As Laya was being pulled down vast corridors of too long hallways, and as the old woman babbled on about this and that, Laya became overwhelmed with the sensation to trust this peppy woman.

Laya soon found herself in an elaborately furnished room with a closet the size of her old apartment. The old woman, her name was Gwen as Laya found out, rushed into the closet leaving Laya in the room wondering where she was, and considering if she should tell Gwen that she was actually a human. After a second of thought Laya decided that she would.

"Um.... Gwen.... did you know that I am a human?"

Gwen's frail voice emptied from the closet right away.

"Ohh, so ye are an exotic one. I see. So are ye here on a trip or here to try and win me son's hand in marriage?"

Laya winced slightly at the last comment and said,

"Well, you see Gwen I did not really mean to come to this world. I live in the human realm, and I kind of just stumbled through the portal."

This comment made Gwen stick her head out the door stare at Laya and the shake her head.

"Nonsense dear child. If ye were a human ye would have not been able to cross over the elfin realm, did ye not know that only one with magic in thee blood can cross over, or did me little boy not tell ye that part?"

"But that is not possible I do not have an ounce of magic in me", Laya reasoned with herself.

"If that be true, than why are ye here. If ye truly be a human, ye would not have been able to cross over. But ye are here, soooo....", Gwen trailed off to prove her point.

Setting Smoke down on the floor, Laya walked over to the closet and opened the door. Gwen stood there shaking here head and glancing at two gorgeous dresses, one blue and one purple. Laya looked around her and realized that the closet held only dresses. Having made up her mind, Gwen tossed the purple dress on the floor and hobbled towards Laya with the blue dress.

"I think that I have found thee the perfect dress to wear. Try it on", Gwen said shoving the dress into Laya's hands.

After having been pointed to where a dressing room was located, Laya stumbled into the spacious fitting room, bare except for a full length mirror. Now that she was alone reality started to seep in.

"Oh my gosh, I'm in a whole different realm all by myself, except for Smoke, and now I'm going to a ball and no one in the human realm will no where I am or what happened to me."

"Are you done yet?", Gwen's pleasant voice reminded Laya of what she was supposed to be doing.

Laya turned her attention to the sparkling dress that demanded her attention. The dress had an open back and was sky blue. It also had matching elbow length gloves. After slipping both garments on to her slim frame and adjusting the straps,Laya walked into the room.

Gwen gasped and clapped her hands in delight.

"Me heavens, I dare say. Ye will be the bell of the ball."

Laya let out a little sigh and said,

"I don't thinking go to the ball. I mean everyone will stare at me,and I don't much care for being the center of attention."

"Oh course not child, ye have have to go to the ball. Besides no one will see ye face or ye ears because tis is a masquerade ball, and I already have a perfect mask for thee." Gwen said producing a sparkly blue and black mask that could be strapped behind the head when you danced.

Laya took the seemingly fragile mask and strapped it behind her head. She then rushed over to a mirror and inspected herself to see if she could see her ears.

After affirming that she could not, Laya walked back over to Gwen and gave her a hug.

"Soooo, when is the ball tonight?"

"It starts in an hour so we better get ye hair done pretty quickly if ye want to make it to the ball on time."

So Laya sat down on a plush red chaise and let Gwen start fixing up her hair.
As Gwen was putting the finishing touches on Laya's hair, Laya was almost positive that she could hear the faint sound of a flute being played.