the Unyielding Power of a Rabbit (^•^)
The warmth of the sun in the royal garden was a welcome contrast to the cold tension of the hallway. Usagi's spirits lifted instantly, and a genuine smile, free of any awkwardness, bloomed on her face. Her ears, which had been drooping, now stood tall and alert, and her small, white cottontail, no longer hidden, wiggled with a soft, happy rhythm against the fabric of her skirt.
Sterling, his own face softened by the joy of their reunion, noticed her slight movements. The memories of their childhood flashed through his mind—of a tiny, white rabbit with ears that twitched with every rustle in the grass. He took a slow, deliberate step towards her, a smile on his face, his hand lifting slightly, instinctively wanting to reach out and touch the soft fluff of her ears and the wiggle of her tail. It was an affectionate gesture, a sign of their old friendship reasserting itself.
But as his hand drew near, something unexpected and powerful happened.
A palpable force, like a shimmering wall of liquid air, sprang into existence around Usagi. It was not a physical barrier he could see, but a gentle, firm resistance that pushed against his hand, stopping him mid-motion. The air around them seemed to hum with an ancient, protective magic. It was a warmth that was not from the sun, but from a source far more profound. The feeling was not violent or aggressive; it was a firm, uncompromising "no." It was the feeling of a boundary being created, a fortress forming around its most treasured occupant.
Sterling's eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't expected this. He took a quick step back, a look of profound astonishment on his face as he put a respectable distance between them. The unseen barrier dissipated as quickly as it had appeared, leaving only a lingering hum in the air.
Usagi, unaware of the magical event, watched his reaction with confusion. "What is it? What's wrong?" she asked, her voice laced with worry. "Did I do something?"
Sterling shook his head slowly, his gaze fixed on her. "No, Bunny. It wasn't you," he said, his voice a low, thoughtful murmur. He looked from her to the empty air where the barrier had been. "I... I felt something. A kind of magical ward. It was like a wall. A gentle one, but utterly unyielding. It felt like..."
He trailed off, his brow furrowed in concentration, as he tried to put the feeling into words. "It felt like a possessive kind of magic. A powerful one. One that was meant to protect you." He looked at Usagi's confused face and then at the path Lyraen had taken. A slow, knowing smile spread across Sterling's features as the pieces clicked into place. "It felt like him. It felt like Prince Lyraen."
Usagi's eyes went wide. She hadn't felt a thing, yet her prince, with his love and his powerful wolf magic, had unconsciously woven a shield around her. Even when he was not with her, a part of him was always there, a testament to the depth of their bond and his fierce, unwavering protectiveness. The realization sent a shiver down her spine. The outside world could try to hurt her, but her love was a living, breathing fortress, a shield of pure magic that no one could breach.