She took a shuddering breath as the implications of what he said sank in. Of what he meant. Ereshkigal did not doubt, not for an instant, his sincerity. He would not lie to her. The overwhelming, all-consuming, intense emotions that she was feeling, he felt too. They were as one, she hadn't been mistaken after all.
It took one step to bring her back to where she could touch him. She slid her arms around his waist, moving closer to press her cheek against his chest, so she could hear the strong heartbeat under her ear. They had slept like this, with her listening to the steady rhythm. It was soothing and arousing at the same time.
"Ancient laws," Ereshkigal said slowly, "are difficult to challenge or change. It can take time to sway the balance. But I would have fought to do so. For you. I would have tried to..."
She blinked, slowly. Twice. Then she leaned back to look up into Nergal's face. "How, exactly, did you get here, beloved? Tell me precisely how you came to stand here in Irkhalla."