"Bryong, settle down. You look beautiful and Kinewyn and Coveark are going to meet us in the Throne Room. Stephen called on the cell phone and said that he will meet us after our presentation to the Queen." Max opens the door to the green room and ushers the young freecaster into the hall.
Bryong walks down the white corridor where a few of the Queen's assistants , surprisingly dressed little different than Max, are smiling at her. Two double doors open and Bryong is ushered into Winifred Proach's studio. The crowd applauds and Bryong is taken aback by the number of people the queen allows in her court. Which person is Winifred is evident immediately. The structure of the entire room is created to allow Winifred Proach to be visible and audible to all in her court.
Max seems relieved to see Kinewyn and Coveark are already seated on a plush couch across from Winifred. Bryong is reassured by his smile. Winifred is elegant and pretty but her posture and clothes do not appear to be that of a noble to Bryong.
Winifred rises from the couch and walks to greet Bryong. Bryong looks to Max, startled that the Queen of America is approaching her without guard or ceremony. Immediately she stops and places one knee to the ground and lowers her head. Winifred stops, smiles to her audience and then continues to Bryong and stoops down to meet her eyes, "Bryong, welcome to my show. Thank you very much for coming." Winifred places her hand on Bryong's shoulder as she says this. Bryong starts as a wheeled camera sweep behind her. "Nothing to worry about, Bryong. Please sit down with me."
Bryong rises and walks to the plush single chair that has been set for her. Max sits with Kinewyn and Coveark on the couch. Bryong notices Coveark scanning the crowd for danger. The old elf and the ranger look strikingly out of place, journey worn adventurer's garb interrupted by weapons and carried provisions. Winifred sits and and straitens the loose sleeves of her Charvet silk crepe blouse with French cuffs. Bryong shifts uneasily and pulls at a thread on her rune embroidered jerkin. Despite the attention Winifred's people paid to the young freecaster in the green room, watermarks and wear are visible on her attire and she is quite aware of her appearance.
"Bryong, Kinewyn, your mentor for the last seven years, has told us that you are a talented freecaster," Winifred's says in a voice that is pleasant and inviting. "Could you explain to us in your own words what a freecaster is?"
Bryong reflexively nods in deference to royalty but pauses as she looks out at the audience. The audience is casual and their anticipation can be seen in their positions. They are unlike any audience Bryong has ever seen in a nobles court.
"Of course, Queen Winifred." Bryong continues. She notices a quick hand gesture Max makes to a producer near one of the cameras. "I am a free caster which means that I can use arcane knowledge to cast a number of different spells. I know less spells than a wizard of equal learning but I can cast more spells between each slumber than a wizard can cast."
Winifred takes a moment to smile at her audience and then the camera before asking, "What type of spells?"
"Oh, I know all spells from the first seven circle of the Gentrod Libram. Spells of protection, standard offense spells such as Lightning Bolt and Fireball. Spells that will bind a man or spells that will purify provisions. Since I studied with the Clerics of Crixiven for some time I am also capable of casting some divine healing spells."
Winifred shifts back in her seat, displaying comfort and warmth to her guests. "Could you show us a few of your spells, perhaps?"
Bryong reminds herself that this is not the first time she has cast for a Queen. The young freecaster stands. "Of course, Queen Winifred. This is my bag of gold pieces. Kinewyn instructs us to carry fifty gold at all times for dealing with local merchants or guards who would see their palms crossed with precious metals or the like. I am sure none of those are in your employ," Bryong falters in her speech for a moment, worried she has insulted her host.
Winifred immediately reassures her and Bryong continues. "As you can see, this gold piece is stamped with the likeness of King Trajon and it would be accepted at any port in his kingdom." Bryong places the gold piece she is displaying back into the bag and twists the leather top of the bag. She places her palm a few inches below the bag and lets go with her upper hand. The bag floats as tendrils of white light snake around the bag. Delight appears on Bryong's face as she lets the spell wend and then lets the bag drop back into her hand. She plucks a gold piece from inside, handing it to Winifred. It glows white as through the whole of the gold piece were made from radiance.
