Ghost in the Roses

Once again, I’m back at the library. There are still too many blanks to fill in and what information Lada gave me doesn't satisfy me. Something’s missing. Something is left out. There are always two sides to a story and so far, I got only one.

“What are you looking for?” Kai interrupts my search for the right crystal.

“Hu?” I’m only halfway there.

“Why are you so restless? What’s gotten into you?” he takes me by the chin and makes me look at him.

I sigh, “What do you know about Prince Vita?”

“Who?”

“Prince Vita? The eldest brother of the current Green Queen?” my impatience gets the best of me.

“He’s dead. His sister was the next in line for the throne,” he states the obvious that even a toddler could recite.

“And she took the crown because he got sick and died in a hospital. Yes, that I know. Everyone knows that.”

“What else do you want to know about a dead man?” unfazed by my attitude, he polishes a late-harvest's apple against his wooly sleeve.

“I want to know more about the Ruslaevn family tree. I want to know who Prince Vita was before he died.”

“Calm down, Adrien,” satisfied with the fruit’s cleanliness, his bite pierces through its red skin.

“I’m sorry, but this is really important,” my overwhelmed eyes close.

“Why are you guys talking about Vita The Terrible?” Nina sneaks up behind Kai and snatches the apple out of his unsuspecting hand.

“Vita The Terrible? Why do you call him that?” I’m intrigued by the possibility that she might actually know something useful about this character.

“That’s what we call him back home. Every parent tells their kid about Vita The Terrible and how he goes into your house through the milk door and takes you away if you’re been bad all year long. You guys don’t know the story?” she’s amazed by our lack of this folklore knowledge.

“Vita the Terrible? Why does your village call him that?”

“It’s a local folktale to scare kids into behaving and not skipping school. I guess your village hasn’t heard of it.”

“No, not at all. Tell me,” like a child hungry for a suspenseful story, I beg her.

“Alright then, settle down and cuddle near children. It’s story time,” she teases us with a motherly tone.

I admit it. As strict as she is, Nina has some fun in her bones.

Kai and I let her go on.

" A long time ago, but not as long as you might think there was a dark spirit that had no mercy or love for children. This spirit is called Vita The Terrible. Every parent feared that if their child doesn’t learn to be good by the age of ten, he or she can be a target of being taken away by this spirit,” A theatrical side of Nina comes out. “But, there was also a good spirit named Kati who loved children. She believed in second chances and that people can change eventually, so she made a deal with her brother's spirit and he agreed that he will wait three years longer till the child is child is no more at the age of thirteen. They both agreed that by the time one has reached young adulthood, that person can be held accountable. And it’s only a matter of time, till he comes to collect you if you’ve been bad and there's no escaping his claws when he does. That’s the end.”

“Why would someone make up such a terrible story?” Kai frowns.

“I don’t know. I suppose it was a convenient tale to tell the younger kids when the family goes out searching for a run-away teenager,” Nina laughs as if she is explaining this from past personal experience.

“Is it on record?”

“Sure, but you won’t find it here. Let’s start with folklore and see to what origins it will lead.”

With each explored sphere, we find more and more and soon the legend reveals to be traces of a long-ignored truth. Vita The Terrible is indeed a recorded folktale of the Masla Village and is based on Prince Vita of the Green Domain. Then, we find out that Prince Vita was a mean person to his brothers and sisters growing up, but his ill will came even more to light when his father gave him a territory to practice his royal authority. As a gift to Prince Vita on his wedding day, the Green King gave his eldest son this responsibility and power over people.

A small part of that territory is now the Masla Village. No wonder they have this story that no outsider would know about. Prince Vita was cruel to the people and separated the children from their parents. Those poor children were turned to be his slaves and were refused education to keep them dependent on whatever mercy they may receive from the Green Prince. The parents were never allowed to see the children he decided to take away in fear that a family’s teachings will give those kids the conference to stand up to him.

Some families were lucky and escaped his grip. Those who did came running to the Green King for help, but there was nothing he could do since he had no authority in his son’s land. The history writings show that even with the royal family’s hands tied, the young Green Princess gathered an organization that helped those families escape her evil brother’s rule. The Green Princess, Kateria kept up this crusade behind her father’s back until Prince Vita completely lost his mind and got really sick and eventually died at a hospital, refusing to partake in any medical treatments till the end.

