[Song Recommendation: Howl’s Moving Castle OST - Merry Go Round.]

"But, Darling! What would happen once it is time for you to leave?! The Dusk Star wouldn’t be able to let his wife go!" Crush Tutu desperately tried to snap her darling out of her love.

She knew that their darling’s love was pure, as such was the nature of the Darling of the Earth from any generation.

However, they also couldn’t afford to offend both the Dusk Star and Dawn Star. It’d create havoc in the Roc Forest!

She—and everyone in faerie land—knew that their darling preferred to stay in the human world. But they really needed their darling to take control over the leadership, or else the balance of nature would be disrupted due to stubborn faeries.

"I don’t know what the future holds for me, Tutu. And I know that I am making a foolish decision by marrying Kael," Sisi admitted. "But just this time, I really want to do something for myself. It’s not only about Kael, but about my happiness. I want to get married, to have a good life with my beloved and our son, even if it is just a fleeting moment in our long lives."

"Then I shall cherish this memory until my inevitable passing. This wedding will be the sole reason for my strength, so I can continue to live in faerie land with ease."

Crush Tutu was astonished, because her darling was absolutely right. All this time, everything that she did had always been motivated by other people’s well-being.

She gave up her divinity to cure the Dawn Star from his blindness and side effects of being cursed.

She also stayed here to raise the boy and also help the Dusk Star govern the kingdom.

And she would also return to the faerie land because she knew the faeries needed her.

Darling Sisi was never selfish, so was it not okay for her to do something for her own happiness?

"Then, what about Grandma Tree, Darling? Did she agree to this?" Crush Tutu asked.

"I... talked about it with her in the dream, and she said that as long as I keep my promise, then I am allowed to get a little bit of joy in this world," Sisi said. "Do not worry, Tutu. Even if it won’t be pretty, I will still return to faerie land and stay there permanently."

"Then what about Jojo, Darling?" she asked again. "I’m afraid he won’t be happy once he knows this..."

"I’ll talk about it with him later," Sisi quickly shoved aside the problem, and right at that moment, Jojo came out of the bathroom freshly bathed, with his silver hair still a bit damp.

Sisi helped to dry him up, and then clothed him with a much more festive cloak that was similar to his father’s—two pieces of new cloaks that Sisi made for them to wear during special occasions.

"Sisi, let’s go! Daddy will be so happy seeing you!" Jojo said enthusiastically while dragging Sisi out of the main chamber.

"Calm down, Jojo. Your father is waiting in the capital square. Let’s go there together."

"Okay! Let me call Uncle Vestor first! He will prepare a... ca... carriage for us!" Jojo said.

"No need," Sisi said before scooping the boy and carrying him in her arms. "We can go by ourselves."

Jojo tilted his head, unsure of what Sisi had in mind. But since Sisi said so, then all he needed was to obey her!

**

The capital square was packed with beastmen civilians waiting for the arrival of their Queen.

Everyone already knew that the Queen’s Festival was meant to celebrate the victory over humans, and also to announce the marriage between the Beast King and Mistress Sisi.

At first, some beastmen were still unwilling to make a human their queen. But then, a giant flower appeared in the middle of the battlefield and became the reason for their low casualty rate in the war.

Thus, the news spread that their future queen was not a human nor a witch. She was actually a faerie, because only the faeries had the ability to control plants to such great extent.

The Beast King had been waiting on the stone platform. He was wearing a dark cloak with a unique gold and red pattern. They knew that their king disliked wearing something too fancy like humans, but this cloak was obviously expensive, and the pattern wasn’t made by beastmen seamstresses.

There was another rumor that Mistress Sisi personally made the cloaks for the Beast King and Crown Prince, and that was the only reason why the king willingly put on a gold-accented cloak instead of his usual tattered one.

There were a lot of noises in the capital square, but it sounded like white noise to Kael, because he had been anxiously waiting for Sisi to come.

The maids told him that Mistress Sisi wanted him to stay in the capital square and that she would come by herself.

He didn’t know what kind of surprise Sisi had for him. But he obeyed, because Sisi said so.

However, as time passed and Sisi was nowhere to be seen, Kael began to get anxious. He was scared that something happened to Sisi, or perhaps...

’Could it be that today is her time to return to the faerie land?’

That question lingering in his head made him restless. He was scared that was truly the case, and Sisi had left him without even saying goodbye.

Kael’s heartbeat raced as he feared the worst had happened. He was about to chase after his beloved by smelling the scent coming from the flower ring.

As long as Sisi was still wearing that ring, he could still follow her trail.

He closed his eyes to detect the scent, but when he did so, he realized the scent was actually near him!

"Kael? Is it really the time to sleep?" Sisi joked, and Kael opened his eyes.

He was stunned seeing a gorgeous faerie with violet eyes wearing a dress made out of real flowers. She was flying down slowly with her big butterfly-like wings.

Those wings were iridescent, making them shine beautifully under the sun.

For each flap of her wings, gold dust scattered around and fell to the crowd, and those who inhaled the gold dust suddenly felt a healing effect as their bodies were energized immediately.

"Hehe! Daddy, Sisi is so cool!" Jojo chimed joyfully as he was being carried by Sisi. "Her wings grew so big, and then we flew—like whoosh! Whoosh!"

Kael was witnessing the same gorgeous faerie who came in his dreams many times in the past. Back then, all he could do was stare at her. He couldn’t even hug her in the dream because she either avoided him or dispersed into hundreds of fireflies.

However, this time, the faerie came down from the sky herself and landed right in his arms.

Sisi sat on Kael’s arm like usual, and Jojo sat on Sisi’s lap.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. A woman takes a long time to prepare herself, you know," Sisi giggled. "But I am here, as promised... husband."

Kael took a deep breath, trying his best to control his joy, because at this moment, he was elated to the point that he wanted to jump around and howl victoriously.

It was the first time Sisi referred to him as husband, and it felt so good.

It made him addicted, hoping that Sisi would call him husband for the rest of their lives!

Thus, Kael faced the crowd while carrying Sisi and Jojo, then announced in a beastmen style, "My Kin! Today, I, Kael, the Beast King, want to announce the mating between me and my wife, Sisi, the Darling of the Earth."

"Starting today, she will be my queen and your queen. She will rule over the Beast Kingdom with me, and..." Kael took a deep breath knowing the last sentence he was about to say might be risky. But this was the only time he could do it, or else he might lose Sisi forever. "...since she is fated to me by the Moon Goddess’ order, we shall bear offspring! We shall give our Crown Prince a sibling!"

To finish the ceremony, Kael leaned closer towards Sisi and then kissed her lips passionately right in front of the crowd.

The loud clapping, shouting, whistling, and squeals of joy coming from the beastmen civilians filled the air. Everyone was happy with their new queen who turned out to be a real faerie!

"LONG LIVE THE KING!"

"LONG LIVE THE QUEEN!"

The beastmen were chanting those sentences over and over, overjoyed by the bright future of the Beast Kingdom.

Meanwhile, Jojo was staring at his Daddy and Sisi after they finished their kiss, then asked, "Does that mean I can finally call Sisi Mommy now?"

"Yes, you can call me Mommy now, Jojo."

"Hooray!" Jojo hugged Sisi’s neck tightly, rubbing his cheek on hers. "Mommy! Mommy!"

"Yes, my sweet boy?"

"Mommy! I love you, Mommy!"

"And I love you too, Jojo," Sisi giggled.

"How about Daddy? Do you not love me?"

Jojo then hugged his father’s neck and rubbed his cheek on Kael’s as well.

"I love you too, Daddy! Thank you for making Sisi my Mommy!"