Chapter Text
Baby, just take me somewhere we can be alone
The night stretched on, an agonizing blur of empty rooms and hollow corridors.
Ivanna had searched everywhere.
The grand ballroom, now an unbearable spectacle of gossip and judgment. The drawing rooms, filled with drunken nobles lost in their own shallow amusements. The gardens, bathed in moonlight, where she had hoped Stone might have sought refuge among the roses and ivy.
But Stone was nowhere.
Where did you go?
A slow, simmering frustration burned beneath Ivanna’s skin. Not at Stone—but at herself.
She should have held onto her. Should have reassured her before she could slip away. Should have silenced those insipid whispers before they reached Stone’s ears.
Should have done something to stop this. But she hadn’t.
But Ivanna refused to give up now.
Determined, she made her way to the second floor of the estate. The corridors were dimly lit, flickering candlelight casting long shadows along the gilded walls. The distant hum of music still echoed from below, but it felt far away—like a world she no longer belonged to.
As she walked past a darkened alcove, movement caught her eye.
A couple—pressed against the wall, locked in a passionate embrace. The woman’s hands tangled in the man’s hair, their breathless murmurs muffled by the space between them. They broke apart as Ivanna passed, glancing at her with mild annoyance, as if her presence was an inconvenience to them.
Ivanna ignored them.
Let them have their indulgences. Their freedom. Their privilege to love without fear of judgement.
Her mind was set on one person alone.
As she ventured further down the corridor, a sound made her footsteps falter.
Soft. Muffled. Choked.
Crying.
Ivanna’s steps slowed, heart tightening as she followed the sound. Ahead of here were a set of balcony doors stood slightly ajar, sheer curtains billowing in the night breeze.
Through the gap, she could see her.
Stone
She stood at the railing, her back turned, her hands gripping the stone wall for support. Her shoulders trembled, each quiet sob cutting through Ivanna like a blade.
Ivanna had seen her endure storms before—had watched her stand tall against cruelty, against hardship. She had never seen her like this.
"Why?" Stone choked out, barely more than a whisper. "Why must I be weak?"
Ivanna’s chest tightened.
That wasn’t true.
That would never be true.
Ivanna finally stepped onto the balcony, the marble cool beneath her boots. The wind rushed past her, carrying the scent of the gardens below—the sharp bite of winter clinging to the air. "You are anything but weak, Stone."
Stone gasped, spinning around at the sound of her voice. “M-Mistress?” Ivanna stepped into the broken moon’s light, watching as the pale glow illuminated the tear-streaked paths along Stone’s cheeks.
“May I join you?” she asked, keeping her voice low, careful.
Stone didn’t answer right away. Her lips parted as if to speak, but instead, she only gave a small, silent nod. With a shaky breath, she turned back toward the railing, hastily wiping at her tears.
Ivanna stepped close to Stone’s side, closing the distance between them. They stood side by side, gazing out at the vast landscape bathed in the silver glow of the night.
Ivanna had never been good at giving comfort. She had spent a lifetime as the one receiving it—Stone’s gentle hands fixing the collar of her coat, Stone’s patient voice smoothing the sharp edges of her worst moods, Stone’s laughter pulling her out of the depths of her own mind when it threatened to consume her.
Now, she wished to return the favor, but she didn’t know how.
Silence stretched between them.
“It’s a lovely night, mistress,” she murmured, her voice steady, though Ivanna caught the way her fingers gripped the stone railing a little too tightly.
Ivanna followed her gaze to the sky. The cracked moon loomed above them, its fractured form casting an eerie yet beautiful light over the world.
“Indeed, it is, Stone.”
A small smile ghosted across Stone’s lips as she leaned against the railing. “I still find myself wondering how the moon ended up the way it is,” she mused, her voice quieter now, more thoughtful.
Ivanna glanced at her. “You mean to say you don’t know?”
Stone chuckled softly, shaking her head. “I have heard of theories. The stories. But none of them feel… real.”
Ivanna crossed her arms, shifting her weight slightly. “There has been no definitive answer to how the moon ended up the way it is. I am a practical and factual woman, but there is one legend I have always found fascinating and fitting.”
Stone turned to her, intrigued. “Oh?”
