~ A heartbroken promise ~
A heavy, poignant silence settled on the garden bench. The easy happiness that had filled the air only moments before had vanished, replaced by a quiet, profound sadness. Usagi's smile faded as she watched Sterling's face. His eyes, which had held such a deep and long-awaited joy, now held a look of gentle defeat. His wolf ears were low, and his tail was still.
"Sterling?" she asked softly, her voice filled with concern. "Are you alright?"
He took a slow, deep breath, then forced a small, tired smile. "Of course, Bunny. It's just... a lot to process." He looked down at his hands, his knuckles turning white as he clenched them together. "For so long, the memory of you was all I had. The hope of one day finding you was what kept me going through my training, through the hardest parts of my life. I always held on to the idea that maybe, when I found you, we could have a chance to be what we couldn't be as children."
He finally looked at her, and his eyes, for the first time since their reunion, were vulnerable. "I've loved you, Usagi. I've loved the memory of you for years. But you are so happy, and that is all that truly matters."
Usagi's heart ached for him. She reached out and took his hand, her touch gentle and full of empathy. "Oh, Sterling," she whispered. "I'm so sorry. I had no idea." She squeezed his hand gently. "Lyraen is my love, my other half. But you... you are my oldest friend. My first friend. Nothing can change that."
Sterling squeezed her hand back, a small, sad smile on his lips. "I know, Bunny. And that is enough for me."
He released her hand and stood, his posture returning to the impeccable, formal bearing of a royal butler. The change was a sudden, resolute one. He looked at her, his eyes filled with a new kind of purpose. "I made a promise to the Prince," he began, his voice taking on a formal, steady tone. "To serve him. To protect him and his kingdom. But my highest honor is to serve you, Usagi."
He then knelt on one knee before her, a gesture that was both a sign of respect to her as a royal and a personal promise to her as his friend. "My heart may have held its own hope," he said, his voice quiet but firm, "but my loyalty belongs to you and to your happiness. You are his queen. And I will stand by you both, always."
Usagi was speechless. She was a simple cottontail from the woods, yet here was a noble wolf, a man who held a position of great power, giving her a silent, heartbroken vow of loyalty. She looked down at him, her heart filled with a profound and grateful love for the two powerful men who had, in their own ways, chosen her as their own. The sun began to set, casting long shadows across the garden. In the distance, the sound of footsteps on the cobblestone path grew closer, signaling Lyraen's return.