Felix entered the central watchtower, and was immediately pulled to the side by a butler, who rather forcefully sat him down in a chair. He looked at Felix with unrestrained contempt, and made no attempts to disguise his scorn towards Felix, which made Felix feel uncomfortable.

"You're clearly Mr. Felix, only an uneducated farmhand would dare to show up to a dinner with the Queen looking as shabby as you do. It will have to do, if only because we have no time to spruce you up, and I suspect Her Majesty expected this anyway." the butler said to him, while looking him over.

"I don't know what that buffoon who made such a debacle saw in you, but willing or not, you're here now, so we will have to suffer your presence. If you want to make it out of this unscathed, you will need to follow my instructions." The butler began. Felix nodded his head enthusiastically.

"Firstly, remember that even the farts of a single person in that room will have more prestige than you. No one is expecting witty commentary or interesting conversation from you. To that end, when you go in there, you will be led to sit down. Do so, and do not dare to speak unless you are directly spoken to. If Her Majesty speaks to you, you will refer to her as "Your Majesty", and you will kneel. Do not dare to be disrespectful. Do not dare to speak lies, or to be lengthy in your responses. You will sit up straight at all times, and you will not stare at anyone in the room. Do not look bored or contemptuous. If you dare to bring down the prestige of the Queen's dinner, so help me, I will flay you myself. If you slouch, at the end, I will break your arm. If you dare to eat before Her Majesty, I will cut out your tongue. If you act disrespectfully, I will personally slit your throat, and if you dare to try anything..." he paused here for a moment and looked at Felix sharply. "...serious, which you would be quite silly to do, because the queen and everyone else in there is many, many times more powerful than you, I will personally rip out your supposedly very pretty soul and set it on fire, and then encase it in a glass bauble as a gift for Her Majesty. Are we clear?" he asked, staring into Felix's eyes.

Felix nodded enthusiastically, and was sitting up much straighter. "Very clear."

The butler nodded. "Good." he said. He got Felix to his feet, and led him up a couple of flights of stairs. They came to doorway with 2 more royal guards before it, who eyed Felix up and down, and then snorted with derision and let them pass. Felix and the butler entered a rather large and openly spacious room, that looked like it took up nearly an entire floor. There was a large round table in the center, which Felix supposed must normally be used by the military for large scale plans, but was currently covered in an extravagant embroidered white and gold cloth, in the center of which was a bolt of lightning striking down a heron, the symbol of the Royal House. All around the table were nobles of the three houses, identifiable by their regalia, cloaks, pins, and colors. Felix also noted Lecter was present (He recognized him by his Intel Unit uniform, since he had not actually visibly seen him last time they met.), and he looked nervous, but, surprisingly stalwart and defiant? Felix was a bit confused by this. He had two very gruff looking men sitting on either side of him, in full military regalia, who were clearly there to keep him in check. Lecter caught site of Felix and brightened up immediately, and opened his mouth as if he was about to say something, but one of the men sitting next to him gave him a look like he would strike him down then and there, and so he wisely shut his mouth.

Naturally, Queen Charity herself was sitting at the head of the table, and on her sides were two very pretty women who had pins with the symbol of the royal house. Felix guessed they must be courtesans. Felix did not dare to linger his eyes on the Queen or the courtesans for more than a mere moment, but from what he saw, the Queen wore a conservative and stately purple dress, while the courtesans wore rather more showy teal and yellow dresses. The butler led Felix to an empty chair besides one of the gruff looking fellows, and seated Felix, then he left.

Felix sat straight and looked directly ahead, while not looking at anyone, as he was instructed. No one spoke to him, instead they chatted happily with each other. Felix thought he saw one or two people shoot him a glance out of the corner of his eye, but it also could have been his imagination. Since no one was speaking to him, after a moment, he turned his attention to his spell space, and Arboro, who was, to Felix's surprise, simply watching calmly.

"How can you be so calm?" he asked her in his mind. He had learned that since Arboro was attached to his spirit, if he directed thoughts to her, she could hear them.

