Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts

Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts is a main quest in Dragon Age: Inquisition.
== Acquisition ==
The quest becomes available after speaking to Josephine during From the Ashes. It can be initiated by spending 30 Power at the war table, recommended for levels 12 to 15.
== Walkthrough ==
=== Notes ===
* See the Endings section of this page first if you are looking for a specific outcome with respect to the throne of Orlais. Certain outcomes require very specific steps to be taken or conversation dialogue options to be chosen.
* Bringing Sera along will open up an additional side quest, Red Jenny's Stashes; this quest will not be available otherwise.
* If the Inquisitor's love interest is present, a dance scene will trigger after the quest has concluded and the final interaction with Morrigan has occurred. 
* It is only possible to complete all three side quests (Red Jenny's Stashes, Throwing Away Money and The Great Blackmail Hunt) if the halla statuettes were used to open the Lower Garden Door (costs 3 statuettes) and the Empress's Private Quarters (costs 5 statuettes). 
* There are a large number of valid variations in how to complete the various side quests and, for many of them, there are several paths to accomplish them. Not all possibilities can be documented. Specific item locations for the Caprice coins, scandalous secrets, Red Jenny stashes, and halla statues are not listed below; however, a running total is provided periodically. Follow the side quest links to find more specific information.
* Halla counters below are incremental and do not account for halla you have "spent" opening doors. In-game counts may vary depending on choices made. A total of 11 halla statues can be found, however only 10 are required to complete the quest.
* It is never noted in game, but eavesdrop circles sometimes require multiples listens to yield a 'scandalous secret'. This is particularly the case for ones that do not have written dialogue and are only vague whispers that go toward the counter. The Inquisitor will give a dismissive statement such as, "Waste of time," "Boring," or "Just gossip," if the secret is not obtained. The circle will disappear momentarily but reappear shortly after. To obtain a point for the secret, the Inquisitor will need to eavesdrop again, sometimes more than once on the same spot. Every eavesdrop circle has a purpose and will disappear once that purpose is served. 
** The only exceptions to this rule are two circles that appear after exploring the servants' quarters, both of which can be used to spy on a group of men guarding the trophy room. The dialogue is the same every time, with one gentleman telling his friend about a 'knife-eared serving girl in the kitchen'. The other exception is the circle used to listen to the two people talking on the balcony in the palace exterior. 
* To obtain the Belle of the Ball trophy/achievement for this quest, Court Approval must reach 100/100 at some point during the quest.
* It is possible to end this quest with . See here for details, Gallery.
=== Enter the Winter Palace ===
Upon the Inquisition's arrival at the Winter Palace in Halamshiral, the Inquisitor is greeted by Grand Duke Gaspard de Chalons at the exterior entrance. Gaspard informs the Inquisitor that he believes Briala intends to disrupt the negotiations.
: Court Approval starts between 25-45 out of a maximum of 100. If Court Approval reaches 0, it will be game over as the Inquisitor is thrown out of the ball.
: If the Inquisitor reaches a maximum of 100 Court Approval at any time then gets a bonus, the game will show .''
: The Inquisitor begins with a base Court Approval value of 40. Human mage Inquisitors, and elf and dwarf Inquisitors of any class, take an automatic, immediate hit of due to social stigma. 
: Likewise, all Qunari Inquisitors of any class take a hit of . Human rogues and warriors will automatically receive .
Speak to the noblewoman in the corner to begin the subquest Montbelliard's Ring. Choosing the middle option "Interesting stratagem" results in . Choosing the bottom option "Find it yourself" causes . Locate her ring on the nearby lion carving and return it to her for , or tell her you couldn't find the ring and keep it to sell later. The latter will void any court approval, XP and Influence gains.
Head up the western stairs to begin Even Gilded Walls Have Ears. This short subquest introduces the eavesdrop mechanic. Once completed, move past the nobles to the end of the covered walkway and search for the Storage Key. 
Head back downstairs and turn right to find the storage room. Enter the room and search to find the first Caprice coin in a pot. Picking it up begins the side quest Throwing Away Money. Picking up the secret document from the table in this room begins the side quest The Great Blackmail Hunt. 
 
Head up the eastern stairs and pick up a halla statuette to begin the side quest, Herd of Stone Halla. Returning downstairs, the stone halla can be used to Unlock the Eastern Storage below, or saved for later. 
: Side quest totals: 1/15 Caprice coins, 1/11 halla statuettes and 1/30 scandalous secrets.
=== Enter the Vestibule ===
The Inquisitor arrives at the bottom of a staircase in the Vestibule. Going up the stairs, they will hear various nobles gossipping and they can interact with Cullen, a noble and two eavesdrop circles for scandalous secrets which can be done now or after entering the ballroom below. Cassandra and Varric can be found near Cullen, if brought on the quest. After wandering around the Vestibule, interact with either Gaspard or the Ballroom door to enter the Ballroom.
