mischievous woodland creatures

by Bill Tiepelman

The Enchanted Duchess of Wings

Deep in the heart of the Autumnwood Forest, nestled between sass-talking birch trees and gossiping oaks, lived Seraphina, the Duchess of Wings. Oh, don’t let the title fool you. Seraphina wasn’t your typical, regal duchess sipping nectar martinis and waving daintily at passing beetles. No, no, darling. Seraphina was a firecracker wrapped in lace, with enough sass to make a dragon blush. Her wings? A masterpiece of shimmering gold and crimson that practically screamed, "Yes, I’m fabulous, and yes, you’re jealous." Now, Seraphina wasn’t born into nobility. She earned her title the hard way—by outwitting the High Fairy Court. It all started at the annual Glitter Gala, a snobbish event where fairies flaunted their sparkliest nonsense and gossiped about who had the most enchanted wand (spoiler: it was never Seraphina because she once used hers to toast marshmallows). That year, she strutted in wearing a gown so dazzling, it blinded the pixie paparazzi. “Well, well, well,” Lady Periwinkle, the self-proclaimed Queen of Glitter, sneered. “Isn’t it little Seraphina the Commoner? What are you wearing, darling? Did you rob a cardinal’s nest?” Seraphina smirked, her crimson curls bouncing like mischievous flames. “Oh, Lady Periwinkle,” she purred, “don’t hate the sparkle, hate your reflection. But if you must know, this gown is a custom piece. One of a kind. Just like my personality.” The room gasped. Lady Periwinkle fumed. Seraphina? She just sashayed to the buffet table and loaded her plate with honey-dipped ambrosia while shooting winks at the dashing Duke of Dragonflies. By the end of the night, she had not only stolen the Duke’s attention but also secured herself an honorary title as Duchess of Wings, bestowed by none other than the Queen of the Fairies herself. Rumor has it the Queen was impressed by Seraphina’s ability to mix charm with chaos like a seasoned bartender shakes martinis. Life as a Duchess Fast forward five years, and Seraphina had transformed her modest mushroom cottage into a palace of pizzazz. Chandeliers made of fireflies hung from the ceiling, and her dining table was a giant toadstool varnished to perfection. She ruled over her domain with equal parts flair and mischief, offering unsolicited advice to wayward woodland creatures. “You’re telling me you lost your tail to a fox?” she chided a panicked squirrel one sunny morning. “Darling, if you can’t outrun a fox, perhaps it’s time to consider cardio. Or a less bushy tail. Honestly, the drama.” But Seraphina’s reign wasn’t all sass and sparkles. She had enemies—plenty of them. Chief among them was Lady Periwinkle, who had never quite recovered from her Glitter Gala humiliation. She schemed endlessly, sending enchanted thistles to ruin Seraphina’s prized rose garden or unleashing mischievous sprites to mess with her hairpins. Seraphina, of course, always retaliated in style. Once, she enchanted Lady Periwinkle’s entire wardrobe to smell like turnips for a week. “Fashion and fragrance are a package deal,” she quipped. The Great Autumnwood Heist One autumn evening, as the leaves glowed like embers and the air hummed with magic, Seraphina found herself at the center of the Great Autumnwood Heist. A gang of rogue pixies had stolen the Queen’s Crown of Seasons, a magical artifact that kept the balance between autumn’s golden hues and winter’s icy embrace. Without it, the forest was doomed to perpetual pumpkin spice madness. The Queen summoned Seraphina to the palace. “Duchess,” she said, her voice quivering, “I need your help. You’re the only one cunning enough to retrieve the crown.” Seraphina raised a perfectly arched brow. “Flattery will get you everywhere, Your Majesty. But let’s be clear—if I do this, I want a lifetime supply of glitter dust and immunity from all Fairy Court gossip.” “Done,” the Queen replied, looking both relieved and slightly terrified. And so, armed with nothing but her wits, her wings, and a purse full of enchanted lipstick (because you never know when you’ll need to stun an enemy or touch up your pout), Seraphina set off on her mission. The pixies had holed up in the Ruins of Whimsy, a labyrinthine fortress full of booby traps, bad lighting, and terrible feng shui. Naturally, Seraphina breezed through it with her trademark flair. “Oh, a trapdoor? How original,” she muttered, flying gracefully over a pit of glowing toadstools. “And poison darts? Please, I’ve dodged worse at tea parties.” Finally, she confronted the pixie leader, a scrappy fellow named Snaggle. “Hand over the crown, Snaggle,” she demanded, her wings flaring like an avenging phoenix. “Or I’ll enchant your eyebrows to grow so long, they’ll tangle in your wings every time you try to fly.” Snaggle gulped. “Alright, alright! Take it! We just wanted to borrow it to host a rave!” “A rave?” Seraphina rolled her eyes. “Darling, next time just send an invitation. Now shoo before I enchant your toenails to glow in the dark.” The Hero Returns Seraphina returned the Crown of Seasons to the Queen and, true to her word, secured her glitter dust supply and immunity from gossip. Autumnwood Forest returned to its harmonious glow, and Seraphina? She threw a celebratory soirée that became the stuff of legend, complete with enchanted cocktails and a dance floor that lit up under her guests’ feet. As she stood on her palace balcony that night, wings shimmering in the moonlight, Seraphina sighed with satisfaction. “Another day, another disaster averted. Truly, I am fabulous.” And with that, the Duchess of Wings raised her glass to the stars, ready for whatever sass-filled adventure came next.     Explore More: The Enchanted Duchess of Wings This captivating artwork of Seraphina, the Duchess of Wings, is available for prints, downloads, and licensing in our Image Archive. Bring the magic of Autumnwood Forest into your space with this dazzling portrait. Click here to explore and purchase the artwork.