The Ruby Empire

Hapi & Kairav the Rakshasas

Male Monster x Male Monster x Female Reader

"How is this, your majesty?" You wave the queen over, showing her the painting you've been working on.

Mythri beams with excitement and she grabs your shoulders and squeezes. "This is astounding!"

You feel your cheeks burn as the queen compliments you.

Mythri then pats your back. "I only hope that when you do the family portrait my rowdy family can sit still." She goes to the crib nearby and lifts the baby princess out. "Of course, once the children get older I'll have to bring you back."

You feel tears come to your eyes. This is your first royal job as a painter. You've done small jobs, mainly for nobles and affluent countrymen. All of them have had a sour attitude about your work, complaining about your use of colors and how you take artistic liberties.

"Oh, sweetie," Mythri puts a gentle hand on your shoulder as you wipe your tears away. "I'm not stressing you out am I?"

"Quite the opposite your Majesty," you chuckle and you smile at her. "I love working here. I'm so very grateful to you."

Mythri smiles and bounces the princess, who is burbling and chattering away. "I fell in love with your work when I saw it at the auction. I knew you were the only one to capture the emotion of the Rakshasa court. I'd love to find excuses to keep you around."

Your cheeks burn and you secretly wish that was the case as well. You love the country. The Rakshasa court is much larger than you expected. It's so massive and sprawling and the countryside is beautiful to travel through. The fact that the Queen was probably one of the kindest people you've met was a shock. She was lively and integrated herself into every part of the palace, making sure she was up to date with all her staff and affairs of the court.

Something else that shocked you about the royal family was the love you saw there. You had worked for a great deal of nobles and the like. Most marriages were as ice cold as winter, forced together for monetary gain. Yet King Amit loved his queen with every fiber of his being. It was apparent in the way he looked at her and touched her. He was a good father as well, absolutely devoted to his twin sons and smitten with his new daughter. It was refreshing! In fact, seeing the happy family made you long for one of your own. A romance to fit the ages.

After having tea and lunch with Mythri, you decided to head back to your quarters for a quick nap. Since arriving at the palace you'd had a dickens of a time sleeping. Perhaps it was all the excitement of being in such a remarkable land. Queen Mythri had given you a private apartment on the edge of the gardens. You were secluded and surrounded by one of the most luscious gardens you'd ever seen. It was all very inspiring. One one side was the garden, and out your back window, you overlooked the village. Perhaps sketching all night was the reason you weren't sleeping.

As you're making your way through the garden you come across a guard sleeping in the garden. He's a massive fellow and he's dozing in the warm sun like a worn-out child. He grumbles, rubbing his paw on his face and you can't help but think it's painfully cute. You set your things aside and take out your sketchpad. You set to work, quickly sketching out the slumbering guard.

As you shading in his mane he sits up, grumbling and blinking in the warm light. You clutch your sketchpad to your chest and freeze up. The lion guard stands and you realize just how big he is. King Amit is an exceptionally tall man, but this lion guard is something else. He might as well be a giant.

He rubs his eyes and yawns, stretching so that his armor rises over his belly. He doesn't seem to see you standing there.

He kneels down to pick up his spear and that's when he sees you. He turns, looking directly at you. You freeze up and squeeze your arms tighter around your sketchpad. The lion tilts his head as he looks at you. He takes his spear into his paw and then stands back up.