Attached is the dress that inspired my description of Rose's festival gown, but by all means let your imagination run wild and invent your own dress in your mind! :) 

The next morning Rose walked to the kitchen to begin her work again. Mistress Eudora had agreed to let Rose only do light labor. Rose entered the kitchen door and paused when she realised the Princess Suzanna was standing there.

Mistress Eudora wore a disappointed expression on her face whilst Suzanna seemed peaceful. They turned as Rose entered the room.

"My lady," Rose curtseyed to the Princess and moved to the side of the room, expecting the two to finish their conversation. Mistress Eudora and the Princess exchanged a glance.

"Rose," Mistress Eudora called, beckoning Rose with her finger. Rose, confused, walked over to them, expecting bad news.

"How are you faring, Rose? I was sorry to hear about your injuries. How unfortunate that you were so unwell, I am glad to see you back at the castle," Princess Suzanna said kindly.

"I am well, my lady, I thank you."

"Rose, the Princess is in a predicament and wishes for you to help," Mistress Eudora explained, still not looking overly happy. Rose felt anxious as she looked at her Mistress's expression.

"Of course, Your Majesty, what can I do?" Rose asked the Princess.

"You see, my dear maidservant, Brigitte, fell pregnant and wished to marry her love. I gave her my permission to leave, I could never deny someone from being with their true love," Suzanna explained, pausing. Rose raised her eyebrows.

"That was very kind of you, my lady." A Lady's maidservant was not permitted to marry as their focus was on the satisfaction of their mistress. It was rare that a Lady would give permission for her servant to marry. Not for the first time, Rose was awed at the kindness and compassion Suzanna showed towards the servants. She was not at all arrogant like many Nobles were.

"I thank you. But now I find myself without my personal maidservant – this is my predicament, you understand. I was very fond of Brigitte and finding another lady-in-waiting who I would like as much as her seemed an impossible task. As I was wondering who I could ever consider to take her position, I realised I knew the perfect replacement," Suzanna chattered. A shocked sensation settled over Rose, she had a feeling she knew where this conversation was leading. Again she looked over at Mistress Eudora. Mistress Eudora nodded at her with encouragement, but Rose could tell she had sad eyes.

"May I ask who this replacement is, Your Highness?" Rose asked with wide eyes.

"You, of course! I should like for you to become my new lady-in-waiting, if you accept," Suzanna was smiling as she spoke. Rose did not believe her eyes could grow any wider. Now she understood why Mistress Eudora was sad. Rose would be under Suzanna's command, no longer under Mistress Eudora. They would not see each other as much. Rose had grown dearly fond of her Mistress, she was saddened at the thought of leaving her.

The Princess had made it sound like it was an offer, but Rose felt she did not have much choice or say in the matter. She had to obey the Princess. It will not be so bad, in fact I shall probably enjoy myself. Rose imagined what it would be like to be the maidservant of the Princess. She would no longer be a mere kitchenhand but an upper servant. Suzanna was kind and she knew they would be friends within a short amount of time. Rose would still be able to see Mistress Eudora and her fellow servants occasionally, and she was sure the Princess would be a kind mistress. It was a huge privilege to be asked to serve the Princess, one that she was sure many of the maids would have fought over if they could. Rose glanced over at Mistress Eudora again. Her Mistress gave one, definite nod.

"Are you certain you wish for me to work for you?"

"Of course, there is no one else nearly as perfect as you are for the position," Suzanna assured her.

"I am honoured, my lady. I thank you," Rose said as she curtseyed again. "It would be my pleasure to serve you." Suzanna clapped her hands joyfully.

"Excellent! We shall be wonderful friends. Now come, I must relieve you of your servant garments and find you something more fitting for a lady-in-waiting." The Princess turned to lead the way out of the room. She paused by the door and waited for Rose. Rose ran to Mistress Eudora and gave her a long hug. Mistress Eudora hugged her back tightly. Look after her, God, I will miss spending my days with her.

"I am very proud of you, Rose," her mistress whispered. Rose felt warm from her kind words.

"I shall miss you, Mistress Eudora."

"And I you, but we will see each other often enough. Now off with you," Mistress Eudora stated, releasing Rose and shooing her away with her hand. Rose laughed softly and left the room with the Princess.

"These were Brigitte's garments, you may wear them for now. I shall have the dressmaker take your measurements and create something new for you, but these will do for the present. They should fit, though they may be a little big," the Princess said. They were in Suzanna's room. The Princess was pulling out garments from a chest by the side of the room, heaping them into a pile on the ground.

Rose's eyes widened in awe as she glimpsed parts of the dresses. They were by no means as beautiful and extravagant as the dresses that the nobles wore, but they were as beautiful as a servant's garments could ever be. Rose was sure she had never worn such lovely clothes before.

