Rhea had a sudden thought and hurried back to the laboratory. Lily was still lying on the recliner, eyes closed. Rhea marched in and asked, "You're still here?"

Lily opened her eyes, glancing casually at Rhea. "Where else should I be?"

"So you don't know either," Rhea mumbled, then snorted. "Never mind. Just continue with your experiment."

Rhea felt better knowing Yasmin hadn't told Lily anything. Lily clearly didn't matter to the queen as much as Rhea had thought. Still, Rhea wondered where the queen could be if not in the laboratory.

Puzzled, Rhea left.

Lily half-sat up, frowning. "What... do you mean?"

"Nothing. Just continue your work," Rhea answered without looking back. "Or go back to sleep."

Rhea's mockery stemmed from Lily's apparent lack of seriousness. Rhea decided she needn't bother with Lily, especially since the queen seemed unconcerned. Finding Yasmin was Rhea's priority. After all she'd endured, Rhea knew achieving her goals required understanding others' desires.

Lily, noticing Rhea's hurried footsteps, suspected something was amiss. Although Rhea might be trying to trick me, it doesn't seem so. Besides, she was surprised I was still here. Where else would I be? Why would she expect otherwise? Lily got up and went outside, but found the laboratory unnervingly quiet and empty. She felt even more uneasy. Soon, she went to Yasmin's room.

As Lily exited the elevator, a guard stopped her. "Halt!"

"Please tell Her Majesty I need to see her urgently," Lily said.

The guards exchanged glances. One said, "Her Majesty doesn't wish to see anyone."

"It's important. You know who I am and how highly Her Majesty thinks of me. If something happens, you'll have a lot to answer for," Lily said, her tone half-threatening.

The guards chuckled. One said, "It's funny how everyone around here seems to think they're VIPs."

"Someone came here before me?" Lily asked curiously.

The guards denied it. "No, no, Her Majesty says she's not seeing anyone. You should go back and wait for her summons."

"Is Her Majesty not seeing anyone, or is she not around?" Lily pressed. Her instincts and training told her no one else was present besides the guards.