It was easier than I suspected to find the former maid's address. Benno snuck into the Archives again and found it in the Saursi Citizen Record Book. The greater challenge is slipping from the palace. Lady Nyoko has piled more and more schoolwork on me until I spend six hours in lessons, two hours at tea, and reading additional pages in the evening.

But luck shows its shining face after four days.

My newest assignment is practicing my deep concentration skills by reading through the palace finance ledger. It's an old copy, the brown leather cover frayed after a year of use and many more in storage. I spend an hour reading each day while Lady Nyoko enjoys a Saursi epic. Everytime I hear her chuckle or look up to see her smiling, I resent the endless numbers in my hands even more. It feels cruel for her to watch me suffer, but I admit I probably wouldn't do the assignment on my own time.

I blink at page thirty-seven before Lady Nyoko stirs in her seat.

"Princess Aylo, I know a lot has happened to you. But you must try to pay more attention to your schoolwork. So far, you've read an average of 9 and quarter pages per day. That's about a sixth of a page per minute. We need that to increase to at least a page per minute."

I deflate. "But—"

"Princess Aylo, we need you to be at your very best during this difficult time for our kingdom. I am willing to teach you, but only if you are willing to learn, which includes developing skills that may be taxing. Are you willing to put in the effort?"

Slowly I nod. Deep down, I know that I don't really have a choice.

"Good." She checks the clock on the wall, which points to fifteen o'clock. It's time for my tea lesson. I groan internally.

"I have a surprise for you," Lady Nyoko says, and I return my attention to her. "Tomorrow, you won't have tea lessons. Instead, we need you to attend a special event in town in King Ivandor's honor."

"Really?" Excitement bubbles inside me. This is the opportunity I've been waiting for.

"I assume there will not be any problems with this arrangement?"

"No, of course not. Thank you!"

Lady Nyoko smiles. "Tea lessons can't be that bad."

"Actually, they're much, much worse."

"They will be if you are late. You are dismissed."

I curtsy before leaving. When I reach the hall, I nearly run into Sigvard and Benno, who stand outside the lesson room doors. Both them have hair matted to their foreheads, and water droplets stain their button-down shirts.

"What's with the hair?" I ask.

"Benno joined me for training this afternoon," Sigvard says. "We just finished cleaning up."

"Ah, that explains the lack of odor."

"If you're disappointed, I will be sure to use a more natural perfume in the future."

"Please don't." I glance down the hall and lower my voice. "By the way, I have good news."

"It's about time," Sigvard gripes. "I've barely seen you the past few days. What've you been doing in there? Learning the entire history of the Saursi Kingdom?" He flicks his head toward the closed door.

"Basically. I have to read the Palace's financial records along with a host of other monotonous readings."

Benno wrinkles his nose.

"You're in there literally all day," Sigvard says. "I only had three hours of training and lessons combined."

"Lucky you. I'm still not done, so I don't have much time to talk. But tomorrow, I have to go to town for a special memorial service. If you tag along, maybe we sneak to Evlyn's house after it's over."

"When and where do we meet you?"

"Be in the front courtyard this time tomorrow."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☀. :☆ﾟ｡･ ───

My entourage is smaller than I thought it'd be. It consists of two guards and Lady Flora. Duke and Duchess Tolmeiser left an hour ago to arrive at the event early. I suppose Clemaina and Uncle Rothbart are caught up in important business.

I find Sigvard and Benno in the front courtyard, as per instructions. They fall into step beside me, but Lady Flora slows her pace. She peers at the oncomers over her glasses, and with her graying hair tied tight in a bun, she seems especially scrutinizing.

"I didn't realize the Princes were coming," she says.

"I invited them," I say.

"Don't they have lessons?"

"I'm done for the day," Sigvard says. "Besides, I'd like to be there for the king's memorial."

Lady Flora's steely eyes sophen, seeming to retreat behind the thick round frames on her face. She lifts the edges of her black dress, and we carry on without another word.

The memorial took place in the town hall. Normally, the room sparkles with sunlight from large windows on the walls and ceiling. Black curtains covered them today, and in their place, candles glowed between the aisles of wooden pews. Sigvard stood beside me throughout the service, shifting on his feet and moving his hands around. When I finally leaned over and muttered "stop it," he told me that fire near wood made him anxious. My brother is the only person who can make a memorial service more dreary.

After an hour of standing, we spent another hour greeting townspeople who offered their condolences. I don't know how I managed not to cry, though my throat swelled many times.

The opportunity I'd been waiting for came when it was time to leave. Two guards were to escort us home while Lady Flora and Duke and Duchess Tolmeizer finished up at the town hall. In the building's lobby, I told the guards that we had an errand to do for Uncle Rothbart. Why didn't they know about it before? It was a last minute task that he wanted to keep quiet. Sometimes, he doesn't like the whole world knowing about the errands he needs done. They agreed eventually because if our errand was real, they'd get in trouble for interfering.

The sun casts a peachy glow on the cobblestone when we leave the memorial service. Few people roam the streets, though all we pass give a quick bow or curtsy to us. Dark, empty shops line our path, follow us with each turn.

