“They told of dripping stone walls in uninhabited castles and of ivy-clad monastery ruins by moonlight, of locked inner rooms and secret dungeons, dank charnel houses and overgrown graveyards, of footsteps creaking upon staircases and fingers tapping at casements, of howlings and shriekings, groanings and scuttlings and the clanking of chains, of hooded monks and headless horseman, swirling mists and sudden winds, insubstantial specters and sheeted creatures, vampires and bloodhounds, bats and rats and spiders, of men found at dawn and women turned white-haired and raving lunatic, and of vanished corpses and curses upon heirs.”
― Susan Hill

“If you can show people how to build castles, make sure you do not neglect building and nurturing your own.”
― Suzy Kassem, Rise Up and Salute the Sun: The Writings of Suzy Kassem

“Stories start in all sorts of places. Where they begin often tells the reader of what to expect as they progress. Castles often lead to dragons, country estates to deeds of deepest love (or of hate), and ambiguously presented settings usually lead to equally as ambiguous characters and plot, leaving a reader with an ambiguous feeling of disappointment. That's one of the worst kinds.”
― Rebecca McKinsey, Sydney West

“Rainer Maria Rilke greeted and wrestled with the angels of his Duino Elegies in the solitude of a castle surrounded by white cliffs tall trees and the sea. I greeted most of mine in the solitude of a house that still vibrated with the throbs of a singular life that had helped shape many lives and with the ache of attempts to render useful service to that life. The River of Winged Dreams was therefore constructed as a link between dimensions of past and future emotions and intellect and matter and spirit.”
― Aberjhani, The River of Winged Dreams

“... the round towers of the castles looked as if they were so firmly encrusted in the sky that, to get to their other side, one would have to hew out a passage through the celestial marble.”
― Hope Mirrlees, Lud-in-the-Mist

“This is a smashing place, isn't it? But I must say it scares me a bit. Do you suppose one dares to ask for tea?'

'I expect so, though heaven knows how. Perhaps you blow a peal on a slughorn, or beat on your shield with your sword -- or, I'll tell you what, if you look around you'll find a long embroidered tassel, and if you pull it you'll hear a bell clanging hollowly in some dark corridor a million miles away, and then some bent old servitor will come shuffling in--'

'There's a telephone by the bed,' said Timothy.

'Good heavens, so there is. How disappointing.”
― Mary Stewart, Airs Above the Ground

“We admire the castles, because we admire the security!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan

“The Dark and Middle Ages! The Nineteenth Century had an impudent way with its labels. For there, under the window in Arthur's Gramarye, the sun's rays flamed from a hundred jewels of stained glass in monasteries and convents, or danced from the pinnacle of cathedrals and castles, which their builders had actually loved. Architecture, in those dark ages of theirs, was such a light-giving passion of the heart that men gave love-names to their fortresses.”
― T.H. White, The Candle in the Wind

“There is no castle in the world where fear is not the reason it was built for!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan

“A castle can never be a home because home is born out of love not of fear!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan

“A hidden wooden cottage is much safer than a solid fortress standing in an obvious place on the hill!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan

“In some countries, the churches took over the place of the castles. In my opinion, these same churches represent the castles. For they have the same wealth like that of the kings.”
― Mwanandeke Kindembo

“We build castles and tear down houses
we claim land and curse the sea.”
― Laura Chouette

“No matter how beautiful and safe your castle is, life outside the castle will eventually prevail and pull you out!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan

“The reason why castles are built is because of the lack of morals, because where there is morals there is security, and if there is security there is no need for castles!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan

“One lie might eye the highest throne / inside the castle of your mind, / and any whim may play the lord / when left unchecked, out of control, / once knights of reason flee their posts, / let sentiments invade these walls, / then leave the keep without defense. / How easily a kingdom falls!

