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He steepled his fingers and gazed at her through half lidded eyes, fighting to control his temper. "You are unable to see, you just spent the last 24 hours caged with a monster, and you fell off a cliff Akuma, I healed you as much as I could but it will not hold up under heavy strain, and I was unable to finish healing a few things in order to make sure I could take care of everything!"
His icy rage filled the room as he got to his feet, he fought to quell it, didn't want to harm her, but she was just so...so....fragile He squeezed his eyes shut and massaged his temples, feeling a fierce headache coming on.
He felt her mood shift instantly, the raw fear driving daggers into his heart. He dropped to his knees as well and caught her in an embrace as she fell, He shook his head, breathing in her scent and allowing it to relax him, " I've never heard of a kingdom called Enthelda..." He murmured, sounding out the word carefully as he massaged her trembling shoulders.
He got to his feet, swinging her up into his arms, she was pale and trembling, his temper bristled menacingly.
"Please, tell me what is happening with you, what distresses you so!?" He pleaded, he would do anything to alleviate her fears, he would destroy this Enthelda if that was what it took!

He listened to her story somberly, careful to keep his temper under tight control so it would not be misunderstood although it did spike protectively when she spoke of how much Lucid had hurt her emotionally and he struggled to control himself as her tears soaked his shirt, he wanted to tear apart the room, tear apart the world in search of what caused her pain, and the destroy it, but he couldn't.
He made a sound of contentment as she wrapped her arms around him, and held her tighter to himself, it was the closeness he needed, something broken in him healed as he buried his face into her shoulder and inhaled her scent, his focus narrowed to that soft patch of skin between her neck and shoulder, it was tempting to place a trail of soft kisses across that sensitive stretch of skin but he wouldn't tempt himself. People feared him, loathed him for his curse, she was content to let him hold her, that would be enough, he wouldn't risk losing that comfort, and he would comfort her as much as he was able, he would use his curse to protect her, to make her happy, maybe one day she could look past it to see the man beneath.

He withdrew from her embrace gently, gripping her forearms and setting her on her feet as he stood. She was quite a pretty little thing he noted, not that it would have mattered, his attraction to her ran deeper than simple appearances.

"We will go to the capital city, to the Lady Ardina, She will get us access to the Yggdrasil tree and we will find this Enthelda, and save your son!"

His stomach sank, but he gazed at her steadily through half lidded eyes, his mouth curled in a sleepy smile that belied the true emotions boiling beneath his surface. He would serve her, but not in that way, he feared scaring her off, and he wasn't willing to take that risk, not yet. So he settled for something simple and seemingly innocent, Cupping her chin in his hands he pressed his lips against hers in a kiss, nipping her lower lip suggestively and then following it with a simple, chaste kiss. When he pulled away his face was blank but his eyes burned as they glanced at her lips before turning away. "You owe me nothing Lady Akuma, but we should go, if we are to reach your son in time." He would get her mind back to business and away from that dangerous precipice...

He watched her rapid mood change with a combination of interest and alarm and when she turned on him hissing and spitting like some kind of war goddess he felt he'd never seen anything more beautiful in his life. He gazed down at her, amuzement playing across his lips, he longed to embrace her again, but he had seen a slight hesitation in her, he would not push her, but he couldn't stop himself from running one long nail down her jaw bone, lightly caressing the skin.
"You could stop snarling at me." He replied with the most mischievous little boy smirk he could muster.

His eyes twinkled mischievously, but he held his tongue as he led her through the winding corridors and down to the courtyard. The servants cowered as they past and began whispering and staring with wide eyes as soon as they believed their master was out of earshot. Asmodeus set his mouth in a grim line, but he continued on. worthless cowards, nasty gossiping little vipers... He ranted to himself as they walked. When they reached the courtyard there were two horses saddled and waiting, A strong young stallion with a storm grey coat with silver fetlocks and a silver mane; and a sturdily built, even tempered mare with a shining ivory coat and a golden mane.
"Anaphar's capital is just down the mountain," He smiled at her fondly, while stroking both horses necks, "But I didn't think you'd want to walk. Darsor and Nerili are willing to take us down the mountain."

Nerili affixed Asmodeus with an accusing glare and then turned back to Akuma. She approached her carefully until she was next to her clearly nervous around the new human. Asmodeus covered his smile with a hand as he followed, kneeling down to give Akuma a leg up onto Nerili's broad back. He pointed at the saddlehorn, Just hold onto that, we'll take it easy so you can get used to the motions, he held Nerili's reins as he swung up onto Darsor's back gracefully, "I'll steer, Neri doesn't really need my help, but Iill feel safer if I have you where I can keep an eye on you," He smiled, "Do you think you can balance well enough?"

He peered at her out from under one delicately arched brow, his shin rippling pleasantly as her voice washed over him. Oh if she only knew, but he settled for the less imposing half truth " Wouldn't want Neri running off with you my lady, I gave you my word that I would help you and I don't want to have to chase you around the mountain..." He chuckled softly and clicked his tongue, nudging the horses into a walk.