The banquet

The banquet is boring. I can't talk with anyone except Ignis because I'm surrounded by the Royal Family. And I am not in the mood to converse with them.

The rest of the guests are at tables further apart. From here, I can observe the whole banquet hall, though. I'm sitting on the second biggest chair, right next to Ignis's throne-line stool.

The food is also far from my reach. I shouldn't bend over the table to reach some meat, so I'm stuck waiting for someone to help me.

Even if I'm a Queen, now, I shall act like a lady.

The Queen Dowager, on the other side, has everything so close! Is this a game of hers? Did she instruct the servants just to make trouble?

If that was the case, it would be reasonable to assume she's also the one behind the small incidents with the needle in the belt and the blood on the mantle.

She does look displeased right now. But it might have nothing to do with the fact that the tricks didn't unsettle me one bit.