Ghost in the Roses

Just as they promised, the High Court had a ruling ready for my case. Their reply by letter is in my favor and this will let the real work begin. The plans and funds will be released next month and the newspapers are not keeping this a secret, but that’s not all that they say.

My breakfast begins to turn at the mention of the Red revolutionaries alongside with my name and the reputation of the Knight’s Academy. I don’t understand. This is supposed to be about bringing hope and letting the people know that at last, help is on its way. It’s supposed to let people know that the knights will not stand by and do nothing as everyone around them suffers and dies.

Instead, somehow Lada’s name gets leaked and her very active involvement with Red is detailed. It says that Knight’s Academy allowed Adrien Rivers, their cadet to represent her plea in court and that the ruling is a real victory for her and her followers.

This isn’t right. Her name and background are supposed to remain anonymous and my whole class is supposed to get the credit for the favorable final ruling. All of the other cases that my classmates took are granted the usual description, except for mine. It sticks out like a splinter and I have no idea how to operate it.

It’s no surprise when the director sends for me and I wonder what took her so long.

“This way,” her assistant knocks before opening the doors to a grand office. “Madam Svetochka, this is the cadet you’ve asked to see.”

These quarters are big enough to be an apartment for an entire family, instead, it houses shelves and shelves of books. The two walls on each side of me are lined with thousands of titles on hardcover spines just as the floor is covered with expensive imported rugs. Sheer curtains soften the bright morning light coming through the windows on the wall across from me. That’s where I spot the master of the office standing tall.

“Thank you,” the director is facing away from me as she takes a steel vessel out of an ice bucket. “Leave us.”

I never knew that watching someone mix a cube of sugar into a drink could be so torturous. But just like the elves, vampires are always surrounded by that aura of mysterious superiority.

“Madam Svetochka, Cadet Rivers reporting,” I don’t know why I introduce myself, knowing very well that she sent for me. It’s a habit, that developed into something deeper over the school year.

While taking the first sip from a white china, she’s careful not to spill any chilled blood on her uniform as she turns around. Her skin is just as pale as the faces on the marble decor and only the early sun’s rays give her any rosy color of life.

“Please, sit,” her sharp nail points at a chair across from her wide Cherrywood desk.

“Thank you,” I follow her direction and anxiously wait for the next one.

“Have you read the paper this morning, cadet?” She slicks back her already perfectly smooth black hair twisted into a bun. “Do you know why I’ve called you to my office?”

“Yes, Madam Svetochka, I do know why I’m here.”

“This isn’t how this was supposed to turn out. No one saw this coming. Somehow the names have been leaked and we don’t know who are the paper’s informants, but they will be fined for breaking the protection protocol. Still, the word is out and no fine will stop everyone from knowing.”

“I’m sorry. I had no idea that my case would be treated so differently by the press.”

“We have to be even more careful. All eyes are on us and we, knights have to proceed very cautiously in the future. Still, we've got to be quick about this, before this turns into a blood bath,” her wine-red eyes bear no bitter tones.

“Madam? You’re not mad?” This calmness takes me by surprise.

I expected her to be furious with me, but her collectiveness let me know that there is so much more that I don’t know.

“Since the first of the semester, you had access to the outside world and have some idea of how Red works.”

“Madam, none of us had any access to the outside until the second semester,” she might already know, but I try to protect my record anyway.

“Please, cadet,” behind her smirk a pair of pearly fangs flash at me, “don’t take me for a fool. The council and I have been watching you and we know very well about your adventures and your new friend.”

“I’m sorry, Madam. Forgive the insult,” my head lowers.

“The support for Red is growing and people have lost all faith in the kings and queens. We serve and listen to what people want, but we also have to make sure that peace and order prevail. I knew about your High Court case, but it’s a risk I was willing to let happen. We have to take another risky case and convince the rulers to step down. We have to convince them to let the talk for change to become more than talk, but turn in into actual transmission.”

“How will the kings and queens ever listen to the idea of them giving up all their powers?”

“If they don’t, the people will over-run them and they’ll lose more than just their power. The people won’t be aiming at just what rests on top of their heads.”

“Why are you telling me all this, Madam?”

“Adrien, we need your help.”

“How can I possibly help? I’m just cadet with a smeared publicity.”

