It was cold in the stone courtyard before dawn, the pale blue light casting shadows across the frost-covered ground. Over the low battlements at the front of the palace, the mist lay upon the river like a deep exhalation on cold glass. They were in a dream, profoundly still, as if the world held its breath before the day began.

"It's right parky out here, isn't it?" muttered Nurse Melia.

"Freezing enough to bite your face off," Nurse May agreed.

There was a muffled snort from Lucy, which gained her a frown from Bernard. Pip smiled, and put a finger to his lips. Eden pulled her crimson coat more firmly about her, and tried to pay attention.

"Brothers and sisters, we are gathered here together to await the rebirth of the Sun," said Brother Bellamy. "At the end of the longest night, no matter how dark and hopeless it may seem, the light will come to us. I will now light the Vigil Bonfire to welcome in the Sun."

And to get us slightly warmer, Eden thought, as Brother Bellamy dramatically placed a lighted taper to a massive bronze bowl filled with wood. It burst into flame so quickly that Eden thought he must have doused the wood in some sort of oil, as it had a strong smell of pine.

"As this flame burns in the bowl of burnished bronze, so must the Sun soon blaze in the sky," said Brother Bellamy. "Let us sing the usual carol, brothers and sisters."

Hundreds of voices began a soft chanting that resounded against the stones:

We believe in the sun even in the darkness
We have faith in the light even when it doesn't shine
And we believe in the gods, we have faith in the gods
Even when they are sleeping

The deep indigo of the sky lightened to a pale lavender streaked with grey. 

Brother Bellamy poured libations of honey onto the fire, announcing, "We give these golden offerings to the Sun in praise and honour, as our ancestors have done for thousands of years."

The fire burst into fierce crackles for a minute after the gifts of honey, emitting clouds of black smoke with a sharp and rather unpleasant odour. Eden wrinkled her nose at it, and thought the idea might have been reconsidered after thousands of years.

"Brothers and sisters, let us bow our heads in silence," Brother Bellamy said reverently. "For these last minutes before the rebirth of the Sun, may we reflect on its power in our lives. Whether we call the Sun by the name Helios, Sol, Belen, Ra, or Shiva matters not. Whether we see the Sun as masculine or feminine is of no consequence. We all worship the same thing, the principles of Light and Life and Love which bind us together. Think on that, my brothers and sisters."

Eden tried to think on that, although thoughts about how cold her feet were kept intervening.

Slowly, majestically, a white disc rose in the east splashed over with pink and orange. The grey stones of the courtyard began to warm in colour, the mist on the river shot through with the rising light. Silence hung in the air.

"The Sun is risen! It is risen indeed! Let us all rejoice and be glad in its rebirth!" cried Brother Bellamy, lifting his arms up to the sky.

There came an outpouring of noise from the people in the courtyard. Like an arrow let loose from the bow after being held in tension too long came a rush of whoops, cheers, shouts of excitement, and spontaneous applause.

It was impossible not to join in, and Eden and Lucy both jumped up and down, clapping their hands, and cheering loudly. It was such a relief after being quiet for so long, and besides, it made you feel warmer.

Some people began energetically ringing bells, a musical clamour that made the courtyard ring with a clang and a clash and a roar. And then the big bell began striking in the Bell Tower of the palace, its brazen tongue exulting as it bayed and boomed, rose and fell. 

Eight deep calls as it signalled it was eight o'clock in the morning and Yule had begun. As the last note ended, they began joyfully singing a new carol, one so merry you were compelled to smile and sing:

All Lindensea rejoice
With heart and soul and voice
Harken ye to what we say
The sun has risen with golden rays
May all around us give good cheer
And raise their voice up loud and clear
The sun is reborn today!
Good Yule to all today!

⋆⋅•⋅⊰∙∘⋆ ❆ ⋆∘∙⊱⋅•⋅⋆

"Good Yule, Lucy!" Eden said as she hugged her friend. "Good Yule, Father! Good Yule, Nurse Melia!" More hugging.

"Good Yule, Pip! Good Yule, Bernard! Good Yule, Roddy!" Handshakes all round.

"Good Yule! Good Yule! Good Yule!"

