Author's note: Okay, so this took forever to write. Sorry about that, by the way, but I had a lot that I wanted to get done in this chapter along with a lot going on in my life at home, so it took a little bit longer than expected. I won't linger on the details too much in this initial note, because that's what the final notes are for, so, anyways, enjoy! I'll see you at the bottom of the page!
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…
The Measure of a Man
Chapter Six
Happy Birthday, Star
"Do you think you could go a little easy on the makeup today, Elton," Star asked in a pleading tone.
The aforementioned man smiled down at her, remarking "It would be a lot easier if I didn't have to cover that massive wound of yours," his tone playful. Star smiled, chuckling to herself.
"Yeah, not my finest moment," she remarked, sinking into her chair as the man continued to work on covering her wound.
"Not your worst, though," he joked, dabbing his powder brush against her newest injury. She winced. It had only been two days since the day of the attack and it was still fresh on her mind. Moments of silence passed as Elton focused on his craft, squinting as he carefully dabbed around her protrusion, doing his best not to hurt her.
"I hear you might have made a new friend too, am I right," he questioned, backing away and looking over his supplies. Star glanced to the lone window in the room in silent contemplation.
"I'm not too sure," she began. Elton turned and faced her, his interest piqued.
"I think he's a really good person, and I invited him to come to my ceremony, but I don't know. Not many people have seen me at my weakest. I almost got him killed. I wouldn't blame him if he was mad at me," she explained, Elton's arms crossed. He laughed.
Star tilted her head in confusion. Elton shook his head and sighed in contentment.
"What is it," Star questioned.
Elton only smiled, his answer being lacking, "Oh nothing honey," he began, putting his tools down and leaning against his table, "I think I'll let you be for today. You said you wanted to go light on the makeup, right?"
Confused, Star slowly nodded. Elton smiled at her, leaning against a table and relaxing.
"Okay, I'll let you go now. You don't have long. Your father will probably bust in as soon as I leave, so, as much as I love your father, you can have all of that attention," he exclaimed sarcastically. Star smiled.
"I'll see you soon, Elton," she finished as he walked out of the door.
"In your dreams," he joked as he shut the door behind him.
Star chuckled to herself, calmly staring out at her window. She leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. It was finally happening. The day had finally come. She was going to inherit the Royal Wand.
The things that she could do with the wand, whether it be infinite warnicorns or candy for when her mood was down, the possibilities were endless. And then, there were… other aspects. Her work as Mewni's personal vigilante would surely become easier, but then, her identity would become known. She knew that the day would eventually come, and she remembered how Marco had criticized her two days ago, that she could so consistently lie. Maybe it wouldn't be the worst thing. Maybe-
Crashing through the door of her room, her father entered with glee, practically oozing excitement.
"My Shooting Star, Happy Birthday," he called out, immediately coming to her and wrapping his arms around her. She reciprocated the embrace, eventually regretting it as her father's ungodly strength squeezed her. She was lucky to have both gotten used to it and inherited it herself.
She finally peeled herself away and gasped for air, her father heartily laughing.
"Oh, you must forgive me, it is not every day that your daughter turns eighteen," he beamed.
Star walked to the window, glancing out and sighing. Her smile slowly dissipated as she stared out.
"Is something the matter," River asked, placing a hand on her shoulder despite her being taller than him.
She hesitated, stammering, "I just- Do we have to do this today? It's just too much. I don't think I'm ready."
River took a moment, pretending to consider her proposal before finally declining. "Star, you know how your mother would react if we broke tradition. I understand that you're stressed, but you have to do this."
Star sighed once more, her shoulders falling. She stared out toward the Mewni sunset in a contemplating silence. The moment was surreal. There was a lot of pressure for this to go right and she was a large part of that. It was meant to be a great moment in her life, but it didn't feel like it at that moment.
"But Dad," she began, thinking of an excuse quickly. "My head hurts really badly, how am I going to make it through the ceremony?"
He removed his hand from her shoulder, scoffing in initial frustration. Outside of her vision, he balled his fist as he thought back to the origins of her wound. If only she hadn't been with him-
"Dad," she questioned, drawing him back into the moment.
He fabricated a faux smile and tried to reassure her, "Star, I am truly sorry. You are a kind soul. You deserve no such pain, but you must complete your ceremony."