We round one more corner to reach the brick cottages on Newberry Way. I read the number of each house—fifty, fifty-one, fifty-two, fifty-three.

"It should be this one," Benno says.

I lift the lace hem of my dress a finger's length higher to ascend the outside steps. "Uncle Rothbart wants us to conduct our errand alone," I say to the guards.

They give a stiff nod. They've gone along this far, so they might as well oblige us.

Benno knocks three times on the door. I force myself to stay calm despite the thoughts that storm my head.

What if she isn't home? What if she changed addresses? She might be sour and grouchy. She could refuse to talk to us.

After a minute, the door stirs, and a woman pokes her pale face out. In places, her skin has shrunk and folded over itself. Purple circles hang below her sunken blue eyes, though they still shine as sharply as always.

"Evlyn Garris?" I say.

"Princess Aylo?" Her thinned lips turn upward, creating more wrinkles around her eyes. "Prince Sigvard and...Prince Benno?" She pulls the door open wider. "Come in, come in!"

The ceiling hangs low in the dark front entrance, making the space feel more cramped than it probably is. Evyn motions for us to follow her into the living room. A few streaks of light filter from the drawn curtains onto a small couch.

Evlyn disappears behind one of two closed doors on the far wall, returning with a wooden chair. "I know it's a little tight in here, but it will do."

The couch sinks an inch lower as I sit between Sigvard and Benno. Now that I'm closer, I can see the stains in the upholstery.

"It's so good to see you again," I say. "How have you been?"

"Rather well, dear," Evlyn says. "How about some tea?"

"No, thank you," I say.

"Cookies?"

I glance at the others, then agree. Evlyn leaves again, and this time, her frail hands carry a box of biscuits. We each grab one, including Evlyn.

"So, what made you think of visiting me?" Evlyn asks. Her voice is scratchier than I remember. Years must have taken a toll on it.

"We were in town, and I wanted to pay you a visit," I say over the sweet crumbs in my mouth.

"Oh, how nice. What brings you here?"

My nose starts to tingle, and I take a deep breath to prevent a crying spell. "I attended a remembrance ceremony for my father."

Evyn's thinned eyebrows wrinkle. "I thought they already had the memorial."

"It was just an extra event. You know, since it's been two weeks. Something to help ease us back into...the way things will be." I sniff after reciting what Duke Tolmeizer told me.

Keep it together.

Evlyn reaches out, and her rough skin covers my hand. "It's a difficult time. I'm so sorry for your loss." She looks at Sigvard and Benno. "Yours too. We've all lost a very wise ruler, and you, a loving father."

I blink against the tears in my eyes. Inhale, exhale. I stabilize my breathing, trying to think of how to pivot to the real reason for our visit.

"So much loss," I say. "First Mother, now Father." I look into Evlyn's blue eyes. "I've been thinking about her a lot."

"I'm sure you have. The pain never goes away, does it?" The blues of her eyes shimmer like a lake on a warm summer day.

I shake my head. There's a pause, filled with crunching on cookies. I realize now might be the best opportunity to ask her. "I...I was wondering. About my mother."

"What about Queen Dianne? I was only her maid, you know."

Sigvard clears his throat. "The night she...passed on. We were wondering what happened."

Evlyn's jaw freezes mid-chew. She swallows whatever remained of her cookie. "Oh. That was quite a few years ago." She removes her hand from mine to get another biscuit. She offers the tray in her lap to the boys, who have already finished their first ones. They each take two.

"Yes," I say. "But with all that's been going on..."

Evlyn sighs. "I remember she had a headache and left dinner early." Evlyn nibbles on her cookie. "Weren't you there, Aylo? With Clemaina?"

"I left to find Wolfgang so he could adjust the temperature in her room."

"Ah, I guess so. Well, all I did was ask the servants downstairs to make her tea. Clemaina helped me get your Mother dressed for bed. The servants arrived with her chamomile tea soon after, and Clemaina left to get some honey. I went to the bathroom to heat up her hot water bottle. After that, I fixed her tea, waited for her to drink it, and then left her to sleep. When I returned in the morning..." She pauses for a moment. "I don't need to continue. We all know the true reason for her headache at dinner."

It was the same story told in the records of Odeia's trial. Mother had a headache, Evlyn made her tea, and she went to sleep, never to wake up. But there has to be more, a detail lingering under the surface. We just need a ripple to bring it into view.

"Is there anything you might have missed?" I ask. "Anything at all?"

"Afraid not. Why?"

"Evlyn, I'm going to ask you this in the strictest confidence," Sigvard says. I turn to him, a bad feeling creeping into my gut, but he speaks before I can do anything. "Do you think Odeia murdered our mother?"

No! That's the last thing we need—giving away our true purpose in coming. She can't know what we're after. She's too close to the crime scene, too involved. Besides, something tells me that she has a few more details to tell.

"Hold on a second." Evlyn's face turns to ice. "Is that what this is about? Because if you're digging up trouble—"

"We're just curious," I cut in. I step on Sigvard's foot, pressing down to hopefully get the message across.

The old woman glances between us for a second. Her gaze falls to the last cookie in her lap, and she holds the package to me. "Want the last one?"

