The devil was in the storm. Wind and rain lashed the ancient stone walls of the castle. Lightning flooded the countryside in sudden, terrible flashes.
Within the castle, an old man sat by a fire, solitary and stone still. The snaps of the wood echoed to the high ceiling. His cold eyes glared at the fire as if the anger within him was fueling the flames.
Betrayed, the man thought. The word stuck in his mind like a dagger. He had been betrayed, and by his own son, no less. A man of his son’s breeding had no business consorting with the lower classes. And yet, he was gone. Run off with some merchant’s daughter. This would not stand.
The old man glanced to the darkness of the hallway. He thought he’d seen something move. For a second, all was still. Then, it was as if the shadows began to swim. From the darkness, two eyes appeared, glowing wickedly in the firelight. The eyes locked onto the old man, and they began to move toward him.
The old man simply stared back at the eyes with an unflinching gaze. The eyes moved closer, close enough to the firelight to reveal the beast. An Barbary Ape, the size of a large dog, crept toward him on all fours. The man watched it.
The ape reached the man’s chair. It stared up at him for a second. It looked unsettled, as if sensing the old man’s mood. The ape then took a few steps toward the fire and curled up in its warmth.
Even an ape understands loyalty, the old man thought darkly.
He’d rescued the animal years ago on his travels abroad. He’d found it badly injured and nursed it back to health, eventually returning to Wales with it. The castle had become its home. Much like its master, the ape was ill tempered. Fittingly, the old man had named it Satan.
A bang on the castle’s door tore the man from his thoughts. Someone was outside in this evil weather, and that someone was hammering on his door hard enough to send a clanging echo through the hallways.
The old man didn’t move from his chair. One of his servants would answer the door. Mostly likely it was some lost traveler looking for shelter. None of his concern.
Shouting arose from down the hallway. It was far enough away to be muffled and indistinguishable. Soon, however, the voices grew louder. He could make out the voice of his servant, trying to stop the intruder from their advance. The effort seemed to be doing little good.
In short order, a man in a soaked travel cloak and dripping grey hair burst in to the room. The old man in the chair didn’t move from his seat. The ape, however, jumped to his feet and locked his gaze upon the visitor.
“Horowitz,” the old man greeting coldly. “Just the man.” He glanced to his servant. “Leave us.”
“Where are they?” Horowitz growled.
“I thought you would know.”
“Don’t play games, Rowland! I won’t have my daughter run off with some…”
Sir Rowland Rees shot to his feet, a move that crammed the words down Horowitz’s throat. He felt a bit better upon seeing his intruder shrink a bit. Horowitz recognized he was in a perilous position.
“Do you wish to finish your thought?” Sir Rowland threatened.
Horowitz stood stock still. Behind his eyes, his mind was spinning as he considered his next step. He was not a man without means and influence, but not to the level of Sir Rowland. Yet, when he thought of his daughter, the protective father in him overwhelmed all common sense.
“If you are hiding them,” Horowitz advanced, “I’ll…”
Sir Rowland smirked.
“I’ll find a way. I’ll destroy you.”
Sir Rowland’s smirked melted away. The men were nearly nose to nose. Never had he been so insulted, and in his own home.
“You will leave my home, sir,” Rowland breathed, “or you will find a bad end.”
All the air seemed to drain from the room. Neither of the men moved an inch. The ape tensed as he studied the scene before him. It was as if time had stopped.
It was Horowitz who broke the spell. He grabbed the front of Sir Rowland’s shirt and shook him.
Like a furry missile, the ape launched itself at Horowitz. Fangs bared, it slammed into the man, knocking him to the ground. The animal lashed and bit in a frenzy, its cries of rage nearly drowning out the screams of his victim.
Sir Rowland watched with a perverse satisfaction. Ape’s possessed a strength that far exceed their appearance. One old man would be little challenge.
Yet, Horowitz was not an average opponent for this ape. Between the blows, the old man dug around his waist. He grasped the hilt of his dagger and brought it out. Desperately, he stabbed at the ape, landing several hits.
The ape shrieked in pain. It ceased its attack and ran off across the room, leaving a trail of blood in its wake. The animal didn’t make it far before it slowed, stumbled, and collapsed.
Sir Rowland’s eyes widened upon seeing his beloved pet crumble in a heap. All but forgetting Horowitz, he ran to the ape and bent down. The ape let out a couple more shuddering breaths before it stopped moving all together.
Seeing a chance to escape, a badly bruised and bleeding Horowitz dragged himself to the door. He called for help. It seemed as if no one had heard him, or if anyone had, they weren’t coming to his aid. Then he heard heavy footsteps approaching. A number of the castle’s servants appeared. Horowitz feared for a second that they would finish the job the ape started, but when they reached him the concern in their expressions showed otherwise.
Sir Rowland appeared in the doorway. In his arms, he held the limp body of his ape. The servants looked up at him fearfully, but he didn’t acknowledge them at all. He hurried past both them and Horowitz and disappeared into the darkness.
The servants moved Horowitz to one of the adjacent rooms and laid him on a spare bed. They got some water and began to dress the man’s wounds. It was extremely painful. Teeth gritted in agony, Horowitz took a breath. With that breath, he cursed Sir Rowland. Cursed him that he would meet an evil and violent end.
A panicked scream ripped through the castle. The servants froze, staring at one another fearfully. The screams diminished into a horrible gurgling, then there was nothing.
There’s more than one ghost that haunts the halls of Carew Castle not far from Pembroke in Wales. Today the castle is a ruined, but still beautiful, structure on the banks of a mill pond. Centuries of history have passed by its walls and through its halls.
The ghost of the Barbary Ape is one of the most interesting stories. Sir Rowland had trained the ape to obey his commands, and the legend is that when he was confronted by the merchant Horowitz, the ape defended its master. Horowitz survived the onslaught and cursed Rowland. Later, a scream was heard throughout the castle and when the servants went to check on their master, Sir Rowland was dead in a pool of blood. The body of the ape had vanished.
To this day, on dark and stormy nights, visitors to the castle claim to see a shadowy form moving through the ruins and hear the yelps of an angry ape.
Another ghost story revolves around Princess Nest. As the story goes, Princess Nest lived near the end of the 11th century. She was famously beautiful and was much desired by many men, including Henry I. She became pregnant by him, but the relationship would have been an embarrassment to Henry. So, Nest was married off to a man named Gerald de Windsor, constable of Pembroke Castle.
Surprisingly, Gerald and Nest grew to love each other. They would build the a home that would eventually become Carew Castle. That might have been the end of the story, but Nest’s beauty was coveted by her cousin Owain (O-Wine). Owain attacked Carew and laid siege. Princess Nest was taken captive, though some say she went willingly.
She was with Owain for several years, bearing him children, before she was rescued by Gerald, who killed her kidnapper. If this pleased Nest, her joy would be short-lived as Gerald would pass away just a year later.
Princess Nest would remarry and live out her life at Cardigan Castle. Yet, it seems as if her spirit returned to Carew Castle. She’s seen by visitors as a woman in white, walking the halls and grounds.
You can visit Carew Castle, touch its stone walls and stare out over the pond. Maybe, if you’re lucky, some of its fascinating history will come to life before your eyes.