Checking her letter of invitation again, and then the time, Adriwyn nodded to herself and knocked at the shop door before quietly testing the latch. Finding it open, she made her way inside, looking about, taking in the lovely displays of the seamstress’s work even as she made sure of the exits and the best paths out of ingrained habit.

She turned as she heard the noblewoman descending the stairs, her breath catching at seeing her again. She’d managed to forget just how beautiful she found Adonya to be, and she was suddenly feeling the awkward, bashful waif she’d been. ‘Too late to turn and run now, girl! Steady your nerves!’ She smiled as she was greeted, and looked down at what she was wearing, feeling even less like the sort of lady she was supposed to be now.

‘I… umm… Thank you, m’lady, for your invitation. I… well, you can see that I’m… I’ve not been dressed up to the standards of what you produce.’ She flushed, silently damning once again her pale complexion that showed even the slightest tinge. ‘That was partly… I used to be covered in scars, m’lady, and people don’t much like to see the sort I had. But that’s been… fixed. And, well, I’d certainly like to be a suitable advertisement for your talents. I… I don’t know how to judge what would look good on me, and, well… I’m sure you do. As long as… well, it’s not made of mithril or gold or something, I can probably afford it, and I… I’m tired of looking so shabby. You pick what you think I should be in, m’lady. Just… keep in mind my jobs include guarding, so I need to be able to both hide and get to weapons….’

The seamstress had, of course, tried at various times to get a word in edgewise, but Adri’s nervousness had got her through blurting that out almost in a single breath, and she finally stopped, looking sheepish, and nervous, as she waited to see what creations the lady had for her.