The night sky was inky black with shimmering stars twinkling above as Kiyotoshi settled into the hot spring nestled in a little alcove on the palace grounds, not too far but just private enough. A sigh, heavy with the weight responsibility and frustration, leaves his lips as he sinks lower into the water.

Kiyotoshi spreads his arms along the rocks lining the edge of the hot spring, his body growing larger with the release of his glamor. Black horns curling into his field of view, luminescent patterns on his skin adding a glow to the water as wispy shadows mix with the spring’s steam. Here, alone in the late hours of the night, Kiyotoshi could finally breathe.

A sound nearby, pulled Kiyotoshi from his reprieve. His eyes snap over to the trees lining the perimeter, jaw clenched.

“Do not hide away like a voyeuristic coward.”

Kiyotoshi’s already deep voice now held an underlying growl in his truest form. His eyes narrowing as his betrothed, his unwanted betrothed, stepped out slowly. Shadows wrapped around them like smoke, a cold and unsettling perk of his powers.

“Explain yourself.”