Dragon's Reign Faerie Child

By Autumn O' Farrell

In the first part of the "Dragons' Reign" trilogy by Autumn O'Farrell, 19-year-old Thelron, raised by the Faerie Queen, faces an unexpected destiny. After years of earning the trust of his adoptive kin, he graduates and is sent to the Wilds for a crucial test. There, he encounters an ancient dark magic that prompts the Faerie Queen to send him t

• Language: English
• Publisher: Autumn O' Farrell
• Release date: May 28, 2024
• ISBN: 9798330202515

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Faerie Child

Autumn O’ Farrell

Copyright © 2024

All Rights Reserved

Author’s Note

Dear Reader,

I am thrilled that you have chosen to read my book! This story is a work of love, and I am so grateful to have the opportunity to share it with you. What you may not know is that this book is just the beginning - it is the first installment in a trilogy that will take you on a journey through worlds beyond your wildest imagination.

The next book in the series, Dragon Champion, will continue the adventures of our beloved characters and introduce new ones, each with their unique struggles and triumphs. Through this series, I aim to weave a tale that seamlessly blends the starkness of reality with the magic of the fictional world.

My goal is to transport you to a realm that is both familiar and unknown, where the boundaries of possibility are pushed to their limits. I hope that you will join me on this journey and that together, we can explore the uncharted territories of this experience.

Thank you again for choosing my book. I am honored to have you as a reader, and I look forward to sharing the next part with you soon.

Sincerely,

Autumn O'Faerral

Preface

This book is an invitation to something far more extraordinary. It's a chance to step beyond the well-worn path of the ordinary and explore a world unlike any you've ever encountered. Imagine landscapes painted with colors unseen, where creatures soar on wings crafted from dreams and whispers of magic dance on the wind.

Life itself is an adventure, brimming with hidden truths waiting to be unearthed.  Every encounter, every experience, holds within it the potential for discovery, a chance to learn something new about ourselves, the world, or the connections within.

As you turn these pages, prepare to be surprised by twists unforeseen, delighted by moments of wonder, and perhaps even a little scared by the lurking shadows. But most of all, prepare to be transported. Let the world you know fade away, and allow yourself to be swept away by the tides of this new adventure.

Prepare to be surprised, challenged, and perhaps even transformed by what we find in this story.

Contents

Author’s Note

Preface

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 1

T

he gathering room buzzed with activity. Faeries of every order swirled around with a sense of urgency and excitement. Streamers of entwined vines, adorned with white flowers, hung gracefully from the branches of Mother Tree down to the oaks circling the space. The tapestries that partitioned each territory during the night were rolled up, allowing the sunlight and a gentle breeze to sweep over the spruce tables adorned with flower-filled vases, lanterns illuminated by fireflies, and white, floral, lace tablecloths.

The ground’s simple soil was divided by a single line of rose quartz, splitting the seating areas in two and extending gracefully toward the base of the Mother Tree, a truly magnificent sight. It stood as the largest and eldest tree in the forest with a trunk that was no less than a tower. With roots spreading far and wide, it boasted a canopy so grand he swore it contained colonies of lesser Faeries. Thelron stood on the fringes, staying clear of other Faeries, a glass of water in hand. Nothing to do, he thought as he looked at the milling faeries.

It was the same routine every year when the senior students graduated from their studies. Pixies flew over, sprinkling their dust on flowers to make them a little perkier and a little more sparkly. Typically, pixie dust was used for potions, which were very powerful ones.

Thelron recalled when he, Tobias, and Elfrun decided to add some to their grape juice just out of curiosity. Aside from a good scolding given to them by their parents and Titania, the details of which none of them quite recalled, it was an awfully blurry night that had him and his friends more than just a tad bit high. He’d been told that he acted like he had sprouted wings and become a Faerie, attempting to prove to his partners in crime that he could fly just like the rest of them. He’d leaped out of a tree, earning himself a not-so-pleasant scar in the process. That was sobering.

Yet, when left unmingled with food or drink, pixie dust amounted to nothing more than harmless shimmering particles used for decoration. Thelron shuddered at the thought of the potential havoc such seemingly innocent dust could unleash in the hands of a skilled artisan.