Eden didn't think she'd ever greeted so many people with hugs and hand clasps in her life. Most of them she'd never even seen before. It felt as if everyone in the courtyard was determined to cry "Good Yule!" at each other, until Eden wondered if they would be there all morning.

At last Bernard shouted that it was far too cold to stand around talking, and that they should go inside for breakfast. "We'll have all day to wish each other a good Yule," he said.

"Are you coming to breakfast, Nurse?" asked Eden.

"Only for a tiny bite," Melia said. "There's going to be a simply enormous feast later, and the food looks delicious. Er, they sent us all a menu, that's how I know." She blinked and looked most uncharacteristically evasive.

"Eden dear, I would be so pleased if you would join us in the family dining room," Dorothea said. "It is a tradition for us to have a small breakfast together, then open Yule presents in the drawing room."

"Of course Dorothea," Eden said, glancing at Lucy.

"We'll be up very soon, Mummy," Lucy said, taking Eden's hand. "We just have to take off our coats and things."

" Darling, leave those in the hall with the butler," Dorothea said. "Let's all go up together, that will be nicer, yes?"

Dorothea put her arm around Lucy as they walked, so that she had to drop Eden's hand.

"Mama Dorothea, can Aubrey come to breakfast too?" Roderick asked.

"No darling, family and honoured guests only," Dorothea said firmly. "Aubrey's family will want him with them, I am sure."

Roderick gave Aubrey a sad wave goodbye, and linked his arm through Eden's. "You can walk up with me instead," he said, giving her a smile.

Eden looked around for Meriadoc, but he was walking with Pip and Bernard and asking lots of questions, apparently very interested in the ceremony of the sun.

"Alright, I'll be your second choice," she said teasingly.

"Are you tired from getting up before the dawn for the Sun Return Ritual?" Roderick asked.

"No, I'm used to getting up early," Eden said. "I'm often up before the sun to go fishing or to help with the sheep, even in winter."

"That sounds like a good life to have," Roderick said. "So much freer than we are in Camden. I hope you don't feel stifled here."

"Only a little bit," Eden said, torn between honesty and politeness. "I'm having a very exciting time though, I can't remember when I did so many new things all at once before."

"Oh, that's because it's Yuletide," Roderick said. "I'm bored stiff in the summer holidays, and can't wait to get away to the country or abroad."

"The honey on the fire was very striking with all the smoke," Eden heard her father say. "We keep honey bees in the orchard at Castle Avalon – perhaps we could send you a few jars? Apple blossom honey is our favourite."

⋆⋅•⋅⊰∙∘⋆ ❆ ⋆∘∙⊱⋅•⋅⋆

Breakfast was saffron buns in the shape of a new moon, topped with golden honey. It was served with sweet spicy coffee that Dorothea brewed herself in a special pot.

"It is always made this way in Bjarma," she said, with a complacent smile at the compliments it received from Meriadoc and Eden.

After they'd all been sent off to wash their sticky hands, they settled around the fire to open their presents. Everyone had brought their gifts into the drawing room the day before, and the upper servants had arranged them artistically around a small holly bush on the drawing room table.

Eden and Lucy were squashed onto a sofa with Dorothea, Otto and Sebastian had a sofa together, Meriadoc as an honoured guest had the best armchair nearest the fire, and Bernard had the matching chair with Pip perched on the arm as if still a boy. Roderick knelt on a hassock before the fire, and said that he liked it.

"We start with the youngest person," Otto said, nodding at Lucy, "and we each deliver presents to them from oldest to youngest."

"And that means it is my task to begin," said Dorothea, getting up. "You see, I do not mind confessing my age."

"Well, it's in all the chronicles and Exactly Who is Who," said Sebastian with a grin. "There's not much point pretending, Mummy."

Dorothea pushed a lock of hair over her ear while pursing her mouth at Sebastian. She took her gift from the table, a thin box wrapped in silver paper and tied with red satin ribbon, presenting it to Lucy.

"Good Yule, Lucy," she said, sitting back down next to her.

Lucy read the accompanying poem aloud:

My darling daughter, author of tales of daring deeds
I offer you an instrument which will support your needs

"That's very good, Mummy!" she said excitedly. "Oh, a pen! And such a beautiful scarlet colour, with my name in gold letters. I know this will inspire me. Imagine, a beautiful manuscript book from Eden for my birthday, and now a lovely pen to write in it. Thank you, Mummy." She kissed her mother's cheek.

