...Galfrey knows that the gods often act on information that humans cannot see, but she is rather questioning Desna's judgment here. Anevia Tirabade is a Desnan — unempowered, but so is Thall, from the sound of things — and could have secured permission to investigate the Wardstone. Getting frustrated with the quality of Desna's interventions is probably not conducive to receiving more aid from her, but is this seriously the best she could come up with?

"I see." She folds her hands on her desk. "On behalf of Mendev, I extend my apologies for your treatment at the hands of the Prelate. Your dedication to protecting Kenabres is commendable."

That sounds like she's not going to kill him? She didn't actually say she's not going to kill him, he's not about to start confessing to things he hasn't told the Inquisition, but it's probably a good sign?

"Thank you, your majesty?" That was not supposed to sound like a question.

Her expression shifts, becoming rather more somber. "It grieves me to find myself in the position of asking more of you when you have already given so much for Mendev. You are free to refuse, and either way you will have a full pardon for your crimes." She lays out a map on the desk, showing Mendev and the area around the Worldwound. "Mendev has few wizards, and fewer still who have reached third circle. I intend to take advantage of the demons' disarray to call another crusade, with Select Artigas at the head. I do not know whether Mendev will survive if it fails. Your aid could make a tremendous difference, but I fear that we will not be able to pay you the wages your services would command elsewhere, and I understand if you are not willing to serve."

He didn't flee the city even when he thought it would probably kill him, he's not going to follow whoever's paying the most money and leave Mendev to get eaten by the demons! (Also, wow, Blai's going to be leading a whole crusade? That's way more exciting than just adventuring around the Worldwound.)

"I'm probably willing? But — a couple things. First, I already told him I'd probably keep adventuring with him, depending on how much of that we're doing I might not have spells for the army. Second, maybe Desna'll send me a dream about how I'm needed somewhere else, if that happens I can't promise I'll stick around. Third," how does he say this to a queen without it coming off like he's making a demand, "I think the Prelate is still planning to kill my other friends if he can catch them? And I would really appreciate it if they didn't die."

Hopefully that isn't some sort of horrible misstep that's going to get him killed by, again, the queen of Mendev.

If she had known the Select had already secured his cooperation she would have approached this conversation differently, but what's done is done. From what she's heard, Voyager Ramien, at least, seems likely amenable to continuing to defend Kenabres, even if not to marching on crusade.

"I will want to speak to them personally, but I expect that can be arranged."

That is not exactly a promise she won't kill his friends, but it's probably as close as he's going to get. "Thank you, your majesty."

"What is the farthest you have ever been from your crow while casting a spell?"

"I don't know, I've never tried it on purpose — oh! Hi, Thall!"

"Hi!" Thall looks significantly more hopeful than he has for most of Blai's acquaintance with him. 

"It went well?"

"She says she's not going to kill me, and she's probably not going to kill my friends, which is all I can really ask for." As great as it would be if Hulrun had an attack of conscience and came to personally apologize, he knows it's not going to happen.

Smile. "I'm so glad for you!"

"—Uh, thank you," he adds to Blai.

"For - what, the other day?"

He nods.

"You're welcome."

"See, I knew everything would work out."

...he is going to blink at her a bit nonplussedly, because she probably is not claiming access to prophecy but it's such a weird thing to say without that.

She thinks of it as a completely normal thing to say and has no idea why he's confused!

She flips through her notes. "—oh! My notes say that I should prioritize my most urgent questions when interviewing you due to some unknown but likely negative outcome. Does this mean I will have the opportunity to more extensively interview you?"

He laughs. "Sure, Nenio."

Nenio is so relaxingly insane? It's not a combination of words he would have anticipated but she is.

With Thall's fate no longer in doubt, the mood at Blai's table is noticeably more cheerful. Thall attempts to teach Nenio a song about Nethysian worship and is treated to a lengthy explanation of Nenio's disagreements with other Nethysians, who (in her opinion) tend to be excessively focused solely on magical knowledge, which, though very interesting, is far from the only form of knowledge there is. Woljif attempts to demonstrate a feat of non-magical legerdemain to Seelah, the sort that might be used by an amateur conman, only for Seelah to inform him, unimpressed, that she knows how that trick works. 

Galfrey's guards escort more people upstairs: Prelate Shappok, Select Stasia, a few people Blai doesn't know by name, Voyager Ramien. (Ramien had definitely not been at the party fifteen minutes earlier.) At one point the Count looks like he's considering making good on his appointment with Blai, but it's Ramien who approaches him first.

"Select, I hear you have a question about Galtan wizards. Are you comfortable discussing it here, or would you rather go somewhere more private?"

"- if there's a room spare that seems ideal, it's a bit loud down here."