The invitation came the next day, shortly before breakfast. Elisa brought it in quietly, setting the folded parchment beside Giselle's plate.
"From Dame Pauline, Your Majesty."
Giselle unfolded the parchment. The handwriting was steady, neat, and unmistakably formal.
Lysara, seated nearby, paused and leaned over to look at the letter from her embroidery. "Oh, that old woman has some nerve, writing you like she didn't cause chaos just yesterday."
Her Majesty is invited to tea at the Dame's chambers at her earliest convenience. I trust she will not deny an old woman the chance to correct herself.
The lady-in-waiting scoffed. "Correct herself? That woman wouldn't know humility if it bit her."
Giselle folded the note again. "If I refuse, it will look like I'm sulking."
"She insulted your mother yesterday," Lysara said, leaning forward. "And you. That didn't seem like a misunderstanding to me, it was a deliberate attack or maybe a strange test she took too far."
