~~~Warning: Mention of potentially distressing past events~~~

Eden was awakened on the morning before Yule by a great rumbling and clattering, muffled by the thick stone of the castle, but still carried in the clear winter air.

"What's that noise?" she asked, sleepily rubbing her fists in her eyes.

Lucy rolled over and pushed her hair away from her face.

"That? Oh, it's the Yuletide charity assistance," she mumbled. "All the poor people come to the castle so they have enough for Yule."

Eden slipped out of bed, pulling her dressing gown around her, and went to the window to peek out. The courtyard below them seemed to be filled with crowds of people, waiting to be served at a number of huge tables.

"There's simply masses of them," she said, "and the sun is only just coming up."

"Yes, the gates open at dawn," Lucy said, yawning and stretching. "I expect some people have been lining up for hours."

She came over to stand by Eden, explaining that the Board of Guardians gave out vouchers that could be exchanged for various goods. There were a few squabbles and some pushing in, but the guards and soldiers were there to keep order and make sure nobody took more than than their fair portion.

One set of tables were laden with pork pies, apple pies, wheels of cheese, bags of chestnuts, rich ginger cakes, and loaves of fruit bread, so that people could guarantee having food in the house. Another had what were known as "pound bags", containing a pound of flour, a pound of rice, a pound of sugar, and a pound of dried fruit. This would allow people to make their own puddings if they chose.

There were crates of firewood and cheerful red candles for warmth and lighting, hessian bags of potatoes for roasting, baskets of oranges, and barrels of evergreens, holly, and mistletoe for decoration. Tables of warm clothing meant that the poor could have suits, dresses, and coats to last another year. Bottles of ale were handed out judiciously, to be turned into hot mulled drinks with all the spices of the Yule season.

The most popular table, and the one most heavily guarded, was the one giving out money. Each person with a voucher was permitted a silver coin to buy presents, and a large family could end up with quite a good haul.

On this day, entrance to the Yuletide markets was free, and all merchandise was half price. It was the busiest trading day of the year, and just before closing time, toys could be bought for as little as a copper coin.

As people had been waiting patiently in the dark and cold to get in, the palace kitchens provided a free breakfast stall, giving out warm bread rolls slathered in sweet butter, and mugs of steaming coffee. This reminded Eden and Lucy that they were hungry for their own breakfasts of porridge and bacon and eggs, and they started getting dressed.

"Should we be helping with the charity assistance?" Eden asked, wriggling into her petticoat. "I mean, when we've eaten?"

"Oh ... actually, none of us are allowed out there," Lucy said slowly, brushing her curls. "Bernard put a stop to it after what happened to Clarissa."

"What do you mean?" Eden asked, forgetting she was meant to be getting dressed, and sitting on the end of the bed with her stockings half on and half off.

"A few years ago Otto and Clarissa were helping at the charity assistance, and someone ... grabbed Clarissa."

"What did she do?" Eden asked in a horrified whisper.

"Screamed blue murder and bit his hand as hard as she could," Lucy said, with a certain savage pleasure behind her words. "Otto says he's never been more proud of Clarissa than he was at that moment."

"What happened to the man?"

"The guards dragged him away and dealt with him," Lucy replied soberly. "Afterwards one of them told Clarissa she'd broken his finger. Not that it mattered to him by then."

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Eden had been in the schoolroom all morning working on her Yule presents. It seemed as if all over the castle, people had managed to find quiet hideaways where they could make and wrap gifts, and everyone was very careful to back away with many apologies should they accidentally stumble upon their refuge. There was nobody else there, even Penelope apparently tiring of studying her Latin.

Eden had finished Lucy's bead necklace, and had almost completed Dorothea's centrepiece. Several of her presents were wrapped, although she could never tie ribbons to her own satisfaction. In Eden's view, the worst part of Yule gifts was that each one was meant to be accompanied by a personally written poem.

