1 A Country Blessed by the Fairies

One thousand one hundred forty years ago when the Kingdom of Mowsland was established. One hundred years before that, it was just a vast land of mountains and virgin forests separated from other countries by the sea.

During that time, historians believed that no human lived there. In fact, the neighboring countries believed that there is something powerful and dangerous in the land of Mowsland, something beyond what humans can comprehend.

That belief started when few countries sent expedition ships to explore the land and to find out if people are residing in it. Not a single person came back to their countries. Whenever rescue comes they only see remnants of destroyed ships and scattered things floating in the sea. No bodies can be found.

Eventually, neighboring countries stopped trying to get into Mowsland. When ships and boats travel by sea, they deliberately avoid getting near the land of mountains and virgin forests. When they accidentally got closer than necessary, some sailors swore that they felt immense power and strangeness emanating from it. They said the huge and thick trees felt more alive than normal as if there were thousands of eyes watching the sailors, warning them not to get any closer.

In truth, almost all the assumptions about Mowsland are true. It is a land of power, magic, and wealth. The unexplored mountains are filled with gold and other precious jewels. The soil in this land is healthy and good for vegetation. The forests are filled with unspeakable wonders, all because these are the dwelling places of ancient fairies. They sprinkle magic in their wake, protecting and nurturing the trees and plants, quietly and freely living in their own world.

The streams, waterfalls, rivers, and lakes are clean and mysterious. Like the forests, ancient magical creatures are living underwater. Unlike the fairies though, these are more dangerous creatures.

However, one assumption is wrong about Mowsland. It is not true that no humans live there. There are few tribes scattered all over the land. They live quietly by knowing and respecting that there are places they shouldn't disturb.

For decades, Mowsland remained unexplored by foreigners. Then one day, a ship from the small country of Astra traveled to get to the country next to Mowsland. Just then a huge and strong storm formed out of nowhere. The crew and the passengers of the ship were caught off guard. They did their best to survive but the waves and wind are too strong.

No one survived that storm but one: Prince Aston Mospick, the youngest prince of Astra. He has washed away to the shore, just meters away from one of the most enchanted virgin forests in Mowsland. No humans live there so Prince Aston is good as dead.

However, due to the storm, the queen of the fairies herself took her time to walk around the seashore to check how much damage the storm brought to their land. She and the other fairies accompanying her saw the unconscious Prince Aston.

Fairies never get close to humans, even those who live in the land of Mowsland. They are too powerful creatures that can either bless or harm mortals depending on the situation. When a fairy is young and still cannot fully grasp her power, the latter most commonly happens.

But this is Queen Selena and she is the most powerful fairy in the world. She has full control of her powers and she is a compassionate fairy. She approached Prince Aston who began to stir awake just then. He groaned and slowly moved his body until he was lying with his back on the sand.

Queen Selena was staring down at him when Prince Aston opened his eyes. The moment their gazes met, magic burst around them. They both gasped as a connection they never felt with anyone before passed through them.

The fairies that were there will eventually tell others about what happened. The story will reach the mortals and will be passed down from generation to generation because that moment is the start of their country's history. The story goes like this:

Once upon a time, the queen of the fairies fell in love with a mortal man and vice versa. Their love was too strong and unstoppable that no magical creatures nor humans can stop it. Against the rules, the queen of the fairies brought the mortal man to their home and took care of him until he became well.

But the mortal man didn't leave even after he was healed from his injuries. Even though a whole country was waiting for him to go back, he stayed in the land of the fairies. He stayed because his love for the queen was too strong that he felt at home by her side.

They made promises to each other to create a world just for them and their future children. They got married and when their first child was born, they allowed the mortal prince's people to visit Mowsland. Every human that took a step to the land of the fairies fell in love with it instantly and never wanted to go back again.

Slowly, more and more humans began to live in Mowsland. The local people mingled with the foreigners and most of them got married and formed their own families. Years passed. With the help of the Kingdom of Astra and its most trusted allies, the Kingdom of Mowsland was established.

Aston became the first king of Mowsland with Selena as his queen. During the coronation, the queen of the fairies bestowed the mortal king with five gifts. They are five expensive and magical items that serve as her blessing to the country.

For a few decades, they live happily together with their children and their people. Until old age took King Aston's life. Queen Selena wept and grieved her husband's death. With the suggestion of their children, she decided to go back to the forest with the other fairies. After all, it will come a time when people will start to wonder why the queen of Mowsland never aged.

When Queen Selena left the castle, the five magical items she gave to the king when he was crowned disappeared. For generations, the royal family tried to find those items, believing that collecting all of them will give them immense power and a chance to meet the queen of the fairies again. But to no avail. The items were gone, never to be seen again.

Until more than one thousand years later…