"Sophie! Pay attention- they are going to make an announcement!" Muirgen calls me.

"Hmm?" I say, while stuffing my face with some sort of cake. I am constantly hungry, which is probably bad for me. My parents always tell me I need to work out more, and I'm constantly measuring and weighing myself. But hey, I'll eat today and then not eat for a week so it'll balance out.

I push away the semi invasive thoughts and pad over to Muirgen. She's in a crowd watching three girls step dance. I become in tranced as I watch them jump and move extremely quickly and gracefully. The three girls look about 13, and all have heads of curly brown hair, and freckles plastered all over their fair faces. They look a bit like someone I know...

"They're awfully good, aren't they?" A voice asks, coming from right above my shoulder. I jumped up in surprise. I turn to see Conall with the same look on his face that is plastered on the three girls.

I can tell he can read the confusion and surprise in my face when he turns and laughs, "They're my younger sisters. Triplets."

"Thank god for Bébinn." I laughed. Heaven help me if I was their mother.

"SHHHHHH," Muirgen hushes us, and points to the stage. A man with curly, soft brown locks and appears to be in his mid 30s appears on stage with an overturned hat.

"It's time to crown our Banríon an tsamhraidh," Wow I expected more fan fair and a speech. He paused and dramatically reached in the hat, and pulled out a slip of paper.

For some reason, I was nervous. I didn't really want to be queen. Not because being queen didn't sound amazing, if this was in New Orleans I'd sure as hell wanna be queen. Instead, I felt worried that people would resent me if I was queen.

"Sophie Meurnier!" He exclaimed. My head snapped up and to attention. The crowd parted like the red sea, leaving me a clear path to the little wooden platform. I heard whispers of words I didn't understand, but I pushed away any dread.

I smiled, and mustered all the grace I could as I walked up to the platform, and the man took my hand and helped me up. I watched, smiling, as Muirgen came towards us, with a crown of huge pink and white blossoms on her head.

She took the crown, and lifted it off her head and placed it on mine. I couldn't help but beam and blush as the crowd erupted into cheers.

"Queen Sophie!" some called.

"Banríon an tsamhraidh" others chanted.

And suddenly, a fiddle started up, and people started dancing. Muigren grabbed my hand and pulled me back to dance again.

We dance for about an hour. I danced with so many different people, little girls, young boys and men, old women, and everything in between. I couldn't help but laugh and dance happily. I was not the best dancer, especially not knowing any of these tradition jigs and such, but no one seemed to mind. For once, I felt like I wasn't scrutinized or judged. I felt completely and utterly at home.

"I am extremely tired," I said as laid down in the tall grass. Conall followed, and sat down cross legged next to me, and Muirgen laid down next to me on her stomach.

"I hope this day never ends," she sighed.

"I hope they never run out of cake," Conall said, taking a bite of the huge piece on his plate.

"Well," I announced, "As queen, I decide that the day won't end and the cake won't run out."

We all fall into a fit of laughter. It was already the late afternoon, and the sun was lighting up the world around me in a golden haze. It was my favorite time of day. This, or sundown. I looked down at my skin and my gauzy dress, and the sun lit it aflame. I looked as if I was glowing.

Suddenly, the cheery music stopped, and a harp started to play. I froze, completely entranced by the music.

"When I was a maiden fair and young,

On the pleasant banks of Lee,

No bird that in the greenwood sung,

Was half so blithe and free.

My heart ne'er beat with flying feet,

No love sang me his queen,

Till down the glen rode Sarsfield's men,

And they wore the jackets green."

The sad music made me pause, and suddenly, voices in the crowd of women began to harmonize. I lay there completely in trance by this song. This continued with other songs, which Muirgen whispered the titles to me. They were ones such as Carriag donn, Sliah na mban, the leprechaun and Down by the Glenside. Some were happy, and some almost brought me to tears.

Suddenly Bébinn and some other women all gathered around and sang a song that chilled me to the bone.

Listen children,
To a story old
From mothers past down
To the young and bold

Down yonder and
Close but far away
From the village
Stored by the bay

There is a
people-
Waiting for their heart
of eternal gold

He waits for her
Piling on the days
You know she's come
By the shining rays

Only she can thaw
The icy cold
No mortal hands
Or ere will withhold

Head this warning now
And never say
We didn't tell you
He'd take her away

Listen children
To a story old
Of the
People

They sang it twice, once in english, and once in Irish. Something seemed so familiar, and chilling about the song. The scariest part was when I started singing along as well. I let my voice soar and echo, tangling itself with the others calls, bouncing off the hills. I don't think I had ever heard the song before, and it wasn't repetitive, but it just seemed so familiar. I looked over, and Muirgen wasn't singing like everyone else. Her eyes seemed distant, and her lips were pursed.

It was maybe an hour before they sucked once they finished, and people began to eat food. It was sort of picnic style, and Muirgen, Conall and I ate together. The group started to split into two groups, some headed towards the hills, back the the village, the family members and children. A group of younger men stood up and started to gather baskets of foods and such.

"Come on lass, you'll come with us to the fairyfort," one called to me.

What the hell? Are we 5?

DUH DUH DUHHHHHHHH so, I'm trying to make this as similar to Beltaine in real life, but also but the twist necessary for the story on it... if i mess anything up or you have any comments, please feel free to do so. also- Comment! Vote! Read! If you've done any of those three, thank you so much!