A voice came to Bronwyn, not just through her ears but filling her mind, her very being with its rich, feminine tenor, “Stand, child. Stand before me, that I may look better upon you.” Struggling with the flood of emotions that had overwhelmed her, Bronwyn stood up, wiping the tears from her eyes and cheeks, only to have them replaced with more. “Why do you weep so, child?”

“I don’t know. I feel overwhelmed; I feel relieved. I’ve never had so many emotions at once!” Her voice sounded blubbery to her, but she didn’t care; shame didn't exist for her here.

“Oh, dear! It’s been an age since I spoke with a young human in person. I’m sorry, child, let me pull back my aura.” Suddenly Bronwyn felt the surging feelings of hope, joy, and relief start to fade, at least to the point where she could control her breathing and tears. She took several long, shaky breaths, then sighed; she still felt hopeful and at ease but no longer completely overwhelmed.

“Thank you!”

“How uncharacteristic of you, Bronwyn! We’ve watched you for a while now, and I was surprised you fell to your knees before me, and now you thank me?” Bronwyn wasn’t sure how to take that statement. Was she being mocked? A slight tingle of her old anger tickled the back of her mind, and the tiniest of frowns touched her lips. “Oh, child! I’m not mocking you! I’ve simply admired your fire and didn’t expect you to be so kindly disposed toward being kidnapped! I warned Coraignon that he should take his true form and speak to you first, but he, of course, was too shy.”

“Coraignon. That’s Hops, right?”

“Yes! Oh, how we teased Coraignon about how you dubbed him.”

“Well, I’ve just felt really good since I got here. I’ve been amazed by everything I saw; I don’t think I had a chance to get angry,” Bronwyn laughed.

“Of course, of course, and then I hit you with my aura. I’m sorry, dear child.” Bronwyn finally managed to bring her gaze up to the Queen’s face and noticed that her lips didn’t move while she spoke. Her skin was lightly tanned with a hint of golden honey, and her eyes were brown and green, dappled with flecks of yellow-gold. Her lips and cheeks were rosy and full of vibrance, and the long, golden-brown mane of curls that hung around her shoulders had a glow all to itself. She wore a pale-green gossamer gown and a delicate crown bedecked in a rainbow of gemstones.

“You’re beautiful!” The words just blurted out of her mouth, and Bronwyn looked down, heat rising in her cheeks.

“Oh, child. Don’t dwell on this appearance; my form is as fickle as the seasons, though I try to maintain this summer disposition as much as possible. Do you know why you’re here, Bronwyn Tallow?”

“Something to do with Hops, er, Coraignon?” Bronwyn looked up again; the rollercoaster of emotions she’d experienced was taking a toll on her; she felt like lying down right there.

“Partially correct. The truth is, you’d never have met Coraignon had I not sent him to visit your people.”

“Why?”

“You’re Humans, and I’ve not had contact with Humans for nigh two thousand years, not since the Winter Court pulled the Energy stream away from Earth.” She looked at Bronwyn, saw the confused look on her face, and continued, “I’m the Summer Queen, dear, and my motives differ from those of the Winter Court. Did you know that Humans are something of children or, more accurately, great-grandchildren of the Fae?”

“Um, no. On Earth, we talk about the, um, Fae, as fairy tales, stories that aren’t true.”

“Of course. How could you not, cut off from the Fae Realms as you are.”

“So fairies, um, the Fae, used to be on Earth? For real?”

“That’s right, Bronwyn, and when I felt your people reconnect to the Realms, joy filled my heart.”

“Well, I don’t know much about the Fae, but I’ve really enjoyed Hops’s company.”

“And he yours, dear. He’s shown us how brave you’ve been and how you’ve stood against darkness already in your new world.”

“Are we not on Fanwath here?”

“Not exactly, though we’re connected. The Realms touch many worlds.”

“Well, thank you for bringing me here; I’m glad to meet you, but what can I do for you?”

“That’s more like the Bronwyn I’ve grown fond of watching! What do your stories tell you about the Fae?”