"Here, wear this, I believe it is one of the smaller garments." Suzanna handed Rose a dress. Rose held it out before her and gasped in delight. It was a light peach colour, plain without pattern, but it had a full skirt and was made of a lovely material.

"Thank you, my lady."

"Suzanna," the Princess reminded, smiling once more.

Rose was pleased to wear something different to her usual servant's garment. She donned her new dress quickly and fastened it as tightly as she could, but even then the dress was still a little loose. Suzanna gasped when she saw Rose.

"Beautiful! You make the perfect lady's maid," Suzanna exclaimed. Rose grinned as she smoothed down her skirt and blushed at Suzanna's kind words.

Rose and Suzanna spent most of the day together. Rose sewed a tear in one of Suzanna's dressed whilst the Princess read. She cleaned and spent her time familiarizing herself with Suzanna's room as the Princess explained where everything belonged. The women spent many hours talking and bonding.

In the afternoon, Suzanna declared that she wished to spend the remainder of her day with her younger siblings and would not need Rose's service until the evening. Rose left the Princess's room with a skip in her step. Her day had been wonderful.

She was not accustomed to having much free time. The prospect of having a few hours to herself caused her to grin widely. She decided to take a walk outside. The sun was shining brightly and the sky was a clear blue without cloud. Rose headed through the halls to leave the castle. She noticed a few of the servants staring at her and whispering amongst themselves. She flushed and walked faster, keeping her eyes on the ground. News would spread that Rose had been chosen for the new position. She had no doubt that some would be jealous.

She exited the castle and breathed in a deep breath as the smell of grass filled her senses. What shall I do? She could go to the village, but the thought of going to the town knowing that Tilly was not there was too painful. She walked around the castle and headed towards the palace gardens. She had not explored the gardens before.

As she reached the entrance she noticed there were not many people around. The gardens were nearly empty and the solitude brought peace to her. A few gardeners were about, trimming at the shrubs, but they paid no attention to her as she walked down the path.

Rose was not sure she had ever seen such a beautiful place. Roses, tulips, and peonies flowered around her with bright, stunning colours. Everything was so green, not one plant seemed as though it had not been perfectly tended to. It is beautiful, Father. Rose turned down one path, exploring further into the garden. She stopped her walk when she heard a merry whistling sounding around her. Curious, she walked down another path, looking to her left and right. The whistling stopped.

"Rose!" Rose turned in a full circle as she sought the source of the deep voice. There was no one around her, she could not understand it.

"Who is there?" She called as she continued looking around.

"Up here," the voice answered with a hearty chuckle. Rose looked up and raised her eyebrows as high as they could go. It was Prince Tristan – she should have known – sitting casually in a tree. She was stunned – she could not remember the last time she had seen an adult climb a tree. She could not remember ever seeing an adult climb a tree.

"My lord, what are you doing?" She asked, amused, as she walked towards the tree he was in. It was a large oak, its branches were thick and wide and shaded her easily.

"It's Tristan," he told her as he moved from his seated position. He lowered himself from the branch and dropped down onto his feet, landing next to her easily. "I come here sometimes when I need to clear my head. It is peaceful, and, as you demonstrated, not many people notice someone in a tree," he said with a chuckle. Rose blushed and imagined how foolish she must have looked, turning around in circles as she tried to see him. "Walk with me?" He asked her, gesturing down the path. Rose hesitated for a moment then nodded her agreement. They walked together, keeping a respectable distance between them.

"I have never been to the palace gardens before. They are beautiful," Rose said, breaking the silence between them.

"Yes, they are," he agreed. "I see my sister stayed true to her words," Tristan said, pointing at Rose's new attire. Rose looked down at her dress and nodded humbly. "The dress is very nice," Tristan said, though he looked as though he wanted to say more.

"Thank you, my lord."

"Tristan," he corrected yet again. Rose flushed and made sure to stay staring at the flowers around her.

"Suzanna was very kind to think of me."

"A lady-in-waiting," Tristan whistled to himself. "A very fine position to have."

"Aye, I am grateful."

"There is a festival in a few days, had you heard?" Tristan asked her suddenly, changing the topic of conversation. Rose nodded at him but did not say anything else. "Will you be going?" He asked her curiously.

"I was intending to, though now I suppose I shall have to ask Suzanna for leave. I am not so sure if I will be able to attend."

"Suzanna will give you leave," Tristan said with a snort, laughing at something unknown.

"Will you be going...Tristan?" Rose asked nervously. Tristan hummed to himself as if he had not considered the possibility of going.

"I had not planned to. It is difficult attending any event as Royalty. Perhaps I shall have to disguise myself. If I do go I shall look for you," he finally said. Rose felt immediately flustered.

