Undaunted - Chapter I: Without Regret

Undaunted
Chapter I: Without Regret

"You're sure he's coming?" Glossaryck peered up from the large, non-magical book he was reading, looking out the window of the young Queen Moon's bedroom. The rope hanging out of it was still just as motionless now as it had been since Moon lowered it an hour ago.

"He'll be here. He promised." As Moon stared at the mechanical clock on her wall, she was starting to wonder if that was really the case. At the very least, he was definitely running late. Worryingly late.

The Queen had been lying in her bed in near silence for what felt like an eternity. The warm breeze of the night air from her open window offered her little comfort during her long wait. It was already past her bed time, and she had long since changed into her pajamas, but this was the only time she could arrange such a clandestine meeting.

Maybe Glossaryck was right. Maybe he wasn't coming after all. It wasn't like him to forget, but there might be some other reason he couldn't make it. Maybe he had been dragged into some royal function he couldn't get out of. Maybe he got caught. Maybe he had even gotten hurt on the way over. Maybe...

Moon had no time for her thoughts to get any darker, as the sound of something clanking outside her window immediately caught her attention. She rushed over to the window, looking outside and down, finding a young man climbing up the rope toward her bedroom. Even before he got close, she could hear him panting to catch his breath, having apparently made his way there in a hurry.

As he neared the top of the rope, he reached his hand up for Moon's assistance, smiling up at her apologetically. "Sorry I'm late!"

"You made it!" The Queen reached out the window to meet his hand, trying to pull him through the open window.

"Of course! I said I'd come see you tonight, didn't I?" He took a short tumble to the floor as he went flying through the window, but quickly got up and brushed himself off, no worse for wear. "It wasn't easy getting here though. They've really stepped up security since the last time I got caught sneaking out." As he got his bearings back, he soon noticed Glossaryck floating nearby. "What's he doing here?"

"Well it's good to see you too, River." Glossaryck barely glanced up from his book, completely deadpan in his response.

River put a hand up to cover the side of his mouth, leaning in to whisper to Moon. "Are you sure it's safe to have him here? He won't rat us out?"

Glossaryck rolled his eyes and let out a derisive snort. "Oh, please. Do you have any idea how much I don't care that you're a Johansen? I have more important things to worry about than some ridiculous family feud."

"Ugh... the feud." Moon could hardly contain her frustration with the topic. "I just can't see why our families hate each other so much. I was hoping the war with Toffee would show everyone that Mewmans can't afford to fight each other anymore. But as soon as the ink was dry on the treaty with the monsters, the truce was over, and feud was back on." She sighed with disappointment, taking a seat on the edge of her bed. "And two years later, it's still going."

River shook his head slowly, finding himself in total agreement with Moon. "I don't understand it either. If we can be best friends, why can't the rest of them at least learn to leave each other alone?"

"It's all a stupid rivalry started by people who died hundreds of years ago, begun for reasons nobody even remembers." Moon sighed sadly, depressed by how pointless the whole thing seemed. "And here we are, caught in the middle of it, cleaved apart by our families' petty nonsense."

"Oh, who cares what they think?" Though he didn't understand most of the political intricacies, he was getting tried of their respective families trying to forbid their friendship.

"Well... I suppose WE do. That's why we're doing all this sneaking around, isn't it?" Receiving no response, she looked up at River, who appeared to be starting to zone out from all the political discussion. "I'm sorry, I know you don't care very much for politics. How have you been?"

"Me? I've been fantastic! A few days ago, I finally killed my first Narinthian Tar Beast. You should've seen it!" Looking around for a prop, River grabbed a nearby chair and planted one foot on it, striking a heroic pose to tell the tale of his recent adventure.

"Oh?" Moon smiled warmly at River. She knew that look, and she could tell she was in for quite a story. She swung around on her bed to lay flat on her stomach, chin propped up in her hands, giving River her full attention. River's stories... well, Moon didn't think they were exactly lies, but she always got the feeling that he added a little something for dramatic effect. Not that she really minded. It was usually entertaining regardless.

River cleared his throat, warming up to regale Moon with tales of his exploits. "There I was in the Forest of Certain Death. It was just me and the beast. I had finally caught up to the creature after stalking it for eleven days. No food, no sleep, no clothes..."

Moon held a hand up in front of her mouth, giggling quietly at the mental image. "No clothes, eh?"

River blushed as he realized what he'd just said to the Queen. "Wha- no, I didn't mean it like THAT! It's how you survive in wild! Use camouflage from your environment to sneak up on your prey and corner it!" Moon's teasing smile just grew wider and wider as the boy flailed for a better explanation. River had really wanted to tell her the story of his triumph, but now he felt the moment had passed. "Oh... nevermind. He stepped down from the chair and took a seat next to Moon on her bed. "What about you? How's the whole Queen business going?"

