But…
She marvelled every time her eyes passed through.
The main hall's walls, where thousands of Tamaranians could stand at once, were ten stories high and a golden color with speckles of red. Larger blots of red slowly gave way to smaller ones with increasing height, and the golden hue became deeper and stronger with elevation. There were no edges between the wall and the roof – the chamber was anything but square. Instead, it was comparable to one half of an egg. Increasingly discernable streaks of silver emerged from the gold and began to swirl as the rising walls met each other at the top of the dome. At last, they coincided neatly at the highest point in the hall.
Starfire loved it. Anytime she was within these walls, she emitted such a… flightless, free spirit. She would sometimes stare up and spin around with her arms extended, as though she were being sucked up into some invisible whirlpool of gold and silver, blending together in a beautiful blur. Whichever guard was stationed to monitor the main hall invariably smiled at the sight, and Starfire invariably returned a shy smile of her own. She managed to forget the presence of others at times.
A hulking, twelve foot tall Tamaranian wearing a thick purple body suit came marching through a comparably large opening in the wall of the chamber. There were few doors used in Tamaranian architecture – they preferred to have one room flow seamlessly into the next.
"My ruddy little Bungorf!" exclaimed Galfore.
"K'norfka!" replied Starfire with enthusiasm. They closed the short distance between each other quickly and embraced as would a father and daughter. In reality, the chosen K'norfka was a father figure to the royal children. Kingly and queenly duties kept Starfire's parents extremely busy. They still tried to make time for their children, but they would sometimes go days without seeing each other.
"Your sister is waiting for you, Bungorf. She said you two were scheduled to play today."
A look of surprise came over Starfire's face. "AH! I forgot! I must make haste…."
Galfore caught her by the shoulder as she turned to run down towards the courts. He turned his head back towards the guard currently stationed in the hall and motioned for him to leave. The guard bowed his head and promptly complied.
"What is it?" asked Starfire, sensing a more serious conversation to come.
Galfore crouched down to her level and put on an almost goofy smile. He then patted Starfire's head as he spoke. "I love you both. Let no one, including yourself, tell you otherwise."
Starfire looked down towards her purple boots, as she often did when feelings of inferiority came over her.
"But," she muttered, "do you not have a favourite?"
"No."
"But, do you not love one a little more?"
Galfore exhaled deeply, almost as though sighing, but without the frustration.
"My love for either of you is not measured in quantity, Bungorf. I love you both for who you are. There is no comparison – there cannot be a comparison, for that would be like pitting the majestic mountains against the vast oceans. No such thing is possible."
Starfire kept looking at her feet longingly, though obviously feeling little relieved. She finally hoisted her head and gave Galfore the smile. That smile. The one that concealed anything from mild distraction to severe unhappiness.
"Go on," said Galfore. "I will be happy with your utmost, and so should you."
Starfire made a sound of acknowledgement that sounded like a giggle and a snort rolled into one and bounded off towards the courts.
Galfore straightened up as she left the chamber, wondering how many times he would have to repeat that conversation with Starfire.
Probably many, he thought to himself. But a K'norfka's work is joyous. And you are but fifteen years old. You will come out of your shell yet.
Still, he marvelled that Blackfire, only elder by one year, could be so much… farther along in some ways.