Mara loaded Lyra into the waiting carriage, and the cool night air swirled around them as they prepared to leave the palace compound. The wheels of the carriage creaked softly against the flagstones, and Mara's heart pounded in her chest as she pulled the heavy velvet curtains shut around them.
But just as the carriage was to roll away into the night, a rumbling voice boomed from the grand throne room: "Halt!" The King's word echoed across the courtyard, freezing all the servants and guards in their spots. The carriage shook to a stop, the gigantic gates slammed shut in front of it, blocking its way out.
Mara's eyes bulged in an alarm as, with all speed, she hurriedly alighted from the carriage. The King strode to them with stiff, purposeful authority, in the company of stone-faced guar
