BALLAD AND LANCE'S THREAD
The young woman at the bottom of the stairs chatting with a guard, lantern held casually in one hand, Ballad is — dressed in graceful (borrowed) silvery tunic, dramatically flared at the hips; a black belt, and black boots, and forest green britches (leggings?). Her silvery-gold hair is braided and pinned with combs of some black stone or black pearl, she’s wearing a necklace of stone and silver; quite elphin, except there’s a liveliness — a readiness, see, to be wholly in the moment — not usually associated with the starlight she's probably related to.
She turns to meet the pair who come down the stairs, curiously. And Ballad’s eyes widen because they are the most beautiful people she has ever seen in person, dear Unicorn, what what what, maybe they'll just stand still for a moment, eh? One of them she knows for Flora (from her Dad’s cards or from reputation), and the other must be one of Flora’s children mentioned by her uncle earlier.
Cue: the flash of a smile, lopsided and dazzle-bright. Gallant! "How could you interrupt when it's such a pleasure to be surprised by you? You must be my Aunt Flora! How do you do? Uncle Random said you were looking after one of your children, so you" (and here she's obviously addressing Lance again instead of Flora as before) "must be...?" Ballad sounds really very warm.
Gods, they're pretty.