Ghost in the Roses

The Green Queen, like many royals that day who came out for opening ceremonies throughout the Domains got very lucky. A handful did not. The Red King is dead. The Pink Princess and her fiancé are in still in the hospital, recovering. The Velvet Queen is still in the woods. Her condition has only been declining this entire week and the doctors and her family released an announcement of their decision to medically induce her into a coma.

None of the civilian casualties were mentioned in the papers, but not because none happened. I only know of one for certain, the Green Queen’s coachman, but the editors of the articles didn’t seem to find his death important enough to mention. Or maybe not entertaining enough for the public to read about.

That’s enough of that. I set the paper aside and continue to get ready for the day. From my bathroom closet, I take out my prescribed snake oil, bandages, and medical tape and begin my new addition to a morning routine of wound redressing my back.

“Adrien?” a friend’s voice warms the silence of my room.

“I’m in here,” briefly, my head peaks out.

“Are coming out for breakfast today?” clearly, my recently withdrawn attitude worries Kai.

“Yeah, I am.”

“You need help with that?” he nods at my bare back.

“Thank you,” with a grateful smile, I hand him the tape.

I lean over the sink as he applies the medicine to each juicy burn.

“Is Nina still mad at me?” I ask.

He nods, still only paying attention to his task at hand, “She sure is. She still thinks that Lada told you about the plan of attack to get you close enough and get you killed too.”

“Do you think that’s true? Do you think that she was only trying to kill two birds with one stone?”

He lets out his frustration at the tape. The way he rips a piece says it all. The reflection of his glare only confirms it. If I’m to look straight into his eyes I’m afraid I will turn into stone. Why do I ask questions to which I already know the answers to?

“Do I think that devil woman tried to get you killed?”

Ouch! I clench my teeth.

“Do I think that fake bitch and her posy want you dead now that you’ve served your purpose?”

Ooh, that hurts.

“Do I think that you are more willing to listen to that piece of shit and are hanging on to her every word, rather than taking advice from your best friend who’s been by your side for years?”

I prepare myself for another baggage to be taped on.

“I think you are an idiot if you even have to ask all that and I say that with love,” this time his tone turns soft with defeat.

“I’m sorry, Kai,” I watch a drop of water lazily fall from the mouth of the faucet.

“All done,” very gently this time, he presses in the last piece of bandage. “Nina is already downstairs. Let's go eat now, we’ve got a long day ahead of us.”

“I remember. The emergency meeting at the High Court. ”

“And all of the surviving kings and queens will be there,” he adds on.

As we step out of my room, instead of walking by my side he takes the lead. He pretends to have done so unintentionally, but I can’t help but think that he might be trying to hide his angry tears behind those gilded shoulders.

Indeed, they are all here. And so is the entire Knight Council. We, the second-semester cadets are here only to observe and take notes. In this instance, no one’s face is hidden, no voice is disfigured, and nobody is misshaped. This time, everyone will know what everyone else thinks. It’s hard for the big fish to hide here.

At the far-left balcony, I spot the Green Queen getting settled into her seat and am surprised to see her recognize me. She waves. I take a bow.

“Please, everyone! Take your seats as soon as you can! We must start this meeting soon!” a judge’s deep voice echoes. The fast pounding of his gavel told us to get moving just as quickly.

“Nina,” cautiously, I approach my friend, “May I sit here?”

She looks up from her notes and I’m relieved to see a soft smile slowly sprouting. It feels like a second spring has come when she scoots over for me. Kai, who was sitting by her other side, nods with approval at this amends being made.

“Knight Council, thank you for answering this call to meet. In these dire and troubling times, the kings and queens are calling you for help. The Royal Highnesses are asking you to present the advice you’ve prepared for them,” the judge motions for the Council's selected speaker to approach the podium.

All eyes are on Madam Svetochka. Even though she’s not wearing a court mask, she might as well be: her poker face makes it impossible to help prepare for the written words she’s holding.