“Hmm, I remember stories about how fairies stole children out of the cribs and about how people who visited your realm sometimes never returned or returned to find that everyone they knew had grown old. Hey! Is that going to happen to me?”

“No, Bronwyn, fear not. There are places in the Realms where you could be lost in time and certain foods that could cause such to occur, but I’ll keep you safe. You’ll not lose any time here; it wouldn’t serve my needs or yours. As for your other stories, they might have a root in truth. We used to bargain for children from some of the younger races and raise them among us. They often grew to love a Fae, and children would be born. Many such children were no doubt ancestors to you, modern Humans. What else do you know?”

“I think there are good and bad fairies?”

“Not precisely. There are Fae of the Winter Court, and they might seem evil to you, though their designs are not rooted in malice. Their goals are in opposition to my Summer Court, and that’s one of the reasons you’re here.” Thinking of different “courts” of Fae, Bronwyn suddenly had a thought.

“What about the System?” A pulse of irritation, almost imperceptibly quick, flared out from the Queen, and Bronwyn shrank back from the deep well of power she felt behind it.

“Pardon me, child. I didn’t mean to lose control of my emotions, but you surprised me with that question. I am not fond of the System. The System is younger than the Fae and many other elder races, but it has proliferated and has begun to feel like a thorn in my heel.”

“Is the System alive?”

“Oh, you are surprising with your questions. Let’s save that chat for another time; first, let me talk to you about why I’ve asked you to come here. Or rather, why Coraignon tricked you into coming here.” Bronwyn closed her mouth and nodded. “We Fae are bound by rules and cannot interfere directly with the affairs of the lesser races, though we can act through agents. There must always be a balance between the agents of the Winter Court and those of my Summer Court. The Winter Court has agents on Fanwath, and I’ve been taking my time in choosing a suitable counter to those forces. When you Humans appeared, I became very interested in choosing one of you for that role. Can you guess whom?”

Bronwyn blushed and almost felt embarrassed, as though what she was going to say might be wrong, but she said it anyway, “Me?” Warmth radiated from the Queen, and for the first time, Bronwyn saw her lips move into a smile.

“That’s right, Bronwyn! Your good heart and fiery spirit first drew Coraignon to you, and then, as he showed me your actions, I became enamored of you. I want you to be my agent on Fanwath.” Warmth once again flowed out of the Queen, and Bronwyn felt like her heart would swell to bursting. Tears once again formed in her eyes, and she hastily wiped at them. “Sweet Bronwyn, your emotions are overwhelming you, and I’m sorry for that. I won’t let you answer my request just yet. First, I’ll ask that you spend an evening here, away from my direct influence, so that you can decide with a clear head. There are things I want you to know so that you can make an informed decision, though. Does that sound reasonable?”

“Yes,” Bronwyn managed to croak out, her throat feeling swollen with emotion.

“If you accept my offer and take on the mantle of a Fae agent, I’ll be able to grant you boons, but you’ll give up some of your freedom; you’ll need to adopt some of my goals as your own. I can promise you here and now that I’ll never ask you to do something that makes your heart rebel. I’ll never ask you to act in a way that would taint your honor. I will, however, give you secrets, and you must keep them to yourself, even holding them from those you love. Finally, my offer and your acceptance do not an agent of Summer make; you’ll need to pass a trial.” She stopped speaking for a moment and studied Bronwyn, perhaps waiting for some sort of response, and Bronwyn licked her lips, trying to think of what to say. “I’ve given you much to think about. I’ll have you rest now, and on the morrow, I’ll hear your questions and your response to my request.”

“Thank you,” Bronwyn said, still feeling overwhelmed by the warmth and love that had rolled out of the Fae Queen.

“You’re welcome, child. Follow Lipesca, and she’ll take you to a place where you can rest in peace.” The queen gestured to Bronwyn’s left, and when she looked, another little winged fairy fluttered next to her.