Star tried to act like she was content with his decision, but she couldn't lie, she didn't have the strength to. As she met her father's eyes, his forced smile fell as well. Her gaze fell to the ground, each of the two being disappointed for different reasons. River looked to the ground and sighed, finally determining that the moment was beyond saving. He walked to his daughter and pulled her toward him in a much more gentle embrace than before. The embrace lingered, as both needed the strength it brought, but it had to come to an end.
Eventually, River released his daughter and walked to the door of the room, grinning at his daughter.
"You'll do great, I promise. When it's all over, you will remember only the best parts, because that's the kind of person you are," he affirmed, earning a genuine, appreciative smile from his daughter only moments before he lightly closed the door behind him.
Star smiled, turning and facing the mirror. Looking at herself, she couldn't believe that it was truly her eighteenth birthday, that she would finally inherit her royal responsibility and begin her path to queenhood. It was… a lot to think about. Of course, her father was entirely correct, this day would be one of the best of her entire life, but there was more that came with it than her age rising and her gaining of the Royal Wand.
Beyond the obvious, her life would be set on and immovable on her path to Queenhood. It's not like it was a shock, as she knew that her purpose was to be raised as the future Queen, but now that it was growing so near, it was more than she could ever imagine. Her face fell once more. She stared at the ground, sighing. She turned and faced her door, slowly walking toward it, ready to take a seat on her throne.
She heard a gust of wind behind her. She froze in place, initially not thinking much of it, but within a moment, she determined what the source of the noise was without even looking. She smiled.
"You know you're not sneaky, right Tom?"
He gasped sarcastically, joking, "Maybe I just wanted to be caught."
Star turned to face him, pleased with his presence. He descended from her windowsill and walked toward her, embracing her passionately.
"I didn't think you would come," Star explained.
Tom smiled, finally releasing her.
"Come on, you're my girlfriend, I couldn't miss this for the world," he exclaimed.
"I know, but I thought you would be busy today," she wondered.
He only smiled, cordially raising his arm. She too smiled, wrapping her arm around his and walking to the door.
…
"Woah, what's the hurry, Marco," his mother questioned as she was pulled through a gathering crowd in the Royal Throne Room by her son. She wasn't sure if he heard her though, because he never looked back. He just continued pulling her toward the front of the soon-to-be audience and kept the same giddy smile that he had on his face since the moment they left their home.
She looked side to side, meeting the judgemental eyes of Mewni's most financially elite. They looked disgusted, as if she and her son were lesser beings, and deep down, it angered her, but beyond those who surrounded them, there was something more beautiful, and more pure than her frustrations. Her son looked on with such clear care for the woman who he had only met days prior, who he had only learned the identity of more recently than even that.
Truthfully, he was in no condition to be there. His dominant arm was still broken, his ribs were still in tatters, and there was no good reason for him to not be in bed, but he insisted. She had alluded to her suspicions several times that day, but he simply denied them, explaining that he just wanted to wish her a happy birthday, because that was what friends were meant to do. She didn't believe him for a second, of course, but that just came with being his mother, and even with such brutal and painful injuries, he was there, and he cared only for her. She remembered someone else who was very similar.
As for him, he was in a world of his own, totally oblivious to anything going on around him.
Eventually, they reached the front of the crowd. Marco glanced back to his mother, waiting until he came to her side and finally addressed her.
"Do you think we're early," he asked innocently. His mother only chuckled, playfully shaking her head.
He tilted his head, still unknowing of how strange he was acting.
Trumpets blared throughout the room, immediately drawing his attention to the thrones, where the royal trumpeter proudly played. Beside him, a man, small in stature, but with a regal nature nonetheless, began to speak in a clear and loud voice, addressing the crowd.
…
"Ladies and Gentlemen of Mewni, the time has come for tradition to carry on. For centuries, such traditions have remained in place, and today history will continue to be made," Manfred, the Royal Family's closest confidant declared proudly.
Standing at the end of a hallway just beside the elevated thrones, Star glanced to her side where her parents stood, glancing ahead in a nearly identical posture comparable to that of herself and Tom.
Glancing to her opposite side, she saw Tom's parents standing in the same position, grinning at the two as the moment drew near.
"And now," Manfred continued, giving the signal for them to advance, "I am proud to introduce the Butterfly Family as well as the Lucitor Family, who have come, like you, to honor the great Mewman tradition."
They walked at an identical pace, taking the stage and slowly walking into the throne room, meeting mixed responses from the crowd, from thunderous applause to cruel obscenities, the crowd made their opinions known.
In graceful synchronization, they walked to their respective thrones, the Lucitor Royals simply standing beside the King and Queen respectively as Tom moved to stand beside Star.
