Work is what has brought you to Japan. As a curator, you had come to the island country to verify and authenticate a few items before a borrowed transfer could be authorized between the Japanese government that owned the items and the museum you worked for. The idea thrilled you. You had never gone this far to authenticate items before, not to mention you had several days before the meeting to get everything ready, so you had time to relax and enjoy the countryside.
When you had told your family where you were going, your cousins looked uneasy.
“You should talk to Nona,” one said, referring to his father’s mother. She wasn’t blood related to you, but because you spent so much time at your cousins’ growing up and she lived there, the two of you were close. “She did grow up there.”
You agreed, wanting to visit the elderly woman anyway. When you explained where you were going, she looked uneasy, shaking her head slightly. “Darling, do you really have to go?’
“Yes Nona. No one else has my expertise with stones,” you told her after having explained you were there to verify a variety of jewelry that could date back to the third dynasty.
She frowned, the wrinkles on her face deepening. “I don’t like the idea of you going alone. You don’t even know the country, or the language.”
“Do you want to come with me? I can bring an assistant,” you offered, excited about the idea. It would be like the trips your family used to take, though this time it would be just the two of you.
“No, no. Especially not to that mountain,” she said, her long white hair falling over her shoulders as she shook her head again.
However, she did give you a small jade pendant, a small glass bottle of roasted soybean seeds, and taught you a phrase. “Oni wa soto. Fuku wa uchi.”
“Oni… wa Soto. Fuku wa… uchi,” you repeated brokenly. The old woman nodded.
The day before your trip, you diligently packed, ensuring you packed what your cousins’ Nona had given you. Superstitions were not something you brushed off lightly, especially not from someone who used to live there. On the way to the airport, you practiced the phrase she had taught you. You had promised to memorize it, and you weren’t going to be caught in a lie like that.
The t rip was uneventful, and you landed easily. A car had been sent for you, and again, the drive was uneventful. Once you got to the base of the mountain to the small village, something creeped up the back of your neck, making you anxious. The driver opened the door for you, helping you get your bags.
“Miss, whatever you do, don’t go up to the village at the tunnel’s end,” he told you unprompted.
Your brows furrowed as you looked up at the man. “Why not?” Of course you had no intention of going, but you were still curious.
“Trust me. Inunakin village is… a dangerous place,” the man said, his jaw trembling as if he was forcing the name of the village past his lips.
Nona had been very clear. Trust the locals. If they tell you that a place is off limits, or even vaguely imply you shouldn’t go there, you don’t. After all, you are only a traveler. A visitor. The people who live there likely have for most, if not all of their lives. There is nothing you could learn in a week that would protect you better than simply heeding their warnings.
“Thank you for the warning,” you told the man with a smile, dipping your head slightly.
He went about helping you gather your things from the car, taking them into the small inn that was the sole place in the village where you could find lodging. This was not a tourist hotspot, and visitors tended to stay with relatives, so, you had been lucky to even find the inn. Your driver had told you that it had only been open for about a decade. Before that, if someone was visiting, they would have to find a local that would let them stay with them. Even now, you could tell by looking at the inn that really, it was a large home where you were renting a room. It was nothing like a commercial hotel, and even calling it a bed and breakfast would have been a stretch, but still, at least you had a place to spent the week and a half you were scheduled to be in the area.
That night, just after the sun had set, you took the dinner the hostess provided you with to your room to eat alone. She had invited you to eat with her and her family in the small dining room that the inn had, but you declined. You were the only guest at the moment, and you knew that it would be imposing, even if you were paying to stay here. She smiled at you with a look somewhere between cautious and warm, telling you that if you had to go out before the sun rose, to ring the bell and she or her husband would come with you. You agreed, despite the oddity of the request. You assumed it was some local custom you were unaware of.
The rice was warm and sticky, topping with a mixture of pork and vegetables. It reminded you of what Nona would make when she was watching you and your cousins. Absent mindedly, you touched the jade pendant she had given you. You weren’t Buddhist, but it made you feel closer to her, and safer somehow. The strange feeling went away every time you touched it, at least.
After you ate, you set the bowls where the hostess has indicated right outside your room, then rang the bell. Then, you settled into bed to play on your phone.
The later into the night it got, the louder a noise outside your window became. At first, it started as a whispering that you could write off as the wind. However, as darkness grew and your eyelids became heavy, it became apparent that the sound was actually a howling wail. Not quite the sound of a man dreaming, and not quite the howl of a lost wolf. It was both and neither.
It peaked when you decided to try to finally get some sleep, as if whatever was making the sound knew that you were finally trying to rest. A fever pitch of sound seemed to fill the room, though it was still most certainly coming from outside. Part of you wanted to investigate, but you remembered the warnings from Nona and from the hostess. Don’t go outside alone after dark, and always listen to the locals.
So, you tried to block out the howling, but it became too much. It was driving you mad. As. Much as you tried to ignore it, it was as though your feet began to move on their own, dragging you to the window. Your hands as well seemed to move with a mind of their own, tossing open the curtains. As soon as you did, the sounds stopped.
