[Heh. If you hadn't put the note in, I'd have made the child Luna anyways, and then apologise to you for god modding. Fits in with my plans perfectly]
It was Luna's fault really. She had been that excited about actually being here, she had plain forgotten to look ahead of her. Presently, she was sitting on her arse, legs wide, knickers on display, her little blue dress doing next to nothing to cover her. It was at least a little embarrassing, especially since some of the more immature guests saw it fit to point at her and giggle.
But when she looked up and saw who she had bumped into, 'embarrassed' didn't even begin to describe it. She had been thinking all the way through the journey how she was going to talk to the Gu'Shedal, since her habit of saying a little too much had got her into trouble in the past before. She wanted to have an air of sophistication, like her mother, combined with the hawk-eyes of Corvus. Instead of grandly introducing herself, she instead barged right into him and gave him a ticket to the upskirt show, with her as a main attraction. Combined with the blunt, thudding pain that was slowly spreading through her rump, the situation could not have been less ideal.
"I-I'm so sorry, sir. I wasn't looking where I was going" Luna stammered, humiliated. She tried to rise to her feet without causing any further trouble and actually managed to do it. "I'm fine, thank you. I've had worse"
Smooth, Luna. Make it out as though falling on your backside is a regular occurrence, that's really classy.
Still, she at least tried to salvage some dignity "I should really pay more attention to where I'm going, shouldn't I?" She laughed a little, unsure of what to say or do. She took a sudden interest in a particular patch of floor, lowering her head so her host wouldn't see the two tomatoes that had replaced her cheeks. A little part of her was saying 'Go on, talk to him. Maybe you'll hit it off". Unfortunately, that was only a really small part of her, whilst the rest of her screamed 'Sit down, shut up and try not to get noticed any more'
"I hope I didn't hurt you or anything" Luna said, genuinely concerned. "I mean, not that I think I could hurt you, but..." When she was in a pit, she just kept digging. First she looked like a klutz, now she had inadvertently insinuated that the Gu'Shedal was weak. Only the heavens knew what she was going to say next. The safest option was to go.
"I should probably go, sir. I mean, you've got much more important things to do than stand here and talk to me. Please excuse me."
"Can you see Luna, Corvus?"
"Over there, on the stairwell."
Squint. "I can't see her."
"You don't see the fifteen year old Gryph with ginger hair and a knee-length, midnight-blue dress? Oh, no..."
"What do you mean, 'oh no'?"
"You'll never guess who she's just bumped in to. Literally."
"Don't tell me she's..."
"Yes, Empress. Her skirt's hitched up and all. I can see her underthings from here."
Pause
"That elf just gave you the dirtiest look."
"So she did."
"Corvus, please be careful with what you say."
"I'm more worried about what Luna's going to say to Mundir."
"She's a big girl. She can look after herself."
"No reason why I shouldn't keep an eye out for trouble. Remember last year, at Warren's ball?"
"That was an accident."
"Still happened."
"Ugh. Sometimes I regret keeping you around."
"Must be doing something right if you still wanted to drag me along."
"Corvus?"
"Yes, Ma'am?"
"Shut up."
"Right away, ma'am."