Lydia's mind refused to settle. The image of the hidden flower bush in the Queen Mother's garden burned itself into her thoughts, growing more persistent with every passing second. She had seen those flowers before—in the herbal books she had spent hours studying. Yet, the moment she realized what they were, she had pushed the thought away, refusing to believe it. It couldn't be.
But the more she tried to suppress her suspicions, the stronger they became. First, it had been Selene—the odd changes in the Queen's medicine, the way she insisted on watching Ruby drink every drop. And now, the Queen Mother. Was it truly possible that they were connected? That the Queen's own mother-in-law wished her harm?
Lydia's stomach twisted uncomfortably. She sat beside Ruby in the afternoon light, the Q