Goblins emerged from little doors at the bottom of Mother Tree, carrying trays, bowls, and glasses for the feast that would end the ceremony with celebration. Goblins were a little different than what humans were led to believe. They weren’t ugly creatures of violence and greed. They were more like halflings. Little beings that stood about two feet high on average, with large pointy ears and pale skin. They were hard workers with special talents involving gold, silver, and jewels. Every piece of dining ware in the Faerie realm, from platters to glasses, was meticulously crafted by Goblins. One could say they were Faeries’ version of Dwarves.

As the Goblins busily prepared the tables for the impending feast, Thelron's gaze shifted toward Mother Tree, the Queen's Court.

The door was splendid—crafted from the tree itself with leafy-vine carvings and moonstones embedded along its crest. The frame of the door and every circular window was no more than branches spiraling around each other. Not a single vine climbed the tree or hung from its massive branches that didn’t have a girth large enough to serve as rooms. And they did serve as rooms. Even high into the canopy, lanterns glowed by the windows of bedrooms and other spaces. Not a single trace of moss dared to tarnish the old and beautiful wood with its presence.

Everything about the Faerie world was simple, built within, and made from all that nature had to offer. And yet, their beauty was unmatched. The Faeries were beautiful, both of the High and the Low Orders. Their clothes were beautiful—their homes, their teachings, customs, and magic.

As he took a swig from his cup, Thelron caught a glimpse of something at the edge of his vision. His attention shifted toward the High Fae clad in distinctive green armor.

Guards.

They were gathered, a small group of five as far as he could tell from his distance. Among them was Tobias’ father. His armor was a little different from the rest—more intricate carvings on the beautiful plating, with golden accents and smooth, shimmering jewels embedded within his chest and shoulders. He carried the look of a high-ranking male as if screaming, I am the Captain of the Guards. Anyone, even a novice who knew nothing of Faerie customs and ranks, could see he held great importance.

Thelron wondered if he would be attending the ceremony to witness his son graduate and choose his path. This brought on another inquiry: what would Tobias choose? If he became a Guard like his father, neither he nor Elfrun would be seeing him often. He’d be stationed by the gates for who knows how long.

The prospect left Thelron with an unsettling emptiness. One would think he’d already lost his dear friend. Yet, he hesitated to wish for Tobias to become a Picker. It wasn’t what he wanted. He deserved to be happy. Thelron supposed that separating from friends was just a part of growing up and living out one’s life, as unfortunate as it was.

Thelron! The call of his name pulled him out of his thoughts. It was a Gnome.

Like Goblins, Gnomes were from the Low Order of Faerie and had no wings. They stood only a foot tall with large, rounded ears and darker skin—the only real difference they had compared with Goblins.

But unlike their larger relatives, Gnomes didn’t work with metals and riches. Instead, they aided the realm with other small tasks. Thelron knew of a hut where Gnomes helped the household with gardening. This particular one wore a green apron and hat, both adorned with a pink rose—the symbol of the tailor shop.

Elfrun’s family’s shop.

The Gnome waddled up to Thelron and offered a rolled piece of parchment stamped with the pink rose logo. A letter from Lady Elfrun, the Gnome reported gruffly. With a bow to excuse himself, he was on his way again.

There was only one reason Elfrun would formally reach out to him with a note bearing her family’s mark. His request had been fulfilled.

With hurried hands, Thelron broke the dried wax seal and unfurled the parchment. The beautiful handwriting wrote:

Dear Sire,

Your request has been heard and answered. We are pleased to inform you that all of your specifications have been met, and your order awaits you within your personal quarters. We anxiously await to see you at the ceremony.

- Sincerely, Ashila

He smiled broadly and rolled up the paper. Two weeks. It had been two weeks since he made his request for ceremonial garb.

He’d known they would be busy once everyone else put in their orders, so he’d tried to ask for his a little sooner. However, it seemed his classmates had the same idea. He should’ve expected it.

And while they worked restlessly to satisfy every one of their customers, Thelron waited patiently, growing more anxious with each passing day.

Ceremonial attire wasn’t like the clothing they wore every day or the formal wear donned during festivals, parties, and other such special occasions. No—the clothes one wore during their graduation were a personal statement. To all those around them. To their Queen. To themselves. And Thelron was excited to make his statement.

He hurried past the dining tables to Mother Tree. Some Goblins glanced his way curiously as he approached the door. Despite its size, the door to Mother Tree was as light as any other. He stepped inside the throne room.

