Throne of Magical Arcana

It was the first time Lucien, a shy and rather introverted guy, expressed his emotions completely through music. Lucien’s persistence and faith were on full display in his playing.

Although Lucien was still a bit unskilled, it did not affect the audiences in the room. Felicia, Lott, Herodotus, Rhine and, of course, Victor, all felt what Lucien wanted to tell them, while they had different understandings.

Felicia, as the only girl present, was holding her hands and twisting her fingers together. Her father did not inherit the family’s title, so she almost gave up her music dream and married a random noble. She often doubted herself, asking herself if she could really make her dream come true, if her choice was right.

Hearing Lucien’s fully dedicated playing, all her worries came to her mind:

“Can I overcome all the difficulties and become a female musician?

“Will I be respected because of my own achievements and be able to choose my own love?”

She did not know. The music thrilled her.

Lott and Herodotus also had their own pressure in the family, and their fates were doomed as well ― they would not be able to inherit the titles. They could indulge themselves hopelessly in wine and women, or they could do something greater, such as becoming great musicians.

Lott’s hands were shaking. The music reminded him of his cousin, Mekanzi.

Herodotus took a few steps back. He had always been weak among his family.

Even Rhine was feeling something. His face, which was always serene, was now lightened with excitement. He was beating time with the music, feeling the long-lost intense emotion.

Victor was the most excited one among them all. His hands were clenching, his face was slightly distorted, and his whole body was shaking. The music reminded him of so many things in the past: his first failed concert; the encouragement from his wife; his hard work and his successful second performance. He thought of the great grief when his wife passed away, and of all his effort and the hard time Wolf and Othello gave him…

The music notes were like sharp arrows, going directly to his heart.

Victor could tell the sense of insistence and stiffness in it.

“I failed so many times, and I recovered the same amount of times.

“Then, why give up this time?

“Winnie, is that you encouraging me?”

Lucien started feeling tired. He knew it was because of the injury he got, but he couldn’t stop playing. As a musician, or just a music student for now, it was his responsibility to finish the whole work.

“I’ll let Mr. Victor feel it!” He thought to himself.

His listeners could tell he was exhausted, feeling rather worried. Lucien’s playing was like walking on a tightrope, but it did not stop.

Lucien seized the chance to have a bit of rest through the relatively softer and slow rhythm in the end of the first movement. And then the intense part came back again, which was just like a long battle.

The second movement was more soothing, like sunlight driving away dark clouds and the raging waves in the ocean calming down, like the soldiers going back to their campsite for a short rest during the break.

The following third and fourth movements were interwoven with each other, and the tune became pressing and overwhelming again.

The sunlight disappeared and the dark clouds came back again; the seemingly quiet ocean was secretly building even bigger waves; The soldiers picked up their weapons and headed toward the battlefield.

The greatest and final battle was about to come.

The feeling of anxiety, worry and fear gradually accumulated with the development of the music.

Eventually the storm came, throwing a fishing boat up above the raging waves and, in the next second, fiercely dropping it down. Faced with the power of nature, the little boat seemed so helpless and weak; In the battlefield, the final round was about to decide the fate of the soldiers, who were fighting, killing or being killed, but they were still brave.

The fishing boat did not give in to the roaring waves; The soldiers were beating back their enemies.

In the last movement, the music became gentle again, which sounded a bit grieved, as if the soldiers were lamenting their dead comrades in the battlefield, as if the sailors were missing their families in the waves.

There came the darkest hour before the dawn. The listeners felt nervous again.

What was waiting for them in the end? Failure or victory?

Did they overcome the difficulties, or get completely defeated by the difficulties?

Did they finally take fate by the throat?

Or did they give in to fate?

Suddenly, the exciting and splendid chapter arrived and directly struck the listeners’ hearts. That was a chapter of great victory!

Feeling excited and encouraged, Victor could not stop himself from raising his arm. He wanted to cheer, cheer for the sunlight driving away the dark clouds, for the sailors surviving on the fishing ship, for the soldiers successfully protecting their land!

The rest of the listeners were feeling gratified and excited as well, as if they got the faith and power for themselves to fight against their own sufferings.

Rhine, who always looked calmer than others, was also smiling.

Lucien moved his hands from the keyboard and wanted to stand up, but found himself so weak. The playing consumed all his strength and energy.

“This is…” murmured Victor, as if he was asking Lucien, or asking himself.

Rhine, Lott, Felicia and Herodotus all looked at Lucien, waiting for his answer.

“This is fate.” Lucien tried hard to stand up, and replied him.

Rhine was the first one applauding, then followed by the rest of the students. Victor also joined them, applauding hard.

“This is music, genuine music!” Victor walked close to Lucien and commented.

Lucien smiled, and he said sincerely, “Thank you, Mr. Victor. Since you like my composition, I wonder if I could have the honor of having you revise it for me. We can tell Mr. Othello and Her Highness that we want to alter the list. I’m sure they would agree and you will find it a good piece of work for your concert, Mr. Victor.”

Lucien’s intention was clear to everyone in the room ― he wanted to give his work to Victor and he was willing to give up the honor and fame he deserved. They turned their eyes on Victor, waiting excitedly for his response.

A mixture of emotions spread over Victor’s face: ecstasy, relief, excitement, greed, hesitation… An inner struggle was going on in his mind.

“You can put my name on the second position, if you want. I cannot refine it, and your work will be really important, Mr. Victor.” Lucien tried to make his teacher feel less guilty for taking his student’s work.

After a while, with a long sigh, a smile appeared on Victor’s face and he turned to Lucien.

“No, I won’t. It is yours. This is your great work. I already can see your name being registered in the history of music. Apart from God and Winnie, who are supporting me, I still have my moral creed. That’s what Winnie appreciated most.”

This was Mr. Victor, his music teacher. Lucien could feel the tears in his own eyes.