Thronegarden by Andrew Dickerson (top rated books of all time .txt) 📕

flickered across the walls, raising the sorcerer’s suspicion, though he could not discern who or what had disturbed his slumber. The Fairy King’s long, spindly fingers looked for an opportunity to strike, and he spoke in a deep voice that echoed authoritatively.

“Whoever you are, come out and face me.”

The Fairy King waited, poised to unleash a magical barrage against his unknown intruder and when no one appeared, he decided that perhaps someone had stumbled upon his lair by mistake. To make sure they did not linger he decided to sing a few verses of the poem that his loyal Sprites had created for him. This time the Fairy King’s voice was much higher as it was his natural pitch which he had always rather disliked.

  The Fairy King  

I am a legend, villain in all the greatest stories,

A man of mysteries, leader of the fairies.

The regent of ill repute, master of magic,

Feared by all those who inhabit these parts,

My contribution to pure evil is epic,

The night is my domain, black as his despicable heart.

 

For I am the Fairy King, the bells ring,

For I am the Fairy King, the undying.

 

I hold Death’s greatest power, time, in my hand,

Age is no threat to the ability I command.

Those who seek to defy me,

Are like particles of sand in the wind,

For they will soon come to see,

They lost, it already happened.

For I am the Fairy King, the all-knowing,

For I am the Fairy King, cruel and upsetting.

 

Who else could valiantly conquer Death,

To face his fear until his last breath?

It is I the magnificent despot,

Tyrant to women and children,

Wicked, callous, maniacal, I am the lot,

I own everyone in every garden.

For I am the Fairy King, the reason you lie under your bed crying,

For I am the Fairy King, whose majesty there is no denying.

 

This our proud Kingdom of Fable,

Is saved by the man with no equal.

If you have been living under a rock or at the bottom of a lake,

Or meet a traveller who took a wrong turn,

Be sure to advise them so they do not make a terrible mistake,

For the name of their leader they must learn.

For I am the Fairy King,

For I am the Fairy King.

After finishing his performance, which involved a series of disjointed dance moves, the Fairy King was satisfied that any possible intruder had been scared away. The effort from his revelry was already making the sorcerer tired, and he was pondering whether to take another nap when he heard strange noises coming from the surface. The Fairy King had settled into life in the Evergarden surprisingly easily; he was adored by his trusty Sprites and was treated like an emperor, even in exile. The magician’s greatest fear had been death. In the Evergarden he could not die and so a great weight had been lifted off his chest. The Fairy King’s pursuit of defeating death had given him a strange phobia of clocks, watches and even hourglasses. That meant even after he banished Death and stole his precious Timepiece, the sorcerer could barely force himself to touch the loathsome object. Thankfully, Death had provided him with a solution. Hiding the timepiece inside the wound created by his adversary’s scythe, the Fairy King could keep the item close without having to see or touch it. In truth, the sound of time had been the Fairy King’s greatest foible, so when time had stopped and the clock went silent, he had finally been able to sleep easily. Since being exiled to the Evergarden, the Fairy King had enjoyed a peaceful rest until today. Stalking his lair, he searched for any sign of an intruder when he heard a clamor from up above. Springing out of his hole, the Sprite leader dashed onto the surface to discover what all the commotion was about. Buttontail who had been hiding in the dark, terrified of being discovered and clinging on to the stolen timepiece, finally stopped shaking. Opening one eye, the frightened rabbit stared at his stolen treasure in awe. The timepiece had been crafted of metal from a fallen star and shone brighter than silver. Intricate patterns were embossed in the shell that reminded Buttons of those relics that adorned the library doors of Magicgarden. They seemed to glimmer in the moonlight like liquid. Opening the case, Buttons looked upon the timepiece’s face which was designed in a circular display with strange symbols along the edge.

Perhaps only Death could read or understand these runes that Buttons was staring at. There were three delicate hands, all of varying lengths, and currently none of them were moving. Buttons did not believe they represented hours, minutes and seconds like a regular clock. This was anything but ordinary. Inside the timepiece was the Voice of Sereth which called to Death, and some believed the Voice of Genesis also although no one could penetrate the unbreakable outer shell to know for sure. The neck was grained sharply in contrast to the crown which was perfectly smooth, a warped bow offered a way to carry or hang the pocket watch. This timepiece had not only tolled the life and death of countless souls, it physically represented time in Fable. Uncurling his stiff body, he followed the Fairy King out of the tomb and went in search of his friends.

The Fairy King was surprised to see his faithful Sprites running towards him as though they were afraid of the pursuing fog. His shock increased when he witnessed a group of strangers emerge from the shadows behind them. After being exiled in the Evergarden for so long with just his trusty Sprites, the Fairy King had grown complacent, believing himself