probably order a wide double door. A couple of nice draperies with a pretty pattern on them would be impressive, but a double door is a better heat barrier and more impressive, especially if they inlay some window mosaic or similar. Maybe a diamond shaped window on each door?

I realize that my company isn't really interested in the entrance hall or care how it is built. Their focus is on the main hall. Even if most of the windows arn't in place, it is a powerful sight and feeling to walk into the main hall and look up over the mezzanine and the windows. The large hall opens up, 5.5 meters up to the ceiling with a balcony above the entrance hall and with corridors on each side on both floors. The room isn't 'big' like the middle of most longhouses and feast halls that are big open spaces, but 6.5-7m wide is enough, and it is still more than 10m to the windows on the other side above the stairs mezzanine, and I havn't seen any house here with large windows like that. I actually didn't plan any of this to be impressive, but with all the 2.7m tall windows in place it will be.

Its damn satisfying to see everyone's faces and looks. Even Jane whistles. But she has spent the last few months in longhouses and a simpler farm, and this room and house is very different from the standards here. More like a modern western Midgard home, which is the idea. The large fireplace in the northeast corner doesn't feel out of place and should be able to keep this place quite warm if the centralized steam heater system doesn't work. Kari and Ciara seem really happy to live here, and they have lived in castles and fortresses. Iselin happily hugs me and gives me a kiss. I know that Iselin have been looking forward to moving in, not least as I think Iselin wants to be my wife in the future, and then this is her home to rule.

"To be honest, this was not designed to be impressive to step into from the entrance hall. I wanted an extension with large south facing windows and open space to let in a lot of daylight, and for most of the day as the sun moves, and it was easiest with a balcony to connect the corridors on the second floor. I had to break the stairs with a platform so that the stairs wouldn't be too steep, and I chose to extend the mezzanine over to the other side and make a larger area for a couch instead of a double stairway. I didn't want to block the light from the windows."

Jane is puzzled what the rest finds so funny, so I translate for her and she accompanies them.

"Most design to impress, you just 'oops' it by being practical! You should put your throne there! Straight up, in the middle of the mezzanine, between the big windows. Anyone walking in here will be impressed and feel insignificant, and in the winter with the sun low it will be dazzling. You should absolutely schedule their audience for maximum effect." I have to agree with that, except about the throne. I don't want a throne.

The northwest corner has an opening into a room and I show what will be the day room for the guards, with a window to the north overlooking the veranda patio, courtyard, and the road in to the courtyard. All the guards just stare at me when I explain the rooms purpose.

"You must have some place to spend your time apart from your bedroom, and here you are a bit separated and private, while as centrally located as it is possible, with quick access to the entrance hall, a window to see the courtyard, and your own fireplace." Their faces makes it so worth it. If necessary, the maids or guards will take care of all the fireplaces together so that the guests don't.

The alcove under the stairs looks normal with its small shelf wall, and I can't see that its a hidden door down to the secret basement, and Pedr knows better than to say something if I don't ask. With a curtain in front of the alcove and its small mosaic window to the main hall in place, it will be an even more discreet route down. I still have no idea what I'm going to use the space down there in the secret basement - some rooms are too dark for anything other than storage or a prison dungeon, which I don't want, and it would also be idiotic to have prisoners in the main building. A mancave is difficult when there is no home theater, pinball machines, video games, etc. Even a dart board will be a hassle to make. But secret rooms are cool.

We start the tour by going east and I show the study or guest room to the north, followed by the future library to the south. I'm glad I can't see the hidden shelf door. But I can't look closer and test that it opens now that everyone is here. Right now the locking should be in the form of simple weight from a rope that keeps the secret door closed, but in the future I will make my own locking solutions with hooks both above and below, with a hidden release. I don't want the workers and Pedr to know how to open the secret doors - it's bad enough that they know it exists. I have deliberately avoided talking about the rooms as secret, because I think that will draw unnecessary attention to them, more than its just another basement. Of course Pedr knows, and it should be obvious to the carpenter who built the shelves with the hidden doors, and he has been paid a bonus to keep quiet about it.

The combined meeting and dining room, is the rest of the east side on this floor. Windows in three directions, with a view over the courtyard via one, a nice view of the treetops to the east through three windows and also south over the cliffs via the last window. I should probably have specified for the window maker what I wanted for every mosaics, for the three eastern windows have mosaic arches at the top, and again with my housemark in the mosaic, even though this is framed by green plants and leaves and looks quite good. It just feels so ego tripped.

The north side towards the courtyard will have a large dining room table in a more modern style. Not several tables with benches on the sides thats common, but a 3.8m long table with room for 12 but usually it will only have 10 seats, as we're not that many. I had planned that everyone would eat here, but I quickly realized that I have to accept that the 'masters' and the staff are separated except at special meals. We have Jane as a permanent guest, and we also got to let Caecilia eat here due to her special status and she is a type of guest for the time being. So we will be six eating here, with room for other guests. The room is large enough that it should be okay to use two such tables side by side, and long enough for two in length, but I hope it will never be needed. Maybe at future weddings or some similar big feast if the weather sucks. For just the occasion, we've got two matching tables with chairs made. And its ergonomic chairs with high backs, cushioned leather seats and backs. The tables and chairs is in nicely carved wood and match each other.

On the south side, there will be a small sofa group with two three-person sofas with a small table in between, as a more relaxing place to hang out and have informal meetings. A TV would have fit on the wall to the library secret passage, but thats not gonna happen. There is a large fireplace for warmth by the door into the room. It looks quite nice with the inlaid gray slate infront of the fireplace, to act as a fire guard. All fireplaces have that sensible precaution.

We go back to the main hall and continue right across into the western corridor and I show the other rooms on the ground floor. There is a small fireplace in the corridor that in addition to provide heat here in the middle of the corridor that can spread, it will warm up the south facing rooms on both floors. They like that there is another small light tunnel above the security door to the wing, but they've already realized that I prefer a lot of light. It isn't beautiful now, but that tunnel will also be hidden by a small stained glass mosaic, which is among the cargo in ships hull. It no longer needs to be closed, so I open the security door to the wing.

I show the largest guest room to the south, and the two half as large rooms to the north and the courtyard. The smallest room in the corner towards the wing, is very dark as it only has a north facing light tunnel from above the wings roof, but that room will only be for storage or something. I show the last room facing south which is Janes if she wants it. I would have liked to use it as a better guest room, but there are limited suitable rooms for Jane and this with two large south windows should be bright enough to be able to paint in if she wants too, and it also has a much nicer view than the slightly smaller vacant room on the second floor facing the courtyard. Jane really seems to like the room and the view, and even if the room is not large at 11m², its her own room, and thats no small thing here, especially not with that view and the windows. Jane's smile and small bounce followed by a couple of dance steps say a lot, and I understand that she appreciates having her own room and privacy again. There might be some noise from my workshop on the other side of the wall, but Jane says she will live with it. After looking at the view a bit, Jane and the others quickly follow me as we move on, curious about the rest of the mansion.