Night fell.
The banquet began.
It was not merely to entertain their allies from afar. Hallownest had endured a long ordeal, and even though the Infection had ended, its effects would never fade so easily.
So a banquet was necessary, both to celebrate Hallownest's survival and to reward the bugs whose interests had suffered under the various policies enacted during the Infection.
For the first time in ages, the City of Tears rang with lively voices. In this atmosphere, Marissa could finally perform without a care in the world.
In better form than ever before, the singer gave the finest performance of her life, singing an epic of heroes and miracles.
Most bugs joined the celebration. Even the bugs of Deepnest refrained from spoiling the mood for once.
Quite a few Weavers chose to reach out to the world beyond. Not every spider could accept a life like that of a wild beast.
Herrah chose to turn a blind eye. Perhaps she had come to understand something after the Dreamers' final meeting.
The Beast Queen had once come so close to death. She had thought her heart cold enough and her will firm enough, but she had been wrong.
Only when the final moment came did Herrah realize that what she truly wanted had never been the survival of her race, but to keep living with her daughter.
She had selfish desires of her own.
So she decided to do something.
In ways unseen, the insular, conservative Weavers had also begun to change.
Within the Pale Imperial Palace, Wyrm followed protocol, nodding to each of the nobles with whom he needed to maintain good relations.
Amid the clinking of glasses, drinks passed from hand to hand, while extravagant compliments and calculations of gain and loss flowed without pause.
As