"Don't listen to her, Your Majesty! She's just trying to trick you!" A sudden voice interrupted Lily. Lily had nearly persuaded the queen, but the interruption made her hesitate. The old woman and Lily both turned toward the voice.

Rhea, who had been hiding in the corner, approached. The guards intercepted her, but she looked expectantly at the queen. The queen waved, dismissing the guards, and Rhea hurried forward, curtseying. "Your Majesty," she said, "Lily said all that merely to save the boy. Her warnings are nothing but a pretext."

"Who are you?" The queen, unfamiliar with Rhea, inquired.

"I'm Rhea. I formerly worked at the research center."

The queen nodded. "I've heard of you."

Rhea was pleased the ruler of Yudonia knew her. "I didn't realize I'd been working for Your Majesty all along. I feel truly honored."

The queen raised a hand. "No, you worked for Fred, not me."

Rhea glanced at the unconscious Fred. "No, I worked for science, for the experience. I don't care who's in charge. Since you are now, then I work for you." Her words were well-chosen, sounding perfectly reasonable.

The queen regarded her intently. "What can you do for me?"

"I can complete the R10 experiment now," Rhea declared confidently, her chest swelling slightly.

"Rhea, you don't know what you're talking about!" Lily retorted, frowning.

Rhea looked disdainfully at Lily, then back at the queen. "Your Majesty, Lily urged you to delay the experiment, not to improve its success, but to save the boy. He's the son of a close friend, and her presence here is partly for him. Naturally, she'd lie to save him!" Rhea sneered at Lily. "Isn't that so?"

Lily was speechless. She had indeed attempted to delay the experiment to save Nick, even managing to sway the queen, but Rhea's intervention had made the queen suspicious.