The Academy - Book III

Chapter Fifty One

The young woman paused and stared quietly at the tea cup before her lips pulled into a flat smile, "It is barley tea with lemon.  Madame Ward requested it be served at her table after her party had arrived."

Martha scoffed as she waved her hand over the drink, "Take this away it smells like wet grass and puppy dogs."

"As you wish," bowed the waitress before she picked up the cup and kettle.  "Did you want me to bring something else instead?"

"Yes," smiled Martha arrogantly as she read the reader in the middle of the table. "Bring me a glass of your Royal Blue Diamond Martini and the Gold Leaf Cake."  Martha leaned back in the chair, "And bill it to my daughter's fiancée, His Grace Kaelen Ward."

"Bill what to Kaelen," asked Jael Quin as she strolled up to the table and stared at Martha with a blank expression.

Martha laughed as she pointed toward a chair across from her, "I couldn't abide that tea you had preordered and requested a drink and desert more to my taste."  Martha smirked arrogantly at Jael Quin, "I was sure you wouldn't mind."

"Ah," nodded Jael Quin as she sat down.  Jael Quin smoothed her cream colored skirts around her legs before she turned to the waitress, "Please bring three random fruit parfaits."

"Three," asked Martha as she looked around anxiously.  "Have Queen Celeste and Her Grace Acadia decided to join us?"

Jael Quin crossed her legs, as she sat back in the chair, "Unfortunately they couldn't make it.  Acadia said something about an urgent meeting that she and Celeste couldn't miss."  Jael Quin chewed her bottom lip as she stared down at the crisp white linen on the table, "So I asked Mia and Ebony but they both had something important to do as well."  Jael Quin sighed to herself, "If I didn't know any better I'd think they were all fabricating falsities."

"So who did you bring," snapped Martha as she looked around the cafe expectantly.

"Oh," sighed Jael Quin as their orders arrived.  "I asked Elisa and Xara to meet me here after they were done nearby."  Jael Quin arched an eyebrow at Martha, "Do you have an issue with my choice of companions."

Martha snorted as she eyed Jael Quin as if she were simple, "What should I expect from someone of your breeding."

"My breeding," repeated Jael Quin as if she tasted something bad.  "By all means," smiled Jael Quin humorlessly, "tell me more about my breeding."  Jael Quin stopped and waited as the waitress placed their orders on the table and stared open-mouthed at the items placed in front of Martha.  Jael Quin eyed the gold leaf that adorned the cake and shook her head, "And you don't believe it's ill-mannered to order the most expensive item on the menu and then try to have someone else pay for it," asked Jael Quin sardonically.

"I'm sure I didn't," frowned Martha as she picked up the martini glass, looked at the blue sugar crystals before  she took a sip.  

Jael Quin watched as the waitress gave Martha a look of disbelief before she turned to walked away.  "It appears Elisa and Xara have arrived," murmured Jael Quin out loud, her expression one of relief, as the two women walked in and looked around the cafe.

"I've never really met -," Martha paused as she took in both women.  "Please tell me the blonde is Xara," whispered Martha as she placed her glass back down unsteadily.

"No," frowned Jael Quin as she turned to stare at the woman who'd paled. "The blonde is Elisa.  The young woman with the red hair is Xara."

"Oh my gods," whispered Martha as she stared in shock at Xara.  "No wonder Kaelen kept her in his home for so long?"