The Prodigy Slave, Book One: Journey to Winter Garden: (Revised Edition 2020)

by Londyn Skye

  “I had the privilege of speaking with the creator of this unbelievable show, Ms. Lily Adams, who has joined us here tonight,” Piers said, motioning his hand toward her. “And after such a lovely and revealing conversation with her, I’d now like to call this portrait Musical Dreams … after learning that Ms. Adams’ dreams have most certainly come true.”

  “Ah-ah-ah-ah,” Preston said, stepping forward and waving a finger, after seeing that a slew of eager bidders still had their bidding paddles high in the air. “I hate to disappoint you all, but this portrait is not up for bids.” An audible groan from all the patrons grumbled through the room as people put their paddles down. “Piers has offered this priceless piece to be added to this gallery. It will now serve as the centerpiece of our music-themed exhibit and will remain so until the day these walls come tumbling down.”

  Lily glanced over at the twins, who both gave her a telling smile about their knowledge of the surprise. Both were happy to see such delight on her and their father’s face after hearing that the piece they were featured in would become a part of their mother’s favorite museum.

  “As most of you may already know, the inspiration for this work of artwork, The Dream Symphony, will be playing Christmas night at Winter Garden Theater here in Manhattan,” Preston continued. “However, it is my understanding that the show is already completely sold out.” Another groan erupted from the audience. “But! For a lucky few of you, I have just the remedy for that! You see, in place of his priceless portrait, Mr. LeRoux has provided yet another way to share the experience that inspired this piece. So, although he remains adamant about not letting anyone bid on this particular piece of work, he is more than happy to let you all bid on these!” Preston raised a handful of tickets in the air. “Four center balcony seats to The Dream Symphony for Christmas night! Shall we start the bidding at, let’s saaay … ten dollars!”

  Lily heard Preston’s announcement, but she simply could not pull her eyes away from what was Piers’s interpretation of her show. After being entranced by it for a moment, she slowly looked around the room as the battle for tickets to her show began. She thought that perhaps it would be yet another scene where every minute detail would become embedded in her mind and added to her collection of fond memories. However, as the bidding prices rose higher, the room suddenly fell silent in Lily’s world after the entire scene triggered the memory of the very first time bids were ever placed on her behalf. She was nine years old, barefoot, in a filthy dress, shivering, scared, and feeling hopelessly alone. Lily was an innocent child back then, recently stolen from her mother by her own father. Her father’s callousness had left her to believe that she was nothing more than a meaningless animal to him after he so easily sold her away to serve a tyrant, a man who took pride in demolishing her spirit.

  But now, after her turbulent journey, Lily had finally ended that once depressing chapter of her life where she was frozen in time as that broken young lady who once stood alone on an auction block in a tear-stained, tattered dress. She was now beginning a whole new story as a dignified grown woman, adorned in handmade silk gowns, fancy matching shoes, and fur coats. In this new chapter of her life, instead of being looked at on an auction block, Lily was being looked at on a grand stage by a variety of people with tear-filled eyes that reflected how much they appreciated her. Now, a slew of perfect strangers, both black and white, spoke to her with the sort of kindness that her father never did. They told her “thank you” after opening their arms to embrace her in a way that Jesse never had, despite all she had done for him. She was finally living the sort of life where the people that now surrounded her, while she stood on display, never once viewed her as a piece of property. In their eyes, Lily Adams was now an awe-inspiring, gifted, brilliant, and beautiful woman, who was currently sitting at an auction in the midst of a crowd full of people who were bidding not to own her, but instead, to honor her by paying to be a part of her mystical, musical dreams.

  Lily sat through what she was witnessing inside of a grand ballroom, feeling swaddled in the grand warmth and love of those who surrounded her at the table—a complete contrast from the last time bidders had fought for her. That contrast suddenly struck a chord in her. Lily once believed that the dreadful day she was bid on as a child was the beginning of the destruction of her life. But now, in the midst of the current bidding mayhem and the love that she felt at her table, she realized that perhaps that day was the beginning of God’s plan, that it was a means to a fifteen-year journey to free herself from oppression, but more importantly … to free her mother.

