Mai chuckled softly. "Oh, yes! I am very much looking forward to seeing what everybody is wearing as well," she answered Liviana cheerfully. Other than the obvious statement about fashion that one's attire made, Mai fervently believed that clothing said a great deal about personality as a whole. "It will really be quite the experience, all of us dressed up in a room together." [i]And it will be quite an informative experience as well.[/i]

Mai was secretly relieved that her cousin, Zhou, was not scheduled to arrive at Aciras until a couple days after the ball. Other than the fact that his personality would invariably clash with Casimir's (as it had when they visited Ortha), Mai really did not relish the idea of keeping an eye on her unruly cousin for the entire ball. She could only cross her fingers and hope that he didn't cause [i]too[/i] much trouble once he did actually arrive. 

Just then, the doors to the library's ornate entrance hall burst open, and in came Mai's betrothed-Prince Niklas Konig of Konig der Welten, who had been noticeably absent at breakfast, which Mai had found to be rather peculiar. He wore jeans, a casual black collared shirt, and...was that a [i]fedora[/i]? The ensemble would have made Mai cringe slightly, if she was the type to outwardly show her feelings. [i]He looks like he came straight out of a Western magazine,[/i] she thought. [i]I...I don't see why he thought the addition of headwear was necessary. It ruins the look for him, really, especially because he's wearing jeans.[/i] Mai sighed silently. [i]I suppose it doesn't really matter. I'm just being very judgmental.[/i]

Niklas was as dramatic and as lighthearted as always, giving Mai, Fareeha, and Liviana an overdone bow and greeting everybody good naturedly. Mai smiled at Niklas, glancing up at her betrothed through lowered lashes. 

"I am doing wonderful, thank you for asking," she replied warmly, subtly readjusting her dress. She pushed a stray piece of hair behind her ear, looking down then looking back up again with a small smile. "And yes, we did indeed miss you at breakfast," Mai added with a soft laugh. "Come join us, Prince Niklas," she invited, patting the spot on the ground beside her. "We were just discussing the ball that will be held tonight. I am sure that you are just as excited as we are."