She determinedly does not flinch at the initial sharpness of his tone. "Certainly," she says, ignoring the subtle stares of the two guards as she steps through the door. It hisses closed on them, leaving her and Rial--the prince, she reminds herself, call him the prince--together in the short hallway.

Isplourrdacartha clears her throat. "You don't have to hurry," she says. "There isn't anything on your docket for the next few hours."