=== Enter the Ballroom and approach Celene ===
The Grand Duke, the Inquisitor, advisors and party members (except Cole) will be announced at court. In order to hear all of the announcements, do not move to the top of the steps by Gaspard too quickly.
==== Introductions ====
The herald of the ball will introduce the various companions and advisors:
 
Accompanying the Inquisitor:
* Vivienne: Madame Vivienne, First Enchanter of the Circle of Magi, Enchanter of the Imperial Court, Mistress of the Duke of Ghislain.
* Iron Bull: The Iron Bull, leader of the famed mercenary company Bull’s Chargers. As the name might imply.
* Solas: The Lord/Lady Inquisitor’s elven serving man, Solas.
* Blackwall: Warden Blackwall of Val Chevin, constable of the Grey. Bearer of the Silverite Wings of Valor.
* Sera: Her Ladyship Mai Bhalsych of Korse. (Sera snickers)
* Cassandra: Seeker Cassandra Allegra Portia Calogera Filomena– (Cassandra: Get on with it!) …Pentaghast. Fourteenth cousin to the King of Nevarra, nine times removed. Hero of Orlais, Right Hand of the Divine.
* Varric: Renowned author Varric Tethras. Head of noble House Tethras, deshyr of Kirkwall to the Dwarven Merchants Guild.
* Dorian: Lord Dorian Pavus, member of the Circle of Vyrantium, son of Lord Magister Halward Pavus of Asariel.
* Cullen: Ser Cullen Stanton Rutherford of Honnleath. Commander of the forces of the Inquisition. Former Knight-Commander of Kirkwall.
* Leliana: Lady Leliana, Nightingale of the Imperial Court. Veteran of the Fifth Blight. 
** If romanced by warden who becomes Queen: Mistress to the Queen of Ferelden.
** If romanced by a warden who becomes Prince Consort: Mistress to the Prince Consort of Ferelden.
** (continues) Seneschal of the Inquisition and Left Hand of the Divine.
* Josephine: And Lady Josephine Cherette Montilyet of Antiva City, Ambassador of the Inquisition.
Cole is never announced, even if he is made more human.
==== Approaching Celene ====
After you arrive next to Gaspard, the Grand Duchess Florianne de Chalons will be introduced and Empress Celene will greet the Inquisitor: 
:* Top option - (Only for human rogues and warriors, and for mages of all races with Vivienne in the party)
:* Middle option - 
:* Bottom option - 
The second set of choices have no court approval changes. Leliana will ask the Inquisitor to see her when they have a moment.
=== Speak with Leliana ===
Mingle with the court and the party members and advisors. Lady Mantillon can be found here but will not converse with the Inquisitor at this time. Volume 1 of A Compendium of Orlesian Theater is on a couch here.
If she is brought along for the quest, Sera will be near the northeast corner of the ballroom, and asking about her "friends" will begin Red Jenny's Stashes. Speaking with her can also bring approval changes, see companion approval. 
Go back to the Vestibule and a scene with Leliana begins. She mentions that an occult advisor seems to have charmed the empress and the court, while the Inquisitor mentions that Gaspard is pointing fingers at Ambassador Briala.
Both leads warrant investigating the Guest Wing. To progress, three items must be found:
* The Cylinder Seal in the Hall of Heroes.
* Letter in the Grand Library.
* Negotiations in the room of the upper Guest Gardens.
These can be acquired in any order, but once the third one is picked up, the Inquisitor will have limited time to return to the Ballroom.
The doors leading to the Grand Library from the Vestibule are locked from the other side, so another way in will need to be found.
=== Explore the Grand Library ===
==== Investigate Briala's agents ====
Return to the entrance to the guest wing and enter the Hall of Heroes. The hall of heroes is located to the west as you exit the ballroom into the Vestibule. Grab the Caprice Coin at the bottom of the staircase on the right side. Approach the Whispering Elf then eavesdrop on the elves to learn about a package delivered to a room in the upper garden.
Continue into the guest wing. There is a eavesdrop point next to the first golden lion on your left for a scandalous secret. Head into the room to the east, speak to Duke Germain and ask about Gaspard being his nephew for . The Council of Heralds Vassal in the guest wing will be pacing the hallways. Choose "Philippe is a jerk!" for (the game displays Court Approval 15 but it actually adds 10). The other option gives (the game displays Court Approval -15 but it actually removes 10). Either response serves as evidence to use against Gaspard. There is also a Caprice coin on the floor between the two southern lions in Duke Germain's room.
Proceed down the hallway to find another Whispering Elf to eavesdrop on. For an elven Inquisitor, they will speak to them directly with a warning of danger in the Servant's Quarters.
Continue down the hallway into the next room and through the door onto the balcony. Searching will find the first item, The Cylinder Seal next to a flower pot.
