He stood at attention, waiting.
Waiting, waiting, waiting.
It felt like he'd been there for an eternity, watching the queen move down the line of soon-to-be knights.
"I knight you, Sir Miles the Keen."
Of course, he was at the end of that aforementioned line. He wondered if the person first in line was experiencing the same feelings as him. Wanting the entire ceremony to be done with.
"I knight you, Lady Sela the Vigilant."
He would have begun to squirm if the hall hadn't been filled to capacity. It didn't help that the queen was only feet away from him. Or that the king and their daughter were seated on their thrones behind her.
"I knight you, Gil the Timid."
Yikes. He hoped he didn't get a name like that.
The ceremony felt as if it was longer than it actually was. It was like every five minutes that went by accounted for only one real minute. So, Marco busied himself with anything other than paying attention. Namely sneaking glances at the royal family.
River and Star both appeared to be bored, the former doing a better job of hiding it than the latter.
King River was wearing his normal blue suit, golden tassels set on each shoulder and a golden crown set on top of his head. He had a large, formidable blonde beard that he always seemed to stroke when he was thinking, or bored, or…maybe he did it all the time.
The princess on the other hand was unable to hide her boredom.
He'd almost made eye contact with the princess several times now due to her constantly wandering eyes. Thankfully he had averted his gaze the handful of times hers had shifted his way.
Princess Star wore her disinterest on her sleeve, that's for sure. Her bright blue eyes drooped. The pink hearts on her cheeks glared against her pale skin.
She was donned in a more formal dress than she was usually seen in, with shades of blue that grew lighter from the hem upwards. Her golden blonde hair was long and flowing down her back, a gold tiara perched on her head.
Her posture was slumped, and her fingers fiddled with something in her lap that could only be the Royal Wand, the most powerful magical relic in the multiverse. He examined it from what little he could see.
A purple body with two butterfly wings protruding from the side, a golden star set into the center of it all.
He tried not to stare, and it ended up being rather fruitless. Up until Queen Moon stepped in front of him, and he was snapped to full attention once more.
She was an imposing woman, mainly because of her magical abilities and the prowess with which she yielded them.
She wore her own formal attire, consisting of her own blue dress with her hair done up in a way that couldn't have been comfortable. Her hair was adorned with an intricate golden crown decorated with pearls and pink jewels that matched the diamonds on her cheeks.
As the queen stood in front of him, he lowered himself reverently to a knee.
"And last but not least, Marco Diaz. Savior of the southern village, conqueror of the Neverzone, vanquisher of monsters."
He smiled slightly to himself as his head was bowed. He heard the murmurs from the crowd.
"The Neverzone? No way. He can't be more than 16."
"He's the one who saved the northern village from that monster attack? Just one boy?"
"It's true, I saw it. He took down at least fifty monsters without breaking a sweat."
He angled his head only slightly as Queen Moon continued on. His gaze was still lowered. "For your dedication to the throne and the citizens of Mewni, I hereby pronounce you Sir Marco the Worthy."
The edge of the ceremonial blade touched each his shoulders and he rose. He shared a hint of a nod with the queen as pride swelled in his chest.
He turned to face the crowd, joining the line with the other new knights as the crowd broke into applause. The hall where the ceremony took place burst to life as the knights left the stage, everyone talking and mingling.
There was supposed to be a ceremony afterwards, a feast to celebrate the new additions to the royal guard. Marco's stomach began to growl as he thought about it.
Creamed corn, roasted corn, cornbread, maybe even some popcorn somewhere. As Marco began to leave the stage, he heard a cough behind him.
He turned to see the queen, and quickly lowered himself to a knee once again. He heard a soft chuckle escape her lips as he knelt before she spoke. "Please, Sir Diaz, rise."
He hesitated a moment before he obliged. As he straightened she leaned in closer, her voice taking a hushed tone. "I have something I need to discuss with you."
He simply nodded in response, his lips parting to ask her a million questions that had run through his head. Before he could utter a single word, she had already turned and begun to walk away. Looks like he wouldn't be getting an explanation quite yet.
She picked her way off the platform before exiting through a hallway and Marco found himself racing after her, his pace hurried and both his eyes and mind wandering.
