Nancy sat in the parking lot of Lilac Inn and took a few breaths to steady herself. Things were getting out of hand faster than she had thought. The Kovnas were quite quickly, thankfully, proven to be allies, thanks in part to what was an overzealous attempt to flush out the queen and her grandson. Or, more likely, if Francis was a fake, to make it seem like he wasn't. She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. So many pieces, so little time. Her eyelids popped open as a new thought entered her head. What if it was a ploy by the Kovnas to gain their trust? She sighed and sat back in the driver's seat. What was the truth?

She closed her eyes and emptied her brain of the mystery, instead thinking of her friends, especially Bess and George, who were no doubt landing at that very moment. Helen and the twins were at the airport, waiting to pick them up. She glanced down at her phone. It was nearly noon. She let out a huff. It was time.

She grabbed her purse and got out of the car. She practically breezed through the front, only pausing long enough to greet Jane before she found herself standing in the sitting room. Mrs. Alexandra was sitting on the couch with a little ornate egg set in her lap. On the table next to the sofa sat an ornate jewelry box with a footman standing at the ready on the very top, but Mrs. Alexandra seemed to be fingering the egg thoughtfully. Nancy stepped on a creaky board as she entered the room, but Mrs. Alexandra barely flinched. She glanced up and her smile lit up not just her eyes but the room as well.

"Nancy! Come, sit down, my dear!" She patted the seat next to her.

Nancy shot her a smile. "Thank you." She glanced over the egg in Mrs. Alexandra's lap as she sat down.

Mrs. Alexandra chuckled. "Yes, this is one of my prized possessions, known best as, of course, the Easter egg. Here, take a closer look." She placed the egg in Nancy's lap.

Nancy let out a soft gasp as she grabbed the egg. It was a little heavier than she thought. But once she steadied it, she gingerly touched every delicate detail. It was etched in lovely, delicate lines made of gold, silver, and jade against a background of mother of pearl. "It's so lovely!"

"It is, isn't it?" Mrs. Alexandra leaned towards her with a sparkle in her eye. "Open it."

Nancy opened it, and gasped. Inside was a tiny golden bird and a tree made from what looked like emeralds! "How exquisite!"

"Oh, we're not done yet." Mrs. Alexandra reached into the egg and pressed a tiny button at the base of the tree. The bird began to sing a song. The melody was lovely, but Nancy tilted her head in thought. Were those words she was hearing? "You hear the words too?"

Nancy bobbed her head. "Are they in your language?"

"Yes, they say 'Clue in the jewelry box'." She turned and patted the box sitting on the table. "This is the only jewelry box it could be referring to." She sighed. "However, I have not been able to find the clue. And since you're so good at solving puzzles …" She placed a hand on the chest and rubbed it gingerly. "Well, if you could do this last thing for me, I shall reward you most handsomely when my son is returned to Centrovia and claims his rightful place as king."

Nancy stood up and took a little bow. "I would be honored, your Highness, but the satisfaction of solving another puzzle is the most rewarding thing you can give me."

Mrs. Alexandra smiled. "Then I shall commission the best puzzle boxes in the whole world! That should hold you satisfied, at least for a bit."

Nancy laughed before a mischievous sparkle came into her eyes. "Possibly."

Mrs. Alexandra let out a hearty chuckle. "My goodness, you are a hard one to please! Is there nothing you desire?"

Nancy paused for a brief moment as the list of everything she had ever wanted flashed through her mind. Some things she knew there was no way Mrs. Alexandra could get for her, but there were a couple things she could. "Well, I do have some friends who live in New York. It would be nice to visit them for once."

Mrs. Alexandra smiled. "So an all-expenses paid trip to New York, huh?"

Nancy shot her a sheepish smile. "That's really the only thing I can think of."

Mrs. Alexandra tapped her chin for a moment, then her face lit up. "I have an even better idea. Why don't I set up an account for you to use? And whenever you need to take a trip, you just pull the funds from it. I can leave it in Mr. Faber's care when we return to Centrovia."

"Oh, oh, I don't know how I can accept that, Mrs. Alexandra. Besides, I would need permission from my father …"

Mrs. Alexandra waved her hand. "I'm sure he shall agree. Solve this last puzzle for me, and we shall discuss it over a grand celebration dinner."

Nancy let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, that would be best." She walked towards the jewelry box and began examining it. She went slowly, carefully, so as not to accidentally damage such an exquisite box. Curling lines of gold and green morphed into branches and flowering vines. On the front panel, directly beneath the footman's feet, was a picture of finely painted lilac trees with little bunnies and birds scattered around the field. Nancy ran her fingers over the panel, more of an attempt to feel the scene than in search for a secret button. But her fingers still did not find anything.

She went over the whole jewel box again, slower than before, just to be sure, but nothing popped out. She let out a sigh as she straightened up and stretched. What could be the release? There had to be one! Mrs. Alexandra was sure this was it. Unless …

"Is there no other jewelry box, Mrs. Alexandra?"

She shook her head with a soft, sad sigh. "No, not .. not anymore. I had to sell the rest. But it could not be any of the others, this one is a family heirloom."

Nancy tapped her chin as she glanced over the box again. "So, how are you so sure that it is this one? If you don't mind my asking."

Mrs. Alexandra smiled. "Because the egg and the box were worked on by Nada's brother, a fine artisan, before I left Centrovia. The bird's song had to have been added by him as it wasn't there before. He had been helping Nada get Michael out of the country and was in fact the one who thought of having items to help identify Michael."

Nancy gasped as she knelt to take another close look at it. "Do you think this holds another identifier?"

