Sana had always loved staring at the moon. Her parents had always secretly hoped she was looking at the stars, studying them like a good star fire elf. But no one could deny she was staring at the moon with immense appreciation and curiosity. Who knew, one day she would marry the moon.

When Sana was born, her country had rejoiced. Her parents had trouble conceiving, and it had effected the entire kingdom. They were already in a war, add the fact the king and queen couldn’t produce an heir and the people were devastated. So her and her twin sisters Momo’s birth had been a very joyous turn for the kingdom.

The war had been on and off for 100 years. Humans and elves never really got along, but because of the physical separation the actual fighting was limited to the border. Starsia, Sana’s home country, was far from the border. They were the second most north of the elven kingdoms, the only on further north was Jutura, the home of the ice and water elves. Starsia didn’t touch the border with the humans at all unlike four other elven nations. 

Starsia was the home of the starfire elves. Starfire elves were blessed by the stars themselves, each of them being born with a constellation etched onto their body. Before a star fire elf is born, their mother receives a vision where a star sprit informs them which constellation has chosen to bless their baby. Sana was a Cassiopeia and Momo was a Lyra. Momo was the older twin, so growing up she was the one expected to inherit the throne. 

But things didn’t work out that way. At the age of sixteen, Momo fell in love with a human. It was forbidden in every sense of the word, they were on opposite sides of the war. But Momo loved Dahyun. Both believed the war was pointless, and that humans and elves could live harmony and they wanted to prove it.

By falling in love with a human Momo gave up her right to the throne. She told Sana before she left it was for the best, Sana had always done much better in queen training than she had. Momo told Sana even her constellation proved she would be a better queen. Sana wasn’t entirely sure she agreed, but Momo left her with little choice. 

She inherited the throne at a young age. Her parents weren’t sick or dead, but the believed Sana was fit to rule at the age of eighteen. The only issue was that Sana wasn’t married. It was an ancient law in Starsia all rulers must be married before ascending to the throne.

She met Mina at night. 

Sana had been fully poised to marry the duke’s son her parent’s had picked for her to marry in a few days. She barely knew him, but her parents trusted his, and well that was the best she could hope for. 

Mina was the princess of the moonshadow elves. Sana had met her once as a child. Back at the peak of the war, the elven leaders met at an assembly at the throne of the dragons. They had brought their children along so the children could form good relations, just like their parents had. Mina had kept to herself mostly, moonshadow elves were not the most social. She wasn’t the heir to the throne, so there was no reason for her to socialize with the other princes and princesses. Sana hadn’t had much interest in Mina, the princes and princesses of the sunspot elves were distracting spitfires that were immensely fun to play with. Sana didn’t have much interest in being quiet at her young age, and got swept up in the fun and games of the sunspot children. 

Their first encounter was nothing compared to their next.

Mina’s eyes shone grey in the night. Sana had read once in her studying that during the night moonshadow elves eyes glowed grey. They were beautiful, looking into Mina’s eyes Sana was faced with the moon she had always admired. 

Moonshadow elves were hunters. They were quiet assassins that took out their pray in the night. They were ruthless and killed when they had to. Sana had always had a slight fear of the moonshadow elves, along with a fascination.

Sana wasn’t entirely sure what Mina was doing in her gardens. Starsia had a large royal garden, filled with wonderful cherry trees and beautiful flowers. Sana had always loved the royal garden, it expanded beyond her eyesight. Her and Momo always played there as young children. They would play sword fight in the gardens, Momo usually being the one to win. Sana was always at a disadvantage when it came to swordfighting. She recounted many times she had fallen into the flower beds, having been knocked over into them by her twin. And now Mina was standing in those flower beds. 

After taking her into her private chambers Mina told her why she was there. Told her she was running from her own kingdom. Running from a destiny of killing and death. She didn’t want to be like her people, she didn’t want to kill people and animals. Sana saw a new side of Mina that night. Her fear of moonshadow elves disappeared that night. She saw Mina as a vulnerable girl who had nowhere to go. Mina told her the reason she had gone to Starsia was because she had heard of the great kindness of the royalty. She needed their help escaping her life in her own kingdom.

Sana was more than happy to help, and in the process she fell in love with Mina. She fell quick, hard, and fast. She called off her previous engagement and when asked who she was going to marry, Sana responded easily. Mina. 

Mina had fallen for Sana on that first night. She was so beautiful in the moonlight, bathed in the light of the spirt that had blessed Mina and been with her her entire life. She was just as kind as Mina had heard. 

They were married quickly. It was unusual for elves of different kinds to marry, almost unheard of among royalty. But Sana and Mina had married out of love, not out of arrangement, another rarity in royal culture. Starsia had always been a fairly accepting country, so they had welcomed the marriage of Sana and Mina. 

The marriage of the stars and the moon. It was poetic in a sense. 

Though they had married quickly, they loved each other very much. Their first year of marriage was wonderful. The war was letting up and Starsia was thriving. Mina’s home country had been notified of Mina’s marriage to the now queen of Starsia, and the kingdom allowed it. They sent two advisors, Mina’s two closest childhood friends, to Starsia stay with Mina and be her communication between her home country and Starsia. They had the best relations they had ever had before. Long before the wars with humans began, they were engaged in a war. But Mina and Sana’s marriage seemed to quell all hostility the two nations had. Their marriage was one for the ages. 

Mina handled the affairs of military in Starsia. Sana hadn’t had much military training, so Mina had a much better handle on what to do. Sana handled the affairs of the people and day to day running of Starsia. They made a good team, a team born out of trust and love. 

Mina had to leave frequently for the matters of military, and Sana would always stare at the moon. Just like she was young, she still had a deep love for the moon. She did marry it after all, well in a sense. She married a child of the moon spirit. 

Sana stared at the moon with one hand on her stomach. Mina had been away for a few days now, and she missed her terribly. She couldn’t wait to have her wife back. 

“Sana.” Sana smiled at the image of Mina’s image in the window. 

“Welcome home darling.” Sana smiled and turned to her wife. Mina instantly was at her side, moonshadow elves were quiet and quick. 

“I’m home, honey.” Mina held both of Sana’s hand and helped her down from the seat on the windowsill. 

“How was the mission?” Sana asked, instantly wrapped her arms around Mina’s neck. 

“It was okay. I missed you.” Mina tightened her hold on her wife. She loved her more than anything in the world. “How were the children?”

“Okay. Saki and Saya wouldn’t stop playing with wooden swords. And Sae won’t stop reading, even when it’s bedtime.”

“Well who won the sword fight?” Mina asked, putting her hands on Sana’s hips. 

“You know you asking questions like that are the reason their behavior continues right?” Sana sighed. 

“Yes honey, I know.” Mina giggled. “How was the little one?”

“She’s been kicking since you left.” Sana giggled and put one hand on her stomach. “Are you sure it’s a girl?”

“You know moon shadow elves have a special connection to babies in the womb.” Mina giggled. “Oh I almost forgot. I brought a gift from the earthblood elves.” Mina looked into her shoulder bag. “A beautiful necklace for my love.” Mina smiled and showed her a beautiful emerald green pendent on a silver chain. “And an adorable knitted bear for my unborn princess.” Mina took out a small stuffed bear and showed it to Sana. 

“I’m sure she will love it darling.” Sana smiled. “You did get gifts for the others right?”

“Of course my queen, I’m not dumb enough to make that mistake again.” Mina rubbed Sana’s hips, eating forward to give her a kiss. “How are Saki’s studies coming?”

“Darling, I still don’t know about this…” Sana trailed off. “Sae and Saya are older."

“They can’t be the heirs though darling