Whether it was due to the blessing of Mercury, or whether the crowds had simply begun to disperse, it became easier to drive down Arden Street. It was about twenty minutes before they reached the end of it, and as the gatekeeper  had indicated, it was impossible to go very wrong. Bridge Street was the only choice, as the city walls and the opposite gate – the Castle Gate – lay in front of them.

By turning left onto Bridge Street, they were soon brought to Black Swan Court with its Wintertide Temple, a hodge-podge of different historical styles in grey stone, red brick, marble statuaries, mullioned windows, and domed copper roof. In broad daylight, it was probably rather ugly, Eden thought, but in the dim evening, by lantern and shadow, it had a certain fantastical charm.

From here they could already see the towers and battlements of Camden Palace, and as the carriage rode higher and higher up Castle Hill, it gradually came into view. The palace covered the hill's entire summit and effortlessly dominated the skyline.

The carriage entered through the ironwork gates and followed the gravel drive through lawns and gardens until it reached a vast stone courtyard, dotted with tubs of evergreen trees and festooned with lanterns. There, an orderly phalanx of servants waited for the visitors out the front of the castle steps.

"Well, this is spectacular," Meriadoc said with enthusiasm as the carriage came to a halt. "Doesn't Bernard have a beautiful palace?"

"Ooh, it's lovely," Nurse Melia breathed. "It looks just like a giant wedding cake."

Eden was almost dismayed at how stately and imposing Camden Palace was. She had known, of course, that Lindensea was a rich and powerful kingdom, the greatest in all the Isles. But whenever Lucy had spoken about her home, she had only talked about her family, or said how dull her life there often was. She had never imagined Lucy living somewhere so ... so extravagant.

"It's very big," Eden said at last, rather flatly. "I hope we don't get lost in it."

A crowd of servants soon flocked around the carriage, helping them alight, and taking their luggage away with quiet efficiency. Eden wondered where all her trunks and cases were being removed to, and if she would ever see them again. The constant polite murmurs of "If you please, Your Royal Highness", "Allow me, Your Royal Highness", and "This way, Your Royal Highness" didn't seem to really explain anything.

"Oh Melia, Melia!" quavered a voice on the fringes of the crowd. "I never thought to see you again, travelling all this way in the dead of winter!"

A thin middle aged woman with a screw of grey hair and a heavy cloak over her neat blue uniform came forward in a sort of agonised hopping motion, and clasped Nurse Melia's hand as if incredulous she was truly there. It was Lucy's old nurse, who had accompanied her to visit Eden in the Lakelands the previous summer.

"Why, May!" Nurse Melia said, giving her friend a hearty hug. "Of course we're here. And better in winter than the horrible heat you had to travel in to see us."

"Hello, Nurse May," said Eden, and Meriadoc joined in with, "Nurse May, a good evening to you. Your concern for us does you credit."

"Miss Eden. Your Majesty," Nurse May said, remembering her manners. "I'm very glad you're both alive too."

"Very kind of you, I'm sure," said Meriadoc with a twinkle.

"Now Melia, you must try to forget all the terrible hardships you've suffered getting here," Nurse May implored. "You're to share my room, and I'm sure you'd like supper and a hot bath".

"Well, I won't say no, May," Nurse Melia said gratefully. "I haven't been able to feel my feet for the past two days, and that's a fact."

The two nurses linked arms as they walked off, although Eden could hear a few faint fragments of their conversation.

"I was sure you'd all be eaten by wolves," Nurse May was saying. "I told the king it was wicked of him of bring you here at such a season."

"It would take more than a few wolves to see us off," said Nurse Melia stoutly.

"Melia! You don't mean to tell me you really did have wolves after you?"

"I always say it's not the wolves, it's the bears you need to worry about, May ..."

The two nurses disappeared around a corner somewhere, with Nurse May giving horrified little shrieks, and Nurse Melia sounding rather pleased to have made such a sensation.

⋆⋅•⋅⊰∙∘⋆ ❆ ⋆∘∙⊱⋅•⋅⋆

"Well, I like that," Eden said indignantly. "Nurse Melia is the only one to have someone to meet her, and she's off to have supper and a hot bath without a backward glance!"

"It's time for you to learn that staff are always taken care of first," her father told her. "Just as you water, groom and turn out your pony when you bring him in after a ride before you even think of yourself, so must servants be made comfortable after a journey before us."

"And now they're taking our carriage and the horses to the stables," Eden noted. "I suppose they'll give the driver a good meal and a bed for the night before he returns them."

"He certainly deserves it, after sitting on the outside of the carriage all day," Meriadoc said. "But I'm pretty sure he'd be glad of a hot whiskey more than anything else, if I know drivers."

"Father, did I do wrong making us travel on a winter's night to begin with?" Eden asked hesitantly. "It must have been very cold for the driver."

"He was an Everwick man, and they are hardy folk," Meriadoc replied. "Roland would have said something if he thought you did wrong by his driver, and we left him at The Owl Inn looking most content. I don't think there was any harm done, but next time you have to make a decision, you might consider everyone who is affected by the choice you make."

At last everything had been cleared away – carriage, horses, luggage, driver, and nurse. There was only Eden and Meriadoc left, and the last servants to help them were two superior looking footmen in red and gold livery.

"Welcome to Camden Palace, Your Majesty and Your Royal Highness," said the more senior footman with a low bow.

"Please come this way, Your Majesty and Your Royal Highness," said the second footman, bowing as he gestured towards the stairs.

Meriadoc took Eden's hand, and gave her a little smile before saying, "Lead on, gentlemen."

