@olotea
I'm getting similar feelings, especially with that crossdressing tag. (Also. Rose being a guy adds a legitimate reason why Rose wouldn't want to share the room with Apple. )
I'm thinking that Rose is definitely connected to the royal family. Either the prince or just a family member or something, because her bird familiar, Steel, in chapter 1 has a strong resemblance to the blood raven symbol on the royal crest.
Also, I'd be interested to see whether Apple is resistant to the mind control magic, or if Rose wasn't using it on her for some reason.