Svelte Sven

A Fairy Tale

This story is true, in a manner of speaking. There once was a King whose kingdom was slowly falling to ruin. Despite having a loving family, he could not accept that he no longer had the glory and riches of his ancestors. He insisted that his family attend lavish feasts in foreign realms so that he could still maintain ties to with other, wealthier monarchs and attract suitable matched for his heirs. His youngest child despised these charades and would often sneak away from the parties.

This enraged the King and eventually a mysterious governess came to visit him. She promised that she could straighten out the boy and make him just as obedient and charming as the King's other children. The King was happy to be free of the troublesome lad, but the Queen was more reluctant. The governess assuaged her fears by insisting it would mend the rift between father and son and that she had done the same service for other nobles before. Eventually the Queen conceded and the young boy was entrusted to the governess.

Once a year and a day had passed, the governess returned with a young man who certainly looked like the King's son, but was handsome and warm, courageous and smiling, and above all, obedient. The King delighted at his son's newfound manners and the Queen was pleased to see her family healed. However, a chill ran down her spine as she felt eyes fixed on her from some shadow corner of their ancient hold. But as she drew closer, ignored by her husband and son, she saw that there was a sullen boy dressed in servant's clothes looking at her. "Who are you, lost child?" She asked. The boy remained silent. "This is my newest footman, Sven. Pay him no heed, he will attend me as I away from your estate." For years to come the Queen could not shake the thought that the sullen boy, Sven, had looked so very much like the son who had returned with the governess.

Durance

Sven's Keeper loved fancy parties. Galas, balls, salons, any manner of fancy party was being thrown at a given time in the Fae's Realm. She would even invite other Lords of Arcadia for special occasions, though they rarely accepted. The only thing she loved better than the parties was the gossip and storytelling from guests at these gatherings. However, what the Fae failed to understand, or perhaps did not care to understand, was that when all of her guests were slaves who knew no life outside of Arcadia, there wasn't anything to meaningfully discuss. If your life consists of nothing but attending parties at the same place with the same guests for all eternity, your supply of anecdotes and humor eventually runs dry.

Because of this, there was more or less a writer's room of Changelings whose task was to come up with interesting stories to be surreptitiously spread amongst the partygoers.