From the Star-Viewing terrace, the Dance of First Light was unlike anything Ali had ever seen. Fae dancers moved in patterns that seemed impossible, their forms blending and separating like threads of living light. Their movements created actual illumination that rose into the eternal twilight sky, painting pictures that moved and breathed and told stories Ali could almost, but not quite, understand.
"The Dance of First Light is one of our oldest traditions," Maple-Songs-At-Dusk explained, their autumn-leaf hair moving gently in a breeze Ali couldn't feel. "It tells the story of how Summer first came to be, when light and dark were still young and had not yet learned their proper places in the world."
Ali watched as two dancers in particular moved to the center of the performance space. One seemed to be made entirely of golden light, while the other shimmered with the deep blues and purples of approaching night. As they danced, their energies intertwined, creating swirling patterns of dusk and dawn in the air around them.
"The first Summer Queen," Maple-Songs-At-Dusk continued, "was born in the space between day and night, in that perfect moment when light and shadow are perfectly balanced. That is why our court maintains this eternal twilight, though we are called the Summer Court. It honors that first moment of creation."
A thought occurred to Ali. "Is that why Queen Mirabelle holds so many names? Because she embodies both light and shadow?"
Maple-Songs-At-Dusk's eyes glittered with something that might have been approval. "Clever observation. Yes, in part. Names hold power, as you well know." They gave Ali a knowing look that made her wonder just how much they had guessed about her careful use of 'Dawn' as a court name. "But they can also be... armor. The more names one holds, the harder it becomes for any single name to bind them."
Below, the dance was building to what seemed to be a climax. The two central dancers had been joined by others, some representing what appeared to be stars, others taking the forms of various natural forces - wind, rain, growing things. Their combined movements were creating a massive pattern of light in the air above them, a story written in illumination and grace.
"Watch closely now," Maple-Songs-At-Dusk advised. "This is the moment of First Summer's birth."
The dancers moved in perfect synchronization, their energies combining in a display so beautiful it almost hurt to look at. For a moment, Ali could have sworn she saw actual events playing out in the light above - a world balanced between eternal day and eternal night, the first Summer Queen stepping forward to claim her power, the establishment of the courts and the ancient laws that governed them.
Then the moment passed, the lights faded to a more manageable level, and the dancers began what was clearly a closing sequence. But the images lingered in Ali's mind, along with a strange sensation that she had witnessed something more than just a performance.
"There will be other dances tonight," Maple-Songs-At-Dusk said, turning away from the view. "But none quite so... significant. Remember what you observed here. The patterns may prove useful in understanding what is to come."
"What do you mean?" Ali asked, but the fae was already moving toward the stairs, their form seeming to blend slightly with the twilight air.
"Come," they said instead of answering. "The feast continues, and there are others you should meet before the night is done."
Ali followed them back down the starlight stairs, her mind full of questions she wasn't sure how to ask. The feast hall had transformed slightly during their absence - the tables had rearranged themselves to create more open space for dancing, and the music had taken on a more energetic quality that made Ali's feet want to move of their own accord.
She spotted Sage still at their table, now deep in conversation with a fae whose hair seemed to be made of actual moonbeams. Michael was nowhere to be seen, and Ali wondered if his earlier misstep had prompted him to retreat somewhere less conspicuous.
"Ah," Maple-Songs-At-Dusk said, pausing at the foot of the stairs. "It seems you have caught someone's interest."
Ali followed their gaze and felt her breath catch slightly. Making his way toward them through the crowd was one of the most beautiful fae she had seen yet. His hair was the deep black of a midnight sky, shot through with what appeared to be actual stars, and his eyes held the same shifting quality as the eternal twilight above them.
"Greetings, Nightshade-Among-Stars," Maple-Songs-At-Dusk said as the fae approached. "Come to see how our new tributes are settling in?"
"Among other things," the fae replied, his voice carrying hints of night wind and distant music. He turned to Ali and bowed slightly. "I am called Nightshade-Among-Stars, as my friend has said. Might I know what name you go by in our court?"
"Dawn," Ali replied, remembering to curtsey as her mother had taught her. She noticed that Maple-Songs-At-Dusk had stepped back slightly, creating space for this new interaction while remaining close enough to intervene if needed.
"Dawn," Nightshade-Among-Stars repeated, as if tasting the name. "A curious choice for one who seems to carry twilight's touch." He gestured to her dress, which still shifted between deep blue and purple like the coming night.
"Perhaps I appreciate the balance between light and shadow," Ali said carefully, remembering the dance she had just witnessed.
This earned her a smile that made her think of starlight on still water. "Indeed. Would you care to dance? The next set is about to begin, and I would be honored to help you learn our ways."
Ali felt her pulse quicken slightly. She glanced at Maple-Songs-At-Dusk, who gave her the slightest of nods - permission, perhaps, or approval.
"I would be honored," she said, taking care with her phrasing as she accepted his offered hand.
As Nightshade-Among-Stars led her onto the dance floor, Ali couldn't help but notice how other fae seemed to take particular interest in their pairing. She caught fragments of whispered conversations:
"Night and Dawn..."
"Such interesting patterns forming..."
"The stars speak truly..."
But before she could dwell on these cryptic comments, the music began - a haunting melody that seemed to weave starlight and shadow together - and she found herself being drawn into her first dance in the Summer Court.