The hall's silver walls echoed the moonlight that had filled my room, and the people stirred some long forgotten memory in my mind. They had large, gossamer wings and were wearing gauze and silks in the colors of a living rainbow. A few children flew through the hall, their laughter like bells. At the far end of the hall was the Lady who had called me. She was tall, majestic, but had an aura of laughter and caring around her. Her wings were swirls of silver and blue, with amber stars scattered throughout. Beneath her braided crown of hair was a thin silver circlet that dangled a crescent moon between her sapphire eyes – the only material difference between her and the other fae.

She called me again, "Kathy, come here! I want to talk to you."

I was not frightened, but it took a lot of courage to walk down the hall towards her. My feet moved forward anyway, and I found myself standing in front of the Lady.

Not meeting her gaze, I looked downward and noticed with a shock that what I was wearing had changed. I had previously been wearing pajamas; now I was wearing a dress. I felt its silken material, smoother than anything on Earth, and knew I had worn this cloth before. But where?I shrugged my shoulders and a new weight on my back caught my attention. I felt behind me and realized, amazingly, that I had wings! Big, gauzy wings like, but unlike, butterfly wings.

That gave me the courage to look up. Finally meeting her eyes, I realized that she had been waiting for me. I fidgeted, wiping sweaty hands on the blue flowers of my dress. Why would a queen – since it was obvious that's what she was – wait for me? I was nothing compared to her; I didn't even know my place in the world. But when I looked into her eyes, I saw only kindness.

She smiled down on me, "Do you know who I am?"

Her question tugged at my mind, but I was tired of half-remembered thoughts, and nervous in front of this Lady. "No," I answered, "why should I?" I winced when I heard myself – rudeness to strange ladies could only bring me trouble – but she just smiled.

"If you had time to think you might know, but since you don't, I will tell you. I have many names, but you may call me Danu. I am Queen of the Faeries and a Goddess of the Moon."

"I think I've heard of you. You're the mother of the Tuatha De Danann – isn't that a race of faeries? I don't know that much about them, but..." I said, following my train of thought, "if you're the Faery Queen, then this must be the Court of the Fae."

"Exactly," she answered. "But do you know why you're here?"

"Why I'm here?" I asked, musing. "Well, you must have something important to tell me. But what would be this important?"

"How would you like to meet some faery girls?" Danu asked. I noticed that she had bypassed my question, and hers had gone unanswered. But I was a guest here, so I wasn't about to push.

"I'd love that," I answered.

"All right, then." Danu touched a star-shaped gem in the wall, and a bell rang somewhere far off. "Dulna, Maia, Trazie. Come here please!"

At once I saw three girls land outside the doorway and come prancing in. They looked about my age. The first was short and had dark coloring – mahogany hair pulled back in a half-pony, dark brown eyes and bronze skin. Her wings were colored like that of a monarch, and she was wearing a slinky silvery dress.

The second was about my height, with golden skin that glowed in the afternoon light.

Afternoon? I thought, startled, I thought it was night! I dismissed the thought; of course it would be a different time of day. Why should it be night just because it was night where my house was? I went back to studying the girls.

The second had straight black hair held back with two side clips, and was wearing a purple silken dress with light pink embroidered flowers. Her wings were a gauzy cream sprinkled with silver sparkles.

The third had wavy honey colored hair and grey eyes. She was dressed in a green blouse and loose brown pants. Her wings were a light blue color, like the sky on a fresh spring day.

Danu turned to me. "Kathy, I'd like you to meet Dulna," the dark colored girl curtsied, "Maia," the golden-skinned girl curtsied, "and Trazie," the blond girl curtsied. "Girls, here's Kathy. I'd like you to show her around. And tomorrow, please take her to visit Gaia."

"Yes, Mother," the girls curtsied. "Come on, Kathy, we're going to have fun!" Nervously, I followed.