Amethyst scuffed the pristine marble floor with the toe of her best boots; worn and scratched up, but nevertheless the best pair she owned. She bit her lip, now critically going over the rest of her outfit, feeling shabby and out of place in front of huge doors fashioned with curling golden roses.
The said doors parted slowly and an armored guard beckoned her, "Her majesty will see you now. This way."
Amethyst gulped and forced herself to stagger into the throne room. Feeling a little dizzy, she tugged on her collar and blew out a shaky puff of air, her eyes darting everywhere but forward. Stained glass windows lined either side of the room, towering above Amethyst and reaching to the arched ceiling. Sunlight shone through the windows in pink, painting the knights against the wall in dazzling colors and turning the dust into the air to something resembling sparkles.
Amethyst found herself wishing she could enjoy it properly instead of sweating through her tunic and worrying that... perhaps she /was/ being executed. Her last image would be of pink light and and the smell of rose petals. It wasn't the worst way to go.
"Don't be afraid."
Amethyst looked up, confused to find she had already traversed the length of the throne room and now stood in front of the throne. Queen Rose sat upon her ornate throne, looking as beautiful and as dangerous as all the rumors claimed. Amethyst felt the queen's eyes scrutinize her with a wild sort of curiosity and it was at that moment Amethyst panicked; should she have been bowing all this time?! Or kneeling? Curtsying?
She flailed before flinging herself into a sloppy bow, stuttering an apology, "F-forgive me, Your Majesty."
"Rise," the queen said, leaving the apology unacknowledged.
Amethyst stood and clasped her trembling hands behind her back.
"You know why you are here?" Queen Rose asked, her voice echoing through the room.
Amethyst nodded, unable to recover her voice. She was going to die. Going to die in all pink. The scent of roses clouded her head and twisted in her gut.
"Show me," he queen commanded, leaning forward eagerly. The knight to her right readjusted her spear and the hooded figure to her left raised their head to watch.
"Ah, o-okay," Amethyst said, shaking her arms out. She wasn't even sure if she would be able to do it anymore; the impending doom was making it difficult to concentrate. She closed her eyes and did her best to focus, the tense silence pounding in her ears.
The knights along the walls gasped and shuffled nervously, metal scraping against metal. Amethyst opened her eyes and palmed at her clothes and hair, now a flowing dress and huge curling locks- almost an exact replication of Queen Rose herself.
"Amazing," Queen Rose murmured.
"This is blasphemous," her knight said, warily eyeing Amethyst-shifted-into-Queen Rose.
The queen shook her head in disagreement. "No, she has a gift." She addressed Amethyst, "Would you like a place in my guard?"
The offer startled Amethyst back into her original form. "I'm not to be... executed?"
Queen Rose laughed, her curls bouncing against her shoulders. "My apologies," she said once her laughter faded, "Garnet, would you?"
The hooded figure to her left nodded and stepped forward, her hood slipping down as she revealed her upturned hands. Flames flickered on one palm and ice burst on the other before they connected with a single blinding stream of lightning, a low rumble echoing through the throne room.
Amethyst could scarcely believe her eyes. "You're like me," she said, a grin brewing on her lips.
"I am," Garnet affirmed, voice low and stunning like the thunder her magic created.
