《Return to the Fairies》


 Prologue

    Hidden from the sight of the ordinary are the fairies. For many years, the fairies had walked alongside the humans but that changed when the scheming humans heard about the longevity of the fairies and sought it for themselves. They slaughtered the king in cold blood, in hopes that the act would grant them even a small part of his longevity.


    Greed has always ended times of peace.


    The queen of the fairies, Emmeralde, cast a curse upon the human race. Those corrupt of heart, even in the slightest would be unable to see fairies or use magic. Only the few humans, those pure of heart, could still see the fairies and use magic.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Many generations passed, both for the short-lived humans, and the long-lived fairies. To the humans, fairies had become but a myth. Children often saw fairies, but adults would convince them that they were nothing more than a figment of their imagination. They would grow into adults who could neither see nor believe in the fairies.

 Chapter 1: The Child in the Forest of the Fairies

    An enormous forest covered the greater part of a northern continent. In the deepest part of this forest, the trees were black, and the leaves that grew from their withered branches were crunchy and brown. This part of the forest was so barren that even the beasts that roamed the forest did not dare trespass here. A deep, dark river flowed here, its waters so dark that they appeared black. Only at night, when the moon cast its glow upon these dark waters, would any light appear on the river''s surface. The moonlight''s reflections on this river glinted here and there like stars. This was why the river in the depths of these woods was called the Starry River, though only a very few existences knew this name. Only one type of being lived in this river, and it was neither well-known nor prosperous.


    Nothing livedso deep in this forest, yet somehow, another being had found its way there.


    A small child was lost in the depths of this forest. With her wild, unruly black hair that had ensnared an abundance of crunchy leaves and branches in its claws, she looked like a child abandoned to the wilderness, but something in those dark eyes of hers was clever, intelligent, and bright, far from scheming. They were pure, clear eyes; eyes that could see fairies.


    Resting on the girl¡¯s right shoulder was a tiny fairy with wings of the same deep blue color as that of the sea¡¯s unfathomable depths. The long dress she wore was woven from strands of dried grass and dyed with pigment from blueberries, making it a reddish-violet color.


    The child did not speak. The child could not speak.


    The fairy, however, could speak, and she demonstrated this ability to no slight extent.


    ¡°I keep telling you to tame that mane, girl! How did it even get like this? No matter how much I try to brush it, I can¡¯t do anything against all of these tangles!¡± A fairy¡¯s voice was something heard by the heart, not the ears, an intent conveyed simply by speaking. This was an innate ability of all fairies; a voice that could speak even to humans corrupt of heart. This little fairy had been speaking practically nonstop to the girl ever since the pair first encountered one another on the bank of the dark river that passed through this forest.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    The child nodded, rolling her eyes, but no trace of bitterness appeared. A slight glimmer of amusement was apparent on the girl¡¯s face as the fairy talked to her.


    The fairy kept complaining to the child, while the child simply listened with her eyes glistening.


    While she was speaking, however, her eyes noticed something and she stopped. She jumped down from the child¡¯s shoulder and hovered in the air in front of the child¡¯s legs, wings flapping like a hummingbird¡¯s.


    ¡°Who did that to you?¡± the fairy asked, pointing towards a few purpled spots on the child¡¯s skin.


    The young girl trembled and lowered her head, unwilling to say anything. Her eyes darkened as she shook her head, causing the fairy worry.


    ¡°Oh, never you mind, dear," the fairy reassured the child. "It¡¯s not important. In any case, I might not be able to get your hair untangled but I can at least take you back to the humans. Your parents must be worried without their daughter, right?¡±


    Several leaves scattered down to the ground as the child sighed and shook her head.


    ¡°What do you mean? Why wouldn''t your parents be worried if I can''t get you back to them? What kind of parents are they!¡± The fairy went into a fit of rage and indignation.


    The child shook her head once again at the disgruntled fairy. The fairy frowned as the girl stopped her, until the child slowly pointed towards the ground. A few tears slipped down the girl''s face, dripping onto the ground.


    The fairy blinked a few times in confusion before she realized what the child was attempting to convey.


    ¡°Oh.Oh, my dear. I¡¯m so sorry. I didn¡¯t realize.¡± The fairy flitted up and stretched her arms across the child¡¯s cheeks.


    "Do you have other family," the fairy asked, "or some other guardian perhaps?"


    The child shook her head once more.


    The fairy furrowed her eyebrows. "There really are no other humans that can take care of you?"


    The child bent down and pointed at the bruises on her legs. She suddenly knelt to the ground and curled up, shivering in fear. Tears welled up from her tightly-shut eyes. The fairy watched the child with an expression of concern. The girl may not have been able to speak, but this was not something that prevented the small child from crying.


    The fairy floated down to the child curled on the ground and rested on her shoulder. She stroked the young girl''s arm, a conflicted expression on her face. Suddenly, the fairy''s expression brightened as she had an idea.


    "I see. So you have nowhere else to go; is that right? Then, shall I bring you to my country?"

 Chapter 2: Emmeralde Verthaven

    The fairies have existed since long before humanity, or any other creatures, for that matter. The moment there was earth, there were fairies of the earth. The moment there was air, there were fairies of the air. For every piece of nature, there were fairies to protect it.


    The fairy country, ****, was where these fairies came to interact. It was where the fairies of everything came to report to the fairies of fairies, the fairy royalty. Each generation would see only seven such fairies. For the millions of fairies that existed, this was an incredibly small number. The duty of the fairy royals was to ensure the safety of their fellow fairies, thus they were gifted with extraordinary, world-altering strength. When the fairy queen of that time, Emmeralde, used her power to curse the human race, she drew upon the innate strength of the fairy nobility, a feat that no other being could possibly accomplish, save the deities.


    The fairy country¡¯s most prominent city was named Emmeralde Verthaven. ¡®Emmeralde¡¯, of course, came from the name of the fairy queen who famously saved her people, while ¡®Verthaven City¡¯ was the previous name of the city. The city was vibrant and green. They lived in trees whose trunks and branches were as bright and crystalline as they would be if they had been carved from peridot. Though this was deep in the forest, somehow the sun still shone brilliantly down upon these magnificent trees and cast an aura of life over the entire city.


    The moment the child saw these peridot trees, her eyes shimmered, the enormous shadows of the trees reflected in them.


    The fairy¡¯s body bobbed with excitement as they grew closer.


    ¡°That¡¯s Emmeralde Verthaven! That¡¯s the capital of the fairy country. If you want to stay here, you need permission from our queen. Ever since the humans killed our king, we fairies haven¡¯t accommodated any of your people. The queen has the highest position in our land, and since it was originally our fairy queen who cursed the humans, we haven¡¯t really been on the best of terms with each other. You specifically need to get the fairy queen¡¯s permission. But don¡¯t worry! Queen Emmeralde has long since passed away. Most fairies of this generation are more curious towards humans than resentful, though you will find some elders who aren¡¯t so keen on them. Queen Kiridian is especially known for her curiosity of humans, so I think you¡¯ll be fine! Besides; I¡¯m one of the strongest river fairies in this entire forest! My queen won¡¯t seek me out, but she won¡¯t immediately dismiss an audience with me.¡±


    The talkative fairy continued on as usual until they reached the gates, where two fairies flew up to look at the child.


    ¡°It¡¯s a human! It¡¯s really a human!¡± one exclaimed.


    ¡°Do you think it can see us?¡± the other wondered.


    The child nodded, causing them to fly back in surprise.


    ¡°It nodded! It really can see us!¡±


    ¡°Is that a fairy on its shoulder?¡±


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t it saying anything if it can see us?¡±


    The blue fairy floated down and spoke to the two fairy guards.


    ¡°This is a human child I found, lost in the forest. As you can have realized, she can see us. Furthermore, she would speak if she could, but she is unable to do so. This has caused humans to look down on her and cast her away. I want to bring her to Emmeralde Verthaven, but require Queen Kiridian¡¯s permission to do so,¡± she explained to the guards.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Are you qualified to meet with our queen?¡± they asked.


    She nodded. ¡°I am. My name is Rau of the Starry River. I am the sixth successor of our tribe¡¯s chief. I bear the tribe¡¯s crest on my shoulderblade, as you can see.¡±


    She turned around and showed the guards a dazzling, swirling pattern on her right shoulderblade, surrounding the skin where her wing grew.


    The guards saw this crest and immediately saluted to the blue fairy, Rau.


    ¡°Our apologies, Lady Rau! We¡¯ll immediately bring you to see our queen!¡± Their apology was spoken decisively, without a trace of hesitation or unwillingness.


    Rau and the child then entered the city and followed the road that would lead them to Queen Kiridian.


    The roads in Emmeralde Verthaven were surprisingly wide, considering how small fairies were. Even though the child was only six or seven years old, there was enough room for her to walk the streets without needing to be overly concerned about stepping on fairies or crashing into things.


    It was quite surprising to her.


    Why do such small fairies have such wide roads? Would it not be easier to use magic to shrink me to the size of the fairies? Surely, she thought, such magic must exist.


    Naturally, she was correct. It would be easier to shrink the child with magic.


    The reason for the large roads, however, was a matter of courtesy. Just because they could use magic to shrink their guests, did not mean that they would. To them, it was disrespectful to force their guests to alter their bodies just to enable them to move throughout the city.


    At the time when Verthaven City was first established, the city was frequented by many races, including, of course, humans. Humans in those times were generally smaller than the humans of the present, so the roads were too small for adults, but perfect for such children as the one currently accompanied by this so-called fairy chief successor.


    Outside the palace were the imperial guards. Queen Kiridian only had a dozen guards to protect her home. They were the most talented of the current generation of fairies.


    The two outside were Kyran of the Molten Lake and Arn of the Midnight Sky. They were certainly not chiefs of their tribes, but being sent to protect the fairy palace was a far greater honor than being the rulers of their respective tribes.


    Kyran was large for a fairy, with flaming orange hair that seemed to possess a mind of its own. He wore golden armor of the highest quality and wielded a golden spear with a ruby blade. Contrary to his appearance though, he was a softspoken man of a scholarly temperament.


    "A human!" he gasped softly when he saw the child approaching from afar.


    "Halt!" cried Arn. Her appearance was unusual for the fairies. The Midnight Sky Tribe was very rare, and its members kept to themselves, even among the fairies. Its tribesmen typically possessed skin the color of the sky at midnight and hair silver as the stars. Arn''s skin however, changed depending on the color of the sky. If it was a clear blue, then hers would be as well. If it was gray and cloudy, so was her skin. If the sun was set, it would be dark blue, and if it was midnight, it would be black. She had a bit of curiosity, so she immediately called out to the two as they approached.


    "We seek permission from Queen Kiridian for this human child to reside here. I am Rau of the Starry River, successor to its chief," the blue fairy introduced herself.


    "And the human? What tribe is this one from? What is its name?" Arn asked.


    "Her name?" Rau blinked in surprise. "I can''t believe I forgot to ask what her name is! This human cannot speak, so I have no way of knowing without reading her mind. I am certain that she has no ill intentions though. She can see us, after all."


    "We cannot knowingly allow a human to enter the palace where the queen resides!" Arn cried. "It doesn''t matter if she can see us! She''ll endanger us-"


    Suddenly, a voice drifted through the air, as gently as a breeze. "Bring the human to me, Arn of the Midnight Sky. I grant my permission and give you my word that I will hold neither you nor Kyran responsible for any troubles that may arise."


    The pair of guards immediately knelt to the ground, placing their fists across their chests. "Your word is our command, our Queen!"


    "Forget the formalities and bring them to me now," the queen''s voice drifted through the air once more.


    Arn immediately stood up and brought the two through the palace.

 Chapter 3: Magic

    The palace of Emmeralde Verthaven was beyond incredible to the child. She observed that the crystal trees seemed to have grown into the building, naturally forming the walls and roof of this place.


    The throne room was amazing as well, with banners hanging the symbols of hundreds of fairy tribes all throughout the room. The largest of these banners displayed a pair of diamond-shaped wings, which hung directly over the throne itself. This was the symbol of the Royal Tribe which ruled the fairies.


    Queen Kiridian wore a long dress which appeared to have been formed from ice and snow, and her hair was green like the trees of the crystal forest.


    "So you''re the human that has wandered into our forest," the queen spoke, observing the child with her dark, obsidian eyes. Her expression was subtly curious. She had a calm, gentle demeanor, but the child felt that this could change any which way in the span of an instant.


    "Yes, this is a human child. She cannot speak, Queen Kiridian, so please excuse her silence," Rau immediately replied.


    "Ah, a mute human. I was unaware that humans could be born this way as well. How fascinating," the queen lightly mused.


    The child expressed discomfort at the queen''s gaze, which appeared to dissect the human without any concern for her as an individual.


    "What is this child''s name, Rau of the Starry River?" the queen asked, her eyes fixated on the young girl.


    Rau froze. "Her name! I haven''t asked this child what her name is yet! I''ve been talking about myself constantly and I hadn''t even thought to ask this human what her name is until Arn asked me just a short while ago! Queen Kiridian, I apologize. I do not know her name. I have already asked her, and she is unable to speak and write, so Icannot think of a wayto learn this child''s name unless we use telepathy."


    "Telepathy is a taboo magic. It has no harmful uses on its own but it is the foundation for many terrible magics." The queen frowned. "It would be terrible if another incident were to occur from the use of telepathy."


    "I understand that, my Queen," Rau replied, "but all we want to do is learn the human''s name. Surely this is of no harm, don''t you think?"


    The child, watching this exchange, sighed.


    "You may have a point, Starry River," the queen reluctantly agreed. "I''ll just peek into your mind to learn your name then, understood?"Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    The queen faced the human with a serious expression. The child nodded, a slight grin on her face.


    The queen touched her palm to the child''s forehead and closed her eyes. Everything the human child thought was conveyed to the queen of fairies, including the child''s name.


    "Anya Tran," the queen murmured. She opened her eyes and faced the child. "Is this your name?"


    The child nodded, and a particular thought entered her mind as soon as the fairy queen removed her palm.


    Telepathy!


    Anya had been bound by the societal need to communicate, and she, who at present, had no way of doing so, had always found this task impossible.


    Writing?


    Did you think a poor child who was being abused by her ironically-called "caretakers" would be able to afford lessons to write?


    Sign language?


    The fairies had no culture of signing words with their hands. At most, the cultural gap enabled the child to nod for "yes" and shake her head for "no."


    It was truly something that had troubled her from birth, but now, right in front of her, she saw a way to communicate with others.


    She saw a way to communicate!


    Magic was real, but humans could not use it. This was common knowledge among the humans of today''s society. They heard of fairies, but thought them to be products of legends, along with mermaids, elves, dwarves, dragons (all of which also existed, incidentally).


    But, even if she could not use it, the fairies, who could use magic could still use it to read her thoughts!


    Her excitement was subconsciously spilling out.


    Rau studied Anya''s expression, curious about her thoughts. It was one thing if Queen Kiridian used the taboo magic- she was, after all, the queen- but the small blue fairy was just some successor to a tiny fairy tribe that wasn''t well known, even among the myriad fairy tribes. If she were to be seen using such magic, especially in the presence of the queen, she would immediately be arrested and imprisoned.


    Of course, though, Rau had no way of knowing Anya''s thoughts. She simply assumed that the girl was excited that they finally knew her name. Taking advantage of the gap in conversation, Rau thought to try to convince the queen in favor of her original goal.


