The Tudor era is an especially dynamic place to explore, in that within a relatively short span of time so much happened politically and socially. The drama, intrigue and tumult of the Tudors have, for good reason, captured generation after generation of readers; it seems there’s always something new to discover about them. I knew that William Cecil and Francis Walsingham developed one of the most sophisticated intelligence systems in the world on behalf of the embattled queen, who faced enemies both in England and abroad for most of her long reign. But I’d never stopped to consider the details of what being a Tudor spy might entail, or what the seeds of that service might have looked like before Elizabeth assumed her throne. While the Tudors have been covered from nearly every angle, nothing I’d read explored the possibility that Elizabeth may have had her own secret spy, someone devoted to her special interests— and someone who ended up becoming her close friend. Within a few days, I began to draft the outline for this novel, featuring a spy who becomes the secret confidant and protector of Elizabeth, rousing the enmity of her lover, Robert Dudley, even as the spy uncovers a key to his past that threatens the kingdom’s, and Elizabeth’s, future.