Chapter 7-Crown and Plot

Outside Butterfly Castle-Butterfly Kingdom

The crowds that had gathered in the streets of the kingdom below now numbered in the thousands. Men, women, children, monsters and inhabitants of the underworld had all come together to celebrate this spectacular occasion. As the hours grew into the late afternoon and the sunlight began to paint the skyline as a spectacular orange, fiery scene the crowds had begun to eat at huge tables and smaller campfires that had dotted around the city as street vendors served all manner of foods to the hungry and gathered masses.

Some stalls were stands built around roaring log-fuelled fires which crackled below large metal grills piled high with various meats and vegetables which were served piping hot to the waiting Mewmans. Other stalls had colossal pots of stew, chilli and soups which bubbled gently as sweet aromas of simple, filling food floated gently into the streets. Much like any other good party, the alcohol soon began to flow as stalls began to open up and serve a large selection of privately brewed and hearty meads, ales and beers as well as fine wines and spirits which were plentiful throughout Mewni. Some stalls also provided soft drinks for younger patrons of the celebration as the kingdom ate and drank together like they hadn't done in all together too long.

At the far end of the kingdom stood the Royal Barracks. Standing tall and proud as a self-contained fortress of a structure. It's thick walls shielding the internal maze of rooms and corridors, which housed, fed and clothed much of the soldiers of the kingdom, from all weathers and all threats. Guards in gleaming, highly polished steel armour wielding tall pikes and great broadswords which hung at their hips in leatherbound scabbards, stood tall and as an intimidating presence at each entrance to the mighty building. Just inside of it's walls, scores of troops were making their final preparations to begin the grand parade to celebrate the marriage and show themselves off to the Royal family and Mewni at large.

The social, celebratory and almost family-like atmosphere was all of a sudden shattered as a band of trumpeters sounded off from the grand balcony of Butterfly Castle, sending a near-deafening but still nonetheless zeal filled and rousing tune throughout the packed and bustling streets of the kingdom. Immediately activities across the kingdom quietened down or ceased entirely as every Mewnian, Monster and Underworld creature immediately turned on a dime to give their full attention to the castle and the balcony on which the four trumpeters now played.

Not a second after they had finished a man, known simply as the Royal Announcer, stepped forwards onto the forefront of the balcony to overlook the crowd from it's grand and commanding heights above the central square of the kingdom. He was incredibly formally dressed, donning a grand, jet-black tricorn hat with a golden hem lining it's top and a grand white feather flowing outwards from the peak of the cap itself. He was clothed in a base layer which consisted of black trousers with a gold trim running down the seam towards a pair of shin-high black leather boots. Over his upper half he donned a simple black tunic and with string buttons which were buttoned up fully leading towards a large and brightest white ruffle which came down from his neck in a lose and cascading wave of material.

Covering the entire outfit was a large frock coat which was a brilliant red with golden trim running along each outline of the article. The coat was well decorated with golden buttons which were polished to gleaming perfection and a small shoulder cape which had sewn onto it a badge containing the golden threaded likeness of the Butterfly Family crest just onto the left breast. The man himself was weathered by age however still visibly had lost none of his strength to his years as of yet, his white beared and wrinkled, tired-looking face gave away his age in a mere glance however as he drew a breath and began to address the crowd in an enthusiastic, booming voice which rang with pride down towards the tightly packed streets.

"Citizens of Mewni! It is my firm belief, that you all have been kept waiting long enough would you not agree!?" The roaring cheers and cries of agreement from the vast crowd below echoed through the twilight sky of Mewni as the fiery and passion fuelled speech of the announcer had begun. More cheers erupted in turn as from behind him, the faces of Tom and Tamia, of the Magic High Commission, Marco's parents and little sister Mariposa (who by now was keeping herself tucked shyly into her mother's skirt at the sight of the sheer magnitude of people whose eyes were now seemingly fixated onto her), Queen Moon and King River, Ponyhead and Beumont emerged and took up their positions on the balcony. All of them visible and present, beaming smiles on their faces and waving towards the crowd, none of them the centre of attention but all of them receiving a celebratory cheer from the crowd, especially the King and Queen themselves who it seemed all of Mewni raised their voices higher in reverence for as the couple took their positions.

As the crowds cheers began to die down and everyone had taken their proper positions the announcer once again pressed on with his speech to the masses below the great castle. "In that case my Brothers and Sisters of Mewman, monster and demonkind. It is my greatest and most humble honour to present you with your newly married royal couple; Your revered, beautiful and beloved, Princess Star Butterfly, And Your respected, strong and honoured protector of the Kingdom, Prince Marco Butterfly!" A grand cheer immediately erupted from the crowd unlike any of the others. This cheer was filled with the fanaticism and love for the couple that shocked even those on the balcony who looked down at the crowds who had now gone into a near uncontrollable frenzy of celebration and alcohol fuelled party atmosphere.

From the range of cries and unintelligible wailing and cheering of the populace there was a single word which broke through the haze and calamitous noise that rose to a peak louder than even the fiercest storm. A single phrase which once heard began to circulate through the crowd, gradually at first, but then with rapid speed until it seemed as if everyone, every man, women, child, monster, heck even some of the animals in the fields may have been bleating the word for all those on the balcony could tell. The word was chanted again and again in a furious and irrefutable command that the crowd now made upon the beloved symbols and rulers of the kingdom in which they inhabited. "Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" came the exulted and almost manic voices of the crowd as it seemed that every eye in Mewni was now locked onto a single point of focus where the couple happened to be standing.