The creeping feeling that made a shudder race down your spine was back. Your breath hitched. The sound was gone.
You waited. One second. One minute. One hour, nearly. Until you could move by yourself again.
Throwing the curtains closed, you raced back to your bed, grabbing the bottle of toasted soybean seeds Nona had given you, muttering that phrase she taught you over and over again under your breath. Those horrible noises began again as soon as the curtains had been shut, but while you chanted, they subsided. However, every time you stopped, they started again. An idea struck you.
Pulling out your phone, you repeated the phrase multiple times into your audio recorder, then set it to loop. To your delight (and shock), the sounds stopped while the recording was playing as well. This let you finally collapse onto bed, finally able to drift off to sleep.
While you were sleeping, finally peaceful, the Oni Yokai stood hidden by the shadows. He had recognized the scent that clung to you as soon as the wind had carried the scent from the car you arrived into the old tunnel on the mountain. You weren’t blood related, he could tell, but that didn’t matter. You were her family. The one that escaped his King, fleeing across the sea.
However, the Oni that was watching you was rapidly beginning to consider not turning you in. Your scent, under that woman’s that clung to you and many of your items, was intoxicating. It stirred an obsession in him that he had never experienced.
And after all, you hadn’t even spread the roasted seeds. They were still trapped behind that glass. You weren’t as protected from him as you thought you were.
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Warning: Medieval-ish setting, friends (master-servant relationship) to lovers, slight angst if you squint, mostly fluff
Word Count: 4.6k
Synopsis: The tension between you, the eldest princess, and the chief guard of your dynasty has been growing for years. What would become of you and the chief guard when you have a secret rendezvous out in the forest?
A/N: This story is set in the same world as Swords Clashing and Weaving Through Complications, and the reader will be the eldest princess featured in the latter story! There will be lots of overlaps so it may be a good idea to read the two series as well! I guess there's more plot than usual, but honestly, this may be one of my favourite stories I've written so far, so I hope you guys enjoy it!
Also, it's my longest writing so far and per usual, it's not proofread
Part 2
“My princess.”
Your heart fluttered at the deep, grovelling voice from behind, making your hair stand up almost as if you felt the breath up at the nape of your neck. Exhaling slowly to release your tension, you merely glanced at the black oni for a brief moment to give him a nod of acknowledgement, before turning around to your desk once more to read the paperwork your father had assigned to you.
“Ryugen.” Pushing the vermillion-coloured square stamp onto the paper, you placed the completed form onto the tall pile at the corner of your desk and brought another document before you with a sigh. “Is there something you need to report back to me?”
“His Majesty asked me to check on you.”
You quietly snorted. You were currently inside your resting quarters with a single bright candle to light up the words in front of you, too tired to work in your office with your formal attire on. Of course, your father knew you were working in the late hours of the night.
As for the chief of the Xaenait royal guards, he was standing with a perfect stoic posture behind you—his large arms crossed and hands tucked into the loose sleeves of his kimono, a traditional clothing that Ryugen wanted to continue to wear from his village, with his sword neatly secured on his waist. His shining coal-black skin gloriously blended well with the black fabric that he adorned, so much so you had to stop yourself from staring at his pretty collarbones and his prominent Adam’s apple that had a faint glow on them from the flickering flames around the room.
Instead, you looked at his face, disguised with a grotesque white mask of a grinning face; its black mouth stretched widely to the ears with jagged teeth lining inside, and a chunk of skin protruding under its eyebrows, which was curled downwards in a mocking snarl. A single, sharp cone-shaped horn peaked out of the mask on the split middle of his forehead—glinting like a radiant white pearl that signified his race as an oni. Underneath the mask, you could see the startling golden eyes that never failed to make you feel like being torn apart under them when you met Ryugen’s sober gaze.
The curiosity that ate you every day of his actual face was so great, yet you couldn’t bring yourself to ask him, or even order him, to take off his mask since you saw the uncomfortable tension on his shoulders when someone else asked that question.
Ryugen cocked his head to the side, upon seeing the pile of paperwork which you completed and still yet to look at.
“If I may ask, what is the paperwork for?”
You pinched and rubbed the nerves between your eyes tiredly as you answered, “They are requests from the merchants who wish to partake in the establishing trade route between Xaenait and Slainem.”
“My understanding of it is that it is an arduous proposition for both empires to come to an agreement.”
“They are wishing to seal the negotiations with a marriage vow.”
Ryugen gave a low hum. “It is not quite like you, my princess, to push an arranged marriage to execution.”
There it was again, that unconventional form of address that was kept for you when the two of you were alone, never once hearing him say to your sisters. It was such an intimate way to address you, something that has been kept for years of knowing each other, yet it was never mentioned by the oni on the meaning or intention behind it, always staying silent in amusement when you confronted him about it. It was a constant, painful reminder that he will never be yours and you can never be his—though you have always kept your affection towards him a secret to even begin with. Although it may be inappropriate to let him call you that, you never once stopped him, wanting to at least treasure that signature of affection.