    "My Queen, would you allow this human child to reside among us? She can see and even touch us. Truly she is pure-hearted among humans. Look at these bruises! The humans will only continue to harm her. Both the fairies and this child have been wronged by humans, so-"


    "I''ll allow it."


    Rau froze in disbelief. "I''m sorry?"


    "I said, I shall permit Human Child Anya to stay here," Queen Kiridian repeated and patiently explained. "By my authority as the queen, it shall be so."


    She lifted her hand, and a soft blue haze surrounded it. The queen gathered it into a ball of light the size of a marble, and stretched her palm out to the child.


    "Queen Kiridian, is that-"


    "This is what humans might refer to as an elemental affinity. All living creatures are born with magic, but Queen Emmeralde severed the bond between humans and their elemental affinities, as a whole. Humans who can see us fairies are exceptions to this. They are capable of utilizing magic, but most never learn. Magic must be taught. One cannot use it recklessly, for it endangers both themself and everyone around them. Tell me, Human Child Anya; are you willing to accept me as your master?"

 Chapter 4: Transformation

    Emmeralde Verthaven was surprisingly accommodating towards its human inhabitant. Queen Kiridian was the size of a human (a trait of the fairies of nobility, apparently), thus the only place in the city that could allow a human to stay was the royal palace. Under the pretense of accepting Anya as a disciple, the human would be permitted to live in the palace. It was the best way, according to the queen, to assuage her citizens. Though the feeling most fairies had towards humans was curiosity, the feelings of the rest could be succinctly be described in a single word: hatred. These fairies were relying on the story of the past to fuel their feelings, and they felt that they couldn''t trust the humans, even if it was a human that was able to see them. Therefore, accepting the human as a personal disciple of the fairy queen would at least keep them from voicing their hatred.


    Anya was stunned when she first heard this proposition though. Her face could only convey how shocked she was, and she was not the only one who felt so. The queen''s attendants were utterly stunned. One of the maids even dropped what she was holding, though the queen paid it no mind.


    It was Rau who broke the silence. "My queen, humans must chant to use magic, and Anya cannot speak. How do you plan to teach her magic?"


    "So what if she cannot speak? We of the fae clans need no voice to use our magic, and by accepting this child as my disciple, she will be recognized as a fairy," Queen Kiridian explained.


    "That isn''t how magic works!" Rau exclaimed. Then, realizing that she had been disrespectful in her outburst, she hastily added, "my queen."


    "I am the queen of fairies. The fairies of nobility are not just in charge of other fairies. We oversee the magic in the world, ensuring that there is neither too much or too little. If such a being cannot enable a human child to use magic without speaking, then there is no point in our existence."


    "Can''t you just make it so that she''s able to speak?"


    Anya''s pupils dilated and she stared at the queen with undisguised curiosity. She hadn''t considered this, but yes, it should certainly be possible.


    ...


    Right?


    The queen shook her head. "If this child''s mutism were a result of some injury, then it would certainly possible. But her condition is innate, and to enable her to speak would require me to reconstruct her body. I may be powerful, but I know nothing of human anatomy. I might allow her to speak, but I might just as easily destroy her. I cannot take that risk."


    The child''s eyes appeared to be burning with excitement.


    The queen lifted an eyebrow curiously. "I wonder, human child Anya; does your expression mean that you would still like me to try, even at the risk of your own life?"


    The girl nodded, a determined expression on her face.


    The queen stroked her chin thoughtfully. "I understand your desire, but I cannot fulfill it at this point. I will at least need to encounter another human first, so that I can understand your kind''s physique. Otherwise, there is honestly nothing I can do."


    Anya lowered her head and cast her eyes down in disappointment.


    Rau sighed and shook her head. "I don''t know if I was really expecting anything anyway. So what is the difference between enabling her to use magic and enabling her to speak? Don''t both require an understanding of human anatomy that we don''t possess? Humans are fleshy, after all."This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    The queen chuckled delicately. "Humans may, indeed be formed from flesh. This is why I cannot enable her to speak. Enabling her to utilize magic is another matter. Magic is incorporeal. In the days before the war, the humans would call upon magic because they had none of their own. I plan to plant a seed in this child that will enable her to use magic without having to call upon it."


    The queen flicked her wrist, and a shining green object appeared. She extended her palm to Anya to look at it.


    It was smaller than she had thought, about the size of a pearl, or a pea, perhaps. It was the color of grass and it smelled like freshly-tilled earth. It was a pleasant scent, gentle and fresh. It had a lustrous, glossy surface that was completely smooth, like a stone from a river.


    "Human child Anya," the queen spoke, "this is a seed that will allow you to use magic. We call it the Siol Draiochta. We fairies traditionally only grant this seed to fairies who were born with poor magical capabilities. It will also prevent you from being unable to see us in the future, as it cleanses the heart. I believe it will work for you just as well, but I am not certain. The possibility exists that it will be too much for your body to handle. Fairies are spiritual beings, while humans are of the flesh. If your body cannot bear it, then the possibility of death or mental incapacitation is the most likely outcome. Even knowing the risks, would you like it?"


    Anya had listened very intently, and her expression now was difficult to read. She wanted to use magic, but if she were to die, then what would have been the point? She knew she could not return to her old village; there was nothing for her there but misery. Living among the fairies had become something of a dream to her now, she realized, a dream she had never realized she had had. If the desire for magic clouded her heart, then she would become unable to see the only ones who cared for her. The thought of this happening, even just hypothetically, made Anya feel like her heart was being torn apart.


    Her decision was made.


    With a resolute fire in her eyes, Anya nodded, grabbed the seed, and swallowed it whole.


    "No!" the queen uncharacteristically shouted, her expression becoming unlike that of the gentle visage she''d had mere moments prior.


    "What''s wrong?" asked Rau of the Starry River, confused and panicked.


    "The Siol Draiochta is not meant to be consumed! It is meant to be carried, or worn!" Queen Kiridian hurriedly explained.


    Anya tumbled to the ground and collapsed, a bloody foam appearing at her mouth. Blood trickled from her eyes, ears, and nose. Even though she could not speak, Anya was moaning in pain.


    It felt as though she were being burned, frozen, buried, and drowned, all at the same time. It was torture of a variety that Anya had never experienced before.


    Then, as suddenly as it had begun, it vanished. The pain vanished, and in its place was a warm feeling that made Anya more comfortable than she had ever felt in her entire life.


    She opened her eyes, wiping away the blood, and looked around for the fairies. Queen Kiridian and Rau of the Starry River were staring at her with astonishment.


    "Come to think of it, the loredid mention this, didn''t it?" the queen murmured to herself.


    "The lore mentioned this?!" Rau exclaimed in disbelief.


    Anya tilted her head in curiosity. It was at this moment that she realized her body felt better than ever. She felt as though she could shimmy up trees and hop through the branches like a monkey.


    "Anya, do not be too startled. I remembered as soon as you looked at me: there were humans who could tolerate the Siol Draiochta, and the humans who survived consuming it... Well, they weren''t quite humans anymore," the queen explained, her queenly facade having worn off in the midst of genuine concern.


    Anya furrowed her eyebrows.Not human?


    "You see, the first forms of intelligent life created by the gods were us fairies. We were created to tend the myriad creations that came before us. Then the gods made humans, with whom we shared that purpose. The majority of humanity had deviated from their duty, but those who stayed to tend the creations of the gods became more intimate with our fairy race. To reward them, we granted them the Siol Draiochta, and they transformed, as you have... into elves." The queen sighed regretfully. "You''ve become an elf, human child Anya."


    She waved her hand, and a mirror appeared. Anya felt trepidation at this change, and her heart felt uneasy. She looked into the mirror, and staring back was a wild-eyed child with eyes the color of grass. Subtly poking out of her frazzled hair on either side of her head were long, tapered ears.

 Chapter 5: Elves

    Elves were beings of magic, but they were different from the fairies. The bodies of elves were of flesh but formed by magic. They excelled in magic overall, but they were particularly connected to elemental magic. Compared to the other beings and races, elves were only second in magical capability to fairies. Some exceptions appeared every now and then among other races, when exceptional individuals appeareds, but the curse of the fairy queen had dropped the talent of the human race in magic to nonexistence. Even the dwarves, who almost exclusively only demonstrated elemental affinity with earth and fire, still possessed the capability to use magic, however rare it was.


    Anya understood that this transformation of hers- that becoming an elf- would be very beneficial for her, if she wanted to practice magic. After all, humans could not practice magic under the effects of the curse unless they were completely pure of heart. However, it could be said that Anya had something of a lingering attachment to her humanity. Elves were undoubtedly a talented race in regards to magic, but this had made them proud and aloof. Anya did not wish to possess that demeanor. She had her own pride, but it was pride towards being human.


    Even humans had their pride, after all.


    As she stared at her unfamiliar reflection, Anya''s hands trembled. Was this from excitement? Or was it fear? This unknown emotion flooded her heart. Curiosity crept upon her. She lifted her hands and touched the tip of her right ear. The moment her finger connected, her ear twitched. The sensation of touching her own ear was surprising. The tapered ear was far more sensitive than she had suspected, and the gentle stroke of her finger nearly tickled her ear.


    So elves have ticklish ears, Anya couldn''t help but realize, stifling a laugh.


    Rau and Queen Kiridian silently observed Anya''s reaction, though the sight of watching a person accidentally tickle themself was amusing to both of the fairies.


    And then there were these eyes! These wild, bright green eyes! They were the color of grass in the spring and they practically glowed! No human had eyes like these; this was certain. Apart from the pupils, which were still round, they were reminiscent of cat eyes.


    Anya''s eyes had previously been black, deep and unfathomable. Those eyes were the one aspect of her appearance that she had inherited from her long-departed father, and now, even they were gone.


    Well, good riddance. My parents died so shortly after I was born, and the village treated me as a mule, a sandbag, and an inconvenience. I don''t need anything from those parents, who left me in the ''care'' of that abusive village. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Anya''s momentary bitterness surprised her. She had never felt any resentment towards the village before. She felt helplessness and fear, but never resentment. Was this change in temperament something that had occurred because of the Siol Draiochta?


    After allowing Anya time to process her feelings, Rau and the queen finally decided to talk.


    "It will be easier for the fairies to raise an elf than a human," Rau remarked. "The fairies don''t have any hatred for the elven race."


    "That is not the case. They will look down on Anya for being a former human. Furthermore, fairies may not hate elves, but we disdain them. They think so highly of themselves for their skills, when they are not even the most superior." Queen Kiridian sighed. "This is the mindset of the other royal fairies, though I myself do not have any prejudice against elves. We trade with the elves quite often, and they are something of a child race of ours. Perhaps... It would be better for us to entrust Anya''s care to the elves."


    Anya''s eyes widened and her heart strummed a bit quicker in anxiety. She was excited to learn magic from the queen. She wanted to speak, and the queen could teach her a telepathy magic! Did the elves have such a thing? She was uncertain if the elves possessed such magic, but she was absolutely certain that the queen could teach her this magic!


    No! Anya thought, hoping the desperation in her eyes would be recognized by the fairies in front of her.


    "You absolutely can''t give her to the elves. That arrogant race will look down on Anya for being a former human," Rau remarked.


    "But elves can raise elves. We are not elves; we are fairies. We only know some of the many peculiarities of the elven physique. If an injury were to occur, or if this girl were to contract some ailment specific to the elven race, then-"


    "Forgive me, my queen, for interrupting you, but if that were to happen, then we could still send for a doctor of the elven race to heal her."


    Fairies were innately respectful of the Noble Fairy Tribe, as they were the fairies created by nature to govern the other fairies. With that in mind, Rau was most likely to be the first commoner fairy to interrupt a noble fairy without punishment... ever. Queen Kiridian nodded as Rau spoke, impressed and amused at the Starry Tribe Chief. The queen was not enraged by her interruption in the slightest.


    "Thinking about this, you are right. I will still care for this girl, then," the queen decided. She grinned and shook her head. "Human Child Anya... I suppose I cannot call you this any longer. I must change the way I will be addressing you, young girl. From now on, I shall call you ''My Child Anya.'' Are you fine with this, My Child Anya?"


    Her Child Anya smiled helplessly, and nodded. Her wild, eager green eyes lit up with excitement and elation. Her days of being a human physically were over, but that meant that the painful days she had experienced in her human village were over as well. This fairy queen asked if it was fine to call Anya Her Child?


    Yes, she thought, this was fine.

 Chapter 6: The Queen鈥檚 Child

    From that point on, the young child that had been taken in by the fairy queen quickly became a topic of interest among the fairies. This was unprecedented, not just in Emmeralde Verthaven, but in the entiry fairy country. Even putting aside the hateful, loathsome human race, it was incredibly rare for the fairies to interact with other races, with the exception of the elves. But even if they put aside the fact that Anya had indeed become an elf because of the Siol Draiochta,the fact remained that this child had been of the human race! This was the very same human race that had stolen away their king in cold-blooded murder!


    Dissatisfaction swept among the fairies. This was not dissatisfaction with the queen (never dissatisfaction with the queen), but with this strange, unfamiliar child that had been taken in. From their point of view, one of those greedy spawns of the human race had swept into their capital city and manipulated their queen into giving her powers and teaching her magic. It was typical of human greed, and their poor queen was too kind to see it.


    Anya''s very name became taboo. After all, she was the human who was deceiving their queen and taking advantage of her. This situation was simply too infuriating! She became know as "the queen''s child," and nothing more.


    In the palace, ¡®the queen¡¯s child¡¯ was learning from their queen. Queen Kiridian intended to teach Anya magic, but she planned to teach her only after she learned several other subjects. The first of these hurdles was writing.


    The fairies did not use writing very often, but they had their own runescript. This was mainly used in recording their histories, though some other topics would emerge from time to time. Every fairy was literate, at the very least, in regards to their own runescript. Even if they could not write it themselves, it was an innate ability of theirs.


    The fairy queen was sitting down on a soft, embroidered cushion as she leaned against a wall, and the child Anya was sitting in her lap, holding a stylus and a pad of paper that had the texture of fairy wings. The queen¡¯s thin, delicate hand was guiding Anya¡¯s small, clumsy hand.


    ¡°This character is written like this¡­ Now you try¡­ Silly girl, you¡¯ve written the letter backwards. You write it like this¡­¡±


    Queen Kiridianwas patient in her explanations and lessons, and Anya was incredibly grateful for this. She understood that teaching was not something that anyone could do. Since fairies were born knowing their runescript, they did not need to be taught. Anya may not have had this advantage, but she was learning to write so that she could communicate, so she was certainly motivated. She was picking up the runescript very quickly, according to the queen. It turned out that the written language of the elves was also fairy runescript. It appeared that elves had to be taught by fairies in order to use it, but Anya was learning quickly compared to them.As it happened,the privilege ofbeing taught runescript by the fairy queen was usually a privilege reserved for elven nobles.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    Queen Kiridian appeared to have much more time on her hands than Anya had expected a royal fairy to have. Apart from the occasional lunch or tea with the envoys sent from the fairy tribes, her free time was usually spent studying or practicing her arts. In particular, the queen loved to sing.


    When she sang, the sound of her voice would resonate across every inch of Emmeralde Verthaven. Her voice was beautiful. It was calm and pure. It was heart-wrenchingly delicate and soulful. It was entrancing, bewitching. It was magical.


