She thanks it and takes the grape.

The faery gave a delighted giggle and sped away. "Be careful," Grimalkin rumbled, as a heady aroma rose from the little fruit. "Eating or drinking certain things in Faery could have unpleasant consequences for someone like you. Do not eat anything. And whatever you do, do not accept gifts of any sort. This is going to be a long night."

She frowns in confusion.

The knights scattered faeries as they rode through the courtyard towards a high stone wall with a pair of silver gates in front. Two massive creatures, each ten feet tall, blue-skinned and tusked, guarded the doors. Their eyes glimmered yellow beneath ropey black hair and heavy brows. Even dressed up, their arms and chests bulging through the fabric of their red uniforms, popping the brass buttons, they were still terrifying. "Trolls," muttered Grimalkin. "Be thankful we're in Oberon's land. The Winter Court employs ogres."

She stares at them warily.

The knights stopped and let her down a few feet from the gate. "Be courteous when you speak to the Erlking, child," the knight she'd ridden with told her and wheeled his mount away. She was left facing two giant trolls with nothing but a cat. "Come on," the cat sighed, lashing his tail. "Let us meet Lord Pointy Ears and get this over with."

She follows the cat.

The trolls blinked as the cat fearlessly approached the gate, looking like a gray bug scuttling around their clawed feet. One of them moved, reaching over and pulled the gate open as the other did the same on his side. Grimalkin shot her a backward glance, twitched his tail, and slipped through the archway.

She follows him.

They went through a tunnel that ended in a curtain of vines, opening up into a vast clearing surrounded by giant trees. The ancient trunks and interlocking branches made a sort of cathedral, a living palace of giant columns and a leafy vaulted ceiling. Sunlight dappled the forest floor even though it was night. Glowing balls of light danced in the air, and a waterfall cascaded gently into a nearby pool. The colors here were dazzling.