Marion did her best to put aside her growing discontentment with Kasey's continued distance as she prepared for the evening. He was taking her out, something he had managed to avoid entirely during the year since their wedding.<br/><br/>She had never had high expectations when her father arranged their marriage, especially as Kasey's station prior to contributing his unique inventions to their society had been so much lower than her own. It was to be expected that he wouldn't understand what his societal duties were since his elevation. But that's what she was there to help with. She knew all of the right people to associate with, the parties to attend, the events to be seen at. She had tried so hard to arrange it so that he wouldn't be such a mystery to the world, but he managed to thwart her every effort.<br/><br/>In fact, as far as she could discern, the only thing that he had changed since marrying her was to have her join him in his home. Otherwise, he spent the majority of his time holed up in his private lab that occupied what was once the grand ballroom. As he never entertained, she had never seen any point in suggesting he find a more appropriate location for his work. Then again, it wasn't really her place. Although, she wasn't quite certain what her place in his household actually was. They shared meals and even a bed, but even then, they seemed to operate on different timetables, leaving little in the way of interaction between them. He was almost as much a stranger to her as to the rest of the world.<br/><br/>She shook her head, clearing away such thoughts. This was their first anniversary, and she had no intention of ruining whatever it was that he had planned for them to celebrate the milestone. She couldn't help but be nervous, but more than that, she was excited. She was actually a little surprised that he had made arrangements at all. He'd failed to make any observation of any of the other milestones that couples celebrate, all of which she had marked in his personal calendar.<br/><br/>Finally, she was ready. Her long red hair was pinned up in a rather elaborate up-do, gems winking from the pins and clips used to hold it up. Her gown was tasteful, as they were going out while it was still quite early, only showing a bit of leg, and a hint of cleavage, the deep green complementing the lighter jade of her eyes. Her makeup was light, used just to highlight her cheekbones, add a touch of color to her eyelids, and deepen the hue of her lips. Perhaps tonight she would finally be able to find some connection with him. Maybe now, a year after the ceremony, their marriage might become more than just a facade.