Victoria
I grumbled as I made my way toward the carriage, irritation simmering beneath my skin. Last-minute preparations were always a nuisance, especially when they were tied to royal summons.
Why, of all things, had I been invited to the queen’s tea party?
I wasn’t friends with the queen, nor with any of the ladies who would be attending. I had always kept my distance from such gatherings, even more so now that my priorities lay elsewhere. I had far more important matters than wasting my time sipping tea and exchanging pleasantries.
What unsettled me the most was how the invitation had arrived, delivered personally by the prince. The same prince who had shown his face at Alexander’s home only a few nights ago.
The way he behaved then still didn’t sit right with me. I couldn’t shake