Star and Marco smiled warmly, each of them blushing heavily as the crowds chant turned into a roar which a person could probably hear from the hills that bordered Mewni and further beyond. Marco turned towards Star placing a gentle hand under her chin and having to raise his voice slightly so she could hear him over the crowd. "What do you think?" he asked with a flirtatious smile which she eagerly returned as she looked up towards him dreamily "Should we give them what they want?" he finished as he drew his arm around Star's waist, pulling her closer to himself as her own hands reached up towards his shoulders, wrapping around his neck.

"I suppose they are very persuasive" Star replied with a sly smile as she closed the distance between their lips and for a few seconds they shared an intimate and loving kiss as the kingdom below them cheered and roared with jubilation as their demand was met to their complete satisfaction. As the pair parted they spent a moment gazing into each others eyes, for a small time lost in their own world with Mewni and the world around melted away leaving only them, for a sweet moment in total bliss before the roar of the crowd and cheerful, ecstatic and thunderously loud noises of the celebration brining them back to reality.

On the balcony itself Queen Moon through a smile of pride as a small, happy tear made its way down her cheek which she quickly wiped away with a small, pale white silk cloth. As she placed the cloth back into a small pocket in her dress she gave a silent nod over to the waiting announcer, who had stood over to the sidelines lest he be caught accidentally in the spotlight, he nodded in return as if he'd been waiting for the signal for some time now and signalled to the four trumpeters to begin their short, loud melody once more to signal a further announcement.

The trumpeters each lifted their instruments and, with a silent count to three, began to play them in a short but alerting melody which caught the attention of the entire crowd. The crowds eyes were immediately directed towards the royal announcer once more as the man unfurled his scroll once more and began to read. "My apologies ladies and gentlemen, for this interruption to our joint and zealous revelry in the fond event that is taking place before us. It is however my honour to announce that Her Sovereign Majesty, our revered and adored Queen Moon the Undaunted, has an urgent address for the entire kingdom which her Majesty will deliver personally" The royal announcer turns on his heel slightly so that he could look upon Moon's face as she gazed, somewhat tiredly, towards the booming voiced man.

"Your Majesty, your people await" he gestured, bowing gently at the waist as he stepped out of her way. The Queen moved slowly, her strength not being what it used to be and the weight of her staff holding up her own as she made her way towards the central platform of the balcony. Cheers, along with some assorted murmurs of concern and wonder began to shoot through the crowd below as the Queen came into full view of her kingdom and it into her view. She simply stood for a moment, once more laying her eyes over the population of the kingdom and it's allies that had gathered for such a grand event. She could scarcely believe that this day might not have been possible had Helvete had succeeded two years ago.

She shook the horrid thought from her mind, this was not the occasion for those kinds of despicable thoughts and memories. This was an occasion to take pride in all they had, all she still had and all she had gained in her family. A day to be peaceful in the knowledge that the kingdom was secured and her line would remain unbroken and prospering well after she had passed into the realm of the fallen like all the queens that had come before her. She leaned as steadily as she could against her staff, allowing it to support her weight as she looked down on the kingdom, cleared her throat and began to speak in as loud a tone as she could muster.

"My loyal, beloved and wonderful subjects. Today is a day in which I take an extraordinary amount of pride and an immeasurable amount of joy the kind of which one feels only a few times across a lifetime, I feel these things not only as your queen, but also personally as a mother as I witness with my own eyes that my daughter your beloved princess Star has been finally joined in matrimony to a man who is more worthy, more deserving and is an greater mould of an ideal husband than I could've even dreamed up for her" The speech began with a motherly and warm tone emulating from Moon's lips as every word was carefully thought out and crafted as the people listened in what seemed to be near silence compared to the manic and patriotic celebrations that had drowned out all other sounds just a few moments ago.

"Coming up to five years ago, shortly after Star was granted the Royal Magic wand as is her birthright. Myself and River saw fit to send her over to a small and less magically focused dimension known as Earth, this was for the purposes of instilling into her; humility, discipline, respect, maturity and above all else was to prepare her for the challenges and pressures which come with taking the throne of Mewni." As Moon paused to take a breath, Star and Marco shared a cheerful and knowing look of nostalgia. Memories of their first meeting, their astonishing misadventures throughout the multiverse and their eventual blossoming into the relationship which lead to this very moment.

Their mutual feeling of nostalgia was broken however when they once more heard Moon's voice, continuing her speech every word of which entranced the citizenry below. "Since then she has grown up more than I can possibly have imagined in my wildest dreams, there are even days where I miss seeing her running around the castle causing all manner of mayhem such as she used too. But I could not possibly be prouder of the women that she has grown up to be and I know that she will continue to be as the years pass further." Moon's expression of cheeriness and pride then curiously faltered as she paused. Her face had fallen and now presented a troubled personality to those who could see her clearly, it was as if she was struggling to express an emotion but knew all to well that it was a bad one.

