There is a moment, as she praises him, that discomfort outweighs his pride. Helios' agreement was, after all, almost entirely Nyimara's doing, but he does not correct the spotted queen. Both in part because he is selfish enough to want to feel her congratulatory kiss upon his skin, and also because he does not want to drive a wedge between them by bringing up the silver-haired queen. There will be time later, he assures himself, to sort out the specifics given that - should everything go to plan - the Hills will bend thanks to Marceline, and the Dunes thanks to Nyimara, and the Badlands to his own doing. Together, the three of them will bring Salem together and show them - whether they were willing or not - that they were stronger united, and stronger still beneath his rule.

As his attention turns to Marceline's wellbeing, however, she goes quiet. He isn't certain of the reason, but he feels as if he speaks now he will ruin his chances of probing beneath her kevlar exterior. And so he remains quiet, watchful even, ears pricked toward her as she sorted through what she did and did not want to share with him. Eventually, she prompts him to remain quiet about whatever it is she wishes to share with him and his curiosity is immediately perked. With no idea of what news she carries, it might put him at a disadvantage to swear to secrecy, but it is Marceline.

And she alone knows his biggest secret.

"Of course. I promise, no word will leave my lips," he swears, concern on his features as he lapses back into silence. She takes another moment and then the story begins to spill from her lips, unraveling bit by bit. He is surprised, of course, given that she has never struck him as a particularly murderous creature. But for Asmodeus, who knows all too well how quickly passions can ignite and altercations can get out of hand, there is no judgement. Not when she has offered him nothing but sanctuary for what he did.

He reaches then, brow still furrowed, for her neck, his gaze seeking her own. His voice is low as he speaks, thick with emotion and meaning. "I, out of anyone, understand."

He doubted that this Vane meant as much to Marceline as Solomon had meant to him, but he knew well how deep the rift between the Peak and the Lagoon runs. It is, perhaps, the only thing that kept the Cove out of either of their sights during his time there.

Either way, he knows all too well what murder does to the heart and how heavy it sits on one's shoulders. How it chases him in the night, waking him with memories of violence, with words he hadn't spoken, with things he should have said. The actions he might have taken, instead. Asmodeus lets out a sigh and then shifts, attempting to align himself shoulder to shoulder. "My secrets are yours," he murmurs, recalling how broken he'd been in the Commons after his father's murder, and how she'd held up him, refusing to let him break entirely. Marceline does not need him in the same way, but he will not leave her to shoulder this alone either. "And now yours are mine."

Adult Stallion 16.0HClassic Champagne ChimeraSolomon x Xiomara