A/N: This fairy-tale is dedicated to all those who raise children, younger brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, godsons and goddaughters, puppies, kittens, canary-birds, spiders, gold-fish, snakes or … whatever, as well as flowers, trees and any kind of plant. :D

Elfland.

And, in my dream, with silvery voice,

She said, or seemed to say,

"Youth is the season to rejoice" –

–Lewis Carroll.

Epilogue

or

What Happened To The Heroes Of This Fairytale.

The little Green Dragon and the Queen of the Elves returned in the capital of the Elven forest, and they spent all the following months together. The Dragon grew older, he chose for himself the beautiful and ancient name Fírnen, and he became one of the most magnificent of his kind that ever existed. The Queen ruled the Elves for many years, and when, finally, she got tired of the state affairs, she chose a younger elf as her successor. Once she was free from her obligations, she traveled with her Dragon to distant and unknown lands. There, she met a dear friend of hers, a Dragon Rider who had abandoned the country years earlier and had devoted himself to raising the Dragons. The ex-Queen and the Dragon Rider decided to stay together for the rest of their lives and unite their efforts on Dragon upbringing. Firnen found his mate there too, and nesting with her, he fathered many young Dragonlings.

The boy Garland lived for many years in the Queen's court studying the arts and the sciences. He became an expert in archery, albeit the long peace prevented him of being an active warrior. He also became a great flute performer and a poet. When he grew older, he decided to travel all over the world, and later he came to be a successful writer of fiction. He scripted and published various stories about an imaginative world, called Europe. The following generations admired and honoured him, singing about his achievements under the Menoa tree, during the centennial ceremonies of the Agaetí Blödhren.

Corolla the fairy returned to her home by the blue lake in the elven forest. She still lives there stroking the lilies, flying along with the bees and dancing under the moonlight during the nights. She makes acquaintances with the playful squirrels, and gathers moonbeams and star-kisses for some future use.

The foal and his mother, followed by the other two mares, united with the rest of the herd, and they grazed happily for years in the wide clearings of the elven forest. One day, Hvitr became the proud king of the horses, and the father of many fine princes and princesses.

Several days after the foal's escape, young Litilla and her mother welcomed her father's return along with the other village men who had survived the war. She grew under their doting care, and when she became of age, there was no other girl more graceful and beautiful than she. After all, no one else possessed as a dowry moonbeams and a star-kiss. So, the Lord saw her married with his only son, and the young couple live happily ever after.

The puppy became the best guard of the estate and filled the yards with many little puppies and hidden bones.

The fox and her relatives migrated to more secure places, where the chickens were fatter and the dogs duller.

The Lord never again dared to even approach the elven forest or cut down its trees. And he redeemed himself by announcing and volunteering reforestation projects around the lake; thus creating new jobs in the village and providing many beautiful, shady groves, which he used later as resorts, building bungalows and earning too much money from the tourists.

The lonely man traveled far northerly, He built a castle there and lived away from all the other people, along with his red Dragon, for a few years. Finally, when they both got bored with their loneliness, they returned home. There, the lonely man met an old acquaintance of his, who meanwhile had become the Queen of the humans, and he stayed by her side, protecting and helping her in ruling her kingdom.

And they all lived happily ever after.

The End.

Yet, a very important thing is that all our heroes kept occasional meetings during the many years that followed, helping one another whenever needed, and taking part in new adventures.

But this might be another fairy-tale.

A/N: I want to thank Restrained Freedom for his constant help and support.

Also, I would like to thank all of you (and you are so many) who read and, either reviewed this fairy-tale, or not. Especially those who were with me since the very beginning. It was amazing that people from all over the world honoured me with their time, trust and support.

My friends from the United Kingdom, friends from France, Germany, Italy and the US of A, friends from the Orient and the distant China, I would like to pass a message to all of you, as well as to those who will read this story in the future. The years come and go the one after the other, for the most of us passing in haste. Every new day shines for a while like a bright, flaming torch, and then its light fades leaving behind us a long, dark line of extinguished candles. And the youth lasts for such a short period of time. The child becomes a man or a woman, leaving aside the fantasy of the fairy-tales. And then the everyday affairs, struggles and pains demand from us to grow up, to grow older, to age.

Let's keep the innocent child we once have been deep in our souls! Let's keep the dreams of our fairy-tales! Let's feel young forever!

This fairy-tale ends today, as a new year in my life starts. You see, today it is my birthday, (and any review I will receive will be my birthday present). :D

January 3, 2014

Thank you for reading.