    Anya had always loved listening to people sing. Since she could not do so herself, she often found herself mesmerized by the sound, musing to herself in wonder at what kind of singing voice she would have, if she could speak.


    When she heard the queen sing, Anya would stop whatever she was doing, close her eyes, and allow herself to be moved by a beauty that she believed she would never possess herself. She would find herself truly at peace in these moments. Every time the queen sang, just as Anya nearly found herself lulled to sleep by the queen¡¯s voice, the queen would stop singing, and Anya would be awakened from her trance.


    Anya lived in the palace with the queen. Rau was permitted to stay as well, as her friend and the one who had brought the girl to Emmeralde Verthaven. However, the queen did not permit Anya to leave the palace. She knew how her subjects felt towards this young girl, and did not wish to see the childs heart clouded by the prejudice of her own subjects.


    All Queen Kiridian wanted, after all, was to protect the child who had fallen under her care.


    It must be know that fairies could not give birth. Magic and nature were the parents to every fairy. A successor to Queen Kiridian would eventually be born, but that successor would only be born after Queen Kiridian had passed. It was the same for all fairies except the fairy king, whose legacy had ended with the murder of the final fairy king, which was a significant part of why Queen Emmeralde cursed the human race in retaliation for her king''s murder.


    It was human nature to desire a legacy. Fairies, though, had no need to consider leaving anything behind for their descendants, for they would never have any.


    Queen Kiridian, however, had always desired to impart skills and knowledge upon a younger generation. Anya was the perfect chance for her to do so. It was, perhaps, an incredibly unusual desire, but if it meant that she could fulfill this desire, the queen did not care how selfish she might appear to anyone, even her subjects. She would teach this girl.


    She would teachthis girl everything she could.

 Chapter 7: Welcome to Wairua Cruin, Part One

    Anya''s studies under Queen Kiridian were progressing smoothly, leisurely. Thankfully, the young girl was a fast learner. Withinthe first few weeks of her instruction, Anya had already mastered the basics of the fairies'' runescript. Even though the runes she wrotewere still somewhat blocky and uncoordinated, at least she could now communicate to a certain extent with others. The Queen had instructed her so that she could emit a small amount of light magic from her fingertip to write in the air, which excited Anya immensely.


    The news of the human''s arrival in Emmeralde Verthaven had spread, and everyone had an opinion about the Queen taking in a being of the same race as those who had taken their king, so very long ago. Rumors about the human girl had not yet quieted down, but then, it seemed most unlikely that they would ever quiet down. Queen Kiridian had been protecting Anya bypreventing her from leaving the palace, but both the queen and her disciple understood that this was only a temporary solution and could not continue forever.


    Thankfully, the queen informed Anya of anupcoming eventthat would provide her with experience outside of the palace.


    "It''s a festival called the Wairua Cruin," the queen began. "Every year, the elves visit the fairies to receive guidance and blessings. The elven royalty view this with great importance, as they consider us their ancestors. Because of that, we fairies have quite a bit of pressure on us. We cannot have any missteps. The elves revere us. To them, we are nothing short of immaculate beings created by the gods, and their own pride stems from this, since their magic was bestowed upon them by us."


    The queen smiled somewhat bashfully as she explained. It seemed that the elves'' innate reverence of fairies was somewhat embarrassing to her.


    In the subsequent two weeks, Anya watched Emmeralde Verthaven transform from its tranquil and peaceful demeanor to one of elegance and grandeur. Silver and gold decorations and ornaments were hung from the trees and leafy green bannerswere draped acrossthe streets, catching the light like glass. The streets were cleaned until each stone on the ground shone as bright as a mirror. The signs of every shop were touched up and painted by professionals until they looked brand new. The verdant haze that enveloped the city had become rich and beautiful, while still refusing to overshadow the natural beauty of the city.


    As the festival neared closer and closer, the city became more and more ethereal. If Anya had been introduced to this Emmeralde Verthaven, she may have been too intimidated by its beauty to dare set foot in it. This place felt sacred, and certainly not a place that should be defiled by the presence of humans.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    After some of the longest weeks in Anya''s short life, the first day of the Wairua Cruin festival arrived. The beginning of this festival was marked by the arrival of the elves in the city. The royal caravan had arrived, with several tens of ornate wagons and gorgeous horses forming the procession. Flags were waving from every carriage and horse in the caravan, informing the fairies that these were the Draiochta elves by the pale green circle on a silver background. Supposedly, the pale green circle was to represent the Siol Draiochta, and the silver which surrounded it was to demonstrate the nobility of their race.


    Queen Kiridian stood in front of the palace, wearing a green gown glistening just a shade lighter thanthe trees. Behindthe queen stood the other royal fairies, Anya standing furthest behind them. She wore a pale green ring the same color as Queen Kiridian''s dress on her right index finger, and she was wearing a green gown similar to Queen Kiridian''s, butsomeshades darker.


    At the head of the elven procession was a small elven woman wearing light armor. She had a gem-encrusted dagger on her waist and a delicate tiara nestled in her light blue hair. Her face was cold and proud, and her demeanor was aloof and reverent. Her tapered ears were adorned with cuffs that twisted like vines across the edges of her ears.


    They reached the palace, and this small, blue-haired elf gracefully dismounted from her horse. She knelt to the ground and immediately kowtowed without a moment of hesitation. The elves behind her did the same, dismounting and kowtowing before the queen.


    "Greetings, Fairy Queen!" The blue-haired elf exclaimed. "The elves under the rule of this one, Ceris Draiochta, have arrived for this year''s Wairua Cruin. Please accept this demonstration of our respect."


    Queen Kiridian smiled and nodded with the dignity of a ruler, not a trace of embarrassment on her face. "Rise, Ceris Draiochta and subordinates."


    The elves stood up at once and faced the noble fairies. As Ceris''s eyes took in these noble fairies, her gaze fell on the child behind them. This girl was small and thin, with curled black hair and eyes the color of her dress. Her ears were thin and tapered, but she had no wings.


    Ceris said nothing as she observed this child, though her eyes narrowed in confusion.


    "I invite the elves of Draiochta to join us in the palace for a feast in honor of your arrival," The queen clasped her hands together and suggested elegantly. She turned around and entered the palace, thenoble fairies following her one by one.


    Anya was at the end of the line of noble fairies, and Ceris was at the beginning of the line of elves.


    "You arenot a fairy," Ceris told Anya quietly, taking advantage of their close proximity to remark.


    Anya''s steps faltered in surprise, but she somehow managed to continue walking. Is there something wrong with that?the young girl wondered to herself.


    Noting Anya''s lack of response, Ceris felt indignant. She had clearly seen Anya stumble, so the elf was certain that this non-fairy child had heard her. Did the girl think herself better than Ceris and her subordinates because she was living among them? How impudent.


    This girl was not a fairy. How dare she act superior!

 Chapter 8: Welcome to Wairua Cruin, Part Two

    Anya did not respond. She was used to the rejection of her presence by others, as a child who had been deemed ''broken'' by her human kinsmen. Ceris'' words stung a bit, admittedly, but Anya did not take it very personally. She simply kept her head down and remained calm. This was also a part of the etiquette that the fairy queen had taught her. She should not seek fights (which, incidentally, she had already been taught by those humans).


    The elves worshipped the fairies, after all. The fairies were akin to gods in the eyes of the elves because they did not stoop to mortal habits when the elves were in their cities; they did now wish to disillusion the elves who honored them so greatly. Anya was the child of the Fairy Queen, if in title alone; she had to maintain her dignity. She wanted to act as flawless as the fairies, even if it took every last ounce of her self-control.


    As the fairies and elves seated themselves together for the welcome feast, Ceris found herself seated directly across from Anya. It was customary for the Fairy Queen to sit at the head of the table, with any fairy of her choosing on her right side and theruler of the elveson her left. The fact that this child, who was clearly not fae, was seated next to the queen meant that Queen Kiridian valued this child, for whatever reason, quite a bit.


    As Ceris pondered this, dishes poured out from the kitchen, with fairy servants bringing such fanciful and exquisite food. It all looked as if it were sparkling. In particular, the crystal wineglasses that had been distributed were never empty of the fairies'' unique brew.


    As Anya reached to drink from the wineglass that had been given to her, Queen Kiridian covered the top of it and shook her head. "Apologies, but you are too young for this still, my dear." She withdrew the glass from Anya''s place setting and glared at the fairy who had given it to her. "Please bring something that my daughter can enjoy," she instructed the fairy servants, returning the wineglass to them. A few moments later, a glass filled with juice made its way to Anya''s seat.


    Ceris watched all of this, feeling genuinely baffled. "I thank the Queen for having our clan at this time," she spoke,in the hopethat engaging in conversation with the queen would explain this child''s presence.


    "Well, we must maintain the bond with the descendants of our magic. To celebrate our connection once a year is simply natural. Some may even say that it is too infrequent."Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    "I must confess, we honor the fairies and their kin, but I am curious about this child before me, who is clearly not a fairy. Would you tell me about her?" Anya felt both relief and tension as she asked this question. She had asked the question, yes, but now she had to hope that her question had not offended the queen.


    "Oh? The Draiochta have become quite bold, if their ruler would enquire about my company," Queen Kiridian remarked, a bemused grin crossing her face.


    Ceris shook her head. "I am merely attempting to make conversation. Is asking about this child bold to you?"


    The queen laughed. "I suppose not. One must admit, though, that it is rude to speak about someone in front of oneself without addressing them. Please address my child yourself."


    Ceris faced the young girl, the pale, wide-eyed girl who was dressed in the garb of fairies but was not one of them. Holding back her sharp, prideful tone, under the attention of the queen, Ceris addressed Anya.


    "I thank your country for its welcome of my people. I am Ceris Draiochta, Ruler of Elves. May I be so bold as to ask your name?"


    Anya smiled nervously and waved her hand in the air, creating fairy runes with each stroke. "You may. I am Anya, the Queen''s Child and Disciple. I am sorry about my unattractive writing, but I can only speak like this. It is nice to meet you."


    It wasn''t nice to meet her, but it was imperative, in this situation, to be polite.


    Ceris maintained a cool expression, but inwardly she was even more dumbfounded. This child couldn''t even speak! What was she doing here? How had she tricked the Fairy Queen into taking in this child as a disciple? This was utterly absurd!


    "I see," Ceris replied. "It is nice to meet you as well."


    What ''nice to meet you as well''?! Ceris felt like flipping the banquet table and storming off in a rage!


    But she had to remain calm and collected. She was the Ruler of Elves, and it would do no good to get worked up over things she had yet to explain.


    "If I may once again be bold, Queen''s Child Anya, might I ask how you came under the queen''s care?"


    Anya looked down for a moment and nodded. "You already know that I cannot speak. I am a human who was expelled from my village because of this. I happened to encountera fairy in the forest. She was surprised that I could see her, of course, because of the curse. After that, I guess I was brought here because Queen Kiridian wanted to know about humans. I think she took me in because she knew that I had nowhere else to go."


    "My apologies, but you''re a human? How can that be possible? You can see the fairies, and you have the tapered ears of our Draiochta elven race."


    "I think that is because I ate the Siol Draiochta when Queen Kiridian gave it to me," Anya explained."I think I am closer to an elf now, but I was human right up until then."


    This child, whatever race they claimed to be, was completely and utterly baffling, and Ceris had no idea how to address her.

 Chapter 9: Welcome to Wairua Cruin, Part Three

    The Siol Draiochta?! The legendary seed from elven lore?! The seed that had created the elven race?!


    A human had obtained this seed in this new era, in which humans could seldom even see fairies, let alone use magic!


    This meant that an elf of the purest origin had been born!


    According to the hierarchy of the elves, that meant that this former human had more of a claim to the elven throne than Ceris herself!


    Yet, strangely enough, Ceris did not feel threatened by the child before her. Perhaps it was her demeanor, or the fact that she was so young, but the elven ruler simply could not see this young girl before her leading the elves, even though she was under the direct care of the fairy queen the elves so piously respected.


    Ceris snorted inwardly. So what if she has been blessed by the fairy queen? She is a mere child, a former human. Elves are instructed from birth of our noble lineage, and this child has no such knowledge! Even if she were instructed now, she would never be more than a wild girl the fairies tamed.


    "I am surprised to hear that your royal mother granted you such a precious treasure," Ceris remarked. She turned towards Queen Kiridian and asked, "Is that manner of address suitable to you, my Queen?"


    The queen grinned. "I find it quite suitable, Ceris."


    The elven ruler forced a smile, though an outsider would not be able to discern its spurious origin. She returned her attention to the child. "You must have felt so honored to receive the Siol Draiochta."


    Anya nodded, a sheepish smile crossing her face. "I did not know the importance of the Siol Draiochta when Queen Kiridian gave it to me. I feel honored simply by being given a home among the fairies."


    How simple, Ceris sneered inwardly, maintaining her aloof and prideful expression. "You should feel honored! The fairies have primarily reclused themselves since your human ancestors took it upon themselves to slaughter the fairy king. The only race that has frequent relations with the fairies is our noble elven race. We consider this a great honor, as fairies maintain the natural order of the world. They are the beings closest to the gods in this world. You must understand the significance of your presence here, Queen''s Child Anya."


    "Thank you, Queen Ceris. I am still being taught about the fairies and our place in this world, but it is interesting to hear multiple points of view."This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    "I am not a queen," Ceris reflexively corrected. She realized the rudeness of her outburst in front of the fairy queen, and hurriedly explained to the child, "Our elven race does not address our ruler by gendered terms. The elven ruler, no matter their gender, is simply addressed as ''King'' to their subjects. Furthermore, fairies, especially noble fairies such as yourselves, need only address elves by their given name. This is our culture. As you are still learning, it is understandable that you were unaware of this. You may simply call me ''Ceris,'' Queen''s Child Anya."


    "I am only an honorary fairy. I should still show some respect to you, King Ceris," Anya wrote respectfully.


    Ceris grinned. "Well, if you insist, then far be it from this lowly me to refuse Queen''s Child Anya''s request."


    Anya tilted her head in confusion. "I''m sorry. I don''t understand."


    "I am saying that, if you insist, I won''t protest you addressing me as ''King Ceris,''" she explained.


    Anya nodded, her eyes lighting up as she understood. "That''s great! King Ceris, how long have you ruled the elves?"


    Ceris lifted an eyebrow. "I have only ruled the elves for ten years or so. I still have quite a bit to learn as a ruler."


    "And how do you decide who becomes the next ruler of the elves? Is it by bloodline? Or do you all fight to see who the strongest elf is? Are you the strongest of the elves?"


    Anya''s sudden barrage of questions threw Ceris for a loop. Queen Kiridian rested her hand on the child''s shoulder. "Anya, dear, be patient. Wait for your first question to be answered before asking a second one."


    Anya hung her head down and pursed her mouth. "Sorry. I got excited. I''ve never met an elf before, and King Ceris is their ruler! You know that elves and humans don''t really interact since Fairy Queen Emmeralde cut the humans off from magic and the fairies."


    Queen Kiridian smiled. "I understand that, my dear. Just make sure that you do not overwhelm our guests with too many questions. Be patient. I know you can do it. Ceris, would you answer Anya''s questions, if it is not too much for you?"