Though he was distracted, he didn't fail to notice a pair of sky blue eyes tracking his movements from the stage as he dashed after the queen.
He followed her down a few hallways to what he assumed was her office, where King River was waiting. He was seated behind a large wooden desk in a plush armchair, looking over some scrolls unfurled before him.
The rest of the room looked cozy and inviting, with a couple towering bookshelves full to the brim and a fireplace blazing in one corner. At the far wall there was a large window overlooking the kingdom, with a small table and some chairs settled before it.
After his once-over of the room, Marco bowed respectfully to the king while Moon took her seat. He didn't move to sit until the queen motioned him into one of the chairs across from them.
As he settled into the seat and looked at the royal couple expectedly, said couple exchanged a worried glance. They seemed to have a silent conversation, nothing but slight movements of their head and inklings of facial expressions. It was a good minute or so before the queen looked to Marco, clearing her throat.
"Sir Diaz, you are the most promising knight we inducted today. The most skilled at combat, the most real world experience, and for that reason, we wanted to make a request for your lifelong post."
She spoke eloquently and smoothly, as if she'd run over her words a thousand times in her head before they exited her mouth. Marco found himself leaning forward in anticipation, his normally straight posture abandoned for the time being.
"We'd like you to be our daughter's personal guard," River finished, his fingers brushing through his blonde beard thoughtfully as he spoke.
Marco took a moment, his eyes widening only slightly as he considered their request. This is what he'd been waiting for, training for all these years. So many moving pieces and parts and precision had gone into this moment. Somehow, he was still shocked that it was happening.
"Why me?" he inquired after a moment of silence, his brow furrowed. I'm not even close to being worthy of this position.
River laced his fingers together over the oak desk, looking at Marco appraisingly. "My boy, we've heard of what you've accomplished, despite how young you are. Anyone who survives the Neverzone for as long as you have can protect our daughter from whatever comes her way."
Moon nodded in agreement. She had the same appraising look in her eyes, but hers far more calculating than her husband's. It felt like she was looking through him, into his mind, into his heart, seeking out his deepest inner thoughts and desires. "We've heard firsthand reports from the battle of the northern village, about how you drove away a battalion of the monster army with nothing but a dagger."
The queen then stood and stepped out from behind her desk, crossing the room to the large window at the other side. She looked out of it intensely, and Marco wondered what she saw that captured her attention like that.
"As I'm sure you know, the monster army has been growing rowdy and impulsive, even more so now than when it began. We fear bad things are coming, but what we know for sure is that Star needs to be protected." She cast a glance over her shoulder at the boy. "And we want you to do it."
He listened to both of them and found himself nodding. "I accept, your highnesses." He spoke clearly, bowing his head to both of them.
He would have accepted this position no matter what, though the more he thought about it, he realized that it was the only answer in this circumstance. You don't say no to the king and queen of Mewni. "I dedicate my life and service to the protection of Princess Star."
They exchanged a look and Marco could see hints of smiles and relief on their faces. He'd gotten good at reading people's expressions over the years. Flickers of eyelids, twitches of mouths, slight movements of eyebrows, it all meant something.
As the queen and king began to discuss details with one another, Marco caught movement from the corner of his eye. Nothing more than a flicker of movement by the double doors of the office. Someone had been watching. Or listening. He didn't avert his gaze entirely from the royal couple, but instead focused his attention while they spoke to one another.
He caught a flash of gold and blue. And before he knew it, it was gone. He almost smiled to himself as he rose from the chair, though he tamped it down.
He lowered himself into a bow. "I thank you both for the opportunity, though now I have to leave to fulfill my position," he informed them. This was the first time their expressions differed entirely.
Moon's one was of confusion. River's was one of knowing. He knew his daughter well. He knew she wouldn't approve of something like this. He also knew that her initial reaction would be to disobey.
As Marco exited the room, his red cloak flowing behind him, River looked to his wife. "This boy is a sharp one," he told her with a grin, to which Moon just cast him a confused look.
Star couldn't care less about the knighting ceremony.