Return to the guest wing and exit west into the Guest Garden. Celene's ladies-in-waiting will deliver a message from the empress. At the entrance, turn right, there is an eavesdrop point behind one of the pillars for a scandalous secret. There are also two nobles in the southwest portion of the garden that you can eavesdrop on for The Great Blackmail Hunt. Note that this circle can be eavesdropped twice for a scandalous secret. After eavesdropping on them enough times, the Inquisitor can eventually talk to the nobles and choose which one to support. Both options result in a gain of Influence and Power. One of Red Jenny's stashes can also be found in the open room by this eavesdropping circle.
Climb up the lattice next to the fountain in the garden and a Court Approval timed section begins.
: The Inquisitor enters an area deemed off-limits. The Court notices the Inquisitor's absence and as a result, Court Approval will steadily drop (at a rate of about -1/min) while in this area.
: The time limit is meant to induce a sense of urgency. However, this does not mean you cannot take your time (within reason) to explore all rooms and look for loot and various quest objectives. Further, the approval drop does not occur when the game is paused, so frequent pausing to move the camera around can reduce the loss. There are many ways to regain approval, as detailed below.
Once up the lattice, turn right and follow the railing around two turns to the right. Halfway down the rail is a Halla statue which you will need in just a moment. Pulse your search and you will turn up a Secret Document on the corner of the railing. 
Return to the lattice, continue straight ahead, and open the Upper Garden Door located to the west of the lattice. It costs one halla statuette to be opened. You must open this door to advance the main quest. Grab the loot from the chest and pick up the Negotiations on the floor once you enter the halla door to obtain the second item in the objective.
==== Celene's occult advisor ====
Return to the lattice and turn left to enter the Grand Library doors, located directly to the north of the lattice.
Move past the urns on the left and search the bookshelf to find a hidden switch. This opens the back door of the library. Go in but do not pick up the Letter just yet or the rush to the ballroom will start.
Instead, turn right, grab the veilfire torch, and light the urns in the previous room in the following order:
Etienne I → Reville → Etienne II → Judicael I → Judicael II → Florian.
Simply:
# Face the room with the garden entrance behind you.
# Light the RIGHT side of urns, closest to farthest.
# Return to the garden entrance and face the room.
# Light the LEFT side of urns, closest to farthest.
Down here is a map 
 3 2 1
X ==========> 
 6 5 4
X is the room where you got the veilfire torch.
Head down into the secret study, and the first chest on the right always contains One of the other chests always contains a . 
Go back up the stairs from the secret study, turn left and pass through either door. Go down the stairs to find rooms on the left and right. The room on the right is locked and only accessible to Rogue Inquisitors. To the right there is also a hidden book that updates Halamshiral Investigation - Clues. The room to the left contains a loot chest and a scandalous secret. Continue down the long hall—picking up another scandalous secret on the tables by the windows—to double doors leading back to the Vestibule. Be sure to open one of these doors to allow easier access later.
If Cole was brought along, he will be here for dialogue. None of the options change his approval.
: Side quest totals: 3/15 Caprice coins, 2/11 halla statuettes, 13/30 scandalous secrets and 1/3 Red Jenny stashes.
Return to the room where the veilfire is and pick up the Letter.
==== Return to the ballroom ====
The first bell will ring, signaling that it's time to return to the ballroom. The fastest route is back through the library, rather than going back down the lattice. Once the Inquisitor steps foot into the Vestibule or the Guest Gardens, Court Approval will no longer deteriorate.
Three bells ring before the Inquisitor must enter the Ballroom. The timing of entrance can gain or lose Court Approval as follows:
* Enter after the first bell, on time - No Court Approval change
* Enter after the second bell, fashionably late - 
* Enter after the third bell, actually late - 
Attempt to enter the ballroom to instead meet Celene's occult advisor, Morrigan. She encountered and killed a Tevinter agent and hands over a key she found on his body.
=== Before entering the servants' quarters ===
Now is a good time to re-enter the Ballroom which will commence the Behind Every Empress subquest.
As noted above, entering the ballroom now does not count towards the "on time/fashionably late/actually late" approval.
Turn right and go down the side of the room. Talking to Leliana will give you the opportunity to drop off the thirteen scandalous secrets you have at this point, which are required to complete The Great Blackmail Hunt. 
Converse with Lady Mantillon, who is located near Leliana, and ask her to dance as a prerequisite for Dance with the Dowager: The Allemande (requires the Nobility Knowledge perk and ). This also grants .
At the first right, exit the hall to the balcony and talk to Briala. None of the dialogue options with her have an effect on the main quest. Talking to her marks the quest stage for her as done.
Re-enter the ballroom and turn right immediately to the right to find the ladies-in-waiting by the statue. Speak with Lady Fleur, the middle of the ladies-in-waiting to complete Behind Every Empress.
Continuing counter-clockwise, ignore the next balcony. Celene is there but cannot be spoken with. Gaspard is on the next balcony. Talking to him presents his take on the situation and others, completing the three-way opinion circle of the three parties.
