In honor of Jane Austen’s Dragons’ 10th anniversary and a new partnership with Deposit Photos, I’m excited to present a gallery of dragon portraits. And where better to start than with the very first dragon we met: April, the fluffy blue fairy dragon.

Fun facts about April!

Species: Fairy Dragon

BASE STATS & ATTRIBUTES

• Size: Hand-sized / Hummingbird scale
• Plumage & Hide: Iridescent turquoise blue feather-scales
• Dragon Friend / Partner: Lady Elizabeth Bennet Darcy (The Dragon Sage)
• Affiliations: Longbourn Estate / Pemberley Estate / The Blue Order
• Preferred Fuel: Raw Honey & Strawberry Jam (Strictly refuses traditional blood pudding)
• Mundane Disguise: Projects draconic persuasion to appear to dragon-deaf humans as a hummingbird or rare exotic songbird

SPECIAL ABILITIES & ACTIONS

• Draconic Persuasion (Soporific Song): Emits sweet, trilling melodies that soothe frayed human nerves, gently sway human opinions, or sing non-hearers into peaceful slumber.
• Ear-Nip Correction: Delivers a sharp, precise peck to the ear when her human companions are being stubborn, uncommunicative, or overly formal.
• Air Reconnaissance & Intelligence Gathering: Leverages small size, high speed, and the kingdom-wide fairy dragon gossip network to intercept secrets and locate missing Keepers.
• Feather-Puff Defense: When insulted, defensive, or flustered, she fluffs her soft feather-scales until she resembles a round, turquoise dandelion.

ORIGIN & DRACONIC LORE

• The Pembroke Hatching (October 1802): Rescued as an abandoned egg in the Longbourn woods. Upon hatching at Sir Rowley Delves’ estate, she snubbed the standard dragon meal and imprinted on 11-year-old Elizabeth Bennet after receiving a dish of honey.
• Name Origin: Chosen by April herself because she preferred warm spring weather over winter chill, though she explicitly warned Elizabeth that she is under no obligation to be “reliably pleasant”.
• Fierce Rivalries: Maintains a hilarious, long-standing feud with Longbourn (the estate wyvern), whom she frequently calls a “dirty, smelly old wyvern” and a “selfish ninny”. She also harbors a deep distrust of cockatrices in general, and snubs pretentious humans like Miss Bingley and Mr. Collins.
• Mate & Legacy: Mated with a wild fairy dragon at Longbourn estate. Laid three eggs., Cosette, Pax, and Verona. Formed a bond with the black fairy dragon Half Wing, eventually laying a clutch of three eggs at Darcy House.

Read more about the inspirations that led to the fairy dragon.

Meet April in Jane Austen’s Dragons:

Pemberley: Mr. Darcy’s Dragon

A Proper Introduction to Dragons