One
Rose
PAST
"The king has called for you!"
The shout came from outside her door, but Rose had known it was coming. She’d only been training to be a priestess for a few months, but she had noticed the smile on the king's face every time he'd seen her.
King James was in love with her—or at the very least, in love with what she could do for him. All because Rose was the prettiest girl here. She was the most charming acolyte, capable of convincing anyone to fall under her spell. Well, that was what she liked to think.
Her sister didn't agree with her. But Astrid always liked to remind her of her own failings. Rose was too small. Her magic hadn't made itself known yet. She was still learning how to be a priestess, and she should keep her eyes down when the king walked into the room. She was inviting problems to their sanctuary if she didn't learn her place.
Wasn't this proof that Astrid was wrong? In just a few months, Rose had already caught the attention of the king himself. She was more than ready, while her sister wanted to hold her back.
Rushing to the door, she threw it open to see the wide-eyed stare on her best friend's features. Cassandra was a tall, lithe woman with dark hair and a thirst for adventure. They had bonded when they’d lied for each other in the kitchen at midnight. No priestess was supposed to be out of her room at night. All the girls were meant to be locked away, safely tucked into bed while the rest of the guards roamed.
Not Cassandra or Rose, though. They both had snuck out of their beds in the middle of the night, catching each other as they’d gone on a hunt for sweets.
Now, they were the best of friends. After all, lying to their High Priestess meant they both shared a secret.
Cassandra wore the usual white gown of the acolytes. It was shapeless, boxy, and did nothing for their figures. But they were surrounded by other women at all times, so why did it matter?
Rose gestured for her friend to come into the room, looking around the hallway for anyone else before closing the door. "The king?"
"I overheard the high priestesses talking. They want you to come with them to meet him!"
Rose glanced around her dull room, every sense vibrating with anticipation of her future. The king himself wanted to see her, and here she was, living in a dungeon like this.
All the acolyte rooms were the same. The wooden walls and wooden floors always seemed to leech the light, turning everything just slightly yellow. Her cot was nothing special, and covered with a pale white blanket that had seen better days. The closet in the corner was full of the same kinds of dresses that Cassandra was wearing, and there was nothing Rose could do tomake them more interesting. She had come here with nothing, after all. Only one dirty dress that she had tried to keep clean, even though Astrid always reminded her that the more she scrubbed, the faster holes would be worn through it.
"What am I going to wear?" she asked, looking at Cassandra as though her friend might be able to help her. "The white dresses... None of them are worthy of the king.”
It wasn’t like they gave acolytes the gowns the priestesses wore, though she wished they would.
The fully trained priestesses, the ones who would soon serve the noble lords of this kingdom, were always so beautiful. Their dresses were made of silk and pearls, so luxurious they would have fed an entire village if a single one of those dresses was sold.
The priestesses were stunning and beautiful, and they were everything that Rose wanted to be. Everything she would be. No matter how long it took her, she was going to be just as stunning as them. She was going to be a priestess, and if she played her cards right, she would serve the king himself.
"We can't steal you a dress this late, so come here." Cassandra shoved her toward the cot and then started finger-combing her hair. "At the very least, you can't show up to see the king with hair full of tangles. We're going to get all these pretty gold locks looking perfect for him."
Rose always got complimented on her hair. Even though she and her sister had been orphans on the street just a few months ago, Rose had grown her hair out for years. It was nearly to her waist now, long and shimmering in the light. She knew it was her best feature. So she let Cassandra comb it all the way down her back.
Cassandra whispered because there were already footsteps coming down the hall toward them. "What do you think it wasthat made him want you?" she whispered. "You're younger than all of us."
Maybe that was the reason. Rose had only just turned eighteen last week. Some men liked the younger women, and she honestly didn't care if that was the reasoning. Working for the king would put her in a position higher than anyone else. She'd finally be important. Finally someone who mattered, not just the street urchin begging for food.
The door to her room opened, and the High Priestess walked in. She was a stern woman with sharp features and raven-black hair that was pulled back into a high ponytail. Like all the other women of her station, she wore a gown that was stunning to behold. Although hers was not as revealing, it was still hand-stitched with roses that stretched up from the floor over maroon fabric that looked like blood. Tucked at her waist, it made her look like a warrior heading into battle.
"Cassandra," the High Priestess snapped. "Should you not be in your own bedroom?"
Her friend worked through one last tangle before scampering away. "As you wish!"
But as Cassandra slipped out the door, she leaned back into the room and shot Rose a wink. A good luck wish. Together, good things had always happened to them. It was part of who Rose was.
She had good luck, Astrid always said. Rose always knew how to get out of trouble.
"The king wishes to see you." The High Priestess looked annoyed by the fact. Her face was scrunched, her nose wrinkled, and her brows drawn down. Clearly she did not like the idea of someone like Rose getting a private audience with the king.