Mrs. Alexandra ran her fingers over the footman. "I believe so, I hope so." She glanced at Nancy. "Which is exactly why you must solve this as soon as possible and out all our minds to ease." She glanced at the doorway and let out a sigh. "See, Anna, she … she does not think Mr. Baum is in fact Michael. And I … I begin to wonder about it myself, even though I so long for it to be him."

Nancy bit her lip. She should tell her. Letting out a huff, she placed her hand on Mrs. Alexandra's hand. "I, I didn't want to tell you this before, but I too had my doubts, and they have been gnawing at me ever since. I will figure out the secret to this jewel box and answer once and for all if Franics Baum really is your grandson."

Mrs. Alexandra placed her other hand on Nancy's as tears filled her eyes. "Thank you my dear. But, if Anna is right and he is not my grandson, then, well, I guess we shall have to look harder." A sigh escaped her lips. "But I do hope, oh I hope with all my heart, that it is him."

Nancy smiled. "Of course you do." She turned back to the jewel box with a huff. "But I think I might need a bit more time to figure this guy out. He's proving to be tougher than I thought."

Mrs. Alexandra laughed. "Yes, I think we were both hoping that you would be able to figure it out quickly!"

Nancy shot her a grin. "Yes, we both did. May I take it home with me and look more into it tonight?"

Mrs. Alexandra bit her lip with uncertainty. "I, I would rather you not. It's very special to me and I don't like the idea of it being away from me for too long."

Nancy gave a little nod. "I understand, Mrs. Alexandra. Then I guess I shall just have to visit you both more often."

"Something wrong with that?"

Nancy laughed. "No, I shall quite like it. But I had thought to find out as soon as possible, what with your enemies here and at all …"

Mrs. Alexandra turned to her in shock. "Our enemies? Have you come across any?"

Nancy let out a sigh and sat down next to her on the sofa. "I overheard a couple of them talking at the airport. I did warn Mr. Baum about them, after I found them talking about a project they want him to do for them."

Mrs. Alexandra gasped as she wrung her hands. "They, they hired him for a job? Oh, oh no, this is bad! They must know!"

Nancy placed a reassuring hand on her hand. "I don't think so, but it is a possibility I had considered." She paused, should she tell her the other possibility that had crossed her mind, that Francis Baum was in fact a fake? Maybe even being used by the enemies of the royal family to get in?

"There is another. You think so, I can see it in your eyes."

Nancy sighed. "Yes, I … the other possibility is that Mr. Baum is in fact working for them, by pretending to be your grandson."

All the light seemed to fade from Mrs. Alexandra's eyes and despair set in. "That is the cruelest one of all."

Nancy placed her hands on the woman's shoulders. "It is, I know, but, I am a detective, Mrs. Alexandra, I must look at a situation from all angles and be sure I have interpreted the clues I find correctly. We should hope for the best." She paused. "But we must also prepare for the worst. Mr. Baum could still be your grandson, but we must keep in mind all other alternatives."

Mrs. Alexandra nodded as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "You are right, I know you are right but … oh, we have searched so long for him. I only want him back in my arms."

An intense longing for her own mother filled her chest, but Nancy quickly squashed it before smiling at Mrs. Alexandra. "I know, I know. My uncle can help us more when he gets here. And, we do have help. Did Helen introduce you to the Kovnas?"

Mrs. Alexandra clasped her hands. "Oh yes! I am happy that they are here!"

"So, how did you know they were on your side?"

Mrs. Alexandra's eyes sparkled. "A secret phrase that we all use. Perhaps I should tell you, since you are basically on our side."

Nancy smiled. "I would like that. But perhaps some other time. We are sitting in a room easily accessible to any ears passing by."

Mrs. Alexandra bobbed her head. "Yes, of course."

Nancy let out a sigh. "Well, I'll give the jewel box another go. Maybe it will share its secret with me."

Mrs. Alexandra laughed. "By all means! I am not expecting Michael back until dinner, and have no other plans."

"Thank you." Nancy rose from the sofa, took a breath, and glanced over the jewel box. Where could the secret compartment be, and how could she open it?

A soft rustling outside the window caught her ears and she glanced out the window. She gasped. One of the men from the airport was peeking through the window!

(Author's Note: Hello my rosy readers! It has been far too long! So much has been happening over here and, unfortunately, been rather despairing of having the time to write. The thrift store I work at is opening up a third location, the college bookstore is getting busier with classes around the corner, and I will be working six days a week until the end of the month, except next week as I have asked for the Feast of the Assumption off, but it will be rough for a few weeks. However, a bit of good news. My brother moved out to work for my dad's youngest sister on her ranch for a few months, and is planning on getting a job in Colorado after it's over. But I now have his old room. The moving has been slow, but it has begun and my mom wants it done by Labor Day weekend as we're having family over, so will have to pick up the pace soon. Right now just getting through the day and writing what I can ... when I'm not getting bombarded with more ideas, or working on worldbuilding. Right now mostly able to finish the short stories and articles for the magazines. Fellowship and Fairydust now has a second anthology published, the third is getting ready for publication, and we are writing for the fourth. The LogoSophia magazine are still keeping up with their quarterly magazine uploads on their website. And, who knows, maybe I'm just not being prudent or disciplined with my time, but then there are the days when I come home, nodding off while still in the car, and trying to force myself to stay awake longer to get things done, then I realize, no, sometimes I just can't get anything done. We went on a vacation to my aunt's ranch for a week the first week of July, and that helped, but then came home to those changes at work that I mentioned. So now having to readjust my schedule and get back into a routine that allows me to work more on my writing, though both the vacation and this move into my new room has already helped a great deal. Now, to get the time and to stop getting distracted so easily. Anyways, thank you all so so very much for being so patient and for continuing to read. I hope you are all doing well! Until the next update, God bless and have a great day!)