The first to approach is a stallion he does not know, but the resemblance between the young second and his estranged father was clear enough to see. While not as obvious as the white that patterned all of Solomon's own offspring, the way Zharko carried himself was plenty reminiscent of Aranck. It put him on edge, but he need only to look at the stallion before him to know that they were not the same.

"You must be Zharko," he offers in greeting with a respectful dip of his head. A part of him wished to spend more time getting to know the young inky stallion, but such pleasantries would have to wait. There would be time enough to understand him after the threat had been vanquished. For now, he would simply have to trust the judgement of his young ally. Solomon considers speaking to Zharko first, to convince him to agree before adding in the potential of Ironclad's reluctance, but he refrains. His respect for his ally was too great to resort to such underhanded tactics.

Soon the dusky grey figure of Ironclad comes into sight and Solomon inclines his head with a smile. In truth, despite the support that the young Inlet lead had professed on the battlegrounds, Solomon had not been entirely sure that his support would remain once the dust had settled. After all, he had once been considered a prince of this island. Thankfully, it seemed there was no bad blood remaining and some of the tobiano's reservations dropped away.

Surprisingly, the grey was quick to voice an offer that piqued Solomon's interest. He had intended to approach Ironclad about the daughter he had challenged for so many months ago, but with so many catastrophes as of late, it had simply been relegated to a back burner. A few of his daughters had recently come of age, but neither Naamah nor Ziva were the type that wound be inclined to go where he bid them to. Ziva was distant, like her mother Harmonica, and Naamah had spent too much time around her independent foster mother Eve to ever be satisfied going where she did not want to be.

Perhaps Bellona or Seze could be coaxed into such an arrangement once their mothers foaled and summer returned. Halcyon might even be partial to such a thought, although he was fairly certain his wild daughter had already begun to romanticize the crippled son of Xiomara that stalked the Shore. Solomon had not yet begun to unpack whether he was happy or sad that the bald-faced Queen was gone, but he was certain that it had come with its own consequences. Without the steady presence of Xiomara, Atlantis had devolved into chaos, leaving room for Marzanna and Kore to gain footholds on the island. The loss of the bitter golden mare from the Cove had been bittersweet, but he had been able to twist it in his favor in the end.

"Oh? What did you have in mind?" He inquires with a soft chuckle, his green eyes alight with mirth. He does not miss the subtle nod to Ironclad's own royal parentage but chooses not to take offense to it. In the same way, he chooses to overlook the way that his ally rushes straight into his own business before thinking to inquire about the King's purpose. There were bound to be some mixed feelings, but as long as his friend's support did not wane, Solomon could weather a few subtle jabs.

"I am," he says in response to Ironclad's query, his voice dropping the humor it had held earlier. "I have come to ask for the support of both of you. There is a stallion in the Arch that needs to be removed." There is no hiding the hatred that coils beneath his tone as he begins to describe Aranck's crimes. His gaze settles heavily on Zharko, attempting to read his reaction to the words that he speaks. "He abused Ysabel's daughter, and then sought out a mare of mine in the Cove and abused her as well." He mentions Ysabel by name only because he is certain Ironclad will remember her, whereas he doubts that either of these two stallions has heard of his sweet Wren.

"Aranck needs to be removed from our island."Solomon's lips pressed together in a hard line and he moved his gaze to Ironclad for a moment. In truth, the young leader would not be able to stop his second from leaving to do what Solomon was about to request, but the last thing the tobiano wanted was bad blood between their herds. "As my sons are not yet ready to lead on their own, I need your help." He turned to address Zharko specifically. "I am aware that it is asking a lot, but if I remove Aranck from his position, would you be willing to take his place as lead of the Arch? You would have my support, and protection, if it came to that."

His tail flicked across his haunches as he met both of their gazes seriously. "It doesn't have to be permanent if you do not wish it either, but it needs to be done." Solomon resists the urge to clench his teeth before elaborating. "If he is so bold as to take advantage of a Cove mare days after I became King, it is only a matter of time before he comes after your families."

If they refused, Solomon was not entirely sure what he would do next. Likely he would have to somehow arrange for one of his sons to take the position, although he was not certain any of them were ready for such a role. Not even Galahad, whose serious disposition and gentle nature had always made him seem more mature for his age, seemed ready to take on the running of an entire herd, even as a placeholder.

Solomon