    Ceris nodded. "Of course, my Queen. We do not determine the next ruler by any single trait. We do place significance among bloodlines, but this is merely a way to narrow the candidates. We look at magical power, combat prowess, and critical thinking primarily, but every now and then, a candidate appears who has a talent outside of this, and they are no less viable than any of the other candidates because of it. The king before me was particularly skilled in diplomacy. It was really quite a frightening talent, if you ask me. We had hardly interacted with races apart from fairies until his rule, but he was able to form ties with the dwarves, granting our most skilled magicians dwarven-made staves. I was able to become his successor because of his diplomatic capability. I may not be the most clever of the elves, but I had the highest magical power and combat prowess among the candidates of my generation, and this was largely in part due to the fact that I had been given one of these magical staves. Although some of the other candidates had been given one of them as well, I was still able to best them!"


    "So... You only won because of your staff?"

 Chapter 10: Welcome to Wairua Cruin, Part Four

    Ceris Draiochta was one of the elves with the purest elven bloodlines. She was the ruler of the elves, their very king!


    That little elf dared to say that she had only become king because of a special staff she had received?! She had never before been spoken to like this! And the one speaking to her was this random human child who couldn''t actually even speak! She was writing clumsy, inelegant letters in the air with magic!


    Thinking about it practically made the blood of the elven ruler boil with rage.


    For a moment, Ceris gritted her teeth so tightly that her jaw began to ache. Her fists clenched until her fingers became white.


    Just as she opened her mouth to retort, Queen Kiridian shook her head and spoke to Anya.


    "No, my dear Anya, you must understand. It is a very difficult thing to become the ruler of the elves, dear girl. King Ceris may have used a special staff to help her, but even the best weapon, in the hands of an unskilled user, is no better than trash. The staff just gave her an advantage. She still had to have a certain proficiency with the staff in order for her to make use of it well. Claiming that she only won because of her staff is very rude and disrespectful, Anya. You should apologize to her." The fairy queen was as elegant and calm as ever, her demeanor like a clear pond of water, without even the slightest ripple on the surface. Even as she lectured Anya, she was cool and collected.


    "I am sorry, King Ceris. I did not mean to be rude. Have I offended you?" Anya wrote in the air, her head hung slightly in embarrassment and shame.


    Ceris'' fists loosened and her anger cleared from her head. She had very obviously been offended, but she was before the fairy queen''s adopted daughter. She did not want to ignore the fairy queen''s diplomatic attempt to prevent a disagreement between the elven ruler and her daughter that could not be resolved. Ceris'' teeth were still slightly gritted together, but she calmed down, at least a little bit.


    "I will not take offense to your rude statement," Ceris replied. Her bitterness had come through slightly as she spoke, even in spite of her specific care to prevent it. She took a deep breath to calm herself further and continued. "I know you meant no harm and that you are still learning. I must imagine that a former human has much to learn regarding etiquette in general, let alone the etiquette of our fairies and elves."If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    Anya nodded hesitantly. "You are right. I do still have a lot to learn. The Queen focused on teaching me how to write like this before etiquette or anything else. It would not matter if I knew etiquette without having some manner of communication, after all. I feel that I should apologize again for my poor writing."


    "Your handwriting is legible enough. I must admit, though; it is quite impressive that the Queen has allowed you to celebrate the Wairua Cruin festival with us, having learned so little," Ceris remarked, her tone deliberately innocent.


    As Anya thought of how to reply, the servant fairies brought out the last course to the welcome feast, a plate of light yellow and blue flowers that had been grown in the garden of Emmeralde Verthaven that tasted very sweet and delicate. They cleansed the palate and were delightful to eat, so all fairy feasts ended with these flowers, which were simply called verthavens.


    This also meant that conversations had to end, since speaking was not permitted during the flower course. It was a cultural tradition that had arisen because it was said that the first royal fairy to eat a verthaven flower was so amazed by its taste that they did not speak for several hours after eating it.


    So there they sat, the inwardly-disgruntled elven king trying so very hard to maintain her composure, the little mute girl who did not understand the person in front of her, and, of course, the fairy queen sitting between the two of them, as unaffected as ever.


    They ate the flowers in silence, as the banquet hall had quieted down. The silence during the flower course was usually very respectful and peaceful, but for Ceris, it had become quite uncomfortable. At this point, she had realized that her emotions had driven her to speak a bit too frankly to the queen''s child, but she could do nothing to rectify her discomfort or apologize to the queen. She could only eat these lovely, tasty flowers in front of her. She avoided eye contact with both Queen Kiridian and Anya.


    Anya, on the other hand, was still using this time to think about how to respond to the elven ruler. She knew that Ceris was rejecting her presence among the fairies, but she did not understand why the elven king was not being upfront about it. She knew rejection like the back of her small, scarred hand, but it was the first time she had ever experienced this sort of roundabout aggression.


    Anya wished that Ceris would just speak to her honestly. She wished that Ceris would directly tell her what she felt about the girl. It would make things far less confusing for her, since Anya could simply not understand why Ceris was not already speaking to her about it.


    Queen Kiridian watched the two elves before her, a mischievous thought crossing her mind. She did not show anything outwardly though, as she elegantly ate her flowers.


    The queen finished the last flower, and set down her silverware, which signaled the end of the welcome feast. No one was allowed to continue eating after the fairy queen finished.


    Queen Kiridian suddenly stood up and clapped her hands together to draw everyone''s attention towards her. "Attention, everyone! This feast has now ended! Welcome, Elves of Draiochta, to our Wairua Cruin festival!"

 Chapter 11: Wairua Cruin, Ceris Draiochta

    Fairy servants led Ceris to the place where she would be staying during the festival. The expression of the elven king was stoic as she followed them.


    When she entered the extravagently-decorated suite, Ceris sighed. She thought about getting some rest right away, but she changed her mind and chose to sit at the desk that had been provided. She withdrew some blank paper from the top drawer and started writing a letter.


    "My Dear Mora Draiochta,


    I have safely arrived in Emmeralde Verthaven for Wairua Cruin. Queen Kiridian has received our people and the fairies have provided excellent hospitality, as our ancestral bloodline always does. The fairies are behaving as they always do, but there is something which I find rather unusual happening here. Queen Kiridian herself has taken a disciple, a young human child who calls herself Anya. I realize that my pen has moved quicker than my thoughts, as I described this child as a human. However, this young girl has been granted the Siol Draiochta, as our ever-distant ancestors once were, and has become an elf, just as we are.


    You must be doubting your eyes as you read this letter, I imagine. What a shock it was for me to arrive and see the "Queen''s Child Anya," as others address her, standing among the other royal fairies as though they are all equal! A former human, of all beings! Have our esteemed ancestors forgotten why they no longer have a king? Is it truly so easy for them to forget their past grievances and forgive this descendant of the accursed humans?


    I worry for our royal fairies. This child, I fear, will be no different from her ancestors. I fear that she will take advantage of Queen Kiridian''s kindness and generosity to stab her in the back, but as I have no evidence to this intuition of mine, I can only worry silently. Our Queen is very powerful, to the point that a straightforward attack from any of this world''s creatures would still do little more than cast a breeze over her body, but an attack from one she trusts so greatly, although it may be difficult to imagine, would not be unprecendented. Of course, you understand that I speak of the tragic loss of Our True King.


    I must keep an eye on this child. Even though she is supposedly pure of heart, since she can see the fairies, now that she has become an elf, if her heart is to be sullied in any way, she will still be able to see them. I believe that, though her body may now be that of our Draiochta people, her heart will still be that of the greedy humans from which she is descended.


    I wish you the best as you manage our people in my temporary absence, dear brother. Should the need arrive, I am prepared to remain in Emmeralde Verthaven, as a guest of our queen, though I certainly hope that it does not come to that. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    The Best, as Always,


    Ceris Draiochta"


    As she finished writing her letter, Ceris sealed it and cast a spell to teleport it to the elven palace. There was a magic formation in her room to send letters, and it was so simple to use that the elven ruler did not require much effort in ensuring its safe arrival to its destined recipient.


    Having taken care of that, Ceris changed into her nightclothes and slid into the bed. Her mind was full of thoughts as she tried to sleep.


    She had been the ruler for some time now, and this was obviously not her first Wairua Cruin, but why did the addition of that child make her feel as though everything had changed? What was this slightly bothersome feeling in her chest as she thought about the human child?


    Unable to sleep, she threw her blankets off of herself and changed into light clothing. She headed towards the courtyard with her staff clenched tightly in her hands as she walked at a brisk pace that would cause her old etiquette teacher to reprimand her.


    She began practicing her martial combat with her staff, swinging it around fiercely and aggressively, as the imaginary opponent before her evaded.


    In the hands of the King, this staff was sharper and faster than a sword in the hands of an ordinary person.


    Ceris had begun sweating, but the elf just dried herself off with her own shirt when it started to bother her. The moon tonight was so bright that she could see just as well as she could during the day. Every step of her combat footwork was illuminated, just as was every hair that passed in front of her face.


    With every staff technique she practiced, her moves became more and more aggitated, until she finally snapped and let out a scream.


    She had vented her frustration to a certain extent now, and the physical fatigue of her practice, she hoped, would allow her to fall asleep more easily.


    Heaving a sigh of relief and satisfaction, Ceris relaxed and ended her practice. She wiped her sweat away with her own shirt again, revealing her well-developed abdominal muscles. Elves were well-known for their magic capabilities and often neglected their physique, but Ceris'' muscles were evidence that she had trained frequently for a very long time. If her etiquette instructor were to see her like this, Ceris could expect to suffer her harsh punishment, but there was no one around to see her behaving so indecently at this time... She thought.


    As she grabbed her staff and prepared to head inside, the elven king heard the crisp sound of a footstep. She spun around, searching for the one watching her, and found the end of her staff pointing at none other than the human child who had been taken in by the fairy queen and caused the ruler of the elves to feel so distraught that she could not sleep.


    It was Anya Tran.

 Chapter 12: Wairua Cruin, Breakdown

    Ceris stared at the child in front of her, who had not made any indication that she was present. The elven king fixed her hair and sighed.


    "What are you doing here?" Her tone was unintentionally a bit rude, the result of her irritation and fatigue coming together.


    The child pursed her mouth in a slight frown. Ceris almost found this motion kind of endearing.


    Almost.


    "Get on with it then! Don''t just stare at me like that!" Her frustration had reached a breaking point, and she subconsciously began to disregard her sense of decorum. Ceris folded her arms together and began tapping her foot impatiently.


    Anya shrunk back slightly, intimidated by Ceris'' demeanor. Her hands started shaking as she wrote in the air, making her clumsy runes illegible.


    Ceris scoffed. "You can''t even write! Really, what are you even doing here? The fairies are exalted beings, and even my elves don''t spend much time in their presence, not to mention a broken human child like you. So what if you were able to see them because you''re pure of heart? Most humans your age can see fairies! It''s not a big deal! You should know that humans always lose their ability to see fairies. Your hearts are always stained by the world! You wouldn''t be any different, you know! How did you trick the queen into taking care of you?"


    Before she realized it, she was spilling out her thoughts and frustrations. Worse yet, she could see herself breaking down, and could do nothing to stop herself.


    She knew she needed to stop and apologize. She knew she would need to apologize to Queen Kiridian as well, since she had suggested that the queen''s judgement was flawed.


    And yet...


    She did not stop.


    Ceris Draiochta, King of the Draiochta Elves, looked at the small cchild in front of her, the young child who was trembling uncontrollably as tears welled up in her eyes...


    ...And still she continued.


    "Go on! Answer me! What did you do? What trickery allowed you to enter this sacred place and spread your human corruption? Tell me, why a human was given a blessing from the fairy queen, when your kind has done absolutely nothing to promote your relationship with the fairies! Tell me why our elves, who always pay our respects to the fairies who created our race, have come here year after year to receive the good graces of our magical ancestors, receive the blessings of the fairies so rarely that directly receiving a blessing from the fairies would put one in the royal line of succession! And tell me why, of all the humans that could have wandered in and received the blessing of the fairy queen, it had to be such a weak-willed, scrawny, broken, and depressed child like you?!"A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    Ceris'' voice had raised more and more as she vented, until she finally exhaled forcefully, having said what she wanted to say. It was, without a doubt, the first time she had ever expressed herself in such a forceful, unbecoming manner, but she felt strangely relieved. Disregarding the child before her, Ceris had calmed down so much that her frustrations even appeared laudable to her.


    Suddenly, and in a completely different manner from earlier, Ceris once again lost control of herself. She broke into laughter and tears at how ridiculous she was being. If her etiquette instructor could see her now, she would be copying the elven law until her fingers bled, and another week beyond that.


    Anya, in the meantime, was utterly terrified. She had been on a walk because she couldn''t sleep, when she heard someone scream, so she went outside and saw Ceris. Ceris had shouted and raged at her, and now she was laughing hysterically. Ceris'' tirade had been enough to scare her, but her laughter made her appear absolutely insane.


    Anya had noticed the staff in Ceris'' hands and realized that she must have been training for some reason. She also knew that Ceris was a trained warrior and magician, while she was just a small child that could barely use enough magic to write in the air. Anya had felt the threat of death before, when she was still living in the human village, but for the first time, she felt the fear of unpredictability. She could not tell what the elven ruler was planning to do, but she knew that if Ceris so desired, she would be killed without even the slightest chance to resist.


    Anya wanted to run away, but did not dare to move. Her instincts told her that if she moved, Ceris would move, and if Ceris moved, there was no telling what she would do.


    She remained still; even her frightened trembling had stopped completely. Her breaths had become slow and silent, and her chest barely moved as she inhaled and exhaled. Anya had become a statue as Ceris broke down before her.


    After several minutes that felt like an eternity to the young girl, Ceris finally wiped away her tears as her laughter settled down.


    "My word, I am so incredibly apologetic. Your name was Anya, correct? I have been so completely out of line. Please forgive me." Though her words were sincere, the elven king still had a trace of laughter on her face, which, Anya felt, was contrary to her literal intent.


    She was still frozen still, unsure of how to respond.


    Was this really that proud, aloof royal who had arrived earlier? What had overcome this woman for her to behave in such a manner?


    Anya realized that she needed to say something. She took a deep breath to calm herself down and steady her hands.


    "King Ceris, are you okay?"


    She did not mean to imply anything, although one certainly could not blame her if she did.


    "Dear Anya, I admit, I simply cannot understand anything about your presence here and it''s driving me absolutely mad! However, I believe that my episode just now may have helped me come to terms with this situation. I do not believe I will display such unsightly behavior in front of you in the future."


    The elf had regained some of her cool demeanor once more, and spoke with a hint of light in her eyes. Whether it was the light of madness or the glint of moonlight in her eyes, Anya was uncertain, but to put her worries aside, she told herself that it was the moonlight.

 Chapter 13: Wairua Cruin, Talk in the Night

    Anya could not believe how Ceris Draiochta, the King of Elves, could behave in such an unbecoming manner. Was this her true face? Was the proud demeanor she had kept until now nothing but a ruse?


    "Well, I should probably head up to bed. After all, it is rather late, and I must save some energy for tomorrow. I am certain that the Queen has told you, but the main event tomorrow is the tournament amongst the Draiochta elves. I will only be participating at the very end, as I am the King, but it would be quite laughable if I were to lose a match because I was not properly rested, would you not agree?" Ceris smirked wryly.


