To Lyra's surprise, the melancholy tune flowing through the air around Marzy acted as a catalyst with her own inner song of woe. Like yeast meeting sugar in a quarter-cup of water, the two eerily similar songs swirled around each other, dissolved… and bloomed.

"No." Taking Marzy's hands, Lyra pulled them away from the dejected girl's face. "No, you didn't fail. And neither did I. You know, I didn't win the Stellar Enchantment Pin, but that's okay."

Marzy's eyes widened. "Y-you didn't?" A flush crept up her cheeks. "Was… did Boysen win?"

That terrifying new Boysen-based melody rose up in a thundering chorus, but Lyra pushed it down with great effort. She gave Marzy a determined smile. "No. Boysen didn't win either. Mac won. Which is perfect, really. He deserved it."

"Chantilly is his cousin," Marzy sighed. "But Mac's so much better. I mean, he likes the idea of a new baking discipline. He's helping with Enjoyment. Chantilly is…"

"A very talented baker," Lyra finished. "Who must have truly deserved the pin. The professors wouldn't have given it to her otherwise."

She held up a hand to forestall Marzy's protests. "And it doesn't mean the end for Enjoyment. Enjoyment is bigger than just one person. If it all depended on you or me winning the Stellar Enchantment Pin every time… I wouldn't even want to try. But it doesn't. It's something we're all doing together."

"I just…" Marzy sighed again. "I just wanted to help, you know?"

"I know. And you are helping," Lyra assured her. "Just knowing that you and Arch are in the first-year class makes a huge difference to all of us. For one thing, we don't have to worry about Chantilly's influence nearly so much as we would otherwise."

Marzy's face scrunched into a scowl. "I really, really don't like her. It's strange. I don't normally have a problem liking people. I like everyone. But just the thought of Chantilly Joconde… ugh. Makes my heart feel like it's just eaten a sour lemon. Whole."

"I understand. But…" Lyra paused, her eyes faraway. "You might want to give her some grace notes."

"Grace notes?" Marzy echoed.

"Don't be quite so rigid in your measurements," Lyra amended. "You never know the kind of pressure another baker might be under. Especially one from an important baking family like the Jocondes."

Marzy shook her head doubtfully. "I can't be okay with Chantilly. She might be a great baker, but she's a real thistle about it."

It was Lyra's turn to look confused. "Thistle?"

"Thistle's a really bitter herb," Marzy explained. "When someone's behavior leaves a bad taste in your mouth, you say they're being a thistle. My family does, anyway. Or 'You've got to add extra honey to counteract that horseradish.' That's another Marzipan saying."

Lyra smiled. "Your family sounds great. And that's my point: what if your family wasn't fun and supportive about baking? What if they just kept pushing you harder and harder? Wouldn't you act… a little thistle-y, sometimes?"

"I guess…"

"I'm not saying you have to like Chantilly. I'm not making excuses for her behavior. She absolutely has a lot to learn. I just think…" Lyra braced herself for both a spike of that new uncomfortable melody and Marzy's inevitable blush. "That's what Boysen said about Caramelle last year. He kept telling me to remember that she was going through a lot, and probably felt very alone. And… he was right."

As predicted, Cherry Marzipan's cheeks were as bright red as her namesake. She was also momentarily unable to speak.

"What helped Caramelle was showing her that she's not alone," Lyra went on, forcing her voice to stay at a normal volume. It was hard to keep from shouting over that new 'Berry' melody, which was currently doing its level best to drown out all other coherent thought. "And now she's one of my closest friends. That may not happen with Chantilly, but don't let her ruin baking for you. The best thing we can all do for Enjoyment is to enjoy baking. And to do that, we need to be there for each other. To remind each other that we're not alone."

She gave the girl's hands a reassuring squeeze. "You're not alone, Marzy."

Queen Penelope clucked approvingly.

Marzy's eyes filled with tears again. She still couldn't speak, but she smiled as she nodded.

"Right." Lyra stood, lifting the other girl with her. "Now that that's sorted, we'd better go see Chef Flax."

"Chef Flax?" Marzy echoed. "Isn't the feast starting soon?"

Lyra was already pulling her towards the special back staircase that led down to the kitchens. "Exactly. You never know what extra help Chef and Bumble might need with last-minute touches. Let's remind them that they're not alone!"

