The Weight of a Happy Heart :).
Sterling's smile was a soft balm to Usagi's flustered state. He closed the small distance between them, and seeing the genuine, gentle amusement in his eyes, Usagi couldn't help but let out a small, embarrassed laugh at her own clumsy awkwardness. "I feel so silly," she admitted, her face still flushed.
"Don't," he said simply, his voice a low, calming murmur. "You're still the same happy, wonderful person I remember. The age gap means nothing." He gestured to a nearby stone bench nestled beneath a willow tree. "Come, let's sit. It's a much better place for conversation than a hallway."
Usagi nodded, her shoulders relaxing as she followed him. She settled onto the bench, her feet barely reaching the ground, her bunny tail wagging a little from the sheer comfort of his presence. Sterling sat beside her, the air between them easy and familiar once more.
He looked at her, his expression serious but kind. "Now," he began, "you never told me what brought you here. The last I saw you, you were in the Whisperwood. You're far from home, Bunny."
The easy question brought a bittersweet smile to Usagi's face. The memory of the past weeks, of the moonlit woods and the terrifying, beautiful wolf, filled her mind. She took a deep breath. "It's... a very long story," she started, "but to put it simply, I'm here because I fell in love."
Sterling's smile widened. "That's wonderful! Is he a good man? Does he treat you well?" he asked, his voice filled with sincere joy for her.
"He is," she replied, her heart swelling with emotion. "He's the best." A wave of pure, happy love washed over her, and she found herself saying the words aloud, words she still couldn't quite believe herself. "I'm married to him. I'm married to the prince."
The smile on Sterling's face froze. The light in his eyes, which had been so full of shared happiness, dimmed. His wolf ears, which had been perked up in open relaxation, drooped slightly, and his tail went completely still. The easy rhythm of their breathing became strained. He looked at her, truly looked at her, and saw not just his childhood friend, but the woman who belonged to another. The woman who was the Queen of his own future king.
For years, he had kept the secret of their friendship, clinging to the memory of the sweet girl who had made his lonely childhood bearable. The hope of finding her again, of perhaps having something more than just a friendship, had been a quiet, constant comfort in his solitary life. He had been a wolf wandering a dark world, and the memory of her was the only star he had. Now, that star was the North Star, and it belonged to his Prince.
The silence stretched between them, thick with the weight of his unsaid feelings. His sadness was a quiet, profound presence. It wasn't anger or jealousy, but the deep, quiet ache of a dream that he hadn't even realized he was still holding onto, now gently shattered. He looked at her happy, radiant face, so full of love for someone else, and forced a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
"That's... wonderful, Bunny," he said, his voice a little hoarse. "I'm very happy for you." The words were true, and that was the saddest part of all.