To Be A Princess (court life)

18- The Archer and The Queen

I sauntered all the way back to my bedroom where I was met by a footman conversing with Catherine. She was blushing, and he was too as they talked to each other, Catherine looking down to the floor and giggling. I smiled to myself.

"Hello Catherine, I trust you've been well in my absence?" I asked, smirking at her as she blushed an even deeper shade of scarlet. The footman looked at me as if I had three heads and I then remembered the flour coating my entire face, hair and body.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Mr..." I trailed off for him to finish the sentence.
"Thomas, Ma'am." He replied, nodding his head curtly. "And you?"
"Lady Rose, it's a pleasure to meet you." He stumbled then and nodded me a bow.
"Forgive me, your ladyship, I did not know." He stuttered and I laughed.
"Call me Rose."

He bowed again and then turned on his heel to leave.
"You like him." I stated to Catherine.
"I most certainly do not!" She defended herself and I just giggled. "He just came to deliver me a note for you." She explained.

I gave her my my tray of food and took the note from her and opened it, my eyes scanning over the contents. I had been invited for morning tea with the Queen.

"Do I have to go?" I asked Catherine as she glanced at the letter.

"You've been invited to tea with the Queen!" She exclaimed. "Of course you must go, how blessed you must feel!" She almost shouted with excitement. "Oh my, look at you. What happened? We must get you cleaned and dressed, the tea is in one hour!" She exclaimed.

"James happened." I muttered and she laughed.

"Quickly now, we must get ready!"

"But what about breakfast?"

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"Your majesty, it is yet again a great and astounding honour to converse with you." I spoke, my voice regal as I sunk into deep curtesy in front of the great Queen of my country, who also, I realised, just happened to be Theo's mother.

"The pleasure is mine, my dear." She replied, sounding far more regal than I. I'm not sure if you are aware darling, but the King has been sent word of your father's return to the palace." She informed and I became overjoyed with this new information.
"Thank you, your majesty, I was not aware of this. Do you know when we should be expecting his arrival?" I enquired, remaining posed and innocent despite my overjoyed excitement.

"I can sense your eagerness, dear one. You appear to be quite curious... not troublesome, I hope." She replied and I laughed internally as she stated this. She could read me too well.
"Me? Troublesome?" I questioned, my eyes wide with innocence.
"I like you dear, stay out of trouble." The old lady laughed, a friendly warning in her tone. I simply bowed and walked over to join Elizabeth in conversation.

"She talked to you more than she talked to any of the others." Elizabeth whispered to me and I nodded.
"She's a lovely lady." I replied, truly disinterested.

"Did you hear the gossip of the masquerade last night? They say that Lady Helena danced with the prince all night, and at the end of the night he took off his mask and confessed his love for her." She gushed. I discovered that Helena was one of the snide ladies from the drawing room my second day here.
"And who told you these rumours?" I asked.
"Why, Helena did." She answered, confused. I burst into laughter.
"Then it is not true." I laughed again.