Eden at Yuletide // Lindensea 4

XII. Welcome, Yule!

TO ALL RESIDING AT CAMDEN PALACE

This is to announce that the Yuletide opening ceremony will commence today, Wednesday 19th December 1456 SA, at half past five in the evening in the Great Hall. To allow staff to prepare for this event, we ask that all courtiers and visitors avoid the ground floor of the palace until this evening, unless they are attending rehearsals in the Great Hall.

There will be no tea or dinner served in the dining room today. Instead, there will be high tea in the Great Hall at six o'clock in the evening, to be followed by a late supper before retiring. Light refreshments may be obtained from upper housemaids during the course of the afternoon for those who wish them.

No special costume or formal attire is required for the ceremony, but many people like to dress in appropriate colours for Yuletide. Please bring a smile, a sense of fun, and a willingness to meet and mingle with everyone at the palace.

All at Camden Palace are invited, and staff are welcome to attend as their schedules permit. We look forward to seeing you there!

Sincerely yours,

Lady Gaia Culpeper-Vance
SENESCHAL TO CAMDEN PALACE

Eden read this announcement, which had been delivered to them by Nalini, along with fragile china cups filled with amber tea and thin, crisp slices of lightly buttered toast.

"Thank you very much, Nalini," Lucy had said, taking charge of the tray. "Will you be going to the Great Hall this evening?"

"Yes Miss Lucy," Nalini had smiled. "None of the staff would miss it for worlds. I'll try to see your part in it, then pop in again after high tea."

"What's your part in it?" Eden asked, when Nalini had gone.

"Oh it's hardly anything," Lucy said, reaching for a slice of toast. "It's traditional for the youngest person at the palace to open the ceremonies, so that's me. It only takes a minute, but it's quite symbolic."

Eden could see Lucy wasn't going to say any more about it, so she instead asked, "And what are appropriate colours to wear for Yuletide?"

"Sun colours," Lucy explained. "White, gold, yellow, orange, pink, red ... but lots of people wear green for evergreens, or silver for the moon. Yuletide only ends after the Full Moon, you see."

"What are you wearing?"

"A red dress I got in Everwick," Lucy replied. "It's not really bright and sunny though – it's more like an autumn leaf colour."

Once they'd finished their tea and toast, Eden started looking through her clothes to see if she had anything suitable. Lucy helped her pick out a burnt orange linen dress, just below the knees, with a square neckline and three-quarter sleeves.

"Are you sure this will be warm enough?" Eden asked dubiously.

"Oh, yes. It's hot and crowded in the hall," Lucy assured her.

The two girls were soon dressed, Lucy looking taller in her dark red gown, which had been made long in anticipation of a future increase in her height. Eden began tying her hair back, but Lucy stopped her.

"You're meant to wear your hair loose during Yuletide," Lucy said.

"Why's that?" Eden asked curiously.

"Just superstition," Lucy shrugged. "Something to do with being free and unbound, I think. A few people won't even wear belts or shoelaces during Yuletide."

Eden combed her long black hair until it was silky and straight, flowing down her back like a shining river. Lucy's light brown curls fell naturally into long ringlets which were the bane of her life, as they so easily tangled. Eden tried to help her as best she could, but she did not have the knack of Dorothea's elegant ladies' maid, Severine, and kept pulling Lucy's hair, be she ever so gentle.