Iris looked at the guard from atop her horse, "We have traveled from Titania. We discovered that goblins plan to raid the palace, and from the look of that red smoke we don't have very long to prepare. The goblins will soon be here and we must alert someone to their advance.
Please, permit us to enter."
The guard nodded and called to the gatekeeper. "Let them in! And send someone to go tell Cerys she has a visitor!" The guard's voice was distinctly feminine.
"Righty-o!" called the gatekeeper and the palace gate slowly lowered to allow them passage. By the time the gate was down a woman dressed all in black, with a red cape with a dragon insignia stood in the middle of the courtyard. Her hair was a reddish brown and her eyes were a startling blue with hourglass-shaped irises, indicating she was an incredibly powerful mage.
Riding forward, Iris stopped her horse in front of the woman. "I take it you're Cerys?"
"I am she. My name is Vivian Cerys, Captain of the Guard for the Palace of Queen Lysithe. Who might you be?" she glowered up at Iris, and then gazed at the rest of the party who still stood at the gate.