Ivanna allowed herself a small smirk. “It is said that long ago, two gods waged a battle so fierce that the heavens themselves could not contain their fury. Their battles tore the sky apart, shattering the moon in their struggle.”
Stone’s eyes flickered with fascination, and she looked back up at the broken moon. “A battle between gods…” she murmured. “And yet the moon still hangs there, unmoving. Even in ruin, it remains.”
Ivanna tilted her head slightly at the poetic nature of her words.
“Yes,” she admitted. “Even in ruin, it remains.”
A breeze swept through the balcony, carrying with it the scent of the gardens below—the roses, the earth, the lingering remnants of the evening’s festivities. It rustled Stone’s hair, sending stray strands dancing across her face.
Ivanna had the urge to reach out—to brush them away, to cup her cheek, to offer the warmth that Stone had always given her without hesitation.
But she hesitated.
Because the last time she reached for Stone, she ran.
Instead, she allowed her voice to soften.
“Stone… do you truly think yourself weak?”
Stone stiffened beside her. She lowered her gaze, hands gripping the railing again. “I ran, mistress,” she whispered. “I ran when I should have stayed.”
Ivanna’s jaw tightened.
“I ran because—” Stone’s breath hitched, and she shook her head. “Because I was afraid. Afraid of what people would say. Afraid of what it meant.”
Ivanna inhaled slowly, resisting the immediate urge to dismiss Stone’s fears as meaningless. But to Stone, they weren’t meaningless.
She understood now.
Stone wasn’t ashamed of dancing with her. She wasn’t ashamed of them.
Ivanna reached out, hesitantly, and let her gloved fingers brush over Stone’s hand. Stone quickly looked up to her.
“You ran,” she murmured, “but you’re still here.”
Stone’s breath caught.
Ivanna turned slightly, facing her fully. “You could have left the estate entirely. You could have disappeared into the night. But instead, you stayed. Even in ruin, you remain.”
Stone’s lips parted, her expression unreadable.
Ivanna took a step closer, lowering her voice. “So, tell me, Aleia Stone—what is it that you truly fear?”
Stone swallowed hard, her eyes flickering between Ivanna’s face and their touching hands. And for the first time that night, she did not pull away.
Stone’s voice trembled as she spoke, each word a raw, unfiltered truth slipping from her lips before she could take them back. “I’m sorry, mistress. I cannot hide my feelings anymore. I-I…I am in love with you.”
The confession hung between them and Ivanna stood frozen.
Not from shock—no, deep down, she had always known Stone had an affection for her. But hearing it aloud, spoken with such fragile certainty, did something strange to her. It unravelled her carefully built composure, the walls of duty and restraint she had spent years maintaining.
Stone was staring at her now, wide-eyed, her breath uneven with worry. “I know my place, mistress. I know this is…improper. I know people will talk and say things, but I—” Her voice broke, and she turned away, gripping the balcony railing. “I couldn’t keep it to myself any longer. Even if you don’t feel the same, I had to say it. I had to—”
“Aleia.”
Stone stiffened at the sound of her first name, which is rarely spoken from Ivanna’s lips.
Ivanna lifted her hand and, with infinite care, brushed away the lingering tears on Stone’s cheek. Her fingers lingered, tracing the soft curve of her jaw.
“I am not rejecting you,” Ivanna said at last, her voice quiet yet firm.
Stone’s breath hitched. “You’re not?”
Ivanna shook her head. “No.” She let out a small, breathless chuckle. “You speak of hiding your feelings, but Aleia, do you not see? I have been doing the same for so long, I can hardly remember a time before you.”
Stone’s lips parted, her expression unreadable.
‘There’s no going back’
Ivanna inhaled, forcing herself to continue. “I convinced myself it was foolish. That I could not afford such feelings. That my duty, my title, my name, everything I have built my life around would not allow it.”
She cupped Stone’s face, letting her thumb brush against her cheek. “But I was wrong. Because no matter how much I tried to suppress it, my heart has always found its way back to you.”
A single tear slipped down Stone’s cheek. Ivanna caught it with her thumb before it could fall.
“I have loved you for longer than I care to admit,” Ivanna finally confessed, her voice low, steady. “And I have been a fool for pretending otherwise.”
Stone made a soft, broken sound—half a laugh, half a sob—as she closed her eyes.
