Later, looking back, Lyra couldn't remember much about that last week of term. The new Berry melody covered every memory in a delicious daze, too rich and harmonious to allow much attention for anything else.

A few moments did break through the song's blissful haze, however.

One was the grin Boysen gave her right before the exam. The 'Treble and Berry' menu had already proven itself full of new Lyra-only grins, but the pre-exam version took the whole recipe to the next level. It was so full of scrumptious layers that she felt utterly confident facing the Filo Frenzy.

Another was the awarding of the Stellar Enchantment Pin to Caramelle. True to her word, the Meringue had refused to let filo defeat her. She had worked tirelessly with Boysen through every Puff Paragon Review, learning to trust her already excellent instincts rather than cling to the comfortable rigidity of equations.

And her efforts had paid off. The other second-years were delighted, but not at all surprised when Professor Genoise fastened the gleaming silver pin to Caramelle's hat.

"I really think Enjoyment helped," Caramelle gushed as they all gathered around to congratulate her. "Ever since that magic unlocked for me, I've been enjoying baking. More than I have in years. Even in the exam just now… I loved every second of it. I enjoyed filo!"

Sure enough, her hands and award-winning filo crinkle tart were still shimmering with the yellow light of Enjoyment magic.

"Congratulations, Aspiring Baker Meringue." Professor Puff smiled warmly. "You should be most proud of your achievements this year, on multiple fronts. We certainly are."

The air around Caramelle pulsed even more brightly, as if she was radiating a magic of her own.

"Thank you, Professor. I am proud of what we have all achieved this year." Reaching up, she stroked the new pin on her hat thoughtfully. "And I think my parents will be, too."

"Oh?" Professor Genoise's eyebrows rose. "Do you think they might come 'round?"

"Not fully," Caramelle replied. "I don't know if they'll ever understand Enjoyment. But the Stellar Enchantment Pin means a lot to them. Once they see that I won it, despite all the 'distractions' of the new discipline, I think they'll give their blessing to my staying on. They might even choose to stay on the board themselves."

"Really?" Lyra asked.

Caramelle giggled. "They were already rethinking the whole resignation idea. Their titles mean even more to them than me winning this pin. The threat from the Royal Chefs about the disapproval of the Confectioners' Council… my father was horrified. I'm almost positive they'll want to stick it out."

"Won't they cause trouble?" Boysen glanced around the circle. "There's still a lot left to do, adding Enjoyment to the curriculum. Plenty of chances for the board to mess up the recipe."

"Cool your cakes, Berry," Professor Honeycomb said cheerfully. "We have all proven ourselves capable of handling any such tricky ingredients. Next year will be fascinatingly well-seasoned, true, but…"

The Flavor professor clapped her hands and bounced a few times on her toes. "That just makes it more fun!"

The gleam in all three professors' eyes was certainly enough to secure that moment in Lyra's otherwise Berry-dazed memory. Close behind it was the moment later that evening, right before the year-end feast, when Cherry Marzipan darted over to the second-year table.

"I won!" she squealed, pointing to the silver pin sparkling on her chef's hat. "I had to make Chantilly's exam cake, and I won! I got the Stellar Enchantment Pin!"

"Congratulations, Marzy!" Lyra exclaimed while the rest of the table cheered.

Marzy beamed, the air around her buzzing with pure glee. "And Chantilly got cut by default because she didn't show up for the exam! She's been a nightmare in class since that board meeting. Kept talking about her second cousin or great-aunt or something, and what close friends they are with Palmier Dacquoise. I guess they're planning to kick up a whole lot of horseradish, but she's gone! It's Arch and me and Tarragon for next year. Have you met Tarragon? He's brilliant at Texture."

Her gaze flickered over to the third-year table. "Not as brilliant as Apprentice Baker Galette, of course. Isn't he amazing? So patient, and kind, and so SO talented. He's been such a huge help this year…"

She trailed off into a giddy sigh and drifted back to her own table, still staring in Rye's direction.

"So that's how she got over the Flavor King!" Grinning, Ginger reached around Lyra to poke Boysen's shoulder. "Poor Berry. How does it feel to be tossed aside like yesterday's lettuce?"

Boysen was wholly focused on trying to eat with his left hand, as his right was holding Lyra's under the table. Still, he managed to return Ginger's grin. "Feels scrumptious, Crumble."

Lyra caught his eye and beamed.

"I hope she'll be all right," Caramelle said, watching Marzy stumble into her seat at the first-year table. "At least Rye will be gone next year. That will probably help."