Moon sighed softly, thinking River's life sounded a lot more exciting than hers. "It could be better. Even though I've got a few years before I have to get married, Aunt Etheria is already try to find me someone for an engagement."

River couldn't help but be curious. The Johansen method of finding a partner was much different. He was certainly aware of arranged marriages, but it had never hit him until that moment that Moon might end up in one. "Really? You must be meeting so many famous people. Princes and dukes and counts..."

"Yes, well, that's the idea. All the Butterfly family wants is for me to marry someone with proper breeding to continue the dynasty." Moon pounded a fist into her bed in frustration. "And I don't care about any of that! All I want is to marry someone special. Someone I love." The Queen took a deep breath, calming herself slightly. "Since my mother died, I've done everything everyone's asked of me and more... can't I just have this one thing?"

River smiled nervously, looking away from Moon and twiddling his thumbs. "Is there... someone you have in mind?"

Moon shot the nearby Glossaryck a meaningful glance, which he returned to her. He floated over to the corner of the room with his book, burying his nose back in it and putting in some earplugs to give the Queen some privacy. "Actually... I think I might have found someone."

"O- oh. I see." River couldn't help but be disappointed. Then again, he never really felt he had a chance with the Queen, despite his best efforts. He could just never find the right words the way others did. As possibilities of who Moon might be talking about raced through his mind, a horrifying thought struck him. "It's not Mildrew, is it?"

"What!? No! For the love of corn, no!" Moon rolled out of her bed, rising up and stomping a foot in anger and frustration. "I don't care what Aunt Etheria says, I will NOT marry that... that FOP!"

"Alright, alright!" River hadn't exactly brought up Mildrew's name as a suggestion. Rather the opposite. Even if he never had the opportunity to court the Queen, he was at least relived that she wouldn't be spending the rest of her life with the arrogant, cowardly Mildrew. "So then... is it anyone I know?"

"Well... yes. He's not exactly a suitor in the traditional sense, but... maybe that's why I like him." Moon took a seat on her bed next to River, much closer than before, which didn't do River's already frayed nerves any favors. "He's... someone who makes me feel special. He's kind and strong and brave, and even if he sometimes bites off more than he can chew, he's always looking out for me." Moon scooted even closer to her friend, her hand slowly creeping toward his. "River... you see... what I'm trying to say is-"

Suddenly, Moon heard a loud, demanding knock at the door of her room. "Your Majesty? Is everything alright in there? I thought I heard voices."

"Uh, just one second!" Moon and River looked at each other in a panic, suspecting they'd both be grounded for a few decades if they were caught in the Queen's bedroom together. Moon lifted the skirt of her bed, motioning for River to get underneath as she whispered forcefully to him. "Hide!" She shouted toward the corner of the room where her mentor was floating, earplugs still in, completely absorbed in his reading. "GLOSSARYCK!"

Glossaryck just barely heard Moon's yell through his earplugs, removing them as he turned back to her. "Hm? Did it work? What are we doing?"

The Queen pointed to River, who was currently sliding under the bed. "Can you get the door, please?" As soon as River had hidden himself, Moon worked frantically to smooth out the bed skirt, trying to conceal the fact that she had fiddled with it. As soon as she was satisfied, she nodded to Glossaryck, who opened the door to find a large, well armed knight standing on the other side.

"Oh, Sir Scarsguard! Sorry about the delay. I was, just uh..." Moon spat out the first cover story her brain could come up with. "Performing a delicate magical experiment!"

"Oh? You're supposed to be asleep at this hour." Sir Scarsguard looked down at the tiny blue figure floating before him. "Did your training with Her Majesty really run this late again?"

Glossaryck sensed eyes on him from the Queen as well, feeling like he missed something. He gave them both a non-committal shrug. "Sure, why not."

"Is that so? Because I was passing by and I thought I heard a strange voice in here. Sounded a little bit familiar." Sir Scarsguard watched Moon skeptically, waiting to see her reaction. "Almost like... River Johansen."

"Wha-ha-hat? No! That's... no!" Moon could tell that her performance wasn't at all convincing, but she was willing to use any dirty trick necessary to protect River. "That's silly! You're so silly, Sir Scarsguard!"

Glossaryck slapped his forehead, dragging his hand down his face. He wondered if his next lesson to his student should be the art of the poker face.

"... I see. Well I don't think I have to remind you that Lady Etheria has ordered me to report to her if I catch any Johansens around. Especially the young River." Sir Scarsguard's face took on an odd expression, almost like he didn't really want to have a reason to investigate further. "So it would be... most unfortunate if I found out he's here."

