Einin tried on several dresses before she settled on The One, a pretty dress done in white and violet, that came off the shoulders and showed just a hint of cleavage. Or, well, it would have if she'd had much to show, but her bodice did give it its best effort. Still, she liked the design, and it would work for a day wandering around outside. The material wasn't too heavy, and the sleeves ended at her elbows, so they wouldn't get caught on anything. Perfect faire garb, she thought!
But as she looked at herself in her mirror, she wondered if, maybe, she should change. She reached up and tugged the sleeves up to cover her shoulders, then pushed them back down, frowning as she compared. Too much? Was her neckline too low? It wasn't as low-cut as the dress she'd worn to the ball, but she still wondered at her choice. Argh! Why was she even concerned about that? It was a nice day out! It would be nice to feel the sun on her skin, and there was nothing wrong with that!
She checked her hair one final time, though she was sure it wouldn't stay in place long, for it was a little breezy out. She had spent most of her time debating what to do with her hair, whether she should pull it up and out of the way or wear it down, and had finally settled on wearing it down and loose, with a few locks pulled back into a single braid that trailed down the center. It was a simple style that had taken more time to decide on than to execute, but she thought it looked nice. Not too flashy, but not too plain, either.
Not that she cared about that or anything, of course!
"This must be a very special faire," her handmaiden commented as Einin fussed at her vanity, entering the room to collect her linens. She had finished Einin's hair half an hour ago, and looked amused to see her still debating. "I don't think I've ever seen you take so long."
"What? No way. I've taken this long before..." Einin said as she put on a simple necklace. Too much for a faire outing? She took the necklace back off. "And it hasn't been that long. I just haven't been to a faire in a while. I don't want to over or under-dress, you know. How do I look?"
"Like a lady that's going to be late if she doesn't hurry!" her handmaiden told her, and when Einin snorted, she added with a smile, "You look lovely. Now go! Master Handelaar is waiting downstairs."
"He is? How long has he been here?" Einin's pulse quickened, and she told herself it was because she didn't expect him here yet.
"I'm not sure, dear. I just glimpsed him when I was coming back here."
Einin fiddled with a lock of hair, then tossed it over her shoulder and grabbed her handbag. "Guess I better not keep him waiting, then," she said, and rolled her shoulders back like she was preparing to march into battle. Heading out her room, she trotted down the stairs, heading over to where he was and smacking him lightly on the arm with her bag in greeting.
"About time you showed."