> > Meline fell into a grassy patch, startling Jacob, he fell backwards onto the soft grass. 
> > 
> 
> Alright. I am now lost on where exactly everyone is. Jacob is outside the castle?

Magical box of Tactician training, so basically it's a Fire Emblem game style chess board, the pieces move but if you touch the orbs on either side, you go to a outrealms world where you can control units for training, it's how Robin trained apprentices.