"There is our star."

"Mother," Seonghwa smiled. He swooped to her side to place a courteous kiss on her cheek and her eyes sparkled at him when he rose, a paradigm of grace.

"I am delighted to see you back," she greeted him and he lingered to pour her some wine.

"As I am delighted to wander these halls again and relish my exquisite company. Please unwind from now on. We have no worries tonight."

By her side, Seonghwa's father observed him with wise eyes. The impeccable appearance of the elf was no longer marred by his woes.

"That means you bring promising news?" He asked as he settled his hand over his wife's in anticipation.

With a mysterious grin, Seonghwa turned. The train of his long dress dragged behind his bare feet. Today, he wore his favourite colour and his silver jewellery complimented the night of his hair and the amethyst hue of the long-sleeved dress clinging to his body.

As he floated along the table to take his seat, the heads of his husbands turned. Accompanied by the scent of moonflowers and the stars reaching for him through the tall windows, their emperor sunk into his seat. Immediately, the cups came to life by themselves as Hongjoong's magic took over the servants' duties. Once he retreated, Seonghwa sent him a gracious smile and lifted his crystal chalice.

"Tonight, we celebrate my success in the Nymphal Shores and the Ruins of Gods. The titans and the nymphs have become our esteemed allies and we have their backing in the conflict with the orcs."

Though his husbands already knew, they broke out in excited cheers and applause. Proud, Seonghwa's parents nodded at him.

"Our Moon Emperor shines brightly tonight. Let us celebrate and share the merry news with the folk once you have recovered from your journey," his father toasted back at him. Their cosy feast began and Wooyoung dug into his long-awaited missed foods. Though his eating was messy, Seonghwa didn't scold him. Amused, Yeosang pushed over his mead jug with a careful branch as if afraid Wooyoung might snap for his fingers in his zeal.

The others also relished their food, and Seonghwa was delighted to see them fed and happy. Buddy and Sunny ran around the table with wagging tails, picking up every crumb that fell. The latter placed her head in Seonghwa's lap for some pets and he indulged her gladly.

Morana and Aodhán were too small to sit on the big chairs, but the elves of the village crafted taller ones for them, which kept them from tumbling out. Placed next to their fathers, respectively, they let themselves be fed, and Aodhán thrummed his fists on the wood enveloping his body in excitement.

"How were your travels, dear? The titans must have been intimidating," Seonghwa's mother spoke. She was a light eater, such as he, but she accepted when Yeosang held up the wine amphora with a charming grin. In the cosy light of the hall, everyone shone in their very own way.

"So intimidating, yet so wise. My loves supported me during every step and we learned a lot. Jongho can tell you all the stories he picked up on," Seonghwa praised them. He enjoyed their shy squirming and Jongho went right to business, talking about ageless forests and minds that lasted aeons.

Aodhán stretched his neck to peer over at Seonghwa.

"How big is a titan, Athair?" He asked and Morana also looked up, full of curiosity. Her hair kept falling into her face, not as curly as Aodhán's. When she spluttered, Mingi lifted blind fingers and carefully felt for her cheek. He tucked her hair behind her ear cautiously, and Seonghwa's castle sweetened its song.

"Bigger than anything you have seen before," he mysteriously told Aodhán. The boy gasped.

"Bigger than Mingi?" Wide, golden eyes studied the demon and then everyone else present to figure out if that was even possible.

"Even bigger. Bigger than Yeosang when he is a tree in the gardens."

Speechless, Aodhán continued his meal. He struggled with cutlery, but he was improving rapidly thanks to the secret talents Hongjoong's magic granted him. If he concentrated very hard, he could slow the drop of vegetables from his fork.

"Seonghwa's fineness was a marvel even to the titans. Though Lillwen's aid convinced them to hear us out in the first place," Yeosang recounted for his parents, and Seonghwa hummed. Below the table, San's foot nudged into his and he lazily intertwined their legs without his expression slipping.

"We learned many fascinating things that will baffle our historians and the astronomer. It seems us elves descend directly from the titans, and us celestial ones from their gods."

"The entire world is a titan to them," Yunho snickered, unable to imagine that, but the tale was ever so aweing.

Hongjoong twirled his chalice in his fingers. Though he sat in his expensive black velvet uniform and a red blouse, not a speck of dirt caught onto him.

"Magic came first," he insisted, making Seonghwa's father laugh.

"I will hear everything about it. Now that you granted us time and protection against the orcs, we can unwind and dedicate ourselves to the finer joys once more. I am sure your kids look forward to their first proper winter they can play freely in," he grinned.

Morana perked up, excited to hear about her element. She would turn two this winter and last time, she had to watch the snowflakes tumble from inside and the cocoon of Seonghwa's arms.

Though he cherished nature, a shiver came with the thought of the cold. Of the pain it once brought. Seonghwa learned to fear what lurked in the darkness. Though he would never refuse his kids their playtime, he hoped they would stay in the close area or on the roofs and bridges of the castle.

"I will show you how to build snow fairies," Yeosang frolicked, and the kids were delighted to spend their time with him and Jongho. Although the latter had to watch out. In winter, he couldn't grow mosses and his surface became slippery. Hopefully, no one got hurt.

Yunho once told Seonghwa he fretted too much. That human children learned their caution from falling.

Seonghwa had been mortified. The same didn't go for elves. They were born with a skill for survival in their element and, in his case, they were not only protected by nature but also by the stars.

