"It doesn't sound so unlike our own history - perhaps more extreme but such internal wars were fairly common until the end of the Dark Ages, when we switched to electing our King rather than having them drawn from one famiily line." Not that the elections have all been bloodless, but it would impolite to point out the exceptions, of which there are in fact only a few.

"I think the series was inspired by a historical war but I have never looked into it that I would remember it now to tell you all."

"How unfortunate." Though it reminds Lucette that she still hasn't sat Haru down and learned everything she can about his future's past, which she would really like to do.

Dinner is reasonably elaborate but the dishes aren't actually more complex than restaurants Haru is used to. Conversations continue as people eat, albeit in smaller groups of whoever is seated next to each other.

Are the seats assigned, it'll be mildly surprising if they aren't.

They aren't obviously assigned but there seems to be some sort of unspoken protocol dictating where people are sitting and after Lucette glances at the young woman sitting down across from her Haru is invited by the woman to sit to their left.

Then he will sit there!

The young woman introduces herself as Sophia and starts asking him about the weather in Narnia before interrupting herself to say that she's Sophia Brynd and now that out of the way she would like to know about the weather in Narnia.

"Haru Swan. It's largely temperate thanks to being on the shore, but the winters can be really something."

"Oh do you get thundersnow? I tried to take a trip out to Eaton to see some but I wasn't empowered yet and so we had to turn back though my cousin told me later that there wasn't any anyways."

"We get snow, and we get thunder, but there is not a combination of the two that has its own name."

"Oh, that's disappointing, it's my sixth favorite sort of weather."

"You have a ranked list? What are one through five?"

"Summer rain, Comat lake thunderstorms, St Elmo's fire, water spouts, and lightning within clouds. St. Elmo's fire used to be number two but Lucette thinks it's not real because there are lots of weird lightning stories and some of them are clearly not real."

"And none of them of that nature are clearly truthful."

"St. Elmo's Fire, if we mean the same thing by the name, is real, but very rare."

"Lights on the tops of ships? Are you sure - have you seen it yourself?"

"I haven't seen it but I've read about it from sources I trust."

"You see, Lucette!"

"I wouldn't ordinarily see from just that but I suppose Haru has likely read sources neither of us can find."

"So now it can be at second once again."

"Glad to help."

Sophia has more questions, such as what Mr. Swan's preferred form of rain is and whether he's seen any water spouts and also what season is best suited to him - for her it's the time when spring turns to summer but it's okay if he has a less correct opinion.

"I like a light misting rain if I've got to be out in it and a driving thunderstorm if I don't. Never seen a water spout. My favorite season is autumn."

A new type of thunderstorm!!

"I've never heard of driving thunderstorms before, what are they?"