Final Fantasy VII: Reflections - Book 1: Descent

TWENTY-TWO

"You tonight's bride?" the man at the door asked.

I nodded. "That's me."

I was surprised at how young he was. He looked like he was maybe sixteen at the most. Probably new here, which was why he was stuck at the front door. Still, if Sam was right, this was the Trio's inside man. So I was sure he already knew the real reason I was here. He wasn't alone, though, so we couldn't talk openly.

The goon on his left grinned. "Damn, she's hot!"

"Think we'll get a piece of her, Leslie?" the brute to his right let his eyes roam hungrily over me.

"Not for us to decide," Leslie said.

He was lean, his cap, jacket, pants and boots all black, with a white undershirt and silver hair that hung down almost to his shoulders. His yellow eyes didn't have the greed and lust in them that the other goons did. Even though I'd just met him, I felt like I could trust him. Though he looked bored and apathetic, it seemed to me almost like an act. Not something just anyone would've picked up on, but from my time in the theater, I'd learned how to see things like that.

Leslie folded his arms in front of him. "Got your letter?"

"Right here," I showed it to him.

We were standing in the courtyard in front of the mansion's inner entrance, where a few stalls of silks and other goods stood nearby. As I handed Leslie the letter, I kept a wary eye on the thugs with him. They were practically drooling over me. I'd have liked nothing better than to kick both their asses, but I was on a mission. And anyway, I didn't have much experience fighting hand to hand.

Well, not yet, at least. But although I didn't know it, I wasn't too far away from finding myself the best teacher I could've ever asked for. She would become a lot more than that, though. As good a friend to me as Aerith, and the sister I'd never had. But now I'm getting a little ahead of myself. Anyway, I waited patiently while Leslie looked over the letter. It didn't take long, and I wondered why he was working for Corneo while also covertly helping the Trio at the same time.

"Looks like everything's in order," he said. "You can go on inside. If you're sure you wanna do this."

I gave him a small smile. "I have to."

Leslie sighed. "Alright. Watch yourself in there."

He motioned to the two men at his side, and they pushed open the double doors for me, leering at me the whole time. I ignored them and hurried inside, jumping a little in spite of myself when the doors closed behind me with a loud clang. Taking a deep breath to calm my nerves, I looked around at Corneo's estate.

I was in a large, six-sided room with a reception desk sitting to the left and a staircase on my right rising up and around to the upper level, where three sets of double doors stood closed. The place was decorated in red and gold, with round floor lamps here and there, a sofa off to the left near the desk, a collection of large, painted pots, and other assorted decorations like wall scrolls and framed art.

There were doors on the first floor as well, including a pair behind the desk, but I suspected that the Don's office was probably upstairs, so I ignored them. Didn't look like I'd have to worry about where to go, in any case. I wasn't alone in here. A man in a gray suit with dark red hair came over to see me as soon as I walked in.

"Well, looky here," he said. "You must be the Don's girl for tonight. Right this way. Follow me."

As he led me to the stairs and up to the second floor, I assumed an air of eager innocence mixed with just a touch of nervousness, playing the part of a young, naive slum girl looking to make it big and become Wall Market's leading lady. She knew what she wanted, all the material benefits and privileges of being the Don's mistress, but she was still way out of her element and didn't know it yet.