When the Queen's Bloom Went Rogue

Previously

…I retreated silently, my mind racing. The Queen was right about one thing: this was a matter of utmost discretion. And if she believed I was too clumsy to handle it, then I would have to prove her wrong. I would have to be more observant, more careful, than I had ever been. My secret passion for mysteries, often practiced with minor courtly incidents, was about to be put to the ultimate test. I would uncover the truth, not for recognition, but for my Queen. And I would do it my way, with a keen eye, a quick wit, and perhaps, just perhaps, a few well-timed, accidental discoveries. The game, as they say, was afoot. And I, Lady Isolde, was playing.