It was large and round, with guards standing on either side of the threshold, bows and quivers on their backs, and spears in their hands. The floor was a bed of soft, pampered grass adorned with flowers of various colors and sizes along the walls. The air was filled with a blend of fragrances - wood, earth, flowers, and other natural aromas.

Standing in the center of the room was the throne.

It was a magnificent thing. Roots sprouted from the earth to form a sturdy chair befitting the Queen. The arms curled outward and descended like water pouring over the sides. The backrest resembled a crown, reaching upward and outward like the branches of a tree. Diamonds dangled randomly from many of the roots, glistening like stars under the sunlight that streamed from above.

A spiral staircase ascended to the top floors, each boasting its own balconies along the walls, allowing sunlight and moonlight to grace the throne with their brilliance.

When he was little, Thelron would climb to each floor just to count how high they went and to see what was at the top. He learned that there was no ceiling at all. The walls merely transformed into massive branches, which marked the start of the canopy.

His bedroom, situated on the third floor, occupied one of the smaller branches due to its lower position on the tree.

Inside, the room stretched long, carved to taper into a near point. The furthest wall was flat enough for his bookshelf. A small wardrobe stood to the left, roughly a yard from the door, with a chest a bit farther down. A mirror hung on the wall between the two. The bed, sizable enough for one, rested to the right along the length of the room, positioned against the wall, with a small rounded window just above it.

And waiting for him atop the bed was a green box with a ribbon wrapped around it. A pink rose marking each side.

He walked up to the package and opened it. Inside, the clothes were folded to fit perfectly against the sides. The jacket was on the very top. He pulled it out and held it up to admire it as a whole.

It was white with long sleeves and a mandarin collar. At the top of the chest, just below where his collarbone would be, was a pale yellow stone, smoothed into a perfect oval.

Along the hems of the sleeves and neck and around the row of buttons down the middle of the torso were leafy vines entwining, embroidered from rose gold.

Not just the color -actual gold.

Elfrun’s mother, Ashila, had a unique ability to spin gold and silver into thread. It added a little extra flair to their products with the way the light sparkles off the metal.

The trousers matched in color and design, with gold embroidery following the length of his legs down the outer sides. A pair of white knee-high boots were neatly placed at the bottom of the box to finish the outfit. Along with the golden thread that followed the rounded pinnacle of the boots were stones to match the one on the jacket.

The outfit was perfect. Simple, yet elegant and formal.

He hoped the Fae would be pleased to see him wearing it during the ceremony—hoped Titania would be pleased.

For years, she’d wanted him to dress more like the Fae rather than his usual attire: a simple leather vest over a white undershirt, dark trousers, and old, worn leather boots—human clothes.

She wasn’t trying to make him deny his humanity, nor did she want him to forget where he came from. Titania only wished for him to feel comfortable among the Faeries. To feel like he belonged. To know that he didn’t need to cling to his human blood and detach himself from the rest of them. And he was grateful to her for it. He never felt like an outcast.             

There was a time when he felt out of place, but he outgrew it once he began classes and mingled with his fellow students. He only preferred human wear rather than Faerie clothes due to their physical comfort. The Fae fabric was soft and light, perfect for swift and flexible maneuvering. But they were too formal for his taste and, more than often, too snug. Human clothes were loose and warm, simple and causal.

At least, the ones he chose were.

He wasted no time in trying it on. The jacket and trousers fit his body snugly, showing off his sturdy and muscular shape as he grew from a boy to a man.

He looked into the mirror.

His skin was golden and dark compared to the fair-skinned High Fae. His face was losing its adolescent softness and becoming harder with a mildly square jaw, cheekbones sharp and wide enough to give his face a more diamond shape, a straight and thin nose, and round, sapphire eyes. He liked to think he was handsome enough but ordinary when compared to the beauty of the High Fae. He looked at the reflection of his hair. It was golden brown and lightly curled. Normally, he would leave it alone. Normally left untouched, he'd merely run his fingers through it to avoid looking like he had just woken up.

He frowned.

It didn’t compliment his attire at all. Grooming it all back should do the trick. Using a small container of gel gifted by Titania a year ago, he coated his palms and dug them through his hair, pulling it all back. The pixie dust in the gel sparkled, adding a little more shine to his natural, golden hue. Whatever little was left on his hands, he simply rubbed into his skin.