    "King Ceris, would it be okay if I talked to you about what you just said to me?" Anya''s head was lowered hesitantly as she drew the glowing letters in the air. The soft light emitted from the magic reflected slightly in the tears welling in her eyes. She was trembling noticeably, though it had lessened somewhat.


    Ceris paid no mind to the girl''s state and snorted in amusement. "Why should I? I am doing much better, and I have already assured you that this will not happen again, so I believe we have nothing to discuss. I should not waste any more time here talking to a girl who cannot even talk. I am sorry for my rudeness, you must understand, but there are more important things to me than trying to establish a good relationship with you. Stay out of my way, and I will do the same for you. I do not like you and you must not like me, so this is the best course of action."


    "Why would I dislike you? You screamed at me because you were hurting and confused. I know that I was probably just a place for you to direct those feelings." Anya tilted her head in curiosity. Her face was upset, but honest.


    Ceris shook her head. "I really must be going now. Good evening, Anya." She smiled lightly and started heading towards the doors that led inside.


    "Anya! Where are you?!" Suddenly, from just inside, the loud voice of someone came from inside.


    Ceris opened the doors and said, "She is out there. Go get her."


    Flying out the doors with a teary face was Rau of the Starry River. Her wings flitted quicker than a hummingbird''s wings as she flew full-speed to Anya, wrapping both of her arms around Anya''s bicep.


    "Rau, get King Ceris to stay! Please!"


    "You gave me a scare when I went to check on you and you weren''t there! Let''s get you to bed now. You have a long day ahead of you," Rau began pulling on the girl, disregarding her words.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "Rau, this is important! I need to talk to her! If you don''t get her, I''ll tell Queen Kiridian!" Anya scrawled urgently. Her letters were practically illegible, but Rau had no trouble reading them. As the small fairy read Anya''s words, her face lost its color. She stopped trying to drag Anya around and turned to chase down the Elven King.


    "Hey! Get back here! The Queen''s Child wants to speak to you! If you don''t turn around, I''ll have to report this to the Queen herself, so get back here!" Rau was as energetic as ever, even so late in the night. Actually, as a fairy of the Starry River tribe, she was perhaps more energetic at night than during the day.


    In any case, Rau''s words caused Ceris to pause. The elf turned around and glared icily at the tiny fairy. "Is that so?"


    Rau froze for a moment in surprise. She had never seen an elf glare at a fairy before. She quickly shook it off, though, and spoke again, her voice unaffected by her surprise. "Of course it is! So come back and talk to her! Even if I have no idea why she would want to talk to someone like you, she asked me to get you, and every moment you aren''t talking is another minute that the Queen''s Child is staying up when she should be asleep! So get over here, or I''ll drag you to the Queen to explain yourself!"


    The elf closed her eyes for a moment, disguising her eye roll. She sighed and headed back out to talk to Anya. The young girl was sitting down patiently as she waited. She had faith in Rau, and knew that the tiny, boisterous fairy would be able to bring Ceris back.


    "Why do you want to talk to me so badly? Why are you putting yourself in my way?" Ceris asked impatiently.


    "Come and sit here," Anya gestured next to her.


    Ceris frowned and was about to decline, but then she saw Rau''s expression that told her she did not have the option of declining.


    "Abusing your power like this is very human," Ceris remarked as she sat down.


    "When I first came here, to this forest, and I met Rau, I did not want to talk about my circumstances, and I did not have the ability to do that even if I wanted to. The reason I wanted to talk to you is because you remind me of myself. You have been holding yourself together for everyone''s sake but you are not very strong, are you?"


    "How dare you! I am the strongest among the elves, if you have not been paying attention. I would not wear the royal crest otherwise."


    "I mean that you are not strong emotionally. Tell me again that I am wrong."


    Ceris scoffed, but said nothing otherwise.


    "My parents have been dead for as long as I can remember. When they died, I was taken in by my mom''s sister, my aunt. But this was when I was still a baby, and my aunt did not realize that I would never speak. I remember her saying that she never would have taken me in if she had known that. By the time she figured this out, the rest of the people in the village I was born knew about me, and my aunt knew she would not be able to get rid of me so easily anymore. She could not claim that I had died in the accident that took my parents'' lives."


    At this point, Anya took a deep breath, even though she did not need the breath to speak, she needed to calm herself enough to continue.


    "So my aunt put me in the storage shed."

 Chapter 14: Wairua Cruin, The Festival Will Finally Begin... In One More Chapter!

    Ceris stared blankly as Anya wrote. In all honesty, the only thing she wanted to do at the moment was leave. However, she couldn''t very well leave now. Rau was staring daggers at the elf. For a tiny fairy the size of her palm, the successor of the Starry Tribe''s chief certainly emitted a frightening pressure. The queen had gifted Rau a shimmering black gown that drew attention to her even during the night, and in addition to this, Rau was proudly wearing a cape with the Starry Tribe''s crest. Her clothing added to her proud demeanor, even though Anya would not perceive the hyperactive little chatterbox as someone of a particularly high status.


    At some point, Ceris realized that Anya was waiting for her to react.


    Although she managed to stop herself from sighing too exaggeratedly, Ceris could not help but release a soft sigh and feigned interest as she remarked, "So your aunt kept you in the storage shed, huh? That sounds like it must have been tough."


    Anya nodded in agreement. "It was tough! They only gave me food that they would not eat themselves, and it was only every few days, and when I could stand and walk, they would have me do chores that they did not want to bother with. My aunt did the bare minimum tailoring to outfit me in burlap potato sacks."


    At this moment, Anya grinned slightly. "It wasn''t all bad though. My aunt''s son, my cousin, was about five years older than me. He did not tell them to treat me better, but sometimes, when he could, he would give his food to me. I mean, it was not very often, because the village was too poor to keep everyone fed through the winter, but I think I was able to live because of him."


    Suddenly, Anya seemed downcast. Her eyes lost the slight light they''d had. "But this past winter, he got sick, and my aunt and uncle decided to take him to the city for treatment, but they left me behind. They left me in the care of my uncle''s father, but when the three of them got attacked on the way to the city and died, he decided that he would not take care of me. He brought me to the forest while I was sleeping and left me there."


    Rau stomped angrily and shouted, "You just point me in his direction and I will teach that human what it means to be afraid for his life! I ought to kill him for what he did to you! How could he leave a defenseless child in the forest like that!?"


    Anya shook her head. "I don''t blame him though. He is old, and he could barely take care of himself with the bit of help he was getting from his children. He could afford to keep me alive with the money they left him with for me, for the few months he was supposed to take care of me, but he would never have been able to afford it without their pay, and I would just be a burden. I appreciate you getting mad for me, Rau, but don''t be mad at him for leaving me in the forest, because that is what led me to meet you, and Queen Kiridian, and Arn and Kyran, and Ceris too! I have never felt the warmth of the affection that all of you give me, and that would never have happened if he didn''t leave me in the forest here."This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Ceris rolled her eyes. "You must be incredibly slow if you think that I have been showing you any affection."


    Rau glared at the elf, who shook her head.


    "I am serious! Do you really believe that I have shown you any real kindness since we met one another? It is one thing to be naive, but it is another to deny reality! Does being pure of heart mean that you disregard the things in this world that you find unfavorable? Fairy guardian, I have been as respectful as I must be towards this adopted daughter of your queen, but you cannot- and more importantly,should not- keep her shielded from everything! You fairies! I cannot understand what goes through your heads! Is there really a method to your madness? We look up to you, but what sort of message are we to learn from this? That we should forgive the murder of our patriarch? You ask too much of us! Why does it feel like the elves are more offended over that than you are, when it wasyour king who died?"


    Ceris sighed and put her fingers to her temples, massaging the headache that had been slowly growing from the moment she had arrived here.


    Rau''s face twisted in anger. "Howdare you! Anya is-"


    "She is the daughter of the queen, yes. We have very clearly established that. Does that, though, mean that no one can speak the truth to her? Do not let this young mind become corrupted by falsities ofyour own making."


    "Enough." Anya tapped Rau to get her to calm down. The fairy turned around in surprise and started to protest.


    "Anya, she was being disrespectful to you!"


    "What of it? Have I done anything to earn that respect?"


    "You are Queen Kiridian''s daughter! Earning the affection of our queen is already enough to earn the respect of all fairies and elves!"


    "Queen Kiridian may be caring for me and mentoring me, but I am just a human, or... an elf now, I suppose... The point is that I do not deserve her affection! I have not actively done anything to deserve this kindness!"


    "It''s good that you know your place," Ceris remarked.


    "You should leave, King Ceris." Rau crossed her arms and tapped her fingers in frustration.


    "But I wanted to talk to her,"Anya complained.


    As this argument was heating up, a pair of voices resounded throughout the courtyard and they all stopped.


    "That is enough!"


    "Everyone return to their rooms now!"


    The palace guards, Kyran of the Molten Lake and Arn of the Midnight Sky had arrived, sending everyone back inside without any further room for argument or discussion.

 Chapter 15: Wairua Cruin, Tournament Part One

    The morning came without any further incidents. After the guards had arrived, everyone felt that it was not necessary to remain outside and continue this conversation that was mostly arguing.


    Anya always woke up early in the morning, just before the break of dawn. When she woke up today, she was led around and dressed up for the events. She was simply to observe the festivities during the festival this time, though Queen Kiridian had assured her that she would be able to participate in some of the events in due time.


    Anya did not know what these events were, but this excited her.


    She knew she was not a fairy, but she loved being given so much attention and consideration. Such attention also made her feel insecure. After all, she knew that she had not done much to receive this. What did being pure of heart really mean anyway? And since when had her thoughts become so painfully complex? She worried that she was undeserving, and it was not just because Ceris had commented on it.


    But she had nowhere else to go.


    In any case, while the fairies were dressing Anya, she was thinking about everything that had happened yesterday.


    She was going to ask how the fairies felt about serving a (former) human, but as she lifted her arm to write in the air, but a fairy quickly stopped her.


    ¡°Please wait until we¡¯ve finished getting you dressed, Honorable Child,¡± the fairy respectfully requested.


    Anya frowned. This was exactly why she wanted to learn telepathy. She quickly shook away her negative thoughts and nodded.


    Anya made her way to the Queen, who was enjoying a cup of tea. She inhaled the aroma for a long, deep breath before she took a sip.


    ¡°Good morning, Queen,¡± Anya greeted her as she entered the room.


    ¡°Good morning, dear. Would you like to try some of this tea? The tea leaves were grown with the water from the pond in the garden. It is quite fragrant, and even I am rarely able to indulge in it.¡± Kiridian gestured to the teapot beside her.


    Anya shook her head politely. ¡°No, but thank you for the offer.¡±


    She responded using the etiquette she had been taught. The queen smiled, and motioned for the girl to approach her. When Anya was within arm¡¯s reach, she patted the child¡¯s small head.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°You have been learning quickly. Are all human children so intelligent?¡± The queen began brushing her fingers through Anya¡¯s hair as she mused.


    Anya pursed her mouth, then shook her head and shrugged to indicate that she did not know.


    ¡°Today, we will watch the elves demonstrate their skills. They believe these are skills that we fairies bestowed upon them, but the truth is that it is their hard work and dedication that has given them such strength. They do not give themselves enough credit for their own abilities. Such strange creatures, the elves. Ah,¡± Kiridian suddenly paused as she remembered something. ¡°I was told that you and King Ceris had a conflict last night. She did not hurt you, did she? If that woman was so brazen as to harm an individual for whom I have expressly indicated that I care, then the elves will have to find a new king much sooner than they have anticipated.¡±


    The queen spoke in her calm, silky voice, just as she always did, but the content was something to fear. If an individual as powerful as Queen Kiridian was willing to move for the sake of a single individual, it was far more serious than her relaxed tone suggested.


    Anya shook her head. ¡°Ceris- Er, King Ceris did not hurt me last night. She did not say anything that was not true. I think she was just confused because of me.¡±


    For a brief moment, Anya considered telling Kiridian that Ceris had yelled at her, but she figured that would probably cause more trouble than it was worth.


    Kiridian nodded. ¡°If that is the case, then I will not pursue the matter any further. Now then, My Child, shall we head to the location of the tournament?¡±


    Anya nodded, remembering that the elves would battle each other, and that the winner of the overall tournament would be able to challenge the King herself.


    Queen Kiridian entered the arena as a fairy announced her arrival. She and Anya then walked up the steps, filled with excited and respectful elves that bowed their heads as she passed by them and other fairies that did not do the same. These were not royal elves or guards; these were simply elves that had arrived to celebrate the festival. In addition to the elves and fairies, there were some members of other races, although they were few in number by comparison. The occasional dwarf could be spotted, along with humanoid dragons, beastkin, and demonbloods. Beastkin and demonblood were actually fairly common at this event typically, but this year, there seemed to be more dwarves and dragons than usual, though the small child Anya was unaware of this. She had never seen any of these other races before, as humans did not interact much with other races except in their larger cities.


    She was fascinated with the scales on the dragons that appeared as randomly as moles did on humans. The demonbloods¡¯ red eyes were frightening to behold, and startled the young girl, who subconsciously began to walk closer to the queen. The members of the audience were curious about this young child that was following the queen as well, and they watched her with interested gazes. The fairy that had announced the queen¡¯s arrival had announced Anya¡¯s, as well as her identity as the ¡®Queen¡¯s Child.¡¯


    She felt the pressure of these gazes, and even though she only had to follow the queen, it made the girl feel uncomfortable.


    The pair finally reached the highest point of the arena¡¯s seating, the best vantage point in the entire arena. Kiridian sat down leisurely, having Anya sit down on her lap. This surprised the audience, which began chattering noisily until King Ceris arrived, approaching the center of the arena.

 Chapter 16: Wairua Cruin, Tournament Part Two

    Ceris'' cold eyes were indifferent as she glanced towards Kiridian and Anya. She bowed deeply towards the queen, and stood back up. A group of twenty elves dressed in combat clothing knelt before her.


    ¡°My loyal warriors who have traveled here with me to our ancestral land, I greet you on this day as your King, and as a fellow warrior! I did not become your King by speaking flowery words or long-winded, so I will keep this short. I congratulate the participants before me for having the skill to be selected. For the members of the audience who are watching our tournament for the first time, I will explain how this tournament works.


    ¡°Before me are the twenty combatants we have selected prior to this tournament. These twenty combatants will be separated into four groups of five and fight each other until two remain. The eight that remain after the first round will face each other in matches based on how they performed in the previous round. The victor will be the final combatant, and this combatant will be given the honor of sparring with me. We are here to demonstrate our skills to the fairies and receive their guidance, so anyone who kills their opponent will also be killed, and the same goes for any permanent damage inflicted upon an opponent, such as the severing of any limbs or blinding of the eyes, even if it can be proven to be unintentional. If you do not possess the control or power to defeat your opponent without killing or permanently injuring them, then you do not deserve the honor of being a participant in this tournament.


    ¡°If there are any questions about this manner of battle, then that is unfortunate. I will not answer any questions about the tournament. With that being said, by my title and name, King Ceris of the Draiochta Elves, let the Tournament of Wairua Cruin begin!¡±


    After explaining this much, Ceris strode to the edge of the arena and sat in a special viewing seat.


