Ghost in the Roses

Chapter 28

"What is she doing here?" Nina hisses at me.

I look behind me and spot my client and a few of her familiars entering through one of the many double-doors. A round sea with a marble bottom decorated with pieces of granite stood between us. Against the many flowing currents of people moving, she works her pathway towards me.

"Ta-da," my hands reveal myself as the reason for her arrival at the Hight Court.

"No way," Kai laughs.

"You are her court representative? You are representing your ex?" With her eyebrows rising, Nina tills down her head at me.

"I am representing her cause. Besides, her case is the only one that actually seems like it could hold water in this court. All other ones were the same disputes that you constantly hear about at the lower courts."

"And you call me desperate? This isn't the way to rekindle a broken romance," his suspicions grow at the same rate as his frown.

"I have no interest in rekindling anything," quickly, I shut it down, "but this can be big. This can really do something."

"You will be the only one completely exposed. It can crush you, that's what it can do," still, Nina's objections remain the same.

"It's for a good cause," I say.

"Oh, I have no doubts about it, but that's not what worries me." Her eyes shift letting me know that she doesn't trust Lada, not when it comes down to me.

"Too late to look back now," I shrug.

"Then good luck to you. Hope the ruling turns in your favor," Nina spots her client. "And the most of good luck to you," but before she conveniently separates herself from becoming close to Lada, she steals a supple kiss from Kai's lips and gives him a smile in exchange.

"You too, Nina," a lovestruck Kai watches her leave.

"Do I get a good luck kiss too, smoochi-poo?" batting my eyes, I tease him with a higher pitch voice.

He mocks me back and does a fake gasp. "Mister, what kind of a cadet do you take me for?" But then he sees Lada getting closer and ends the joke. "I let you and your client be. I got to keep waiting on mine," Kai too, drifts away.

Here she is, Lada, the friend repellent. My true opinion is not that they hate her, they just don't trust her. I can't say that I trust her either, but for the sake of representing her case fairly and becoming a decent knight I must put all of my personal impressions aside.

"Hello, Lada," I greet her. Who are the other three that are with her, I do not know.

"Hi, Adrien," she's clearly excited to be here. "Wow, this place is incredible."

"Is this your first time here?" I ask.

"Yes. Yours?"

"In the Hight Court, yes."

"I've never seen an official flag of The Capital up this close before," she points at the massive black rectangle with the golden four-headed eagle in the center.

"It's looks like a lot of stick work," I nod.

"It's so beautiful, but I never understood why the background is black, it's so depressing."

"Black is what you get when you mix all the colors that symbolize the Domains. It stands for unity."

"And why the eagle has so many heads?"