"I love you too."

He vanished through the portal, leaving Star to her Mewnian duties for the was fine, right? It was only one night, and Star was the one that told him he'd be better off on Earth. She knew that it shouldn't be a big deal, that it wasn't a big deal, but it rekindled the flames of her earlier worries. Might this be foreshadowing of their destiny? He had chosen Mewni, knighthood, and her over and over again, but the next step she could foresee wasn't to be taken lightly. The decision would have to be a lot more… permanent this time, and one that would definitely require far more sacrifices than any made previously.

Queen Moon handled the lion's share of operating the kingdom by herself while King River served as the coals keeping her fiery resolve alight - an important task, to be sure, but not one that necessarily resulted in an even split in time commitment. His Johansen nature fit perfectly into this role, craving any moment of freedom from stuffy regal monotony. The end result was a wonderful harmony between the monarchs. Star's situation, she knew, was much different. Marco was a steadfast presence at her side through all of her work as a princess; a future without him as a partner, an equal in all things but perhaps title, seemed unfathomable. He had sworn to her "so long as we both shall live" once, sure… but they had only been 15! Star certainly hadn't taken the true implications of that oath to heart when she said it - it was a rocky time for both of them, and she just wanted to make him feel welcome. Many months later, when they had finally sorted through all the confusion in their hearts, the resemblance of her words to a certain other type of vow struck her. Had he truly understood those ramifications when he accepted the pledge, or did he similarly overlook the underlying meaning of the words?

She was startled by a gentle but firm knock on Marco's door. "Star, darling, are you prepared for dinner?"

"Oh, uh, juuuuust a sec, Mom." Star darted over to Marco's mirror to ensure she looked presentable after their playful skirmish. She adjusted her headband and smoothed out her blue narwhal dress before shuffling over to the door, opening it to see her mother waiting patiently.

Moon's lips curled into a slight frown as she asked, "Is everything alright, Star?" Dammit. She'd tried to suppress any lingering traces of worry on her face, but her mother could read her like a book.

"Yeah, just… kinda sad that Marco's gone for a while. And there's the boring festival tomorrow... yeah." Star bit her lip and looked away, hoping the half-truths were enough to end the conversation before it began. She could feel her mother's soft but stern gaze trained on her, but after a seemingly endless moment of silence, Moon seemed to accept the answer and turned to leave for the dining room, Star following a moment later.

They arrived only to find River already tearing voraciously into a pile of drumsticks. Star giggled and Moon rolled her eyes as they sat down, River just beginning to notice their presence over the mountain of food in front of him. "Moon Pie! Star! Sorry, I was going to wait but I was famished… I need my energy for the festival, you know!"

Star snorted and pointed an ear of corn at him as she finished loading up her plate. "Dad, you do know that most of your job tomorrow is eating, right?" She raised her chin and began reciting from memory in an overly formal tone, "'The king shall consume every hundredth ear of corn to symbolize the fertility of the fields and the sustenance Corntessa provides to the people of Mewni.' We do this every year."

"Hrmm, well, yes, must have slipped my mind…" River trailed off and suddenly became transfixed with the patterns on his meat blanket as Star looked over at her mother and smirked.

"So, dear, you mentioned Marco being gone for a while?" Moon inquired, cutting up her modest portion of chicken.

River perked up, clearly grateful for the shift in topic. "Ah, yes, I recall overhearing something about that myself. It's a shame, I was hoping he might like to assist me for the festival tomorrow. You know your old man's still got it, but I admit the harvest has been quite bountiful this year and I can't handle all that corn as easily as I used to. Besides, it's probably in his best interest to start practicing, you know! It won't be that many years until-"

Star felt a blush overwhelm her as she stared down at her plate and poked at her food, hearing a thump from under the table as her father went silent. River looked incredulously at Moon, who subtly indicated Star's reaction - not quite subtly enough to escape Star's notice, however. The talking stilled for a moment before Moon cleared her throat; Star finally looked up at her mother, who raised an eyebrow, clearly expecting a reply to the previous line of questioning.

