Ghost in the Roses

There is nothing humble about this. As soon as I and the rest of the team are done helping the hospital staff unload the medical supplies into the brand-new medical clinic, the grand opening ceremony will begin. The Green Queen herself will be here to cut the ribbon and the entire people will fill these streets to watch.

On the balconies above, I can hear the event planners trying to figure out in which color order the confetti is supposed to be released. I enjoy a good show, but that’s all it feels like - a show.

As much as I want to believe that this is done out of goodness and concern for the public, the high officials only agreed to do this out of self-interest. That day, in that courtroom, I had to face the reality and instead of appealing to their good nature, my argument had to appeal to their desire to keep positions.

Oh well, at least what needs to be done is being done...right?

“This should be enough,” a mortal man of medicine proudly looks around at the fully equipped rooms.

“Is it?” my mind is still somewhere else.

“Yes, at least for a while,” his frown draws me out of the fog. He wants me to join in on his gushing and my subtle attitude is hindering the atmosphere he’s trying to establish.

“Oh... yeah, of course, but a time will time when you’ll need more. I just hope we can keep up with the demand of your orders.”

“And I’m sure you will,” he squeezes my tense shoulder. “You knights are always so serious. Relax. Try to enjoy this triumph,” the happy doctor looks me in the eye.

Of course, he’s happy and why shouldn’t he be? This is indeed a victory, a much-needed relief that only he and the rest of the weary and frustrated staff can truly appreciate.

“We must hurry, young cadet. We must make sure that everything is in order for Her Majesty’s inspection. The Green Queen will be here soon to celebrate with us,” nothing will hinder his mood and that helps me to finally smile.

My assignment has been long finished, but like some of my fellow classmates who helped out earlier with unloading, I’ve decided to stay behind and watch the spectacle. It should be short, brief, and to the point so I have the time to spare. Besides, it's pretty nice to see so many people happy all at once.

The crowd cheers as The Green Queen’s carriage pulls up to the front stairs of the new hospital. At the top of the platform, there are the Capital’s officials waiting to receive her. With a perfectly still pose, one of them is holding a shallow rectangular box with what I presume to have ceremonial scissors in it.

After she makes her exit, the carriage pulls away reviling the queen for the whole crowd’s eyes to feast upon. From where I’m standing it’s hard to make out any details about her other than she’s wearing the royal traditional dress of a green tone as dark as the winter’s pine. A crown of towering diamonds rests heavily in the nest of her silver braids.

It gets even louder when she raises her hand and waves at them. Her empty palm feeds their hunger for her attention and her silent white smile speaks all the words they want to hear.

Feeding time is over and she turns her back to address the officials. With her Royal Guards left at the bottom stoop, alone she climbs up the stairs. Only the long train of her dress is allowed to follow her.

“Adrien,” a soft push on my shoulder steals my attention. The voice is even softer.

I’m surprised to see who managed to find me in this sea of people. With the Green Queen not being in her good favor, she’s the last person I expect to see here.

“Lada? What are you doing here?” but that’s not what I should be asking. Her tear-exhausted eyes and wet cheeks quickly change my tune. “What’s wrong, Lada? Are you okay?”

“I’m too late,” she frowns at her thoughts scattered all over the spectators’ shoes.

No one notices her troubles and keeps on watching The Green Queen give her speech.

“Nothing’s too late,” I pretend to know what I’m talking about.

“I should have said something earlier,” she becomes even more disgusted at the ground around her, “but, I hate her. I hate what she did. I hate it.”

“I know you do. I know why.”

“Please, there isn’t much time but you have to believe me when I say I had nothing to do with this.”

“Lada, what’s going on?”

“Like I’ve told you before, I’m not the outfit of this operation. I’m not the one who’s in charge,” a freshly made dose of tears burns her rosy skin.

“Lada, tell me what’s wrong? Are you in some kind of trouble?” my hands try to extinguish the hot streams rolling down her cheeks.

The weight of her closing eyelids pulls her down to sink deeper into my palm. “Adrien, I’m so sorry. This is not how I want this to happen.”

“Why?” But I already know. “It’s the Green Queen, isn’t it? She’s in danger, isn’t she?”

Her slow nod confirms my fears.

“You’ve got to help me, Lada. What’s going to happen?”

Her hot eyes burst open, only to freeze instantly. I’m asking her to become a rat and that terrifies her.

To avoid a greater disaster, I have no choice, but to ask her to turn into this disgraceful mammal. “Lada, please...”

“Some of my friends have gone rogue. Don’t let the queen get back in the carriage.”

Oh, fuck. Madam Svetochka was right to worry about the risk of a blood bath, but I’m afraid someone might have turned up the facet when none of us were looking.

I try to swim my way out of the thickness of this crowd, but this multitude of stubbornness is hard to navigate through. Somehow, I must find a way to beat that carriage.

“Get out of my way!” my patience runs out.

My manners are next to go as I anxiously pave my way.

“Your Highness!! Your Highness!!” my voice explodes, but no one hears me. “You Highness!!” my cries fall on deaf ears. It’s amazing how many people won’t hear a sound even when you scream.

To my horror, Her Royal Highness’s speech is over.

“Out of my way!!”

At last, this strong-willed sea begins to split.

“Your Highness!!”

Still, she doesn’t hear me, and neither do her Royal Guards.

Her carriage is turning the corner and the queen sees that it’s time to descend to its level.

“Your Highness!!”

At last! A Royal Guard notices me! He too, now knows that something’s gone horribly wrong. Unfortunately, he mistakes my erratic approach as a threat, not a warning.

“Stay back!” he barks.

“No! Please! You don’t understand! The queen is in danger! Tell the coachman to get away from the carriage!” I keep pushing to separate myself from the cheery crowd.

“Get back with the rest!”

The commotion gets the coachman's attention.

"Hey you, coachman! Get away from the carriage! Now!" I wave my arms, but he only shakes his head and looks at me with disgust. He must think I'm drunk out of my mind.

"Get back!!" the guard takes a step down toward me.

I don’t obey. My feet cross the barrier and now I’m walking a thin line. To prove that I bear no means to harm, I put my arms up. “Please, my name is Adrien Rivers and I’m a cadet from The Knight’s Academy. I mean no harm, but The Green Queen is in danger. Do not let her get in that carriage! You must clear this area!”

By some dumb luck, the Green Queen’s attention turns towards me. Perhaps, she heard me.

“You are Adrien Rivers?” she finds this interruption amusing. “Are you that cadet I read about in the newspaper?”

“Yes, I am. I did the case for this,” I’m beyond relieved that now there’s some real chance of stopping her.

“Your Highness, he came in running. This is against protocol,” one of her guards intervenes.

“It’s okay, the carriage is not above waiting for its queen to board,” she nods her guards to let me be.

“Your Highness, I must warn you not to get in your carriage. You need to tell your coachman to get away from it right now,” I point at her driver.

“Why?” she turns her head, mystified.

“I don’t know, but you must make your grand exit some other way.”

She wants to say something back or maybe ask the guards for an alternative, but not even a voice of her power and command could out-voice this sudden thunder.

Smoke and fire swallow all the joy out of the air and the ground is paved with people who are trying to take cover from it. I am completely overpowered. Even the Green Queen is brought down to her knees.

My body is trembling from the blast wave as I look up and take in the shock of seeing some alternative universe unfold before me. Only seconds ago, I was in a world of happy people catching the falling confetti and savoring the pleasure of having a queen grace them with her presence to congratulate their efforts. Now, there is no joy, no cheering, no guards looking bored, and no one trying to stay longer and get a better look at the queen. There’s not much of a carriage left either. Or of the coachman.