To get to the Servants' Quarters, return to the vestibule door and exit. Re-enter the Hall of Heroes and go to the west end of the lower level. Go through the door to the servant's quarters.
=== Explore the servant's quarters and Grand Apartments ===
Court Approval timed section begins
Equip everyone's arms and armor. This area is off-limits so Court Approval is ticking away, though time is frozen in the inventory screen.
Examine the corpse for a bit of companion-dependent dialogue. Turn right and go through the archway into the bedroom. Continue counter-clockwise into the kitchen. Do not miss the Halla statue on the wooden beam above you. To grab it, you may either jump onto kitchen table or onto a three-tier pile of barrels against the wall. From the barrels, you may jump onto the beam and tiptoe to the statuette. The barrels are by the east wall. On the way to the Halla statue along the beams, there is a book which gives a codex entry on the Servants' Quarters of The Winter Palace. Counter-clockwise again takes you to the entry room. Turn right and exit to the gardens.
Before dropping down before the fountain, turn to the left and move to the back corner of the balcony. There will be a Halla statue in the back left corner.
Head towards the fountain and fall down to begin a cut scene. An emissary for the Council of Heralds is found dead, and a nearby weapon bears the Chalons family crest.
=== Find the Harlequin ===
Kill the group of Venatori that appear. 
There's a Red Jenny Stash in the gardens, to the southwest (left from facing the fountain), if that quest is active. Though it may be more time efficient to pick it up when leaving the area, either via the apartment balcony or the library, since that'll take you very near that spot.
Go north and grab the loot by the fountain on the right and continue north. There will be Venatori off to the left. Kill them or ignore them.
Turn east and head up the staircase. Climb the ladder to reach a balcony with a caprice coin at the end. Enter the adjacent room and look right to find a halla statuette.
Go back down to the ground floor and kill the Venatori if you didn't before. Continue west until a vine covered wall is reached. Turn left and go through the archway.
Enter the grand apartments, turning left and enter the bedroom. There's a caprice coin on the middle bed to the left.
Exit the room and go forward into the kitchen. There is a Supply Cache here. Return to the previous room and turn right. Go through the small room into the dining room. Kill the Venatori in the dining room, then grab the caprice coin on the table between the two flowerpots in the south west corner of the room (it will be the rightmost table when facing them).
Exit south to the library. Exit east from the library into the room with the fireplace and the long tables. Kill the Venatori. Head up the stairs, turn left and clear out the room to the left. 
The nearby halla door leads to Celene's Vault and requires three halla statuettes to open. If opened, the Inquisitor will find and an elven locket which is essential to one of five possible quest endings.
Turn right out of the room, past the stairs and right again. Continue to the next corridor to face off against the Harlequin and a large group of Venatori. Or alternatively, just turn left, and follow where the corridor leads.
The Harlequin always drops . A scene with Briala begins after all enemies are eliminated.
=== Return to the Ballroom ===
Before leaving this room, be sure to grab the Halla statue that was visible in the cutscene with Briala and any dropped loot from the enemies killed. Dropping off the right side of the balcony is the quickest way down, but there is some not-so-apparent loot to be found. Once the cutscene with Briala is over and you've picked up your loot and the Halla statue, head north to the next room to find an open window on the right wall. Jump diagonally left across to the larger balcony to find more loot near some square crates. This might take more than one attempt, so if you fail, simply switch to another party member to attempt it up to 4 times. Return to the railing you landed on from the open window, jump down to land on a lower balcony near a large pile of gold and a corpse. Either jump off this lower balcony or switch to another party member that is still up top. 
If the balconies are not taken, turn around, go back through the desk room, exit south, take an immediate left and go downstairs. Take a right at the bottom of the stairs, a left into the library and straight out into the gardens. Kill the Venatori skulking around here. Be sure to pick up the Red Jenny Stash by going west, then turn left around the corner, if you didn't get it earlier (right from the library exit, then left past the lamp post). Go past the elven agents (no dialogue options), go up the stairs and open the gate that goes back to Main Palace.
Court Approval timed section ends
: Side quest totals: 6/15 Caprice coins, 6/11 halla statuettes, 13/30 scandalous secrets and 2/3 Red Jenny stashes.
=== Dance with Florianne ===
Go back through the Hall of Heroes, turn right at the Ballroom door and wait for the second bell for extra Court Approval. It is possible to miss the first bell due to the game loading. The Inquisitor will make a comment when the second bell rings.
Gaspard's Clandestine Meeting is active now but can be completed later since time is an issue. On entering the ballroom a scene begins with Florianne. Any options not listed below have no court approval changes. 
Dance with me...
:* Two women dancing? (female only) - 
:* Let's dance. - 
:* Let them hear us. - 
...What do you know about our civil war?