  As that epiphany dawned on Lily, James took hold of her hand and kissed it, after innately sensing that she needed to feel his touch. The simple affection suddenly brought her sense of awareness back to reality. The sights and sounds of the crowd in the ballroom returned as Lily turned and stared at the strapping man who was now holding her hand. When she gazed into his eyes, she suddenly remembered one of the first things he had ever said to her when they first met by the creek as children: I’ve been prayin’ real hard that you’ll see your motha’ again. Lily then thought of yet another of James’s wonderful gestures from just the night before: Just know that if you say the word, I’ll do everything in my powa’ to find your motha’ for you. I swear to it. Wheneva’ you’re ready, I’ll be ready. As James continued to caress Lily’s hand at their table, she realized that with a few simple words she would be handing him the power to answer his very own prayer, an incredibly selfless prayer that he had placed to God on her behalf nearly fifteen years ago that still resonated with her to this very day.

  As the prices for The Dream Symphony tickets continued to rise, Lily’s sudden epiphany was helping her to see God’s plan with great clarity. She now felt that it could not have been a coincidence that she was sold to a home where she was able to uncover her God-given gift, to a place where the young boy who lived there, not only fell in love with her but believed in her gift enough to make such a huge sacrifice in order to nurture it. With that revelation so clear, Lily was finally able to let go of her fear of searching for her mother, especially knowing that the man who sat beside her, currently caressing her hand, would be there by her side through it all. Lily then looked one by one at all the other faces that were gathered at the table with her: Landon, the comical twins, William, Austin, Anna Mae, Benjamin, and Isabel. Lily felt that each and every one of them were her new family, and she had no doubt that they would all be there for her as well. She was positive that they would help her deal with the heartache of knowing that her mother was no longer living, or they would prepare a magnificent celebration to help welcome and embrace her mother into their family like she had always been a part of it. But with the confidence that Lily now had in what she believed was God’s plan, she was thoroughly convinced that her pseudo-family would indeed be doing the latter.

  As the long drawn out bidding battle finally came to an end, James placed yet another soft kiss to the back of Lily’s hand. Her eyes fell on him, and she began to glow as her face lit up with a smile that brightened his evening. Lily knew at that very moment, beyond a shadow of a doubt, what the topic of their conversation would be after James made love to her and she lay melting into the loving embrace of his strong arms during the late-night hours.

  After the winning bidder had retrieved his tickets, Landon walked up to the podium to make an announcement. “Good evening,” he greeted. “First, I’d like to say to the gentleman who just purchased those tickets … I can assure you that your money has been very well spent. By the time The Dream Symphony comes to a close, I swear, you will feel like you can fly.”

  The winner nodded with a smile as he took his seat.

  “Anyhow,” Landon continued, “for those of you here tonight who don’t know me, my name is Landon … Landon Von Brandt. And while you are all in your seats, I have one more thing I’d like to share this evening. At first, I thought maybe I would share this as a private matter, but while Ms. Adams is displayed so beauti
fully in this magnificent portrait, I suddenly feel compelled to share my news with all of you now.” He paused a moment and turned to take in the sight of the artwork. “Behind the scenes of this magnificent show, I have watched the young lady in this picture work tirelessly without complaint. There is such enthusiasm and joy in her spirit as she goes about orchestrating and perfecting every minute detail of her ensemble in her attempt to bring this artistic symphony to life. To watch Ms. Adams work is truly a thing of beauty. After a short time in her presence, the happiness she exudes, and her passion for what she does, will start to infuse itself into your soul. You become drunk with it and quite frankly … it makes you want to become a better man. At the very least, you will want to make an attempt to achieve greatness in the way that she strives to do. In my case … I find that I now strive for both. I want to be a better man. I also want to perfect my craft the way Ms. Adams has … Although.” He thought for a moment and put a finger to his temple. “I have yet to discover a craft,” he said sarcastically, infusing a bit of humor into his speech and invoking a bit of laughter from the audience. “But!” Landon put a finger in the air. “I can assure you that I’m working hard to find one.” He looked at Lily. “And I undoubtedly owe that to you, Ms. Adams.”

