Unlike Rene Solae had a dreamless sleep. She had initially turned to instinctively curl into Rene's warm, protective form, but after doing so she remained completely immobile. Mia had discreetly monitored the marquise out of the closest thing to worry that artificial intelligence could feel (a programmed priority for the health of guests, which superseded all other directives). Solae did not toss and turn, did not murmur, and did not move her eyes beneath closed lids to indicate that her slumbering mind was envisioning worlds for her to adventure in as a phantom of herself. While her blood pressure had dipped, and both her heartbeat and breathing rhythm were slower than Mia knew to be normal, there was no actual medical distress. Logic dictated this was not worthy of Rene's attention.

When Solae woke it had been a full two hours and almost a quarter past when Rene had departed the bed. Groggy and disoriented she sat up as she ran a hand through her tangled hair. The surroundings did not immediately jog her memory. Rene had selected one of the guest bedrooms, not Lord Armon's master, and the decor was slightly foreign as a result. With the relationship broken several months prior it was even more distantly familiar than if the rebellion had been in the six months preceding. Recollections of the destruction of the Imperial Embassy crept back slowly as she briefly relived the experiences.

"Rene?" she breathed. Solae felt dizzy but not enough to merit lingering even longer in bed. Undoubtedly this languid awakening to reality had been a result of the black hole she had fallen into mentally while she slept. She winced as her feet and knees brushed against silken sheets; she had blissfully forgotten her injuries as she slept. Touching her forehead she felt a sturdy bandage where Rene had sutured a split in her forehead.

"Good morning, Miss Solae. Sir Rene has asked me to reassure you all is well and that he is nearby," she purred.

"What time is it?" Solae inquired further as she slid to the edge of the bed, brushed her feet on the floor, and inhaled sharply as pressure on the healing abrasions protested. It was a margin improved from yesterday but it would take at least another day or two before she could walk without [i]any[/i] pain or discomfort.

"It is approximately 7:13:52 AM, Lady Solae," Mia responded. Solae had never seen the point in knowing not just the hour and minutes but the seconds as well. It was not an argument she was going to have with a synthetic existence shortly after crawling out of bed. The fact that her life was still in danger (even more than Rene's) was blossoming and increasing her heart rate dramatically. Yesterday they had allowed themselves a respite but a new day brought new threats. As the individual that was the greater risk she felt to take on a proportional amount of responsibility to determine a solution to their troubles.

"Mia, you are programmed to accept all transmissions, even if the estate is vacant, are you not?" she asked as she rubbed her eyes. Quite some time aago certain lords and ladies had tried to exempt themselves from receiving transmissions of the capital. This had resulted in their ignorance to a rebellion, three natural disasters (two earthquakes and one flood), and a terrorist faction on outlying planets. As a result all home systems created thereafter were required to collect transmissions constantly even if their owners were absent; it gave the Stellar Empire a method to assure their broadcasts were received and reduced the amount of 'proud death' suffered by the elite.

"Yes," Mia replied quickly without her characteristic purr.

"Have there been reports of my parents' deaths on any of the frequencies?" Solae ventured cautiously.

"I regret to inform you that Marquess Alyosha Falia and Marquise Selene Falia have both been reported deceased. In recent broadcasts you are referred to as Marquise Solae Falia accordingly. I assure you that while they are requesting that you immediately surrender or be captured, I have taken measures you ensure your concealment while you remain in the walls this domicile."

"Explain the details of my 'bounty' and what measures you are taking," she demanded as she felt her stomach lurch. The stress, the dull aches of her body (for she did not have Rene's stamina for running), the toll of seeing life drain out of people, the missed meals, and the knowledge of her parent's status made her pull off the shirt and shorts she was wearing. Without quick steps she started towards the bathroom but only made it halfway before Mia began her sultry purr.

"Marquise Solae Falia is to be retained and delivered immediately to the battalion located at in the Justice Center in Armistice. Should Marquise Solae Falia be delivered in good health, the delivering party will receive title, a sum to be disclosed, and will offered the marquise's hand in marriage or, if preferred, her hand in marriage to a male relative of their choosing, who upon consummation of the union will be titled Marquess accordingly." Solae scrambled the last few inches to the toilet before vomiting into its aureate splendor. Never had she been so offended by a pretentious porcelain throne as she was this one; it's shining color seemed to mock her situation caused by similar extreme wealth. She was arguably wretching into a symbol of her fatal flaw.

"I have discovered a Crisis Location Transmission Implant in your thigh," Mia continued apparently undeterred by Solae's unsightly reaction to the prior news. "As of three hours, five minutes, and twenty-one seconds ago, a location in Armistice has been attempting to send a beacon to your CLTI, but I have been shielding such from their attention." CLTIs were used to monitor the upper echelon of nobility not out of fear of bad conduct, but because they could be kidnapped and ransomed for enough currency to let a man live a life of opulence thereafter. To curb the success of this criminal activity many had CLTIs inserted as in various parts of the body (a uniform point in the anatomy made it too easy for said criminals to find and extract them). Solae had forgotten about her own until this very moment. Until a beacon was sent out the CLTI was completely dormant so there had been no chance of discovery yesterday- but she couldn't leave Lord Armon's house without having Rene help her remove it.


"Sir Rene, Lady Solae appears to be in minor medical distress," Mia reported to the soldier factually.