Proton took in the night chill with almost a masochistic sensation. The main hall of the castle had been far too hot, due to the excessive amount of gathered individuals celebrating his's wife's 32nd birthday. The cold stone wall added an extra freezing sting as he leaned his back against it and drank in the cold dark air surrounding him. The purple furred monarch could barely make out the sight of his own breath as he continued to take peace in his nearly pitch-black seclusion.

The 35-year-old price, that was due to inherit the throne soon, was snapped out of his meditative trance at the sound of someone tripping and falling with a groan not too far in front of him. The individual, just far enough away to be covered in complete darkness let out another groan of discomfort as Proton's main guard made his likely very unwelcomed introduction.

The nearly king was annoyed at the fact that Shadow, his young yet powerful guard, had followed him outside in the squirrel's quest for privacy, but at the same time was thankful he was lurking about as others also were. "What did you find?" Proton finally asked causing Shadow to approach him carrying a young squirrel boy, of likely 18, by the scruff of his neck. The boy barely fought as he seemed to be very intoxicated and had become scared to the point, that he'd wet himself.

"A stable boy." Shadow sighed annoyed as he dropped the youth on his backside in front of his master. "I've noticed him, and his family, around the past few months." Shadow now kicked the youth in the back causing him to fall on his face and cry out in pain right before taking a large bite of dirt, that his face was now pressed into. "He has no business being inside the gates at this hour. What do you wish me to do with him?"

"Explain yourself." The royale heir demanded of the younger man, he could barely make out, in the low light due to their distance from the main event.

"I... uh.." the far younger squirrel started before curling into a ball from the attack the large hedgehog delt on his lower back. "I just wanted ta check up on da new litter. One was real sick." The brow squirrel coughed while winching in pain. "Da little one! But..." Randy sighed heavily in pain. "I saw a bunch of pretty bottles set out ta cool as I made muh way back home... and I just couldn't say no." The young man now whimpered a bit before vomiting on the ground only a few feet from where Proton was standing.

"Thief." Shadow growled while drawing his sword and pointing it towards the young squirrels who was still covered in the cloak of night.

"I just wanted ta feel happy. If only fer a little bit. I'm real sorry, sir." The young brown and tan squirrel whined as he tried to hold back vomiting again.

"That's sire!" Shadow corrected as he now placed his swords tip at the boy's neck.

"Shadow, please!" Proton interrupted causing the black, and red, quilled hedgehog to let out a breath of irritated defeat while putting his sword away. "Stand." The prince requested with ease, yet having Shadow grab one of the young man's arms to pull him to his feet.

Shadow knew full well where this was going as he'd been in Proton's service for the past ten years, despite the hedgehog's young age at the start. The soon to be king had a unique taste for other males in his bed... that had recently become one of the Electro families most guarded secrets.

"I'm sorry, sir!" Randy begged again while starting to tear up as he was trashed to the point of losing his mind. "I just didn't wanna go home... My pa is real sore at me, and..." Randy now fell back on the ground as Shadow released his grip on him.

"Shall I clean him up?" Shadow asked while trying to hide his disgust of his master's perversion.

"Try to sober him up a bit too." Proton requested as he ran a hand down his face while still barely taking in the young man in turmoil before him. "If he passes out, he's barely of use to me."

"Yes, your majesty." Shadow agreed while bowing his head as Proton took his leave before he grabbed on to the young squirrel's arm and drug him off through the mud to be properly prepared for his master.