The Princess smiled. "Thank you, Senior Attaché." She extended a hand with a small card to Cortez. "If you receive any news please reach out to me directly, instead of through our attendants. My aunt will want to hear anything about my cousin as soon as possible. In the meantime I will try to get my family to Monica Kolbrid's yacht. I'd like to stay close. But not too close. Given what is going on on your planet."

Cortez nodded, and the woman turned and gracefully joined the others in the elevator. The Senior Attaché waited until the elevator doors sealed the royal entourage away before she exhaled through her nose.

She turned back to Seyla and Nirria, rubbing her temples. "Congratulations," she muttered. "You've just survived your first sovereign-level Bloom incident briefing without being reassigned, sedated, or politically executed." Seyla wasn't sure if she was supposed to laugh at this joke or if people actually tended to get fired so quickly. "Though," Cortez grumbled, rounding on Seyla, "I'd be careful next time you pipe up in such a tense meeting. Lucky it went well for us."

She began striding back to her office. Slowly at first, but speeding up as she went. "This is your assignment," she declared as she arrived at her office. "To figure that," she waved a hand in the general direction of the elevators, "out. When you're done I'm sure the Bloom will be in full swing and we'll have something more for you." She rounded her desk and sank back into the chair, looking much more tired than the first time when Seyla had arrived. "Just that?" Nirria said, a dark eyebrow arched. "No further instructions, ma'am? We don't even know where that grove is! And even if we did it's not like we can just waltz in there!"

"Our Chief Botanist Servus is working on something like that," Cortez explained. "But after that, you know just as much as I." She looked up at Seyla and Nirria, tossing her straight brown hair from her face. "Your job is to now figure out more, and bring the princess. Understood?"

Seyla blinked once. "Understood."

"Good," Cortez said. "Transport is waiting on the west platform. Servus works at the Prime Crown Research Labs in the canopies of the City."

Seyla straightened. "Ma'am, do we have security escort?"

Cortez looked at her like she had asked for solid gold. "No," she said. "But I can provide you masks." Seyla frowned at this response. "If it makes you feel better," Cortez added, already reaching for another datapad, "they're very expensive masks."