After a few moments of silence during which many of the people on the balcony thought about whether to intervene. Becoming curious with what could possibly be causing her to silence herself in the middle of a speech like this Beumont, silently and without alerting anyone who stood nearby, covered his mouth with the palm of his hand and whispered low and covertly into it. "Show me the pain that is kept hidden, allow me to witness memories forbidden". As the mystic finished these words his eyes faintly lit up with a subtle, pale blue colour and he began to stare towards Queen Moon intently as the effects of the spell took hold without notice from those around him.

He could see clearly into Moon's mind, the current memory she was reliving with that troubled and silent expression was played out before the mystic inside of his own consciousness. He could see, hear, smell and even taste every part of the horrific memory that was playing out inside of Moon's mind that only himself and her were able to bear witness to. The first thing that struck the old man was the noise, the screams of joy from the wedding crowd had now in the mind been replaced by screams of terror and anguish as Moon's memory took shape before him. The terrified screams of petrified Mewmans, the frantic yells and commands of troops as fighting raged on both sides of the great lines of battle which stretched towards the horizon, Artillery shells whistled overhead before crashing with a thunderous boom as they hit their mark sending shockwaves through the ground below as they launched chunks of Mewnian soil, buildings, walls and the bodies of those caught in the blast radius high into the air.

Beumont looked up towards the heavens, blackened and obscured by the smoke and dust of conflict and warfare as the furious melee continued all around him, the long lines of soldiers driving headlong with swords, spears, axes, clubs and the multi-coloured flashes of powerful spells from those who could perform them. He looked on towards the mechanical whirr of engines overhead as mighty airships, men in the sinister and jet-black uniforms of the Helios Empire on their suspended platforms launching deadly arcs of red and orange flames down upon the unfortunate souls below, flew over the top of the battlefield.

In the distance he heard another boom as a shell hurtled across the skies and smashed headlong into the lead Helios airship. With a tremendous explosion which sent shockwaves that hit the old man's chest like the blow of a champion fighter, sending him back and winding him with the sudden shock, the gases within the airship's balloon ignited at once and the colossal device of war came tumbling to the ground. It hit the deck with a tremendous noise like a hammer against an anvil, ripping the ground apart at the impact sight and sending the troops on board as well as those unfortunate enough to be caught under it to their demise. Beumont looked away, it seems he was unable to bear witness to such a catastrophic loss of life such as that.

Then he saw him. He had looked directly into his eyes but the figure did was not, and since this was simply a memory could not, concerning himself with Beumont. Instead he was looming over a battered, bruised and beaten Queen Moon who was currently in her Butterfly transformation. She coughed and spluttered as she attempted to pull herself up from the ground with struggling and shaking limbs as the figure still stood looming above her. Beumont noticed at this point how heavy and hot the air felt. It felt as if the atmosphere was thick as treacle and weighed on him like a boot to his spine, all of this seemed to intensify as Beumont looked up to stare into the face of the figure who now loomed over Queen Moon with a mocking and sinister expression across his face.

"My lord Helvete" he muttered to himself in pure shock as he watched the emperor chuckle in sadistic glee as Moon attempted continuously to pull herself up despite her obviously painful and debilitating injuries. Suddenly Beumont was staring up at the face of his emperor as his merciless and demon-like crimson eyes which glowed brightly as the fires of the deepest hell itself stared down at his perspective with evil intent. Beumont realised with a measure of horror that his perspective had shifted with Moon's herself, he was now in her place, feeling and seeing what she had seen in whichever memory this was.

He felt a tremendous pain in his ribs and across his body as fatigue, pain and above all fear seemed to flow over him as Moon's emotional memory drowned him in the Queen's exact recollection of the terrible event that was about to unfold. He looked on as Helvete's form stood towering over the Queen, the crimson glowing eyes of the emperor projecting a sinister and threatening stare down towards her much like a predator would look down upon weakened prey. Helvete then placed his hand to his chin as if pondering something as he spoke down in a dark, smooth voice.

"Eugh, I always hated bugs you know" the emperor spoke with disgust as he looked down upon Moon's weakened Butterfly form, her beautiful blue wings limping on the ground over her body like a shroud of azure silk. "As a boy I used to do something as a game, now what was it?" he asked as more of a question towards himself as he tilted his head in thought. Beumont could feel the sensation of Moon's blood turning to ice as crippling fear overtook every aspect of the Queen's mind, unable to do anything but simply look on as the tyrant emperor continued to ponder his next move with a grin much like a snake getting ready to bite as if he already knew the answer to the question he'd just stated.

Then, with an obviously fake 'Lightbulb moment', Helvete chuckled lightly to himself as he placed each of his hands onto Moon's wings pulling them taught as a cruel glint flashed in the emperor's eyes. "Oh yes that was it, I used to do this!" he yelled as he put his boot to Moon's back and using it to force Moon's body away as he pulled further on her wings, tearing them clean from her back with a sickening rip. Moon's scream from the pain was blood-curdling and Beumont was forced from her mind as a sensation of pain unlike anything he had ever experienced hit him like a thousand knives into his back.

Beumont was suddenly back on the Butterfly Kingdom balcony, looking out over the vast and celebratory crowd as the world around him once more unfolded. The change in scenery was stark to say the least, the sky was clear and twilight was slowly drifting towards nightfall as the sun fell from the sky creating a terrific orange glow across the horizon as if an unending inferno had been lit across the sky. But unlike the fire's of the memory he had just been shot out of there was no choking smoke to blot out the skyline, no horrific screams of pain and anguish or whizzing and crashing shellfire shattering the landscape. They were gone. Replaced by the jubilation and merriment of a crowd that formed the people of a kingdom who had overcome tyranny and warfare, now to celebrate in harmony and common comradeship the wedding of a couple who had fought tooth and nail to ensure this grand event could happen.

