Shadowheart, marquis of the family estate, was the only one up and around. His sister was out prowling (or 'patrolling' as she called it). Vesperal, one of the family wards, was in her room either sleeping or working. Maybe both, since she had that bizarre lucid-dreaming hobby. The only unaccounted tenants were the two other wards, Sandstone and Sapphire. Out on a day date, last Shadow had heard. Though judging by some fumbling noises in the foyer, they were back.
"Didn't know you lovebirds were such nightingales," Shadow quipped in greeting. A sleepy-looking Sapphire smiled and waved at him. Then she went back to helping Sandstone tug off his stubborn windbreaker jacket.
"I can help with that," Shadow offered. He lit his horn, and after a self indulgent flourish, had Sandstone's jacket draped over a nearby hat rack.
"Good evenin' Shadow," Sandstone acknowledged him with a yawn. "Or morning, I guess. What're you still doing up?"
The dining room table, where Shadowheart had been sitting, was littered with newspaper clippings. Stacked among them were polaroid photos, hasty hoofwritten notes, and other evidence for his current forensics case. Face-down and away from prying eyes was today's inventory report from Stemma. Shadow was fond of Stemma, despite how new the changedling was to the family's informant network. The downtown museums had bad things in their backrooms best kept away from the public.
"I wasn't doing anything interesting," Shadow dismissed. "Just reading. Did you two have a magically whimsical time around town?"
He'd expected Sapphire to give a bubbly, motormouthed recap. Instead she just shivered shyly while Sandstone chuckled.
Sandstone. Chuckled.
Shadow was only an amateur sleuth, and not even Fetlock Holmes would’ve been able to puzzle this one out.
"We had a good day," Sandstone assured. He pulled his marefriend close, and she nodded blissfully. "Saw sights, talked to locals, even met another out-of-towner."
Whom you didn't let touch you, I hope. The comment formed in Shadow's head, but he made sure it died there. Not every random creature on the street was a bad actor swiping hair samples from Infuseds. He was just being paranoid.
"I'm uh... sure you two can tell me all about it in the morning. See you then?"
Sandstone nodded stiffly, which was more on brand for him. Then he hefted a giggling Sapphire onto his back. Shadow was no stranger to being left out of inside jokes, so he simply waved the pair off as they ascended the stairs. He had a feeling they wouldn't be sleeping in separate rooms tonight.
Shrugging that bawdy certainty from his head, Shadowheart returned to his seat at the table. Pensive, he traced a hoof over the week's relevant newspaper clippings.
All these covered-up crimes. These buried conspiracies. Deep-rooted lies and dangerous subterfuge that made Canterlot barely able to front as a normal place. If Sapphire and Sandstone were truly here for the long haul, Shadow couldn't keep them protected forever. What would they be left with after the innocence was all gone?
Shadows’s hoof continued tracing.
"Each other," he finally murmured with a lonely smile. "They'll still have each other."
He resumed his work.