Ivanna tilted her head, her nose brushing against Stone’s. “You are not weak,” she whispered against her skin. “You have never been weak, Aleia. You are the strongest person I know.”
Ivanna let the moment stretch, let herself revel in the closeness, in the warmth, in the sheer rightness of it all.
“Say it again,” Ivanna murmured. Stone blinked. “M-mistress?”
Ivanna let her thumbs brushing over Stone’s cheeks. “Say it again, Aleia.” She repeated.
Stone swallowed, her hand coming up to rest lightly atop of Ivanna’s hand on her cheek, hesitant but desperate for something to hold on to.
“I love you,” she whispered. Only for Ivanna “I love you, Ivanna.”
Ivanna’s heart thundered against her ribs.
For so long, she had forced herself to ignore her feelings—to lock them away in the name of duty, in the name of self-preservation. She had convinced herself that she could live her life without ever speaking about them aloud.
And yet, here she was. And she didn’t hesitate this time.
With careful intent, she moved her hand from Stone’s cheek to lay beneath her chin. Tilting her chin up and closed the distance between them. Ivanna leaned in and pressed her lips to Stone’s.
Their lips met in a kiss that was neither rushed nor hesitant. It was steady, full of unspoken promises, of years spent in longing and restraint finally set free.
Stone gasped against her mouth but then she melted—one hand gripping Ivanna’s waist, the other sliding up to cup the back of her neck.
When Stone let out a quiet sigh, Ivanna deepened the kiss, one hand moving to the small of Stone’s back, pulling her as close as they could get.
The world beyond them ceased to exist. The whispers, the stares, the expectations—all of it faded into insignificance.
When they finally parted, breathless and trembling, Ivanna rests her forehead against Stone’s, savouring the way their breaths mingled in the cool night air. Stone’s fingers curled slightly against her back, unwilling to let go.
Ivanna exhaled slowly before she spoke, her voice softer than it had ever been. “Stone, remove your left glove.”
Stone blinked up at her, confused by the sudden request, but nodded nonetheless. She slipped the while glove off, revealing her bare hand. But before she could question it, she saw Ivanna doing the same.
Ivanna removed her right-hand glove with precision, revealing a golden ring adorning her ring finger. The crest of the Robotnik lineage was engraved into it, a symbol of power and legacy. And Ivanna was taking it ring off.
Ivanna held out her free hand, palm open. Without hesitation, Stone gently placed her bare hand into Ivanna’s grasp.
Ivanna closed her fingers around Stone’s, holding her firmly yet reverently. She swallowed before she spoke, her voice steady, filled with certainty.
“Aleia Stone,” she began, her thumb gently tracing circles against Stone’s palm, “I bestow to you my family ring as a declaration of my love for you. And only you.” Ivanna spoke in a firm and commanding tone, holding the ring up in presentation.
Stone inhaled sharply, lips parting in silent disbelief.
Ivanna continued, her eyes never leaving Stone’s. “Since that day you quite literally wandered into my life…from your unwavering devotion to ensuring my safety and comfort, to standing by my side despite the odds, to this very moment beneath the halved moon.” She paused, a small, trembling breath escaping her. “Under this sky, I swear that our love is to be. So…I finally declare my love and my life to you.”
Ivanna took Stone’s left hand and, with great care, slid the golden ring onto her finger.
It fit perfectly.
Stone let out a breath she had not realized she was holding. Her free hand covered her mouth as more tears welled in her eyes, glistening in the moonlight. She looked up at Ivanna, lips trembling, before whispering, “Ivanna.”
Ivanna smiled—soft and genuine, the kind of smile she reserved only for Stone. She lifted her hand and gently wiped away a stray tear from Stone’s cheek.
Then, Ivanna’s voice spoke softer, more certain. “Aleia.” The name passed Ivanna’s lips like a vow, a promise sealed in time.
And in the next heartbeat, they came together once more—lips meeting in a kiss far more passionate, far more desperate than before.
Stone’s hands grasped at Ivanna’s back, pulling her close, unwilling to part. Ivanna responded in kind, wrapping her arms around Stone’s waist as if she were anchoring herself to the one thing that had ever truly mattered.
This was no longer just a sudden confession.
It was a vow.
A promise.
A future. Their future.
It's a love story, baby, just say, "Yes"