Beumont had felt it and was struggling to hide it behind his calm and collected demeanour. All of the pain, all of the fear, all of the anguish and sense of loss that Moon had experienced on that horrific day. Ponyhead glanced to her side and noticed the looked of uncomfortableness on Beumont's elderly features, she lightly prodded his arm with her horn, causing the old mystic to jump slightly as he turned to face her. "You okay? Like you're looking kinda pale?" she asked with concern in her voice. Beumont stood perplexed for a moment, still attempting to process the difference between Moon's memories and the world that lay before his own eyes, but before too long he managed a smile and a gentle chuckle as he attempted to play it off as nothing.

"Yes, yes child I'm fine" he reassured her as best he could under the circumstances "I'm just at that age where you kind've phase out sometimes, the mind seems to go first" he jokes with a small chuckle which seemed to work as Ponyhead nodded and went back to listening to Queen Moon, who had once again begun to speak.

"As you are all no doubt all too aware, two years ago, this kingdom as well as many others was suddenly and maliciously attacked by the Helios Empire and their tyrannical leader, Helvete." She began as her tone turned solemn and betrayed a feeling of incredible pain and sense of loss at the memory as the kingdom around her quietened down in recognition of the mutual sense of pain that the past stirred within all of them. "Each of us in Mewni, whether you come from the Butterfly kingdom, the Ponyhead kingdom, the Monster kingdom or the Lucitor Union, every one of us suffered at the hands of that tyrant and his cruel armies as they swept over this land leaving only death and destruction in their wake. You may wonder why I would bring up such an unsavoury topic during an event such as this, well there are a couple of reasons".

The kingdom stood in near silence, It was all too clear that Moon's speech held so much more weight behind it than a simple congratulations to the Princess and her newly minted prince this much was clear to even the most simple-minded among them. The flag waving, chattering, cheering and drinking had all for a moment ceased and all that remained was Moon's words floating gently down to the streets from her position overlooking them. "The first is simple; I as your Queen cannot even begin to thank each and every one of you that helped see Mewni through it's darkest and most desperate time that it has seen in all these long centuries of which we boast, there is no payment that will ever be a worthy exchange for what those that fought and especially those that gave their lives during the conflict sacrificed for the sake of Mewni. As your Queen I extend my most sincere gratitude to every Mewman, every Monster and every Underworld inhabitant that guided Mewni back to the light from the bleakest darkness as we vanquished the wretched Helvete and his cruel armies from our lands forevermore!" came the passionate and grateful words of the Queen as the crowd below cheered once more with enthralled passion and patriotic fury as the Queen's fiery speech poured down to them and their praise for the great victory of their people was incredibly received.

Moon smiled to herself and quietly awaited the crowd to quiet down so that she might continue with the rest of her announcement. Meanwhile those who accompanied her on the balcony began to cheer as well, especially Star and Marco and Tom and Tamia, each of the couples holding each-other lovingly as the memories flooded in and the adrenaline from Moon's speech flowed through them all as it had the crowd. The only one who did not share in their revelry was Beumont, who on the outside gave a small, humble smile while inside he raged at their passion and their celebratory nature at this speech. 'I wouldn't be so sure of yourself...your Majesty' He watched Moon gesture for the crowd to settle through narrowed eyes.

As the crowd did so Moon smiled, however her eyes betrayed a feeling of sadness as she continued. "During that time, the Butterfly Kingdom, like many others fell to Helvete and during the battle that evil and despicable tyrant tore off my wings so that I might never achieve my Butterfly form again" At this the crowd was immediately humbled by a feeling of sorrow for their Queen, which shot through the streets until Moon once more began speaking. "After that event, many in the castle and I am certain many of you have noticed that I have grown weaker as a result, leaving me unable to effectively govern the Kingdom as a Queen should."

There was a short pause as Moon looked back onto the balcony, at first towards River. The golden bearded king giving her a warm nod and a loving smile, knowing exactly what she was going to say well in advance and in his heart knowing that she was right. Moon then looked towards Star and Marco who smiled back warmly, still holding onto each other which Moon couldn't help but giggle at. 'They're going to be great' she thought to herself reassuringly as she then faced the crowd once more. "It is therefore; with a heart full of gratitude to every single one of you and with a head full of confidence in my decision which I have spent many hours across the last few months seriously considering, that I formally abdicate from the throne of Mewni and pass on the Kingdom and the Crown to my daughter. Ladies, Gentlemen, Monsters, Demons, Mewnians of all kinds; I am honoured and proud beyond words to present you for the first time with your newly crowned Queen; Queen Star Butterfly the underestimated and King Marco Diaz!" Moon announced proudly with a gesture for Star and Marco to step up so that the crowd could best view them as she herself stepped down from the platform.

The crowd's cheers went into a frenzy as they all swarmed every corner of the streets as the celebration went into full swing once more. The ale flowed everywhere as the bartenders worked doubletime in order to keep everyone's tankards filled as best they could manage. Street performers struck up their instruments, magic shows and other weird and wacky acts to entertain the crowds below as soldiers began to parade their way through the streets to the sound of a glorious and fully kitted marching band as thousands of Mewnian Boots marched and presented themselves at their best to the new King and Queen.