Her father helped Eden keep a decorous speed, which made the journey up the stairs seem everlasting, but at last they reached the massive front entrance. The senior footman opened the doors for them, and the second footman took their hats and coats. These were also silently spirited away to some mysterious realm, and Eden mentally said a fond farewell to them. Apparently her belongings were going to end up scattered to the four corners of Camden Palace.

"King Meriadoc of Westmoreland, and his daughter, Crown Princess Eden of Westmoreland," announced the senior footman, seemingly to nobody, because the entrance hall was empty apart from themselves.

"My apologies Your Majesty, but the king and his consort are in an important meeting at present," the footman confessed in a low tone. "The palace did not expect you quite so soon, sir".

"That's Eden's doing," said Meriadoc with a tinge of pride. "She had us driving through the snow in the middle of the night to get here."

"Indeed," the footman said with a thin smile. "Would Your Majesty and Her Royal Highness care to refresh themselves?"

He showed Eden and Meriadoc a cloakroom they could use, very discreetly tucked away in a side alcove. Even the public bathrooms at Camden Palace were luxurious, all white marble with gold fittings. Eden tried to tidy her long dark hair in the mirror, but as her comb was in her coat pocket, it didn't quite work. She washed her hands and tired looking face, and decided that would have to be good enough. 

"If Your Majesty and Her Royal Highness would be so kind as to wait by the fire, I will inform the king of your arrival," the footmen said when they returned. "The butler will attend to you shortly."

"I've never felt less wanted," Eden remarked, standing close to the elaborate marble fireplace to warm herself. "Can the footman not find anyone to meet us?" She didn't say Lucy, but she was thinking her name.

"I expect it's some royal protocol thingy," said Meriadoc, although he also looked uncomfortable. "We must try to fit in with the way other kingdoms and palaces run things, and remember that we are here as representatives of Westmoreland, the Lakelands, and Castle Avalon."

The butler came in then, with cups of tea for both of them, and a glass of sherry for Meriadoc in case he didn't want tea, but he said he would manage to drink both.

Eden finished her cup, and began wandering around the entrance hall, down the rich red and gold carpet. The hem of her dress caught on a luxurious purple vase that had been a gift from some long-ago emperor, and she quickly knelt to set it to rights. She didn't think it would have broken, the carpet was so soft, but no doubt the water and exotic lilies in it would have spilt and made a mess.

Eden examined the royal portraits on the walls, reading the biographies printed below them. Here was King Gerald the Magnificent, who led his troops to victory at the Battle of Champollion, but died on the battlefield, leaving the throne to his nephew, later known as King Peter Ironfoot. In the picture, Gerald was tall and curly-haired, with an air of vigour about him.

Queen Eleanor the Erudite was in the next frame, a haughty-looking woman with a reedy figure who had founded Queen's College at Grantbridge University, as well as an exclusive boarding school for girls, and numerous libraries devoted to the arts and sciences. Eden examined her critically, and decided this queen looked as if she had never done anything remotely fun or amusing in her entire life.

Pride of place was given to a portrait of Prince Walter, or The Shining Prince, deemed the handsomest Crown Prince of Lindensea to never accede to the throne. The only son of King Albert the Miserable, Prince Walter had been (according to the artist) golden-haired and sweet-faced, with violet eyes and roses in his cheeks.

A brilliant swordsman and equestrian, loved by all, and filled with promise (according to the biographer), he had tragically lost his life when his ship sank in the Narrow Sea. Although a powerful swimmer, he had rescued his young sister Sybilla rather than save his own life. King Albert never smiled again, but Sybilla eventually went on to rule the land with quiet unassuming competence as Queen Sybilla the Salvaged. There was no painting of Sybilla.

Losing interest in these royal histories, Eden's eye was drawn to a life-sized alabaster statue of the goddess Diana, poised to draw her bow. The moon goddess was beautiful, athletic, and entirely nude, her pert breasts raised slightly by the movement of her arms.

Eden found herself staring at the statue rather longer than she meant, until she dropped her eyes and blushed. She twitched her skirt with one hand, wondering how often Lucy looked at this statue, or did she take it for granted after seeing it every day?

As if her thoughts had summoned her, Eden heard feet running down the staircase into the entrance hall, Lucy's voice excitedly calling, "Eden, Eden!"

A moment later there was Lucy on the stairs just above her, gasping out, "I was only just told you'd arrived! We never expected you so soon! Oh, Eden, I'm so happy you're here!"

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LINDENSEA LORE

One of my most treasured memories is receiving an invitation to Camden Palace to be honoured for my contribution to the dramatic arts. Imagine, there were all these frightfully brilliant people  being recognised for their important work building things and discovering things and curing things. And then there was tiny me, receiving my silly little award for simply pretending! It was the most humbling thing I have ever experienced.

We seethed around the Grand Entrance Hall, which is the most luxurious place I have ever been – even more so than the Belmont Hotel! Thick carpets, precious objets d'art, white and gold walls, a majestic fireplace – not needed on this midsummer evening! Everything lush, opulent, yet perfectly tasteful. And of course the staircase, spiralling in two directions, from which the king made his 'grand entrance'.

I had less than a minute of King Peter's company that evening, but I could tell (I am so intuitive, it is part of my nature!) that here was a man who had suffered deeply in his time.

He said, "Frightfully warm, isn't it? Yet you look as cool as a cucumber. Not nearly as green though, I dare say."

Which was typical of his whimsical sense of humour. And then he shook my hand, so I can truthfully say that I, a mere actress, have been touched by a king. Discretion forbids me from saying whether any further touching may or may not have taken place!

From A Woman of the Stage: Sixty Years as the Greatest Actress of My Generation – A Memoir by Dame Elvira De Villiers, Member of the Order of Lindensea (Second Class)