    The first group of five approached the center of the arena, and the other fifteen sat in viewing seats.


    Anya was about to ask about these combatants when a fairy projected their voice through the arena.


    ¡°Welcome to the first battle of the tournament in the first round! The first combatant is Tristan Paxidor, who uses a spear! He is descended from a long line of spear wielders and has inherited their technique of weaving magic around the tip of the spear to inflict more damage¡­ Next is Adora Gwenevere, who fights with a lethal bare-handed style she has developed herself! Look at those abs! You can tell she never skips her daily routine! The third combatant is¡­¡±


    He continued to introduce the elves individually until all five were introduced.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Each of them waved to the crowd as they were introduced. They were fueled by the support of the audience, and being able to make a favorable first impression was the easiest way to obtain their cheers as they battled.


    ¡°Begin!¡± the fairy emcee announced.


    Anya actually did not care much for these fights, and without meaning to, she fell asleep shortly after the fight began.


    Queen Kiridian nudged her awake with a light grin, and a soft chuckle. Her eyes widened ever-so-slightly in surprise as she returned her focus to the arena.


    ¡°Oh? That bare-handed girl is using defensive magic to surround her hands instead of offensive magic. I thought that this style would be more volatile from the announcer¡¯s description, but it seems she cares more about defending herself. Or is this because she is not allowed to kill her opponents¡­?¡±


    Kiridian was watching the fight surprisingly closely and even analyzing the techniques used by the competitors. Anya did not understand how the queen could pay so much attention to it. To the small girl, it looked like a bunch of back and forth attacks that did not really matter.


    ¡°Is watching good fighters always so boring?¡± she asked, writing small characters so that others around her would not be offended.


    The queen laughed. ¡°I suppose this must look very dull to you, dear girl, but the fact that this battle has been going on for so long means that they are fairly evenly-matched. It might be that they are showing too much concern for their opponents, though.¡±


    Suddenly, a spear pierced through the shoulder of one of the other opponents. They collapsed and grabbed the spear in their shoulder. Instead of removing it, the competitor sent a wave of magic through the spear¡¯s shaft and electrified the spear-user. That poor man fell to the ground, his hair singed in a round, poofy ball surrounding his head.


    The crowd cheered at the sudden turn of events, and the spear wielder disappeared, but so did the person who had been stabbed. After being pierced through and using that much magic, the person fell over, unconscious.


    In just a moment, the drawn-out fight had gained so much momentum that victory was only one more competitor away.


    The fist-user girl looked between her two remaining opponents. She exchanged a glance and a nod with one of them, and the two of them finished off the third competitor.


    Anya glanced at Kiridian with an inquisitive expression.


    ¡°Since they do not need to defeat all of their opponents, you will see a lot of cases like this, where some of the competitors team up to defeat the rest of them. That bare-handed fighter was named Adora, I believe? She seems quite intuitive. She did not team up with the stronger of the two remaining.¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t she choose to team up with the stronger person?¡± Anya asked.


    ¡°She wants an easier opponent in the future,¡± Queen Kiridian smiled knowingly. ¡°It is not a bad idea. She most likely wants to conserve her strength, and conserving strength is of the utmost importance on a battlefield. We are not searching for soldiers, but she certainly has that quality about her.¡±


    The small girl¡¯s eyes began sparkling as she began to understand what people found so interesting about these fights.


    The top two for this battle had been decided, and Anya, who had been uninterested up to this point, began watching the battles with a renewed interest and vigor.

 Chapter 17, Wairua Cruin, Tournament Part Three

    The following battles in the first round passed in a similar manner, and Queen Kiridian explained everything patiently to Anya, who asked any questions that came to mind. The emcee was doing well in describing the battles, but Anya also enjoyed hearing the queen¡¯s own thoughts as she explained what was happening.


    Kiridian was very strong, and could see through the intentions of the competitors. She knew when they were feinting and could discern their movements before they had even occurred. In the cases where a competitor was using a particular combat style, she could recognize it instantly, and if it were a style developed by the competitor themself, she realized it from their first stance. Some competitors teamed up to win, and others defeated the teams to stand up on their own. According to Kiridian, these were the ones to watch in the coming rounds.


    Anya took it all in with the enthusiasm and excitement of the child she was, even if she often acted far more mature than her age would suggest. At some point, Anya had begun to think with an intellectual quality beyond her six or seven years. Queen Kiridian had noticed it, remarking that magic affects the mind and intelligence, and had most likely sped up the mental development of the young girl when she consumed the Siol Draiochta.


    In any case, the first round of the tournament had completed, and the top eight competitors had been decided. The elves needed to set up a stage for the one on one battles, so they required a break between the first and second rounds.


    Once they announced that the first round was over, Rau, who had been ever-present at Anya¡¯s side, sighed in relief.


    ¡°That took forever! These elves! If they cannot finish their fight right away, how strong can they really be? They think that this is showing us their skills!¡±


    With the way she spoke, it was apparent that Rau was not as entertained by this tournament as Anya and the Queen.


    Anya considered telling Rau how much she was enjoying this tournament, but Ceris stood up and approached them.


    ¡°Greetings, my Queen. I hope that the tournament thus far is to your liking. We have searched for quite a while to find such a diverse group of competitors in the hopes of demonstrating our clan¡¯s wide variety of skills.¡± The elven king put her right fist on her chest and bowed slightly. She politely spoke, refusing to meet any of their eyes.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°Yes, this year¡¯s competitors appear quite skilled. One can easily see the effort that has gone into your selection. If I remember correctly, the combatant known as Peyrin was in the tournament two years ago. Am I correct?¡± The Queen smiled gently, motioning for Ceris to stand normally.


    ¡°Your memory is perfect, Queen Kiridian. After his failure in the first round of the tournament two years ago, he began intense training. He even learned weapon enchanting from one of your fairy craftsmen. The sword he is using has been enchanted by none other than himself. It raises his speed and channels his magic into physical power.¡±


    ¡°You have quite a detailed knowledge on this competitor¡¯s history. You can consider me impressed.¡±


    The conversation between the two was moving too quickly for Anya to have her say, though she admitted that she would not know what to say even if she had her chance.


    She hastily wrote that she needed to use the restroom and left, feeling somewhat uneasy.


    Rau accompanied her until she entered the room itself, waiting outside of the building.


    Anya did not take very long, but when she left, she could not find Rau amongst the throes of the crowd. She searched for a while, but the tiny blue fairy simply could not be seen!


    So, Anya walked around, looking for a tiny blue needle in a haystack. Gradually, the crowds around her dwindled and became thinner, until Anya realized that she was lost, and there was no one around to ask for help. Anya had been taught how to find people with magic. She knew she needed to emit a small pulse of magic energy and wait until she felt a reaction from someone else with magic energy.


    It was a method that had been inspired by the echolocation technique of certain animals.


    Anya had not practiced this technique very much, and even when she did, it was not very successful, but she had no other options but to try.


    She closed her eyes and focused on releasing a small bubble of magic power that would react when it came in contact with something else possessing magic.


    She failed the first time, which made her feel frustrated and sigh. She felt her face heating up. Whether this was from embarrassment, worry, or some other complex emotion, even Anya could not tell. She reminded herself not to give up, and tried again.


    If I cannot do this, it will be a while before I can get back. So I need to take this slowly. I need to be patient. I need to form a bubble around me of magic power. It is fine if it is too thick for now, but I need to make a bubble.


    As she focused and concentrated, a bubble of magic energy surrounded the girl. The shape was rough, similar to a rock, but it was there, surrounding Anya completely.


    I have a bubble. I need to make it thin. What else is thin? My clothes are thin. Imagine that this bubble is as thin as my clothes. Thinner¡­ thinner¡­


    The bubble followed her will and became as thin as the material of her clothes.


    Now, I just need to spread it out, slowly. Wait for it to react¡­


    She gasped. She felt a reaction!


    She walked towards the source of the reaction, but instead of being happy to find the source of the reaction, her expression grew confused.


    There was nothing here.

 Chapter 18: Wairua Cruin, The Dragon

    Anya was so sure that her detection magic had succeeded. Why wasn¡¯t there anything here?


    She reached out her hands to search the area, but as soon as she stretched them out, her hands touched a smooth, scaled surface.


    As far as her eyes could tell, there was nothing here, but her hands definitely felt the presence of something.


    She sighed in relief and excitement. I thought my magic failed, but it did not fail after all!


    She wrote in the air in the fairy runescript, ¡°Hello. I am Anya. I was watching the tournament of Wairua Cruin, but I got lost. Could you please help me get back?¡±


    The invisible presence did not respond, but Anya believed that she could feel a slight shift in the scaled surface she was still touching.


    ¡°Can you read this writing? I cannot speak, so I do not know other means of communicating¡­¡±


    She worried that this magic user might not be able to read.


    The surface she was touching shivered, and the appearance below her hand changed. Bright violet scales appeared, and formed the appearance of a dragon not too much larger than herself. Anya immediately withdrew her hand in surprise.


    The dragon snorted and stood up. Its slender body twisted like a snake as it turned to face her.


    ¡°I can read something like the fairies¡¯ runescript. Do not patronize me, little elf girl,¡± it scoffed.


    The girl could not move at all. She knew that dragons existed, but she had heard that they would take a humanoid form amongst other races. Seeing a dragon in its original form was incredibly uncommon. There was another reason why she was so stunned by the dragon, but¡­


    The dragon¡¯s eyes were highly intelligent as they observed the young child, their color like liquid mercury.


    ¡°Are you just going to stand there like a statue or what? Do not act like you have never seen a dragon before. Our dragons and your elves interact frequently.¡± The dragon¡¯s tone was mocking the girl.


    Anya blinked a few times before recovering from her stupor. ¡°My apologies. I am-¡±


    ¡°Why do you write? Are you unable to speak?¡±Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    She bit her lower lip as she nodded. ¡°That is right.¡±


    ¡°We are similar then. I cannot take a humanoid form, and the dragon race cannot form words with our mouths if we are not in our humanoid form.¡±


    Anya blinked in surprise. ¡°I thought telepathy was a forbidden magic. I heard that from Queen Kiridian. Have I misunderstood something?¡± She was certain that the queen had mentioned this. Otherwise, the young girl would most likely have asked about how to use it already.


    The dragon snorted in amusement. ¡°Fairies look down on magic that affects the mind. Even though telepathy is inherently harmless, they do not use it. However, dragons are able to use telepathy from the moment we are hatched. Our parents will speak to us telepathically as they wait for us to hatch from our eggs. It is an innate skill, so the fairies neither praise nor criticize us for using it.¡±


    Anya nodded, though she was not quite certain she understood. ¡°I see,¡± she wrote.


    ¡°Actually, I am confused by something you have said. You said that the Fairy Queen herself told you about that. How would an elf hear that for the very first time from her? An elf would normally not be able to speak to the queen without a certain status, but those of that status would already know about the taboo. Just who are you?¡± The dragon did not have eyebrows, but Anya was certain that the dragon before her would be raising an eyebrow in curiosity if it could.


    ¡°I am Anya. The queen took me as her disciple not too long ago.¡±


    ¡°Why did she take you in, though? What qualifies you to learn directly from the Fairy Queen herself?¡±


    Anya shook her head. ¡°I do not think that I am qualified. A fairy brought me here to Emmeralde Verthaven because I was abandoned by my village, and Queen Kiridian took me in on a whim.¡±


    The dragon shook its head in confusion. ¡°I must be missing something. Even if you were abandoned by your village, usually the fairies would just send you to another village to let the elves take care of you themselves.¡±


    Anya¡¯s eyes widened in realization. ¡°I was a human when the queen took me in. She gave me the Siol Draiochta at that time and I ate it so I became an elf.¡±


    The dragon nodded. ¡°I see. You are very young, so I suppose it is not that strange that you could see fairies. I have never heard of humans becoming elves! This is interesting! I can tell that you are not lying either, which makes me all the more intrigued. I feel that I want to observe you. It may be sudden, but dragons are true to their hearts and instincts. Form a contract with me, Anya. Allow me to stay by you.¡±


    ¡°A contract?¡±


    ¡°We will become each other¡¯s power, and I will protect you until you are strong enough to protect me as well.¡±


    ¡°The queen is protecting me right now. I do not need more protection.¡±


    ¡°If the queen is protecting you so well, then how did you get lost and end up here, asking me for help?¡±


    Anya pursed her mouth. The dragon had a point. She had gotten separated from Rau and become lost. If the one she had encountered while trying to return was someone who wanted to harm her, she would have been unable to do anything to stop them.


    With that in mind, having a bit more help and protection could not hurt, right? It did not occur to her that the dragon may have had ill intentions towards her after hearing that she was related to the fairy queen, but she was only about seven years old, and even if she was a bit more clever from the Siol Draiochta, there was still a limit to her critical thinking.


    She nodded at the dragon. ¡°Then, allow me to form a contract with you.¡±

 Chapter 19: Wairua Cruin, Thestian

    Was it her pure heart or simply na?vet¨¦ that influenced Anya as she heard the dragon¡¯s suggestion of a contract? Whatever it was, it had convinced her to agree.


    The dragon¡¯s mouth could not move very well. It could only open and close to some degrees. For a brief moment, though, Anya felt as though she saw a corner of the dragon¡¯s mouth tilt upwards in a smirk.


    ¡°Excellent. To form a contract, you must give me a name I accept, and I must give you one of my scales,¡± the dragon explained.


    Anya nodded as though she understood. She thought for a moment, and her eyes widened. ¡°Wait. What kind of dragon are you?¡±


    The dragon rolled its eyes mockingly. ¡°I am one of the few left in the ancient Evening Violet Clan. Our kinsfolk dwindle, but as individuals, we are as fierce as ever! I suppose being a human formerly, you would not recognize our noble distinctive characteristic, our eyes.¡±


    The young girl met the dragon¡¯s eyes, those beautiful, steel eyes, and smiled.


    ¡°The Evening Violet Clan? That sounds really cool! What kind of name would suit someone from your clan¡­¡± She mulled it over for a moment, then came up with a suggestion. ¡°How about Glen? In human legends, dragons always reside in valleys to protect them.¡±


    ¡°You would give me a name based upon your human lore? Think again, child!¡± the dragon scoffed, seeming to enjoy itself as it ridiculed the young girl.


    She listened and thought. She was not expecting the dragon to accept her first idea, but the dragon had firmly rejected it. She started listing ideas as they came to her mind. ¡°Azraphel¡­ Dominick¡­ Thalt¡­ Thestian¡­ Dithor¡­ Oldrit¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop. What was that?¡± It appeared the dragon had heard a name it liked.


    ¡°Oldrit?¡±


    ¡°Oldrit? No! I would never accept that sort of name!¡±


    ¡°Was it Dithor then?¡±


    ¡°No! My word, if I had known you were so terrible at coming up with names I would never have suggested forming a contract with you.¡±


    ¡°I thought you stopped me because you heard one that you liked. Was I wrong?¡±


    The dragon rolled its eyes again. ¡°I liked the name Thestian. I thought you would be smart enough to realize that Thestian was the name I liked, but I was clearly wrong. The name is Thestian! Grant it to me!¡±Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    Anya pouted. ¡°The one who suggested this contract was you. If you actually want it, I want to be treated as your equal. Otherwise, I will find my way back without your help.¡±


    The dragon snorted in laughter. ¡°I am sure that you will do that, little elf of the human clan Tran.¡± As it examined the young girl¡¯s serious expression though, it lowered its head. ¡°You are right about us treating one another as equals, dear girl. I will acknowledge you as my equal once you establish the contract.¡±


    Anya grinned. She was satisfied with the dragon¡¯s attitude. She had believed it to be somewhat haughty and pompous, but maybe, just maybe, it was not as arrogant as it appeared.


