The rose acts as a central symbol in Bonded by Thorns, linking love, hope, the fragile state of Castletree’s magic, and the protagonist herself. Rosalina’s decision to willingly become Keldarion’s prisoner is prompted by an act of love—a rose Rosalina’s father steals as a gift for her—“a rose for my Rose” (26). The connection is deeply personal, as the flower links her identity to the fate of the castle’s magic from the outset. The rose’s dual nature as a token of love and a cause for punishment introduces the novel’s core tensions between affection and power, beauty and danger.

The four enchanted roses kept in the High Tower function as tangible symbols of the princes’ ability to overcome their curse and reclaim their lives. As the roses wilt, hope for breaking the spell fades. The Enchantress’s decree that “[w]hen they have wilted and returned to the ash [...] the curse will be sealed forever” establishes the flowers as a countdown clock (357), visually representing the dwindling princes’ remaining hope. Their decay symbolizes the encroaching despair that threatens to make the curse permanent. However, the symbol also carries the potential for renewal. The spontaneous blooming of new roses in the castle’s hearth upon Rosalina’s arrival suggests she possesses a unique ability to counteract the decay, linking her directly to the restoration of hope and the potential salvation of the realms.