Bernard was next, with a flat package in blue paper sprinkled with stars, topped with a silver rosette. His poem read:

Lu dearest, I chose this gift of my own volition
But be assured I did so with express permission

Lucy wondered at this message, and inside found the latest Jem Bones novel, with the blue cover decorated with crossed swords and full moon.

"May I really read it, Mummy?" Lucy asked Dorothea.

"Bernard and I talked it over, and we agreed you are now old enough to choose reading material and form your own tastes," Dorothea said. "However, I am sure the book you are writing will be of a far higher standard than this one."

"Oh no, Mummy. I've only just started writing my first proper grown up novel, and Mr Fenwick is a famous author," Lucy said, with a rather shocked look at this heretical opinion.

Eden already knew what her father had bought Lucy before leaving Castle Avalon, well wrapped by Nurse Melia. It was a beautiful gift book that he'd sent away for from a rather grand bookshop in Everwick. Inside were watercolour paintings of the Lakelands that you could look through by turning the pages, but they could also be carefully removed in order to have them framed as pictures.

He'd chosen it before learning about the five silver coins rule, but as an honoured guest, he could do as he liked anyway. Meriadoc only found out about the need for a poem at the last minute, and Eden could tell he hadn't put much thought into it:

Lucy, forever friend of Avalon
I'll try not to babble on
So hope you like this
(Beware – my gift-giving can be hit or miss)

Lucy smiled at the poem, and exclaimed in delight at the book of paintings. "Thank you so much, Meriadoc! These are lovely, and I adore the one of Avalon Water at sunrise. I'm going to get that one framed straight away."

Pip's gift to Lucy was a silver brooch with violets around it. Otto gave Lucy a cut-glass inkwell with a brass lid, and Sebastian a brass paperweight that matched with it. Roderick's present was a little notepad with red leather cover, and a small silver pencil - "in case you get an idea for your book in bed or out shopping so you can write it down at once."

With each offering, Eden felt a little more tense. Everyone's gifts suddenly looked so much better than hers, and they were all beautifully wrapped in glittering paper with satin rosettes and gold streamers. Pip's poem was as delicate and flowery as the brooch he had chosen. Otto's was clever and modern, Sebastian's was funny, and Roderick's was sweet.

Eden was only giving Lucy a handmade present from a kit bought at the markets, and she wasn't very good at wrapping gifts. She hadn't realised that the presents would be so elaborately wrapped. Neither had she understood that the poems were meant to be riddles and puns as hints to the gift inside, or teasing allusions to the recipient that were in fancy calligraphy on little decorated cards or printed stationery.

By the time it was her turn to fetch a gift from the pile for Lucy, she had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. She wished she didn't have to do it in front of everyone else.

"Good Yule, Lucy," she said, mustering a smile as she handed it over. "Sorry it doesn't look as pretty as the other presents. I'm not that good at wrapping things."

"You could have asked any of the upper servants to do it for you," Otto said with a rather superior smile. "Most of them spend their time just hanging about."

Eden flushed. She'd never thought about asking for help, and hadn't realised the upper servants were there to provide almost any service needed.

"But it's so much nicer you wrapped it yourself," Lucy said with a warm smile. "It seems more personal that way."

She opened the poem that Eden had written on a clean white piece of paper, then folded in half. Lucy looked at it quickly, then read it aloud in a voice with a slight tremor in it.

Lovable
Unforgettable
Charming
You

"Nice and short," said Sebastian, sounding as if he was trying not to laugh.

"As the great bard once said, Brevity is the soul of time-saving," Otto remarked to nobody.

"It's an acrostic," Roderick said. "We learned about them in Ancient Greek."

"I believe the Ancient Greek ones were usually somewhat longer," Otto drawled.

Lucy got two bright pink spots on her cheeks, a sign that she was starting to get angry.

"It's the nicest poem anyone's ever written for me," she said in a decided tone. "Thank you so much, Eden."

Lucy unwrapped the parcel, being just as careful not to tear the paper as she had been with the others. She took out a velvet bag, then slowly pulled the string of glass beads from it with a little gasp.

"Oh Eden, it's so pretty!" she said throwing her arms around her. "Thank you!"