"Well... just look around!" Moon gestured around her bedroom. "Do you see any Johansens in this room?"

"No. I suppose I don't. I must have just been hearing things." Sir Scarsguard gave Moon a knowing smile, then bowed as he turned to leave. "Pleasant dreams, Your Majesty."

"Good night, Sir Scarsguard." The knight left to continue on his way, with Glossaryck shutting and locking the door behind him. Moon leaned down under the bed, lifting the bed skirt to find River underneath. "Alright River, it's safe. You can come out."

"That was a close one." River rolled out from under the bed, rising to his feet and breathing a sigh of relief. "Well... I think that's the sign that it's time for me to go." River wasn't happy that his time with Moon had been so short, but nevertheless he turned to leave, heading for the exit window.

"River, wait!" As River turned back around to see what the Queen wanted, he felt her body colliding with his, her arms wrapping tight around him in a warm embrace. "... visit again soon."

River returned her hug for several long seconds, before the pair eventually broke away from each other. River smiled and leaned over, giving Moon an exaggerated bow and speaking in an overly dramatic voice. "Nothing could keep me away, m'lady."

Moon let out a girlish giggle. As ridiculous as it might have been, she found herself oddly flattered by the effort. "Oh, River."

River made his way over to the window, giving Moon a parting smile and wave before sliding down the rope and running off into the darkness of the night. The Queen followed and leaned out the window to watch him go, letting out a longing sigh as she lost sight of him.

"So." Moon jumped as she heard Glossaryck's voice from behind her. "Did you tell him?"

"No. And I was so close this time..." Moon shook her head and let out a deep sigh as she pulled up the rope from her bedroom window, stashing it under her bed to hide the evidence of River's visit. She the flopped down on her bed, melancholy starting to overtake her. "Maybe we're just not meant to be."

"Hmm." Glossaryck closed his eyes in silent contemplation, as though he was trying to make some sort of difficult decision. "Moon, as a general rule, I don't like giving advice outside my job description. But tonight I'm going to make an exception, because I want to tell you something important that I've learned about life. See, much like your not-boyfriend, it's short." Glossaryck floated over and hovered above the Queen as she laid on her back, grabbing the sides of her face, staring her down with the most deadly serious look she had ever seen on him. "Don't wait."

Moon stared up in surprise as Glossaryck pulled away from her. As she laid there in silence, she started to reconsider her options. She didn't want to end up married off to some Duke who just saw her as a stepping stone to power. She wanted to be with River, no matter what came her way as a result. But she had been so terrified that if the moment wasn't absolutely flawless, her chances with him would be ruined.

On the other hand, maybe her teacher was right. The more she thought about it, the more she realized might never have the perfect opportunity to confess that she always dreamed about. So maybe... maybe she had to make one. And even if it wasn't perfect, even if she turned out to be an awkward, stuttering mess, pouring her heart out in the dead of night in the middle of the Mewni wilderness, she would still have made her feelings known. She would finally know whether he felt the same way about her as she did about him. And even if he didn't, even if he no longer wanted to be her friend, she would go on knowing that she hadn't let the chance of a lifetime pass her by.

The Queen rose from her bed, looking at her bedroom window, already calculating the route River might have taken away from the castle. "... do you think I can catch him?"

"If you hurry." Glossaryck saw Moon glance over at the door, thinking she might be worried about getting caught. "Don't worry. If anybody shows up, I'll think of something." Glossaryck clapped the Queen on the shoulder, giving her an encouraging smile. "Go get 'em, tiger."

Moon grabbed her wand and headed over to the window. She lifted it to the sky, channeling her magic into it and reciting an incantation. "Call of the Winged Warnicorn!" A muscular, pure white alicorn slowly formed from the ether, hovering just outside the Queen’s bedroom window, awaiting the her command. Moon turned back toward Glossaryck, bowing slightly to her mentor. "Thank you, Glossy."

"Oh, don't thank me. You think I work for free?" Glossaryck had completely dropped his briefly serious demeanor, replaced by his usual teasing tone. "You owe me your share of pudding for the next month."

Moon smiled right back at him, happy to see that Glossaryck wasn't losing his touch. "Deal." The Queen carefully climbed out of her bedroom window and onto her mount, looking back at Glossaryck one last time before departing. "Now if you'll excuse me... I have to go find someone special."

Moon flew off into the night sky after River, and though her heart was full of fear, it was even more full of hope. She would find River, she would tell him everything she had been feeling, and no matter what happened, and she would have no regrets as long as she lived. And maybe, just maybe... her dreams would come true after all.