I'm no good with words, Eden thought to herself, so I'll just do my best and they'll have to lump it. I hope nobody is expecting something very flowery.

She was just packing up when there was a tap on the door, and Lucy poked her head in.

"Oh sorry," she said, averting her eyes. "I didn't mean to interrupt, but lunch is in the family dining room today if you're ready."

"That's alright, I've finished," Eden said, hurriedly pushing the last items into her locker. "I can come straight away, I just need to wash my hands."

"I'm afraid lunch will be a bit dull," Lucy said as they left the bathroom a little later. "There's so much feasting to come that we eat very simply today."

Indeed when they arrived, the table looked very austere, with a white linen tablecloth, plain white dishes, and a single pot of white narcissus as the centrepiece. Everybody else was already seated, so that Eden felt obliged to murmur a few words of apology as she slid onto her chair.

Dorothea smiled graciously as she said, "In my home country of Bjarma, it is said that a guest is never late. The moment they arrive is the perfect time for a meal to begin."

Eden noticed that there were three empty places set, and wondered if there were still more people coming for lunch.

Dorothea said to Meriadoc, "As you can see, it is a tradition from Bjarma to set extra places at the tale for those who cannot be with us. My dear wife Sybil and our daughter Clarissa are in Everwick for Yuletide, so we set two places as a reminder that they are still in our hearts."

"What a charming custom," said Meriadoc. "And the third place?"

Dorothea glanced at Pip, who answered, "The third is for the little orphan boy called Oscar that Eden told us about. I asked Dorothea to have a place set for him at our table, because he is missing at the moment, and we very much hope he will soon be found."

Dorothea nodded in understanding, saying, "It is said in Bjarma that if you set a place for someone at the table, you will soon hear news of them. Let us all bow our heads in silence as we ask the gods to keep Sybil, Clarissa, and Oscar safe from harm, and return them home as soon as that may be possible."

Eden bowed her head. She had no idea how to frame such a request, so in the end she only thought: Lord Mercury, please let Oscar be found safe and well, and be given a home. Oh, and Clarissa and Sybil – give them safe travels. Thank you, sir. Your obedient servant, Eden.

"So shall it be," Dorothea intoned, raising her head. "And now let us begin the first course."

She removed the lid from a soup tureen and gestured to Meriadoc to begin helping himself. The vegetable soup was thick and hearty, almost a stew.

"In Bjarma, we eat only the plainest foods on the day before Yule," Dorothea remarked. "Nothing rich, fine, or sweetened, and no red meat or poultry. We say that the king in his castle and the peasant in his cottage must eat alike this day."

"We ate this soup all the time when we stayed with our Great-Uncle Marcus in Bjarma," Otto said. "There is nothing more sustaining when you come in from a day spent outdoors."

"Once we gathered mushrooms in the forests ourselves for the soup," Sebastian said, the conversation remaining on Bjarma for some time.

The second course was baked cod with cabbage salad, and a heavy dark bread to go with it. For dessert they ate dried fruit. There was plenty to eat, and it was well cooked and quite filling, so Eden couldn't see that lunch was any great sacrifice. However, praising the meal didn't seem right, when they were supposedly eating it as some kind of obscure penance.

Everyone drank water with their meal, even the grown ups. While they were finishing their fruit, Bernard raised his glass, and said, "To absent friends."

"To absent friends," everyone said, raising their glasses and drinking.

"And may they not be absent for too much longer," Pip added.

At that moment Baxter materialised beside Dorothea's chair, saying in hushed tones, "My apologies for disturbing your prandial congregation, Ma'am. However, the post has been, and I believe it may contain some long hoped for tidings."

"Wonderful news!" declared Dorothea with joyful smiles. "A bag of letters from Everwick!"

There was a short letter from Sybil to everyone, and a long letter for Dorothea to read in private. Clarissa had sent a thick envelope addressed to Lucy, and thinner ones for the others. The meal ended merrily, with each person sharing pieces of information from their correspondence. Lucy was the only one who tucked hers into a pocket unopened.

