When the Queen's Bloom Went Rogue

Previously

…Curiosity, a trait that often got me into trouble, tugged at me. I picked it up, tucking it discreetly into the pocket of my gown. It was empty, but the faint, acrid scent clinging to the glass was unlike any perfume or potion I had ever encountered. It smelled… potent. And vaguely metallic. This was it, I thought. My first clue. A tiny, dark vial, smelling of something I couldn't quite place, found at the scene of the crime. My heart quickened. The game, as they say, was afoot. Or perhaps, given my usual gait, it was more of a lopsided shuffle. But a shuffle nonetheless. I just hoped it would lead me somewhere other than a pratfall.