"Here goes nothing," Solae whispered more for her own benefit than either of her companions. She inhaled deeply, held her breath for a moment, and pushed the button to release the soft seal on her door as she exhaled slowly. The immaculate hatch swung open in silent obedience. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Rene following her lead as he too exited albeit on the other side. The marquise swung her legs to the side, heels echoing with a soft tap as they met the polished smooth flooring and she stood. Already gone was the humble disposition that Rene had come to love, that had enchanted the Syshin, that had compelled a little girl to put down her branch club. For the sake of their goals she could not simply act like a noblewoman. Solae had to become Svetlana Carrow to suceed.

Without sparing a glance for her 'bodyguard,' as must trust he'd be at her side soon enough, the woman strode towards the desk with an arrogantly rigid posture. Instead of looking directly at the sandy-haired stranger that waited for her patiently at his station as she approached, she kept her face titled slightly upright so that she was looking down upon him despite their differences in height. It was a subtle nod to the self-importance even minor aristocrats held for others, including their peers and superiors. Additionally, a simple attendant such as this was treated barely better than a servant in the best of social circles. Solae knew she was expected to be polite but cold, haughty, and distant, without a shred of congeniality or empathy for the person beneath the tailored suit. He was beneath her. This charade made her heart ache in protest.

She had tried to warn Rene of this dramatic shift in her presence. Utilizing a cipher helped to to disguise her identity, as well as the garments, cosmetics, and wig, but she could not be her unusually compassionate self until they were alone again or with people whom they deeply trusted. Duke Tan undoubtedly would comb through her history and deduce some of her more unusual personality traits. The appearance and alias could do most of the work for her, but if she was oozing warmth and appreciation for the workers of Zatis it would draw a great deal of attention on account of how rare these qualities were in anyone of stature, and it would not be long until an agent of the self-styled emperor had picked up her trail.

"I'd like to access my box," Solae said as she reached the counter as if she expected them to know her name and immediately wave her through.

"Your name?" the clerk inquired evenly. She was not the first nor the worst of the customers an establishment such as this attracted. Criminals were surprisingly enough kinder to the employees. Because Solae was conducting herself with a sense of righteous entitlement he had already surmised she was not of the illicit element.

"Lady Svetlana Carrow," she intoned with an emphasis on her title.

"Thank you. Will you need an escort or do you need you know how to locate your box?" the man asked after clearing his name with those recorded in his system. The screen his fingers flew across was covered in a protective film that prevented wandering eyes from glimpsing any confidential data. Only an individual looking at it straight-on would not be be prevented from being subjected to an amber opaque sheen.

"I require my privacy," Solae said dismissively and moved towards a door that had neither a reader for a card nor a handle. She was beginning to regret this show of assurance, doubting everything she had just done, when a metallic panel shifted backward two inches and then receded into the floor. Eager to depart her audience the diplomat stepped over the last inch of sinking shield and proceeded into a long hallway. In a facility such as this there would be cameras to monitor them for acts of violence or vandalism, but there would be no audio, as there were limits what patrons would endure in the name of passive preventative measures before taking their business elsewhere.

"From what we were told there should be small identical alcoves up ahead. I will step into one," she recalled aloud, using her hair to obscure her lips so that it could not be transcribed later from security footage. "Make certain you're right behind me because we'll be sealed in once I initiate the tests. Once I pass the pod will transport us through the internal system to a room in which we can receive the box and whatever contents there are inside. I thought Ten might be mistaken about this," Solae admitted, "but they had the name he gave. It's hard to imagine either of my parents in a place like this," she added somberly. "I thought... I really thought I knew them, but I'm not sure I did."

"Are you absolutely certain you're ready for this? While I imagine my parents would have prepared for the possibility of dying in tragic manner, and had contingencies in place, I can't absolutely guarantee that I won't have an issue with the rapid-fire questions that they inputted. I'll understand if you wish to remain behind," she added though her tongue was sluggish in her mouth as an unspoken objection to this course of action. Rene's unwavering support in her had carried her through more than one crisis. She'd be lying to herself if she claimed everything she had learned since they had met Ten had not made her question her world as she knew it, made her feel emotionally adrift, and confused about whether parts of her childhood were fantastical illusions.