Winifred's hand pauses and Kinewyn rises and takes the gold piece from Bryong, "Queen Winifred, our host, Max, has explained that magic is not common on your world." The old elf takes the bag from Bryong, hands a piece to Coveark and a piece to Max. Each now holds a gold piece shining brighter than the studio lights. Beams of luminescence escape from between their fingers. Kinewyn holds a shining piece in the flat of his hand, stoops before the Queen, offering the coin to Winifred.
Winifred, forgetting the cameras, takes the gold piece and the light bathes her perfect skin, illuminating a expression of knowing.
Bryong takes her seat again, "I have focused on the schools of conjuration and enchantment, Queen Winifred, but I am able to cast spells from all of the schools."
Winifred places the coin on the empty wool fabric cushion next to her and turns to a camera, "Max, a college student from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, found Bryong and her..."
An audience member waves her hands at Winifred from the back of the theater. Winifred halts her description of Max's meeting Kinewyn’s band and addresses the woman directly. "I am sorry ma'am we usually prerecord this show but we are live today as my producer explained before we began today. I will take questions from the audience later in the hour."
Coveark leans in and whispers to Kinewyn. Bryong meets Kinewyn’s gaze and can see he is unsettled at how deferential the Queen is to this subject in her court..
The woman in the audience continues, despite Winifred's warning, "I am sorry, Winifred. Oh I just, oh, I am so honored to be here to-, oh, I just could not help but ask. That magic girl said that she can heal." The middle-aged woman puts her hands to her heart and leans down toward her daughter. A young girl sits next to her in a wide open space that has been set aside for a wheel chair. The girl looks down away from the stage.
Winifred immediately stands, “Please, you and your daughter can come down to watch the show from the front row. My staff will assist you and Bryong will answer your question near the end of the hour."
Winifred turns back to Bryong, "Everyone is so excited to see what you can do, Bryong. Thank you again for being my guest today."
"Of course, Queen Winifred. Why are their wheels on that child's chair?"
Winifred's smile breaks, "Bryong, there will be many questions from the audience in a short time but I really want the audience to hear your story, tell us a little about yourself."
"Yes, Queen. Well, I am from a small fishing village on the world of Thrycion," Bryong's words trail away as some of Winifred's staff begin to wheel the little girl toward a back entrance to bring her out again closer to the stage.
"I'm sorry, Queen. Is that child unable to walk?"
Winifred's face tightens, "Yes, that is why she is in wheelchair." Winifred looks up toward the back and her members of her staff stop where they are.
Bryong stands immediately. She casts again. The small girls chair levitates to shoulder height. "Do not be frightened child. I will not drop you." Bryong spins her chair slowly with circular motion of forefinger above palm. She gauges the weight and then brings the girls chair floating above the audience down to a gentle stop in front of the dais. Coveark rifles through his pack and produces a scroll case that he hands to Bryong. She opens the scroll case and takes a weathered piece of parchment down to the girl.
Winifred looks over to her producer, who hustles away immediately.
"Child, I wish to heal you. Would you be healed?"
The little girl looks up to her mo
ther. "Yes, Katy. Yes"
"Yes, magic lady. That would be nice."
Bryong smiles and reads from the scroll. There is a collective silence from the audience as they watch the letters of the scrolls burn bright through the parchment, disappearing as they are read.
"Rise. You will walk home with your mother this day, child."
Bryong places her hand on the girl's long black hair after she has stood. The girl looks back at her mother uncertainly. Bryong holds the girls hand and shoulder and walks along with her as muscles that have never been used to stride, pull her unsteadily up the stairs.
"It will take you a few weeks, Katy, to get used to walking. But your mother seems a spirited lady who will aid you each day and you will be able to aid with the harvest this very fall."
Katy looks down at her legs, as they carry her back up to her mother. She looks to her mother and beams with pride even as she pulls on Bryong's arm to steady herself.
The girl’s mother rushes down the stairs. "Thank you, oh, thank you." The woman embraces her daughter and tears stream down her face and onto her lime green blouse. She kisses her daughter and takes in her joy before turning again to Bryong and then going down to her knees. "Thank you, thank you. It is a miracle."
The audience begins to stir, some looking around the set confused, others rising as though to exit.
Winifred stands, "Thank you for joining us today on a very special 'Winifred'. We will be right back after these messages."
Chapter 12