"Oh... no... that is no necessary – that is, I had not thought-" Tristan's loud laugh broke off her stammering. Rose felt her blush warm her cheeks until they felt unbearably hot.

"So easily embarrassed," Tristan noted when he had finally calmed down. "I did not mean to make you uncomfortable."

"You did not," Rose said with a smile. "Only... would you not rather spend the festivities with your friends? I am afraid I would not know how to keep the Prince entertained," she tried to explain. Tristan stopped walking and Rose turned around to look at him. Had she said something wrong?

"You are my friend, and you keep me entertained without trying." Rose's heart fluttered at his words. "But perhaps I shall be so well disguised you will not be able to recognize me!" Rose giggled at that. Tristan was tall, broad shouldered, and muscled. She was certain she would know who he was the minute she laid eyes on him.

"Or perhaps it is I that shall be disguised and you who will not be able to identify me!" Rose returned.

"Impossible!" Tristan scoffed, laughing alongside Rose. "Come, this way." Rose followed Tristan around a corner. They were in the heart of the gardens now. The Prince led her off the path and past some hedges. When he rounded a corner he came to a halt and gestured for her to look. Rose stepped past him and looked around the corner. She gasped, delighted, as she viewed the scene. They were in a closed off area, rose bushes formed a boundary. In the middle of the area was a beautiful, white fountain and a wooden garden chair. It was like a secret, hidden garden. If she had not followed Tristan off the path, Rose never would have discovered the place.

Rose walked into the garden, holding her hands up to her mouth as she viewed the charming place. It was beautiful – quaint and quiet. She released a small trickle of laughter. This was a place she only dared visit in her dreams. The fence of roses bordered the garden with vibrant, bright colours.

"This is far beyond beautiful," Rose whispered as she breathed in the scent of the water, grass, and flowers. Tristan grinned, as though pleased, and walked over to the fountain.

"It was created in memory of my mother... roses were her favourite flower," Tristan murmured softly. He had his back to her, but Rose was sure his expression was sad. Rose walked over to his side and looked up at him. Tristan did not turn away, instead he stared at the water in the fountain. His jaw was clenched and his eyes masked.

"Do you miss her?" Rose asked gently. Tristan swallowed and moved his gaze so he could look at her.

"Time takes away pain... but you never forget." He did not expand on his words and Rose did not push him further. She was humbled that Tristan had shown her such a private place with a personal meaning to him.

"Thank you for showing me this. It is truly enchanting," Rose said honestly. A smiled quirked up on one side of his mouth, though she could see sadness still shimmering in his eyes.

"Most people do not know this place exists, and the ones who do rarely visit it. I thought it might be a place you would appreciate."

"I do! I love it, Tristan," she enthused unexpectedly. She shocked herself with her sudden, joyful outburst. Even Tristan seemed surprised, the sadness in his eyes was replaced with amusement.

"I am glad." They did not speak again, but as Rose looked at the sky she realised the day was close to coming to an end.

"I should be going," Rose said reluctantly. She was hesitant to leave the beautiful garden, but she did not want to take advantage of her afternoon off and stay longer than she was allowed.

"I suppose you will not be serving me for dinner anymore," Tristan said with a casual smile.

"Nay, I do not suppose I will." Rose waited, wondering if the Prince would say more, but he remained silent. "Farewell, then," she finally said as she took a few steps backwards.

"Wait," Tristan said, holding up a hand. Rose stopped and watched him curiously. The Prince ran over to a rose bush and plucked at a lilac rose. He came over to her a moment later, the rose in hand, and offered it to her. "A rose for Rose," he murmured as he held his hand out. His face seemed vulnerable, as if he was afraid she would refuse the gift. Rose took the flower from him and clutched it to her chest, her heart flying. It was a simple, innocent gift but it stole her breath nonetheless.

"Thank you," she whispered. The Prince nodded gently, again looking as though he wanted to say more, but he held back.

"Goodbye, Rose," his deep voice rumbled as she took a step towards the exit of the garden.

"Goodbye, Tristan," she said in return. He gave one last parting smile as Rose left the garden. She held the flower gently as she walked and inhaled deeply the scent. As she walked, she did not realise how wide and how joyful her grin was.

When evening fell, Rose was called to assist in preparing Suzanna for her bed. She began the process of letting down Suzanna's hairstyle, pulling out the pins in her hair. Suzanna, as usual, was in a happy and talkative mood.

