The ball room was full of people, high officials, officers, anyone who was in connection with Hellsing showed.
The room was decorated exquisitely for the occasion. The marbled floor seemed to glow under the lavish chandeliers. Candles lined the towering windows on exquisite stands. The entire room was lit up with golden light.
Integra quickly got separated from Alucard as people came to talk to her. He took a spot by the staircase, and watched the party progress. He held a drink in hand, but never took a sip. No one would notice, even if they happened to notice him, which they didn't.
In the corner a small orchestra performed works from hundreds of years ago. Integra had given him choice of music. The works of Johann Pachelbel, Tomaso Albinoni, Johann Sebastian Bach, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, and Rachmaninov played faintly. Alucard quietly hummed along to every note played.
He watched as Seras conversed with the men who tried to woo her, dancing with the ones that made her smile. If only they knew.
After watching the party progress for a while he quickly became bored. He turned back to Integra across the wide room, and watched as she talked with everyone. She smiled at them, but it was forced. She looked worn, she didn't want to talk, she didn't want this party. This he knew. He wouldn't examine his master's mind for the reason she called all these humans here, but he could tell by the way she acted there was a cumbersome weight that rested on her shoulders. He pushed his thoughts into her mind, 'if you tell them now, you wouldn't have to let this drag on any longer.'
Integra jumped a bit at the sound of his voice inside her head.
"Are you alright Sir Hellsing?" said the man she conversed with.
"Yes. Quite. Thank you," she turned and looked at Alucard through a mass of people, a smirk slid across his face.