The great hall had been transformed into something from the deepest heart of faerie. Countless magical lights drifted overhead like captured stars, arranged in constellations that slowly shifted and changed. The high arched windows now held actual twilight, creating the impression that the hall existed in a space between moments, where time flowed differently. The very air shimmered with concentrated summer magic, making every breath feel like inhaling pure enchantment.

  Ali and her fellow tributes, ethereal in their dove costumes, glided through the gathering space with silver trays held precisely at the correct angle. The trays themselves were masterpieces of fae craftsmanship - silver that looked as though it had been poured rather than forged, with patterns that shifted like water when caught in the right light. They carried delicacies that defied mortal description: fruits that glowed from within, pastries dusted with what appeared to be powdered starlight, and crystal goblets of summer wine that changed color as they were lifted to the lips.

  "Remember," the silver-haired servant had instructed them, her voice musical with centuries of ceremony, "you are summer's doves, messengers of peace and harmony. Every movement must flow like a gentle breeze, every gesture must speak of grace."

  Ali found herself grateful for the twilight essence that made her movements almost ethereally graceful. The light pendant at her throat pulsed steadily, helping her maintain balance amid the steadily building magical energy. Her dove costume whispered with tiny musical notes as she moved, the cloud-spun feathers occasionally catching the light with that curious iridescence that seemed unique to her transformation.

  A hush fell over the gathering as the first notes of the announcement rang out - not trumpets, Ali realized, but rather the sound of pure sunlight being poured into music. The Summer Court's entrance was beginning.

  Queen Mirabelle's arrival stole the breath from the room. Her peacock costume was a masterwork that redefined what magic could achieve. Each feather in her magnificent train appeared to be crafted from captured sunlight given physical form, shifting through every color that summer could claim. Deep forest greens that held actual shadows, blues that contained entire summer skies, golds that moved like liquid sunshine. The eye spots in her train were perhaps the most magnificent part - each one contained a miniature sun in constant, controlled orbit, casting its own light in mesmerizing patterns.

  The Queen's mask was an artwork that blended bird and fae into something hauntingly beautiful. Golden feathers lined with precious gems framed eyes that seemed to hold all of summer's warmth and power. When she moved, her costume rippled with such magical precision that it seemed less like a costume and more like a transformation - as if the Queen had discovered a way to become summer itself given form.

  Her retinue followed. No two costumes were exactly alike, yet all worked in harmony to create a stunning visual display. Ali noticed Melody-in-Moonlight among them, her costume incorporating subtle touches of silver that caught the light like moonlight on water. When she moved, her feathers chimed with barely audible music.

  Just as the Summer Court settled into place, the air shifted dramatically. The scent of harvest and wood smoke heralded the Autumn Court's arrival. King Elowen Verdant entered as a great horned owl, and his appearance drew gasps of appreciation from the gathering.

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  His costume captured autumn itself - feathers crafted from everything the season represented. They shifted from deep burgundy to brilliant gold, some appearing to be actual falling leaves given new form. His wings, when spread, sounded exactly like wind through autumn forests. But it was his mask that truly captured attention - enormous eyes that seemed to hold centuries of wisdom, crafted with such skill that they appeared to actually see into the souls of those who met his gaze. Tiny flames flickered in their depths, reminiscent of harvest bonfires.

  The Autumn King's retinue followed in costumes of various woodland birds - hawk and owl and falcon - each costume expressing a different aspect of autumn's glory. Their feathers ranged from the deep purple of twilight through every shade of gold and amber, creating an impression of eternal autumn dusk. They moved with measured grace, their costumes incorporating subtle touches that suggested falling leaves and harvest moons.

  A sudden freshness in the air, like dawn after rain, announced the Spring Court's arrival. Queen Seraphina Bloomheart made her entrance as an elegant swan, but to call her costume merely that would be to drastically undersell its magic. Her feathers appeared to be woven from morning mist and dawn's first light, simultaneously substantial and ethereal. With every movement, flowers bloomed and faded in her wake - not illusions, but actual blossoms that dissolved into butterfly-like motes of light.

  Her mask featured a delicate curved beak of pearl and crystal dewdrops that caught light and transformed it into rainbow cascades. When she moved, her costume flowed like water, creating ripples of pure spring magic through the air around her. Her retinue followed in complementary water bird costumes - herons that seemed to wade through invisible streams, egrets that appeared to dance on air, and smaller swans that moved with liquid grace.

  Then came the moment that changed everything - the Winter Court's arrival. The temperature in the hall dropped noticeably, and Ali felt the light pendant grow warmer against her throat in response. King Eirik Frostheart's entrance commanded absolute attention, his raven costume a masterpiece of darkness and power.

  His feathers seemed to be crafted from shadow itself, absorbing light rather than reflecting it. Yet somehow they also glinted like black ice when he moved, creating an effect of dangerous beauty. His wings, when spread, spanned an impossible width and seemed to hold actual winter nights within their depths. His mask featured a cruel beak that appeared to be carved from ancient glacier ice, and eyes that held the cold of the spaces between stars.

  His retinue followed, all in raven costumes that made them appear as living shadows, their movements sharp and precise as winter wind. Among them was one figure who stood slightly apart - taller than the rest, with feathers that occasionally caught the light like starlight on fresh snow. When this figure passed near Ali, her light pendant pulsed with definite recognition.

  As all four courts settled into their positions, the magical energy in the hall reached new intensity. The floating lights began to pulse in complicated patterns, and music emerged from the very air - a harmony of all four seasons preparing for the solstice celebration's true beginning.

  Ali continued her duties, offering delicacies and drinks with practiced grace, but she couldn't help noticing how the courts maintained their careful boundaries. Like the seasons themselves, they touched only at their edges, particularly the Summer and Winter Courts, which kept the greatest distance between them. Yet even in this separation, she noted subtle connections - Spring's swan incorporating touches of summer gold, Autumn's owl showing hints of winter's darkness at the edges of his feathers.

  The tall raven from Winter's court continued to draw her attention. The light pendant's warmth indicated this was significant, though she didn't yet understand why. Soon the formal dances would begin, and she would take her place in the careful choreography of the solstice celebration. But for now, she glided through this gathering of seasons made manifest, aware that she was witnessing something few mortals ever saw - the four courts in their full magical glory, preparing for a night that would change everything.