* (Nobility Knowledge) Orlais' war is Thedas' war. - 
:* (Human Rogue) - Orlais is everyone's business. 
:* As much as I care to. - 
The security of the empire is at stake...
:* I can agree with that./That's why I'm here. - 
:* Is that what we both want? - 
You are a curiosity to many...
:* I'm here to help./Not my problem. - 
:* Which am I to you? - 
...Who in the Court can be trusted?
:* I trust Celene/Gaspard/Briala. - 
:* (Underworld Knowledge) I trust no one - Court Approval +5
:* Who do you trust? - Court Approval +10
:* I trust the Inquisition - Court Approval +1
It cannot have escaped your notice...
:* All options
::* Court Approval less than 60 - 
::* Court Approval more than 60 - (the game displays Court Approval 5 but it actually adds 10)
Florianne ultimately suggests investigating the Royal Wing. Another scene with the advisors begins immediately. Leliana reminds the Inquisitor that Corypheus wants chaos in the empire. She also says that there are many ways to bring stability to the empire, and not all involve Celene (hinting at multiple endings for the quest).
=== Find material in the Royal Wing ===
At this point the Inquisitor can optionally confront Gaspard and Briala with any evidence gathered so far, as well as learn more about their backgrounds if they didn't do so earlier.
Before heading to the Royal Wing, approach the Trophy Room on the north side of the Hall of Heroes and trick Ambassador Anton and his comrades into talking to Cullen, which also awards .
Otherwise, if the Inquisitor is an elf, they can ask for Whispering Elves next to Ambassador Anton to make a distraction. However, this won't reward Approval points.
The Trophy Room is an off-limits area where Court Approval will be reduced. If ignoring the side quests, simply open the rear door, enter the office and loot the Secret Orders as material to blackmail Gaspard. The door on the left can be opened if the Inquisitor is a rogue.
Exiting the Trophy Room to the Hall of Heroes halts the drop in Court Approval.
Head to the royal wing located up the east stairs at the north end of the Vestibule.
The three points where blackmail evidence may be obtained are:
* Against Briala: the elven servant
* Against Celene: the soldier in the bed
* Against Gaspard: the mercenary captain after closing the rift
Entering the Royal Wing resumes the periodic loss of Court Approval.
The Inquisitor will need to re-equip weapons, armor and helmet. Companions should appear ready to go.
There is a secret on the table immediately to the left.
Go up the stairs and into the Royal Quarters. Take a right and then a right through the door. Loot the two containers, one secret and the halla.
Exit the room and go past the locked door; a scream will be heard upon approaching the next door on the right. Open the door and a cutscene plays where the Inquisitor defenestrates a Harlequin. Interviewing the elven servant provides the blackmail evidence against Briala. There is also a halla and two lootboxes inside the room. 
Exit the room through the passageway, enter the darkened hallway and go past the door with the Ferelden soldier yelling and down the steps to retrieve a halla from the floor. Return to the cutscene room, but do not enter yet.
Exit the room to the hallway and the Empress's Private Quarters are on the right which requires five halla statuettes to unlock (check Herd of Stone Halla for the locations of the last ones if you need them). Asking the soldier tied to the bed to testify against Celene is required to complete two of the side quests and to achieve the public truce ending. Otherwise, asking the soldier to keep this quiet awards .
A Caprice coin is on the desk to the right of the bed when the Inquisitor is at foot of the bed, facing it. There is also one chance for companion approval gains (Cassandra, Dorian and/or Sera only). Note that leaving the soldier in the bed causes the cutscene to restart on returning to the bed. So if the approval of Dorian or Sera is desired, you can leave him in the bed and come back repeatedly. But remember to let him go, which will allow access to the coin.
The final Caprice coin is in a room off the darkened hallway, see Throwing Away Money for directions.
=== Evade the trap ===
Warning: This next section will prevent opening Celene's quarters.
Go through the doors opposite the balcony doors. This causes a cut scene to take place and the party is ambushed. There will be a dialogue with Florianne which provides the following option (all other choices have no effect):
Corypheus insisted...
:* It's not too late to end this. - 
:* I'm sure he'll get used to it. / Corypheus will be disappointed. - 
The Fade rift will spawn a random combination of wraiths, shades, greater terrors, despair demons and/or rage demons. Close it and there is a very brief interval during which the rift drop can be looted prior to a scene beginning with the mercenary captain in which he agrees to testify against Gaspard. If the Underworld Knowledge perk has been selected, an option to get his company to work for the Inquisition appears. This awards Influence, Power and companion approval.
=== Return to Cullen with the information gathered ===
Head west to the locked door, turn right and loot the box. Go through the east door onto a balcony to find some gold (the balcony also serves as a safe zone where Court Approval does not drop). Then head south into Le Requiem and dispatch a small group of Venatori. 
