Stepping through the Summer Gate felt like walking into the heart of a star. For a moment, Ali was surrounded by pure, golden light so intense that she couldn't see anything else. Then, like a curtain being drawn back, the light receded to reveal a sight that took her breath away.
They stood in a vast courtyard that seemed to be made entirely of light and living crystal. Towering spires of what might have been diamond or something even more precious rose into a sky that shimmered with perpetual sunset colors. Fountains of liquid gold splashed musically into pools lined with mother-of-pearl, and everywhere Ali looked, fae beings of impossible beauty moved with ethereal grace.
But all of this paled in comparison to the figure seated on the throne at the far end of the courtyard.
Queen Mirabelle, She of the Eternal Summer, Keeper of the Golden Flame, Voice of the Meridian Crown, Bearer of Dawn's First Light, Mistress of the Solstice Dance, Lady of the Thousand Blooming Roses, Guardian of the Evergreen Heart, and Sovereign of the Endless Day, was everything a faerie queen should be and more. Her beauty was both terrible and magnificent, her presence so overwhelming that Ali found herself wanting to simultaneously bow deeply and run away as fast as she could.
The Queen's hair was like living sunlight, flowing around her in ways that defied gravity. Her eyes shifted color with each blink—gold to amber to the deep orange of sunset. She wore a gown that seemed to be made of actual sunbeams, and her crown appeared to be fashioned from frozen fire and morning dew.
Frost-Over-Still-Waters led the tributes forward, their group joining with the others who had arrived through different paths. Ali was dimly aware of Sage still beside her, and found herself grateful for the other girl's steady presence.
"My Queen," Frost-Over-Still-Waters said, bowing deeply. "We bring this season's tributes for your consideration."
Queen Mirabelle rose from her throne with a grace that made Ali think of sunflowers turning to follow the light. "Welcome, young ones," she said, her voice carrying the warmth of a summer afternoon. "Step forward, that I might know you properly."
There was a moment of uncertainty among the tributes until Twilight-Between-Worlds spoke softly: "When Her Majesty calls, you will approach one by one. You will state your full, true name, and you will accept her blessing. This is both a right and an obligation under the ancient agreements."
Ali's heart began to race. Her full name. The one thing her mother had warned her never to give to the fae. But this was different, wasn't it? This was part of the agreement, part of why she was here. She touched her silver bracelet for reassurance and noticed other tributes doing similar nervous gestures—touching necklaces, rings, or other pieces of jewelry that must have been given to them for protection, just as her mother had given her the bracelet.
The first tribute stepped forward—a tall boy with dark hair who managed to bow without stumbling. "I am Michael James Anderson," he said, his voice only shaking slightly.
Queen Mirabelle smiled, and it was like watching the sun break through clouds. She reached out and touched his forehead lightly. "Be welcome in my court, Michael James Anderson. By what name will you be known in the Summerlands?"
His voice steadied as he answered, "Spruce, Your Majesty."
"May your summer be filled with light." The ritual response dismissed him.
One by one, the tributes stepped forward to receive their welcome. Ali watched carefully, noting how some seemed more nervous than others, how some names seemed to please the Queen more than others. Sage went before her, stating her full name as "Sage Marina Rosewood," choosing to remain Sage, though Ali had a feeling that might not be entirely true.
Then it was her turn. Ali stepped forward, keeping her mother's lessons in mind. Don't stare directly at the Queen for too long. Don't fidget. Keep your voice steady.
"I am Alison Briar Aurelia Hughes, to be known as Dawn," she said, managing to keep her voice clear despite her racing heart. As she spoke her name, she felt something shift in the air around her—as if the very act of saying those words had changed something fundamental about her relationship with this realm.
Queen Mirabelle's ever-changing eyes fixed on her with sudden interest. "Ah," she said softly. "Danae's daughter. I see her in you—the same starlight in your hair, the same shadow of deeper things in your eyes." She reached out to touch Ali's forehead, and her fingers were warm like sunlight on bare skin. "Be welcome in my court, Alison Briar Aurelia Hughes Dawn. May your summer be filled with light... and perhaps a few interesting shadows as well."
Ali felt a tingling sensation spread from where the Queen had touched her, flowing through her body like warm honey. She bowed carefully and stepped back, her mind racing. The Queen had known her mother. Had recognized her connection immediately. What did that mean?
After the last tribute had been welcomed, Queen Mirabelle returned to her throne. "You have entered my court freely," she said, her voice carrying easily to every corner of the vast space. "You have given your names in trust, as your ancestors did before you. In return, I offer you the protection of the Summer Court, the hospitality of our realm, and the opportunity to learn our ways."
She gestured gracefully, and suddenly there were more fae in the courtyard—beautiful beings holding musical instruments Ali had never seen before.
"Tonight," the Queen continued, "you will rest and refresh yourselves. Tomorrow, you will begin to learn what it means to be part of our court. But for now..." She smiled, and it was like watching a sunset paint the world in gold. "For now, we celebrate your arrival with music and dance, as is our tradition."
The fae musicians began to play, creating music that seemed to exist somewhere between sound and light. Ali felt it in her bones, in her blood, in the very air she breathed.
"You will each be assigned a guide," Queen Mirabelle announced over the music. "They will show you to your quarters and help you navigate our ways. Learn from them, but remember—" Her eyes seemed to fix on each tribute individually somehow, including Ali. "Remember that you are here as part of an ancient agreement. Some doors will be open to you, others closed. Some questions may be asked, others must remain unspoken. This is the way of things in our realm."
She raised her hands, and the music swelled. "Welcome, tributes, to the first night of your summer with us. May it be everything you hope... and perhaps a few things you never thought to dream of."
The court erupted into celebration around them, but Ali barely noticed. Her mind was still caught on the way the Queen had looked at her, the way she had mentioned her mother. There had been something in those ever-changing eyes—some knowledge or secret that Ali couldn't quite grasp.
"Quite a show, isn't it?" Sage whispered beside her. "Do you think they do this for all the tributes, or are we special?"
Before Ali could respond, a new figure appeared before them—a fae with hair like copper wire and eyes the color of forest pools. "I am appointed to guide you," they said, bowing slightly. "You may call me Rowan-In-The-Whispers. Come, let me show you to your quarters while the celebration builds. You'll want to be refreshed before joining the true festivities."
As they followed their new guide away from the throne room, Ali couldn't help glancing back at Queen Mirabelle. The Summer Queen was engaged in conversation with another fae now, but just for a moment, she looked up and met Ali's eyes. And smiled.
Ali quickly looked away, her mother's bracelet suddenly very warm against her wrist. She had a feeling this summer was going to be far more complicated than she'd imagined.