The Magna Aula of the University was so full of people that many had remained outside, rows over rows of heads looking inside through the opened doors. The Dean walked on the stage and begun his speech. He had the pleasure, most esteemed colleagues, Honoris Causa, and bio-engineer Khit’s saving the world were words often repeated. Beside him, the little red engineer was dressed in a kid frock, still too big for him, and had a ton of decorations on his chest. In the back of the stage sat the heroes of the City, all plenty decorated too. Estella and Sirinn were holding hands, and so did Vella and Ulius; Li-Hua had an empty chair near her, and Alienor the same.

There were many noises from the crowd, but the prince consort still could hear Frey’r's voice shouting outside, in the courtyard.

“You have to take her off my head!”

“She’s your problem now, mate; I’m delighted with my beauhemian queen!”

“She enthralled you with a spell!”

“Eh, spell or not, that’s how things work with women. They enthrall you somehow. But so you know, I felt the same for her even when she freed me!”

Istaìnn sighed.

“Goodness! The Schiavon and that guard sneaked off the stage!”

“I can understand him. My daughter is hard to cope with. We barely manage ourselves, my wife and me!” said his friend, Lau.

“Do you approve of her whim?” asked the Prince Consort.

“If not, a worse one could appear. At least Frey’r is a decent guy.”

The Prince Consort, the Queens, Lau, Diago, Dora, and Ejlsa, were all in the upper lodge, protected from indiscrete ears by complex spells, so they could chat freely. Their attention was more dedicated to that than to the stage speech.

Some worries were on all faces, worries that parents have when their kid meets their first infatuation, first romance, or first love. Concerns that that love might be THE ONE, this is the thought that scares all parents the most. But their expressions and words showed relief as well: relief that everyone was safe, that peril was averted, that new opportunities had appeared and that those worries could be delayed for another day, or year, or some other times. Sometimes far away, it always looks far away, be it or not so.

The happiest and least worried of all was Ejlsa. She had arrived a little later and now was hugging each of them. For the Queens and Istainn, her hug was longer, and she kissed them on both cheeks.

“Thank you for pardoning her!” she said to each of them.

“Don’t mention it!” replied the Prince. “She did a lot of good too, up there. Let bygones be bygones.”

“I’ll return the favor one day,” she repeated the hugging.

Khit’s was beginning his acceptance speech. It was every bit as long and tedious as the Dean’s.

“You’re sure we can count on him?” whispered Heyra in Istainn’s left ear.

She looked at the front row, where two maimed men sat: Dharius and Sem, chatting together like they were old friends.

“Estella thinks so. He’ll report what we told him to. After all, he’s still alive thanks to Ulius and his control over the ship repair nanites. Accidents happen, even to stars. It tripped on an untied shoelace and broke its neck, voilà…"

“Have to go down; I will sing the anthem in five,” announced Ejlsa, making kisses signs to them.

When the moment came, she exchanged a word with her accompanist, none other than Khit’s, then turned toward the public, opening wide her arms like she was hugging everyone.

“My dearest friends. The Anthem, you all know it by heart, so I and Honorary Doctor Khit’s thought to make you a surprise. We composed a song together, and Secretary-General Lau Wei-Tsou wrote the lyrics. In its first audition, please enjoy Make a wish upon a falling star.”

She winked once toward the royals, smiled, and sang beautifully.