"Why shouldn't I be calm?" She quipped, looking bored.

Felix was flabbergasted. "Because we're here because of you! They naturally will want to see you! They might even rip you out of me! What on earth will you do then?"

"And? Will me panicking change things?" She asked him.

"Well, no, but..." Felix began.

"Right. It won't. And besides, I already know how this event will play out. You don't know how the upper classes of society tend to act, but I, as a grand dragon spirit, naturally do. They will indeed put your soul on display, and I will indeed be majestic. But that will be all. It's not like you went out of your way to offend the Queen. You'll be used as a show-piece for this meal, and nothing more, they're not that unreasonable. No, if anyone should be worried here, it's that Lecter fellow." Arboro mused.

Felix was almost afraid to ask, but he did so anyway. "What will happen to him?" he asked.

"Oh he will definitely be made an example of. Whether or not they think his commentary about your soul was actually indeed warranted or not, offending the prestige of the Queen is not an act to be dismissed lightly." she said, with an amused look on her face.

Felix shot a quick glance over at Lecter, who still looked defiant. It caused a chill to go down his spine when he thought of what would be coming. He remembered the butler's instructions, and resumed his original stance. Eventually, a troupe of maids and butlers brought out food for everyone, and placed the dishes in front of each guest. It was surprisingly quaint food, made up of chicken, steak, potatoes, rice, cheese, and various green vegetables like peas, along with a red wine. Felix thought about it, and he supposed he shouldn't expect too much from a feudal society. He only spared a quick look at his food, before he returned to his original position, while not daring to consider eating it. After a few moments, everyone was served, and the Queen took the first bite. Then, everyone else began to eat, including Felix.

Felix stole a quick glance at Lecter again, and saw him eating without so much as a care in the world showing on his face. Felix was incredulous. He wouldn't dare to comment on it though, and so, he simply began eating. The food was actually quite delicious. Everything had been seasoned with pepper, and the wine was good. Felix only drank a little bit of it, though, because he did not wish to risk being a drunk who made a fool of himself at the dinner. Felix ate as quickly as he could without making a mess, and then returned to his default position of sitting straight and staring ahead.

About 10 minutes or so after he finished, the Queen tapped her spoon on the side of her glass, which got everyone's attention, and everyone quieted down so she could speak.

"It's been a most lovely evening, if rather droll. But thankfully, we have some rather unique entertainment lined up for tonight." She said, and a few people snickered, while looking at Lecter.

"We have a couple of guests from the lower class with us tonight. Mark, Leopold, help our guests on to the table." she said, while looking at Felix and Lecter. A team of butlers and maids swiftly removed their dishes from the table, and the two gruff looking men lifted Felix and Lecter on top of the table. They walked in to the center of the table, Felix nervously, and Lecter proudly, and faced the Queen.

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"My, my. You there. You must be Felix, yes?" The Queen asked, while looking at Felix.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Felix said immediately, and kneeled on one knee. He could feel the eyes of the entire room on him, and he felt like a piece of meat.

"I've heard quite a bit about you. They say you were attacked by a demon mage and ended up deep in the earth. Is that correct?" The Queen asked, continuing to look at him.

"Yes, Your Majesty! That is indeed what happened!" Felix responded immediately, not daring to look up from the table.

"I see, I see. You're lucky to be alive. However, there is one more interesting tidbit about your story I've heard... and it involves you. Mr. Lecter, was it?" The Queen asked, turning her attention to Lecter. The pressure Felix felt dropped immensely.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Lecter proclaimed loudly and boldly, as he got on one knee. However, he dared to look at the Queen directly, meeting her gaze, which Felix saw out of the corner of his eye. Felix was shocked.

"You're from the Intelligence Unit, correct Mr. Lecter?" the Queen asked him.

"Yes, your Majesty!" he answered, his proud demeanor uninterrupted.

