Secure on the throne of Lystra, Roman, the Chataine's former guardian, heeds a warning that a nearby ruler is amassing power to strike. Roman decides to answer the threat himself. But his willful wife Deirdre, now ruling beside him, persuades him to let her go with him. Leaving their young son in the care of a nursemaid, they travel to Corona to confront the supernatural evil growing there.

During their absence, a usurper attempts to seize power at West-ford, so Roman must attack his own capital to regain control. With each success, challenges multiply. The crisis point comes when all Lystra believes Roman is dead, and the fate of the province lies in the hands of a young teenage girl.

The Annals of Lystra begin with Chataine's Guardian, continue in Stone of Help, and conclude with Liberation of Lystra. The story then picks up 100 years later with Nicole of Prie Mer: Book One of the Latter Annals of Lystra.