The spotted stallion's upbringing had been rather overwrought with frivolous trappings that surrounded the life of those in powerful positions. Though he had been born into the pompous opinions associated with a royal family, the boy was cast aside once Marceline's transgressions had been breathed to life from his own traitorous lips. He had been a child unequipped with the knowledge that certain aspects of life were better left within the shadows to lurk while remaining out of sight. While he had believed his actions beneficial to the king he once called father, Joachim had not been able to fathom that the repercussions would spell his downfall as well as that of his mother. While she had vanished into the night without a thought to her firstborn, he had been left to suffer at the hands of a man who did not tolerate any way but his own. While the pretty girl reaps the benefits of his affluent upbringing, she has yet to glimpse the hostility that rests just beneath the composed veneer of the former prince. He tends to save that beast for confrontations with his mother.

Her acknowledgement of his assumption - that his name is beginning to become known - elicits a burst of excitement within his chest. He does not permit himself to react outwardly, yet inside he rejoices at the fact that he has begun the task for which he came. Since he cannot have the empire that was his right, the speckled brute had decided to build his own. He would have been overjoyed to know that he is perceived as a thorn within Marceline's side. His arrival upon the islands had been driven by the primitive need to disrupt the life of the woman who had destroyed his while then leaving him to a death he had not earned. Yet I survived he thinks with satisfaction. The overwhelming thirst to create a chaos that demolished the happy life of his mother - a word he uses loosely when referencing her - had been enough motivation for his escape and subsequent arrival upon these shores. But enough insight into the creation of the beast - he is far more interested in the delicate bird playing innocent before his eyes.

The mention of The Desert and Nyimara cause his charcoal-tipped ears to prick in interest. He would be a liar if he pretended he was unaware of the formidable woman. He was privy to the fact that she was allied with the other rulers upon the island of Salem, though he was excluded from that group. His suspicions rise once again, clamoring at his throat, as he begins to think that this may be a reckless attempt to determine what level of threat he may present to the other ruler. Would she send someone else to do her bidding, though? He had been under the impression that Nyimara was one to handle business on her own. His icy blue eyes betray none of these thoughts as they process through his racing mind, though he slows his musings now to force his attention to the one before him.

His expression remains only mildly interested as he flicks his tail across his hindquarters at an errant bug. He will not give her information worth reporting, but he shall not leave her wanting for companionship either. The tilt of her head brings a half-smile across his pink-rimmed lips. Her request strikes him as odd following the mention of honing her skills in battle. A thinly veiled threat, perhaps? Instead of giving in to his confusion, he comes to the realization that the girl may be here for a spar. He bobs his head in acceptance while allowing the smile to turn into a smirk. "If that is what you desire. I would hate to be less than accommodating." He pauses briefly as he considers his next words. "Do not hold back - I will not." He offers her a wink as he moves away, eyes always upon her, circling her as best he can while between the embankments. "Begin, if you wish."