I'm pretty sure there's no other way to get Connor to like you, but it's been a while since I wrote it, and I don't quite recall. Connor's an asshole, though, so I wouldn't feel too broken up about him disliking me if I were you, haha.
As for the other question, there's actually a little bit of trivia behind that: I was originally going to have a possible ending where, if one or more of the monarchs didn't approve of you, you'd die mysteriously a few weeks after your coronation. I ended up cutting it because I didn't think it fit the tone of the game, but the dialogue for the ball had already been written, so all of the offensive/careless choices were left in. The only remnant of this original plan that's left is some of the monarchs will have different expressions when they crown you, depending on how they feel about you.
Thank you for your curiosity and kind words! I'm always happy to get the chance to talk more about my games.