Note: Cover art by lovelyrugbee over on Tumblr! She's designed this whole, beautiful Eleteo family. If you want to get to know the kids better head over to her blog and show her some love!

Queen Elena Castillo Flores hummed quietly in tune to the sweet melody she had been skillfully coaxing from her guitar–– her heart swelling with happiness as she spent a cherished evening in the palace with her little family. She looked around the cozy music room where they gathered most evenings–– once the daily flurry of activities and royal duties wound down––and smiled at her good fortune.

Elena and Mateo had been married for eleven years, and their family had more than doubled in that time. The eldest, Ana Lucia–– heir to the throne–– was ten years old and quite the little firecracker. Enthusiastic as she was about following in her mother's footsteps as the future queen of Avalor, she preferred olaball and climbing trees with the city boys over needlepoint and dance lessons–– and looked it. It was not unusual to find the young princess with scabby knees, dirt crusted fingernails, and smudges on her dress. Like her father, she was exceptionally bright and diligent in her studies, but like her mother, she was a rather mischievous child.

Ana set aside the schoolwork she'd been working through, and glanced shifty eyed around the room. Elena stifled a giggle as she watched her eldest daughter quietly creep over to where her younger sister, Bianca, was sitting with her doll collection and performing an elaborate imaginary production. Bianca Valeria–– the second oldest–– was a creative soul, and possessed a certain flair for fashion and dramatics–– even at the tender age of six. To Bianca, everything was a matter of life and death and she was the most likely of her siblings to explode in a fit of temper.

Elena smiled indulgently as her eyes fell upon her son, Julian Amor, the youngest of her three children at the age of five. Little Julian was running in circles around the music room, his unruly chocolate curls bouncing in his amber colored eyes as he banged his little fist on a tiny toy tamborita, making up pretend magic spells–– just as he'd seen his papi do so many times.

He had just run past Ana as she peered down at her little sister, her lips twitching upward in a feline grin–– like a cat just before it pounces. Tip toeing behind Bianca, Ana reached down and scooped her sister into a great big bear hug. Squealing, Bianca flailed her arms and legs, trying to free herself from her sister's grasp.

"EEEWWW! Get your dirty hands off me Lulu! You are getting dirt on my dress!"

Ana's grin widened as she squeezed her sister tighter. "Aww, you're no fun, Bee! I just wanted to show you the new scab I got on my knee from falling out of the tree in the garden!" she teased the struggling little girl.

"EWWW! GROSS!" Bianca yelled, "You are so weird! Let me go!"

Julian ran up to his sisters and pointed his little tamborita at Ana, shouting, "Let her go!" over and over again as he hit the toy. "Let her go! Let her go!"

Mateo looked up from the book he was reading to see what all the commotion was about. Glancing at Elena, he raised a questioning eyebrow.

Shall I handle this, or would you like to?

Elena grinned crookedly as she shrugged.

This one is all yours, amor.

Nodding, he closed his book and, laying it on the nearby end table, Mateo got to his feet and strode over to the site of the commotion, crossing his arms as he calmly surveyed his children. "Ana, that is enough. Let your sister go," he said quietly, but firmly.

"Yes, papi," the young princess said repentantly, stepping back from her sister. Bianca stomped her foot at her sister, glaring with all of her might as she screeched in irritation before turning and sweeping away dramatically to return to her dolls.

"And Julian," Mateo turned to the tiny boy and knelt beside him, "What is the first rule of magic in our house?"

The little boy's eyes turned toward the floor as he said in a resigned voice, "Never use magic on family without their permission." He looked up, his eyes wide, and said earnestly, "But papi, I was just pretending. It wasn't real."

Mateo smiled gently at his son and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I know, mijo, but if we don't follow the rules when we are pretending, how will we remember to follow the rules when it's real?"

Julian sighed deeply, "Ok, Papi. I won't do it again."

"That's what I like to hear." Mateo pulled the little boy in for a hug before returning to his seat next to Elena and his book–– sharing a smile with his wife before he did so.

Elena loved moments like these. She found endless amusement in the children's antics and shenanigans. Even when they caused chaos in public and she had to correct them, she usually found herself smiling secretly. She loved watching Mateo around them. He was so kind and gentle and patient with the children–– just as she always knew he would be. She didn't think she would ever have her fill of time spent with her family.

It still surprised her how much her preferences for how she spent her free time had changed over the years since she'd become queen and married her best friend. In her teen years she'd been quite the social butterfly, but in recent years she'd come to fully appreciate the value of quality time at home with Mateo and the children. Truthfully, she couldn't think of anywhere she'd rather be than right where she was, surrounded by her precious children–– except, perhaps–– she thought with an impish grin–– somewhere alone with Mateo.

Elena slid along the small sofa to sit closer to her husband, affectionately bumping her shoulder against his as she continued plucking the soft melody from her guitar. Mateo looked up from the book he was reading, raising a curious eyebrow as he smiled and said, "Yes, mi amor?"

Flashing a grin at the man who's smile still made her heart flutter–– even after a decade of marriage–– Elena said lightly, "Oh, you know, I was just thinking about how amazing and beautiful our little family is–– I just feel so blessed thinking about how rich my life has become–– all thanks to you."

Smirking, Mateo said, "Me? I think you mean that the other way around."

"No, I definitely mean it this way. I not only have your love–– which, by the way, is a treasure all its own–– but without you, I'd still have an Ana, Bianca, and Julian shaped hole in my heart that I didn't know existed until they arrived to fill it."

"Hmmm," Mateo said in mock thoughtfulness, "I suppose that part did require some amount of teamwork between us."

Arching a delicate eyebrow, Elena smiled coquettishly as she said, "If memory serves me correctly, it took A LOT of teamwork to get to where we are now." She paused in her playing to run a hand suggestively down his arm.

"In front of the children?" Mateo said, raising an eyebrow in mock reproach, "For shame, mi amor." Grinning roguishly, he leaned in to press a kiss to her lips, which she quickly found herself lost in as she returned the gesture with a sweet kiss of her own, sliding her free hand up to cup the back of his head.

A tiny, childish voice interrupted them, "Mami and Papi are KISSING!" Julian had run over to his parents and was staring, wide eyed and unsure of what to think.

"Ugh! Gross! Not again!" Ana said, rolling her eyes from where she sat with her school books.

Bianca giggled behind her hand, her eyes dancing with amusement.

Elena laughed against Mateo's lips before pulling back and looking over at her children. "My mami once told me that one of the signs of a healthy family was in how often the children are disgusted by their parents affection for one another." She grinned at Ana, a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

Mateo chuckled as Ana made a disgusted noise and went back to her schoolwork. He slid an arm around Elena's shoulders and pulled her close, a thoughtful look flitting across his features as he watched the children return to their activities.

Elena snuggled a little closer and sighed happily. Turning her head to look at him, she said, "A penny for your thoughts, amor?"

"Oh, I was just considering how far we've come as a family. Can you believe that there was a time that I believed that this––" he squeezed her again and pressed a kiss to her temple, " ––this simple love between you and I was the pinnacle of life? That things couldn't possibly be any better–– that I couldn't possibly love anyone anymore than I loved you at the time."

Elena arched an eyebrow and grinned crookedly. "What do you mean–– loved?"

Mateo poked her nose playfully. "You know what I mean. I mean that the state of my love at the time is nothing compared to my love for you and our children now."

Elena smiled nostalgically at the memory before she said quietly, "Do you remember that moment? The moment everything changed?"

"Vividly."