Proceed down the stairs to encounter the final group of Venatori. Head through the northern hallway, then proceed into the next room and Choose a Lower Royal Wing Door if enough halla statuettes are held. Each door requires five halla statuettes and both doors can be opened (if you've gathered and saved ten of the eleven halla statuettes in the Winter Palace, even though the quest text by the doors suggests otherwise). 
Head back and turn right, open the door and continue into a larger courtyard. Take a right and head through the north door into the kitchen, which contains the final supply cache. The room to the west ("Dining Room") has 2 small loot chests. There is a short dead-end hallway by the west-most chest that is a safe zone for Court Approval. Go back out through the kitchens and straight across the courtyard. Open the door, turn left, go up the stairs and loot the footlocker. Go straight back and the doors will activate a cutscene.
=== Confront Grand Duchess Florianne ===
The scene begins as Cullen asks the Inquisitor what they should do:
* I'll talk with Florianne. (Publicly expose the duchess' crimes to the court, avoiding further bloodshed.)
:* Requires Court Approval of 85 or greater
:* Necessary to gain the Belle of the Ball achievement
:* Boss battle with Florianne is skipped.
* Detain the duchess. (Save Celene's life, then deal with the duchess.)
:*Leads to boss battle with Florianne
* Wait for Florianne to attack. (Allow the empress to die before dealing with the duchess.)
:*Leads to boss battle with Florianne
Each decision results in different companion approval outcomes.
If choosing to fight Florianne, see Florianne de Chalons (strategy).
=== Denouement ===
Following the confrontation with the Grand Duchess and after deciding the fate of Orlais' throne, a new scene plays as Morrigan informs the Inquisitor that she has been named the Imperial liaison to the Inquisition.
If a romance is being pursued, the Inquisitor's love interest will join them on the balcony. Accepting the offer of a dance will result in approval (not applicable to advisors, of course). If there is no love interest or they were not brought to the Winter Palace, Josephine will come out to talk.
If Sera is the Inquisitor's love interest, then this approval can only be obtained before the finale while Sera is still in the ballroom: a dialogue option suggests that the couple dance together, an offer which Sera declines humorously.
The scene then moves to Skyhold, and Leliana and Cassandra's future is discussed, after which the quest completes.
== Endings ==
Regardless of a boss battle occurring, the final sequence of the quest involves a series of cutscenes and dialogue choices which decide the fate of Orlais' throne.
=== Celene rules alone ===
:Celene can maintain her place on the throne and rule alone.
::After Florianne springs her trap, the Inquisitor must:
::# Keep Celene alive.
::# Reveal evidence of Gaspard's crimes to the Empress ("Gaspard was planning a coup.")
=== Celene and Briala rule together ===
:Celene and Briala's relationship can be reconciled. Celene will maintain her place on the throne with Briala's support. Briala is given the title of Marquise.
::The Inquisitor must:
::# Retrieve the elven locket from Celene's vault. This is found in the Servant's Quarters/Grand Apartments (upper level) by opening a halla door that requires three halla statuettes.
::# Speak with both Briala and the Empress's ladies-in-waiting in the main ballroom and show them the locket. This leads to a cut scene involving the Inquisitor and the Empress.
::# Keep Celene alive.
::# Give Briala partial credit for rooting out the assassins ("Briala helped stop Florianne.")
::# Use the gathered evidence against Gaspard and accuse him of treason (and)
::# Request that Briala be rewarded ("What about Briala's reward?")
=== Public truce ===
:All three leaders can be blackmailed and forced into a public truce.
::The Inquisitor must:
::# Enter the Empress's Private Quarters (which requires five halla statuettes) and convince the naked soldier to testify against her.
::# Retrieve blackmail material on Briala.
::# Retrieve blackmail material on Gaspard.
::# Have at least 85 Court Approval (any lower and Celene will dismiss your accusation as "histrionics").
::#Keep Celene alive.
::#Try to force the three leaders to a truce ("All of you are at fault.")
=== Gaspard rules alone ===
:Gaspard can become emperor and rule alone.
::The Inquisitor must:
::# Allow Celene to be assassinated
::# Use blackmail material to discredit Briala and support Gaspard.
=== Gaspard and Briala rule ===
:Gaspard can become emperor, with Briala pulling the strings from the shadows.
::The Inquisitor must:
::# Allow Celene to be assassinated.
::# Use blackmail material to force Gaspard to submit to Briala.
== Companion approval ==
=== Main quest ===
Ballroom
* Inquisitor to Sera: How are you fitting in?
:* If the Inquisitors Court Approval is 60 or lower - 
:* If the Inquisitors Court Approval is 61 or higher - 
Guest Garden
* Inquisitor to Dorian: Thank you for coming.
