"The city looks quite different now it's snowing," Meriadoc said.

Eden glanced out the window of the carriage, where soft dry white flakes were gently falling on Candlelight Street. A crowd of military men and their families were gathering to worship at the Temple of Mithras. Many had already disappeared down the stone stairs into the depths of the earth, for the god's mysteries must remain ever secret.

"Snow is much better than slush," Eden agreed. "A few days ago, the streets were all muddy."

"Well, it's good to be spending some time with you at last," said Meriadoc. "We've only had two meals together. What have you been up to?"

"I helped Lucy and her brothers organise the Yuletide children's party," she replied.

"That sounds like hard work, but very worthwhile," Meriadoc said. "Are you making friends with Lucy's brothers?"

"I hardly know Otto and Sebastian," Eden said, looking at her shoes. "They're older than us. But her brother Roderick is nice, and I like his friend Aubrey. And then there's Penelope." The last four words followed after a long pause, as if Eden had suddenly remembered her.

"And who's Penelope?"

"She does lessons with Lucy," Eden said slowly. "She's hard to get to know."

"Why's that?" Meriadoc asked encouragingly. "I would have thought you'd want to get on with Lucy's friends."

"I'm not sure Lucy is really friends with her," Eden confided.

"What's wrong with her? Is she unkind or rude?"

Eden thought for a moment then said, "No, nothing like that. She's just ... odd."

"It's possible a few others might think we're a bit odd," Meriadoc said with a little laugh. "Sometimes you have to give people more of a chance."

"Well, I'll try that then," Eden said. "And what have you been doing?"

"Oh, there's always something happening here," said her father, leaning back in his seat. "I went to a concert of Yuletide music with some people I met, and last night a charming couple invited me to a party in their private apartments."

"Last night I was at the children's party," Eden smiled. "What was yours like?"

"Mine was very much a grown up party," her father laughed. "You get punch to drink, but they mix it up in your glass for you, and there's little nibbly things to eat, and music and dancing."

"We had music and dancing too," Eden said. "And we played lots of games, like Blind Man's Buff and Pass the Parcel."

"There were grown up party games at mine," Meriadoc said. "One like Hide and Seek, but only one person hides, and when you find them, you hide with them too. A dozen of us ended up squished inside a wardrobe where they hang people's coats. And there's another one where you pretend to be a postman, only the letters and parcels are kisses and hugs."

"It sounds thoroughly disreputable," Eden said, with a mock severe glance at her father.

"It got a bit raucous around midnight, so I made my excuses and went up to bed," Meriadoc said. "I must admit, that punch has left me feeling slightly worse for wear, though. It's good to be out in the fresh air, and seeing a bit of Camden."

"I've seen the markets, and that's all really," Eden said.

"Well, I hope you don't mind going back there, because I've got Yuletide shopping to do," said Meriadoc. "But first I've got to go to the bank."

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Meriadoc pointed out some of the sights they were passing, referring to a little map at the front of the guide book he had brought. The luminous white marble dome of the Temple of Luna, set high on a hill, was impossible to miss – Eden knew that Lucy's family, the House of Luna, were members of the temple, and that Lucy herself would be initiated into its rites before her nineteenth birthday.

Twenty minutes later the carriage pulled up in Broad Street, the centre of the city's financial district. The Bank of Lindensea was an imposing building of white stone that looked like a classical temple, with a cupola crowning the roof, and a statue of a nude youth on the portico. According to the guide book, the bank's foundations were built upon a Roman villa.

The back of the carriage suddenly went down sharply, then bounced back up, as if a great weight had been removed from it. The carriage door was opened, and a deep gruff voice said, "We has arrived at our destination, Mister Voyager sir. Current conditions - slight snow, prepare for a slippery surface."

"Thank you Hodge," Meriaodc replied, preparing to walk down the steps. "Miss Victory and I shall be very careful, I promise."

Eden had looked askance at her father's code name when she first heard it, but he explained that it had to begin with V to match hers, and it had been the first thing that popped into his mind.

"Well, after a lot of silly things like Vague and Vegetable," Meriadoc had laughed.

"Allow me to assist you, Miss Victory," Hodge said in a low rumble, holding out an enormous paw for her to hold onto as she followed her father down the steps.

The very size of Hodge had come as a shock to Eden when she met him. King Bernard had once been the tallest man she had ever seen, and broad shouldered with it, but Captain Zidane was taller and broader again than he. Hodge would have towered over the captain of the guard, and was so huge in stature that he reminded Eden of pictures of giants and ogres she had seen in books.

"I'm Hodge. I am your personal bodyguard for the duration of your stay in Camden, sir, and I hope I shall give satisfaction," he had said stolidly.

(It was a peculiarity of Hodge's speech that he dropped his aitches, so that he pronounced his own name as 'Odge, but compensated for this loss by adding them in front of other words with a heavy breath, so that he said, High ham your personal bodyguard.)

"What about my bodyguard?" Eden had asked, rather louder than she had meant, because Hodge's face seemed so far away.