The superstition had said that setting a place for absent friends would soon bring news of them. When would they hear from Oscar?

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Lucy took out Clarissa's letter in the tower bedroom, reading it aloud to Eden, who lay on her stomach on the pink quilt as she listened. Her conscience was clear, for while it is wrong to read someone's letter, it is quite alright to know what's in it if they tell you themselves.

Everwick Castle
19th December 1456

Darling Lucy,

Thank you so much for the sweet letter you sent to thank me for the birthday present I left for you. I wish I could have been there to help celebrate your special day, and can't wait to see how the dress looks on you.

I thought the grey silk looked very elegant, and the pink flowers upon it charming. The dressmaker made it to the same pattern as your last, but if it needs any little alterations, those can easily be done.

We arrived at Everwick Castle just over a week ago, very late at night. I was tired and out of temper from the long journey, only wanting a bath and bed. Unfortunately, I got off to rather a bad start, when my courses arrived the very next morning. Of all the rotten luck!

As you know, Dr Garrick insists on my staying in bed for the first day of my courses, and to remain mostly indoors for their duration, especially if the weather is inclement. It felt terribly awkward to have to remain in my room on my first day in Everwick.

I think Henry's father thought I must be a very fine lady, too delicate to come downstairs on a cold day. (Mummy told him I wasn't feeling well.)

Henry was absolutely sweet about it. He asked Mummy if he might come up and sit with me after lunch, and he arranged a sofa for me to lie on so I didn't have to stay in bed. We had a lovely time chatting together (Mummy was there too), and he was perfectly sympathetic and straightforward about the whole thing.

Henry did say a few words to his father to vaguely explain why I wasn't doing very much (oh dear, what an embarrassing conversation to have!) but apparently Henry's mother wasn't held back by her courses at all, and still went hill-climbing and horse-riding!!!!! Everwick ladies must be very tough. So I don't know if that talk made any difference.

But here I am rabbiting away about my courses when what I meant to say is that I saw your friend Eden! I looked out the window and saw her arriving in the courtyard. I couldn't see her very well, but she is dark and very petite, and has such an air of distinction about her. Henry said she is a very nice, sensible girl who will be one day be queen of the kingdom next to his (I mean ours! I keep forgetting.)

You mustn't think it's been bad for me at all here. I was downstairs the next day, and I've been able to get about as usual for days now. Everwick Castle is not nearly as large as Camden Palace, but it's just as comfortable, or even more so, and everything is run with a great deal of practical good sense. Henry's father Roland is kind in his own way, and certainly extremely generous.

We've mostly been discussing wedding plans, as you can imagine, and I do wish Henry's mother were still alive, or that he had an older sister, aunt, or female cousin hanging about. It does seem peculiar talking about dresses and flowers with Roland, I can't imagine he finds it very interesting.

However! It is all arranged now (Roland cannot abide things not to be decided at once), and we will be married next Yuletide in Everwick, so a whole year to wait! Henry says it will go more quickly than we imagine, as there is so much to do in between.

We are to be married on the 27th of December at eleven o'clock of the morning at the Temple of Freya, which is the main temple in Everwick, and very beautiful. It will be decorated with evergreens and holly because of the season. (No mistletoe, it's frightfully unlucky in Everwick for some reason).

My wedding gown is to be white silk covered in gold embroidery with a fur cloak over it to keep warm. Your bridesmaid's dress will be dark red velvet, with a smart little green coat trimmed with gold braid over it. The red shoes to go with it have gold buckles on them, and I think you'll look perfectly sweet.

My trousseau is to cost a thousand gold coins, which sounds like a lot, but that has to cover dresses, including evening gowns and tea gowns, as well as coats, wraps, hats, shoes, nightwear, underclothes and so on. Jewellery will come after I am married, with the gold wedding ring to begin with. I do adore my emerald engagement ring, Henry has such good taste, and I must say, the jewellers in Everwick are absolutely wonderful in what they can do.