  His words made Lily smile. James caressed her arm, gazing at her in a way that expressed how much he understood the sentiment of Landon’s words.

  “I presume that most of you are very familiar with William Werthington,” Landon continued, motioning his hand in William’s direction. The crowd applauded in affirmation of his statement. “Well, several months ago, my father received a lengthy heartfelt letter from Mr. Werthington. It is actually that letter that has afforded me the opportunity to be inspired by the young woman who is now the subject of this fine piece of artwork here.” He motioned his hand toward it again. “You see, the letter Mr. Werthington wrote was regarding a certain matter with Ms. Adams. After reading such touching words, my father became extraordinarily curious and was willing to travel here himself to the United States to learn more about this fascinating young lady. But my father works very closely with the royal court in the United Kingdom. Needless to say, he is an extremely busy man under those circumstances. So, I suggested that I make the journey here for him. At first, he was not so keen on the idea because, unfortunately, he knows that I’m not easily impressed by anything, which is a fact I cannot argue. In fact, I was certain that I would return to my father after my adventure here to America and explain to him what a disappointment the journey was and to be glad that he never bothered to waste his time.” Landon exhaled sharply and looked down at Lily. “Well, I cannot tell you how very wrong I was.

  “I must admit, I’ve stolen many a heart thus far in my life,” he joked, letting his narcissism shine briefly. “But after watching this beautiful young lady here, this was the first time that a woman had ever stolen mine … But not in the usual manner. After seeing Ms. Adams’ show, I confessed to her that what I saw captivated me like nothing else in my life. I immediately understood the passion and motivation with which Mr. Werthington had scripted his letter to my father. Because, much like Mr. LeRoux was moved to create a masterpiece after the experience of watching Ms. Adams’ symphony, I too was moved to dedicate every resource in my power to Ms. Adams’ cause.

  “And now the very same show that I was so hell-bent on giving my father negative reviews about, is one that I can’t seem to stop myself from bragging on and on about to him. Letter after letter, it seems there is just more and more I find to tell him about this brilliant young woman and her incredible show. And now, after receiving dozens of my letters, my father has finally written back,” he explained, raising an envelope in the air. “He has expressed that he has grown tired of me talking about Lily.” Landon paused when everyone looked at him curiously. “My father now wants to see with his very own eyes, this phenomenon that has captivated his only son, a son that he knows full well is usually so cynical about everything. He just has to meet the woman and see the show that has transformed me: a feat that he feels he has hopelessly failed at,” he joked. “He wants, at the very least, to say thank you to Ms. Adams for accomplishing what he was unable to do for the last twenty-seven years.” The crowd laughed again. “But! My father hopes that he will get to meet her for far more than that.” With that, Landon turned to Lily again. “Ms. Adams, would you be so kind as to join me here on stage for a moment?”

  Not expecting to be in the center of attention at all for that evening, Lily looked at James curiously. He shrugged his shoulders, but then helped her to stand, escorted her up the stairs to the stage, and went back to take his seat.

  “Unfortunately, with my father residing an ocean away, it would be impossible for him to journey here in enough time for your final performance at Winter Garden,” Landon explained to Lily once she was standing next to him at the podium. “However, he thought that perhaps there might be a solution for that. You see, when my father wants something, he will do everything in his power to acquire it. That, coupled with the fact that he knows I am rarely excited about anything, makes my father trust that you are more than worthy of this,” he said, handing Lily the envelope he was holding.

  Lily looked down at the folded letter that Landon had placed in her hand, which had an official red wax seal with the emblem of a winged horse holding its folds together. She then glanced back up at Landon with a perplexed look on her face.