(from Interior Kingdom)”
― Robert J. Tiess, The Humbling and Other Poems

“Alec was always Aunt Mathilda’s favorite, but I was my Aunt Florence’s. We used to feed swans together in the lake behind Chrysemfell.”
― Madeline C.C. Harper, The Return of Light

“This is a smashing place, isn't it? But I must say it scares me a bit. Do you suppose one dares to ask for some tea?'

'I expect so, though heavens knows how. Perhaps you blow a peal on a slughorn, or beat on your shield with your sword -- or, I'll tell you what, if you look around you'll find a long embroidered tassel, and if you pull it you'll hear a bell clanging hollowly in some dark corridor a million miles away, and then some bent old servitor will come shuffling in--'

'There's a telephone by the bed,' said Timothy.

'Good heavens, so there is. How disappointing.'

- Airs Above the Ground”
― Mary Steward

“If you are asked to build a castle, don't build it out of sand by the ocean, don't build it out of ice in the middle of summer. Build it with the best materials, with the best design, and with the intention to make it last the passing of time. That castle ought to be your legacy.”
― F. A. Barillas

“Neuschwanstein castle is a real castle that looks unreal!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan

“We had an interesting conversation with one of my Accenture managers toward the end of my tenure there. Something about sandcastles. Well, thank God, he got my point. It’s not a REAL job. You don’t NEED to update your stupid Oracle every 3 years. It shouldn’t be so fucking hard. It’s just debits and credits, isn’t it? What we need to do is find out which jobs in the economy are ACTUALLY essential (bartenders, for instance), pay those people a good wage, and give UBI to everyone else so they can go to the fucking bar. Simple.”
― Dmitry Dyatlov

“We need to go back" Claire repeated, but her words were less commanding than before. She drew in a deep breath as she looked at the moonlit walls. Slipping the pencil from behind her ear, she gripped it tightly, torn between an intence desire to draw what she was seeing, and the fear of being lost in a strange other world.”
― Kamilla Benko, The Unicorn Quest

“Wherever you saw a castle, over there there were wars, people were tortured in dungeons, bloody murders were committed, and opponents were killed with poisons! But despite all this, the castles somehow manage to seem romantic and peaceful to the human eye!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan

“Yeva decided to explore. A part of her shrank from the idea, uncertain what horrors she might uncover in a castle prowled by a cursed Beast. But the rest of her thrilled to the thought. curiosity settling in and overwhelming her fear.”
― Meagan Spooner, Hunted

“She built a castle
of her own
and wears a crown
of blood and hope.”
― CM Adler, Queen of December: Verses of Wings and Witches

“Don’t want white,” retorted the girl, lifting her chin so that she appeared haughty and queenly, although she was pouting. “I’m a gittin’ married in black n’ red.” Under her breath she whispered, I’ll be the Queen of the Gypsies!”
― Suzy Davies, The Snow Queen

“Do you ever find anyone in your dream?" Sam asked.
Jon shook his head. "No one. The castle is always empty.”
― George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones

“Long ago in the wooded hills of northern Europe. there was a tiny kingdom called Color Wood. It was one of the most beautiful places in all of the world. The trees in the country side were gifted with colors that no other forest in the world possessed. There were purple trees, orange trees, bright blue trees, red trees and yellow trees.”
― Glen Liset, The King Who Lost His Colors

“Each morning when the sun came up the
song birds would awaken the king. After a royal breakfast he would spend a few hours walking through the colorful woods watching the birds and listening to their songs. He would stroll past the blue stream and greet the happy people of his kingdom. After watching the beavers and otters play he would head back to his castle smiling from ear to ear. When King Daniel was happy everyone in the kingdom was happy.”
― Glen Liset, The King Who Lost His Colors

“Early one spring morning as the king was taking his walk through his beautiful forest the wind started to pick up and it started to rain. The birds began to flutter and chirp loudly and the trees started to sway in the wind. King Daniel decided to return to his
castle until the weather got better. As time passed the weather got worse. The winds got stronger and the rain got heavier. Bolts of lightning crackled in the sky followed by booming claps of thunder.”
― Glen Liset, The King Who Lost His Colors