Yes, yes, I know I'm a dead woman writing for starting a new story, but enjoy anyhow.

ShadeDancer

Disclaimer: Own Harry Potter? Not I.

Chapter 1: A Child, Our Child

"Look Anrion," the woman's voice was breathless with joy from having been dancing among moonbeams, though it quickly turned to aching sorrow upon seeing an infant sleeping out in the chill air with only a single blanket for warmth, "someone just left a child lay out on the steps. Who could be so cruel or so careless as to do such a thing?"

"I do not know Idril," Anrion moved cautiously towards the child, hand upon his sword hilt and cautious of attack though none were forthcoming; it would not have been the first time a child had been used as bait for one of their kind, "but it must be a gift from the Goddess that we saw the child. I sense no trap and there is an air of abandonment about the boy."

"Do you mean—" excitement shown in Idril's voice and she tentatively reached out a hand as if she could touch the child from where she stood despite the distance that separated them.

Anrion nodded, softly quoting words he had once heard a mortal man say as if they were a ritual, "Come away, O human child: To the waters and the wild with a Faery, hand in hand, for the world's more full of weeping than you can understand."

Solemnly Anrion carefully picked up the child from where he lay upon the hard stone, crossing back to the moonbeam to lay the slumbering child tenderly in his barren wife's arms. Idril immediately began to coo over the child; playing with his fingers and toes, gently stroking the scar upon the child's forehead, and playing with his black hair. The little boy woke at her tender touches, vivid green eyes staring up widely at Idril and stealing her heart.

"Your child, my lady," Anrion said as he took his wife's arm and lead her back through the moonbeams, wings fluttering gracefully, their dance now including three.

"Our child," Idril corrected happily, "our Kailen, Prince of the Faeries."

… … … … …

Nearly Ten Mortal Years Later…

Two male Faeries stood in an outdoor sparring ring, fluidly exchanging sword strikes as they danced about with light-footed grace. The younger of the two wore fitted black pants but went topless, a light sheen of sweat glistening over his chest as he worked hard to best his fencing teacher. It was not something he would be able to do by force alone; he would need to use his wits to their fullest. A sudden idea lit the boy's face up with a wicked smile that warned his teacher just a bit too late, and instead of parrying the next blow aimed at him he launched himself into the air to flip up over his mentor's head. Turning his body partially in mid-air so that he didn't present his exposed back to his teacher, the boy watched the older Faery shake his head in disbelief and prepared to resume the attack. For nearly twenty more minutes they kept this up, the only sounds being the panting of their breath and the exchange of their finely crafted swords. Yet before the younger one knew it, he was being disarmed by a trick that his mentor had yet to teach him. Well two could play at that game and he launched his foot up to kick away his teacher's sword, a bit surprised when it actually worked, falling back into a fighting crouch as his Martial Master had taught him.

"Enough young Prince," his mentor said with a small laugh, "you have again managed to surprise me by combining two different arts effectively. Perhaps I should take some lessons with Master Tamorin so you cannot best me in such a manner again. It seems he is trying to show me through you my error in not having studied more thoroughly the ways the body can be just as much a weapon as a sword."

Kailen grinned as he retrieved his sword and checked it over for nicks before bowing and flourishing his sword to his mentor, "I'd rather you did not Master Loren, I wind up on my backside enough with Master Tamorin as it is and he has no use for the blade. If you were to combine both body and blade against me I would stand no chance."

"That's not what I have heard, young one." Loren said, falling into a more informal routine now that the lesson was officially over, "You are very quick in all your studies and soon we Masters shall not be much of a challenge to you anymore."

Kailen ducked his head, pleased, though he knew he still had a long way to go, "you honor me. May I go now, please?"

Loren gave Kailen a playful swat on the head, catching at the silky strands of the young boy's hair, "go on. I know your mother and father will be expecting you for the meal."

"Thank you," Kailen said, sheathing his sword and undoing a black band of silk from about his chest, "ooh, that feels much better."

Loren watched as Kailen's dark blue and silver gossamer wings, the royal colors, unfurled gracefully from his back and shook his head, "I don't know why you bother with the band anymore, you have learned to keep your wings in without its aid. It is a training tool you have long outgrown."

Kailen grimaced as he fluttered his wings to work out some tense spots. "I don't feel the need to push my wings out when I do the flips anymore, but I also don't want to risk having my wing sliced open again. I was grounded for a week when that happened."

Loren grimaced as well, but admonished Kailen, "you were also sparring with an immature and unskilled partner without guidance."

