Flame in the Palace

22. Art

Preparing for the Art Faire takes up most of Myria's days. With the performance looming at the end of the week, Geffrey insists that she wastes not a single valuable moment. Her mornings are spent practicing illusions with Emiri, who continues to maintain a safe distance, and afternoons are spent practicing music.

"Are you sure I should play the flute for the Faire?" Myria asks Geffrey. "I'm mostly self-taught, and I don't know any formal compositions."

Her cousin squints at her. "Are you hiding some other talent of renown? An ability to paint? Stunning vocals?"

Her silence tells him everything.

"You'll be fine. If you can tame a minotaur with that wooden thing, the court will be no problem. All you need is practice."

The next day he arrives with a tutor and a brand new instrument, a metal flute that is gold in color. Myria tests out the weight in her hands, uncertainly placing her fingers over the keys. "I don't know. I like my wooden one."

Geff sighs, attempting to hold onto whatever patience that remains with him. "We can't have the court see you playing that. Besides, this one plays more clearly and has a beautiful sound. Beade here agrees that this instrument is of the finest quality offered in the kingdom."

The tutor, a bearded, eager youth ready to prove himself, nods in assent, settling the matter once and for all. The hours are then spent with Beade coaching Myria on simple matters instead of music. He criticizes her posture, the angle at which she instinctively holds the flute, the grip she has on the instrument, her inconsistent note fingerings. Beade is even more aghast that she cannot read sheet music. He drills her on intonation, weight distribution, embouchure, quality of airflow. Tempo markings, articulations, meter, flats and sharps. By late afternoon, Myria is so fed up, she snaps at both Beade and Geffrey.

"I only have a few days to master this. I simply don't have time to relearn the way I play music. If you want to help, then teach me a piece I can play at the Art Faire so I can master it in time. At this rate, I won't accomplish anything."

Beade gasps, offended, but Geffrey nods at the sensibility in her words. "Very well. Beade, tomorrow you will teach her a specific piece to master."

Defeated, Beade agrees. "I will bring a selection for her to choose from."

He brings three for her to consider. Knowing the sheet music would be lost on her, he pulls out his own silver flute and demonstrates their sound for her. The first is patriotic in nature, hammering out repetitive beats that praise the glory of Avalion. The second is a lively tune with complicated fingerings and wild rhythms. Beade explains it is a popular dance song played at festivals and would pair nicely with an illusion of a dancer.

The third selection is entirely different, not known by the nobility since it is his own composition. When he plays it, the notes are lingering and mournful, sprinkled with some sweetness in between. When Myria asks for the inspiration behind it, Beade pauses before merely stating, "A tragic love story, my lady."

She chooses the third one, which earns a small smile from the ever-frowning Beade. Then, they begin the arduous practice of Myria mimicking the fingerings and sounds that Beade demonstrates. He mutters on several occasions how ill-advised it is to learn a musical piece on muscle memory alone. The complaints fade when she can repeat the refrains in perfect harmony by the second day. He also offers suggestions on illusions she can create to pair with the music.

"I didn't write any lyrics to accompany the piece," he explains. "Therefore, the story it tells is really open to interpretation."

While she still meets with Emiri in the mornings to practice magic, she practices her specific illusion in the afternoons once she is alone with Beade. The struggle she finds is concentrating on the two tasks—music and magic—at the same time. Beade offers some helpful tips, walking around in the room while she plays the piece. "Walking should be second nature, yes? If you truly rely on muscle memory for the music, that can be your second nature where the magic can hold your real focus."