In which a young heir presumptive is abruptly withdrawn from the contemplative stillness of his mountain home to enter the polished intrigues and vivid pageantry of courtly life, escorted by a turn of fortune and well-meaning yet divided guardians; and in the shadow of parting companionships and the strange gaiety of a theatrical tavern, he glimpses both the solemnity and the caprice that may usher him into his uncertain future. The narrative unfolds with tender attention to the tender tumult of a boy’s heart caught between the fading comfort of old allegiances and the shimmering promise of a new world.