Three more trills flit from Odeia's lips before she sees us. A grin spreads across her face, and she hurries toward us, splashing the swans she passes.

"You made it!" she cries. "I've been singing every so often tonight in hopes you'd find me." She wraps me in a hug, dampening my shirt and pants with her soaked dress.

"Thank you," I say. "We were a little lost."

Odeia frowns. "Do you know the way back?" I shake my head. "I'll send one of my swans along with you then. She'll guide the way." She turns to Sigvard, whose face seems wider than usual, pulled taught with awe.

"You were right Aylo," he says, dumbstruck. "Have to admit, I wasn't totally sure I believed you."

"All that matters is that I'm right in the end," I say. Though I'm the shortest one, I feel taller than the others with the best posture I've ever had.

"Let's sit down," Odeia says. "It's been such a long time since I've had company. I mean, I spoke to Aylo, but our talk was so short."

It's a tight squeeze to fit on the bench, and Sigvard ends up sitting on the ground across from us, while I sit between Odeia and Benno.

"I'm so glad you're still alive," Sigvard says. "It'd be so wrong if you died. The whole conviction was messed up."

Odeia purses her lips. "I know. That's why I'm here, opposed to rotting in the ground."

"Who helped you escape? This has been bothering us for ages," Sigvard says.

"Was it Evlyn?" I ask.

"Evlyn? Goodness, no." Odeia chuckles to herself. The rest of us lean in closer.

"Then who?" I ask.

"Like I said, I shouldn't reveal the person's identity. But what made you think it was Evlyn?"

"Her name starts with an 'E,'" I say. "And that's the way the warning letter was signed."

Odeia looks down at her neatly folded hands, a smile on her face.

"What?" I ask.

"'E' might not refer to a person's name."

"Come on! You have to tell us!" Sigvard exclaims.

Odeia sends him a look that stop a waterfall. Not harsh, but solemn, decisive. "That's the only clue I'll give. Keep in mind that this person could be convicted of treason if word gets out. The person assisted a criminal convicted of assassinating the Queen."

"But you didn't kill the Queen," Sigvard says.

"According to the books, I did. Now, if that decision were overturned...then the identity of said person wouldn't need to be a secret, since the person assisted the future heir when an act of treason was committed against her."

"Court politics are so stupid," I say.

"It's not stupid, it's necessary. I can't fault them for doing their job, no matter the implications for me."

"Well, just know that we're working to help you," Sigvard says. "We'll find who did it."

"Then you can regain the throne," I chirp.

"You'll be so much better than Clemaina." Sigvard practically spits her name.

"I'm not sure if that's a good idea," Odeia says. "What if you get caught? What if you become a target because of what you're finding out?"

"That's a risk we're willing to take," I say. "Your life matters more than ours right now. Now, are there any details you remember that might assist in our investigation?"

Crickets chirp in the ensuing silence. Odeia begins a staring contest with the ground, deep in thought. No one dares disturb her.

"I'm afraid not. I've been racking my head for details the past days, but it's been such a long time. Perhaps you can refresh my memory with what you've found so far."

I nod to Sigvard. He's best equipped for the briefing in my opinion.

"Well, we know that the chocolates couldn't have been used to poison the queen," Sigvard says. "We suspect that Mother ingested five grams of poison, and there's no way a chocolate could contain that much. At a minimum, she would've noticed that something was off when she ate one."

"And how would you even get the poison into the chocolates?" I add. Odeia doesn't respond.

"We figured out that the poison probably was administered through the tea she drank that evening," Sigvard says.

"The tea?" Recognition lights on Odeia's face. "I think I know what you're talking about. It was just sitting on her bureau, right?"

"How do you know about the tea?" I ask.

"I was worried about your mother since she was ill at the table. I stopped by about half an hour after dinner. A servant placed the tea on the bureau and left. Queen Dianne lay on the bed with her eyes closed, and no one else was in the room at the time, so I left. I didn't want to get in the way, especially if she was tired."

"That's the kind of information we need," Sigvard says. "Now we know the timestamp for when the tea arrived. You wouldn't happen to know how long it took for someone else to return to her room?"

"No. Like I said, I only stopped by for a minute."

"But a minute is all it takes to slip the poison inside." Sigvard pauses. "Sorry about that, Odeia. I don't mean you. Anyone could've walked by after you left and dropped the poison inside her cup."

We chatted a bit more with Odeia. She didn't have much more information to add, not that we had many clues to go on in the first place. The topic shifts to life around the palace, what things are like since she left.

"We're on palace arrest right now," I say, half-joking. "But it's totally worth it. If I hadn't gone hunting and got lost, I wouldn't have found you."

"When I was a princess, I wasn't able to leave all that often, either," Odeia says. "There were constant lessons and functions to attend, especially after my mother died." She swallows, blinking away the glass that forms over her eyes. "The palace isn't that bad."

"I suppose. But it'd be nice to have a getaway from all the guests staying in the palace these days." Today, I bumped into three new faces while walking between my room and the West Wing. Even more servants crossed my path, busier than usual.