"I made it myself," Eden said. "From a kit."

"You're so clever," Lucy said, holding the beads up to look more closely. "I would never have known, honestly. Can you help me put it on? I want to wear it straight away."

Lucy bent her head forward and held her hair out of the way while Eden did the clasp up for her. Once done up, Lucy stood up to show everyone the string of beds around her neck.

"Beautiful," Roderick pronounced, smiling at Eden.

"Very nice," Bernard said, while Pip added, "That colour really suits you."

"You have made the necklace exceedingly well, Eden," Dorothea said, examining it carefully. "You must have been very diligent, and it was a kind thought on your part."

Sebastian and Otto exchanged significant looks, but didn't say anything.

Now that Lucy liked her gift, Eden suddenly felt as if a weight had been taken from her shoulders. She sat back on the sofa and smiled at everyone, ready to receive her presents. 

There was a bottle of the Parisian orange blossom toilet water from Dorothea – a shocking breach of the five silver coin rule, if Eden had known. A book called The First King of Lindensea from Bernard (no doubt his portrait was somewhere about the palace, Eden thought).

Her father had given her a heavy glass snow globe of the city with A Gift from Camden written in gold letters on the base. Eden shook it, and tiny flakes of artificial white snow swirled around the ceramic buildings in the most magical way. Meriadoc explained that this was what he had seen in a shop window at the markets that he simply had to buy.

From Pip, a pearl bead purse with blue velvet lining, and a freshly minted silver coin inside it for luck. Sebastian gave her six miniature pots of jam from the palace's own kitchens, labelled Strawberry, Raspberry, Plum, Apricot, Blackberry, and Quince.

Otto's gift was a little ivory tower with a hinge to open it. Eden expected it to have sweets inside, but instead found a very good quality measuring tape. This was such a genuinely useful present that she had to try not to sound surprised as she thanked him.

Roderick's present was in quite a big box, and when Eden lifted the lid she could hardly believe her eyes. Brand new ice skating boots, white leather, with blue glass jewels decorating them. She rubbed the steel blades thoughtfully, having never seen such magnificent skates before, let alone owned a pair.

"Just in case the river freezes hard enough to skate on during Yuletide," Roderick said. "Thought you might not have brought your own."

"These cost much more than five silver coins," Eden said. 

"They didn't cost me anything," Roderick grinned. "They were my birthday present two years ago, but by the time the river froze again, I'd outgrown them. I've never used them. Will they fit?"

"Yes, I think so," Eden said, putting her measuring tape against her feet and the boots. "Thanks, Roderick. It's a great present."

Lucy had been looking more and more nervous while Eden received her gifts, and she almost rushed to the table to get her own parcel. It was wrapped in pale green sparkly paper, tied with silver ribbons, and felt soft and squishy. The poem was written on a little blue card:

When you are cold, let me warm you
Wrap you in my embrace for two

Eden couldn't think what the poem meant, and tore the paper off. It was a long woollen scarf, in stripes of pale blue and dark green, and a woollen hat to match. When she held them up to have a look, the scarf seemed to have a few loose holes in it, and the hat was a bit lopsided.

"Lu, what on earth have you given Eden?" Sebastian said, laughing helplessly.

"I know they aren't perfect, but I only just started learning knitting, and it's harder than it looks," Lucy said miserably, her face red.

"You made these?" Eden asked admiringly. "They're so good for a beginner. You must have worked really hard on them."

"It is hard getting started," Lucy said, sounding relieved. "Nurse May began teaching me when we got home from Everwick, and I've been working on them almost every day since then."

"I love them," Eden said, putting the scarf and hat on at once, although even Bernard and Pip were having trouble not showing amusement at how they looked.

"I made them in the Westmoreland colours," Lucy said, starting to recover.

"Very well done," said Meriadoc encouragingly. "To even finish a project when you've just started knitting is a great achievement, and you've completed two things."

"Thank you, Lucy," said Eden, kissing her on the cheek. "There's no substitute for a hand made gift."

She looked out the window and saw that it had started snowing. Dorothea ordered Baxter to bring them all mugs of hot chocolate, and Eden couldn't think of anything nicer than being snug and warm in front of the fire with a hot drink, watching the snow fall as if they were in their own snow globe. All at once it felt as if the winter holiday had really begun.