But San was never far, sparring even in winter. And Hongjoong kept his senses on them. Seonghwa's babies were safe.

The elf smiled.

"There are many projects to pursue, yes. I will be in constant contact with the other kingdoms. Speaking of, I have heard the eldest of the dryads wishes to hand down his duties to his daughter?"

While they talked about mindless things, his husbands ate until they could barely move anymore. Wooyoung swayed in his seat with mindless giggles, and Seonghwa reminded him to see the healers about his wing later. After Wooyoung drunkenly told the tale of his injury to Seonghwa's father and lied wherever he could to make himself appear better, Seonghwa called it a day. They all were wearied from their trip, and he wanted to curl up with his babies, who missed him so.

The servants cleared the table and Seonghwa joined the two after Yunho lifted them from their chairs. A constant flush clung to his ears and Seonghwa supported him with a snicker when the human rapidly blinked his eyes.

"Get some sleep. And don't run into a wall," he teased. Mingi readily grabbed Yunho's hand and followed the pitch of Wooyoung's drunken giggles.

"I will lead them," he proudly announced and Seonghwa gladly let them go while he told good night to his parents. They would stay for a while longer to attend his council. When his mother kissed his babies as a farewell, they hugged her sweetly.

Soon, Seonghwa led his procession upstairs. He kissed Yeosang's and Jongho's cheeks before they went to sleep in the winter gardens, and San politely lingered at the window while Hongjoong conveyed his adoration through a direct kiss. It had Aodhán snickering and Morana losing interest as she played with Seonghwa's fingers.

Once the sorcerer floated off after threatening Aodhán with classes the next day, San accompanied Seonghwa to his room. He paused in the doorway while the two kids ran ahead to throw themselves into his conversation pit. Right behind them, Sunny and Onyx rushed inside as well.

"Do you need anything else? I can send for Seungyoun. Or just get it myself," the seraph asked, and now that the colourful rush of the banquet dulled, his mutter was so intimate. Seonghwa heard his exhaustion in the scratch of his voice, and he placed gentle fingers on San's collar to tug him in for a kiss.

"Rest, my knight. You served me well," the elf whispered, and San kissed him again, holding Seonghwa's waist in firm hands as the elf arched into his grip.

"Emmya," Morana complained behind him, clearly fed up with all the husbands he had to tend to. Seonghwa pulled away, and San chuckled as he let go.

"Sweet dreams. Get the rest you deserve," he wished and wandered back to his room. Seonghwa shut the door with a click. The chances that a drunken Wooyoung would come tumbling into his bed later were high, but Seonghwa hoped the healers sedated him with their herbs so he wouldn't hurt himself while flailing about.

Morana crawled around the pillows and Aodhán tried to read the book Seonghwa left on the small table in the middle of the pit. It told fairytales of the Glistening Walnut Grove and he gladly would tell these stories to them later.

For now, however, he took off his earrings and bracelets, the necklaces and chains framing his body. Once he put them away, he knelt on the quartz ground behind the pit, watching his two unlikely children.

"Are you two tired? Do you want to sleep?"

"I want to play!" Aodhán exclaimed, ever the more energetic one. But Morana blinked her beautiful starry eyes and shook an exhausted head.

"I sleep," she decided brusquely. When she crawled over to Seonghwa, he picked her up from the pit and cradled her in his arm.

Now, Aodhán reconsidered. He watched as Seonghwa kissed Morana's sprouting horns and swathed her in his embrace.

"She can sleep first and we can play a bit," the elf suggested soothingly. "Just not for long. Your emmya is also tired."

Though Aodhán was energetic, he was dutiful for his age. His ancestry allowed him insight into Seonghwa's feelings, so he shook his head wisely.

"No, then I will also sleep first. We can play in the morning, yes?"

"Yes. Let's play with Yeosang and Jongho in the snow tomorrow," Seonghwa beamed while Morana buried her little face in his neck. When he stood, he helped Aodhán climb from the pit and they made for his bed together. It was too tall for Aodhán to reach, so Seonghwa put Morana down first and then lifted him. Sunny curled up on the carpet before the round mattress and Onyx perched on the pillars of the canopy.

Seonghwa brushed his dress from his shoulders while Aodhán dug around for the plushie he wanted tonight. Morana forgot her sheep in her excitement to see Seonghwa, but tonight, she didn't demand it. She accepted the moon pillow Aodhán handed her instead and curled up around it.

Once dressed in his sleeping robe, Seonghwa sorted his pillows and extra blankets around his nest so the two wouldn't tumble onto the hard ground below. His whisper dulled the shine of the walls and the moonstones and soon, he was back in his cosy bed, tugging his blanket over the three of them. Morana huddled close in the search of warmth and after a moment of consideration, tugged on his robe with tiny hands. Her face sought his chest, as she didn't need milk anymore, but she still cherished the feeling of falling asleep to the suckling. Especially as a demon, this closeness seemed to soothe her, since it was so different from what her blood knew.

Seonghwa let her, placing her close. Though his body slowed the production, she might get a few sweet drops. Soon, she didn't move anymore while Aodhán still rolled.

"Sleep, darling. Have sweet dreams," Seonghwa soothed him with a fond caress of his chin. Both of them were more restless than full-blooded elven children, but Seonghwa found them so endearing.

He waited until Aodhán was asleep, and then he also allowed himself to drift away with his arm loosely placed around his two children.