    ¡°Dragon, I grant you the name Thestian. Accept this name, and form the contract between us.¡±


    The small dragon¡¯s body shivered, and bowed its head. ¡°I accept thine name and thine contract, Anya of the Tran, daughter of fairies, kin of humans, and elf primogenitor.¡±


    Anya felt a certain change within her as the dragon- no, Thestian- accepted the contract. She closed her eyes in pain as she felt a searing heat upon the center of her forehead. The pain was intense, but she had suffered even greater agony when she consumed the Siol Draiochta. She was able to endure that, so this was much easier in comparison. She lifted her hands to her forehead and cried out briefly before it quickly subsided.


    As she opened her eyes, she looked towards the dragon and blinked in surprise.


    It seemed that the dragon had immediately taken humanoid form.


    Thestian¡¯s humanoid form was surprising to her, although Anya did not know why. The dragon¡¯s hair was short and clear, like glass. Its eyes were the same silver color, framed with delicate white eyelashes. Its nose was high and thin, but its cheeks were not as sharp. It had a violet scale under its right eye, and another just next to its left ear. Thestian¡¯s lips were thin and pale.


    As she subconsciously absorbed the features of Thestian¡¯s humanoid form, she gasped. Thestian was not wearing anything. Some sort of violet-scale armor had formed over their body, but it was clear to her that this was just a natural development and could not be removed!


    Her face flushed and she could barely form any words, but she certainly tried. ¡°You are not wearing anything!¡±


    Thestian smirked, and slowly blinked, revealing another small scale on its right eyelid. ¡°I was not wearing anything before, either, Anya Tran.¡± The dragon took a step towards her and frowned. It looked at its backside, where there was a trail of scales sticking out from its backside. ¡°I am quite happy that I can speak with this human tongue, but I believe that it would be most unpleasant to sit against something in this form. Once I adjust myself to it, it should be much better though.¡±


    ¡°Put some clothes on! People wear clothes!¡± Anya managed to write in her flustered state.


    ¡°I am a dragon, first and foremost. If I am a beast in the form of my birth, but a person in the form of men, then that would be most inconsistent, would you not agree?¡±


    Anya could only sigh in exasperation.


    ¡°Besides,¡± Thestian continued, ¡°there are no clothes to be found in such a place. I cannot wear clothing when I have none.¡±


    ¡°Can you return to your dragon form then, and leave? We can join the queen, and I am certain that Kiridian will provide some clothes for you to wear.¡±


    Thestian smiled strangely, before nodding and returning to its dragon form. In addition, it shrunk itself to the size of her finger and settled itself on the girl¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Be careful about making promises on behalf of others, dear girl, for people of all races can surprise one another.¡±

 Chapter 20: Wairua Cruin, Return to the Tournament

    Thestian¡¯s sense of direction was much better than Anya expected. The young girl had seen the dragon in the forest and subconsciously assumed that it must have been lost there as well, just not as lost as she was. She realized that she had clearly been mistaken as the dragon navigated the forest to return the girl.


    As they got nearer, they realized that the second round of the tournament had already begun. A battle between two of the competitors who had passed the first round had clearly been underway for a decent while now.


    Anya returned to her seat beside the queen, who immediately stood up and examined her.


    ¡°Where have you been?¡± she whispered. ¡°Rau informed me that she had lost you and I was so very worried! You are such a small child, and there are so many people out there. This may be my city and kingdom, and those who may dare to harm you in my domain may be few, but you must understand that they still exist! I had quite a mind to halt the tournament until you returned, but I did not wish to draw attention to the fact that you were missing!¡±


    Queen Kiridian was patting the girl all over to make sure that she had not been harmed. She lifted back the hair over Anya¡¯s forehead and froze. Her expression indicated that she wanted an explanation.


    Anya pried an arm free and wrote in the air. ¡°I am sorry. I got lost, but I did not realize it until there was no one else around to ask for directions. I found this dragon and formed a contract with it in exchange for protection and help returning.¡±


    Kiridian¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°This dragon formed a contract with you for such a reason? Anya, my dear, I do not wish to upset you, but dragons are very prideful beings. They do not form contracts with people for such trivial purposes. Did the dragon know of your identity as my disciple?¡±


    Anya nodded, confused.


    The queen sighed and frowned. ¡°This dragon is most likely taking advantage of your status. Dragons and fairies¡­ We have a particular rivalry. Dragons believe themselves to be the origin of magic, but that is incorrect, because the origin of magic lies within us fairies. Dragons who require a contract to obtain a humanoid form are often very pure-blooded, which means that they are even more prideful and withdrawn than the average dragon. There must be a reason beyond helping you.¡±


    ¡°Thestian said that it was interested in me because I used to be human. I think that sounds like enough of a reason. Am I wrong?¡± Anya¡¯s eyes widened in confusion.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Kiridian stared at those eyes for a while, at the eyes that had become green and catlike from her own influence, and found that the girl¡¯s eyes had truly become elven, sharp and clever. She was still young and uninformed, but even that would change in time. Elves had a very long time to change. The small child who did not know anything about their world had disappeared, and the queen felt glad that the girl was learning, but she was afraid that the girl would lose the purity that had allowed her to see and befriend the fairies. She would still be able to see the fairies now, even if she did lose that innocence, but the queen wanted her to enjoy these precious moments that the girl would experience before the harsh nature of reality shredded this delicate peace apart.


    ¡°You may be right. There may be some tension between fairies and dragons, but dragons have been known to express interest in rare beings. It is not a particularly well-known fact among the public, but the first elves were also bound to dragons in contract. The humans who succeeded in murdering our king so many millennia ago also received help from the dragons, according to some versions of the story. It occurred so long ago that it is difficult to be certain of every detail.¡± Queen Kiridian shook her head and chuckled softly. ¡°You are young, Anya, and no one is infallible. You must understand that in no way do I intend to doubt your judgement. If you say this dragon is trustworthy, then I will not treat it any differently from you. Nothing would change, even if I were to object to this. After all, you have already formed the contract with it. That scale on your forehead is enough evidence of that.¡±


    ¡°Scale on my forehead?¡± Anya lifted her hand to touch the spot between her eyebrows and felt a hard, smooth scale the size of her thumb. She looked at the dragon on her shoulder, hoping for an explanation, but Thestian just turned away with a dismissive huff.


    ¡°You had not realized? My dear, a dragon enters into a contract with another race by exchanging the flesh. Thestian was able to obtain a humanoid form because it uses part of your flesh to create human skin,¡± the queen gently explained, although it sounded somewhat horrific to Anya. ¡°The dragon always places its scale upon the forehead of its contractor.¡±


    The girl kept absent-mindedly rubbing her thumb over the scale. She could hardly help herself, since it was so smooth. The motion was relaxing to her, and she had been through quite a bit today.


    The fight in the tournament ended, and the final battle in the second round of the tournament was set to begin. Anya had not realized that so much of the tournament had already passed. She had believed that she only missed one fight, not two and a half.


    Anya still wanted to watch, but the excitement of the day had begun to catch up with her. She rubbed her eyes and yawned.


    Seeing this, the queen went to call for a servant¡­ and stopped. ¡°Oh. Anya, where is Rau?¡±


    The girl¡¯s eyes widened. She had not even thought about Rau since she encountered Thestian! A mixture of guilt and embarrassment flooded her emotions as the girl shook her head to indicate that she did not know.


    Meanwhile, Rau was waiting near the bathrooms. Her mouth was pursed, and she was tapping her foot impatiently. How much time could someone possibly take to use the bathroom?

 Chapter 21: Wairua Cruin, Vow

    The queen laughed. ¡°It does not matter where the successor to the Starry Night chief has gone. I will call someone else to help assist you and¡­ Thestian, was it?¡±


    She waved her hand and moved her middle finger forward twice. A pale gold fairy in a green outfit appeared. He bowed with his eyes closed, a way that fairies showed respect to the noble fairies. Rau, as the personal caretaker of the queen¡¯s disciple, did not typically demonstrate this show of respect.


    ¡°How may I serve you, my Queen?¡± he asked, his head still lowered.


    ¡°Return to my palace. Anya has formed a contract with a dragon, but the dragon requires clothing. Help my child find suitable clothing for her companion.¡± Kiridian did not bother with telling the fairy servant to raise his head and simply gave him her directions.


    The fairy servant bowed deeper for a moment, then lifted his head as he turned around to face Anya.


    ¡°Shall we return to the palace then, Lady Anya?¡± His voice was warm, like honey.


    Anya nodded, of course, and the three of them headed to the palace. As they entered, Thestian was somewhat unwillingly drawn away to be fitted for clothes. As other fairies tended to the dragon¡¯s needs, Anya was separated. The servant fairy who had guided them back remained with her; should she be in need of anything, he was at her side to take care of it.


    She had somehow gotten used to the servants, the beauty, and the presence of magic all around her, but she was still uneasy at heart. Everything had aligned too well for Anya to allow herself to get comfortable here. She remembered how easily her aunt and uncle had abandoned her. She remembered the lack of emotion in their eyes as they sent her off, those cold, distant eyes that showed no empathy, regret, or guilt. She knew that all they had required was a reason to get rid of her and the burden she had placed on them.


    Knowing that, she felt that it was entirely possible for it to happen again, and the fairy queen, her own master, would turn her back on Anya, plunging the young girl back into the hardship she had always known.


    As her thoughts were drifting into the darkness, a warmth came from the center of her forehead. Anya lifted her hand to touch the dragon¡¯s scale left on her, the source of the heat.


    When her fingers traced over the scale, the warmth seemed to grow stronger and spread throughout her. This was a friend that Anya had not known for very long, but would never again want to be without.


    This was comfort.


    -


    Kiridian felt a trace of magic drift across her fingers. Earlier, she had placed a magic thread between the purple scale on Anya¡¯s forehead and the dragon who had given it to her. She did not fully trust Thestian, no matter how much Anya did. It was Kiridian¡¯s responsibility as Anya¡¯s guardian to protect her. As long as the thread existed, the pair would always be able to feel what the other was feeling.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    She hoped that the thread would make the dragon think twice before even considering to betray her child.


    -


    After some time had passed, Thestian finally emerged from the dressing room. He was in his humanoid form, clothed in the stiff clothing that male noble fairies would typically wear. Anya had not really noticed earlier, as she had been distracted by Thestian¡¯s lack of clothing, but the dragon actually appeared fairly young.


    He looked older than Anya, of course, but if Anya was only about six years old, Thestian looked about eleven or twelve. His immature face still had some roundness and his height did not yet reach that of typical adults.


    ¡°How do these fairy clothes suit me, Lady Anya?¡± he asked jokingly, shooting her a flirtatious wink.


    Anya grinned shyly as she nodded. ¡°They suit you.¡±


    Thestian shrugged, causing the whole ensemble to move along with his shoulders. ¡°I think they are too constricting for me. If I move too quickly, it¡¯ll shred the whole outfit to pieces.¡±


    ¡°You just need to get used to wearing clothing,¡± Anya wrote out with her fingers.


    The dragon chuckled. ¡°You may be right. When you¡¯ve never worn clothing in your entire life, it probably takes a while to adjust.¡±


    When Thestian laughed, Anya realized that he had two pairs of canine teeth, and the observation startled her for a moment.


    He acted so freely. He was arrogant and proud, and so persistently amused at some little joke that he had not communicated with anyone else.


    He was a dragon. This was a dragon. He marched to his own beat, however incomprehensible it may be to those around him.


    It was strange to Anya. The fairies were free spirits as well, but the way they acted was completely different. They did whatever they wanted, but that was usually just tending to the world around them. Brighten the stars, grow the grass, sprinkle the rain.


    Thestian held no such sense of responsibility, from what she had seen. He was just¡­ there.


    Granted, she had only just met the dragon. She was, perhaps, a bit hasty in her judgment of his character, but she felt an innate understanding of him. Was this part of the bond established with the contract?


    He suddenly knelt down on one knee in front of her.


    ¡°Anya Tran, my contractor,¡± he began, reaching for her hand. ¡°This is a tradition practiced by the Evening Violet Clan upon forming a contract. Earlier, you made me revert to my original form before I could complete it, but we take our contractor¡¯s hand just like so¡­¡±


    The dragon held Anya¡¯s right hand with both of his new, humanoid hands.


    His silver eyes met her own.


    ¡°And we make a vow. I vow never to bring harm to my contractor. I vow to protect you. I will give you my life should you need it. I am your knight. You, who have granted me the name Thestian, will be someone to whom I am always connected, and of whom, I will always be part. Accept my vow, and accept my strength.¡±


    Anya was captivated by the dragon¡¯s eyes. He was so noble, so unlike humans. For a moment, just a moment, she felt her heart skip a beat.


    ¡°I accept your vow, but I must say the same to you. I will never bring you harm. I will protect you. I will give you my life should you need it. We will be knights for each other. We will always be connected, my Thestian, and I will always be part of you.¡±


    Violet flames spread from Thestian¡¯s hands, but they were not hot. They wrapped around their three hands and were absorbed by their skin, inky tattoos forming over their hands.


    ¡°The vow is complete.¡±

 Chapter 22: Wairua Cruin, Servant Fairies

    Anya pulled her hand back as Thestian released it and stared at it in shock. It was a simple line drawing of a flower blossom, and was certainly nothing too extravagant.


    She emitted a small stream of magic from her fingertip to ask what this was, but just before it began to light up, her heart began pounding violently. She fell to her knees and gasped for breath. This was not as painful as the Siol Draiochta had been, but Anya still felt immense pain. She could not breathe, and each attempt to take a breath only intensified the pain.


    She reached out, and Thestian grabbed her extended hand.


    ¡°Relax,¡± he said. ¡°It will pass.¡±


    His tone reassured her, and Anya calmed down. She was able to breathe again, and her heart had stopped beating so hard¡­ for the most part. She was, after all, still collecting herself from the surprise of it all.


    Before she had a chance to write out her thoughts, Thestian began to explain:


    ¡°There are several dragon clans in this world, and each treat a contract differently. Some do not form contracts unless it is under life or death circumstances. Some only contract with women, or vice versa. Some grant their power to their contractors, while others take power from their contractors. My clan, the Evening Violet Clan, do not take special care in choosing our contractors. The vow of our clan is binding. Once the vow is made, it cannot be broken. Whether it is against your will or not, you will never betray me, nor I you. In exchange for this, our clan grants part of our race¡¯s magic to our contractors. What you felt just now was the magic of the Evening Violet Clan entering your bloodstream and integrating with the magic from the Siol Draiochta. I thought it might be unpleasant, but I did not think that it would cause you so much pain. My Lady Anya, I am deeply sorry about that.¡±


    He bowed his head apologetically and sincerely, clear strands of glasslike hair falling out of place.


    Anya was struggling to understand what exactly Thestian meant, but eventually, she sighed and accepted it, figuring that she would understand it when she needed to understand it.


    ¡°Am I your lady because you vowed to be my knight?¡± she asked.