The crowd slowly began to grow quiet. Star scanned through the townspeople and quickly spotted her friend, who waved at her with his mother beside him. She immediately smiled, quickly glancing to her side to make sure her parents were distracted, then waved back.
Manfred began to speak again, neither he nor she focused on what the man had to say. She kept her eyes on him as he mouthed a sentence to her.
"Happy Birthday," she read from his lips. Her smile only grew. She sighed in contentment, mouthing, in return, "Thank you." Truthfully, he was only the second person to say those exact words to her. She understood that her birthday might have been overshadowed by the ceremony, but it was nice to have someone besides her father who seemed to care more about her than her duties.
Marco giggled to himself, his mother whispering something in his ear. He reacted with an annoyed face, causing Star to giggle. All eyes shifted to her. She froze in place. Manfred glanced back to her, remarking, "I do suppose that it is quite humorous that your father managed to make such a mistake."
The entire crowd broke out in sudden laughter. Star finally exhaled in relief. Tom glanced back to her, confused, then followed her eyeline to what, or who, she was laughing at.
He saw Marco smiling at her and looked back to Star, who smiled in a similar fashion. A knot grew in his throat as he grew jealous. He took a step to the side, standing slightly in front of Star. Confused, she peered past him and smiled at him once more before her attention was recaptured by her ceremonial duties.
"And on such a monumental day as this, where the Butterfly Princess begins her adulthood," he ranted. As practiced, Star stood and walked to stand beside Manfred. He snapped his fingers. On command, a brolic and heavily scarred knight walked into the room carrying a chest and placed it in Manfred's hands. The audience grew talkative as they watched with anticipation.
Manfred pulled a key from his pocket and inserted it in the small chest, twisting it and lifting its lid.
"The greatest defense of the Mewman people is due to be passed down, as it will be to the Princess's first daughter when the time comes."
From the box, he lifted a pillow, upon which was the spectacle that the Mewmans had come to see. Shimmering, glowing, and emanating an aura of pure, elegant power, the Royal Wand sat nestled into the pillow. He held it high for the crowd to see. Its magnificent, natural golden glow lit even the eyes of the Mewmans who had seen so much tragedy. The crowd fell silent in awe, jaws dropping and eyes glossing over in the sight of the majestic, magical artifact.
He turned, holding the pillow in front of Star. She faced him, feeling an impulse to reach out and grab the wand, to let its power course through her so she could achieve things that she had previously only imagined to be foolish dreams. She fought to restrain herself, knowing that she would hoist the wand for the crowd as she finished her vows.
"Do you, Star Butterfly, first kin to the throne, vow to put your kingdom first in all that you do," he began, questioning.
She smiled, standing proudly. She looked out to the crowd, holding her hand up as she spoke with sincerity.
"I do."
He continued, "Will you promise to never allow the power you contain to corrupt your decisions?"
She kept her smile, nervously looking ahead, trying to keep herself calm, knowing that she was often reckless in her well-intentioned crusades.
"I promise," she affirmed.
After what seemed like an eternity, Manfred reached what Star knew to be the final vow that she was due to make. He spoke in a regal tone.
"Do you vow to carry on the legacy of the Butterfly lineage?"
She closed her eyes taking a deep breath and looking out on the crowd. Marco smiled back at her as they met eyes. It wasn't a question that she loved, but she understood its necessity.
"I do," she stated, letting her shoulders fall as she finished her final task of the ceremony.
Manfred lifted the pillow slightly, Star grinning. Slowly she lifted her hand to take the wand, but ever so slightly, Manfred jerked back and began to speak again. Her eyes shot open in surprise. She pulled her hand back and listened anxiously.
"As I understand it, there is a final question to be asked," he stated, backing away slowly. Star tilted her head in confusion.
Tom slowly walked to Manfred's side, facing her with a hopeful smile. Her heart slowed its beat.
Time felt as if it had come to a stop. She felt frozen as the eyes of the people she lived to serve stared on with anticipation. Through eye contact, Star began to worry.
Marco's brows lifted in surprise, his mother doing the same. He looked to the King, utterly shocked. Whatever was happening, he was as in the dark as Marco was. He looked to the Queen, who grinned, lifting a brow as her daughter stood in total obliviousness.
Tom took a step forward
"Tom, did you know about this," she asked, desperate confusion behind her voice.
He sighed, holding her hands in his.
"Star," he addressed, taking a deep breath. "I love you," he stated.