"What do you mean?" Odeia asks.

"It's like the palace is being invaded," Sigvard says. "Yesterday afternoon, Benno and I were walking through the guest wing on the third floor, and I swear almost every room was locked. That's nearly fifty occupants."

Odeia frowns. "Is it the Festival of Fallen Roses or The Night of A Hundred Stars?"

"No." My heart aches for my half-sister. I am once again reminded that she has no sense of time out here. "Though there is a ball coming up. Maybe that's the reason."

"Interesting," is Odeia's only reply. But I know she's wondering what the cause of this event is.

"It's for Clemaiana's coronation." Sigvard supplies, wrinkling his nose.

"Ah, to Sewale."

A hint of confusion stirs within me. Clemaina and Sewale only got engaged a year ago. "How did you know?"

"I thought it was..." Odeia trails off, then gives her head a shake. "Well, I guess I thought Father told you. But then again, why would he? He never told me. I only overheard a conversation between them once."

"What are you talking about?" Sigvard says.

"You see, when Sewale was still a soldier, he saved the king's life."

"What?" I exclaim. I don't mean to interrupt, but I can hardly contain myself. Weakling Sewale actually saved Father's life?

"That's why he got out of duty after only six months," Odeia explains. "He earned Father's trust and was promoted to the position of a Duke within the kingdom. As part of his reward, Father promised that he could choose any lady in the court to marry, with the exception of me, the heir. When Father remarried Queen Diane, Sewale asked to marry Clemaina."

"And he agreed?" It sounds ridiculous to me. Who'd actually wish to marry Clemaina?

"Naturally. That was their deal." Odeia lets out a humorless chuckle. "I suppose Father never anticipated Clemaina would be in line for the throne."

It seems like an important piece of information to withhold. I wonder why no one told us. The romance between Clemaina and Sewale had seemed so organic. To think the marriage was arranged the whole time. Imagine what Clemaina would say if she found out. Unless, she was informed, and only Sigvard and I were kept in the dark.

"You...overheard this?" I say, struggling for words.

"Through the back passage into the King's study," Odeia says. "It used to connect behind the stairwell on the fourth floor. It's probably boarded up by now, they were in the process of doing so around the time that I...left the palace. But I used to sneak back there in my spare time while I journaled." A faint smile crosses her lips. "I enjoyed the idea of working beside Father."

Her face quickly falls, as does a strand of platinum hair. It hangs beside her face, glittering in the moonbeams. Her eyes glitter too, and I know she's thinking about her father. Her dead father.

"We'll have to check out that passageway," Sigvard says. "Thanks for all your help. Really, you've expedited our investigation by leaps and bounds."

"We were pretty stuck," Benno says, and I realize it's the first time he's spoken this whole time. He must not have wanted to interrupt our family reunion. I don't think he knows Odeia that well, either. Come to think of it, I'm not sure if they've ever had a conversation before.

"I'm more than happy to help," Odeia says. "It's lonely out here despite the swans."

"Can't you talk to them?" I ask.

"Unfortunately not. I'm only a swan in form. The mutation can only do so much." Mutation? I'm about to ask what she means when she continues. "I ran out of paper and ink a while ago. Can't say for sure when it happened. I lost track of the days quickly since I couldn't journal."

"We can bring you a new one," Sigvard offers.

I nudge his knee with my foot. "Thinking about sneaking out again, are you?"

Sigvard curls his spine backward, as if to shrink into the air. "We may need to ask some more questions."

"I agree. But I'm not sure when we'll be able to, considering the ball coming up, not to mention my lessons."

"I understand." Odeia's face falls despite her reassurance.

"It's a shame you can't come to the ball," Sigvard says.

I pause, regarding my half-sister. Odeia rapidly shakes her head at the implication.

"Oh, no, I couldn't do that. What if someone recognized me?"

"You can disguise yourself." An even better idea pops into my head. "No, wait! What if it becomes a costume ball? I could subtly suggest it. Maybe someone will listen to me for once." Sigvard and Benno grin at my suggestion, nodding eagerly.

"I promised to stay here," Odeia insists.

"You need to get back into the real world," I insist. "Who knows? Soon you may rejoin it."

Odeia cringes, though she doesn't continue to protest. At last, she says, "Well, I'll think about it. Try to come out one more time before the ball, and then I'll decide. When is it?"

"Ten days."

"Then come back in a week. I'll give my final answer then."

A breeze stirs the air, and a chill runs down my spine. I have no idea how long we've been gone. The forest remains cast in moonlight, but for how long? "We'd better head back to the palace now," I say. My hands find Odeia's, and I give them a squeeze. "It's been wonderful talking to you again. And that information you gave is invaluable."

Sigvard and I give Odeia a hug, while Benno waves awkwardly. Once we've said our goodbyes, Odeia summons a swan, who flies into the forest with us tailing behind. There's no getting lost tonight.