~Măśķěđ~

~13~

Who was 'she'? Was it that girl in the painting? Perhaps a friend? Maybe a lover? He couldn't exactly tell - he ran back up the stairs as soon as Mephiles stood up to avoid being caught.

The door opened slowly, Sonic immediatley whipping his head around to see Shadow peering through the door way. He seemed calmer, Sonic still felt sick to his stomach however. He shrank back into the corner. "You listened, didn't you?" Shadow asked. Sonic paused for a moment, reluctantly nodding. He didn't want to lie, that'd only worsened what was to come.

"I didn't think I was doing so much harm..." Sonic sighed "I just want to survive!" Shadow didn't say anything, allowing Sonic his outburst and merely listening in. The lapiz hedgehog held his breath however, calming himself to the best of his abilities. "I'm guessing I'll be exiled?" He asked reluctantly, looking intently into the other's ruby eyes. Shadow could only shrug. "I'm not sure."

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Shadow walked down the stairs of his brother's home carefully. He clearly wasn't careful enough; Mephiles and his husband, Silver, sat at the table. They both stared at the ebony hedgehog intently - he swore they were smirking. Dawn had broken a long time ago, Shadow had decided to stay with Sinic in his room - finding he needed some support and it was too dark to leave the night prior.

"How professional." Mephiles remarked, bringing a mug to his lips and drinking the contense. Shadow stared at the two blankly. They had clearly gotten the wrong idea. "You know for a fact I'd never do such a thing." He curtly told the two, his voice laced with disguist at the thought. Mephiles rolled his eyes playfully as Shadow took a seat at the table. "I've decided to keep his secret and help him conceal it within the castle." He muttered, looking through the window. "I should hope so - Mephiles was considering kicking you out." He joked, laughing for a good few seconds. Mephiles merely sighed at his husband's antics. "It's not much of a threat if I don't live here." Shadow argued.

Before Mephiles could argue, light thumping was heard from the stairs, eventually Sonic emerged. Shadow could tell Silver had taken note of the bags beneath Sonic's eyes, the hedgehog was smirking at Shadow. Shadow didn't even protest it, so king as he knew he had spent the vast majority of the night talking things over with Sonic and not what they were implying, that was enough for him.

"It's your day off, correct?" Mephiles asked. Sonic sped across the room,  taking two cups and filling them. Shadow shook his head, taking a cup Sonic had prepared some herbal tea in. Mephiles gave Shadow a displeased frown. "It's your day off." He demanded - he clearly wasn't going to negotiate. "Report in on family emergency." Shadow sighed. He was very much aware of the berating he would recieve from both sides no matter what he chose. If he didn't, Mephiles and Silver would berate him, but if he didn't go to work, he would be berated by the king and his Lords for takibga  day off without permission before-hand. It was a lose-lose situation.