"No, Tom, you don't mean that," she interjected.
He didn't stop. "I can't imagine a world apart from you," he affirmed, reaching his hand into his pocket.
"No, no," she mumbled, trying to deny, her voice dying in her throat.
Angelica placed a hand on her son's shoulder, watching the joy drain from him so cruelly. She pulled him back, but he couldn't look away.
The Prince looked into her eyes longingly, holding a small box in his hands.
"And so," he began, slowly descending onto one knee.
Angelica pulled her son back, slightly more forcefully, but he remained glued to the spectacle that was unfolding. He needed to leave. He couldn't see this. She knew that it would be too much to bear.
"Star Butterfly," he addressed once more, releasing her hands so he could hold the box in both hands.
She turned to her father, pleading for a way out of this moment, but as the crowd looked on silently, she was a prisoner to the moment.
Tom took a deep breath, closing his eyes and opening the box. He opened his eyes and looked into hers. Inside the box was a ring. Composed of a rich, crimson steel band and a glowing, white gem, the ring shone at her, as if it was alive and staring at her, just as the crowd that surrounded her did.
Finally, Marco allowed himself to be pulled away, closing his eyes as he ran out of the room with his mother. Star's eyes darted toward the door as she watched him leave. She felt her heart drop as she looked back to Tom.
Finally, he uttered the words that she had been dreading to hear.
"Will you marry me?"
Her mouth hung open as the audience fell totally silent.
His eyes radiated with hopes that she didn't share. She knew his feelings were true but were hers? Of course she felt at least something for him, but love? Let alone a love pure enough to marry with? She turned and looked to her parents with a face of betrayal, each parent with a different opinion on the matter. Then, the Lucitor King and Queen, each smiling. They had to have known what was coming, as did at least her mother. How could they have done this to her? Her brain began to swell and she began to feel faint. She looked down at Tom's ring and thought about what it really meant.
"Tom, I-" she struggled to find her words.
He looked up at her hopefully once more, his doubts finally beginning to show.
Tears formed in her eyes as her emotions began to get the best of her. She watched as Tom slowly came to the realization himself, his face showing the dread he felt for what must have been such an embarrassing moment. The audience began to whisper.
She looked at the wand, still in Manfred's care, and turned away, tears flowing from her eyes, she ran out of the room, leaving Tom on his knee. The crowd erupted into chaos. Tom looked to his parents. Their disappointment in him was clear. The King got to his feet, watching as his daughter stormed from the room. He turned his head to Tom and balled his fist, turning back in the direction that his daughter had fled to and giving chase.
The crowd grew rowdy, the poorest people of the kingdom going as far as throwing garbage in the direction that the Princess and her father had run off in. Slowly, the Lucitor King and Queen walked toward their son, standing over him as he stared in the direction that Star had left in, his gaze unmoving.
"Why," he questioned aloud. His father shook his head, scorning his son as he remained unmoving.
Slowly, he turned to his parents, tears brewing in his pale eyes.
"Disappointing, as always," his father remarked, pulling a pair of scissors from his pocket and cutting open a portal, stepping through with his mother following. His face fell.
Queen Moon slowly arose from her throne, turning to follow her family, but Tom shot up from the ground, running behind her and tugging at her sleeve. Moon looked back, full of disdain for the boy. He released the cloth, eying her desperately.
"What do I do now, you told me that she was ready," he questioned hopelessly.
She sighed, glancing toward the crowd.
"She was," Moon answered.
Tom stared at her, confused. He questioned once more, "What do you mean, she was?"
Moon sighed once more.
"She has been through more than you could know within the last week alone," she explained. Tom balled his fist, a blaze burning around it as he angrily stared toward the castle door. Moon tilted her head.
"Thomas, surely you aren't considering- Marco had nothing to do with this," she declared.
Tom cut in, "I need to leave. I have a lot to think about," he dismissed, turning his back to the Queen and pulling a pair of dimensional scissors from his pocket.
As he cut open a portal, Moon called out to him.
"Thomas," she called. He turned his head.
"Please," she began, conflicted on how best to handle the boy. She let her shoulders fall.
"Stay safe," she finished, watching as he wordlessly turned away, walking through his portal and stepping into the underworld. Moon stared at where he had been only moments ago. Tom was always good to Star, but she knew that something was amiss. Something dark had been awoken in him and she felt partially responsible.
