Await the call.

You spend some time in the castle's main hall without anyone around to speak with. You do tend to appear as the odd one out no matter where you go it seems. Your mannerisms and your attire, despite dressing for the new world, still make it difficult to fit in amongst the crowd of royalty. There people of this world are strange and vary wildly, so you can't imagine you're that much different, yet you attract attention regardless--like becoming perfectly fluent in another language, yet still being caught by a native speaker. Perhaps you simply give off an aura of uncertainty.

While you ponder, a guardsman taps you on the back of your shoulder, and you turn around to meet him.

"Sir Warren. Her Majesty, Queen Catherine II, calls for you. She wishes to speak with you privately in her chambers. Follow me straight away." He salutes, pivots on his heel, and begins marching promptly towards one of the doorways.

"Wait up," you say. "Did she say why we couldn't just talk here?"

"She didn't. I'm not sure what exactly happened the other day, but word is you saved her life. I imagine she wishes to speak with you more on the matter. It isn't my place to ask."

You continue to follow behind until you finally reach a grand door into an even grander chamber. He pushes it open, and you step inside to peer around at beautifully crafted furnishings, a lush red carpet covering much of the floor, and a bed surrounded by translucent curtains pulled away. The sound of creaking wood accompanies the door closing carefully behind you, and your eyes meet the rising stare of the queen herself sitting on the foot of the bed, though you're used to seeing her in a more illustrious state.

She's still done-up, yet her dress has been folded on a table nearby, and she's now garbed in only a loosely tied but skilfully woven black housecoat with the symbol of a small wolf's head sown above the left breast. Her slender legs stick out where the robe ends above her knees.

"I'm sure you have much to do as a busy adventurer." She sounds tired now--quieter, and less formal. "But I wished to speak with you once more, away from even the ears of my royal guards. It's about the attack on my castle naturally."

"I don't know much more about it," you say. "Except there was one more with the high doppel."

Catherine crosses one of her legs over the other, almost giving you a glimpse of what may be nothing beneath. You can't quite tell. "It told us of a mistress it has. You know of whom she speaks?"

Your eyes dart down and back up quickly. "I've only met her once before out in the field but she thankfully left us alone. The Vampire Queen, Mistress Catherine. She was in here, but left the high doppel behind to continue her mission, which I assume was to eventually kill you and take over, but I have no idea."

She hums in thought. "I see. I had my suspicions from the little information we were able to get from the doppel, but I never imagined that mistress to be her."

"I'm also pretty sure she's working for Demon King Sa'dis."

"You were wrong, Sir Warren. You're a wealth of information. I've heard of this Sa'dis taking up residence near my empire, but that's a powerful ally indeed. An attack from her could be an attack from him. But..." She begins to think once more, slipping her leg back down to cross over the other instead. Once again, you worry you might see something that's considered treason, but not quite.

"Do you know why this is happening?"

"For this, I'll tell you a secret. But not here. Come."

The queen stands up from the bed with a squeak of the mattress and begins walking towards the door without another word. You're not certain where she's going, but you figure it's in your best interest to follow. She leads you down the hall in nothing but that bathrobe of hers, but it doesn't seem to bother her. It makes sense. This is her castle, and her home. She can do whatever she wants.

You eventually reach a door that she promptly opens. A familiar wave of comforting warmth blankets your body as the two of you step inside.