The signal came as a subtle change in the magical lighting overhead - the drifting stars aligning into the first formation that marked the beginning of the solstice ceremony. Ali and the other tributes gracefully set aside their serving trays and moved into their positions within the ritual circle that had been marked out in inlaid silver on the great hall's floor.

  The light pendant at Ali's throat pulsed warmly as she took her place, helping her find perfect alignment with the ceremonial markings. Around her, other tributes in their dove costumes created a living circle of white and iridescence. Their cloud-spun feathers rustled with tiny musical notes as they settled into position.

  Melody-in-Moonlight stepped forward from the Summer Court's retinue, her costume catching the light like moonlight on water. Her crystalline harp materialized in her hands - not the practice instrument from their lessons, but something far more ancient and powerful. Its strings appeared to be crafted from actual moonbeams, and its frame held traces of starlight in its depths.

  "Begin," she said softly, but the word carried to every corner of the hall.

  Ali raised her flute to her lips, feeling the instrument warm to her touch. Around her, other tributes readied their instruments - each one chosen specifically for their part in the solstice harmony. The light pendant's steady pulse helped her find the first note perfectly, and the ceremony began.

  The music started softly, like the first ray of dawn touching the horizon. Each tribute contributed their part to the growing harmony, their dove costumes beginning to glow with subtle inner light as the magic built. Ali's flute sang of summer mornings and gentle breezes, weaving through the combined melody with practiced precision.

  As the music grew stronger, the magical lights overhead began to respond, shifting and swirling in patterns that matched the ceremonial progressions. Ali noticed how the four courts watched with careful attention, each ruler displaying subtle signs of approval as their tributes maintained the prescribed harmony.

  But then something unexpected happened. As they moved into the twilight transition, Ali felt that familiar magnetic pull between her music and Melody's. Their separate melodies reached for each other like vines growing toward sunlight, creating something wild and beautiful that made the floating lights pulse with increased brilliance.

  The light pendant flared warmly against her throat, and Ali's dove costume began to shimmer with that unique iridescence that set it apart from the others. She saw Queen Mirabelle lean forward slightly on her throne, the miniature suns in her peacock train orbiting faster in response to the magical surge.

  For a moment, Ali thought she should pull back, maintain the strict ceremonial progression. But she remembered Twilight-Stars-Dancing's words about different kinds of harmony, and she let her music flow naturally. To her surprise, the other tributes' music began to adapt and flow with this new pattern, creating something that was both traditional and transformative.

  The magical lights overhead shifted into unprecedented configurations, and Ali noticed the tall raven from the Winter Court's retinue watching her with particular intensity. The light pendant pulsed strongly, and suddenly her music contained new depths - not just summer's warmth but hints of other seasons, a harmony that spoke of the entire cycle of the year.

  Melody-in-Moonlight's crystalline harp sang in perfect complement to this expanded harmony, her music twining with Ali's in ways that made the very air shimmer with power. The other musicians from the Summer Court began to incorporate these patterns as well, creating layers of harmony that seemed to reach into the heart of summer's magic.

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  The four courts' rulers displayed varying reactions to this evolving harmony. Queen Mirabelle remained perfectly still on her throne, but the miniature suns in her peacock train moved in increasingly complex orbits. King Elowen Verdant's great horned owl mask tilted with obvious interest, the wisdom in his eyes seeming to catch and reflect the shifting lights. Queen Seraphina Bloomheart's swan costume rippled with apparent approval, new flowers blooming in her wake. Only King Eirik Frostheart remained inscrutable, his raven's mask revealing nothing, though Ali noticed his feathers gleaming like black ice when the magical lights passed over them.

  The music continued to build, each layer adding new complexity to the harmony. Ali's flute sang of dawn touching dew-covered roses, of twilight settling over summer gardens, of starlight dancing on warm evening breezes. The other tributes' music wove through these themes, their dove costumes glowing brighter as the magic intensified.

  Melody-in-Moonlight's crystalline harp provided an anchor for these expanding harmonies, her skilled playing keeping the music from straying too far from its ceremonial roots while allowing this new beauty to flourish. When her eyes met Ali's across the ritual circle, Ali saw something wild and joyful there, barely contained behind her mask.

  The magical lights overhead began to move in entirely new patterns, creating configurations that seemed to reflect the music's deepening complexity. Ali noticed fae nobles from all four courts leaning forward, their attention caught by this unexpected development. Even the tall raven from the Winter Court seemed to be holding their breath, watching the display with obvious fascination.

  As they approached the ceremony's crescendo, Ali felt the light pendant's warmth spread through her entire body. Her dove costume responded, the cloud-spun feathers taking on an iridescence that rippled like aurora lights. The other tributes' costumes began to show similar effects, each one unique but harmonizing perfectly with the whole.

  The music swelled toward its peak, and Ali felt something shift in the magical atmosphere of the great hall. The barriers between the courts seemed to soften slightly, the rigid separation giving way to a more natural blending - like the actual changing of seasons, where each flows into the next in an endless cycle.

  Melody-in-Moonlight's harp sang of moonlight on summer roses, of twilight deepening into dream. Ali's flute responded with notes that captured the essence of summer itself - not just its surface beauty but its deeper magic, its vital role in the eternal dance of seasons. Their combined music created something that was both ancient and new, a harmony that honored tradition while embracing transformation.

  As they moved into the ceremony's final movement, Ali became aware of tears streaming down her face behind her dove mask. The music had taken on a life of its own, speaking truths about summer and its relationship to the other seasons that she felt rather than understood. The light pendant pulsed in time with these revelations, its warmth spreading to create a protective circle around her and the other tributes.

  The conclusion approached, and Ali prepared herself for the final notes. But instead of the prescribed ending, something magical happened - all four courts leaned forward simultaneously, their combined attention creating a surge of power that lifted the music to unprecedented heights. The magical lights overhead exploded into brilliant new patterns, and for a moment, the great hall seemed to exist in all seasons at once.

  With the final notes, Ali felt rather than saw the smile that curved Melody-in-Moonlight's lips behind her mask. Their combined music settled into perfect resolution, leaving echoes that would resonate in the fae realm for years to come. The light pendant gave one final, strong pulse, and then settled into its usual warm glow against her throat.

  Silence filled the great hall - not the silence of disapproval, but rather the hush that follows something unprecedented and wonderful. Ali became aware that she was trembling slightly, the aftermath of channeling such powerful magic. Around her, the other tributes seemed similarly affected, their dove costumes still shimmering with residual enchantment.

  Queen Mirabelle was the first to move, rising from her throne in a cascade of peacock magnificence. Ali held her breath, unsure how the Summer Queen would respond to this departure from tradition.