And then she also remembers the strange shape in the stables, and the glistening knife just like in Mother's wild stories of assassins - but that has to have been a dream.

Gwen blinks open her eyes (see, her eyes are closed, that had to have been a dream) - and finds herself in what looked like the courtyard of some noble's palace.

It is a luxurious garden, with cobblestones between beautiful flowers and bushes half of which she'd never seen before.  She's lying on a couch that felt like it was stuffed with the softest goose-down, wearing a white dress whiter than anything she'd worn since her christening.  She'd never imagined she'd wear one again till her wedding, unless she actually does get away from her mother to the Royal Music Academy...

Next to her, on an intricate wickerwork chair that seemed to have a feathered back, sits the singer:  a woman in the same white gown, a coronet on her head and an excited grin on her face.

"- and let us all unite, sky and land and men in perfect harmony -"

Gwen drops the melody to the familiar tune, looking around dumbly for a moment before suddenly realizing what has to have happened.

"- and dance in the day and dance in the night, sun and moon dancing with pure beams of light --"

"Freeze step!" Gwen yells, just like the dancemistress calls to stop the dancers.

The strange singer stops dead-silent, still grinning.

Gwen sits up.

She smooths her skirts to delay things a moment longer, though they scarce need any smoothing somehow even though she... had been unconscious... in them.

"Hail and peace," she says.  It's one of the standard greetings, the one Mother taught her to use just in case she ever went along on any diplomatic trips outside the shire.

"Hail and peace, Lady Gwennyth Almasdottir," the stranger answers with a curtsy.

Gwen narrows her eyes.

The stranger acknowledged her title, but didn't give the second part ('of Trinnshire').  She would've thought the hostile nobles in other shires wouldn't name either, and Pathred (who'd been at least acting like a friend) had definitely named both... but what does she really know when she's never been able to get outside Trinnshire yet?  And Mother hasn't even let her go on any of the border patrols (not that she really wants to)?

Aloud, she says, "I've been kidnapped, right?  Which of the nobles did it?  Or are you telling me?"

"You... could say that."

She seems to sink down inside herself a bit.

"Though, I do expect you'll be glad to be here."

"Then Mother was sort of right after all, or maybe just right all along if you're kidnapping me straight out of Trinnsford itself..."  Gwen shakes her head.

"Where am I?  Who are you?  How'd you do it?"

"The names and methods would have no meaning for you..."

"I've seen all the best maps Father has, even the ones back from the Rebellion, showing all Maranon and the -"

"I was 'Lila' once," the stranger interrupts with a faint smile.  "Use that name, if you need to."

Well, that's some way to give an alias.  Was there a "Lila" walking around Trinnsford yesterday, or however long ago it was just before she got kidnapped?  Or last year maybe, to scout it out?  Gwen can't remember anyone by that name, but she's not sure...

"Are you a noble yourself?  Or just one of their servants?"  Gwen guesses "Lila" looks like a noble, but it's not like she's ever actually seen one of them.  (Her own family doesn't count, of course, even though they technically got given a title.)  "And which house is your lord from?"

Lila laughs.

And in her laugh, she leans forward... and the feathers that had seemed to be on her chair lean forward with her.

She has wings.

Gwen slips off the couch to her knees in awe.  A Fay!  Right here!  Talking with her!

Lila catches her by the arms, lifting her up.  "Stand tall and free, and do not bend a knee..."

Gwen knows that song!  It's one of the old songs from the Rebellion, maybe Father's favorite.

"Who are you?" she breathes, almost falling back onto the couch.  "What are you?  A Fay - a rebel -"

Lila smiles good-naturedly.  "No, no, neither.  I was born a girl like you.  Human.  I've never been what you're thinking of as a rebel, though... but that's a long story."  She shakes her head briefly, still smiling.  "Anyway, I got these wings after I... in this language, I suppose you'd say 'took service with my lord'."

"How'd you get -- does your lord have a magic gem or something!?"

"First, back to standing tall and free." Lila stares at her for a moment.

"It seems to me that if you're running a Rebellion, or the aftermath of one, you should keep true to it rather than giving up halfway through to start telling a whole different story.  I mean, if you really want to go off to the Royal Music Academy and marry Pathred and become Baroness of Vindria-in-Koafshire -"

How closely has Lila been spying on her!?  And how does she have just the same stare as big sister Emma!?

"I'm not in love with him!"  She throws up her hands - somehow ignoring Lila's wings - just like she did with Mother.  "I was just talking with him!  He was telling me about the Academy!  And the city!"

Lila grins.

"- Well, if you did want to start a new story and be a Baroness, that's fine!  But while you're playing a rebel just like the rest of your family, don't go bowing down to people just because you're in awe over how you think they're Fay.  The real Fay would say the same thing, I'm sure."