She knew that as the future queen of Mewni, she should take more of an interest in some things.Like the fortifications of their guard, relationships with other kingdoms, public image, and the like. But somehow, she couldn't do it.
Not today, anyway.
She halfway listened to most of the ceremony, "Sir Bratt the blah blah blah…" or whatever else it was, but was more focused on other things. Or…nothing, to be more specific.
She found herself fiddling with her wand, the royal artifact passed down from generation to generation of Butterfly women. She stared out windows. She braided and re-braided and re-re-braided a strand of her hair. Despite all of this, when she focused back in, the ceremony was still chugging along.
Her attention was soon drawn to the knight last in line. He was a skinny looking boy that couldn't have been much older than her, the youngest one in a line of more serious, more grizzled squires.
He had a mop of brown hair pushed back from his face. Brown eyes that gleamed with an emotion she couldn't decipher. He was dressed in the typical armor of the Mewnian guard, bulky silver armor covering sections of chainmail, with pink diamonds set into the knees and adorned on the chest.
The only addition that varied was a red cloak with a hood that came down like a cape behind him.
As she was looking at him, he arched his head and their eyes locked. A hint of a smile brushed across his lips as he averted his eyes, feigning seriousness again. She found herself frowning as she continued to examine him. How could someone so young and so un-warrior like be knighted?
It wasn't long before her mother came to the young man and he lowered himself to a knee. Star had no reason to hate this boy, except that he was about to become an authority figure.
She'd never done well with authority figures. All the knights and the nobles across Mewni looked at Star as if she were a child, irresponsible and stupid. She had no reason to believe this boy wouldn't see her the same way.
Her mother began to speak in her formal, booming voice. She commanded respect and authority, whether she was leading a ceremony such as this or simply ordering more creamed corn from the castle kitchen.
"And last but not least, Marco Diaz. Savior of the southern village, conqueror of the Neverzone, vanquisher of monsters."
Star found her eyebrows arching. She'd snuck into the war room during the meeting about the attack of the northern village. She had heard of one brave soldier defeating the monster advance, but had no idea it was this boy.
And the Neverzone? She thought it was just the subject of old wives tales, not a place that actually existed and that people went to. The crowd before them seemed to agree as well. She saw an air of general shock radiate through them. This boy did all that?
"For your dedication to the throne and the citizens of Mewni, I hereby pronounce you Sir Marco the Worthy."
The sword touched both his shoulders, and he rose, joining the line of the new knights with their backs now to the thrones. Moon concluded the ceremony and the hall was thrown into a level of slight chaos as everything began talking and laughing and cheering.
Star hadn't moved though, and could very clearly see her mother approach the newly knighted Sir Marco. As soon as she'd walked up to him, she turned and walked off. He began to follow her mother down a hallway that she had seen her father go down a moment before.
The princess watched, and as their backs disappeared around a corner, she stood and followed after them. She snuck carefully down the halls tracking them with her eyes. It wasn't until they entered her mother's office that she began to quicken her pace.
She crept across the hall, moving to stand outside the door. She leant closer and pressed her ear to it, trying to listen to anything she could. She heard muffled voices, not enough to make anything out though.
She hesitated before bracing a hand against the right door. She'd done this before. Though she'd only tried it twice, one of which times she'd been caught.
The right door didn't latch properly, so sometimes she could press the door open a slight amount and could hear whatever was going on inside the office.
She slowly put pressure into the door, her arm slowly edging away from her body. Thankfully the door complied, silently cracking no more than a couple inches. Now she was able to hear their voices more clearly.
"…what you've accomplished, despite how young you are. Anyone who survives the Neverzone for as long as you have can protect our daughter."
That was her father, and as he finished speaking Star realized her fist was clenched.
I don't need to be protected. I'm 16, for corn's sake! I can do this, I can…
Following her father's statement was a moment before her mothers voice arose. "We've heard firsthand reports from the battle of the northern village, about how you drove away a battalion of the monster army with nothing but a dagger."
She rolled her eyes. Why is everyone making such a big deal out of this kid? Yet, internally, she knew how impressive it all was. She refused to allow herself to be impressed by him fully. Not yet anyway.
