AZALEA

The four of us were seated on a long table, waiting for our dinner to be served. The maids quietly attended to our needs and asked for anything we need in particular. Or if we had problems with the dishes they served. They were polite but kept their distance from the table once everything was meticulously organized.

Tonight's dinner was beefsteak covered with garlic mushroom sauce, Caesar salad, bread, some fruits and mushroom soup. Vases of roses and candles resting on golden stands were displayed on the table. It should elicit a romantic atmosphere but this dinner was awkward for the four of us.

When the maids left, we silently ate our fill. But Lady Candice could no longer keep her silence. She put her fork and knife gently down after a few bites and turned to me with a stern look. Her gray eyes narrowed at me which I quickly noticed since I settled across her.

"Lady Azalea, this may sound that I'm crossing my limits, invading your privacy, but I want to know and I can no longer hold my tongue. What's your real relationship with the Prince? And why didn't you inform us beforehand that you are one of the candidates?" Her black her shimmered under the grandiose lights of the chandelier just above the long table. Her gray eyes carefully studied me.

I intently stared back at her and sighed. I could feel that she had all the intention to win this selection. I could tell from her sternness that she won't give up just because I had that 'special relationship' with the Crown Prince. She was serious.

Even the two ladies put down their forks and knives and turned to me, waiting for my answer. They also casted some curious looks upon me. But not as fierce as Lady Candice. These two seemed careful and reserved. Or maybe they chose not to join the war and just wait on the sidelines until one of us was defeated. It was an efficient way of winning a war without even lifting a hand and exerting much effort.

"We don't have that kind of relationship. I'm not really sure why I am here. I only had a little argument with the Crown Prince when he fitted his suits. I thought he just wants to punish me when a Royal Decree arrived on our house. It was an unexpected turn of events. I never wished for this to happen," I answered honestly. "I actually don't understand the Crown Prince."

"Why didn't you tell us then? We were very surprised when we saw you at the salon," Lady Jaera insisted with scrunched brows.

"I thought I could convince the Crown Prince to retract the royal decree?" I answered with uncertainty.

"But the Crown Prince clearly favors you," Lady Shirdine said, almost quietly.

I shrugged. "I really can't tell. Maybe he's just testing the three of you. Or testing me. I don't trust a heartbreaker. He's still a heartbreaker," I said as if I was also convincing myself that I must not trust him.

"Then why don't you just quit?" Lady Candice intently studied my face.

I sighed. Maybe I was really a threat to them. I couldn't blame them. It was the Crown Prince's fault. "I can't. I must finish the trials. According to the queen. Or I'll die. I don't want to die. Not yet."

The three ladies turned silent.

I smiled a little to wash away the awkward tension between us. "And being a Crown Princess doesn't really suit me. I prefer being a seamstress or a designer. I'm not here to compete. I just hope we can all make it through the trials–without breaking our hearts. Alive. Even if we aren't selected. What's important is that we're alive."

