The days following the strange storm passed in a blur of controlled lessons and careful observations. True to the Queen's wishes, Ali's music sessions with Melody-in-Moonlight focused strictly on traditional summer harmonies, though Ali couldn't help noticing how her teacher's fingers sometimes strayed to more complex melodies when they thought no one was watching.
As the solstice approached, the Summer Court began its preparations in earnest. Each morning, Ali woke to find new decorations adorning the corridors—garlands of ever-blooming flowers, ribbons of captured sunlight, and delicate chimes that played fragments of summer songs in the warm breeze.
"The solstice celebration is the heart of our court's power," Melody-in-Moonlight explained during one of their music lessons. They sat closer than usual in the practice pavilion, their shoulders almost touching as Melody demonstrated a particularly intricate sequence on her crystalline harp. "It's when summer's magic reaches its peak."
Ali tried to focus on the musical pattern, but found herself distracted by the way sunlight played through her teacher's silver-white hair, creating rainbow patterns that reminded her of soap bubbles in sunlight. When Melody turned to check her progress, their eyes met for a moment too long, and Ali felt warmth rise in her cheeks that had nothing to do with the summer heat.
"Try again," Melody said softly, their fingers brushing as they adjusted Ali's grip on the flute. "Feel the rhythm of summer in your blood."
The touch sent a slight shiver through Ali despite the warmth of the day. The flute responded to her quickened pulse, producing notes that shimmered with barely contained energy. For a moment, she thought she saw answering color rise in Melody's cheeks, but the fae musician quickly turned away to adjust their harp strings.
"Better," Melody said, their voice carefully neutral. "Now, about the solstice celebration—you'll need to learn the traditional songs, of course. All the tributes participate in the ceremony."
They spent the rest of the lesson practicing ceremonial music, but Ali caught Melody watching her with an unreadable expression several times. The light pendant, which Ali now wore constantly, seemed to pulse in time with her heartbeat whenever their eyes met.
As the days passed, Ali noticed subtle changes in the court's atmosphere. The eternal twilight took on a golden quality, as if the approaching solstice was concentrating summer's power. Fae nobles moved through the corridors with increased purpose, their conversations hushed but intense.
During one of their carefully supervised light-weaving lessons, Twilight-Stars-Dancing explained the significance while demonstrating proper solstice patterns. "The summer solstice is more than just a celebration," he said, his hands weaving light into complex knots. "It's a renewal of our court's fundamental magic."
"And the tributes?" Ali asked, trying to copy his patterns while keeping her own light-weaving strictly within summer court traditions. "What's our role?"
"You represent the connection between our realm and yours," he replied. "A bridge, of sorts. It's why the ceremony requires human participation." He paused, studying her work. "Your weaving has improved. More... controlled now."
Ali detected a note of something like regret in his voice, though his expression remained neutral. She wondered if he missed the unexpected patterns she'd created before the Queen's intervention.
The afternoon before dress fittings for the solstice celebration, Ali found herself alone with Melody-in-Moonlight in the music pavilion. The other students had left, but Melody had asked her to stay behind to practice a particularly challenging part of the ceremonial music.
"Your mother was one of my students, you know," Melody said unexpectedly as they put away their instruments. "She had a similar gift for hearing the deeper songs."
Ali looked up in surprise. "You knew my mother? She never mentioned—"
"There's much about the Summer Court that former tributes choose not to remember," Melody replied, their expression softening with something like sadness. "Or perhaps are encouraged to forget."
They stood closer now, the dying sunlight casting warm shadows across Melody's features. Ali found herself studying the fae musician's face, noting how their eyes seemed to hold traces of starlight even in the golden afternoon.
"The solstice celebration will test you," Melody said quietly. "All of you. But you especially, I think." Their hand moved as if to touch Ali's cheek, then dropped away. "Be careful, dear one. Strong feelings can influence the music in ways we don't intend."
Before Ali could respond, other fae nobles entered the pavilion, beginning preparations for evening celebrations. The moment broke like a soap bubble, leaving Ali with a confused mix of emotions she wasn't quite ready to examine.
That evening, during the dress fittings, Ali found herself repeatedly distracted by thoughts of the music pavilion and the almost-touch that still seemed to tingle on her skin. The seamstress, a sprite-like fae with fingers like silk threads, had to remind her several times to stand still.
"Difficult to focus when the heart sings its own song, isn't it?" the seamstress commented with knowing eyes as she adjusted the gown's flowing lines. "Especially so close to the solstice."
Ali looked down at the dress, a masterpiece of captured sunlight and summer flowers that seemed to bloom and fade in endless cycles. "Is it always like this?" she asked. "This intensity before the solstice?"
The seamstress smiled. "The solstice brings everything to the surface, dear one. Powers, emotions, secrets—all rise like sap in summer growth." She pinned another fold into place. "Best be careful what blooms in such fertile conditions."
Later, preparing for bed, Ali found herself humming one of the ceremonial songs. To her surprise, the light pendant responded by projecting a small image of the music pavilion, complete with a tiny figure that could only be Melody-in-Moonlight playing their crystalline harp.
"Oh," Sage said from her bed, watching the display with interest. "That's new."
Ali quickly stopped humming, and the image faded. But as she lay in bed that night, she could still hear the echo of Melody's words: "Strong feelings can influence the music in ways we don't intend."
The solstice was three days away, and Ali wondered what songs her heart might sing when summer's power reached its peak.