From Queen to Shining Queen

When last we left our Fairy Queen Amethina, she was being held for ransom by swashbuckling Pirates!  Mary, Queen of Scots, remained to true to her most gracious and royal promise to use goblin fruit to buy her fellow Queen's release.


Spritelings of the faerie courts flew into action!  They flitted all around Midsummer gathering all the goblin fruit they could find into a huge basket.  Soon it was practically overflowing and the Queen Mary designated her loyal servant Vidor Karoly Fedence Kovacs to assist with the delivery.

A favor is offered

Well, the Pirates hemmed and hawed and tried to extort some more booty but they made a deal with Queen Mary and weren't going to risk a full-scale, cannon-blasting, mast-cracking battle out on her waters.

Escort home

"Besides," said Amethina as they unlocked her cold iron shackles. "That illiterate Barbarian Wotan has a treasure map that he can't read.  You can trade rotten goblin fruit to him for the treasure map - Barbarian's love rotten fruit."


As everyone knows, hunting for treasure a favored activity amongst the sea-dogs and wayfarers.  If they weren't convinced before, the opportunity to find gold cinched the deal.


Grateful for the help of Queen Mary, Amethina presented an offer in kind.  "From one queen to another, please accept that we owe you a favor for dealing with all of this....unsavory business."

"Goodbye, sweet Chia."
(Pic: Douglas Herring)

A favor from the Fae was no small matter.  They do not grant such things lightly and Queen Mary smiled in agreement.  She was a clever woman and no doubt would use the boon quite craftily when the time was right.


Queen Amethina kissed the bright green parrot that had kept her company in captivity.  "Goodbye sweet Chia, I shan't miss those Pirates but I will miss you."

Faerie Court back at the Bower.

With that, the pirates returned the Fairy Queen's wings and chiming magic wand.  Amidst the happy chatter of all the elflings, Amethina was escorted back to the fairy bower at the top of the hill....

...now where did that Barbarian go....?

Deals Between Goblin King & Fairy Queen

Wotan the Barbarian was on the rampage around Midsummer Faire and it was going to require extra measures to subdue him. 

Gnerkgzorp the Goblin King

It was time to cut a deal with Gnerkgzorp, the Goblin King.  Now, Elves and Goblins don't always get along, kind of like brothers and sisters.  When the sun goes down however, they're all still Fae-folk so sometimes they work together...


...and so Gnerkgzorp the Goblin King said to Amethina the Fairy Queen, "If you help with my Goblin Parade, and make a loud ruckus noise, I'll cast a spell on Wotan to make him do our bidding."


Yelling and whooping isn't very dignified, but the agreement was struck and the Goblin Parade ensued.  Elflings and sprites, goblins, gnomes, and fae of all kinds both light and dark marched all through the fair.  


Horns were blaring, rattles shaking, woodwinds piped and voices hollered. It was a rumpus to behold indeed!

Parade Dancing
(Photo: Chris Yetter)

Just as the wild ruckus was coming to an end, Wotan began to feel dizzy, "What's going on here?  Why do I feel...hey!  I was under a spell!  Oooh, you glittery gnats, I'll smash you all!  I want the Queen!"

Queen's Champion blocks Wotan's mallet!
(Photo: Iris Thiel)

The loyal court of the Fairy Queen formed a wall between she and Wotan, making as more noise in protest than his Barbarian ears could handle. "If you want me," declared the Fairy Queen, "then you must defeat my Champion!"

Did you see that?  A giant bear head!
(Photo: Iris Thiel)

A great battle ensued. Wotan's mallet smashed down, skillfully blocked with crossed sai.  They parried and the Champion rolled aside, dodging a forceful blow.  She lept on Wotan's back but he flung her over his shoulder to the ground.  Just as she leaped back to her feet, the fight took a shocking turn!


"Oh no, my valiant Champion!" cried the Amethina turning away with an indignant huff. "You cheated to win - Just like a filthy barbarian...."


Much to everyone's surprise Wotan had used a giant magical bear head to reduce the Champion into a crumpled pile on the ground, lain in defeat.

Wotan capturing Thorne!
(Photo: Richard Doyle)

"Your Queen is now mine!" he roared, shaking his mallet at the flock of fae.  Thorne twilled her nose at him and stuck out her tongue defiantly! "I'll get you too, you winged vermin!" And gave chase, capturing Thorne over his shoulder.


Now that Wotan had the two ladies captive, he had to think about what to do with them...


...and think...


...and think...

Yarrrrr! Lemme at them fairy wings!
(Photo by: Richard Doyle)

...and FINALLY he came up with the brilliant idea that he could sell them for profit toooooooo....the pirates!


In short order, they plucked the wings off the two faeries to prevent them from escaping by air.  Next, they unceremoniously placed a Cold Iron shackle on each of the their arms.


As everyone knows, Cold Iron is the bane of all Fae, stealing their magic powers away from them and robbing them of their glamour.


Pirates, always having an eye for riches, decided that they were going to hold the the Fairy Queen and her lady Thorne for ransom.  The price?  A trove of Goblin Fruit, enough for the crew, that is good for making a pirate impervious to at least one stabbing out on the high seas.

In Her most royal and magnanimous grace (and recalling that Thorne was a very amusing jester to the Queen's Royal Fool), Mary Queen of Scots beneficently agreed to set a basket by her throne for the collection of such fruits.

Thorne tickling Calabash, Queen Mary's Fool with a feather
(Photo: Chris Yetter)

After the last joust on Sunday, it was her promise to deliver them to the Pirates when the ransom price was reached...

Midsummer Faire: Barbarian Birthday!

B.O.O.M. Pirates fire their cannons.
(Photo: Richard Doyle)

Trumpets blazed and cannons boomed, signaling the opening of Midsummer Faire for the second weekend!


A lovely patch of land known as Maris Farms was now transformed into a Renaissance Realm, complete with privateers and swashbucklers, faeries and goblins, knights and jousters and of course the elite court and Her Royal Majesty, Mary Queen of Scots.

Amethina the Fairy Queen
(Photo: Larry Bennett)

Mount Rainier towered on the clear blue horizon - perfect weather for the Fairy Queen to keep an eye out for her arch-nemesis, Wotan the Barbarian!  This weekend was Wotan's birthday and Amethina had a suspicion that he would make an appearance so she planned ahead.


Being a Barbarian, Wotan had probably forgotten that it was his 274th birthday and so the Fairy Queen decided to arm all the elflings of her court with confetti poppers!

Aidan vs. Wotan the Barbarian
(Photo: Tammy Krout-Johanson)

When he arrived, they would all be prepared to bring the party to him! (As everyone knows, Barbarians LOVE colorful, shiny things).


It was a good plan, stalwartly defended but it wasn't enough.  Wotan was on a smashing rampage - he was still perturbed over the Cave Decorating incident.


Amethina was just going to have to come up with a new plan for how to counter-act that troublesome Barbarian...

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Seen in this post:

Elf Ears by Faire Play

Hair Braiding by Brenda the Braider

Earrings by D & D Chain Maille Creations

Headdress by SwanesDowne

Hair Wraps by Redwolf Hammer

Fairy Crown by Friendly Faeries