But there was one more thing that he needed to complete the look.

In the top drawer of his wardrobe was a rose golden circlet. It was made up of two tendrils, swirled in a spiral fashion around each other. Leaf-shaped extensions sprouted over his hair and along his brow, keeping flat against his head. In the center, the tendrils came together in a concave triangle that ended just below his hairline. And within the triangle was a small yellow stone.

He’d purposefully requested his ceremonial garb to match the crown. The crown Titania had crafted just for him and no other.

Straightening his jacket, he squared his shoulders and lifted his chin, grinning at his reflection with satisfaction. He was confident his statement was clear as day: I am Thelron, the son of Titania, Queen of Faeries.

Chapter 2

T

helron waited.

If not for the queasiness in his stomach, he might have been bouncing with excitement. Instead, he paced in the throne room. Outside, the Faeries gathered—parents, siblings, friends, and even younger students yet to graduate, all finding their seats and engaging in conversation to pass the time while they awaited the ceremony.

Everything was already prepared: the food and beverages for the feast, the decorations, and gifts from loved ones. Even the speeches his classmates had worked on for choosing their path in life. Their pledges to their work, to their kin, and to their Queen.

But none had the same path as him.

It wasn’t wrong to think that—it was a fact that came with being the only child of the Queen. She hadn’t given birth to him; otherwise, he would be Fae, or at least a half-breed if his father was human. But not a single drop of Fae blood nor magic ran through his veins. He was pure human.

When he had been little, too young for him to remember, Titania had found him wandering alone in the woods. His parents were nowhere to be found. She had no way of knowing if he was lost or abandoned or if a tragic fate had befallen those who should’ve been caring for him.

She brought him to the Faerie realm and sent guards to search for anyone who might be looking for him. After months of unsuccessful efforts, Titania decided he could no longer go without a parental figure. So she took it upon herself to raise him.

Titania taught him their history, traditions, and customs. He was raised like any other Faerie child, except for the expectation that someday he would assume the crown, standing at Titania’s side as the Prince of Faeries.

This was what she had been preparing him for.The reason she taught him how to carry himself with authority and confidence, yet also to be a friend to those beneath them, treating the Folk as equals. She kept him healthy and strong, ensuring he would know how to protect and defend the realm and all those within with combat training and strategic thinking.

Becoming Prince was not an obligation forced upon him. He could have chosen to be a Picker or a Guard. However, his love for the Fae and the desire to make Titania proud led him to opt for the royal path. He wanted to assist her in guiding the Folk and watching over them.

It was the prospect of shouldering this heavy burden that had his stomach in knots. He hoped Titania would believe he was ready to take on this responsibility, pleased with the hard work he’d done and the dedication he’d shown. She knew his desires had been foggy for a while.

It was only two weeks ago that he made this decision. Originally meant as a surprise for Titania, he now wondered if she might perceive it as a hasty choice. In a way, it was rather swift. He awoke one morning after a long night of contemplation, and the decision just came to him. It was sudden, yet he had never felt so certain about anything before.

Every student in his class gathered around him, talking amongst themselves about their plans and saying their farewells while they still had the chance.

Thelron’s chest started to ache. He had friends of his own that he needed to speak to before he lost the opportunity. Halting his frantic pacing, he scanned the room for Tobias and Elfrun. Every student knew him, and he considered them all friends, but Tobias and Elfrun were the first to approach him when he had started attending the classes. The first to make him feel welcomed and not like an outcast—a human in a world where he didn’t belong. At the time, the other students didn’t know what they were supposed to do, but as the hours turned to days, the example Tobias and Elfrun set made the others bold enough to approach him as well.

He spotted them standing close together in the heart of the crowd. Elfrun was leaning toward Tobias’ whispering into his ear while he was looking around the room as if searching for something.

Or someone.

Thelron made his way over to them. If we have to wait much longer, my hair might start turning gray, he joked.

Both of their faces lit up at his approach, warming his heart.

He saw Tobias looking him over, taking in his white Fae clothes. And then the crown.

He smiled, You aren’t being very subtle with that getup.

Thelron beamed. That was the idea. I wanted to make it clear to Titania. This is my home. But just in case this isn’t obvious enough, I have a speech prepared.

He shifted his gaze to