Two enormous bay windows, complete with cushioned seats, stand on either side of a pair of tall mahogany doors. Cream wallpaper with thin, vertical crimson stripes is complemented by blonde oak wainscoting. Two large, cut crystal chandeliers cast a warm glow over the flooring, which is of silver-veined onyx marble and centered with a pure white marble crest of House Vaalor. Along the western wall, a winding staircase with a polished cherrywood banister curves upward toward the library, while a shadowed alcove along the eastern wall houses a set of carpeted steps leading downward. |