Elena Villani was one of the most brilliant specialists in the field of medical toxicology. While Dr. Gulsvig was by no means intellectually challenged in any way, Elena had been summoned for her expertise, and had been working in tandem to get a diagnosis as quickly as possible- even before she landed at the castle. Her background was upper middle class rather than actual nobility which made consultations with physicians in more rural areas smoother. When working with the top tier of the social strata, however, she had earned their praise with hard work, discretion, and a no-nonsense attitude that focused exclusively on the poisoning rather than the scandalous events that led to contamination. It was hardly a surprise that Queen Camilla had summoned her. Were Rhiane to take a turn for the worse they would be in a predicament that would take years to climb back from, if ever, and she wanted to use the resources available within reason so as to keep the outcome in her favor.

"Your highnesses," Elena sighed as she strode out of two thick frosted glass automated sliding doors. The staff that had been allowed inside the portion of the clinic where the princess elected had been carried were initially in suits that were hermetically sealed and had attached oxygen packs for respiration. This had been a precaution. Once they realized the nature of the materials they were working in they had all changed. The doctor wore surgical scrubs in a plain vanilla color, blue latex gloves she was actively peeling off her hands, and a face mask. Both the prince and princess might correctly deduce the change in uniform was indicative of the fact that Rhiane's condition was not as contagious as initially feared. Once her gloves had been pried off Elena took off her mask and ran her hand through her hair.

"Dr. Gulsvig is making the report to the queen. Mrs. Black is no longer in critical condition and is conscious. From what Mr. Lavanchy tells me, she didn't eat the entirety of her plate of appetizers nor did she drink all of her wine at the business function she attended. In my professional opinion that is what saved her life. What she ingested was so concentrated that if she had eaten all of it we would be having a very different conversation." She realized that this information was not what they wanted to hear but they needed to be aware of the reality of the situation. Trying to soften the blow could create misunderstandings and she was not going to jeopardize meeting any of the monarchy's relatives under even worse conditions.

"There were two poisons utilized and they were both ingested, so Mrs. Black is a bit uncomfortable, but not a danger to anyone else's health. One of the poisons is flavorless and is typically used in powder form so it could have been in either her food or drink. The other, which was so caustic to her upper digestive tract, would have a bitter aftertaste, but Mrs. Black might not have noticed if she didn't know what the things she ate ought to have tasted like. It's because of this I don't think we'll see anyone else reporting her symptoms. If the other attendees were more familiar with the offerings, which I am told they were, they wouldn't overlook the difference in taste."

Elena was not a detective so she shied away from outright concluding that Rhiane was specifically targeted or that the perpetrator was themselves a novice. If she was asked her opinion she would say she thought it was a crime of opportunity that was poorly conceived. Someone with a more targeted education, or at least a wider base of knowledge, wouldn't have used something that affected flavor, nor would they have failed to anticipate Rhiane vomiting half of the poison. Hopefully those with positions of authority would deduce it was not just fortuitous that the toxins hadn't stewed longer in their victim and that would help narrow their suspect pool.

"If I may say so your highness, your fiancee is a resilient woman. She purged a great deal of the poisons before she was rushed here and she's reacting well to the medication. There is some temporary damage to her esophagus and stomach, so she'll want to avoid overly hot, spicy, or cold food until that heals, but she shouldn't have any long-lasting effects. I'd like to make a couple suggestions that Dr. Gulsvig is making to the queen. Because Ms. Black's immune system is compromised, we're delaying introducing any vaccinations or anti-toxins until we're sure she's prepared for it, so although she'll be walking and talking like normal, that particular program has been postponed for her safety. There is a difference before well enough to be in public and resume normal activities and well enough to undergo preventative measures that rely on a robust immune system. This means she'll still be susceptible to poisons so she should refrain from eating alone. If possible meals should be ordered as a group, so the least amount of people possible know what she is personally eating until it's on the table, and if that's not possible you may want to order separately for one another and then exchange."

"Now, I'm sure you have questions. Would you like to see her? We thought to leave the decision of where she would sleep tonight up to the queen and yourselves. Ms. Black is stable and... quite vocal about her displeasure being in the medical tower," Elena admitted with a bemused expression. It was the nicest way to allude to the fact that the former farmer absolutely loathed being isolated and contained in a place where the only faces she saw were those of the medical vocation she harbored intense distrust. When she had first awoken she was deliriously apologizing for everything but once she achieved more mental clarity she had become incredibly upset with her surroundings. The two doctors had built a fledgling rapport but the trauma of eight years ago could not be undone so simply. Truthfully Elena did not blame the younger woman for her beliefs- though she was frustrated a lack of cooperation had initially hampered their progress. Tobias Lavanchy had been more useful than their patient herself.