The Ruby Empire

King Gregori of the Onikuma

Male Monster x Female Reader

In the Great North of the Ruby Empire lies the court of the Ice Realm. Surrounded by mountains and rough terrain, it is said to be the most impenetrable kingdom of the Empire. As such, it has been ruled for years in relative peace, separated from the rest of the kingdoms.

You grew up in this place, having been left on the doorstep of the cathedral when you were a newborn. You were born with a curse, or at least what legends dictate a curse. In the Great North, stories are told of a spiteful spirit who is as white as snow, merciless as ice, and as immovable as the mountains. You were born resembling this spirit. You were born pure white. Your hair looks like the frozen waterfall at the palace gates, your eyes look like the rubies mined from the mountains, and your skin is dappled pink and white all over.

You were taken into the cathedral and raised by the priest and the nuns there. They believed in other spirits, so the stories in the Great North didn't concern them. They saw you as a lonely child, left alone to die in the bitter cold.

Father Alexei taught you well, while most girls your age learned to hunt, fish, and provide a comfortable household, he set you down to learn. He kept you educated and filled you in on the world news that came to him from other priests.

"Knowledge is everywhere," Father Alexei always said. "But people think it only comes from specific places and sources. That is untrue. You can learn anything from anywhere. You can even learn from an old bird like me." He says, folding his wing to his chest. His dark feathers made him bleed into the stonework of the cathedral. Sometimes, if he stood very still, he looked like one of the statues adorning the roof.

Sister Misha and the other nuns taught you other things like cooking, sewing, and how to throw knives at a target. They taught you necessary defense for yourself, as well as fun combat moves that could quickly take down anyone who tried to harm you.

"I love the Great North," Sister Misha laughs. "Here, the women fight just like the men do. It is refreshing. Elsewhere they think the women should hide. But ah, such a waste. You want to get a job done, you hand it to a woman. You want to get the right throat slit, you place that neck into the hand of a woman." She smiles peacefully for a moment. "That's why I first became a nun," she confesses to you. "The women!"

"What about God?" You ask her.

"He came later. I came first," Misha winks at you.

Growing up in the cathedral, you had no plans of going anywhere else. You wanted to stay with Father Alexei and the sisters for as long as you could. But the hands of fate are neither idle or predictable.

One day, the royal procession comes to the cathedral. Usually, Father Alexei goes to the palace to perform services, but for some reason, King Gregori has come to visit. His guards are so armor clad they look like statues. The sharp, threatening armor is as sleek and beautiful as polished ice, and the spears that cross their back look sharper than Sister Misha's knives.

King Gregori wears little armor and yet he still looked terrifying. He is tall and built like a wall. He wears all black from head to toe with only silver and a single ruby to adorn him. His white fur glistens, and his dark eyes are narrowed and heated. He is handsome though, you cannot deny that. He bears such power and posture with little effort, he makes looking terrifying easy.

Father Alexei greets him, he does not bow or kneel, instead he takes Gregori's paw and kisses his knuckles. Father Alexei has explicitly told you he bows before no man, but he will pay his proper respects.

"This is a surprise, my king," Father Alexei replies. "What brings you to the cathedral on this rather dull day?"

"I've heard stories you keep a White Maiden here," Gregori growls.