Several months later, Audrey couldn't help but smile as she once again looked up at the castle. Their castle. Those who did not have any family, and missed the good times they had had, had pooled their money, what restitution they had been able to get, and bought the land. The land had belonged to the government in the end, and they didn't have to pay much for it.
Several of the families of those who had died here had also given donations, like the Harding family. In return, Audrey and the others had promised to make a sort of memorial, a reminder of what had happened there. It wasn't hard to promise that, as she had planned to do that anyway.
The FBI was still working on identifying most of the remains from the mass grave, not to mention find and identify the numerous graves that had been hastily dug in the wilderness. But most of the remains from the mass grave had now been removed. And it was far enough away from the castle that they didn't have to see it every day.
The media attention after the trial had been enormous. After some deliberations, Audrey and Leann had decided to give an interview, to let the world know their story, more than just the details revealed in the trial. They were worried that some of the former leaders would tell their story as well, and wanted to be sure that the side of the victims also were highlighted. Audrey knew all too well what could happen if the world had sympathy with the accused. Not that she cared much about what other people thought anymore. A few of the people from her hometown had tried to reach out to her, but she had ignored them. In the interview, she had mentioned her backstory, how her whole family had been killed by a drunk driver, but she hadn't elaborated further. But some of the journalists had. The end result was that the man would probably not get out on early parole, like many in her hometown had requested. Audrey was surprised to realize that she didn't care. It was such a small thing, compared to all the other things that had happened.
In the end, only 10 of the original crew came back with her. And Nora. Audrey shouldn't have been surprised, but she was glad. And as an accountant, Nora would be better suited than the rest of them to keep track of the finances. They planned to open the place up for visitors eventually, but there was a lot of work to be done before that could happen. Not the least the complete overhaul of the interior of the castle. Most of the tools and weapons, and any instrument used for restraints or torture had been seized by the FBI as evidence.
None of the 10 people who had come back had stayed in the inside part of the castle. That had been for the top churls and the leaders. The theows and the cage beds had been in one of the smaller wings, right next to the kitchen. There were no cages left, the FBI had taken all of them. In fact, they had removed more than Audrey had imagined. They definitely needed to find someone who knew how to smith. Hardly any metal tools were left. Audrey shook herself and reminded herself that they could buy any tools they needed. They didn't have to make everything from scratch anymore. Though the sense of accomplishment when they did was one of the main things she wanted to feel again. To know that the grain they had for breakfast was the same grain they had harvested. That the clothes they wore came from the wool they had sheared, spun and sewn themselves. Nora was excited to learn about that and Leann was glad that someone else shared her enthusiasm about it. Audrey knew she wouldn't be very helpful with that, most of her lashings had come when she had failed to do tasks regarding clothes making. Leann had laughed as Audrey reminded her of the first time she had tried to make flax. They were able to laugh about it now, as the painful part of it had dulled. The therapists had been surprisingly positive to the idea of returning here. Audrey had thought they would try to talk her out of it. But her therapist seemed to understand how she felt about this place and how important it would be to return.
There was, however, one thing the FBI had not taken. Possibly because it was too big for them to remove.
A large pillory, the only one that was permanently stuck here in the castle, still stood near the top of the courtyard. They all jumped as they saw it. Even Nora. Audrey was the first to collect herself.
"I think I know exactly what we can use to get the fire going," she said. Trying not to tremble, she moved over to the pillory and ripped the top half off the hinges. Removing all metal parts, they stripped the pillory down and started the fire with it. Seeing the fire consume that symbol of dominance was the best way to start this new chapter in their lives. They all stood in a circle, warming themselves on the fire and laughing.
The next day, they got to work. Nora was the only one who dared to go into the Lady's room, but after she had removed most signs of her, it became just another room. It was the same with Philip's room. When Audrey first saw it again, she flashed back to the night she had stayed there tied up, but also the last time, when he had been the one tied up. But any ropes or other items had already been taken away and after Audrey took out the bed, it became just another room. His bed was the only one they burned. Audrey hadn't told any of the others about her experience in the room, but they all noticed the chains under the bed, which it seemed the FBI had missed.
"Did he actually keep someone captive in his room?" one of them said. Audrey didn't say anything, but Nora noticed her expression. She asked Audrey about it later that day and Audrey reluctantly shared her bizarre experience in that room. Only her therapist had known the details about that, until then, she had only briefly mentioned something about it in the trial, not how long or why.
The Lady's room became a storage room, almost like an attic, since it was in one of the highest parts of the castle. The wizard's room, the only one with electricity, became one of the main rooms, since they all stayed there in the evening. They planned to get electricity to the rest of the castle as well, but that would require more funds and some actual electricians. Philip's room, being close to the kitchen, became the new pantry. All the types of food that wouldn't fit in the old pantry, and didn't need to be kept refrigerated, were now kept there. That included a large variety of snacks. Only Ædven's room, out of all of the leader's rooms, was still used as a bedroom. Leann took over her role as the overseer, though a lot less formal, so she also got the room.
The rooms that used to hold the theows were made into more of a room of remembrance. They had a few select photographs, of how things had looked and some of the horrors that had occurred, most of them taken by the FBI after the raid. The smaller room also held a series of photos of the victims, those that had died. And the list of people who were still not identified from the mass grave, with recreations made by forensic experts. They planned to refer anyone who came to ask about their potential relative, to that room. And it was a way to honor this place's history without having to see it every day. A statue, as a form of memorial, was being made elsewhere and would be placed beside the mass grave when the FBI was done with it.
Audrey was most excited about getting the agricultural part of the castle up and running. They had to start over with most of the animals, as they had all been relocated when the castle was raided. But there were ample animals in need of good lodgings, and Audrey had the idea of taking in rescued animals that had suffered abuse from their previous owners. Not pets, but other animals, such as horses, sheep and other farm animals. There was a surprising number of those taken in raids each year, and by fostering them either temporarily or permanently, they also received funds for their care.