You understand there'll be a grand bell struck when all are to take their seats for the feast proper. For now, the ale and wine are flowing, and trays of amuse-bouches are floating around in the arms of an ant hill's worth of busy servants. Now is your time to move amongst them as well.
The only question is, who to approach…and what the tenor of your approach should be.
There's a great cluster of luminaries whose names and faces you recognize—gentles so powerful it makes your mouth water with ambition. Can't possibly hurt to show your face a touch….
To a handful of them, your face is already known, given how many performances your tour completed in the vicinity of Hondelet. You're pleased to be able to show them a new side of yourself by pulling out a penny whistle and leaping into a jigtime rendition of Thru' The Back of the Cabinet."
It's a perfect song for this merry-minded, highborn audience, with its clever lyrics and aristocratic narrator. By the time the great bell rings and the crowd begins to shift to the dinner tables, they're readier than ever for a gay time. You revel in their applause. [+Renown]
You happen to glance up at the royal dais and catch the eye of Her Majesty, who tilts her head with something like approval in her eyes.
Just doing my duty, Your Highness, you think as you give her an elegant bow, feeling more than a little pleased with yourself. [+Surety]
Onward