His feet hurt.

Alistair could barely keep count of how many people he had had to dance with that evening. All of them unpleasant, way too comfortable around him for Alistair's liking and pathetically desperate.

But if he rejected them outwardly his father would be angered, so he spins his dance partner around and continues to witstand the presence of the young man. And then does the same for the next, and the next, and the next... until his dance with some foreign princess is over and he can flee to the gardens before anyone else demands his attention.

Grabbing a glass of wine on his way out, Alistair reclines on the rail and drinks as he spies on the people down in the garden. A couple sneaking out to find some hidden place, two maids gossiping about the nobles upstairs...

As the clock strucks ten Alistair finishes his third glass and walks back inside, his eyes scanning the room to look for some better company.

But as the obnoxious princess of earlier approaches him Alistair has to quickly grab the hand of a random ball guest and drag them for a dance. His hand guiding the stranger by tha waist as he uses them to hide from the princess.

"Your name, dear?" He asks as the dance begins.