  “Go ahead, open it up and read it,” Landon insisted.

  Lily loosened the seal, unfolded it, and took a moment to read it silently. She looked back up at Landon again when she was finished. “Is this real?” she asked, tears starting to well in her eyes.

  “Every word of it,” he assured her.

  Lily then turned to look out into the crowd. “William?” she questioned, seeking reassurance from him as well while staring at him with hope glistening in her eyes.

  The artwork was a secret that William’s sons had kept quiet from him. He was genuinely unaware of that surprise. For two days, however, he had remained tight-lipped about the contents of the letter that Lily now held as she questioned him with her innocent doe-like eyes. In response, William simply nodded, afraid to utter a word for fear that he might let loose the waterfall of emotions that had quickly built in his chest after sensing how emotional Lily had suddenly become.

  “Well, don’t leave everyone in suspense,” Landon chimed in, breaking Lily’s fixation on William. “Tell everyone what it says.”

  Lily cleared her throat, but was still unable to keep her emotions from saturating nearly every word as she began to read:

  Ms. Lily Adams,

  It is our pleasure to extend an invitation for you to present The Dream Symphony in the United Kingdom, here at Buckingham Palace. Upon affirmation of this invitation, you will be furnished with any and all necessary equipment and items required to complete your show. All measures will also be immediately put into place for you and your entire cast to journey here. Further details of this arrangement can be discussed in future correspondence after receipt of your response, which we very much look forward to, with the hope that The Dream Symphony will soon be here to witness.

  Sincerely,

  Queen Victoria

  Lily’s eyes met William’s again. “The very same Buckingham Palace you’ve told me stories about playing in?” she asked him, her voice still wracked with emotion.

  “Thee one and only,” William replied.

  “I’ve been dreamin’ about playin’ there eva’ since you told me about your experience there.”

  “Now here the chance lies before you,” William replied, still fighting hard to swallow the swell of emotions in his chest. “Took me half a lifetime to get an invitation there, but you … only half a year!” he smiled. “What’s your secret?” he asked, infusing humor into the atmosphere to settle the rising dam threatening the overflow through his eyes. It worked momentarily, bringing lighthearted laughter to everyone in the room. But f
or Lily, it was no laughing matter.

  “Havin’ one hell of a mentor to help guide me there,” she replied, with extreme sincerity in her tone.

  With those words, the dam that held William’s tidal wave of emotions back finally crumbled, allowing tears to gush from his innocent green eyes. He removed his spectacles and lowered his head, attempting to hide the moisture accumulating on his face as both of his sons placed a hand on his back. It was the second time Lily had seen William cry that night. His passionate response, the sight of his sons comforting him, and suddenly imagining that Emma was there with them, added to the sentimental river flowing down Lily’s own cheeks.

  Landon walked over and handed Lily a handkerchief. “Well, one word from you, Ms. Adams, and I have no doubt that you are capable of infusing your Buckingham Palace dreams into one of the scenes in your extraordinary symphony,” Landon said to her. “One word, and I’ll prepare a letter to my father and the Queen this very eve, giving them the much-anticipated news that you have graciously accepted their request … just one simple word.”

  The room was silent for a moment while Lily pondered something she thought would be so easy for her. She looked down at the invitation written by the Queen herself and then looked over at William, who finally held his head up and put his spectacles back on. She then glanced to William’s left and met the eyes of the man who had initiated this journey with her in a beat-up wooden wagon as she sat in the back, barefoot, in a dress nearly as old as she was. James had sat at those reins driving his horses forward with nothing but hope and a deep belief that Lily’s talent would lead her to a better life. His faith in her was evident when he began the journey, even without a single guarantee of the outcome. And it was certainly evident on this evening in his body language and in the way his eyes lingered on Lily with pride and admiration dancing in them. With their eyes locked on one another, James nodded to let her know that he was behind her, no matter what.