“Your Honor,” she nods.

“The floor is all yours, Madam,” he nods back.

“Your Highnesses, we, the Knight Council wants to offer you a solution that is different from the usual activities that we took in the past when the security of your wellbeing became at risk. The Council asks you to be open-minded about this,” then, there is a pause.

“Pardon me, Madam Svetochka!” a worried prince, surviving heir of the Red King raises his hand. “Are not going to offer your knights to be our bodyguards?”

“No, we are not going to offer that. Doing that will only escalate the dangers. The opposition will see our presence at your side as a challenge, as a call to a higher fight. Instead, we will offer something much more extreme, for the people’s sake and for your own safety,” she’s bracing them for the hit.

“To be honest, Madam, I’m already worried about taking the Council’s advice,” the Pink Queen’s senses are heightened.

“Your Highness, you’ll become even more worried if you don’t.”

The Pink Queen backs off.

“Your Majesties, not long ago the Red was once one united movement of the people, but over time this organization has been split into two. One side is the one we’ve become so accustomed to seeing in the streets marching and holding rallies. Now there is another side to this face and it’s much more aggressive and will become even more destructive. Their cause blinds them from the true consequence of their actions and the Domains have witnessed its daring wrath. Both sides of Red will continue on their own paths and won’t stop until all kings and queens are overthrown and believe me, that day will come sooner than you think. When that happens, the two will then begin to fight each other. Your highnesses, we are risking a civil war if we continue on the same path. We must take the reins. Order must be in control. This must end peacefully,” again, she pauses.

“Civil war?” the Green Queen is alarmed. “Whatever the alternative you have, it must be better than that.”

“It is, but for some of you it won’t be easier.”

“Please,” the Green Queen nudges Madam Svetochka to go on.

“Give up your thrones. Give up your power. Give up your birthright, but...but before you go, help establish the system the people have been asking for so long. Foresee that this change happens lawfully and free from fraud.”

“You’ll be throwing us to the wolves. We’ll be helpless without the crown. What would happen to us?” in panic, the Velvet King almost forgets himself.

“Some will still remain angry and seek revenge. Only then, will we see that you’re unharmed and a selected group of knights will be assigned to stay at your side wherever you wish to go and will remain with you until your natural end? ”

“This is unthinkable! You’re planning treason, you cowards!” the Red Queen sprints out of her seat.

The judge is quick to correct her rudeness, “Your Highness! Contain yourself! Or I’ll have you removed from my courtroom!”

Calmly, the Green Queen stands up and takes hold of the balcony rails. “I’ll support this notion. I'll agree to step down.”

This heist is sudden and unapologetic. No one expected to have their breath stolen so effortlessly.

I wish Lada were here to see what happens next.

“I’ll take this advice and the will of Green Domain will be executed... not my head or my children’s,” she holds her head up high with this decision and proceeds to urge others to do the same. “And if any of you are wise and understand how risking a civil war and our lives are not worth keeping our old set ways, you’d do the same.”

“You’ve gone mad! Just like your brother, Vita the Terrible! How can you possibly trust the knights when they even dare to suggest such things?!” the Red Queen once again loses her temper.

The Green Queen is quick to answer that, "I can trust the knights with my life!"

“Your Highness, I warned you,” the judge lifts his eyebrows at the Red Queen. “I have no choice, but to ask you to leave immediately.”

“This is unbelievable! I never thought I’d see such a day!” the tantrum continues and she throws down her diamond-encrusted clutch. She leaves willfully, but only to save her face from being escorted out.

“I thank you for taking the Council’s advice, Your Highness. For the rest of Your Majesties, the Council will understand if you wish to take time to think this over and run this past your advisers, but please make your move soon. We might have much less time than we think,” Madam Svetochka taps the bottom of her documents against the flat surface. “Much less. I'll be sending copies of this proposition to your offices for your further review today. ”

Neatly, she packs them back into the mouth of a leather folder, signaling that this is the conclusion of the exciting advice.