She turned away slowly, staring at the wand. After a moment of consideration, she reached for the wand and held it in her hand, the wand immediately transforming into her version of the wand, a golden shaft adorned with a large, shimmering diamond. She stared at the wand for several seconds, slowly turning her head toward the hall that her family had walked through.
She sighed, walking in their direction, carefully navigating the floor as to not step on any of the garbage thrown by the peasants. She moved into the dim corridor, sighing as she finally heard her husband and her daughter conversating.
The rowdy curses of the audience faded as she got further down the hallway until she finally had a moment of silence.
A ways away, Star argued with her father.
"Are you kidding me," she shouted. "Tom just asked me to marry him and somehow you're making this my fault?"
He tried to stay calm.
"No, Star, I didn't say that it was your fault. You know that I had no idea this was happening," he explained in a calm, but frustrated tone.
"Well everyone out there seems to think so," she fired back. "And because I said no," her voice cracked, "I am the person who they see as being responsible for the Monsters attacking."
"Star-" He fumbled with his words.
"It was my doing," Moon announced as she finally walked into the dimly lit library.
"What-" Star questioned with a betrayed expression. Her piercing glare felt like a dagger directly through her chest. Moon stepped further into the room.
"Star, I thought that you liked him," she reasoned.
In an exasperated tone, she denied, "Of course I did, but I'm not ready to marry him!"
"Star, please, lower your tone," her father requested. Her glare switched back to him.
"Seriously?!" she shouted, beginning to pace.
"All I wanted was… one day that I didn't have to deal with something. This last week has been so stressful, I just wanted one day to myself, and I couldn't even have that."
Her mother cut in, "Well if you hadn't been so insistent to see Marco that day, then maybe you wouldn't have been so stressed." She glared at her mother angrily, raising an accusatory finger. As she was beginning to find words, her father cut her off.
"That Marco boy is trouble. He's the reason that you got hurt, not your mother, not even Tom, but Marco."
"He saved me," she shouted, covering her face with her hands in frustration.
Her father quieted down some, still accusing, "You never would have been put in danger if he hadn't-"
"You know that's not true," she asserted.
Her mother stepped toward her.
"So is he the reason you denied Thomas, truthfully?"
Dumbfounded with anger, she screamed at her mother, "No!"
Her volume lowered, "He has nothing to do with my decision. I don't even understand what you have against him. He has done nothing but be kind to me."
"He's a peasant," Moon argued, looking to her with confusion.
"Is that seriously your issue with him? Out of everyone I've spoken to today, besides Dad, he was the only person to wish me a happy birthday, and unlike Dad, he didn't even seem to care about the ceremony. He was just there for me, to be a friend."
Even her mother fell silent for several moments, allowing everyone to catch their breath. Star's heart thumped in her chest as she refused to meet her parents' eyes.
"Star, we know that you go out and fight the monsters, and we understand why," she began. Star glanced back to them, confused.
She continued, "It is to protect the people. It is admirable, but you are only one person, and if you keep trying to fight, you will lose the wand, or worse, you'll die, and I don't think that I would be able to withstand such a loss."
Star glared in her direction, remarking "Those people lose every week."
Her mother remained persistent, explaining her reasoning.
"Your marriage with Thomas would have strengthened the Mewman army to a point that the lower villages could be protected."
The room fell silent for several seconds once more, until, finally, Moon finished.
"When I was your age, I did it," she stated. Star's gaze shot back to her parents. She quickly realized what her mother meant.
"So you married my Dad just to make the kingdom stronger," she asked.
Quickly, Moon denied, explaining, "No, I love your father, but I had a myriad of concerns just as you do now. I am sure that I would have married your father regardless, but my responsibility to my kingdom weighed heavily on my decision."
Star looked to the ground for several seconds, ruminating in silence before mumbling something under her breath.
"What was that," Moon questioned.
Star repeated, only louder, "I… am not… you."
She met her mother's eye, glaring, stoic. They remained unmoving for several seconds, each woman unwavering until finally, Star saw something she had never seen from her mother before. It wasn't apparent, it wasn't intentional, and someone who didn't know her wouldn't have spotted it, but deep down, she understood. As if Moon had been through the moment before, even on the side of Star, she saw a glint in her eye, an understanding that the two had never shared. It only lasted a moment, as she quickly repaired her facade, but Star knew what she had seen.
Her mother opened her mouth, surely to deny her, but Star decided that she was to have the final word.
"I'm going to my room. I want to be alone," she remarked, walking away from the two. Her parents watched as she left them, stunned.