The roar of engines hovered overhead as the mighty and beautiful airships soared across the sky majestically pink, yellow, red and blue smoke trails following in their wake as the colours of Mewni were flying high over the city in a spectacle unlike Mewni had ever seen. Another chant shot through the crowd with a frantic and adoring cry as they looked towards their newly crowned and newly married royal couple. "Long live the Queen! Long live the King!" chanted over and over as the crowd's restless fervour built endlessly with the overwhelmingly good news that they had all been waiting for. This day had truly been perfect for each and every Mewman far and wide across these vast lands of magic and adventure, one they would not soon forget as the celebrations were set to carry on long into the night.

Those on the balcony retreated slowly into the castle itself for the afterparty for both the coronation and wedding which would be held in the great hall, surrounded by the closest guests as the rest of Mewni partied harder just outside of the walls. But there was one who did not join in the festivities, A certain young and anger filled Tyrius who sat waiting patiently in a nearby alley. His eyes watching the castle intently and with laser focus as his mission for tonight was soon to be carried out, Soon he would be one step closer to his ultimate goal. After this, he would soon have the head of the enemy he had sworn to take his swords to. 'You enjoy tonight Marco Diaz' thought the dark haired boy as he continued to sharpen the edge of one of his hooked blades 'It'll be one of the last you ever see if I've got anything to say about it'.

Tyrius continued to watch the balcony intently, observing Beumont until his eyes met with those of the elderly mystic. Though the distance between them was considerable, neither of them had any doubt that each could clearly see the other and their glances met each other for only a couple of seconds. Beumont gave a low nod before disappearing behind the grand doors of the balcony and once more. This small, almost meaningless, motion was more than Tyrius needed however and he began to make his move. Carefully and with a steady speed he made his way stealthily and while making every effort to avoid being noticed even within the packed streets of the kingdom towards the rear walls of Butterfly Castle.

Inside Butterfly Castle-Butterfly Kingdom

The grand, spacious ballroom of the castle had been painstakingly decorated along with the rest of it by the castle staff, servants and designers that had been brought in from across Mewni for the incredible occasion. A fully stocked and staffed bar space ran along the left wall. A hand-carved bar fashioned from Oakwood which had been reinforced by silver plates along it's front which had been embossed with the images of each of the Mewnian queen's cheekmarks. The front of the bar was made complete with barstools topped by red leather seats affixed to the ground by strong steel posts.

Behind the bar were dozens upon dozens of great wooden tapped barrels housed within row upon row of wooden racks holding them steady. Each barrel contained a different kind of beverage forming a collection which contained almost every possible drink you could possibly imagine across the multiverse. Around the bar were arrayed a selection of round tables covered with crisp, white tablecloths which were arranged for a dinner service. Along the rear wall was displayed for all to see; a grand table filled to bursting with every food imaginable including (specially requested by Star) the most enormous bowl of nachos any of them had ever seen. Marco had insisted on making them himself, not contented to trust anyone in this or any other world with his nacho recipe.

Star immediately tried to make a break for it but Marco knew all to well that she would try that move and grabbed hold of her arm, stopping her in her tracks and causing her to look up to him with a puppy dog expression on her face. "But Marcooooooo" She whined like a child who'd been refused sweets. Marco sighed, a small smile betraying his amusement at Star's attitude at being held back. "Star, I promise noone is gonna get to them before you do but we do have something to do before you can go crazy" he reassured her while gesturing towards the high priest. The man who had married the couple now stood between two further men holding each of the crowns of Mewni.

These were brand new crowns, crafted especially for the new queen as was Mewnian tradition. Star's crown was a small, light looking golden crown that looked not too much unlike her mother's. The main difference between her own crown and the one Moon had worn was the large pink diamond shimmering at the centre of the glittering headwear which had been fashioned into the shape of a perfect heart to match her cheekmarks. Marco's crown was similar to Star's however it was instead fashioned from silver in a material demonstration that the Queen's authority was always considered higher in Mewni.

Star sighed "Okay" she moped for a second "But after that...nachos" she demanded making Marco chuckle to himself and give her a small peck on the forehead. "Of course Star" he smiled as the pair made their way over to the grand priest, the other guests forming a semi-circle around them as they looked on quietly awaiting the ceremony. Adorning another pillow on a small plinth was laid out the Mewnian Sceptre of Rule. Used only for official ceremonies it was rarely seen and as such caused a small sensation of awe by it's presence.

The sceptre was modelled using the image of the Royal wand as it existed during the rule of Urania, the first one. As a result it was a twisted staff of beautifully dark walnut wood into which a grip was carved just under the halfway point of the 36 inch staff. At its top was fixed a large and heavy, bright orange Imperial Topaz gemstone which had been carefully and painstakingly cut and polished into the shape of a Butterfly at the bottom of which was tied a small, pink silk bow. The gemstone gave off a bright orange glow as the light shone off it's every facet and illuminated the little silk pillow it rested on.