Henry and I will be starting our honeymoon in our own castle, as one cannot travel during Yuletide. The crown prince's castle is on the other side of the city from Everwick Castle, with lovely views over the valleys (I think it was originally a watch tower or something).

You will laugh at how tiny it is, I call it our cottage castle! I love it, it is like a doll's house, and so small I will be able to manage it myself. It will honestly seem like heaven after rattling around in a big palace all my life. It is a custom here that every new bride receives a kitten as a wedding gift, isn't that a perfectly sweet idea? So we will begin our married life with a darling little kitty of our own.

Henry and I have been over our future castle several times. It hasn't been used since Roland was the crown prince many years ago, so it is frightfully old-fashioned inside with gloomy tapestries on the walls, bearskins on the floor, and ugly dark furniture. Henry says we will have it redecorated to our taste, and we're having a lot of fun choosing things together.

We want everything to look light, elegant and cheerful, and my personal drawing room will have pale green furnishings, stained glass lamps, a tiled floor covered in silk rugs, and cream walls picked out in gold. Everwick style is to have lots of fresh flowers about, which I think is lovely – our hot houses will be kept very busy!

Once the ports are open again, we will be going for our honeymoon to Rome. Henry has been twice before as he is very interested in the history of the Roman Empire, and I'm looking forward to him showing me everything and explaining it to me. We'll return home around the beginning of April – and then our married life together in Everwick will really begin!

I hope I don't seem selfish, writing only of myself and my marriage to come, but it seems like the most delightful dream that I get to have all this and be in love with Henry as well. In our tastes, beliefs, temperaments and conversation we are perfectly in harmony, and he is the kindest person, who makes me feel safe and protected. I think he will be a most affectionate husband, when the time comes.

The only little dispute we have had is that he is very keen that I undertake a course of study before our marriage. Can you imagine? I was such a dunce at my lessons, I have no wish to bore myself doing more of them. The idea of me doing even a term or two at a university is a perfect waste of time, but Henry has his heart set on marrying an educated lady as his queen.

He has enlisted Mummy's support, and I'm sure she's secretly in agreement with Henry, as I know she and Mama Dorothea always hoped I'd be an intellectual, as they are. But even she had to admit that university was simply impractical. 

A ladies college was suggested, and even a finishing school in Paris, but at last Mummy and Henry reached a compromise, and it was decided I would go to some private classes a lady in Camden who is a friend of Mummy's offers to girls.

I'm to begin at Madame Rawle's after Yuletide, and will be doing Literature, History, Economics, Politics, French, German, Art Appreciation, Accountancy, Hygiene and First Aid, five mornings a week. I will also be continuing with my music and singing lessons, as Signor Casagrande seems to think I'm quite good.

The whole thing sounds utterly dreary, but Mummy says it will be good for me to have something to focus on. I only have to do two terms, because Henry will be finishing at Grantbridge by the summer. Then we will do nothing but think about our wedding!

Goodness, I have been scribbling away for hours and using up reams and reams of Mummy's lovely writing paper. I haven't even told you about the Yuletide celebrations we've been having, but it's the usual sort of thing and rather fun. I do miss you all and wish we could be together, but I know that if I was in Camden I would be longing for Henry and wishing I was here.

Mummy sends her love, she will be writing her own letters of course. Give my love to the boys and share anything in this letter you want to. I've only written short letters to them as most boys aren't really interested in clothes and weddings and things.

All my love,

Clarissa xoxoxoxo

PS Good Yule!!!!!! And a very Happy New Year, we will be leaving here on the 2nd of January, in plenty of time to depart for Sophia's wedding.

PPS Love to your friend Eden also!!!!!! Sorry we'll miss each other, but I'm sure there will be many chances for us to meet before I am married.