A chair squeaked against the floor, and Star's muscles tensed, getting herself ready to bolt if anyone made a move for the door. She heard her mothers heels clicking against the tile, but moving away from her, towards the window at the side of the office.
"As I'm sure you know, the monster army grows rowdy and impulsive, even more so now."
That was her mother again, and Star's fingers clenched once more. I knew she was hiding it from me. She told me it was getting better. I'm going to be queen some day! Shouldn't she start sharing this stuff with me?
"We fear bad things are coming, but what we know for sure is that Star needs to be protected."
The aforementioned princess straightened her posture, her brows creased into a harsh glare. She cast her fiery gaze at the wood of the door, as if her searing daggers would penetrate the wood and hit everyone inside the office.
Another moment, another set of shuffling noises. "And we want you to do it."
Not a moment later, a boy's voice arose, higher and tinnier than she would have thought. "I accept, your highnesses."
He spoke clearly, confidently. The princess didn't like him much, but had to admit that his sureness of himself would make him a great knight.
"I dedicate my life and service to the protection of Princess Star."
She scowled to herself and shook her head, leaning in closer to try and hear the following mumblings of her parents, before she withdrew.
Yeah? Then come find me.
She turned and began to run down the hall, thankful for having worn her comfortable boots to that stupid ceremony instead of the heels her mom always wanted her to wear.
She approached the first window she found that opened, worming her way out and withdrawing her wand. "Summon Cloudy Charm!" A pinkish purplish cloud formed in front of her and uttered a noise of jubilation before casting her a wide smile.
"Hi Star!"
"Hi Cloudy. We need to get out of here."
"You got it, Star!"
As the princess hopped onto the cloud, it zoomed away, soaring over the kingdom. Good luck, knight boy.
Strangely enough, her and Cloudy had made this trek numerous times before, and he knew where to go. A small lake outside the kingdom, just outside the Forest of Certain Death.
While some thought it immature, she'd done this under similar circumstances. The level of frustration she had wasn't helped by everyone simultaneously placing the fate of the kingdom on her shoulders while also treating her like a child.
Sometimes, she just had to get away. Oftentimes she'd go to the villages around the castle walls, exploring the streets and seeing what life was like for the people under her parents' rule.
She was often chastised for it, though she knew how hypocritical their statements were. She was the only one going and looking at the conditions of the kingdom, seeing the issues that affected all of the people whose voices weren't often heard.
It frustrated her beyond reason, yet she knew there wasn't much she could do at the moment. So, she pressed on.
Cloudy touched down and made another jubilant noise before dissipating into a poof of sparkles. Star inhaled deeply, breathing in the clean air.
It was peaceful at that lake. She found herself there often, when things got too tense or annoying at the castle. She was just about to summon herself a chair and something to drink when a voice sounded behind her.
"Hey, Princess."
She whipped around holding her wand in an offensive stance, ready for an ambush or some kind of attack. Yet the only person there was the boy-knight legend himself. He exited from a copse of trees beside the lake, his red hooded cloak pulled over his head.
He removed his hood and bowed to her respectfully, and she couldn't formulate a thought for a moment. "Wha-ho-where?" she almost yelled, her face growing red from anger and frustration.
He couldn't hide the hints of his smile, though she could tell he was suppressing it to the best of his ability. His answer was a shrug of his shoulders, resting his gauntlet-covered hands on his hips.
"That's not even possible! I left before you!" she shouted, taking a step towards him and shoving a finger in his direction, almost accusingly.
He simply nodded his head, his hands now dropping to his sides. "It's gonna take more than that," is all he said. He wasn't smiling, but she could hear a smile in his voice.
"You're infuriating!" she yelled again, her brow lowered into a glare. Yet, somehow, he had the nerve to chuckle. His small smile was freed now.
"I'm sorry, Princess. We're gonna be spending some time together, so I hope I don't infuriate you for too much longer." He motioned a hand towards the castle in the distance, towering over the surrounding landscape. "Can I walk you back?"
Before he could finish his sentence, she'd summoned Cloudy once again and was on his back. The pair rose into the air as she led off into a different direction.
Marco sighed as he watched her, shaking his head to himself as he withdrew his dimensional scissors from his belt.
"This is gonna be fun."