The high priest gestured towards it with his right hand "Your Majesty, If you would please take possession of the Sceptre of Rule in your right hand" he asked in an elderly, kind voice with a small smile on his lips as Star obeyed and held aloft the Sceptre by the beautifully carved grip tightly in her right hand. The priest then turned towards River and asked "Your Majesty, if you would hand over your own staff to Marco". River nodded and handed Marco his staff which the king always carried to every formal occasion.

It was a long and thin white staff that was just a little taller than River himself at the top of which was seated a large and deep blue cut of Sapphire which was crafted into the shape of a crescent moon enclosing a small star. It gave off a hue of magical energy as Marco took possession of it. River leant closer to Marco's ear and whispered in a fatherly sort've tone "I know you'll do me proud my boy". River then gave a small smile before rejoining Moon in their positions to watch the ceremony take place.

Marco and Star both faced the high priest who gave each of them a small smile before turning to Star first. "Star Butterfly, Is your majesty willing to accept the Queen's royal oath?" he asked, suddenly turning very formal as he read aloud from the small, leatherbound black book he was cradling in his right hand. Star, half eyeing the Nachos as she did so, nodded "I am willing" she replied in a strangely collected and regal tone which slightly surprised Marco as he almost never heard Star speak like that.

The priest nodded and began to read "Do you, Star Butterfly the underestimated, Solemnly promise to uphold the laws and traditions of Mewni and her allies ensuring that the will of justice is executed with fairness and decisiveness, to seek justice and protection for it's people from all who seek to bring us harm, to seek freedom of the kingdoms which make up her lands and to strengthen the bonds of brotherhood, love and trust within the dimensions which she governs to the upmost of your abilities and until your last breath is drawn?" The priest asked with confidence and volume so that all in the hall could clearly hear and understand the monumental promise that Star was making to the people.

Star stood contemplating for a moment before nodding to herself and replying back to the awaiting priest and the crowd so that all could hear her words clearly. "I solemnly promise to do so and I will maintain this promise until my final breath". The crowd smiled collectively as did the priest "That was wonderful your Majesty" he complimented before he turned to Marco.

"Marco Diaz-Butterfly, Is your Majesty willing to accept the King's royal oath?" he asked towards the nervous looking lad who flashed a look over to Star. In retrospect this was little help as she was far too obsessed with the frankly ludicrously sized bowl of Nachos that awaited her at the end of this. Marco was pretty certain she was actually drooling slightly. 'Great, you're on your own here Diaz...or errm...Butterfly I guess' He thought, bringing a small smile to his lips as he thought over the name change 'Guess I just..do what Star did?' he thought before answering in a very nervous voice. "I am willing".

The priest, seeming to sense his nervousness, nodded gently and gave him a reassuring smile before reading aloud from the page. "Do you, Marco Diaz-Butterfly, Knight-Commander of the Mewnian Army, Solemnly promise to assist the Queen in the course of her duties, to safeguard her protection and see to the defence and survival of Mewni in times of greatest trial, to ensure justice and stability in the laws of the kingdom, to ensure alliances and the bonds of friendship and brotherhood which the kingdom relies upon in times of peace and war are defended and built upon to the upmost of your power?".

Marco thought over the speech for a moment, for some reason it stirred in him memories of everything that had happened since he had met Star. Protecting her, forging friendships across dimensions, fighting off threats that time and time again had converged against Mewni. These promises required nothing more of him than he'd been doing ever since he'd met the beautiful women he had just married. He gave a proud and wide smile, puffing out his chest slightly to the amusement of Star as he announced aloud "I solemnly promise to do so and I shall maintain my promise until my dying day" he declared.

The priest nodded "If the pair of you would please bow your heads and if the servants can bring forth the crowns" he asked, prompting two smartly dressed servants of the castle to carefully lift each crown from it's respective pillow and stand before the couple who's heads were now bowed low as instructed. The priest then read one final passage to mark off the ceremony.

"Then by the power invested in me by the ancient laws of Mewni and by the authority of the Monarchy and of the Butterfly Kingdom, I hereby declare you Star Butterfly and Marco Diaz-Butterfly as Queen and King of Mewni, Long Live the Queen!" the priest declared to a loud cheer and passionate cry from the surrounding guests "Long live the Queen!" they all rejoiced as Star turned around with a wide and that 'little too excited' smile that Marco both adored and feared.

"Now let's party already!" she yelled, rushing headlong for the bowl of Nachos before Marco had the chance to stop her.

Outside Butterfly Castle

The noises of celebration, merriment and drunkenness faded into the background in these dark and quiet backstreets of Mewni that outlined the back of the spectacular Butterfly Castle. A few drunken stragglers here and there as well as the odd child who had snuck out after hours to make mischief was all that occupied these streets that were far disconnected from the partying and feasting that took place in the central square. 'Ugh, much better' Thought Tyrius as he made his way carefully through the dimly lit streets and alleyways, occasionally peaking out towards the castle's mighty walls to check for openings he could exploit.

The teen was certainly not new to this kind of thing, having practised the same manoeuvres and infiltration tactics during training exercises with his mentor Sophia many times on the walls of their citadel in the badlands. He took in the walls of Butterfly Castle one more time, observing their height and making the comparison in his mind to the citadel he had climbed many times over. He chuckled to himself "child's play" he muttered as he ducked into a shadow cast by the wall itself, shielding him from any prying eyes that might spot his movements.

