Through the gates, the crowd's buzz faded into a distant hum. The palace grounds stretched vast and pristine, a stark contrast to the chaos outside. Every detail seemed deliberate: manicured hedges trimmed to perfection, paths lined with polished stone, and guards stationed at calculated intervals.

She kept her pace steady, her gaze flicking across the grounds like a soldier scouting a battlefield.

Ahead, the applicants were funneled toward an ornate archway flanked by towering columns. The design was intricate, the carved stone depicting battles and triumphs of a history that felt more myth than fact. Beyond the arch, the palace itself rose like a monument to both wealth and power.

Its walls gleamed faintly under the overcast sky, a fortress masquerading as beauty.

Cassie adjusted her stride to match the line. Behind her, she could hear the soft shuffle of boots and murmured prayers from the more nervous recruits. The weight of their desperation was palpable. She didn’t share their anxiety, but her soldier’s instincts kept her on edge.

The openness of the courtyard, the precision of the guard rotations—everything about this place felt like it was designed to remind them they were being watched.

“Keep moving,” barked a guard, his voice snapping the air like a whip.

The group passed under the archway, and the world seemed to shift. The noise of the outside faded completely as they entered the cool, echoing halls of the palace. The walls were lined with tapestries depicting hunting scenes, their vibrant colors a sharp contrast to the somber atmosphere.

Each step Cassie took sent faint echoes ricocheting through the cavernous space.

They were led into a grand hall, its vaulted ceiling painted with frescoes of winged figures and beasts in flight. At the far end, a dais rose, where three noblewomen sat draped in silks and jewels that caught the light. Their faces betrayed a mix of boredom and veiled amusement as they sized up the new arrivals.

“Form a line,” said another guard, motioning for the applicants to spread out.

Cassie obeyed, taking her place in the middle. She scanned the noblewomen discreetly, noting the sharpness in their eyes despite their languid poses. They were predators, and this was their hunt.

The woman in the center, her golden hair pinned into a perfect coil, leaned forward. Her jeweled fingers drummed idly against the arm of her chair as her gaze swept over the line.

“Let’s see what we’ve been sent this time.” Her voice was smooth, but the edge of disdain was unmistakable.

Cassie kept her expression neutral as the noblewoman’s eyes lingered on her.

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“Interesting,” the woman said, tilting her head slightly. “Refined posture. Disciplined movements. You carry yourself like someone who’s seen... more than her share of trouble.”

Cassie didn’t respond, her silence deliberate. Her lack of reaction only seemed to intrigue the noblewoman further.

“Where are you from, girl?”

Cassie hesitated for the briefest moment. “A small village, my lady. Nothing of note.”

The noblewoman’s lips curved into a faint smile. “So modest. And yet, you hold yourself as if you’ve tasted blood. How curious.”

The applicant next to Cassie, a wiry girl with a nervous tremor in her hands, shifted uneasily. The noblewoman noticed, her attention snapping to the movement like a hawk spotting prey.

“You,” she said sharply, causing the girl to flinch. “If you’re going to tremble like that, save us all the trouble and leave now.”

The girl stammered something unintelligible, her face pale, but didn’t move.

The noblewoman sighed theatrically, waving a hand. “Fine. Let’s not waste time. Begin the tests.”

The applicants were split into smaller groups and assigned tasks. Cassie found herself standing at a long table covered in silver trays, each dull with a thin layer of tarnish. A steward handed her a polishing cloth and a small jar of cleaning paste.

“Your task is simple,” he said curtly. “Polish the trays until they gleam. No streaks, no smudges. Perfection or nothing.”

Cassie nodded and set to work. The repetitive motion came easily to her, each swipe of the cloth precise and measured. Around her, the other applicants worked with varying levels of skill. The nervous girl from earlier fumbled with her cloth, her hands shaky.

Another applicant—a sly-faced youth with darting eyes—seemed more focused on watching the others than on his own task.

Cassie’s attention remained on her work until she felt a deliberate nudge against her arm. The sly-faced youth had bumped into her, his hand leaving a greasy smudge across the tray she’d just finished polishing.

“Oops,” he muttered, not bothering to hide the smirk on his face.

Cassie glanced at the smudge, then at him. She said nothing, her expression unreadable as she picked up her cloth and began polishing the tray again. The boy watched her for a moment, clearly waiting for a reaction, but when none came, he returned to his own work with a faint scowl.

When the steward returned to inspect their progress, Cassie’s trays were immaculate. The sly-faced youth, on the other hand, had done a rushed, sloppy job in an attempt to sabotage others.

“Lazy work,” the steward snapped at him, picking up one of his trays and holding it aloft. “Did you even try?”

The boy flushed, stammering excuses, but the steward silenced him with a glare.

The nervous girl wasn’t spared, either. “Trembling hands are no excuse for streaks,” the steward said sharply, pushing her work aside with a disdainful snort.

When he reached Cassie, he paused, his eyes narrowing as he inspected the polished trays. “Flawless,” he muttered, almost grudgingly. “Move on.”

After the evaluations concluded, the applicants were gathered back into the hall. The head maid entered, her presence a stark contrast to the noblewomen’s languid elegance. She moved with purpose, her sharp gaze cutting across the room as she opened a ledger.

“The following names have been selected for palace service,” she announced, her tone brisk and unyielding.

One by one, she read the names. Cassie waited, her face carefully blank. When her name was finally called—last—she stepped forward without hesitation.

“The east wing. Dawn,” the head maid said curtly, marking something in her ledger before turning away.

Behind her, Cassie could feel the weight of the other applicants’ stares. Some were filled with envy, others with open resentment. She ignored them, focusing instead on the path ahead.

As she exited the hall, one of the noblewomen’s voices floated after her, soft but pointed.

“Cassandra... such an unassuming name for someone so curious.”

Cassie didn’t look back.