Chapter 5
The horn resonated through the library, startling Trystan from his seat. The book he’d been focusing on—to drive all troubling thoughts of his father and Alixa from his head—fell from his lap and to the floor unnoticed. The horn faded away, only to be replaced by footsteps pounding along the marble halls. Outside the window shouting erupted, and though he couldn’t make out any words, he knew it wasn’t anything good.
He crossed the library in long strides and jerked the oak doors open, stepping into the hallway and right into the path of a running stable boy. The boy collided with him, but Trystan grabbed his shoulders to keep the slight child from falling on his rear.
“What’s happening?” Trystan demanded, and the boy stared up at him with terrified eyes.
“That’s the warning h