"How interesting. And, Mr. Lecter, I believe you were responsible for interviewing Mr. Felix here after he returned from the depths of the earth, correct?" the Queen asked him.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" He answered, proud as ever.

"Indeed. And, I want to be clear, because I have heard some... shall we say, vague rumors about what you saw when you interviewed Mr. Felix. Can you tell me exactly what you saw when you double checked Felix's account of events?" the Queen asked him. Felix didn't detect any difference in her tone, but he felt the mood of the room shift slightly.

"I saw the most grand and beautiful Yin spirit I have seen in my life! The fairest in all the lands! Black as the moonless night, with the countenance of a dragon!" Lecter declared, not shying away in the slightest. A bunch of murmuring began around the table, and Felix had developed a cold sweat.

The Queen tapped her glass again, and everyone quieted down. "Mr. Belrose." The Queen said, and looked to a rather portly gentleman on the side, wearing a black cloak embroidered with a chain motif

"Yes, Your Majesty! At your service!" He said, as he got out of his chair and kneeled.

"As the head of the slaver's guild, you know quite a bit of dark magic, do you not?" the Queen asked him.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" he answered affirmatively.

"Indeed. I have heard of a spell before, used to examine the spirit of slaves in their assessment, called Spiritual Projection. They say it is used to assess the quality of a slave's soul, by projecting a vision of it into the physical plane. Have you constructed this spell?" the Queen asked him.

"Yes, Your Majesty! I have!" Mr. Belrose said.

"Good, good. Then, can you please do us all a favor, and use this spell on our guest, Mr. Felix." the Queen said, as she looked at Felix.

"At once, Your Majesty!" He replied. He then stood up, and channeled a bit of mana into his fingertip, and cast a spell on Felix. Felix felt a fuzzy feeling in his core, and there were gasps in the room. Felix could not help but to look up.

A vision of his soul was indeed projected above him. He saw his white Yang spirit, which looked battered and bruised, and dull, and looked like Felix, if not a version of him that was worse for wear. It was nothing of note. However, his Yin spirit, which represented Arboro, was on the other side. It was indeed as Lecter said. So black that it felt like your eyes would be sucked in to it. It oozed grace and pride, and looked like an unfamiliar woman. Felix guessed Arboro had disguised her appearance. She was tall, with sharp eyes full of stars, a graceful bearing, and an hourglass figure, her hair came to her waist, and her skin was without a blemish. Felix would say she looked like a Classical sculpture of black marble. Naturally, spirits did not wear clothing, so both were nude. Arboro turned her head, and met the Queen's gaze briefly, and the spell ended, whereupon the vision vanished.

"My, my. What an unusual fellow you are, Mr. Felix." the Queen said. Felix returned to looking at the table.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Felix said immediately, sweating.

The Queen laughed. "And I see you did not lie, Mr. Lecter." she said, turning her attention to Lecter.

"I would never, Your Majesty!" Lecter said, continuing to be proud.

"However, there is one tiny detail I might have some slight concern with, Mr. Lecter. I heard tell that you said his Yin spirit was even more majestic than my own and my friends." the Queen said, with a slight gesture to the courtesans besides her.

Lecter began to sweat a bit. "I-I may have been brash, Your Majesty! I meant no disrespect! I was simply so taken aback by Mr.... No! By Felix's Yin spirit, that I said merely whatever ramblings came to my mind! I am nothing but a lower class worm! I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness!" Lecter said, finally bowing his head.

"Ah, but you see Mr. Lecter, there's a slight issue here. You compared his spirit to mine? But! In order to make a fair comparison, you would need to see my Yin spirit as well, would you not?" the Queen asked him, with a slight grin.

"I-I suppose that is the case, Your Majesty!" Lecter stammered. A few people snickered around the table.

"Hmm. However, Mr. Lecter... do you think you are qualified to see my Yin spirit? If you recall, Mr. Felix's Yin Spirit was nude. Do you expect me to bare myself to present company?" the Queen asked mirthfully.