And when Star was out of sight, Moon's shoulders fell as she looked to her husband. The two shared an understanding glance, their spirits low as they left the library, the only life remaining being the ever-burning fire that's only purpose was to keep the room lit.
…
A hot breeze blew through his bedroom window as he held his crimson blade over his lap, sharpening it as he stared out at the endless hell that was his home. He ground a pure black shard of obsidian against the blade, with each movement accompanied by another terrible thought.
He stopped, sighing and looking out on his homeland. His gaze fell to the ground when he heard his door creak open.
"You dare come home after the disgrace you brought upon our family," his father insulted with a venomous tone.
His tired eyes remained in place as he lacked the strength to meet his father's cruel eye.
"You allowed your woman to be taken by a peasant," he prodded on, repeating in a louder tone, "...a peasant!"
Tom grit his teeth angrily, squeezing the hilt of his blade hard enough to draw blood from his palm. His father shook his head in disgust.
"You don't deserve the Lucitor blood that flows in your veins," he remarked, moving to close the door only to stop a moment before. He looked back at his son, spotting the sword and getting an idea. He smiled crookedly, resuming the conversation.
"You know what has to be done," he stated, "Kill the boy. Reclaim what was taken from you and make right what is wrong."
A hot tear rolled down his cheek only to evaporate before even falling from his face.
Just before leaving, he made a final cruel remark.
"...Or don't bother coming back next time."
His father shut the door behind him.
Tom's hands shook as he radiated with such pure hatred. He held the ring in his hand. Embers bounded off of his fingertips and flew into the air. His head throbbed as he stared into the ring, only able to imagine what he had lost. He grunted, squeezing it in his fist until it was reduced to ash. He held it near to him, closing his eyes and trying to hold his emotions inside. A tear fell from his eye, splattering on the ashes and soaking into them.
Angered by what was taken from him, he threw the ashes out of his window and pulled his dimensional scissors from his pocket, staring at his reflection on its stainless crimson blades. He grit his teeth as he shamefully stared at his face. He turned and let his gaze linger on his bedroom door. Angrily, he groaned, quickly cutting open a portal and hopping through with his sword in hand.
…
Author's note: Yeah… so that happened. I don't really know where to start with this note. I mean, yeah, I might have just done that. I just want to say it now, good people do bad things, and bad things happen to good people, thus, Tom. I aimed to make him someone who isn't terrible, but simply has everything bad happen to him that possibly could… and… he loses it. Obviously, I can't say more because that'd ruin the next chapter, but I wanted that part to be known. Okay, as for the delay on getting this out: Yes, I'm on break from school, and I have been spending a lot of time decompressing, but I think that it is fair for me to do this. I write for fun and if I do it when I don't want to, it becomes like a job, and it's not like I make money from this, so I would just not want to do it anymore and that's a whole different can of worms, but I won't get into that. Beyond that, as ironic as it is considering the chapter I just wrote, my birthday is tomorrow, March 14th, and I will be celebrating it tomorrow, I just thought it was a funny coincidence, and like I said on my story, I swear it's just that. I promise I'm not projecting! I'm just joking, but man, I don't even know what to say, that just got darker than I was expecting. Anyways, I already made this note way too long, so I'll wrap it up. Okay, so I have the plans for the next chapter done, and it's gonna be a doozie, as this one was. I can't and won't make any promises regarding the time it'll take to get out, but just know I want to get it out as much as you want to read it, so I'll try my best. Okay, onto the reviews, or… single review this time.
Reviews:
NightaAroma (ffn): "Marco... that's the wrath of a father right there. I probably wouldn't go anywhere near the castle for a long while if I were you. At least, not unless Star convinces him that her injury wasn't your fault, and invites you over herself.
Seriously, you don't mess with River when he's like that."
Response: Yeah! I'm glad you caught that. It was my intention for River's fatherly reaction to be so clear and I hope I explained it a little better in this chapter, but as always, I enjoy the comments nonetheless.
Final Notes:
As always, I ask that you follow my Instagram page, where I promote the story and provide updates on its progress! It is starcovstheworld and I am very perceptive to answering all questions as long as they don't spoil anything. Also, please feel free to leave a comment/review on the chapter to let me know how you felt, whether you liked it, what constructive criticism you have, etc, I answer every review and I appreciate them all, so please, as I said, feel free to leave those as well as follows, favorites, kudos, etc. they're all appreciated and they make me want to write this story even more than I already do! Anyways, have a good day and I hope I see you again soon!