"Emily and Liam were so playful this afternoon, it truly makes me wonder where children find all their energy. And why is it that the older we become the less energy we seem to have? I should like nothing better than to be able to run around all day without growing tired. I have the same problem when dancing at Ball's and celebrations. I love dancing, if I could dance all night I would. But, alas, I grow tired and have to sit for a while. Isn't a struggle? Speaking on the matter of dancing, the town festival is but a few days away – I am sure you knew there was a festival coming. I do not suppose I will attend – too many people – but perhaps my friends and I could have a private celebration here at the castle. Are you going to the festival, Rose?" Suzanna came to an abrupt halt and waited for Rose to reply. Rose did her best to follow along with Suzanna's stream of conversation, but by the time the Princess had stopped, Rose felt as though her mind had been fried in a pan.

"I should like to go, my lady-"

"Suzanna."

"Suzanna. But if you do not wish to give me leave, I will understand." Suzanna laughed, soprano and bubbly.

"What nonsense! Of course you may go, I would never stop my servants from partaking in celebrations. Now, it is decided then, you shall be attending the festival! I am certain you will have a wonderful time. Oh, I am so excited – you must tell me what you are planning to wear!" Suzanna exclaimed. Rose hesitated. She had not had time to think about finding a dress. She could not wear a servant's gown to the event, the other women would all be in elaborate, festive gowns. She would seem out of place. "Rose?" Suzanna asked when Rose came to a halt in brushing the Princess's hair. Rose cleared her throat and continued with her task.

"Well, if I am honest, I have not decided what I shall wear." Perhaps there was a more extravagant dress in Brigitte's old collection of gowns. She could look through the collection... She did not have the money to buy her own gown, but she was sure that Mistress Eudora would have some ideas if Rose could not find anything appropriate.

"At least tell me what your favourite gown is!" Suzanna exclaimed. Rose hesitated again before she spoke.

"I cannot, Suzanna. For when I said I had not decided what to wear, the truth is I do not own anything appropriate for the event. But I am sure I shall be able to figure out a solution in time. Mistress Eudora will no doubt be happy to help me." Suzanna gasped at Rose's words, turning in her seat to look at her.

"You have nothing to wear?" She asked in amazement, as if the possibility had never occurred to her in her life.

"Nay," Rose murmured, feeling embarrassed and ashamed. Suzanna stood up with her hands clasped together gleefully.

"This situation is easily fixed! You must allow me to give you a dress. I know just the one – you shall look mesmerizing in it!" Suzanna ran to a chest by her bed and heaved it open. Rose stood in the same place, shocked at Suzanna's words.

"My lady, you must not! I could never... it would seem... I..." she trailed off futilely when Suzanna regarded her with a stubborn expression, eyebrow raised.

"I can and I must. I insist you let me give you a dress," Suzanna demanded, beckoning Rose over with her finger. Rose walked up to Suzanna's side. The Princess began rummaging in the chest. "Here it is!" She cried a moment later. With a heave, Suzanna pulled out a dress and held it out for them to examine. Rose's mouth dropped to the ground – could such a beautiful dress truly be for her?

The dress was a very light, pale gold colour that shimmered in the light. The sleeves were gathered and flared out around the elbows. A beautiful burgundy orange formed the trimming of the dress. The centre panel of the dress was, likewise, the burgundy orange colour that contrasted beautifully with the pale gold. The dress was gathered so that it flowed out by the waist. The entire garment seemed to shine and shimmer. Rose was sure she had never seen such a beautiful dress in her life. It was fit for a princess... which she was not.

"I cannot take this, Suzanna, it is too beautiful," Rose said mournfully.

"What nonsense. I refuse to keep it. Besides, I only wore it once and I shall not wear it again. The colours do not match my hair or my skin, but on you it will look most flattering. I would have given it to a charity soon, anyway. You can simply imagine that you are my charity," Suzanna said with a giggle. Rose imagined how wonderful it would feel to wear such an extravagant dress, the more she looked at it the harder it was to bear the thought of leaving the dress behind. Suzanna saw the very moment that the resolve faded in Rose's eyes and, with a grin, she handed the dress to Rose. "It is yours now." Rose clutched the dress tightly to herself as tears pricked her eyes.

"Thank you... so, so much," Rose murmured.

"You are most welcome. Now, it is late and I am tiring. Once I am prepared for bed you are dismissed."

Rose finished assisting the Princess and then left her room, almost laughing as she walked to her own quarters for bed. She never would have dreamed of such generosity from the Princess. Rose entered the servants' quarters and knelt by her bed quietly. Most of the other maidens were already asleep. She pulled out her small chest from under her bed. Each servant was given one chest with a lock where they could keep their belongings safe. Rose folded the dress reverently and placed it in her chest. She prepared herself for bed then laid down on the straw mattress.
By her head, next to her pillow, a single lilac rose glowed in the moonlight.

~~~
Unfortunately, it might take a little longer than usual to update. But hang in there! I will work to update this soooooon!!!! 
Don't be afraid to vote or comment, I'm a super friendly person :P