Ning woke the following morning to the sound of someone knocking on his door, and although he had no real need for sleep, he had still spent several hours lying down after the previous night's attack while allowing the palace guards to investigate what remained of Number 4 and the uniform she had used to enter the Conjoran wing.
He opened the door and found one of Prince Tarian's attendants waiting outside, who informed him that the prince wished to speak with him before leaving the palace.
Ning followed the attendant through several corridors until he reached a smaller sitting room near the western entrance, where Prince Tarian stood beside a table covered with reports that had apparently been prepared during the night.
The prince looked considerably more tired than he had during the banquet.
"Did you sleep well?" the prince asked as he looked at Ning.
Ning nodded. "What about you, Prince Tarian? It doesn't look like you got much sleep at all."