—

It turned out that Lyra and Marzy were not the only ones for whom the first term exam had inspired deep reflection. That very night, Chef Flax passed along a message to the second-years from the professors, inviting them to attend a semi-secret meeting at Professor Puff's cottage on their first Monday evening back from break.

"To plan for the future of Enjoyment," Chef Flax said with a mysterious wink. "Come with ideas."

Lyra had never been more reluctant to leave the academy. It seemed irresponsible to take two whole weeks off from the development of Enjoyment. She was certain the holiday break would crawl by in an agony of suspense.

Contrary to her fears, the next two weeks passed pleasantly and at a steady pace. She savored the opportunity to participate in the Any Weather Bards holiday concert circuit. She delighted in the lavish dinner that the Berrys hosted for the second-years, though that persistent new melody prevented her from relaxing as much as she usually did in the Berry home. She even worked with her brothers on harmonies for Chef Flax's song and made a point of singing it over every item of food she produced.

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Maybe it just needs to be used over and over, she thought, hopefully. Sooner or later, there will be a visible sign. There has to be.

Yet no matter how often she performed the would-be spell, or how strongly she felt 'Enjoyment' surging through her, or even how enthusiastically her family exclaimed over the experience of eating the finished product, colored sparkles refused to appear.

Only the prospect of the professors' planned meeting sustained her through each of these disappointments. They were going to form a plan. And together, they would start the second term right. Lyra's own voice kept singing through her thoughts, echoing the words she had shared so confidently with Marzy:

"You are not alone."

This refrain culminated on the second Friday of break, right before they were due to return to the academy for second term. The Treble family hosted a holiday party for Lyra's baking friends and their families. The 'Whisk Whizzes' had been to Lyra's house a few times over the summer, but this was the first time the other Berrys, Fondants, and Crumbles joined the fun. Lyra was secretly glad that Mr. and Mrs. Meringue declined the invitation, and even more glad that Caramelle dared to come anyway.

"They weren't pleased about it," Caramelle said with uncharacteristic glee, huddled with Ginger and Lyra around the fire in the cozy Treble living room. "Especially since I didn't win the Stellar Enchantment Pin. They think I should be in the kitchen practicing. But Master Chiffon stepped in. Went on and on about the importance of 'releasing the pressure.' Oh, you should have seen their faces!"

It was one of the best nights of Lyra's life so far. Her house was full of bakers and music, delicious smells wafting through the air to mingle harmoniously with happy conversation and occasional snatches of song. Mac even brought Fortescue the Foppish Fox. The stylish creature's smartly tailored gray suit, a perfect miniature replica of Mac's, reduced Caramelle to a state of speechless, squeaking rapture that reminded Lyra forcibly of Marzy in the presence of the Flavor King.

Lyra was still giggling about the whole scene when she excused herself and darted down the hallway to the kitchen. She had noticed the chocolate chip cookies were getting low and planned to whip up some more. When she turned the corner, though, she stopped short in the doorway and stared.

"Boysen? Canto? What in the name of rhythm are you doing?"

The two young men jumped and turned guiltily to face her.

"Lyra!" Canto exclaimed, trying to block her view of the bowl and various ingredients arranged on the counter. "Did you know this poor baker friend of yours isn't allowed to bake in his own home?"

Lyra narrowed her eyes. "I did know. His mother has very good reasons for that rule. She has explained them in my presence many times."

"It's just one batch of cookies." Boysen's voice was full of longing. "Maybe two. I noticed we were out of chocolate chip…"

"Your favorite, dear sister," Canto added. "Surely we can let him use our kitchen to contribute thusly?"

"That's why I'm here." Lyra crossed her arms and tried to adopt Professor Puff's signature stern expression. "To make more chocolate chip cookies."

Boysen's whole face lit up in a radiant grin. "I can help! Then I wouldn't technically be baking, so…"

"Your mom doesn't even want you in the kitchen," Lyra reminded him. "Any kitchen. In any capacity."

Boysen and Canto shared a glance. Then they both clasped their hands in a pleading gesture and turned to her, eyes wide and sorrowful.

"Please, Lyra?" Boysen begged. "Just to tide me over until I get back to the academy? I'm going mad here."