“You know Lada. You know Vita the Terrible’s daughter. We need you to maintain your acquaintance with her to pave the way for communication between Red and The Knight's Council to occur," she looks down at me.

Oh fuck, what did I get myself into?

“You can’t tell anyone about this, if you do the council will not hesitate not just to expel you, but to banish you into the outer rims of the Domains. ”

“I understand, Madam. I’ll follow this order to the T,” calmly, I nod.

Holy fucking shit!

“Good,” the red in her eye caught the morning light. “That will be all for now. We’ll be keeping our eye on you, cadet Rivers.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” the click against my boot and a bow concludes this meeting and I’m finally let out of her office.

It’s quite a walk to the arena from here and I hope that it will give me enough time to collect my cool. I have to get my mind in the game for the first class of the day.

Unlike outside where it’s warm with a late spring breeze, here inside the arena it’s cold, snowing, and smells like pine needles. A miniature world of wilderness with a lake has been put together for this lesson.

Just like for any day at the arena, the class suits up in armor and we all look so out of place in this serene forest. The peaceful snowflakes twirl their way down as I fix the metal teeth to the bottom of my boots. I look up at their quiet waltz, but in place of a grey sky, we are surrounded by the usual plasma barrier. This strangely feels like being inside a snow globe.

“Come on now, cadets! We don’t have all day!” our coach shouts as we line up.

Time to shake things up.

“You have learned well how to work in teams and how to fight each other, the only problem is that this has gotten way too comfortable for you. This time, your opponent will be a complete stranger! This time you’ll be working on your own!” as he explains the goal of the lesson, I see a figure come out of the evergreen thickness far across the lake covered in black ice.

It’s just that person. Just one. No one else comes to join his side of the fight and whoever it is they become a one-man army. The instructions are simple - cover the distance and take down the opponent alone.

“I said to spread out! Keep spreading out! I want the distance between each of you far and wide!” in the rush to get this started, the Coach franticly waves his arms to get us going faster.

I pick up my pace and soon enough all of my classmates are unreachable. No matter what, none of us could save each other even if we tried. The only warmth that’s near me are the clouds of my breath and the bitter cold quickly dissolves the rolling steam.

Cautiously, I step on the ice and with each step, I anticipate a trap. So far, the only thing that’s happening is the low crackle beneath my boots. The opponent hasn’t moved a muscle. Slowly, I begin to gain some confidence and pick up my pace, but my ‘enemy’ seems unfazed that I’m coming straight for them.

This is very suspicious. A surprise attack from the other side is unavoidable, so I take every second that I’m allowed to get closer to him. At last, he’s in my shooting range and I release an arrow, but it gets nowhere. Right before my eyes, it gets crushed by an ally that I didn’t know my opponent had - the very lake I’m on. In my aim’s way, a shield of ice bursts out. This is a wizard that I’m dealing with, there’s no doubt about it, and a very powerful one too.

I try to rise up to the occasion, but the ice just keeps growing higher and higher. It either tries to impale me with its ever-growing spears or trap me underwater each time it comes crashing down.

The screams and the fading gurgle of drowning cadets are all around me. The wetness on my face is biting my skin until it’s numb. No matter how fast I try to outmaneuver the rising ice towers, they keep outsmarting me. With each crashing wave that comes over me, it feels like I’m getting thrown into a pit of fire ants. I’m trying to keep my path my own, but no matter what, it seems like it’s been already chosen for me.

I manage to keep the ice from taking me down halfway down the lake, but that’s when the inevitable happens. It swallows me and the wizard vanishes from my view. As I look up, the broken pieces of the surface close down on me until I’m completely shut out from the air.

Don’t even dare think this is over!

Out of my belt, I take out my knife and begin to stab away at my trap. With each hit, a network of cracks spreads. From here, my view is very interesting and I see the bottom of shoe souls gather around the starburst of white scars I’ve inflicted. From the other side of the icy floor, I can feel the vibrations of their hits coming through.

At last, the ice breaks, and I’m dragged back into the world where I’m finally allowed to breathe. The coach assistants who came to my rescue are talking to me. I see their mouths moving, but all I hear is the painful ringing in my ears. My head feels like it’s about to explode and the rest of my body doesn’t feel like it’s even a part of me. Soon enough I lose grip of my consciousness too.