"Oh, yeah, uh, it's his parents' 20th wedding anniversary so they were having a special dinner and wanted Marco to be home for that. I think they wanted him to help with some stuff around the house tomorrow, so he'll be back after the festival." She plastered a smile on her face and tried to inject more levity into her voice, but it still wavered as her mind was reeling from her father's outburst. Among the various people and groups involved in ruling the kingdom, River had been one of the most vocal supporters of Marco, and this was certainly not the first time he had alluded to Marco's possible future as his successor, but while Star and Marco might have tentatively laughed it off in the past, she just couldn't shake it as easily tonight. The dinner sank back into relative silence, only the clinking of silverware and chewing of food remaining.

"Now that I think of it, has Marco had some other commitments on Earth recently?" River asked as he polished off his current helping.

"Huh? What do you mean, Dad?"

"On one or two occasions I've stopped by to see if he wanted to partake in some spur-of-the-moment night hunting; you know how it is, those Narinthian tar beasts are devils unless you catch them off guard while they sleep, hah! But to my surprise he wasn't in his room! I figured he was off doing something or other on Earth, but the hunts are always so intense I never remember to bring it up afterwards."

His attention moved to the assortment of desserts the staff had laid on the table as Star began to panic. Did he not know about her and Marco's current… arrangement? Had her mom not informed him about the situation from months back? She hadn't directly talked to him about it, but given how big a deal it had seemed at the time she had just assumed… She glanced up at her mom, who was stealthily putting a finger to her lips. "Well, duh, Mom! I wasn't going to tell him now!"

"Marco is…" Star trailed off as her mind whirred to generate a good excuse, finally settling on something she deemed passable. "...taking some karate lessons, yeah! No one really knows it on Mewni and he doesn't usually have time during the day so he sometimes goes to Earth for some night classes! He likes all the knight stuff, of course, but karate is just more 'Marco', y'know?"

"Say no more, I'm quite familiar with the need to engage in fisticuffs instead of all that formal hoopla with 'weapons' and 'armor' and all that junk. If he ever needs a sparring partner, send him my way for a tussle, haha!"

"Sure, Dad! Alright, well, I'm stuffed, so I'll go get my wand and we can head out to the festival site for the final prep, okay Mom?" Star's eyes met Moon's for the first time that evening, and Moon hesitated a second before slowly nodding in agreement. Star scooted her chair back and nervously shuffled out of the room, but she failed to notice that that concerned gaze remained locked on to her as she left.

"Colorful Canvas Creation!"

Moon looked down at her daughter, who was putting up the final tent needed for the Corn Count Carnival, from the newly-constructed seating area for the royal family. The queen let the gentle breeze sail lazily over her face as she closed her eyes and enjoyed a rare moment of relaxation, one where she was not required to guide, or lead, or rule.

"Perhaps more common as of late," she mused, once again fondly regarding her shining Star adding flamboyant decorations all over the various structures. In the last few years, Star had come into her own as a Princess of Mewni - perhaps not the type of princess Moon might have wanted once upon a time, but one that surpassed her expectations in ways she never thought possible. Much as Star had grown, Moon too had made great strides as a mother and not just as the Queen. Their bond, forged from this halfway point between themselves and their royal roles, was one they both treasured, and even with all its ups and downs the last three years of teaching (and learning from) her daughter were the most rewarding in her life.

Moon hadn't needed this deeper understanding of Star to know that something more was going on the moment she opened her bedroom door earlier. While it almost certainly involved Marco, there had been a distinct lack of the frustrated screams (and sometimes spells) that always accompanied their lovers' quarrels. Moon had silently puzzled over this until the moment River mentioned Marco's future, when it instantly clicked in her mind. She was intimately familiar with how frightening it felt to be thrust into prominence as a royal of Mewni, which applied doubly for someone without a childhood full of preparation for the role. Even at 14 years old, before their relationship had blossomed into unmistakable love, Star had demonstrated that she cared about Marco more than anything, including her magic or her duties as a princess; it was no wonder that she was so distressed over his future.

"Alright, Mom, everything's set up!"

Moon put aside her contemplations without missing a beat. "Alright, dear, there's one last thing I need you to do. Would you come up here for a moment?"

Yellow wings erupted from Star's back as she transformed briefly into her butterfly form to fly up to the seats. Moon beckoned for Star to sit in the seat directly next to her.