"You're so thoughtful," Mac sighed. He turned to the rest of the table with a dreamy smile. "Isn't she thoughtful?"

"Salts and sugars and every spice in the cabinet." Ginger shook her head, glaring at the four of them. "To think I encouraged you to pair up like this. How can any of you breathe when the air is this sweet?"

Lyra used her free hand to grab the dessert tray as it descended and place it directly in front of Ginger. "Sweet can be splendid, you know. Just wait until it's your turn."

"None of that kind for me, thanks." Ginger chose a large slice of what looked like Arch's 'academy' cake and dug in with zest. "This is the only kind of sweet I need. Besides, I'll be rather busy soon."

"When do you hear about that research placement?" Boysen asked.

"Not for another week or so. But Genoise says it's basically a sure thing."

"You'll have to keep visiting," Caramelle insisted.

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Mac nodded. "Whenever you can."

"Oh, I will. Next year is going to be a big one for this place. I wouldn't miss it." Ginger paused her cake-devouring long enough to fix each of them with a searching look. "But I will be gone a lot. You'll just have to promise to take care of each other when I can't be here."

Everyone pledged to do so. Warmth seemed to envelop the table with every word, permeating Lyra's senses and soothing all the lingering anxiety-wounds from the last year. The pleasant feeling of safety mixed deliciously with the comfortable rightness of Boysen's fingers intertwined with hers.

It was that safety which rooted the moment in her memory, shining clearly amidst the beautiful Berry daze. Lyra knew she would always remember that feast, just like Caramelle's victory that morning, and the absolutely inimitable Boysen grin that had kicked off the whole gorgeous day.

Most clear and enduring of all, though, was the talent show.

Chef Flax emerged from the kitchen as soon as dessert had been eaten. Conversation instantly petered out at every table, everyone shifting in their seats to look expectantly at the platform.

"Welcome to the first annual Royal Academy of Magical Baking talent show!" The giant man's voice rolled jovially through the room. "We certainly have a great deal to celebrate this year. Even more than usual."

Looking straight at Lyra, he winked. "And what better way to celebrate the new discipline of Enjoyment than by giving all of us a chance to do what brings us joy?"

—

At least one moment from every performance that night was baked permanently into Lyra's long-term memory.

Professor Genoise's breath-defying final note lived comfortably next to the sight of Professor Honeycomb's baton ends bursting into flame, mid-shuffle. The yellow light rippling over Chef Flax's arms as he sang his original 'proto-Enjoyment' spell seemed to belong with Bumble and Sprinkle's staggering display of the traditional flying squirrel wedding dance, in which their paws never touched the ground. Rye's incredible addition of a seventh pin to the six he was already juggling… Arch's rapid, deft movements as he turned bits of cake and other sweet treats into an intricately decorated carriage, with wheels that actually rolled… Marzy's uncanny impression of Professor Genoise, which made the man himself nearly asphyxiate with laughter… they all glimmered persistently in Lyra's mind, like the rich note of a tolling bell preserved in honey.

A few moments shone especially bright. Lyra had seen few things more beautiful than Caramelle's radiant smile as she danced. Many of her favorite Any Weather Bards songs could not compare with the contemplative silence that fell over the room after Professor Puff's lovely original poem. The shock of seeing Eclair Tatin actually take the stage, blushing and stammering, was almost better than the third-year's successful identification of a whole tray of Flavors while blindfolded.

I guess we shouldn't give up on Florentine or Chantilly, either, Lyra mused. Or anyone. Joy is a powerful thing…

She glanced over at Professor Honeycomb. The Flavor headmistress's face as she wiped away happy tears was another luminous note in Lyra's memory-song for the evening.

Chief among the brighter moments, of course, was Boysen.

He disappeared into the kitchen when Chef called his name, reappearing almost instantly with a guitar. Lyra squinted at the instrument, then gasped.

"That's… that's Canto's…"

Boysen settled onto a stool Chef had set out for him and took a deep breath.

"I love baking," he began, his posture unusually straight. "More than just about anything. But these days, what brings me the most joy… is Lyra Treble."

Professor Honeycomb gave an inarticulate squeak of delight.

Acknowledging this with a quick grin, Boysen continued, "And one of the things that brings Lyra joy is music. So, I reached out to her brother Canto for a little help."

His eyes zeroed in on Lyra's.

"Canto is a great teacher," he said, with a much softer grin. "Please do not hold any of the mistakes I'm about to make against him. He did what he could with the ingredients he had available."

