Queen of the Fae

"People whisper about the fae, true enough. But nobody dares to speak of the Queen under the light of the sun...Mother used to use stories of her snatching children to get me to stay inside."

Summary

One day a young boy by the name of Farlin went adventuring in the thick forest near his village, despite his mother's constant warnings to not go too far in, and certainly not alone.
While he was climbing a tree, he heard distant music. It was beautiful and cheery, seeming to fill the very air like birdsong, ad before he knew it he had climbed down and walked towards it.
The next thing he heard was hoofbeats punctuated by a jingling of clear bells, and as they got nearer the music got louder. Then he saw the leader, a woman astride a white horse decked in silver bells, and her beauty seemed to light up the world, shining and inhuman.
She saw him with her eyes of amber, and the horses came to a stop, the music quietened, and she spoke to him in a voice like silk that shook the trees.
And nobody ever saw little Farlin again.

Historical Basis

Disappearances in larger forests are definitely a problem, though people point out that there are a number of things that could lead to them, like children betting lost or beset by wild animals. It is definitely known, however, that disappearances are more frequent the closer you are to the Polar Coast, and were more frequent in older times.

Spread

This is a common tale, along with variants, across the entirety of Galiya and some of Vardena and northern Empire territories.

Variations & Mutation

Some variations are as small as differences in the name of the child.
Another common variant in northern colonies (closer to the Polar Coast) describes his return decades later, a slightly older boy laden with gold and on the run. He settled down far from where he reappeared with a wife and two children. However, one day the skies darkened and the music drifted close, and the Queen rode out to him alone. And she said unto him, "The price of your greed is your son and your daughter." He chased after her, but when he arrived home his children were gone and the remains of the fairy gold he'd stolen so long ago were in the centre of the floor.
This was one of the oldest variants, and the versions that travelled further cut off this part to simplify the telling.

Date of Setting

Summer Solstice, 125