The warmth of the night enticed her. Noises that had been silenced by the light of day made a chorus of calls and wails to all who dared venture out into the forest after darkness claimed the land. Margaretta walked slowly from her cottage with only a jar of fire-lights to show her the path. She lived on the edge of the forest at the gracious acquiescence of the softest but most powerful voice. She found her way through the thickets and brambles until finally reaching a small glen surrounded by smooth rocks glowing with different colors.

Margaretta sank upon her knees and gathered her aura into a candlelight's worth of palest light. Her arrival was detected immediately. Swirling beams of light coalesced, becoming women dressed in the softest of gowns who seated themselves around Margaretta. They chattered with voices that sometimes reminded her of her mother's love and others that were stern and felt as if they disapproved of her somehow. Margaretta kept her head down and waited.

Far away the people's church chimed the hours past midnight. One, two, three clear tones pierced the air and all the women became quiet as they responded to the feeling of electricity in the air. A brilliant glow formed on the largest rock and Margaretta peeked from her lowered head. A beautiful woman dressed in bold colors of crimson, orange and gold appeared from the misty radiance.

"Child of mine. Look at me." The woman's whisper sounded like thunder.

Margaretta slowly looked up at her mother. She allowed her aura to expand and met her mother's aura with a warmth that reverberated throughout the forest. The warmth of the already balmy evening became overwhelming, but Margaretta's mother cooled down the inadvertent passionate heat to an appropriate level.

"Queen Mab, dearest Mother, I am here once again. This time I have something to ask of you."

The Queen withdrew her aura and waited for her daughter to explain herself. Long ago Margaretta had wanted to leave the fae so she could experience for herself how people lived and loved. Mab had given permission grudgingly but insisted her daughter visit her once a year on the first night of summer at three of the clock. It always pained her to see her beloved child become older and worn as the people she lived among. The mortal years flew by like midges in the sultry air.

"My years have been full and good," began Margaretta. "I married a fine man who gave me love every day we were married."

Queen Mab nodded. She heard this every year.

"My love has died, my Queen," Margaretta's voice quivered, but she continued. "Twas the first day of spring when he left me to hunt the stag high in the mountains with the other men. They brought me his broken body to bury."

Now her voice broke into sobs and Mab reached over to gather her heart-broken daughter into her arms. Margaretta's cries rent the dark forest and at a subtle signal from their Queen, the other fae disappeared from the circle. Mab rocked her daughter, letting her cry her grief until the pool of tears ran dry and Margaretta hiccupped with a shaky breath.

Mother, do you still love me?" Margaretta asked without daring to look at her mother's face. "Will you let me come home again? I can't bear this human grief. I feel it will kill me."

Mab smiled forlornly. "Thou knowest thou must stay a human. This was the agreement and all the fae witnessed this."

Margaretta nodded letting one more tear run down her cheek.

"Thee weren't allowed to have a half-breed child with this human. But now he is gone and thee must have a new love as people do."

Margaretta started to object but her mother halted her with a glance that frightened her into silence.

Queen Mab touched the one tear on her daughter's cheek and it began to glow. It disappeared with a wave from her hand and Margaretta felt a quickening of a fairy child in her womb.

"The next time that we meet, and every time thereafter, thee will bring thy daughter to meet the fae." Her voice softened, "And to know me."

Quickly Margaretta rose to her feet grabbing her mother's hand to hold to her belly. "Many thanks, Mother Queen. She'll be named Mab after you?"

The Queen Mother smiled, nodded, and vanished, leaving flowers where she had been seated. Margaretta began the long walk home with a relaxed smile on her face and she hummed a lull-a-bye to little Mab.