Soon after the bomb experience, Queen Fesora called a meeting of her advisors. Dorran, Fortan, and Milo had some concerns that the bomb while displaying much smoke and flame produced very little damage. While that was a fortunate thing, it was a bit suspicious. Dorran noticed that the bomb was encased in clay and some of the contents were a particular kind of swamp grass that burns with a lot of flame and little heat. Milo wondered if perhaps the bomb was created with something like magicians use to make a flash powder used for special effects. They pondered over potential suspects such as Gast, Fortuno, and even Mildrede herself. It was true that Mildrede appeared to put herself in peril to save the Queen, but perhaps that peril was not so great as was first imagined.

Another curious fact about Mildrede surfaced as well. Milo was commenting on how Mildrede had so fooled him by disguising herself as Millicent, and he mentioned that she had fooled Fortan as well. After all, he had seen Fortan pass her a sack in the garden. Millicent had claimed this to be a welcoming gift from Fortan. But when Milo related that story, Fortan claimed it was not true. They began to suspect that perhaps Fortan's brother, Fortuno, had been the one spotted in the garden.

As they chatted, a figure in a dark cloak entered the throne room. It appeared to be Sentira ... and she was carrying the necklace that had been found in the wolf's cave recently ... Isabella's necklace. Dorran called to Sentira and asked her why she was out of uniform, but the dark figure simply walked past and left the room.

Soon after, the Queen arrived exclaiming that someone had stolen Isabella's necklace. The group was astounded. And when Sentira walked back in, they naturally questioned her.

Sentira claimed to have been responding to a call from the Queen, and she was quite surprised to hear that she had been spotted with the missing necklace. Fortan reminded everyone that they had been often fooled by enemies in disguise, but the Queen insisted that Dorran get to the bottom of the mystery.

Sentira was outraged! Was someone trying to make it appear she had committed a crime?

Dorran tried to calm her by saying, "Be calm Sentira ... we have all known you long and well. You have proven yourself a dozen times over. But we must investigate this rationally. I am afraid we should detain you while an investigation takes place. After all, we did see you in a dark cloak pass through this very room. And the necklace was in your hand!"

Sentira was not calmed. She claimed to trust Dorran's abilities, but she refused to sit by while someone besmirched her reputation. She decided to find the culprit her self and headed out to follow any clues she could find.

Dorran vowed to find the answers. He and Milo started out after Sentira. At the castle gates, Merlin told them that he had seen Sentira going past heading westward. At the Wooded Path, Sam I Am, Sam I Am claimed that Sentira had asked him about a dark figure whom he had seen heading west into the Dark Forest. In the Dark Forest, DragonRider pointed the way again for those following Sentira and the Dark Stranger.

At last they came to a hidden cave, and upon entering, they found Gast's Lair and a meeting in progress. Fortuno, Gast, and a cloaked figure were in conference. It did not take long to discover that the figure in the dark cloak was indeed Mildrede. The conversation revealed that Fortuno had provided the "bomb" for Mildrede to use to cement her good standing in the Queen's eyes. Such a move was necessary since the discovery of the wolf's necklace had weaked evidence that Mildrede was the heir. It seems Fortuno had fashioned that necklace for her by remembering one he had seen Isabella wear. It was close, but not identical to the real thing.

Fortuno and Gast

When Fortuno heard that the necklace had been found in the wolf's lair, he became very excited. He exclaimed, "We must find that wolf! It holds secrets that the Queen must not discover, and information that we need! We cannot let the wolf fall into their hands!"

Gast was amazed and wondered what danger the wolf could possibly be to them.

Fortuno was about to explain, when some clattering rocks drew their attention.

Upon investigation, they discovered Sentira hidden behind a stone carving. They realized she had heard the entire converstaion. Fortuno declared that Sentira must be killed at once. She had heard and seen too much!

Sentira confronted Mildrede ... "So you tried to make me look like a thief!" Mildrede explained that a little more suspicion on Sentira made a little less suspicion on herself. She seemed pleased that Sentira was once again in peril.

Gast resisted Fortuno's cries to kill Sentira at once. He claimed, " ... we may have use for this one. We should just lock her up for now. In fact ... we should all go question her. We need to find out exactly what those idiots in the castle know."

So Sentira was captured. Lucky for her, Dorran, Milo, and the questors were soon quietly exploring Gast's Lair in the hopes of rescuing her. In Fortuno's room, they found a key that unlocked the Guard's map room. Once they figured out the map code, it was fairly easy to find Sentira in prison.

Sentira was happy to see them, but she refused to leave. She claimed that she was able to get information from some of the guards, and she felt she would be of more help in the prison that out. Also, since she had confronted Mildrede, she knew that if she left prison, the Queen's enemies would know the Queen was aware Mildrede was a traitor. It might be better to have the advantage of surprise. It was decided that Milo could return as a mouse regularly to get information from Sentira. Before they left the prison room, an inmate of Sentira's passed them a spade he had been using to dig his way out of jail.

The search party decided to follow a hunch of Sentira's and search Mildrede's room. They found a secret door there, but it was locked. They found clues to the combination and entered a secret chamber of Mildrede's. With the help of the spade they were able to uncover some stationery. It was an important clue! This stationery was the very same as had been used to write one of the letters supposedly written by Silvera . This letter was the only evidence they had that the heir was a girl. Now it seems that letter was written by Mildrede herself! She had used her friendship with Milo to invade the castle and plant evidence to make it appear she was the heir!

The group returned to the Queen with all this information. The Queen was heartbroken and vowed to never again let someone so easily into her heart. She vowed the next potential heir to the throne would have to present absolute evidence of their claim. She despaired she would never know the fate of her child.

Then Dorran reminded the group about how important the wolf had seemed to Fortuno. He was afraid of them finding it. The wolf must surely guard some important information! Finding the wolf was the next step to follow!

The court party adjourned to discuss their plan for hunting the wolf!

The story continues ...