Lecter began sweating profusely. "I-I would never dream to dare of being so bold, Your Majesty!" he stammered out.

"Hmm, and yet, that is the only way a fair comparison could have been made. So, I think it's fair to say that was your intent. Now, tell me, do you think anyone besides His Majesty, the King, has the rights to such a sight?" the Queen asked him, with a predatory gaze.

Lecter was trembling. "N-no, Your Majesty!" he stammered.

"Mr. Lecter, are you... trying to cuckold my husband, the King?" she asked him, with a dangerous tone.

Never mind how badly Felix was sweating at this point, Lecter was dripping with sweat and shaking so hard Felix could feel it. "Never, Your Majesty!" he said, bowing on all fours at this point.

"Hmm, but! I think that's what you were trying to do, and that's what counts. Mr. Lecter, while I can appreciate bold men, I do have a duty to my husband, first and foremost. And since my husband cannot be here today, I will have to protect his honor in his stead, I'm afraid." she said, and she looked at Mr. Belrose. "Restrain him." she said.

Several people around the table cast various spells which tied up Lecter, and laid him flat on his back, his arms and legs spread widely, his mouth gagged. Felix did not dare to move an inch or breathe too conspicuously.

"Mr. Belrose, if I can bother you, can you join our guests on the table?" the Queen asked the slaver.

"Of course, Your Majesty!" Mr. Belrose said, as he hopped on to the table, and stood next to Lecter.

"Mr. Belrose, I know the practice was outlawed by the late King some 20 years ago, but you've been in the slaving business for a long time. Are you familiar with the processes of castrating slaves?" she asked.

"Yes, Your Majesty! I haven't done so since the law was changed, of course, but I used that spell many times when I was younger!" Mr. Belrose said, as he kneeled.

"Oh? Tell us about it briefly." the Queen said.

"Yes, Your Majesty! It is a particular spell which cuts off their member entirely and treats the wound quickly in one go." Mr. Belrose said, continuing to kneel. Lecter could be heard grunting in fear.

"I see. And how generous it was of Mr. Lecter there to agree to do a demonstration of this nearly lost art for us! Don't you agree, Mr. Belrose? Can I ask you to do the honors?" the Queen asked him, with a vicious tone.

"Of course, Your Majesty!" Mr. Belrose said as he stood up. Felix could hear Lecter screaming and panicking in fear slightly, through his spell muffle. He didn't dare to look, and stared straight at the table in front of him. He heard clothing being rearranged to his side, and felt a slight disturbance in the mana around him. And he heard Lecter screaming even through his muffle.

"I think it will make a fine gift for my husband. Mr. Belrose, can I trouble you to preserve it with magic, and place it in a glass orb for me?" the Queen asked.

"With pleasure, Your Majesty." Mr. Belrose said, as he kneeled again. Felix continued doing his best to pretend to not exist.

"As for you... Mr. Felix... Well, none of this was your fault, really. However, I must say, what on earth is our military doing? Mr. Gaspar!" the Queen called out.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" said a man in full military regalia, who had the insignia of Fort Basil emblazoned on his cloak, as he got on one knee.

"Tell me, where do farm-hands belong. Mr. Gaspar?" the Queen asked him.

"On a farm, Your Majesty!" he replied.

"Indeed. So they do. So since Mr. Felix here is a farm-hand, he should be on a farm, not on my husband's payroll in the military, don't you think, Mr. Gaspar?" the Queen asked him.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Mr. Gaspar said, staying on his knee.

"Good. Then see to it he gets a bit of severance for having been dragged all the way out of here, and get him out of my fort. If he's still here come morning, I will hold you personally responsible for wasting my husband's resources." the Queen said.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" he said, as he stood up.

"You are dismissed, Mr. Felix." the Queen said.

"With me." Mr. Gaspar said to Felix. Felix stood up, and did not dare to look at Lecter. He quickly clambered off of the table, and walked over to Mr. Gaspar, who escorted him out of the central watchtower.