Many castles of old still have a strong presence about them. When looked upon they seem to resonate with an energy all of their own, and stir within us a mixture of wonder, reverence, and melancholy.  Though many like to romanticize what life was like behind those seemingly impenetrable stone walls, castle life was often a lonely and dangerous affair.  It was a place where ambition prevailed over loyalty, where jealousy triggered rage, and where power (and the unquenchable thirst for more it created) led to bloodshed.