Halo Of Horns

NINE

"How could you love such a beast?" They asked

My reply was simple and sure, "Because he protected me when no one else would."
~•~•~

Belphegor cleared his throat as he placed his napkin down on his now empty plate, his translucent flesh glowing as the black veins beneath the surface of his skin surged and pulsated, "Shall we continue our conversation here or back in your office?" He asked calmly, his brows raised in a polite and quizzical manner, simply looking for an answer.

Despite Lucifer's immediate and hasty judgments of Asmodeus' choice of teacher for Irina, it was safe to say he had been incorrect in this assessment. Belphegor had always been the quiet one to sit and listen, reflecting on what was said before coming up with a tactful and calculated response. It was this patience and careful thoughtfulness that made him the best candidate to take Irina on as a charge.

"No." Lucifer shook his head, pushing away his own plate that hadn't been touched minus a few bites, "What has been done is done and what has been said is said. There is nothing more I can do to reverse the damage caused." He picked up his cup, making sure the shade that came to sweep away the empty dishes, did not take it with them.

The dining hall was silent and the fireplace had fizzled down to only embers, considering Irina had taken off and it was no longer needed. Azazel had followed about eight minutes after, though his exit was not as polite. He finished his wine and stood up, leaving his full plate behind as he left the room without a word. Neither of his brothers was bothered by this though. It was fairly normal for Azazel to appear and disappear as he pleased.

Allowing another shade to clear his place setting, Belphegor licked his lips in satisfaction, "I will say one more thing if you care for some advice." If his words appeared in a physical form they would have been placed upon the backs of a breeze and drifted around, waiting for someone to snatch up his offer. He knew Lucifer's pride would prevent him from asking for help but Belphegor was not in a position to be giving his thoughts away for free.

Lucifer thought about the offer, weighing what he could say and gauging just how upset it might make him. Deciding that his brother was fairly reasonable the majority of the time, he nodded his head, "Go on."

This indication that he wished to hear more, was the payment required to unlock Belphegor's thoughts. Lucifer relinquished a small amount of pride and revealed a crack in his will that could easily be exploited- all with one simple answer. While the younger Fallen would not use this knowledge against the King, receiving the satisfaction was all the same.

"If you wish for her to listen, you should apologize." It was honest and basic advice that Belphegor himself thought was fairly self-explanatory. This, however, was the King of the underworld. He wasn't going to do anything that compromised his station or opinion.

Lucifer physically bit his tongue into silence and let his head drop so his eyes were parallel with the table, "She can't leave even if she tried to. I'm not worried about her breaking my rules."

"You're worried she will hate you." Belphegor filled in.

"My daughter loves me!" He quickly defended himself, "She will never hate me."

The prince of trickery shrugged, "Her love may be unconditional but you fear it nonetheless. You cannot deny it. The more answers you fail to give her the more you worry she will turn away from you." One of the many gifts of sloth was the opportunity for silent observation which the sin provided.

Listening, watching, and waiting. Letting each frame fall into place like a stop motion picture. This ability to objectively listen gave Belphegor a good understanding of the inner workings of the kind and emotion. Specifically that of his brothers.