The shift from strange pastel nowhere that bleeds like watercolors left in the rain to actual concrete space is a jarring one, and Allura's staff is in her hand before her surroundings have a chance to properly register. It's the scent of the flowers that sink in first, entirely alien, but calming nonetheless. She turns a slow circle, evaluating her surroundings, the graceful beauty of the garden and the bright song of the birds. It feels peaceful, a place of rest and comfort, and after a moment spent carefully weighing her options, she secures the staff back in its harness.

It's still there if she needs it - she's nowhere near certain this place is as peaceful as it appears - but carrying it openly seems an unnecessary escalation when she hasn't been offered any actual threat.

She makes her way along the path and across the lake, making her way from stone to stone with the unhesitating ease of someone well aware of her own body, the length of her stride and the uncertainty of her balance. By the time the pagoda comes into view, she's started to wonder at the emptiness of the garden - surely such a place is meant to be enjoyed - but one look at the woman in the pagoda's center banishes those questions. She may be entirely unfamiliar with the woman's mode of dress, but she'd been raised amongst royalty, and she knows the bearing when she sees it.

She inclines her head in a gesture of respect, and searches the corners for guards in her peripheral vision. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting."