Soup. That was what the bowl had contained before Alicé had finished it. Soup. Chicken and a herb that danced on the tongue; plus a honey-glazed seed bun and a couple of slices of cheese. Cream Barlengil, according to Ileen, with the signature blueberries. With room enough for blackcurrant and raspberry pie with lemon-scented cream.

  “Enjoy it?” Ileen asked from across the table.

  “Delicious,” Alicé replied, dabbing her mouth with a napkin. “And looks like I wasn’t the only one.”

  “Got that right,” said Haysarna, spoon connecting with the plate as she leaned back. “Could have eaten a goose.”

  “Could be dinner,” said Ileen, looking at the kitchen. “That or Flame-spice Stew.”

  “Have you got a menu or something,” Alicé said. “You knew that it was soup before we got here.”

  “Day, month, little bit of guesswork. An unnamed friend with connections to the Kitchens….”

  “Whose dream since nursery has been to be a chef,” Haysarna said, gathering the empty plates. “Theodora every day of the week.”

  “Good idea about coming here at one rather than noon, Alicé,” Ileen stretched. “Wouldn’t be able to move.”

  Alicé looked across the great space known as the Refectory. Usually, the long tables would be full of pupils, sister-to-bes’ and the full sisters on their round tables. But, after one o’clock, things started to die down and there was more room to sit, eat, chat and lounge.

  “More to do with Linnette,” she replied. “Her break is at One.”

  “Noon never concerned you, Ileen,” said Haysarna. “Glide in at the head of our line of four; with a gaze that said beware all earthly beings who dare to cross my path.”

  “Can’t blame me for picking tips up from the Mistress,” Ilene drawled. “Second daughter of Thune-Lé-Ellesmere.”

  “Says the one whose father is a Marshal of Enslet,” Haysarna said, flicking back one of her lengths of mahogany hair. “And Heir of the House of Dellamoone, to boot.”

  “Not declared,” Ileen whispered, making Alicé turn. “And I hope it isn’t until the Autumn.”

  “Still able to take part in the Coronation, and other duties besides,” Haysarna continued. “There are two gardeners on my mother’s side; plus a pig farmer, labourer, and seasonal shepherd. It’s that-that fortress-abbey that makes Thune-Lé stand out; not what my lot get up to.”

  “Stopping the Count of Arganau in his tracks, with a force half his size, is not a feat to be sniffed at,” said Ilene. “Especially when the relief army under a certain Dellamoone was playing pretty-pebbles on the Elles. I still don’t know why they awarded him, Marshal, after the Tia Incident. Hasn’t commanded so much as a flock of geese since.”

  “I know exactly why my father was taken off active service after the Tia Incident,” Haysarna added.

  “Must we do this again?” said Alicé. “Even with the geese? We know how the Tia Incident didn’t do either of your fathers any good; nearly claimed the Prophetess and the Abbess, I might add. In the lists of Great Captains of Farrismarrai, there is said to be the name of my grandfather. But you don’t hear me talking about him.”

  “Ah, that’s what I wanted to tell you,” said Haysarna. “Dad said that he met him once.”

  “In Ellesmere?”

  “At a presentation in Firé-Missiliya. Marking the Crossing of the Valentine.”

  “Farrismarrai then,” Alicé exhaled. “I was going to say; he could have visited my Mum and Dad if he was crossing Maysine. When was that?”

  “Two years ago, during the summer holidays,” said Haysarna. “Now that I think about it, they picked me up here, and we went over Tislarmene to Lake Valancine in Gelervindon.”

  The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  “I suspect they weren’t celebrating the Crossing in the Republic,” said Ileen. “One of their biggest defeats.”

  “I wonder if he was the man with the escort waiting for Dad one morning at the house on Firémere,” Haysarna continued. “Dressed in black and silver, with sashes of lilac and purple.”

  “Oh, that’s Grandfather Mardanhi alright,” said Alicé. “With the twin brooches shaped like lavender. The only piece - along with his sword - that he will ever wear from his time as - The Captain.”

  “My, my,” said Ileen. “Carlesta Mardanhi on one side and a Lady of Legend on the other.”

  “But you said that aside from a register in Florengal, none of the Bleu de Ciels’ is in the history books,” Haysarna said. “Unlike the Dellamoones.”

  “Or the Lé-Don Elles’,” Ileen added.

  “Not this again,” said Alicé.

  “It’s too unusual to be a coincidence,” Ilene continued. “Take off the first bit and the names match.”

  “What names?” a voice asked, coupled with a descending tray.

  “Goodness,” Alicé said, getting back into her chair as Ilene got back into hers and Haysarna put her hands back on the table. “You’re like an owl over the fields, Linnette. Don’t hear the swoop.”

  “I’ve got lunch, thanks,” Linnette replied, sitting down and slicing a bun. “Soup taste as great as it smells?”

  “Emptied the bowl,” Haysarna said, picking up the plates and cutlery. “I’ve heard this bit before, so Ilene would have put forward her case by the time I’m back.”

  “Hmm, Barrister,” Ileen said. “Never thought of that.”

  “Not another one of your theories,” said Linnette. “I’ve only just got my head round a person sneezing in Ennesmir causing a gale the far side of Farrislarhne.”

  “It’s a case of coincidence,” said Alicé, looking at Ileen. “Like Haysarna’s sister’s first name and your surname both being Kaysarna.”

  “Stems back to an ancestor who didn’t like the original Kaysarndra,” said Linnette between spoons of soup. “From Katrina’s neck of the woods: St. Elless-Tonsgal.”

  “Her family was said to have died out years ago, and the surname has not been used - even as a first name - since,” Ileen continued.

  “Who’s Her?”

  “Naythune.”

  “The Prioress-Prophetess?” Linnette repeated as Alicé’s head touched the table. “You’d better have a good one for this.”

  “She’s in Alicé’s full title.”

  “You’re not asking me to recite that - sorry Alicé,” Linnette said between another spoonful. “Plus, it’s not full abbey knowledge.”

  “Tell her which part of the sequence,” Haysarna said, sitting down. “There’s four but might as well be five.”

  “The second one,” Ilene said. “Haymarlen Lia-Naythune.”

  Alicé slouched back in her chair while Linnette looked at Ileen. “Don’t you see?” Ileen growled, “If you remove Lia, what are you left with?”

  “Part of her middle names,” Linnette said, taking another spoonful of soup.

  “But no one uses it in Maysine-Enslet out of respect for what she did. Now her first name - Electra - I would have expected to find that there.”

  “Lia’s Farrismarrian. And didn’t you both sides of your family get involved in the names, Alicé?”

  “Oh yes,” said Alicé, staring ahead. “Including Grandmother Mardanhi. She had always had a name in mind for a daughter or granddaughter who would go into the order. So when I came here, I received Lia-de - no - I mean Lia-Naythune.”

  “Lia - de - Naythune,” Ileen said. “This is new….”

  “I told you, I said the other bit wrong,” said Alicé.

  “You need to find out what Lia means in Farrismarrian, Ileen,” said Linnette. “Although it doesn’t matter, as it’s quite clear Alicé’s grandmother gave her the name in honour of the Prioress. A Prioress-Prophetess of the same Order her granddaughter was going to enter.”

  “If I hadn’t heard a second word, I now need to find the meaning of,” said Ileen.

  “You’re reading way too much into this,” said Haysarna. “I can understand it from Alicé about Ins-what’s-it but-”

  “Or you about whether Tarenzal could be your cousin,” Alicé replied, then saw Haysarna, Ileen and Linnette all looking at her. “I thought it was common knowledge.”

  “News-news-News to me,” said Ileen, turning to Haysarna.

  “… Claudia?” Linnette said, putting a hand to her mouth. “Critswitch’s Left-tenant? No way….”

  “On my mother’s side,” Haysarna sighed. “The Avrilarianne connection no-one speaks about.”

  “Does she know?”

  “Would explain one or two things.”

  “Including how mad she got when I once mistook her for you,” Alicé chuckled.

  “I’ve never had golden hair.”

  “But you both have that same look,” Ileen added. “An eagle sat with a bunch of ducks.”

  “That’s you when we walked in here,” said Haysarna.

  “I’ll let that one pass,” Ileen continued. “But I do have another question.”

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