"Oh, honey, no. If you want to wear green, go a few shades paler. That's a manly color," came a voice from the other side of the table.
Victoria Heidrich, noblelady of Feirja, was in her element. The marketplace was her favorite, especially the shops and vendors selling fine clothing and fabrics. She came at least once a week, as time allowed, so she could be up to date on all the newest fashions and trends and imports, and today was such a day. There she stood, sifting through bolts of brilliant jewel-toned silks that she assumed were quite expensive. (She never paid for it herself, but rather let her escorts sort that out.) However, the woman's plight had caught her attention.
One didn't need words to understand what was going on. Her body language was just radiating discomfort. But what had drawn Victoria's attention first was the woman herself, because Victoria hadn't even realized she was a woman at first! Not with those clothes! And that hair!
Clicking her tongue and shaking her head ruefully, she bustled around the table, deep indigo skirts swishing. Her own dress was simple but stylish, with a bodice that pushed up her cleavage and pinched in her waist, and long, belled sleeves. A fur cap completed the look, her thick red hair spilling around her shoulders and down her back in wild curls. She'd even painted her face; it may have been a simple errand, but she always liked to look her best in any situation!
She came to a stop in front of the woman, while the two guards escorting her remained near the back of the shop, watching on in amusement. Tilting her head this way and that, Victoria studied the woman's face, then swept a look over her from top to bottom and back. It was an effort to hide her dismay.
"Oh, my. You really have done a number on yourself, ducky," she murmured, tapping her chin. With a shake of her head, she grabbed up a bolt of pale green fabric and held it up next to the woman's face, squinting as she studied her, before she set it down and grabbed a different shade. "But that's okay. We aren't all born with the knowledge of these things, and it's nothing that can't be salvaged. Now tell me, what sort of event are you buying for?"