Hodge had looked down at her from his great height, until Eden felt quite insignificant. "It has been decided that one bodyguard will suffice today," he answered stiffly.

"Where's Maeve?"

Hodge's gaze upon her had become distant and colder. "I am not at liberty to say, miss."

Eden felt like stamping her foot at him petulantly, but realised in time what a fool she'd look.

"Has Maeve lost her job?" she demanded. "Because if so, it's too bad. She's done nothing wrong."

There was a long, slow silence as Hodge seemed to be having an internal debate as to whether to ignore her or crush her between his giant fingers.

At last he said grudgingly, "Maeve is on night watch. She is not presently available as a bodyguard."

That was all Eden was able to learn about it, and she was left to wonder whether Maeve was being punished by being placed on night watch, or whether she had simply been scheduled to do night watch as part of her usual duties.

Worst of all, her father seemed to think Maeve not being her bodyguard was no bad thing. He had never met Maeve, but associated her with Eden getting into a dangerous situation. When Eden tried to explain that she would prefer having Maeve with her, he only said:

"Oh, I'm sure Hodge is perfectly capable of looking after both of us. We'll be together the whole time – no running off and getting separated – and he seems most competent."

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They walked up the broad stone steps of the bank, Hodge looming behind them like an enormous shadow. Meriadoc handed over a letter from the bank to gatekeepers in bronze-coloured uniforms at the front entrance. The double doors were heavy black iron, and each was embossed with twin emblems of winged serpents twisted together. The centre of each door was a medallion containing a horse's head.

The gatekeepers bowed and nodded, pulling the great doors apart. Despite their size, they opened with well-oiled silence, revealing a vast arched rotunda tinted a foamy sea green, filled with pale winter light from the cupola. The floor was a smudgy pattern of black and gold mosaic tiles, with a round marble centre depicting a cornucopia spilling over with wheat, coins, and golden apples.

A man with a round red face in a silver tailcoat and top hat glided towards them over the tiles, his high shiny boots making barely a sound. Eden decided the heels of his boots must be covered in thick felt to muffle the noise.

"Good Yule, sir. I am a messenger for the Bank of Lindensea. Please give me your name and business so that I may assist you."

"Good Yule. My name is Meriadoc of Westmoreland, and I have a ten o'clock appointment," Meriadoc said. "Er, shall I wait over there?"

He gestured to where people were lining up at a series of wooden counters under arches, a cashier at each one. The messenger looked rather shocked.

"Oh no, Your Majesty! We have a reception room for you and your entourage," he said. "Please come this way, sir."

They followed his soundless boots down a hallway, where he unlocked a heavy wooden door with a triangular marble mantle over it, and ushered them through. The reception room was cream with dark wooden furniture, with plenty of light from the large arched windows.

"Please make yourself comfortable, Your Majesty," the messenger said. "The bank's governor will be with you shortly. Would you like a cup of tea or coffee while you wait?"

Meriadoc asked for three coffees, and they sat down on curved wooden chairs around a circular table. Hodge was so large that his chair could not fully accommodate him, which meant he had to perch on the edge of his seat like a nervous child.

They had barely begun sipping their coffee when the door opened, and a large, portly man with long curly grey hair wearing a gold frock coat entered the reception room.

"My apologies for being late, Your Majesty," he said with a bow. "Sir Helios Claremont, at your service."

"Very glad to meet you, Sir Helios," said Meriadoc. "Allow me to introduce my daughter, Eden."

"Your Royal Highness," said Sir Helios, bowing to her deferentially.

"And this is my ... er, this is Hodge," Meriadoc finished.

It was so obvious what Hodge was that Sir Helios merely gave a nod to signify he understood.

"If I may sit down, Your Majesty?" Sir Helios asked, before seating himself. "Now, I have your bill of exchange for the cash you requested, all most correct. With your permission, I can have that money delivered to your address in Camden."

Meriadoc looked unsure, so Sir Helios added, "Our courier service is very secure, and used by the king himself. Furthermore, it is underwritten by Clarke's, the great insurance market, so that even if by some grave mischance your money was lost, we would replace it to the exact amount."

"Oh well, that sounds alright," Meriadoc said.

Now it was Sir Helios' turn to look hesitant. "My only concern is that this is what we would consider a fairly large sum of money. Once delivered, you would be entirely responsible for it. Are there suitable facilities available where you are staying?"

"We're at Camden Palace," Meriadoc replied. "Eden is good friends with Princess Lucy, and they were kind enough to invite us for Yuletide."

Sir Helios looked relieved. "Well, that's ideal, then. I can arrange for the money to be transferred directly from our strong room to the guard room at Camden Palace, with your permission."

"Thank you, Sir Helios" said Meriadoc. "I'm sorry to be a bother, but would it be possible to have some money in ready cash I can take with me now? We're just off to do our Yuletide shopping, you see."

"That is no trouble at all, Your Majesty," Sir Helios assured him. "I will send a messenger to the strong room to have your money sent by courier to Camden Palace, and to return with a small amount of cash. Shall we say, ten gold coins, ten silver coins, and ten copper coins?"

