Go up either grand staircase, then go up the stairs on the right. Pick up the Halla Statue, then go downstairs to open the Eastern Storage door with it. Loot what's inside, then go in the main door to the Vestibule.
When ready, either talk to Gaspard or go in the door to the Ballroom.
When talking to Empress Celene, only Human rogues and warriors can get Court Approval with the top dialog option. Otherwise, pick the middle option.
Enter the next hallway. Go in the first room on the left. Talk to Duke Germain and ask about his nephew for some Court Approval.
Back out to the hallway and left. In the next room, don't talk to the guards more than once, as that can cause a drop in Approval. Go out to the balcony and find the first plot item, the Cylinder Seal, next to a flower pot.
Return to the hallway and go out the doors to the Guest Garden. Talk to Celene's ladies in waiting (who look like triplets). Past them are some nobles. Go over or around the railing and Eavesdrop on them twice, then talk to them to get them to join the Inquisition.
Go in the doors to the Grand Library. Past the urns on the bookshelf on the left, pull the hidden switch. Go in the secret door, and pick up the Letter. This starts a series of hard-to-hear bells, which signal that it's time to return to the ballroom. Exit this room and go out the doors to your left. Run down some stairs and open a door at the far end of the Library Hall. Once back in the Vestibule, the Approval Drop ceases. Stand just outside the Ballroom door until after the second bell, and your inquisitor says something about being "fashionably late." This grants some Approval.
If you have the Nobility Knowlege Perk, find The Dowager (Council) and ask her to dance. You need an Approval of at least 61 to do so. If she won't talk to you, come back later when you do have the approval.
Go out to the Vestibule, and go into the Hall of Heroes. Go down the stairs, and into the door at the end to the Servant's Quarters and Grand Apartments.
Go straight into the kitchen and grab the Halla from the rafters. To do so, stand on the table just under it. Jump, then Pause at the top of the jump. Click the Halla, then unpause. Exit to the garden area, but don't approach the fountain in the middle yet. Instead, immediately go left to find a Halla.
Now approach the fountain for a cutscene.
After the fight, go north from the fountain and kill another set of Venatori. Go northeast up some stairs and then up a ladder. Inside the little room is a Halla.
Head east into the Grand Apartments. Fight your way south into the Library, then east to kill some more bad guys. Go up some stairs and into the room on the left. Kill those Venatori. Open the Halla door to get into Celene's Vault. Loot the contents, being sure to pick up the Elven Locket, which is required if you want Celene and Briala to rule together.
Exit this room in either direction and you'll eventually fight a Harlequin. This is followed immediately by a scene with Briala. After this scene, reenter the room and find a Halla, which was visible while Briala was talking. Drop off the balcony where you last saw Briala, and go down to ground level. Follow the quest marker: take a left and go up some stairs and through the gate to end this Timed Section.
Upon entering, you will dance with Florianne. During the conversation, say
(The first response has no effect on Approval)
"Let's Dance"
The Nobility Perk, (otherwise AVOID "As much as I care to")
"Is that what we both want?"
"Which am I to you?"
The Underworld Knowledge Perk, (othwerwise AVOID "I trust Celene/Gaspard/Briala")
The last one's Approval change is unavoidable.
Exit to the Vestible, and enter the Hall of Heroes. Talk to Ambassador Anton to get he and his buddies to go talk to Cullen for some Approval. Go in the Trophy Room that they were guarding. Through this room is an office, where you'll find the plot item Secret Orders. There is also a Halla on the desk.
Back in the Hall of Heroes, go out across the Vestibule and up the stairs on the right. Enter the Royal Wing.
Go up the stairs and to the left. Ignore the Halla door, and open the next door for a cutscene. Aferwards, pick up the Halla Statue.
Exit this room the way you came in and open the Halla door. Inside, talk to the guard who's tied up on the bed. If you want the Public Truce Ending, you'll need to convince the soldier to testify against Celene. Alternatively, telling him to stay quiet grants Approval.
Return to the room where the cutscene was and go through the doors to the right. You'll hear a conversation as you near some doors on the left, where the quest marker points. Go in the door where you heard the noises.
After the fight, talk to the Mercenary Captain. You can just get him to testify against Gaspard, or you can get him to also join the Inquisition if you have the Underworld Knowledge Perk. Follow the quest marker until you open some doors and activate a cutscene. Save before going through this last door. If you're running mods and want the Belle of the Ball Achievement, you'll need to exit the game and restart it without mods.
This is where you make your choice of who rules Orlais. If you followed all the steps above, then all of the options should be available to you.
A. Gaspard Rules Alone
Allow Celene to be assasinated, then in the conversation that follows, use the Blackmail material to discredit Briala.
B. Gaspard and Briala Rule Together
Allow Celene to be assasinated, then use Blackmail material to force Gaspard to submit to Briala.
C. Celene Rules Alone
Keep Celene Alive, then tell her "Gaspard was planning a coup." You can also implicate Briala to have her share Gaspard's fate.
D. Celene and Briala Rule Together
You must have retrieved the plot item Elven Locket as detailed above, and you must have shown it to both Briala and the ladies-in-waiting. You obviously must keep Celene Alive, then say "Briala helped stop Floiranne," use the evidence against Gaspard, then say "What about Briala's reward?" (Do NOT try to spare Gaspard's life, as that will skip the option to reward Briala.)
E. Public Truce Between All Three Parties
You must obviously have saved Celene, have convinced the naked soldier to testify, and you must have gotten blackmail materal on both Briala and Gaspard. AND you must have at least 85 court Approval.
this page last updated 11 November 2022