* If the Inquisitor is in a romance with Dorian: We should dance (repeatable)
Royal Quarters
* To the naked soldier in Celene’s bed:
** I need you to testify. 
** You can stay here. (repeatable)
* Come work for me. (Recruiting the mercenary captain), 
Confront Grand Duchess Florianne
* I'll talk with Florianne. (Publicly expose the duchess' crimes to the court, avoiding further bloodshed.), , , 
:* I will execute her myself. (Kill the duchess.), , , , 
:* Take her away. (Give the Duchess to the guards.), , , , , 
* Detain the duchess. (Save Celene's life, then deal with the duchess.), , 
* Wait for Florianne to attack. (Allow the empress to die before dealing with the duchess.), , , , , 
=== Endings ===
Celene rules alone
* Briala is an accomplice. (Gaspard executed. Implicate Briala as well.)
* (Special) No, spare Gaspard's life. (Try to convince Celene to let Gaspard live.) (Requires sufficient Court Approval), , (Cole greatly disapproves even If he is not in the party)
Celene and Briala rule together
* Briala helped stop Florianne. (Use the evidence gathered about Gaspard to support Briala.)
* What about Briala's reward? (Gaspard executed. Attempt to reconcile Celene and Briala.), 
* Reconciliation successful, , 
Public truce
* All of you are at fault. (Try to force the three leaders into a truce.)
* Celene: You made your point.
:* Work together for Orlais., , , 
:* You've been outplayed., , 
:* You work for me now., , 
Gaspard rules alone
* Gaspard will be emperor. (Use the blackmail material to discredit Briala and support Gaspard.), , , , , 
Briala rules through Gaspard
* Briala can take over. (Use blackmail material to put Briala in power.), , , 
== Divine Election ==
=== Empress Celene Assassinated ===
* Gaspard and Briala rule together: Leliana +5, Cassandra -5, Vivienne -10
* Gaspard rules alone: Cassandra +10, Vivienne -1
=== Empress Celene Alive ===
* Public truce: Cassandra +1, Vivienne -5
* Gaspard executed: Vivienne +1
* Gaspard spared: Leliana +1, Vivienne +5
 
== Rewards ==
=== Optional ===
Completing "Montbelliard's Ring" yields:
* 128 XP
* Influence 80
Completing "Even Gilded Walls Have Ears" yields:
* 128 XP
* Influence 80
Recruiting one of the unnamed nobles as an agent (Guest Garden):
* Influence 100
* Power 1
* Does not contribute to Inquisition perks
Recruiting the mercenary captain as an agent (Royal Quarters):
* Influence 100
* Power 1
* Does not contribute to Inquisition perks
=== Main quest ===
Finding the cylinder seal yields:
* 128 XP
* Influence 80
Closing the rift yields:
* 967 XP
* Influence 200
* Power 2
(Optional) Killing Florianne yields:
* ~5,500 XP
Awarded upon quest completion:
* 9,875 XP
* Influence 3,200 
* Power 4
== Results ==
* Stability is brought to Orlais with the conclusion of the civil war.
* Grand Duchess Florianne or her remains will be judged in Skyhold.
* Morrigan is named Imperial Liaison to the Inquisition and moves to Skyhold.
* The operation A Favor Returned becomes available if Celene rules alone.
** Reconciliation for Celene and Michel is unlocked.
** Influence 60
* The operation A Gift from the Imperial Palace becomes available if Celene and Briala reconcile.
** Reconciliation for Celene and Michel is unlocked.
** Amulet of Power (Inquisitor)
* The operation An Invitation from the Emperor becomes available if Gaspard rules alone.
** Restoring Michel de Chevin's Honor is unlocked.
** Influence 60
* The operation A Whisper from Behind the Throne becomes available if Briala is in power pulling Gaspard's strings.
** Restoring Michel de Chevin's Honor is unlocked.
** 
== Notable items ==
=== Main quest ===
Loot the Secret Study in the Grand Library to find:
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Dropped by the Harlequin in the Grand Apartments:
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Complete the main quest and receive:
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=== Conditional ===
Inside the left Lower Royal Wing halla door:
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Inside the right Lower Royal Wing halla door:
:
In a small chest in the Guest Garden, behind the Lower Garden door (requires 3 Halla Statues):
:
Inside Celene's Vault:
:
Killing Florianne yields:
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Publicly shame Florianne and hand her to the guards or have her executed by the Inquisitor to receive (these are in addition to all other outcomes):
:
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If Celene rules uncontested receive (Gaspard must be spared):
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Install Gaspard on the throne to receive (Celene must be assassinated):
:
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Install Briala as puppet master over Gaspard to receive (Celene must be assassinated):
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Reconcile Celene and Briala and have Gaspard executed to receive (no unique mask awarded):
:
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== Codex entries ==
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== Note texts ==
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== Trivia ==
* Most of the quest names in the main plot refer to specific verses of Chant of Light. "Wicked eyes and wicked hearts" refers to the Canticle of Silence 3:6.
* If Blackwall is brought for the quest, he will be found conversing with a noble who thinks he recognizes Blackwall from a Lord Rudalt de Lancre's company of soldiers. 
