Disclaimer: I own nothing, but thanks for thinking that I might.

Prologue

In a place nearly forgotten by humans was an enchanted land inhabited by magical creatures great and small. This enchanted land is ruled by the powerful and magical beings known to humans as the Fae. The Fae divide themselves into two powerful Courts: Seelie and Unseelie. Although the Fae rule both Courts, many creatures reside within the boundaries of the Seelie Court including pixies, dwarves, and brownies. The Faerie Courts are the chief social structures of Fae society. Each court is ruled by a hereditary monarchy. The Seelie Court is believed to be more benevolent toward humans and is known to only attack others who have slighted them. Being that they are Fae, regardless of the Court they belong to, they are prone to mischief despite their sympathetic reputation. The most common time of day to see them in the human world is sunrise and sunset. The malicious and more malevolentcreatures, including imps, draugrs, and the dark faes, reside in the Unseelie Court. The slaugh, a group of Unseelie that cross the human plane at night, are known to mentally or physically assault travelers and are considered the most fearsome in the Court. Those associated with the Unseelie Court are said to attack without provocation and, some believe, just for the joy of tormenting others.

There are, of course, those who swear no allegiance to any Court, they are known as Solitaries. Many Solitaries have been banished from their homes or kingdoms for a variety of reasons. Others simply refuse to be a part of either Court or chose a life of exile. Not many regret their decision of being essentially court-less when they settle in the kingdom of the Solitaries. Although the Seelie Courts view the Solitaries as untrustworthy and potentially dangerous, the Solitaries are more likely to be neutral towards both Courts. In the past, living a life as a Solitary was hard and brutish in some respects, lacking the societal protection that comes with being a member of the Courts. However, over two millenniums ago, a kingdom arose that loosely united the Solitaries. Headed by a monarch, presently ruled by the King of the Goblins, a Solitary may seek out permanent refuge in the kingdom, building a new life for itself. Since they can more freely find ways of interacting with other creatures, Solitaries are often intermediaries for the fae and human worlds. Because of this special connection to humans, the Solitaries and their kingdom are allowed their peaceful neutrality with the Seelie and Unseelie Courts.

Currently, the Seelie Court is ruled by the great Fae King and Queen, Oberon and Titania. Both monarchs are descended from a long lineage of Seelie nobility. Even though the Court contains a multitude of smaller kingdoms (Elves, Dwarfs, Pixies, Centaurs, and Trolls), no one, nobility or otherwise, would dare go against the King and his Queen. King Oberon is known as a harsh, short-tempered, jealous, yet lecherous Fae. Rumors were constant around the Court regarding whether a certain Duke or Baroness was the illegitimate sire of the King. Such rumors were rarely said out loud if one would like to keep his head or not call the palace dungeon their permanent residence. Most wives would garner some sympathy from being bonded to such a husband. Most wives were not Titania. No queen, even the Queen of the Faes, would risk her life and reputation on extramarital affairs. Unfortunately for everyone, Titania had a habit of unleashing her unhappiness on those around her. Anyone who dared look her in the eyes might find his or her face being magically grounded into the floor. If one forgot to address Titania by her proper title, one might spend some time in the castle dungeons. Why would Seelie Court subjects tolerate such behavior?

When it comes to politics and ruling, not all rumors are bad rumors, and the public will tolerate many things as long as they feel protected by their government. All nobility, whether minor like the Fae king of the Land of the Dwarves or the High King and Queen themselves, are considered immensely powerful over the regular denizen. But Oberon is widely believed to be the most powerful, and that is why he could hold such power over other magical creatures. There is only one way to prove whether or not this was true, and no one was foolish to attempt a coup. Another way to prevent an uprising among the citizenry is basic: keep them happy. Since most of the Seelie Court never cross paths with the Seelie King and Queen, most do not care about their actions. The Seelie Court has been enormously prosperous for millenniums, even prior to the reign of Oberon. The occasional war could not deter the Court from losing its allegiance to Oberon and his consort- no matter how eccentric the couple was rumored to be.

The monarch in the Seelie Court that many occasionally wondered about was the only legitimate issue between Oberon and Titania. The progeny was kept away from nearly everyone, even the King and Queen- who usually found parenting to be a burden. The young monarch was privately tutored and ushered around by Muiriol, a middle aged ruddy woman from the human land of Éire. Muiriol treated the child like her own- making sure the child was sheltered from her parents' reprehensible actions.

Soon after the birth of the child, the Court was plagued with rumors of another great war between the Seelies and the Unseelies. The reasons behind the war rumors were numerous. Many believed that the present King of the Unseelies, Lochlan, had allowed his slaughs to run loose in the Seelie Kingdoms as well as in the human world, causing the deaths of many innocent creatures. Others postulated that the tenuous trade agreements that have been ongoing between the Seelies and Unseelies for the past century had crumbled, and war was an inevitable consequence. The more cynical thought that this was a power grab (either by Oberon, Lochlan, or both), and the Kings were using the prejudices that each Court had toward the other to propel their lands toward war to gain more land or, if possible, rid the world of the other. But, only a fool would voice these concerns out loud. As the rumors escalated, so did the raising of both Courts armies. The Solitary Kingdom, being neutral yet industrious, exported its precious metals to both Courts, caring not for ridiculous squabbles but also not wanting to waste the opportunity to further its own interest, as Solitaries are inclined to do.

Unfortunately for the Seelie King and Queen, many of the rumors of war involved an attempt to kidnap or murder their only heir. Although they are not attentive or loving parents, the King and Queen were not going to let their only legacy disappear. Not willing to take the chance that the rumors were groundless, the King approached his advisor and ordered that he find a way to protect the child until tensions cool between the kingdoms. The advisor found only one way to protect the child: the child would be made human and to live in the human world with no memories of this world. So, the king made it so and sent his only child to live in the human world until the time to be summoned back occurred.

A/N: Thank you so much for reading. Most of the story has been written. So, I'm pretty sure updates will come in weekly intervals.

Oh, and reviews would be nice... very nice indeed.