An Oath of loyalty

Oath’s gaze never wavered as Azriel spoke, though the words sank in with the weight of stones. Judila, their mothers, the reasons behind it all - it made sense in a cold, logical way. And yet, it did nothing to ease the sting in his chest. Oath stood still, his usual soft countenance replaced with something more measured, more guarded. The truth that Azriel laid bare demanded honesty in return, and Oath knew he couldn’t hide behind the guise of calm any longer.

The rumbles in Azriel’s voice, the questions he posed, forced Oath to reflect in real time, his mind racing to catch up with the barrage of emotions stirred inside him.

"Jealousy?" he muttered under his breath, almost as if testing the word. The concept itself felt foreign to him, absurd even, though he couldn’t deny the uncomfortable tightness that wrapped around his chest when he thought of losing the closeness he and Azriel had. Best friends, brothers-in-arms - they had shared countless moments that most would never understand. But this… this was different.

Finally, he inhaled deeply and spoke, his voice quieter now, more personal. "Azriel, it's not that I think you’re a bad option for Atreyu. You’re not. You’re one of the best. You’ve bled for us, fought with us. I know that. I trust you." He paused, the weight of the words hanging between them as his cyan eyes met Azriel’s unwavering gaze. "But…"

He shifted, the confession tumbling out like stones loosened from a wall. "You’re right. It’s the idea of losing you that’s gnawing at me. Not just as a friend or a guard, but…" His voice faltered, a rare vulnerability showing through. "Everything will change. I won’t lose you as a friend, not truly, but we won’t be the same. You’ll have other responsibilities, deeper ones, to Atreyu, to Judila. You’ll be bound to her, and where does that leave me?"

His brow furrowed, the tension building in his chest again. "And maybe… maybe there’s some selfish part of me that resents it. You and Atreyu deserve happiness. I know that. But I never wanted to feel like I was being… left behind."

Oath’s voice grew steadier, as if the weight of his own confession had lessened the burden somehow. "I’m not jealous in the way you might think. I don’t want more than friendship from you, Az. But I can’t lie and say it doesn’t hurt, thinking I’ll never be able to come first in the way I used to."

He fell silent then, his ears flicking back, unsure of how Azriel would react to such raw honesty. He wasn't sure how to react to it himself - as the truth surprised even him.