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Festivity had a way of multiplying beneath Ravorn’s sky. Laughter rose and broke like sparks from a fire, voices weaving between music, movement, and the scents of food carried upon the evening air. Shēnléi remained near the celebration’s edge, near enough to participate without surrendering himself entirely to its revelry. Bronze eyes moved with habitual vigilance between the three women who held the greatest share of his attention— Ye Lanyi amid unfamiliar company, Mei somewhere within the gathering’s warmth, and Yuè, whom his gaze returned to with quiet regularity.

It was during one such sweep that he noticed another woman lingering apart from the festivities.

She did not appear abandoned so much as withdrawn by choice, her attention fixed somewhere beyond the gathering and upon a man Shēnléi recognized as one of the many dignitaries samurai. There was something softened in the manner of her watching, though a shadow of thought rested heavily upon it. Curiosity drew him closer, his approach unhurried and deliberately visible so as not to startle her. He stopped at a courteous distance, inclining his head in greeting.

You observe the celebration as though it is a performance meant for others, he remarked, the faintest sound of amusement warming his otherwise measured cadence. His gaze briefly followed hers toward the samurai before returning to her face, politely leaving whatever conclusion he had drawn unspoken. I confess that I have done much the same this evening. It is difficult to surrender oneself wholly to merriment when there are so many worth keeping within one’s sight.

His tail settled neatly behind him as he turned slightly, allowing her the choice of meeting his attention or continuing to watch the festivities. I am Emperor Shēnléi of Tianlong, he introduced. And you appear to have found one of the few peaceful corners Ravorn’s celebrations have spared. Would you object if I shared it for a time?