"Is everything OK, Mom?" Star asked as she sat down.

"I think I should be the one asking you that same question, dear."

"N-nothing's wrong! Everything is totally fine with me and Marco!"

"I don't recall saying anything about Marco." Star froze as Moon reached out and gently touched her shoulder. "Please just talk to me, Star."

Star inhaled deeply and spent a moment in silence before finally looking at her mother. "It's just… I've heard all the stuff said around the castle, and by the townspeople, and even from Dad, and I'm worried, OK?"

"...about Marco's capability?"

Star bristled as though she'd been slapped. "What? Hell no! It's not that at all! Sometimes I think he's better at all this than I even am… but it's a lot to ask. I don't get a choice, and I'm fine with that, but he does and it's a big deal and he might not want to and I need him and-" Her voice caught in her throat.

Moon gracefully lunged forward to wrap her daughter in a tight embrace, patting her head as she felt some dampness on her shoulder.

"Shhh, it's alright, my Star." Nothing more was said until the Star's sobs died down minutes later.

Star took a few slow, deep breaths to regain her composure. "How… how did you and Dad deal with this? With the whole-" She grimaced and shut her eyes as she dug deep to find the resolve to finish the sentence, but Moon could see that no force on Mewni could drag the words from her heart to her lips.

Moon spared her the agony. "I'll admit, it was different. You already know I became Queen before your father and I got together, although he was certainly instrumental in my success and stability much as Marco is for you. Given that River came from a royal family, he was of course in the same position as I was - as you are, now, too. But the most stunning difference between our situations, as far as I can see, is that what you and Marco have together is something truly magnificent, Star, the likes of which I have never seen."

Star dreamily smiled for a brief moment, but as the realization struck her the smile contorted into an indignant glower. "Wait, but you and Dad-"

Moon shushed her once again and coolly continued, "I recall that era of my life vividly. I was scarcely an adult when the the crown was thrust upon my head. Your dearest father was one of the most supportive people in my life, and we did truly love each other then as we do now. When the time came that I felt the same pressure you're feeling now, I was nervous about each and every thing that could go wrong. But the most harrowing question in my mind was whether our bond would survive the hellishness of the life I had to lead. How it still has after all these years eludes me at times. I can't say it will be easy for you, or that there are no concerns you should have, but from the very bottom of my heart I can tell you that you never need to have that same apprehension with Marco. You… you have no idea how much comfort it brings me that my daughter won't have to endure that hardship."

Moon's voice broke on the last line, threatening to shatter her regal poise. The tears brimming in her eyes were mirrored by Star's, who had been hanging on every word as though it were a royal proclamation; in truth, Moon considered this more important than any speeches delivered as Queen of Mewni.

"Mom… I… you're right, you're so right, I should know that, but-"

Moon gently brushed the stray hairs away from Star's face, her hand lingering on the cheek emblem, barely visible beneath the ruddy hue of her skin from the cold breeze. Hearts: the perfect fit for the young woman who felt affection, animosity, and anxiety with every fiber of her being.

"It's still difficult and stressful, I'm well aware. A mother's greatest joy in life is seeing her child happy, but this applies to fear and doubt as well. Nothing in my power can erase this pain, Star, but know that I'm always here for you should you need me to lend you an ear."

"Mommy… what should I do?"

Gazing deep into Star's soul, Moon saw not the valiant young woman that was poised to lead their kingdom into a new era, nor the fiery spirit that fueled drove her passions as much as her recklessness, but instead the timid girl who didn't, couldn't love herself as others did. There was only one person that could spark a glimmer of hope that deep in Star's spirit, where Moon knew she couldn't.

"By no means is this simple solution, and it's certainly a departure from your usual habits, but perhaps a good starting point might be some Mewnian courting customs. Most are designed for nobles to become familiar initially, but there are certainly a few somewhat more suited for your… unusual situation, relatively speaking."

Star leaned back in shock, cocking an eyebrow incredulously. "Wait, like, courting courting? Doesn't that make things really 'official?' Even when I was with Tom we never started anything like that, and he's a prince!"

