My life was upended by an invitation. One I hoped I would never receive. One I hoped my uncle would never obtain.

Soft raindrops tapped themselves against the tall green and red stained glass windows of the little dusty library where I sat. On my oak desk were multiple stacks of books. Most of which I had already memorised, yet was forced to read again. Except for the area around the grand fireplace in front of me, large dark brown bookcases lined the walls. The books upon which were all old and worn out. However, I did not mind. I took comfort in the smell of old books.

I flipped through the alchemy book in front of me, lazily reading the words, not truly taking them in. The sound of the rain, and the crackling of the fire was making me sleepy. I was tempted to shut my eyes.

Maybe just for a second. A brief nap. No one would know.

Suddenly the door flung open. I winced a little, as I heard it slam against the wall. My uncle did not knock as he barged in. He never did. This was his manor, he claimed. He could be wherever, whenever he wanted. And unfortunately for me, it seemed he wanted to be here with me.

“Finally! It’s finally here!” he shouted triumphantly as he made his way towards me. The fire illuminated his features in a way that did him no favours. He was a tall man, with sharp eyes and a straight nose. One might even call him handsome, though I would never see him that way. However, I have seen many a wistful maid long to be under his gaze. It made me shudder to think that he hid his true personality from even his own staff. If they truly knew what he was like, surely they would not see him as handsome anymore.

His hair was the same colour as mine, a deep green, a predominant trait that most members of our family had. Though where his eyes were dark green, mine were a dark red. Mother once said it reminded her of the sky in the early hours of the sunrise. I always thought it looked like dried blood.

“It’s finally here!”

“What’s here?” I asked. I was slightly annoyed at his presence, but I did my best not to show it.

“What else!? The invitation!” He announced, waving a silver envelope in front of my face. “Those fools really believed that they could delay it. Ha! They should have known better than to attempt interfering with the house of Thorn.”

There was a strange look in his eye. A mixture of malice and joy. I looked at the glistening envelope in his hands and my heart sank.

Oh. Oh no. It can’t be. Not this late! I hoped…  

“Oh? An invitation? For whom?” I asked, feigning ignorance. I bit my bottom lip and clenched my fists in an almost futile attempt to keep myself from trembling. I wanted to flee. I probably would have, if the shackle and chain tethering me to the desk hadn’t prevented me from doing so.

“For you of course, my dear child,” he spat out. I could hear the unspoken words in his sentence. The words that berated me. That called me a fool. That screamed at me, to stop pretending to be so naïve. “Did you think that maybe the invitation would be for me? That they would ask me to be a spectator? When I have two daughters of marriageable age? After all we have done to make sure you would be eligible to participate? Do you?”

I quickly shook my head.

What ‘we’ have done? I did not do anything! I was not the one keeping the prince in a state of illness until we came of age. Why is he so keen on sending his ‘daughters’ to a so called ‘competition’ where many a girl has met her death? One his own dearest sister did not wish to participate in? One she ran away from?

I had done everything I could to be the one eligible. To keep my sister out of the horrors yet to come. She was my other half. The purest of us. The best of us. I would not subject her to this. Never.

“It is a shame that your sister cannot participate. With two of you, we would have a better chance of at least one of you ascending to the throne,” he smirked angrily. “Alas, we are only allowed to send one daughter. Now.” My uncle slammed down the envelope on top of my open book. “Open it!” he commanded. He couldn’t open it himself. It was enchanted to open only to the one it was addressed to, which I could see in glittering golden letters, was unfortunately me.

“Lady Dawn Thorn”

With a trembling hand, I traced my finger along my name. As I did, gold etchings burst out from underneath it, framing my name beautifully in golden spirals and leaves.

“Well!? Don’t dally girl! Open it!” My uncle yelled again. Duke Bernard Thorn was usually capable of putting on a stoic face. To reign in his manic thoughts. This time, he was unable to contain himself. I sneaked a glance at him, and quickly looked away. I was horrified. His expression was turning crazed, in a manner I had not seen before.

I wanted to throw the wretched thing into the fireplace. I turned the envelope around and touched my finger to the red wax seal, imprinted with a large tree. The emblem of the Royal family. As my fingertips touched it, the tree shrunk, and the wax dissipated with it, into nothing.

I shakily inhaled, as I slid out the invitation within.

Dearest Lady Thorn,

Congratulations!

You are cordially invited to participate in the 55^th Trial of Roses.

Your presence is requested on Autumn’s final day at the Rose Palace.

Please refer to the enclosed slips of paper for further information.

May showers of blessings rain upon you,

And may you prove true, in the Trial of Roses.

I read the words with my uncle hovering over my shoulder. When I was barely done, he snatched it out of my fingers. Unperturbed, I looked into the envelope and fished out the two coloured slips of paper. One was red and the other green.

However, before I could read them, he snatched them out of my hands. He muttered as he read through them. “Well, well. It looks as though nothing has changed. It seems we do not have to change anything in your education.” He beamed as he looked at me. “Excellent. Most excellent!” Then he placed a hand on my shoulder. It was sweaty and shaking in excitement. “You must get ready to depart. You only have three days to prepare.”

“What? You promised I could spend more time with my sister soon,” I said angrily. “You said I would get a break!”

His fingers dug into my shoulder and I winced again. “Why my dear, that was before the invitation arrived. Late, may I add. You should thank me. If I did not press the matter, we may not even have an invitation. There is much to prepare before your departure.”

“I’ve prepared enough!” I spat out. “You promised me a break. That I could be with Dusk. You promised!”

He sighed and squeezed my shoulder harder. “You know, everything, EVERYTHING, I have done, has been for this family. You should be prepared to make sacrifices as well. It takes two days to reach the Garden Palaces from our duchy. If the invitation arrived sooner, I suppose you would have more time with her. Alas, it is not to be. You will memorise your current pile of books by tomorrow. Then once you are done you will practice the Test of Wisdom, once more in the Quiet Room. After that, and only after that, you may spend the remainder of the time with your sister. Understand?”

“Yes,” I muttered, biting my lip.

He gave my arm a light squeeze before releasing his grip. Then he picked up the envelope from the table. Carefully and meticulously, he slid everything back into the envelope, and placed it all into his inner jacket pocket. “I will be keeping this,” he said. “Lest you accidentally misplace it. We wouldn’t want that now, would we child?”

“No,” I muttered.

“No? No what?” he asked, his tone darkening.

“No… father,” I said, grinding my teeth at the word. I dug my fingernails into my palms.

You’re not our father. No matter how many times you make us say the word, you’ll never be our father.

“Ah, child,” he said placing his hand on my head. “Remember, this is for the best. For all of us. Once you win the trial, and become the prince’s consort, the house of Thorn will regain its rightful place. Your mother would have been so happy.”

“Yes… father,” I said, staring at the fire, flickering away in front of me.

“Good,” he said smiling. “I want you to be the first one there. You have to create the best first impression.”

“Yes father.”

“Excellent… excellent,” he muttered, with another hard squeeze of my shoulder. “I won’t keep you any further. You’ll do the house of Thorn proud. I know you will.” He then walked out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him.

I put my hands into my head and took several deep breaths, before wiping the tears away from my eyes. There was no time to cry. I looked to my pile of books.

I have to finish this. Then I’ll get to Dusk. We don’t have much time.

We only had a few days left to finalise our plans to escape.