The brooding stallion gazed dispassionately down from the balcony of the castle. Below were the homes of his so-called inner circle. The elite of the herd. He took a sip of wine, a white made in the vineyards outside the city walls. In public he drank red, dark and evocative. It was part of his carefully crafted persona that danced on the edge of charming and threatening. But he didn’t need to wear that mask right now, he recalled with the hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. They were alone. He took another sip and turned to look upon his mate whose attention was elsewhere and didn’t know Oberon was watching him. It was late, or maybe early. It was hard to tell in the City of Shadows, though it mattered little. It was a time of day where the ever-bustling city seemed to quiet to a lull and the darkness enveloped everything to the point nearly everything was obscured. A New Moon was approaching and preparations were underway for celebrations all over the city, yet the darkness was so thick as to muffle the sounds of the city. Or perhaps the darkness inspired the residents to move more quietly and speak in hushed voices in reverence - or to conceal their business.
He was tired from all of the preparations, especially since he was in charge of both the legitimate celebrations and the more… secretive endeavors that the celebrations concealed. He moved across the room gracefully, his wings folded against his back and touched Zhe gently to let him know he was near. “My Heart’s Shadow, what troubles you this evening?” His voice rumbled from his chest, deep and smooth as honey. A voice felt more than heard. A voice just for Zhe.