...Abrogail should have thought ahead sixty seconds into the future and realized how much she would be Tempted to Break the Rules during this operation.

But she is not entirely oblivious to how these things work among gods, and apparently they need to pretend to be gods in a way that the actual divine curse on the other end can something something predictable something something Aspexia could probably go on about this literally forever if that was what she chose to do.

Come along then, Amela, if you're lucky you might even get to see the Queen at some point tonight.  Did you know she sometimes attends those kinds of parties?

Does she really. That sounds fascinating. 

Amela's surface thoughts are that she would be love to hit on the Queen of Cheliax but isn't sure even she has the nerve.

Amela's less-surface thoughts are that she can sell that conversation in Lastwall for a fiefdom in Heaven, except that she's actually heard fiefdoms in Heaven are really boring because everyone just politely ignores your cruelest orders.

Abrogail doesn't mind sharing some gossip along those lines, though none of the more treasonous stuff, of course.

Carriages alight in the properly grand main entranceway to the Imperial Palace, though not all at the same time.  A sex worker disembarks, as does a seemingly drunk spice merchant.

Nothing scary happens to anybody at any time.  Is this even Cheliax?

They proceed through grand hallways, to... the entrance antechamber of a grand ballroom?  Well, okay.

Four people are already waiting there, from various walks of life, having apparently been warned to momentary silence, it's not time to talk among themselves yet.  A moment later, another two people arrive.

Everyone's here, and it's time to go in and...

"CONGRATULATIONS!" shouts (disguised) Pilar Pineda, as confetti rains down from nowhere.  "YOU GET TO GO HOME NOW!"

People wearing brightly colored hats clap and cheer, the band starts up playing, the waiters immediately approach the honored guests with drinks and snacks, and the surprise party enters full swing!  There's giant banners on the wall reading "THANK YOU FOR SPYING ON US", and "DON'T WORRY" and "IT'S NOT A PROBLEM".

Is her curse finally fucking happy.

Her curse is ecstatic!  This is what a surprise party should be like!

Life in Cheliax has certainly become less boring since Keltham got here, Abrogail must admit.  Oh, and she looks like her real self now.

The shellshocked spies stand there, staring. One of them has started crying; several are protesting. 

Amela waltzes over to ask the Queen of Cheliax for a dance. She's not not terrified, but no one but the Queen will be able to tell, and anyway this is probably a dream or poison-induced hallucination or something anyway.

Of course she'll dance!  There's a difference between resisting temptation and refusing it.

Pilar will go over and comfort that guy who started crying, APPARENTLY.  No, it's okay, this is all running on completely bizarre rules that make no sense and those rules say you don't get hurt.

Do the rules say anything about whether he can sock her in the face, because he's going to try.

You know what, sure.

Pilar has earned way more than just one justified punch in the face, over the course of everything her curse made her do today.

He punches Pilar in the face.

"Any tidbits to take home?" Amela asks the Queen of Cheliax between twirls; she's a very good dancer. "Just so I can sell them and live in comfort for the rest of my days, which is my top priority, here."

"What would Lastwall even do with them?  I can't exactly be blackmailed over it."

"Oh, I haven't the faintest idea, they tried explaining to me once how this all redounds to the greater purposes of Good but it was incredibly boring so I left an illusion 'listening' and ran off to do something marginally more interesting such as needlework. They pay well, though."

"...this really is strictly an offer, you do still get to go home if you say no, but are you sure you wouldn't rather work for me?"

"You can't pay well enough, your Majesty. I don't really like being tortured. Lastwall pays in a literal eternity of not getting tortured at all in a fancy penthouse in Axis. They're tedious, whiny, a waste of space, everyone I like is here, I'm going to have to adopt kids from the Boneyard and raise them Chelish just so I can have anyone worth playing with, but do you know who'll have power over me? No one."

"Well, that's fair."

"I would so much wish to tryst with you before you go, but anything that wouldn't be incredibly unsatisfying for me would break hospitality.  Would Lastwall enjoy hearing a bedroom story or two about their paladins?  From when I was a teenager and recently ascended, paladins got boring after a few years."

Okay, so, now her curse has been fed and is satiated and she doesn't get tons of cake delivery missions once she goes back to the actual Project Lawful and the actually important part of her actual job.  Right?

Pilar is really doing her best to kill the fun vibes here.

That is correct.  That is exactly what Pilar is doing her best to do.  Now would Pilar's curse please answer the question?

This will definitely last her curse at least a week!  Though, maybe a cookie here and there.  Nothing too inconvenient.

A FUCKING WEEK?  SHE USED THE PALACE BALLROOM!