After another deep breath, he started to play.

Lyra recognized the tune from the first three notes. It was the 'red' melody, the first coloring charm song she had shared with Boysen when they were partners the year before. She felt her eyes filling with tears that could rival Professor Honeycomb's most enthusiastic effusions.

And then he started singing.

The words to Master Brûlée's Coloring Charm for 'red' flowed steadily from his lips, keeping mostly perfect time with the strumming of his fingers on the guitar strings. When the 'red' song was finished, he moved on seamlessly to purple, and then to green. Lyra's tears, briefly frozen by shock, started spilling over halfway through the 'blue' charm. By the time he brought 'yellow' to a triumphant close, she could barely see through the blur of saltwater joy.

He learned to play, she thought, leaping to her feet to start the thunderous applause. To play while singing. All that time… all that practice…

The applause kept going after Boysen returned to his seat. Lyra stopped only so she could throw her arms around him.

"Plots within plots," she laughed, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. "And of course you asked Canto. I told you his heart is softer than a sponge cake."

Not just his face, but his entire being grinned at her. "Instincts, remember? People have Flavors too. The Treble family is as well-seasoned as they come, but I think Canto might be my favorite. After you, of course."

The air around him wasn't merely vibrating. It was singing, a splendid medley of the coloring charm songs and "Baking with Boysen" and the new Berry-Treble melody. Lyra sat down with her senses singing along, convinced that the night had served its most climactic dish.

To her unending surprise and joy, she was (once again) wrong.

Chef Flax announced Macaron Fondant as the next-to-last act on the program before vanishing abruptly into the kitchen.

Mac took the stage with brisk confidence, Fortescue the Fox strolling elegantly beside him.

"Fortescue and I will be performing an onstage makeover…" He paused for dramatic emphasis, then pointed to the kitchen doors. "…on our very own Chef Peppercorn Flax!"

Chef Flax emerged from the kitchen, rolling out a rack of clothes and a large screen and laughing merrily.

This was a whole new side of Mac. The bespectacled boy came alive, moving as perfectly in sync with Fortescue as Chef Flax baking with Bumble. The audience watched, silent and mesmerized, as the duo whirled around the head chef. Shirts were paired with vests, jackets, and capes. Cravats were selected and discarded. A staggering variety of accessory combinations were tried, from top hats to pocket watches to walking sticks more elaborately engraved than Professor Genoise's presentation spoons.

The final result produced another standing ovation. It wasn't because Chef Flax looked particularly resplendent, though he absolutely did. The rich marigold color of the patterned silk vest matched the cravat perfectly, as did the pocket square tucked into the pocket of the burgundy frock coat. Lyra would have thought this color of coat would clash with the man's hair, but just as Mac had explained, the deep red simply brought out the golden highlights in Chef Flax's beard and mustache.

Still, the stylish wardrobe wasn't the main reason for the crowd's fervent applause. Lyra was sure they were all sharing the same thought: somehow, Chef Flax appeared to be more himself than anyone had ever seen him. That was the magic of Fortescue, paired exquisitely with Mac's eye for bringing out the beauty in everything he touched.

Acknowledging the audience's adoration with gracious bows, Mac and Fortescue returned to their seats. Chef Flax pulled out the golden pocket watch accessory and consulted it.

"Our program is nearing its conclusion," he proclaimed. "But before Miss Treble comes to close us out, I believe it is time for a special announcement."

"Indeed it is." Professor Puff stood and made her way to the platform, joined by her two colleagues. "As you know, we will be teaching a fourth discipline at the academy next year."

Professor Honeycomb nodded. "That will require a fourth professor."

"And doesn't he already look the part?" Professor Genoise spread his arms wide, as if preparing to sing another aria. "I give you the newest faculty member of the Royal Academy of Magical Baking: Professor Peppercorn Flax!"

Lyra's world dissolved in a dizzying tumult of jubilant melodies. She was dimly aware of Chef Flax bowing, and then calling her to the stage. Somehow, she made it there with her guitar. Somehow, she channeled all of that internal mirth into a performance of "The Joy Song". She even got everyone to sing along.

But all the while, she was primarily conscious of only one sensation: the delicious prospect of next year, beckoning with all its new aromas and yet-to-be-discovered Flavors.

It will be fascinatingly well-seasoned, she thought, bowing to her own set of applause. Not always easy. Probably more complex than any of us realize…

The memory of Professor Honeycomb's bouncing, beaming face sparked across her memory, and she grinned.

But that'll just make it all more FUN.

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