    The dragon shook his head. ¡°You are my lady because we share a contract.¡±


    ¡°If you address me so respectfully because of the contract, should I call you my lord or something?¡±


    Thestian snorted in amusement. ¡°No, there is no need for you to address me in such a manner. It is just another custom of my clan. You gave me my name, so I am indebted to you, but as we are equals, we simply refer to our contractors a bit more politely. You are under no such obligation.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ¡°I am not sure I understand. You say I am your equal, but now I am your lady?¡±


    ¡°Nothing more than a title to acknowledge that you have given me my name. We are equals in every other aspect, my Lady Anya,¡± Thestian explained, smirking at her confusion. ¡°We dragons place a great deal of significance on our contracts, but we also have a great deal of pride. We show our gratitude in subtle ways, but we do show it. That is the root of this.¡±


    Anya nodded, though her eyes were a bit unfocused.


    ¡°My Lady Anya, we should return to the festival now; don¡¯t you agree?¡± He looked around. ¡°Where did that servant fairy go?¡±


    The young girl searched as well, but she could not see him.


    ¡°I am here.¡± The fairy servant¡¯s voice was heard from right behind her. The fairy closed his eyes and bowed lightly. ¡°You may remember that we are always present here, but we possess the ability to become invisible so that we do not spoil the atmosphere with our humble appearance.¡±


    Thestian shook his head with a low growl. ¡°An archaic tradition upheld since the times when humans and fairies were friendly with one another.¡±


    Anya was surprised and perplexed at Thestian¡¯s disgruntlement. ¡°Is there something wrong? Kiridian told me that the servant fairies were born to support the noble fairies. I have never seen any of them look upset when people ask them to do things.¡±


    Thestian shook his head knowingly and smirked. ¡°Oh, my dear, innocent child. My Lady Anya, servant fairies are born from the magic power of noble fairies. This is done subconsciously by noble fairies, but since servant fairies do not possess the natural magic of other fairies, noble fairies take it upon themselves to protect them in their places of dwelling. In return, noble fairies ask servant fairies to maintain their residences. Originally, servant fairies were called noble-sprung fairies, because they were sprung from the magic of nobles, but over time, their position has degenerated to such a state. If they were truly satisfied, it would be easy to see it on their faces, but instead, all you can see is apathy and resigned tolerance.¡±


    Anya looked at the servant fairy, who had been floating there, listening without uttering a single word. ¡°Do you wish that you were not a servant fairy?¡± she asked him.


    The servant fairy closed his eyes and lowered his head respectfully. ¡°It is a great honor to serve the fairy queen. It is an honor that the fairies she rules over would never be permitted. Perhaps the servant fairies of lesser noble fairies would not be as content as those of the queen, but we all are very happy to serve her. Queen Kiridian is a wonderful mistress, and she never mistreats us.¡±


    ¡°Open your ear-holes, you dumb servant fairy. She asked if you wished you were not a servant fairy. Do not dodge the question with your pre-packaged words of praise for the queen.¡± Thestian glared at the servant fairy.


    ¡°Lord Thestian, I am very happy to be a servant fairy under Kiridian. My words of praise for her are genuine. You would not understand. As long as we complete our tasks given to us, we are allowed to pursue anything that interests us. Be it love, art, or any hobbies that may interest us, the queen supports us and we support her. I believe some might refer to our relationship as symbiotic.¡±


    ¡°What if what you wanted was to go out and explore other cultures?¡±


    ¡°Our Queen allows us to pursue any of our interests. We must inform her, and then we can be diplomats. Going to other countries under the name of our Queen also grants us greater protection than if we were an ordinary fairy traveling. Lord Thestian, it is excellent to know that you care so deeply about our welfare, but I can assure you that we are indeed faring well. We need no help from you.¡±

 Character Profile: Anya Tran

    Anya Tran:


    Race: Human -> Elf


    Age: 6-7 years old


    Hair: Black


    Eyes: Black -> Green


    Favorite Color: Green


    Likes: Emmeralde Verthaven, Queen Kiridian, Rau, Fairies, Listening to music, Magic, Caramel


    Dislikes: Her human family, Getting lost, Spicy food


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    The main character of the story, Anya was born a mute human. Her parents died shortly after she was born, so she was taken in by her aunt and uncle, who abused and neglected her. When their village was suffering from a famine, her aunt and uncle left her in the woods to die. However, while wandering around in the woods, she encountered Rau, who took her to Emmeralde Verthaven, the capitol of Fairy Country.


    Even though the relationship between fairies and humans was practically nonexistent at this point, Queen Kiridian took Anya in as her disciple, though they both act more like a parent and child. Queen Kiridian gave Anya the Siol Draiochta, which enabled Anya to use magic, but turned her into an elf. Anya has been studying all kinds of subjects under Queen Kiridian, including writing and etiquette. She will learn magic after learning how to write.


    Anya is a sweet child who wants to know more about the world around her. She does not resent her family for how they treated her; she just does not want to suffer in their care anymore.


    She formed a contract with a dragon and gave him the name "Thestian." The contract allows both of them to know what the other is thinking, and also allows Anya to use draconic magic. Because of the contract, Anya has a small purple scale on her forehead.

 Character Profile: Rau

    Rau:


    Race: Fairy (Starry River Tribe)


    Age: A lady never tells


    Hair: Dark Blue


    Eyes: Silver


    Favorite Color: Blue


    Likes: Anya, Night, TalkingThis content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Dislikes: Not being able to talk, Feeling insignificant


    Rau is a member of the Starry River Tribe of fairies. She is the sixth successor as chieftan of the tribe, and has the tribe''s crest on her right shoulderblade, next to where her wing protrudes.


    The Starry River Tribe protects the Starry River, which is where Rau first met Anya. She hit it off with the human child and decided to bring her to Emmeralde Verthaven. After Queen Kiridian decided to take in Anya, Rau was assigned a special role in order to watch over her. Although the official title sounds much better, Rau has essentially become Anya''s nanny.


    Rau loves to talk. She is sometimes a bit clumsy, but she is surprisingly clever for how she behaves sometimes.

 Character Profile: Kiridian

    Queen Kiridian:


    Race: Noble Fairy (Queen)


    Age: Hella


    Hair: Green


    Eyes: Gold


    Favorite Color: Green


    Likes: Emmeralde Verthaven, Fairies, Anya, HumansStolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Dislikes: Those who wish harm upon her people


    She is the Fairy Queen. She holds herself in a manner that is noble and refined. She is elegant and dignified. She is curious about humans, which is why she accepted Anya as her disciple. She has developed maternal feelings towards Anya for various reasons, and would completely and utterly destroy anyone who wanted to harm her. Though no one has appeared with that intention yet, it will seem like a completely different character has taken the place of the calm and collected queen. It will be a wholly new side to her. She tries to maintain a perfect image as the queen, but she does have her own flaws. They''ll become more obvious over time.


    Hell hath no fury like Queen Kiridian when she is enraged.

 Character Profile: Ceris Draiochta

    Ceris Draiochta:


    Race: Elf


    Age: We''ll figure it out later


    Hair: Light Blue


    Eyes: Green


    Favorite Color: GoldReading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    Likes: Magic, Swordsmanship, Being king, Her subjects


    Dislikes: Weakness (both in herself and others), Humans


    Ceris has a lot of pride. She is the Elven King. She possesses high magical power, and wields a magical staff made by dwarves. She was utterly confused by Anya''s presence among the fairies, but she is coming to understand it a bit better. She trains diligently to improve her martial prowess, and has a well-developed physique because of it. She is quick to anger, but quick to cool off. She wants to know everything around her, so when things appear that do not comply with what she knows and understands, it frustrates her.

 Character Profile: Thestian

    Thestian


    Race: Dragon (Evening Violet Clan)


    Age: Practically a baby among dragons


    Hair: Clear


    Eyes: Silver


    Favorite Color: PurpleThis narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Likes: Spicy food, Himself, His belongings


    Dislikes: Wearing clothes, The color red, His sister


    Thestian appeared to Anya when she was lost and formed a contract with her. For Thestian, a dragon, to form a contract, meant that he would obtain a human form. In his original form, he is a small dragon with bright purple scales. In his humanoid form, he has pale skin, and his body is speckled with purple scales. These scales form an under-armor on his body that cannot be removed. He has a lot of confidence. When he enters a room, people take notice of it. He enjoys the attention of his surroundings.


    He seems a bit suspicious, having pushed for a contract with Anya so quickly... But does he have any ulterior motives?

 Chapter 23: Wairua Cruin, Meaning Behind a Contract

    Thestian seemed disinterested in asking the servant fairy anything else. They headed back to the festival without talking much.


    In all honesty, Anya wanted to talk to Thestian more about their contract, but she did not quite know what to say. She had grown somewhat familiar with the fairies, but the other races were all still very unfamiliar. She did not know much about the world beyond humans. When she thought about it, even when it came to the human world, there was a lot she did not know. Her knowledge was limited to her small village, and her family had made sure that she was lacking in knowledge and common sense, since they could hardly be bothered to explain more than the bare minimum to a child they deemed broken.


    When they returned, Queen Kiridian smiled gently at the pair. Thestian smirked in response. He appeared to be a bit more free-spirited now that he was dressed properly, or perhaps he had always been this way and was just expressing himself a bit more. He and Anya had only known each other for less than a day, after all.


    Rau flew up to them excitedly. ¡°I waited forever for you! Where did you go? And who¡¯s the dragon?¡±


    Anya lifted her hand to start writing, but Thestian pushed her hand back down.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± he told her. ¡°My name is Thestian. My Lady Anya gave this name to me. We formed a contract.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Rau exclaimed in disbelief. ¡°But don¡¯t dragons only form contracts with people who are-¡±


    ¡°Hush, fairy! My clan is not like other dragon clans. What you know about other dragons does not necessarily pertain to me!¡± Thestian interrupted her, glaring at the small blue fairy.


    ¡°If it doesn¡¯t pertain to you, then why did you stop me from talking, Evening Violet clansman?¡± Rau chuckled knowingly. There were a great many things that Rau liked and disliked, and these were obvious to those who had known her for any length of time, but the thing that the Starry River fairy hated the most was being interrupted. It was safe to say that Thestian cutting her off had pushed a button.


    ¡°You know that I am from the Evening Violet Clan?¡± Thestian could not help but ask, a trace of surprise flashing across his expression before he quickly returned to normal.


    Rau nodded. ¡°Oh, yes. I knew from the moment I saw you. It was very obvious to me.¡±Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    ¡°I would like to ask how you know¡­¡±


    ¡°Anya, you should know the reason that he kept me from speaking earlier-¡± As she said this, Rau shot a pointed glare at Thestian, who rolled his eyes in response. ¡°Dragons don¡¯t form contracts with people when they don¡¯t have an interest in them.¡±


    ¡°An interest?¡± Anya wrote, confused.


    ¡°Oh yes. But a casual interest is not enough. Dragons pride themselves on their original forms, among many other things of course. They pride themselves on their teeth, their scales, their aloof demeanors. Some clans take pride in their spikes or claws. I met a dragon once who prided herself on having heterochromatic eyes, and she was just-¡±


    Thestian rolled his eyes once more as he realized Rau was rambling. He had not known the blue fairy for very long, but he was quickly coming to understand that if this fairy was not speaking, it was likely because she was dead.


    He had interrupted her once before, and the fairy had already given him a bit of grief. It was not so important that this remain secret in any case, so he decided to let her speak.


    As if I could stop this chatterbox from talking. I could probably slice her tongue out, and she would still find a way to keep talking, Thestian thought to himself, smirking in amusement.


    ¡°Why would a dragon change their form if they take so much pride in it, then? You see, the reason is really very simple. The dragon wants to mate with you,¡± Rau reached the point rather abruptly.


    ¡°Oi, fairy! I am a child, and so is she! Do not pass off your perverse interests as my own!¡± Thestian snarled.


    At this point, even Queen Kiridian got involved. ¡°Rau, dear. They are children. I doubt the dragon has any interest in that yet, and I am certain that Anya does not. Do not get ahead of yourself. The dragon just wanted a companion. You know the Evening Violet clan is on the verge of extinction. Thestian is so young that this is most likely his first time outside of his clan¡¯s protection. He met Anya, who happened to be close in age to him. She is most likely the first child that he has met, and wanted to be closer to her. Come here.¡± She held out her hand for Rau to stand.


    Rau listened and situated herself on the fairy queen¡¯s hand. The fairy queen spoke quietly in a low voice so that Thestian and Anya could not hear her. Her tone had been gentle when she was addressing Rau in front of everyone, but while she was speaking to Rau as she held her in front of her, the little fairy¡¯s expression rapidly changed into one of fear and horror.


    ¡°Queen Kiridian, I admit that I was mistaken!¡± She clasped her hands together and desperately knelt down in front of her queen.


    ¡°If you understand your mistake, then I will let you go. Be careful not to make this mistake again.¡± Queen Kiridian smiled gently, but to Rau, the queen¡¯s ethereal beauty was a horrifying figure that wielded absolute power over her.


    It was unknown just what this majestic fairy queen had told the little fairy to bring her to such a state, but it was clearly enough.


    Anya frowned in confusion. ¡°What did you mean when you said he wanted to mate with me?¡±


    Rau trembled as she met Anya¡¯s innocent gaze. ¡°Sweetie, he just wants to be your friend.¡±


    Thestian scoffed and chuckled, showing his signature smirk.

 Character Profile: Kyran

    Kyran


    Race: Fairy (Molten Lake Tribe)


    Age: 200 or so


    Hair: Orange


    Eyes: GoldThis tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Favorite Color: Red


    Likes: His Queen, His country, Reading, His spear, Peace


    Dislikes: Betrayal, Dishonesty, Noise


    Kyran works as an imperial palace guard for Queen Kiridian. He is soft-spoken despite his well-built appearance. He wears bright gold armor. His spear is also gold and has a ruby blade.


    Kyran of the Molten Lake and Arn of the Midnight Sky might be important characters later, so I wanted to add them, even if the profile is... really short. Hopefully, there will be more to add later on.

 Character Profile: Arn

    Arn


    Race: Fairy (Midnight Sky Tribe)


    Age: 250 or so


    Hair: SilverRoyal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    Eyes: Light Blue


    Favorite Color: Green


    Likes: Night, Her Queen


    Dislikes: Betrayal, Dishonesty, Trouble


    Arn works as an imperial palace guard for Queen Kiridian. Although members of the Midnight Sky Tribe typically have skin the color of the sky at midnight, Arn''s skin changes color depending on the color of the sky around her at any given moment. In her tribe, this is considered an innate level of attunement to nature that surpasses the typical tribe.

 Hiatus Apology and Explanation

    So I got a new laptop last Christmas and I haven''t transferred my files over for a variety of reasons, but most primarily laziness and depression. The chapters that I had written for this story were on there and I didn''t feel like working on them again. I''ll try harder, and work on putting out something at least once a month.


    Sorry for making you guys wait like a year for new chapters, and thank you to those who are still interested enough in this story to check on updates. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    I''ll be back soon, with chapters. I''m thinking about doing a double release to celebrate coming back, but we''ll see what my motivation is, and I don''t want to make any hard promises that raise expectations.


    Depression is a beast, and I''m always fighting it. It''s hard sometimes, guys.