* If she is brought along, Vivienne mentions that there are six members of the Council of Heralds present, and that the seventh is "indisposed," further complicating negotiations. Her personal quest–which cannot be unlocked until Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts has been completed–reveals that her deathly ill lover, Duke Bastien de Ghislain, was the head of the Council of Heralds, and was likely indisposed due to his illness. 
* There are three dwarven emissaries in the Vestibule who mention House Helmi is trying to mount an expedition to Amgarrak, but House Dace is blocking the expedition into the thaig. They also express concerns about the flow of lyrium in Minrathous.
* If the Hero of Ferelden is a dwarf and survived, the same three dwarves are wondering about the disappearance of Paragon Brosca/Aeducan.
* There is a krogan head in the trophy room. This is a reference to the game series Mass Effect.
* In the Fumeur section, one of the nobles is trying to figure out classic puzzles such as Knights and Knaves, the Tower of Hanoi, Fox, Goose, Beans and the Riddle of the Sphinx.
* Everyone in the Winter Palace except the servants, the Inquisitor, and their companions and advisors, wears a mask as proper Orlesians do. This is particularly noticeable with respect to Vivienne, who does wear a mask when the Inquisitor first meets them, but not here.
== Bugs ==
* After the announcements and speaking to Celene for the first time, the Inquisitor bows. Leliana can be seen down the stairs with Cullen and Josephine (if you wait out and don't rush into cutscene, you'll see them approaching after you, in the actual cutscene you can see Leliana coming right beside the Inquisitor). When the Inquisitor turns to the left to leave, Leliana has miraculously appeared at the top of the steps. 
** In the Game of the Year Edition, she moves up the lower stairs, passes round Gaspard to go up, then reappears with Cullen and Josephine, then she's back at the top of the stairs.
* If you free the naked soldier in the Empress' bedroom using the hush up option, you may experience a random court approval drop message, but court approval does not change.
* After completing the quest, even if the Inquisitor choses to have all 3 parties work together, Leliana may comment that Celene is "rooting out the last of Gaspard's supporters" when asked for any updates at Skyhold.
* Be careful when moving between the Vestibule and the Grand Ballroom as it is possible for the door's destination to change to the room you're already in if you get too close, causing the game to never leave the loading screen or an exceptionally long loading time. The same problem exists with the door between the Vestibule and the Royal Wing.
* If the Inquisitor uses necromancy in the Harlequin fight, the cut-scene required for progression may not trigger.
** The work-around is to enable friendly fire (settings -> gameplay -> friendly fire) and AOE any of the raised opponents to death.
** Or, use Spirit Mark to instantly kill all raised spirits.
* While in the Ballroom after being introduced to Celene, if the Inquisitor asks Vivienne if there is anything to look out for, she will comment on Cole behaving even more strangely than usual, even if Cole is not in the party.
* When the American-accented female inquisitor is in a romance with Solas, her voice may become male when asking him to dance. This mod corrects this mistake.
* When coming and going from the vestibule and ballroom, the door may be labeled as both "Vestibule" and "Grand Ballroom." Rotate the camera and the position of the Inquisitor to get the correct label to appear. If entering the door when labeled as the same room you're in, the game will take a long time loading, and you'll reappear in the same room.
* When being introduced in the ballroom in the beginning of the mission, if you stop before going up the stairs and look up to the right, you will see another Leliana standing on the other side of the railing, standing in the same position as the Leliana next to Cullen and Josephine, that you can highlight if you put your cursor over her.
* In the garden area, the minstrel sings songs translated into French, but the captioning remains localized.
* The approval drop in off-limit areas can be avoided by quicksaving and quickloading rapidly - as reloading the game resets the countdown of the approval drop.
* Side quests involving the halla statuettes may become permanently stuck on the side of the screen where active quests are shown even after progressing beyond the Winter Palace.
* Sera can be asked to dance by a female Inquisitor even if not in a romance with her.
* If the player saves and reloads after the first bell has rung, the second bell may not ever trigger.
* If Varric is brought along, Codex entry: Council of Heralds will be unobtainable.
== Gallery ==
Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts Journal.png|
Winter Palace Front Garden Map.png|Winter Palace Exterior Garden Map
Winter Palace Exterior Upper Balcony Map.png|Winter Palace Exterior Upper Balcony Map
Winter Palace Lower Level Map.png|Winter Palace Lower Level Map
Winter Palace Main Level Map.png|Winter Palace Main Level Map
Winter Palace Servants Quarters and Grand Apartments Main Level Map.png|Winter Palace Servants Quarters and Grand Apartments Main Level Map
Winter Palace Servants Quarters and Grand Apartments Upper Level Map.png|Winter Palace Servants Quarters and Grand Apartments Upper Level Map
Winter Palace Upper Level Map.png|Winter Palace Upper Level Map
Category:Dragon Age: Inquisition main quests
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