And very soon disaster start happening .
The council chamber, usually reserved for matters of state, was humming with a tense energy. Lyraen had called for a minor, impromptu meeting to formally introduce Usagi to a few more key court members and, more importantly, to publicly affirm Sterling's new, highly visible role as Usagi's personal protector and attendant.
"I trust you all understand the significance of this appointment," Lyraen announced, his voice carrying the authority of a king to be. "Sterling is an extension of my protection. Any disrespect shown to Queen Usagi, or obstruction of Sterling's duties, will be treated as an act of treason."
Sterling stood beside Usagi, his presence a calm anchor. Usagi, dressed in a simple but elegant blue gown that Lyraen had insisted on, managed a dignified nod to the courtiers. The public affirmation felt vital, a necessary shield against the whispers of Princess Luna and Countess Selene, both of whom watched from the sidelines with sharp, hostile gazes.
Later that afternoon, Usagi was alone in her chambers, feeling the exhaustion of playing the Queen. She was restless. Despite Lyraen's stern talk, the urge to feel the earth beneath her feet was overwhelming. She walked to the large balcony, gazing out at the distant Whisperwood, and rubbed the tops of her slightly twitching ears.
A soft knock interrupted her thoughts. It was Sterling.
"Your Majesty," he said, holding out a beautifully carved wooden box. "Prince Lyraen asked me to deliver this. He wished you to have it immediately."
Usagi's face lit up. "A gift? That's so like him! He must be thinking of me." She took the box, tracing the delicate, intertwining vine pattern carved into the lid. "He didn't mention it this morning."
"It arrived shortly after the council meeting," Sterling explained, a neutral mask firmly in place. "He said it was a symbol of his promise."
Usagi opened the box. Inside, resting on a bed of velvet, was an exquisite silver locket shaped like a tiny, stylized wolf's head, its eyes set with glimmering amber stones. Engraved on the back were the words: Yours, Forever.
"Oh, Sterling, it's beautiful," she whispered, tears pricking her eyes. The sheer sentimentality of the gift after their argument this morning touched her deeply. "Help me put it on, please?"
Sterling hesitated for a fraction of a second, but then stepped forward. His long, capable fingers carefully fastened the delicate chain around her neck. His hand brushed the base of her ear, and Usagi shivered, a familiar flutter caused by the lingering pull of the full moon.
"Thank you," she murmured, clutching the locket. "Tell him I adore it. I'll thank him properly tonight."
Sterling simply bowed. "Of course, Your Majesty."
Hours later, Lyraen returned, tired but triumphant from a lengthy meeting with his advisors. He swept Usagi up in his arms, his relief evident. "You were magnificent today, my Queen. You handled that council with grace."
"Thank you," Usagi said, kissing him soundly. "And thank you for the locket! It was exactly what I needed after that tense meeting. It's the most beautiful thing I own." She pulled the silver wolf head out from under her collar, showing it to him.
Lyraen's smile faltered. He looked at the locket, then back at her, a furrow of confusion deepening on his brow. "Locket? Usagi... I haven't given you a locket."
The world seemed to tilt on its axis. Usagi felt her heart drop into her stomach. "What? But... Sterling brought it to me this afternoon. He said you sent it as a symbol of your promise."
Lyraen's golden eyes narrowed, no longer confused, but flashing with a dangerous mix of disbelief and jealousy. "Sterling delivered this to you? Usagi, I sent Sterling with a note regarding a dinner menu change and a book of court history, nothing else. That locket… that is not mine." He reached out and snatched the locket from her neck, examining the engraving. "The craftsmanship is exquisite. It looks like the work of the Eastern Wolf Clans, not our silversmith.
"He lied to you, Usagi," Lyraen stated, his voice low and tight with a barely contained growl. "He used a gift to suggest a deep, secret intimacy between the two of you." His grip on the locket tightened. "He knew you would assume it was from me, and he knew he could present it with my authority."
"No! Lyraen, you're wrong!" Usagi insisted, leaping to Sterling's defense. "He wouldn't do that. He's my friend. My childhood friend! We just reconnected."
Lyraen scoffed, the sound sharp and utterly dismissive. "Friend? You think I don't see the way he looks at you? I saw the way he rushed to your defense today! You forget, Usagi, he is a wolf. And a wolf does not simply serve when he is consumed by desire. He sees you as a prize. He's trying to wedge himself between us."
That just The Friend vs. Rival dynamic. (- . -)
"That's not fair! He told me he was happy for us!" Usagi's voice trembled with hurt and frustration. "He told me he was loyal! You're letting your wolf jealousy blind you!"
"And you are letting your cottontail naïveté blind you!" Lyraen retorted, the volume in his voice rising. "He is my butler, Usagi! He serves me! He does not have the right to give you gifts or create ambiguity about who your consort is! This is a deliberate undermining of my authority and our marriage!"
Just as the argument reached its peak, a shadow fell across the doorway. Sterling was standing there, his face unreadable, his wolf ears visible and alert. He had obviously overheard everything.
And we got The Unintended Audience. (•.•)
"Your Highness," Sterling said, his voice calm despite the raw tension in the room. "I was coming to deliver the revised menus. Is there a problem?"
Lyraen spun around, the locket clenched in his hand. His gaze was glacial. "Yes, there is, Sterling. This locket. Care to explain where you acquired this gift for my Queen?"
Sterling looked from the furious Prince to the heartbroken Usagi, then back to the locket. His mask faltered. He inhaled sharply, his gaze dropping momentarily before he met Lyraen's eyes with a look of resigned sorrow.
"It was a gift from a visiting merchant, Your Highness," Sterling said, his voice flat. "I intended to buy it for... a relative. But the Queen looked so distressed after the council, I felt she needed a moment of comfort. I simply presented it to her as a token of goodwill."
Lyraen's fury intensified. "You presented it as my token, Sterling! You lied! You abused your position to court my wife!"
"No!" Usagi cried, stepping between them. "He didn't! Lyraen, I misunderstood him! I saw the box and jumped to conclusions! It's my fault!"
Lyraen looked at her, his expression heartbreakingly conflicted. "You take the blame for his deception, Usagi? You defend him even now?" The shadow of doubt had fully taken hold. He looked at Sterling, his final words laced with dangerous command. "You are dismissed from your duties as Queen's Attendant, Sterling. Effective immediately. Confine yourself to your quarters until I decide the penalty for your betrayal."
Sterling bowed, his movements stiff and formal, the disappointment in his eyes aimed not at the Prince's harshness, but at the irreparable wedge driven between them. He glanced at Usagi, a silent apology in his eyes, before turning and leaving the chambers, leaving Usagi alone with a furious, heartbroken Lyraen. The first serious crack in their royal fairy tale had appeared.