The Winter's Ball had the distinct honor of being the only celebration Andan nobility held every year. As such, it required enormous preparation. There would be a feast of the rarest and most delicious dishes, a dance attended by every lesser noble and wealthy merchant in the kingdom, and, of course, enough wine and beer to drown a small village.

Everything needed to be cleaned. Everything needed to be prepared. Then, everything needed to be cleaned again. That process, on top of the ...