From his side he unhooked a length of coiled rope which was more than high enough to reach the top of the castle walls. At the end of the rope was tied a steel hook with four prongs facing outwards, their ends barbed so that they could not be easily ripped out once they'd dug into something. Taking the coils of rope into his right hand and the hooked end into his left, he launched the hook up to the top of the wall. It landed with a small clatter, the hooks embedding themselves between two of the crenellations in the structure.

Tyruis smiled a small, cocky grin. The teen tested the rope with a few hard pulls, ensuring it would hold his weight, before beginning his ascent. It was quick and the boy's experience showed as he made it over onto the wall in no more than 15 seconds or so. At the top he scanned his left and right sides. 'No guards' he thought 'They're are probably preoccupied with the rest of the castle and the party' he considered as he looked down to the observe the area just below the wall.

The area below was a small flower garden enclosed by the outer walls and the walls of the castle building itself. It was dotted with patches of rose bushes of all colours as well as a dozen or so other flowers which Tyrius did not care enough about to even think about trying to identify. The entire space was also overlooked by a large but decrepid looking tower which was coated with vines and overgrown plants, looking like it hadn't been used in centuries. The boy did however notice that the garden seemed to be empty at the very least so he retrieved his hook and rope and embedded the hook into the inner part of the wall.

The boy then rappelled down into the garden, taking care to remain as quiet as possible lest a patrol come round. He could more than handle a couple of measly Mewnian guardsman with his skill, but the old man had told him to avoid being spotted and avoid fighting unless it was absolutely necessary. 'What a drag...I could have this done in five minutes if he wasn't being so dull about it' the teen thought to himself as his feet made contact with the grass below. He let the rope dangle on the wall, in the dark it wouldn't easily be spotted and what's more he needed an escape route anyway.

Making his way through the garden, he made sure to stick close to the wall. The shadows hid his presence brilliantly from any pair of eyes that might be scanning the space from afar and he could easily close the distance to the castle at speed without arousing suspicion. Eventually he came to a small wooden door that looked to be little more than a servant's entrance. 'If I'm gonna last in there without being spotted I'm gonna need to hunt for a disguise' he plans as he opens the door ever so slightly so that he can peer in through the gap.

The small corridor the doorway lead to was empty and the boy could hear no voices coming from within, only the distant noises of the parties both inside and outside the castle walls which were faded slightly from the distance. He entered the castle slowly, closing the door carefully behind him so as not to risk the noise. As he crept down the thin and sparse corridor he began to scan the doors of each room. 'Breakroom-Lower servants', 'Gardeners store', 'Magical weed-killer'. All of them useless to what he needed.

The boy peered round the corner into one of the main halls of the castle. Again rooms dotted each side at regular intervals which were marked with useless titles like '1st floor custodian's office' and 'Nacho store (Keep Out-Order of Marco)'. Even despite not having a clue what a 'Nacho' was Tyrius found himself very tempted to sabotage this room simply to spite Marco. His hand lingered at the doorknob for a few moments before he thought better of his actions. He didn't have time to waste with petty things like that, some other time perhaps.

Eventually, while exploring the long and twisted corridors of Butterfly Castle, the chaotic and cheerful sounds of the party above getting louder with each step he took, he found a door simply marked 'Guard Locker Room'. The boy smiled deviously for a moment 'With a guard uniform I'd have free reign of the place' he thought to himself as he carefully creaked open the door and peered once more through the gap. Noone in sight. The boy crept through the doorway and closed the heavy wooden door gently behind him.

The room was plain by anyone's standards. A simple dressing room lined with wooden cabinets which the guards could store their uniforms during their off days and their civilian clothing while they worked. It wasn't special but Tyrius cared little for it's decoration and began to search each of the lockers across the wall for not only a uniform, but one that would fit the boy properly so that he wouldn't stand out too much. Eventually he managed to find a guard uniform in one of the lockers adorning the back wall. It was slightly too big for him but judging that it was the only one available, a flawed disguise was better than no disguise, he began to put the uniform over the clothes he was currently wearing.

Sorry dad' He thought to himself as he covered up his father's uniform with the Mewnian one 'It's for the greater good, I don't like it either'. He pulled on the blue uniform of the castle guards and strapped his highly sharpened hook swords to his back. Probably not Mewnian standard but he could probably pass it off as a family heirloom which wouldn't technically be a lie he reasoned to himself before carefully slipping out of the locker room and began heading down the hall.

He walked down the hallways with confidence like he was supposed to be there. He even managed to fake an expression of happiness despite his disgust for the entire place in general. As he passed through the hallways he continued to scan the rooms for anything that seemed like the right location, any rooms with additional guards posted outside. He had no luck until he came to the 6th floor of the castle and noticed a room towards the end of the hall with two guards stood outside it. The golden plated sign on the doorway told him all he needed to know 'Star Butterfly's Room'.

The boy chuckled internally, making sure the guards saw no change in his expression as he approached. 'This is gonna be far too easy' he thought as he came up to the two large and stern looking guards, both of which carried tall pikes as well as having a broadsword strapped to their hips. They certainly weren't about to let him pass without a fight, but that wasn't the boy's plan anyway. He stood up straight, mimicking the position of attention that he'd seen Mewnian knights bring themselves to multiple times today as he had watched the great parade outside from his hiding spot.