"Yes, please." I take it, snapping off a piece with my teeth.

"Well, truth be told, I always thought it was a bit strange," Evlyn says. "But facts are facts. The court is wise, and they have more information than we do."

"Did anything happen after she drank her tea?" I try. Just one clue is all we need.

"No, she said she felt better and wanted to sleep. I took the tea and honey back to the kitchen and didn't check on her again until the next morning." She clasps her hands in her lap. She squeezes tightly since her knuckles turn white. "I'll never forget that moment as long as I live."

"I'm sorry," I say. "I can't imagine finding someone in that state. It must be difficult for you to live with the memory, just as hard as it is for us to live without our mother."

"Oh no, Princess Aylo. You, Sigvard, and Clemaina are her children. Nothing's harder than losing your own flesh and blood."

"If anyone else committed the murder, who else would you suspect?" Sigvard asks.

"Sigvard!" I hiss.

Anger flashes in Evlyn's eyes. "I already told you, I'm not pinning anything on anyone. The court decided that it was Odeia. Their decision stands unless they overturn it."

"But if they're wrong—"

"I don't blame you for thinking it's odd. But all the facts support it. The chocolates, the poison—it all adds up."

"What about the poison?" I prod.

"Odeia was in possession of it."

"How do you know?" Not even I had known until I read the records.

"I was the one who found it."

My eyes lock on her, incapable of looking away. I shove the rest of the biscuit in my mouth to keep it closed.

"I was changing her sheets a few days after your mother passed," Evlyn says. "It's not normally my task, but with all that happened, I took up some extra work to keep my mind occupied. I found the parcel of poison in her pillowcase. It was quite a shock, but I suppose it all adds up."

Sigvard opens his mouth, but I stamp my foot on his before he can mess things up more.

"I suppose so. Thank you so much for talking with us. We've missed you at the palace."

"I've missed the palace," Evlyn says.

A clock ticks on the wall. Each pulse hammers into the tension between us. Though I stare at the spindly hands, it takes a while for the time, half past seventeen o'clock, to register in my brain.

"We better get going," Sigvard says at last. "Otherwise, we might be late for dinner. Good seeing you, Evlyn."

"Come back any time." A smile stretches on Evlyn's face, though it doesn't reach her eyes.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ｡･ ───

"What is wrong with you?"

Sigvard shifts in his cobblestone seat, letting crickets answer for him. I inhale a sharp breath of the cool air mixed with floral notes. Dusk has closed in on the courtyard, so I only see Sigvard and Benno's silhouettes sitting beside me on the steps.

"I can't believe you asked Evlyn if she thought Odeia was innocent. That wasn't part of the plan," I continue.

"We never really had a plan," my brother says. "You always dive into things headfirst."

"I didn't have time to rehearse the conversation. You ought to know better than to give away our objective."

"Our objective was to figure out if she's 'E.' Clearly, she isn't. Though I'm certain she's hiding something."

I rest my head in my hand. Exhaustion clouds my thoughts. Still, I force myself to sift through our conversation with Evlyn.

"She could still be E," Benno says. "She might've said Odeia was guilty to protect her identity, or to not be considered a governmental opponent. Think about it, we basically implied that the court made a wrong decision."

"Which they did," Sigvard says.

"They might have," Benno says. "But townspeople can't think that way. They depend on royals for protection and to keep the kingdom running. Questioning their decisions is the first step to revolt."

"Besides, she's the one who found poison in Odeia's room," I add. "That's pretty convincing evidence against Odeia. Evlyn could've started out on Odeia's side, then flipped when she found the poison."

"Anyone can plant evidence in another person's room. It's done all the time," Sigvard says.

"I didn't say I agree with her," I say. "And what do you mean it's done all the time?"

"Well, if I were trying to throw someone off my trail, I'd plant fake evidence to implicate another person." He pauses. "Unless I'm in the Royal Court. Apparently, their word matters more than tangible evidence."

I frown. "What are you talking about?"

"They made up in their investigation that Odeia had entries on poisons in her journal."

"They wouldn't do that."

The door behind us closes. All three of our heads whip around to see two guards step outside. They stand on either side of the patio, watching us.

"I'll Wolfgang sent them," Sigvard whispers. I give him a blank look, and despite the darkness, I think he sees it. "You know, because it's dark. Anyway, I've read her journals thoroughly. Didn't find even one entry."

"But isn't forging evidence a crime?"

Sigvard shrugs. "Maybe there's a loophole we don't know about."

"I think we should find out more about the poison," Benno says.

"Yes, but how? Remember, anything we do can be traced," Sigvard says. "Let's pretend that Odeia did have an interest in poisons, that maybe she had poison books in her room or talked about them in a journal entry that was ripped out. Well, the court used that against her in her trial."

"Maybe there's a book in one of the palace libraries," I say. "Or better yet, let's check out a bookstore. There's one just down the road."

"We can't just leave the palace whenever we feel like it. And you have tons of lessons." Sigvard's last sentence has an edge, as if it's my fault I'm busy all the time.

"We'll find a way." It's more like I'll find a way, though, since I'll be doing more lessons in less time. I just hope my head doesn't explode from the workload.