“Come with me, Lady Bronwyn!” she said in a piping, enthusiastic voice. Bronwyn nervously glanced back to the Queen and sketched a rather embarrassing bow, bending at the waist and then hurriedly straightening to follow the little fairy without waiting to see how the Queen responded. The fairy flitted through the throne hall, out through a side passage, and as Bronwyn followed her from the room, she started to feel the heady emotions fade, though she still felt drained from the experience. Lipesca paused at intersections so that Bronwyn wouldn’t get lost but otherwise zoomed ahead of her down the hallways. She stopped in front of a rich, nut-brown door with a depiction of a mighty stag carved into it. “This is your room, Lady Bronwyn.”

“Lipesca, thank you. Can I ask you a question?” The little fairy nodded eagerly. “Does your Queen have that effect on everyone? Do you other Fae feel overwhelmed with emotions in her presence?”

“No, not as much as you, Lady Bronwyn. Humans are more emotional than Fae. I’m supposed to warn you not to wander from your room; there are places here that are dangerous to you, though not intentionally. Some things are meant for Fae and not for Humans. If you need something, there’s a cord inside the door here. Just pull it!” She waved happily and darted away, something like a large, sparkly hummingbird. Bronwyn tried the polished bronze doorknob, and it turned easily, allowing her to pull the door open. When she stepped into the room and saw her accommodations, she breathed a happy sigh and closed the door.

The room was large, but not overly so; it was smaller than the room Morgan had given her at his tower, but that didn’t detract from it. In fact, Bronwyn stood there with her mouth hanging open for a few moments while she took it in. The floor was carpeted in living, green grass. The walls were knotted wood that looked like the inside of a tree trunk. The room was circular, and she almost believed she was inside a tree. Light came out of a crystal globe that was warm and yellow and made her think of a summer day. Her bed sat snugly against the far wall, a hollowed-out log filled with another soft bed of grass. A babbling brook came in through a round knothole in the wall and pooled in a depression off to her left before flowing out through another hole. “A bath?” Bronwyn walked over to the water and felt it, smiling when she realized it was lukewarm like a shallow pool on a hot summer afternoon.

Now that she was a good way from the Queen, Bronwyn started to feel embarrassed for how emotional she’d been in the throne room. Had she really been on her knees and blubbering? It all seemed almost like a dream to her. Clearly, the Queen was incredibly powerful; she’d mentioned not seeing humans for thousands of years. How old was she? Could Bronwyn trust her? She felt like she would have done anything for the Queen while she was in her presence, and that made her nervous. Still, she seemed so good, and Bronwyn really had felt the love and warmth that she projected. Could that be faked? She supposed it could; it seemed like you could do just about anything with enough Energy, and that woman had it in spades.

While she got undressed and slipped into the refreshing little pond, Bronwyn tried to remember everything she’d ever read or seen in VR about fairies and their queens and lands. She didn’t know much. She had a vague notion that it was dangerous to ask them for favors, but she wasn’t the one here asking for favors. “So that means I have something the Queen wants, which means I’m the one in control here. Unless I can’t keep from falling on my knees and weeping.” She snorted at herself and reclined in the little pool, putting her feet up on a mossy bank. She soaked for a while, mulling over what it might be like to work for someone like the Summer Queen of the Fae. She was still kind of amazed by the idea that the Fae were a thing and that they used to be on Earth. What had made the Energy go away from Earth? Had the Queen mentioned something about the Winter Court?

“Before I agree to anything, I need to talk to her about the Winter Court and why Energy left the Earth,” she said, climbing out of the pool. She let herself drip dry on the grass, standing under the warm globe in the wooden ceiling. When she was dry, she pulled on her undergarments and then curled up on the soft grass bed, perfectly warm. She’d barely thought about falling asleep when the light dimmed, and little stars appeared on the ceiling. For all the world, it looked and felt like she was sleeping outdoors on a balmy summer night. When she drifted off to sleep, she dreamed of knights and dragons. She dreamed of fairies dancing in glades and of beautiful men and women making love in beds of flowers. When she woke, she felt better and more rested than she could ever remember.