People are probably missing you at the palace

You take a moment to appreciate the unexpected nature of that point. You've had a busy few weeks, and that doesn't seem likely to change any time soon. You start wandering back up the hill looking around at the people enjoying the city wide party.

Kids were running around the grass, though kept strictly away from the woods. There were performers all over, some emulating Lucia to a much smaller degree, other doing more the traditional judging, acrobatics and you think you saw a mime for a moment. The people who weren't partying or performing were handing out food and ****, there was no money changing hands so you figure this was either all paid for by the royal family or parades brought out the generosity in vendors.

Making your way back up the hill you run into several groups of soldiers have a grand old time. You recognise a few of their faces from last night and they recognise you right back, grabbing any of their fellow who took a step towards you with horny in their aura. you'd like to think it was out of respect for you, but you know it's out of respect for who were sitting next to.

At some point a mug of beer was put into your hand but you've no idea who did it or how. You decide to pass it to someone else just in case only for another one to appear. You put it down to the party having it's own kind of magic. Not the paltry stuff like flight or throwing a fireball, the sort of grand stuff regulated to the functioning of reality. At a party there is beer and beer is to be drunk, to not drink is to deny the existence one the former. It was a bit of grand way of excusing your drinking but the beer washed that down smoothly.

Walking past the woods skirting the palace walls the sound of people 'really' enjoying the party was impossible to drown out. In fact from the people around you not 'really' enjoying the party those that were seemed to be something of a drinking game, whenever the sound of female orgasm rang out all the women drank, at the men all the men drank. Whenever somebody stumbled out of the woods look disheveled a mug was put in their hand and they drank it dry. You felt bad for the city as a whole tomorrow, the population wide hangover might kill someone.

At the palace gate you pass possibly the only two working guards. Their auras were tightly controlled and they were scanning everyone who neared the gate, blocking the few that strayed too close. When they saw you they nodded and made no move to block you.

The party on the top of the hill was going better than the one below. Which translated as drunker but better at acting sober. Walking though the party you saw several soldiers being led off by some nobles, and a few soldiers leading off nobles. The men looked interchangeably excited to be surrounded by very fit women lavishing them with attention, or nervous about the on coming result of said attention.

You decide to look for Delilah first, because you figured she was the easiest way to find. Just find wherever the serving staff were avoiding, or looking baffled at having been ambushed by a carnivore. Sure enough you found them sitting on a bench with several empty plates neatly stacked next to them. For possibly the first time they looked full.

"Hey Delilah, how are the two of you?" You asked sitting next to them.

"Delilah won't let me drink." Eve said with a pout. "Because whenever we drink we end up, you know." Delilah started before blushing and tapering off. "With a royal face between our legs?" Eve asked with an innocent smile. Delilah made an embarrassed affirmation.

"Glad you two are getting along." You nodded at the plates next to them. "How do you eat that much?"

Eve looked at the plates. "Haven't eaten in centuries and meat is easy to convert." They held up a hand and red glove appeared on it.

It took a second for that to click. "Wait you're turning meat into clothes?" You looked at the red dress they were currently wearing.

"No." Eve said waving her hand dissipating the glove. "Eve said it's more like putting wood into a fire." Delilah explained then burped a little. "Meats, the wood, clothes are the flame." Eve added.

"So, you're converting the meat directly into magic." That isn't something you can do, in fact that isn't something you think anyone can do given that eating doesn't resolve magical exhaustion.

"Close enough." Eve said burping a lot louder. "Hey where did you get -" Eve was cut off by Delilah, "no drinking. Not while Mary is here." The last part was added very softly but Eve still pounced on it. "Oh have a crush Sweetie?" Delilah balked, "N-no."

"I think I'll leave the two of you to it." You can tell this is about to be either a silence teasing or Eve was going to rope you into it until Delilah decided drinking was the safe way out. "Eve don't bully Delilah into drink or into Mary's pants."

"I am hurt you would suggest I would bully her into drinking." Eve had a broad grin on her face as she said that and Delilah's face coloured in a blush. "Have you decided what to do with your ****?"

Well that came out of nowhere. "I have some options I'm thinking through."

"Aurora is looking for something to hold over you, she's aware you're a softy so don't let her look after Hanna." Eve said rather bluntly.

"How did," You pause. "Can you give me some lessons about that stuff later."

"Anytime. We accept payment in dick or tongue." Eve giggled as their face coloured and yet a notable lack of rejection from Delilah failed to occur.

"Have fun you two." You stood and walked away from them deciding to look for Vatarie and Asune since they were you're only options when it came to Hanna.

You found them together talking to some soldiers who were not as interested in talking to the nobles as they are checking out the men nearby. When you announced your presence the soldiers gave a bow and took the chance to go pant chasing. Vatarie and Asune seemed happy at your company, asking where you had disappeared to.

Deciding to be vague about the Mary part you just tell them you went for an explore before moving the conversation towards Hanna. "What would your mother do with Hanna?"

Vatarie shrugged. "She'd be kept in the Alhambra, whenever my mother hosts one of her nobles she'll be brought out to show off. Other than that she'll have a training regiment to keep her looking strong. Mum might reward one of her court with Hanna if they do well." She seemed remarkable uninterested in all of this but that last part is something you fix on.

"Reward someone with Hanna?" You ask with a raise eyebrow.

"Chance to fight or fuck a champion, or both." Seemed really indifferent to that but it was something of a red flag to you.

"And how would she stay at your estate?" You asked looking at Asune, you're confident she'd only do to Hanna what you tell her so if you say to leave her alone you doubt Asune would ever interfere with her.

"I'd tell my mother I'm looking after your pet. I can train her for you." The excitement in her eyes and voice at that comment made you question your confidence.

"No, thank you."

"Well they she can be kept however you want."

"And if I said I want her kept in a room with a decent bed, books and provided with what she wants, within reason?"

Asune smiled at you looking proud. "As you wish."

You look between the two for a moment deciding that that is enough focusing on someone other than them. "How are you enjoying the party?"

"I like talking to the soldiers." Vatarie said with a grin.

"They are not as trained as I'd have thought." Asune added, which stared a discussion about the level of training soldiers receive verse nobles and the different in fighting on your own compared to fighting shoulder shoulder to with allies. Asune didn't manage a strong grasp on the latter.

After a while you discussion you were interrupted by Lady Demise appearing behind you. "Lord Christopher, have you come to a decision about Diya? Her Highness needs to know if a room should be prepared?"