I continued eating. But the three ladies were still wary of my existence. They were uncomfortable that I joined the selection. Well, we couldn't trust each other's words after all. I also doubted my own words.

~~~

It was almost midnight but I couldn't sleep while standing on the balcony, staring at the dead rose garden. Because of the unsettling feeling, I went down and took my time to stroll at the dead garden. It was at the back of the Ruby Palace which was overlooking from my room. The moon was silvery full on the starry night sky. Few nightingales flew from trees-to-trees, maybe looking for a perfect place to rest and lightly sing.

When I turned to the dry and dead unruly rose shrubs, I grimaced. Why didn't they just remove this garden? I also noticed the long thorns on the entangled shrubs. Those thorns looked sharp. The garden was like a maze so I decided to walk for a while to clear my head and maybe wished to find sleep. The dried leaves were crisps underneath my feet.

This dead rose garden seemed to be a forgotten and an abandoned place. Lonely and alone. And I felt bad for this place that I unconsciously extended one hand on the rose's dead stem and accidentally pricked my finger with a sharp thorn. I winced from the pain of my bleeding finger.

My sight turned blurry and I suddenly saw some unfamiliar images before my eyes.

She was mesmerized by the beauty of the big, red roses in front of her. The garden was lively and full of flowers. She got lost in the palace and ended up in this place, wearing a maid's ragged dress. Her hands were not used to working but she was a spoil of war, thus she became a slave and was forced to be a maid in the palace. She actually had a better life than the other slaves who survived the war and was sent to the noble families.

She intently stared at the big roses as red as her unruly hair which was already losing its shine and smoothness. She couldn't fight the temptation to touch it so she wanted to pick a flower for herself but her fingers were pricked by its thorns.

She winced from pain and withdrew her hands away from the roses. Her blood was caught on the thorn and stems. She unconsciously sucked the blood from her wounded fingers when a voice interrupted her.

"Did you hurt yourself?" A man's voice asked, which sounded a little worried. He gracefully walked towards her, unbothered that she was just a lowly palace maid.

Horrified, she whipped to face him, only to see a well-dressed man. She noticed the royal family crest on his clothes so she immediately hid her bleeding fingers behind her and slightly bowed her head. She was uncertain which royal family member this man was.

"It's nothing, Y-your Royal Highness," she stammered. Uncertain if she got his position right. He seemed young to be the King. He had a gorgeous face with golden brown hair and blue eyes. And she didn't think the King had the free time to visit this garden so she assumed the man was a Prince.

The man chuckled a little. "Guess, you're new here."

She nodded timidly.

"Hmmm. Your blood is on this rose's stem. You're probably hurt. Do you like roses that much?" he gently asked.

She didn't dare to meet his eyes but she nodded. She felt guilty that she tried to steal a rose from the royal garden. Maybe she would be punished for it.

"My mother used to tend to these roses. This was her garden. But she already passed away. I visit this place from time to time."

She felt him move and when she secretly glanced on what he was actually doing, he cut a rose from its stem.

He offered a rose to her. "Here. This is for you."

She blushed and frantically shook her head. "I won't dare to accept this rose, Y-Your Royal Highness."

"Lift your head and look at me," he ordered.

She felt that she would be scolded for some reasons. Despite her hesitation, she lifted her head and faced him.

He was smiling gently at her. It was unexpectedly warm and comforting.

"Accept this rose. I'm giving this to you," he said and extended his hand. She had no choice but to accept it with trembling hands.

"Thank you, Y-Your Royal Highness."

"You had a very beautiful hair. This is the first time I see you here. What's your name?" he asked with curious blue eyes.

She blushed due to his unexpected compliment. "Celeste. My name is Celeste, Your Royal Highness."

"Celeste... that's a pretty name. Just like its owner."

She blushed despite knowing that it didn't mean anything special. She thought he was just being courteous.

I didn't know what happened. I was caught in this illusion as if all these images were real and did happen. I was absorbed in these images when I heard a familiar voice that brought me back to reality.

"Hey, did you hurt yourself, Lady Azalea?"

I instinctively whipped my head to his direction. This feeling was somewhat familiar like deja vu. Prince Dion walked to me with scrunched eyebrows. "It's already late. You should be sleeping by now. You still have classes tomorrow."

He extended his hand and held my bleeding finger which was still frozen mid-air. "Careful. These shrubs are sharp and thorny." He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and carefully dried the blood from my finger. I was still a bit disoriented that I let him do these things. What was those images?

Prince Dion stared at me. "What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" He grinned from ear to ear.

I frowned and withdrew my hand from him when I realized what was happening. "What are you doing here? I thought you can't meet with the candidates outside their schedule?"

"This is just a coincidence. I just feel like visiting this place. I didn't know you're here," he answered.

"Why would you visit a dead garden?" I asked with a raised brow.

"I used to play here and hide here when I was little. I mean, the garden was still alive and beautiful back then. The caretaker just died and then this place was slowly forgotten since no one lives in the Ruby palace unless there was an ongoing selection. And this garden was protected by our ancestor's royal orders so no one can claim this garden as their own."

"What order?"

"This garden was solely dedicated to his concubine, a hundred years ago, and no one was allowed to own this and tend to this except for the garden's assigned caretaker. But unfortunately, she already died of old age."

I scrunched my eyebrows. So who was the caretaker? The red-haired maid? Why did I suddenly assume that the images I saw was real? I shook my head. Maybe I was just hallucinating. Maybe I should just sleep.

"Please excuse me. I will take my leave now, Your Royal Highness," I said.

"No need to be formal when it is just the two of us. You can call me Dion," he said.

I frowned. "We're not that close."

He chuckled heartily. "Really? The Queen will definitely be thrilled when she discovered this clandestine meeting."

"This is a coincidence not a clandestine meeting. Don't talk like I'm having some illicit affairs." I turned my back from him.

He chortled heartily as I walked away.

"Good night, my lady. Have a sweet dream."

***