Kailen had the grace to look sheepish, but Loren also thought he heard the boy mutter something under his breath about it not having been a spar. It didn't matter either way, both boys had injured their wings in the fight and in Loren's mind that had been punishment enough. There was nothing worse than being kept grounded by a sliced or broken wing. Faeries needed to be able to fly, to be free to dance and flow upon the moonbeams and reveal in the wind brushing their wings. They didn't mind walking, they actually tended to walk from place to place most of the time, but to be forcefully kept from the skies—it was the worse type of injury or punishment that could be inflicted. Loren himself remembered a time when he had disobeyed his mother and she had bound his wings for a month in anger, he hadn't dared cross her again for quite awhile after that.

Happily Kailen stretched and fluttered his wings for a moment longer before launching himself smoothly into the sky. You couldn't tell that the boy had not been born a Faery; he was a natural in the sky. Loren laughed as Kailen fell into a graceful dive before pulling and doing some aerial flips; he was just as much of a prankster and daredevil as most young Faeries as well. Cunning and smart too; Loren had never seen a Faery so cunning and precise, yet still manage to remain so carefree. It seemed as if Kailen had inherited the best of both worlds when he had been changed from a mortal child to a Faery prince.

… … … … …

"Kailen!" his mother greeted him happily as he alighted softly on the balcony where his parents were having lunch.

"Hello mom, dad," he hugged both his parents before shrugging into the shirt waiting over the back of his lattice chair and taking his seat, neatly folding his wings behind him against his back so they didn't get in the way.

"Hello Kailen," his father greeted him just as warmly, "did you have a good lesson today?"

"I did." Kailen nodded as he placed some food upon his plate, "I believe both Master Loren and I learned something this day."

Anrion hid a grin and calmly went back to his own food, trying to push away the tumulus thoughts whirling inside of him. His unease continued to grow as lunch drew to a close and he could no longer hold off on the topic he had to broach with his son. Looking at his wife he noticed her own sad eyes and squeezed her hand gently in reassurance before pushing a stiff parchment across the table towards Kailen.

"This came for you today my son," Anrion spoke softly.

Uncertainly Kailen opened the letter and read it before realization dawned across his ethereal features. He had known since he was little that he had been adopted, knew a handful of other children who had been as well, and it didn't bother him a bit to know that he had once been a mortal; he could not have wished for a better mother or father and wouldn't trade his life for anything in any of the realms.

"What should we do about his," Kailen scanned over the Hogwarts acceptance letter again with a calm thoughtfulness cultivated from being raised in Court politics, "I'm surprised I would still show upon their records since I am technically no longer a mortal child."

"Your mother and I have been discussing this for the past few months since we realized the letter would be coming," Anrion's voice was warm with love for his family even though sadness tinged it softly, "we too had hoped it would never come, but you have always shown strong hints of magic that Faeries are incapable of performing. Then there is the fact that you are a beacon of light to the human magic users. We have decided that it is best to let you go attend this school and then you can decide for yourself what you wish to do after your first year is complete. We sent back a reply earlier saying you would go."

Kailen could see how distressed his parents were about sending him into the mortal world despite it being a logical choice, and moved into their welcoming arms. "I may go to learn their magic, but I will always belong here. I am your son and nothing will change that. I'll be alright, you have taught me well how to mix in with many different races and I am capable of defending myself. The only problem I will have will be missing you greatly."

Anrion merely hugged his wife and son closer; he knew it must have cost Kailen to so bravely utter those words. Anrion had never expected that he would grow so close as to fall in love with the child he had gifted to his wife that night so many years ago to satisfy her empty arms and give himself an heir. This separation would also be much harder for himself and Idril than it would be for Kailen as time worked differently in the Realm of the Faeries. The Faeries had two days to every mortal one and so while Kailen was still an eleven year old he had been granted more time in life and would be much more mature than his mortal classmates. If Faeries went by mortal time Kailen would have technically spent twenty years in the Faery Realm instead of the ten it currently worked out to in both worlds seeing as the Faery calendar year was based upon 730 days instead of 365.

"We'll have to take a trip to the mortal world soon," Anrion finally broke the silence, though he did not release his embrace, "we'll need to get you the mentioned supplies for your classes. There were directions as to where everything could be purchased included in your list as well as a key that I believe must go to a bank of some sorts. We'll discover things together as we go along. I know little of the mortal magic world; we have not had much contact with witches or wizards since the divide of the worlds when they attempted to place themselves above the Fey."

Posted On: August 11, 2007