I picked this up for a short read while on vacation and I am sure glad I did. Without spoiling anything, I just want to say that I loved the queen--her background, her actions, and her character arc. I would *love* to see her in a longer story. I also really liked that there was just a touch of magic in the story--it didn't have to be explained or detailed. It just worked and it did its job without being a distraction. The ending gave me a bit of O'Henry--and that is always a great thing. I can't wait to read more by this author!