The ballroom is stacked. Instruments are being compiled in the wings and the servants are polishing the floors. Hadrian looked down over a master balcony at the hastening progress. He was awoken early by a hand maid who delivered a message from his father.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Have Hadrian watch over the progress. We don't want anything going awry; see to it that he is on alert.</span><br/><br/>Well, here he was. Tired and uninterested in the proceedings. Honestly he didn't want to be here. The ball would be fun, definitely. But he had no desire to watch servants wash floors and prepare for the evening's festivities. He just wanted it to happen already. As the evening drew on towards dusk, guests began to arrive. First a group of nobles from the mining estates. After them, the land owners. Commoners were arriving in dispersed groups; they were directed seamlessly towards a common area. It was a sign of peace when nobles and commoners mingled together, so conceptually, this was a good idea.<br/><br/>But it could be better.<br/><br/>The bad reputation that stemmed from his royal house was sure to discourage many from attending. Tired though he may be, he would be sure to try and promote relationships between his family and others. If he could just make sure that people saw<span style="font-style: italic">him</span>as an ally...perhaps in the future he could use that to change people's thoughts.<br/><br/>It was some time later that Hadrian was getting ready for the ball. Maria had set out appropriate dress garb along with a beautifully decorated mask that would cover his face well. Smiling he picked up the mask and brushed his hand across the designs. "Thank you." he said to an empty room. Hadrian dressed quickly, and straightened his hair as best he could. Once fully clothed, he made his way out from his upper leveled room down to the reception area below. Part of his duty, of course, was to keep a look out for this strange girl. He couldn't imagine why a girl who was so sought after would ever dream of appearing here, but his father assured him that she was one for extravagant occasions. Only time could tell.