"That sounds reasonable," Meriadoc nodded. "Whatever you think is a sensible amount for me to be carrying in public. Although it's really Hodge who will be carrying it."

Sir Helios called a messenger in, and gave him instructions, before sitting down again and facing them.

"There will be a short wait for the order to be filled," he smiled. "I do hope you're enjoying your visit to Camden, Your Royal Highness."

Images fluttered through Eden's mind. Almost getting locked out of the city. Crying with homesickness her first night. Confronting a brazen thief in the markets. Watching in horror as a terrifying man took a little boy. Nothing she could tell the bank governor about.   

"Yes, I'm having a very interesting time," she said. "It's very different to the Lakelands. Sir Helios, may I ask you about the pictures on the front doors of the bank – the snakes with wings?"

"Why of course you may, Your Royal Highness," Sir Helios said, sitting up and looking pleased, as if talking about the bank was something he loved. "The winged serpent design is called a caduceus, and a symbol of the god Mercury."

Mercury again! 

Eden said, "Oh, I see. Do the serpents mean something in particular?"

"They represent Mercury's association with commerce and negotiations," Sir Helios smiled. "I'm sure you've read about the god in your lessons."

"Yes, I read he is the god of trickery," Eden said.

Sir Helios chuckled. "Well, there is perhaps a little bit of trickiness involved in negotiations sometimes," he admitted. "One must be sharp in business, you know, or one soon goes under. But as the god of merchants and money, Mercury is naturally the chief patron of our bank. His symbols are everywhere here."

"Really? What else?"

"His statue is on the portico above the front doors," Sir Helios said, "and each mantle over the doorways is inscribed with his personal symbol. And there are mosaic tiles on the floor as you come in with an image of the god Mercury. It's very faded, because those tiles are extremely old – they belong to a Roman villa which the bank was built over. So you see, even before this was a bank, the god Mercury was honoured here."

"It's a strange thing, but I keep seeing Mercury everywhere," Eden said. "We were blessed at the Temple of Mercury as soon as we arrived, and there's a monument to him in the markets, and then there's Mercury Street. And now I find him all over the Bank of Lindensea."

"But of course you would find Mercury everywhere here," Sir Helios said. "He is the chief god of Lindensea, and all the kingdom lies under his domain."

"I thought Wodan was the chief god," Eden said with a frown, wondering if she was being teased.

"Bless me, they are one and the same!" exclaimed Sir Helios. "When the Saxons arrived here as followers of Wodan, the Romans called him Mercury, for both gods are known for their cunning and skill in many arts. And furthermore, Mercury is the patron of the city of Camden, for it was founded under the sign of the Divine Twins, which is ruled by the god."

"Oh, I didn't know cities could be born under a sign like people," Eden said. "I was born under the Divine Twins as well, actually. My birthday is the seventh of June."

"In Lindensea we say that those born under the Divine Twins shall have their life tied to the city of Camden in some way," said Sir Helios. "Perhaps the god brought you here for a reason, Your Royal Highness."

Eden thought this over, then said, "I'm only here for Yuletide because King Bernard invited me."

"Ah well, the god can be very clever in how he brings things to pass," said Sir Helios wisely. "We mortals cannot comprehend the deep designs that the gods weave, and see only the barest thread of our own fate."

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LINDENSEA LORE

The visitor to Camden may explore major sights of the city by travelling along Candlelight Street, so named because of its ancient connection with candle makers. Candlelight Street is the major road crossing the city from east to west, thus following the path of the sun. Along Candlelight Street can be found drapers and cloth merchants, as well as the Duke of Burnham Grammar School for Boys, housed in a great mansion surrounded by rose gardens.

The lord mayor's palace is on the east bank of the River Tiratha, with its sculptured gardens, sparkling pools of water, and great halls set with mosaic tiles. Across the road from the palace is the Temple of Mithras, most of which is underground, to form a series of interconnected caves where the god's mysteries take place. Next door is the small but pleasant Temple of Frea, where people pray for sunshine and rain, as required. Some jest that the somewhat unpredictable weather of Lindensea is brought about by the action of these opposing petitions.

By travelling north up Oldbourne Hill, one may pass the stunning Temple of Luna, with its round white dome in homage to the goddess of the moon. It is here that the royal family of Lindensea principally worships, and most of the nobility do so in deference to their custom. Once you turn to the east again, the vast expanse of Forum Street with its glittering department stores and luxurious coffee houses provide numerous opportunities to enjoy the city's pleasures.

Forum Street curves around Whitebread Hill, and from there joins Broad Street, the thriving commercial heart of the city. Amongst the counting houses and money lenders stand proud the great financial institutions of the kingdom – the Royal Treasury, the Royal Mint, the Royal Trading Exchange where shares are bought and sold, the august insurance market Clarke's of Camden, and by no means the least, the Bank of Lindensea, affectionately known as "the Great Lady of Broad Street."

From Camden at a Glance, City Guide Series, published by Compass Press.