"Not necessarily, dear. You'd be surprised how much flexibility there is, largely due to all the prior queens who add in their ideas of what courting should be without truly invalidating the past traditions. Some of them can be, dare I say, fun at times."

"Something from the ancient Mewnian tomes is fun? Liar! Guards! This woman is an impostor claiming to be the Queen!" Star mimicked a shout, smirking as she kept her voice at normal volume. Moon laughed softly, relieved to see Star joyous again. "So you think it might help with the whole… strain around this?"

"If nothing else, it would be a bridge between your current relationship and something a bit more formal, but overall I think it would be good for you. Your father and I definitely benefited from them on the whole, although you should have seen him during a handful of the stricter rituals. On at least one occasion he was so nervous that he forgot to breathe for five whole minutes! When I leaned in to remind him, he nearly blew me over with his frantic gasping for air."

Star's visage brightened as she joined her mother in chuckling at her father's goofy antics, but a mere moment later she suddenly halted, going bug-eyed.

"Uh, speaking of Dad… about dinner… does he not know?"

"River is…" For once the words didn't come effortlessly to the eloquent Queen of Mewni, as she struggled to carefully pick the right ones for this sensitive topic. "...he wouldn't have been reasonable about it, Star. He can't really understand it. Obviously he never had to go through it himself, but perhaps even more importantly, we never had to deal with the same… impulses at that point in our lives. It just wasn't who we were - who I was. But please know this, dear: I don't think anything less of you for it, and neither would your father. I know that it was necessary and I trust you and Marco. River does too, in his own way but this would have been different, trust me on that."

"Yeah, I get it. Should probably talk to him at some point before he, uh, finds out on his own." Star floundered, the blush on her face clearly no longer from the cold. She shook her head and regained her mental footing. "Anyway, that- that might work. The whole courting thing. Thanks. Is there some kinda book for it?"

"Yes, I'll have Manfred deliver it to you whenever you want it."

"I kinda wanna start reading tonight, I'm curious now. Shoot, that reminds me I still need to find a thing Marco left and send it to him. Alright, I'll take the book and read it after that," Star said all in one quick breath, clearly still distracted trying to process all the delicate issues they had just opened their hearts about. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply to center herself. "Thanks again, Mom. This was- it means the world to me."

"It's my pleasure, Star. Now it's getting quite late. Let's head back, shall we?"

Star gave her mother a quick hug, which she happily returned, before flying back down to the ground for a final inspection of the festival setup. Moon remained seated, the warm smile on her face fading as she sunk back into thought. Her mind was, oddly enough, pulled back to her youth when she was freshly appointed as Mewni's ruler in a dire time of war. The last few decades of her life had been guided by her cool, calculating aura of confidence and strength, but right now as she buried her head in her hands she resonated more with the helplessness she felt at that lowest point in her life. All she could do now was hope that, against what an outsider might deem insurmountable odds, Star and Marco could overcome this hurdle together. Moon stood up and smiled, shaking those feelings off as she descending the stairs gracefully to join Star in taking a portal back to the castle.

If the past few years had taught her anything, it's that those two were more than deserving of her confidence that they would.

Author's Note: First off, I apologize greatly for the massive delay in this chapter. The beginning of my semester has been crazy for numerous reasons, and coupled with massive writer's block, I struggled with this chapter for quite a while. I hope to have the next one out within about 10 days or so, and then to try and pick up a schedule of 2-4 updates per month. Writing quickly has never been a skill of mine and while I'm very much hoping it improves over the course of this story, it's definitely taking its toll on me now. Hope you all enjoyed!

Also, a big thanks to Jack Coffison for plugging my story in his own, you're too kind. Please check out his fic Marcocrushed which explores Marco's heartbreak in 3A in a way my heart can barely take - that's why I just skip ahead to the future where Star and Marco can be happy :P

Review Responses:

Allen: I'm glad you like Janna, because this fic isn't done with her yet...
Michi: Plenty more cheese to come :P
Jack: We already talked a bunch but I want to thank you again for your kind words. Here's that look into Star's mind that you were interested in (with more to come, of course).
zeldex/Absent/guest: Took longer than I wanted to produce more to read but hope you enjoyed it!