"I've been sent to relieve you of duty" he declared pointing to the guard on his right who, he figured at least from the less impressive symbol on his arm compared to his partner, was the junior of the two guards. The two guards eyed each other with doubting looks before turning back to the boy. "I'm not due to be relieved for another couple hours, who sent you squire?" he asked with an accusing tone.

'Squire!?' thought Tyrius as from the corner of his eye he spotted the single golden chevron sewn into his borrowed uniform's right arm and noticed that the guards he was talking to had 2 chevrons and 3 chevrons respectively. They outranked him, he had no option of ordering them to move. 'This'll be a little harder then...unless' Tyrius thought as he faked a slightly fearful and nervous expression.

"I...I dunno I was just told to come up here and guard Princess Star's room, it's kinds my first duty tonight and...I didn't know really what to do and so just did as I was told and..." The boy rambled in beautifully acted but nonetheless fake confusion and upset before the more senior guard raised his hand for the boy to stop talking.

"Alright, alright" he began in a stern but reassuring voice to the teen "No need to start fretting and worrying, we've all been there lad, I'll go find Senior Knight Uritas and find out what's going on" he said handing over the large pike to Tyrius who took the heavy weapon into both hands in an attempt to hold it steady. "Just, stand there with Dawes until I get back then I'll tell you what you're supposed to be doing, what's your name again kid?" he asked as he switched places with Tyrius, leaving the boy on one side of the door.

"Kahchi" Tyrius answered without hesitation causing the guard to raise an eyebrow for a second before shrugging to himself. "Really must be new, I haven't heard of you till now, but we'll see what Uritas says, I won't be long" he reassures the pair before making his way down the hall, whistling to himself as he went. As the senior guard turned the corner, Dawes turned to Tyrius with a small smile. "Hey don't worry man, first day on duty is always a tough one, where you from anyway?" he asked with a friendly tone.

Tyrius smiled and, using his free hand, pulled a small syringe containing a small amount of Turquoise coloured liquid from his back pocket, taking care to hide the movement from the second guard as he did so. He looked up to the second guard with a wide and sinister looking grin on his lips as a confident chuckle leaked from his mouth. "Helios" he answered before plunging the end of the needle deep into the guard's neck and pushing down on the plunger.

Before the guard could react Tyrius covered his mouth and preventing any cries for help from making it down the hallway. After a few seconds of struggle, the heavy pike fell down onto the floor with a mighty thud as the guard went limp in Tyrius' hands. The boy's smile widened "Sweet dreams soldier, don't worry, by the time you wake up I'll be long gone" he spoke reassuringly to the guard. He then opened the door to a nearby cleaning cupboard and threw the squire in. 'He'll keep in there till morning I expect' Tyrius thought before he entered Star's room, leaving the hallway once again empty.

Inside, Tyrius was greeted by a room which stretched high into the rafters with strange and unworldly decorations. A large four poster bed in it's centre which was adorn with white sheets and long turquoise curtains which draped down to the floor of the room from the bedposts. The room itself was fully decked out with everything from chests full of random junk, to a display of deadly looking weapons on the wall, a mirror-phone which was partially hidden behind it's own set of curtains and a thin spiral staircase which lead to the upper levels of the elaborate room.

There was no time to marvel at the strange place which the Princess of Mewni called her own however, there was work to be done for the young teen as he scanned through the room. On the surface he saw no sign of the wand in here, if the princess was carrying it then this plan was a bust for today, there'd be no way of getting it without being noticed. Tyrius began to look deeper, he headed over to a nearby chest of drawers and opened the top one a crack. Inside he saw a myriad of colours from white to pink to...The boy slammed the draw shut as fast as he could, not caring much for the noise as a red tint adorned his face.

"Wrong drawer...definately not in there..." he muttered before moving on away from those drawers, a small tint of red glowing on his cheeks. He made his way over to the small, wooden bedside cabinet and hesitated at the handle. 'Please don't be something else that's embarrassing' he prayed silently before opening the drawer of the cabinet slowly. 'Jackpot' He thought as there in the centre of the small drawer was the Royal Magic wand. He grinned wickedly at the discovery and quickly stuffed the wand into his provision bag before closing the drawer carefully and exiting the room.

Tyrius no longer cared much for appearances, although it'd be awkward to explain if he ran into that other guard again so he took a different route through the hallways and eventually stumbled across a door on the 3rd floor which was marked simply as 'Wall access'. He chuckled and stepped out of it and onto the upper walls, making his way gradually over to the spot he had placed his grappling hook and rope. He placed the grappling hook into the previous spot between the crenellations he'd managed to hit before with his throw and rappelled down into the streets below with ease.

With a small effort he managed to tease the hook itself off of the wall and quickly bundled the rope and hook together and refixed it to his belt. "Thank you very much Star Butterfly, I'll be sure to come back and return it once we're done" he sarcastically announced to the castle with a cocky bow. As he rose from the gesture his expression turned dark for a moment "And when I do I'll be sure to claim your husband's head as my next prize" he uttered in a murderous tone before turning on his heel and making his way quickly through the streets of Mewni, off in the direction of the badlands.

A/N: Star and Marco have been officially crowned King and Queen of Mewni and now the kingdom parties the night away in great celebration. But how will they react when they learn that the Royal Wand has been stolen, and what's the next step in the order's plans? Until next time guys :)