When Lada showed me the door to see her father, Prisoner Number One, I felt sorry for him, but not now. Prisoner Number One wasn’t just Prince Vita, he was Vita The Terrible. The Green Queen no longer seems like some power-hungry and jealous sibling, but a young princess who could not ignore the pain of the people and her brother’s evil doings.

'Sign this resignation! You know I can never allow you to be king,' the young Green Queen’s voice echoes in my mind and this newfound information gives a whole new tone to her words’ meaning.

This couldn’t wait any longer, so I told them. I told them everything.

“Why did you keep it a secret from us?” Nina leans in.

“You know we wouldn’t tell,” Kai says.

“I just needed to know the whole story first. I needed to know what exactly is it I needed to tell you.”

“Do you think she knows this about her father?” Nina bites her lip.

“Does she know that her father could never be allowed to be king? That having his younger sister take over was what’s best for the Green Domain?” Kai rubs his forehead.

This is bothersome; the flow of questions kept on coming fast and the answers to them are lagging behind.

“What are we going to do?” Kai whispers.

“Nothing. I am not going to confront Lada, but if she finds me again I’ll tell her what I’ve found out,” I close my eyes.

All of this is making my head spin, and shutting out the world is the only way I could make it stand still, even for a moment.

“If this movement keeps growing, we might get stationed far, far away from one another. Reposts during wars are hectic and we might lose track of each other, forever,” this is a real concern for Nina, since she likes to be in the know about her friends’ well-being.

“Like the families in your Vita The Terrible story?” Kai points out the connection.

“Some legends are based on history and history has a nasty habit of repeating itself,” Nina realizes the same and sees that this folktale is far from being over.

Luckily, I think of something that would comfort her. Something that would comfort us all.

“A blood trail. That will help us find each other, if we ever lose sight of each other’s whereabouts,” I perk up.

“A blood trail? Is that a spell? Or a potion?” Kai frowns.

“It’s both, but don’t let that intimidate you. This one is one of the few that’s simple to make. It’s designed for traveling limitations that knights might experience,” I explain.

“Let’s brew then,” enthusiastic Nina rubs her hands.

The study lab is always open so that both the early birds and night owls could get plenty of practice on potion-making and spells. For this reason, the pantry is always open, and without much trouble, we find the necessary ingredients that may secure our friendship.

With a heart of a hound boiling in Nina’s practice spell pot, we hold our own wolf’s claw. It doesn't take long for the tender cardiac muscles to begin to fall apart from becoming so tender. The time to draw our blood has come. At the wrist, we prick ourselves with the claw. Our spell chanting starts and in a formation of a trinity, we hold up the claws that are now bright red at the tip.

“A wolf’s gravity to its pack we hold,

Deep into its core, our blood we mold.

Like the hounds, we’ll never rest

And when the time will come to test...”

“I, Adrien.”

“I, Nina.”

“I, Kai.”

“Finding one another will be our quest.

This parting day is to never come, we pray.

But if it does, in the wind a true path will lay. ”

All at once, we drop our blood-stained offering and watched it turn the plain broth into a glowing ruby liquid.

“It’s sparkling. We did this right,” Nina goes on ahead and hands out a tiny glass vial to each of us. She too has her own.

“Okay, on the count of three open the vials and when the pot is finally empty put the cork on right away, otherwise it will start to escape.”

“One,” I hold mine, ready for the taking.

“Two,” Kai does the same.

“Three,” Nina’s hand pops the delicate cork off.

The potion sprints up with life and splits into three streams. Each scarlet flow takes its pick and somehow three gallons worth of liquid finds room in the tiny vessels. With their playful streams’ tails all tucked in and snug, we’re quick to plug our miniature bottles.

“Now we will always find each other. But be careful when you decide to use it, because once you open the vile that will be the only time,” I give them the terms of condition.

“I understand,” Nina nods.

“No matter what, I will never stop searching, especially for you Nina. I don’t know what I’ll do if I ever lost you,” Kai’s smile is warm and honest.

His adoring eyes keep watching her trying to hide a smile under her chin. This is the first time I see her react like that to any of his flirting attempts. I’m surprised, yet pleased to finally see her blush.