Canto nodded in mutely tragic support. Lyra looked from one to the other slowly. Then she sighed.

"Fine. If Canto will keep watch."

"I'll do better than that," Canto promised. "I'll offer to show Mrs. Berry my paintings. Mr. Berry, too. That should buy you at least fifteen minutes."

"Plenty of time!" Boysen said gratefully. "Thank you. Both."

Canto clapped him on the shoulder, bopped Lyra on the head, then dashed from the room on his sneaky mission.

Lyra shook her head at Boysen. "You know how to choose your victims, I'll give you that. Canto's heart is softer than a sponge cake."

"Instincts." Boysen tapped the side of his head. "People have Flavors too, you know."

She simply shook her head again in reply. Then they settled wordlessly into their usual 'baking together' rhythm.

It wasn't long, though, before Lyra paused.

"Something's wrong," she said, her hand poised over the bowl with a teaspoon of vanilla. "Your baking song is off."

Boysen kept stirring, but he did open one eye to look at her. "My 'baking song'?"

"Instincts." She tapped the side of her own head with her free hand. "You know Flavors, I know music. Everyone has their own song. It shifts with their mood and activity."

"And you actually hear them?" he asked, stirring more and more slowly. "Out loud? All the time?"

"Not exactly. It's like… vibrations in the air." She added the vanilla to the bowl and poked him with the teaspoon. "When you're baking, the air around you vibrates at a very specific frequency. And it's off."

"Off… how?"

"Faster. Jittery. It's usually really calming, but now… it's setting my teeth on edge." She punctuated each word by adding a pinch of salt to the bowl, watching for his 'Flavor King' nod before setting the salt aside and reaching for the flour. "I thought baking was supposed to help you relax."

Boysen smiled ruefully at the bowl as he stirred in the flour. "It does. But it's hard to relax with all the Enjoyment stuff going on. Two weeks! Two weeks, with no progress. I kept telling Mom I needed to bake, just to keep trying Flax's song at least, but she wouldn't listen."

"She was right," Lyra insisted. "You needed a break. We all do."

He lifted the spoon from the bowl and pointed it at her accusingly. "Don't try to tell me you haven't been practicing Flax's spell every chance you get. Instincts, Treble. You can't fool me."

"Guilty," she confessed. "But it hasn't gotten me anywhere. I really think your mom is on to something. We're not going to achieve anything by spinning ourselves into a stress flurry."

Boysen's shoulders slumped, his hands resting listlessly on the edge of the bowl. "I just… I know we have two whole terms left, but it feels like we're running out of time. I want to be sure I'm doing everything I can."

"I understand." Ignoring the spike in her own internal stress melody, she rested a hand lightly on his. "Truly. But what was it you kept saying to me all through last year?"

His laugh sounded only slightly forced. "Um… Cardamom is a very tricky spice and ought to be used sparingly?"

"Not that," she replied, with a strained chuckle of her own. "You said baking is supposed to be fun. We're making stuff for people to eat. And if we have fun making it, people will have fun eating it. That's the whole point of Enjoyment."

"So…"

"So maybe we need a different approach." Giving his hand an encouraging pat, she released it and reached for the chocolate chips. "Maybe it's not about consistent effort. Maybe, to develop Enjoyment spells, we should focus on… enjoying the process."

"Enjoying the process," he repeated. "Just… have fun baking?"

"That's the idea."

She waited while Boysen sang Madame Hazelnut's Deepening Spell under his breath. The resulting green glow was as vibrant as it was instantaneous.

Lyra bowed. "Excellent instincts, Berry."

"Takes one to know one, Treble."

He returned her bow. Then, by mutual unspoken agreement, they settled back into their baking rhythm in silence.

Lyra noted with relief that the air around Boysen was slowly resuming its customary peaceful swirl. That other, 'Berry' alarming melody was still blaring inside her, but even it seemed to relax in response to 'Boysen's baking song.'

In fact, as they arranged spoonfuls of cookie dough on the baking sheet and began prepping another batch, she found herself leaning into the new melody. It was… pleasant. Once she got over the initial shock of its arrival, she found it provided an almost comfortable addition to her constant internal chorus.

One might even say she enjoyed it.

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