Chapter 25
A pounding in my head and a commotion outside my door.
I wasn’t sure which of these things thrust me out of my very indecent dreams about Tarben first, but I was far from happy about it either way.
At first, I attempted to muffle the noise by burying my head beneath a pillow, but the racket persisted, urging me to reluctantly abandon my cozy bed.
Shrugging into my dressing gown, I trudged over to the door, each step reverberating in time with the throb in my head.
When I swung the door open, chaos greeted me.
Servants hurried up and down the halls, looking distressed. Amongst the flurry of activity, I spotted Runa. Her face matched the color of the sheets draped over her arm. The dusting of freckles sprinkled across her nose and forehead made for a stark contrast against her ashen complexion.
“Runa,” I called, my voice coming out as a rasp. “What’s happening?”
“It’s terrible.” Her voice wobbled. She made her way towards me. “They found a dead body on the castle grounds. Lord Hywell has been murdered.”