The Ruby Empire

Nictis the Undead

Male Monster x Female Reader

One day your family receives a very strange visit. A woman comes by with an offer from her employer. He wants to marry you and he's willing to pay your family a lot of money for the rest of their lives. Now, it would be a stupid offer to turn down. Your family has struggled and fought all their lives. The money would be a blessing, it would be an amazing gift. But they turned it down right away.

"My daughter isn't marrying a stranger," your father said. "Neither is she for sale."

"But dad!" You gasp. "The money!"

"The money doesn't add up if you've sold you to some creep," he replies and turns back to the woman. "Now tell your employer if he wants to marry a girl he needs to go about the way that all men do."

The woman sighs. "I'll report back to him."

The next day there is a letter in the mail commending your father as well as enough money to pay off your family's debts. There is also a letter addressed solely to you. Inside, the man who wanted to buy you as a bride apologizes.

"I never meant for it to come off the way I did. I am not some villain in a storybook, at least, I hope I'm not. My intention was to indeed marry you, I have seen you in the village and I am taken with your charm and kindness. I am not able to leave my keep, I am merely able to spy on the town below and imagine myself amongst them. I am alone where I am and there are reasons for it I cannot control. I have noticed you and how your heart works and it calls to me. I want to meet you but I do not wish to scare you. It is hard to explain in text but if you wish to understand then tomorrow I will send my friend again and she will bring you here. Feel free to bring your father or a friend with you if you feel afraid. I want you to feel comfortable with me. I long to see you in person even for a moment. Your admirer, Nictis."

You've taken a letter to a friend of yours who knows everything and everyone in town. She looked over the letter and has studied event he wax seal.

"To be honest," she replies, "I'm not so certain."

"Meggie, you have to know," you huff.

Meggie's husband max takes the letter and sniffs it. "It smells strange," he murmurs. "It smells as if no human touched it before you."

"What?" Meggie asks.

"The seal too, there is an old castle in the hills. Us Orc used to avoid it," Max says. "Just out of superstition, because of the seal." He lays the seal out so you all can look at it. "See here? The snake goes through the eye?"

"So?" You ask. "What does it mean?"

"It's a sign of war," he replies. "A sign of corruption."

"Oh," Meggie murmurs. "And this guy invited you to his home?"

You frown and clinch your fists on your knees. "His letter just sounded so sincere and sad. Not only that he apologized to me and my father. He even paid my family's debts!"

"Kind words can be faked," Meggie says. "Are you still going to go?"

You nod. "I feel like I should or I'll regret it. I was hoping you could go with me."

Meggie frowns, crossing her arms over her chest. "Really? Why me?"

"If I'm to go with anyone, I feel like you'd be the best to take," you say. "I would ask Amara but she's pregnant right now. I doubt Malachi would let me take her out of the house."

"I'll go," Max says.

"Really?" Meggie gasps.

Max nods. "I want to see what this place is about. I've seen this castle most of my life and have always avoided it at all costs. I want to know why my ancestors started that."