Chapter 1 - Auralyn

Sometimes it's easier to let everyone believe you're perfect, and to not let them know who you really are on the inside. People always say it's easy to be yourself, but I beg to differ. In this world, only one thing stands. It's every faerie for themselves. You can't trust anyone. Not even someone you love, because you never know when they'll turn you back on you.

As the faerie Summer princess, it's always a game of survival. It's even worse if you have siblings. You never know when they'll stab you in the back. At least, that's what I was brought up to believe.

Father always said, "Be happy you're an only child. Otherwise you'd be dead by now."

As the days go by, you'll never believe how lonely one can be, in this gigantic castle. The castle covers acres of land, and the rest of the Summer Lands are covered in greenery. Then, there's the Forest. It's filled with different creatures. Nymphs, trolls, elves, pixies, sirens, wolves and other dangerous flora and fauna.

The Forest was truly a horror. If you were just a mere mortal venturing into the Forest unarmed, you would be dead in seconds. The moment I could walk, my father threw me into the Forest to fend for myself. I barely made it out alive. When I came back, I was covered in scratches and wounds, and mother was sobbing her eyes out, while he looked at me, disgusted.

"When my father threw me into the Forest, I came out unscathed. You're pathetic. Absolutely pathetic." He had said.

That night, I sobbed myself to sleep.

On the other side of the forest, live the Winter fae. I wouldn't say they're our enemies, but I wouldn't say they were our allies either. The only other fae we, Summer fae, ever communicated with or hung around, were the Spring fae, and sometimes the Autumn fae.

Our relationships to the Winter Fae were non-existent, apart from politics, because of three reasons. Firstly, our ancestors believed that as Winter and Summer were opposites, we shouldn't mingle around or fraternise with each other. The second reason, was because of the magic differences. Winter fae could summon snow and ice. Whereas, Summer fae could control plants to aid them. Ice, frost and snow could endanger the plants. The last reason, was because any child or bond made between a Winter and Summer faerie would be incredibly powerful. Some say too powerful to control. And that's why the Winter and Summer Lands were so far away from each other. The Summer fae in the South, the Winter fae in the North, the Spring fae in the East and the Autumn fae in the West.

I snapped out of my thoughts when a voice called my name. I turned to find Syra, Felice and Scarlett behind me.

Syra was the closest thing I had to a friend. She was a Spring-born faerie, but she had grown up in Summer land. Her parents were as close to royalty as you could get, and they were my parent's trusted advisors. Well, most trustable advisors. I wouldn't trust anyone, even if their parents were trustable, but there were many times Syra had saved my hide, and I had just learnt to trust her.

Felice and Scarlett were our familiars. Every pure-blooded faerie had a familiar, and that was about three-quarters of all the fae in the world. A familiar was an animal that you had a strong bond towards, and the only form you can take when you shapeshift. No one shapeshifted anymore, because there was always a chance that you could be killed in a hunt. When you're in your familiar's form, your scent is closed off, and even the most powerful fae would not be able to tell fae from animal. But shapeshifting would mean being able to communicate directly with your familiar. In fae form, we would still be able to, just not as directly.

"You father summons you to the Great Hall, Auralyn." Syra beckoned to me and I walked with her.

"Do you know what this is about? I saw some stuff being packed into trunks and I got suspicious. So, I opened them when no one was there." Her voice lowered to a hissed whisper. "Treasures. Treasures, Auralyn. And you know that your father doesn't like giving away anything of his. It's something important. Something your father hasn't told you, yet. Be careful."

I nodded and walked into the Great Hall.