REYNA
I winced and bit my lip hard when the needle pierced my skin for what felt like the hundredth time. Nobody had told me Iâd have to get a tattoo as a Rose; otherwise, I would have rethought my decision to join the Roses.
âFucking hell, damn it! Why do we have to get poked with sharp needles a million times before we can join the Roses?â Chloe complained, her pretty face scrunched in pain.
Sabrina and the three other Roses tsked in chastisement at Chloeâs cursing. Even though they probably found it funny, judging by the amused smiles on their faces.
âBecause itâs the Rosesâ badge. In the old world, law enforcement and other organizations had badges that showed everyone who they were. The first Roses adopted it and started the tattoo as our badge. It is a mark of pride to us all,â Clara, the oldest Rose still alive, said.
She lived in one of the caves closest to the village. Earlier today, Sabrina had led me and the girls to get our âbadges,â as she put it.
The badges signified the conclusion of our training. Tonight we would finally be sworn in and inducted into the sisterhood.
I should be excited, and I was, but I was also so nervous. Clara had mixed all the ingredients to create the dark red and black ink that would be inked onto our skin.
Amara had added a spell so it healed as it was being created on our skin. Right now, Amara was working on my skin.
Even with the spell, it still hurt like hell. I wasnât the only one going through the pain, so I couldnât complain.
I had chosen to be inked on my navel, as every Rose could choose where sheâd like to be inked. The red and black thorny rose that was tattooed on every Rose was something the Roses were proud of, as Iâd come to realize.
Mine would wrap around my navel, the thorny stalk disappearing under my pants below my waist when I had clothes on. It was small, pretty, and feminine.
I liked it. I would have probably loved it if it didnât fucking hurt so bad to get it.
Clara and Bianca had been regaling us with stories of the Roses and the tattoo.
âThe rose as a flower was considered to be beautiful, soft, sensual, and fragile. Every rose has a different color and meaning; it signifies different things to different people.
We are Roses because, as women, we are considered weak and insignificant. Men and beasts alike only see us as pretty things to take and use for their own purposes.
We became even more pretty for them, but we also reminded them that a rose always has its thorns, and it can be fucking lethal too. The rose tattoo is the symbol of strength and sensuality.â
âThatâs beautiful and poetic. I didnât know about this.â
Knowing now the significance of the rose tattoo, I felt proud to be a Rose. I was awed by the story of how the tattoo came to be.
The rest of the girls also looked kind of proud. Just then, Chloe cursed again loudly when Bianca jabbed her with the needle.
The women cackled. I smiled, then flinched when the needle pricked me again.
âMaybe I should become a Rose too. This story is inspiring,â Sasha, one of the three witches in the cave, said, smiling. She was one of the nurturers, heavily pregnant, and was working on her sister Oliviaâs tattoo.
Livie was the other witch. They both had powers, but not as much as their grandmother Amara.
I heard Olivia was yet to grow into her powers. When she did, she was going to be more powerful.
âToo late for you, Sasha. Youâre already in the family way, and what youâre doing is also inspiring,â Clara assured her with a smile.
The others nodded. Theyâd all agreed, human survival was more important than waging war.
But when I glanced at Sasha and saw the sad expression on her face, my heart ached for her. What was the use of having a child when you didnât even get to keep them with you if they turned out to be boys? And thatâs exactly what the child inside Sasha was.
There was a reason why men might as well be aliens to the hundreds of women living in Marlenia. It was because of segregation.
Boys were taken away from their family unit at the age of three and given to the men in the forbidden zone to raise. Cassandra had told me it was to protect the young boys from getting infected and dying early from the plague.
When Iâd argued that there was no more plague, sheâd told me that was what they all thought ten years ago. And what happened when they let the men free in the queendom was tragicâmen and boys dying in horrible ways, their bodies grotesque.
So they locked them away for their own good. That was why no one saw or interacted with them.
The only women and girls who were allowed to see the men were women rumored to have earned a token to go see them in their quarters at the forbidden zone. Back then, I thought it was just a rumor without any substance. Now I believe it might be true.
I pitied all these nurturers who volunteered to have children only for their children to be taken away. I knew I was required to produce an heir in the future, and I loved children.
But I didnât think I could live without my son close to me. Fortunately, I didnât think I could have children considering I was allergic to any man except Casvan.
It was unfortunate that I couldnât choose him as my consort. My mother would die before she ever saw that day.
All these depressing thoughts and the pain of the needles made me so sad and exhausted. For the millionth time in my life, I wished there was something I could do to change this world for the better for everyone.
So boys and men could be free, so women could be happy with their kids. So Sabrina and people like her could be with people they love.
So I could be free to love Casvan and go see the world or whatever was left of it with him.