“Is there another reason behind the marriage?” he asked.
Staring out at the window into the dark landscape of the bamboo forests outside the palace, a smile bloomed softly at his inquiring voice that you found quite endearing from his usual stoic composure; and also from your distant memories of your youngest sibling, Lei, and her adorable interactions with the youngest orc prince, Karguk.
“Although my little sister does not recall, she and the youngest orc prince were quite close when our family last visited the Slainem Kingdom when we were little children. I am certain that fate will pull them back together once more.”
“And if your prediction fails?” he asked. “What will become of it when they fail to come to an agreement?”
“My father and the Slainem king are simply ‘hoping’ for it, Ryugen. In order to strengthen the promise,” you replied dryly. “We have faith that the bond between the emperor and the king, as well as our people, is enough to achieve this negotiation, even without the camaraderie of marriage.”
You shut your eyes tightly at the sudden tense pain behind your eyes when your sight landed on the characters written on the paper. You faintly heard Ryugen ask the lady-in-waiting for a warm cloth, dismissing her with a polite thank you as she scuttled away clumsily, probably from fright at his usual chilling demeanour that can be seen when he is out in the field.
“I recommend you to take a rest out of those paperwork for the night, my princess. From what I have heard, you have been working the entire day reading those papers.”
“Perhaps,” you said, yet ignored his advice and continued to hold the document in your hands as you read over them.
Ryugen sighed at the sight, too used to but also exasperated at your stubbornness. As a mere guard, he knew he didn’t have a say on your decisions, but his body was twitching to simply scoop you up and place you on the bed so that you would immediately call it a day and sleep peacefully for once.
Just then, the lady-in-waiting came back with a plate of warm cloths that were neatly rolled up, to which the oni respectfully gave a curt bow at her as he accepted the plate from her. Once the door shut behind him, he walked over to your chair and placed the plate on an empty space of the desk and took the cloth to unroll it.
You saw the soft steam coming out of the cloth and Ryugen’s silky black fingers holding it before you felt the warmth of it under your eyelids as they were placed on your shutting eyes. Feeling the gentle caress of his hands on top of the cloth, your body instantly relaxed at the sensation and you leaned back against the chair in peace.
“Thank you,” you murmured.
Ryugen hummed as he silently watched you slowly drift off to sleep, only to try your hardest to wake up. “Are you willing to go to sleep now?”
“I guess so.”
He let out a deep rumbling chuckle, which you cherished from how rare it was for him to laugh, letting the gentle, muffled sounds tickle the shell of your ears.
“I will take my leave then,” he said, patting your head gently.
Heart racing, the sound of footsteps and the click of your door opening made you take off the cooling cloth away from your head and you stood up to see his tall frame hovering on the door.
“Ryugen.”
He stopped on his track and looked back to you, waiting for you to reach his place where he stood when you walked towards him. Once you stood before him, you had to crane your neck to look at him in his piercing yellow eyes from below his towering stature.
You offered a small smile.
“Thank you for the cloth.”
“Of course. Have a good night, my princess.”
He gave a final bow, a hand on his sword before he swept away once more to leave the door.
The urge to grab his wrist, to feel his supple skin and to tell him to stay was too much, so you simply told him good night as well and forced yourself to close the door behind him.
———
It was decided later that your youngest sister, Lei, was to travel to the Slainem Kingdom to deliver the orc king a letter from your father. Because of how carefree Lei was, always out in the field riding her horse and training with her sword, she had no idea what the letter secured in her pouch contained, and neither did she know the agreement your father had written—that if her visit to the Slainem Kingdom were to be fruitful and if it was under his daughter and the orc king’s son’s wish, he will accept the courting for the two to be wed. You couldn’t help but roll your eyes and laugh that this engagement proposal was like a little prank from the two good friends between the Xaenait emperor and the Slainem king, who remembered the bashful yet bold interactions between your sister and the youngest orc prince who were inseparable when they were just but little children.
Now that the day had arrived, your anxiety and worry for her spiked and you rummaged through her luggage just in front of the gates to make sure that she had everything for her trip.
“Do not even dare to forget your extra waterskin and food supply,” you warned Lei, eyes narrowing as you stared up at her from where she was sitting on her white stallion. “You need to keep in mind and fix your tendency of skipping meals when you get overly excited.”
“Relax!” she said with a grin. “I’ll be mindful and careful, so don’t worry.”
Ercus, your personal tiefling guard, tapped your shoulder to keep you calm as he gave a broad smile at her. Ryugen narrowed his eyes at Ercus’ hand on your shoulder, to which the tiefling, noticing it, grinned and put his hand away from you—you were too preoccupied with worry to even realise it.
“Have fun, Your Highness,” Ercus gave a respectful bow.
“I will Ercus.”
“Lei,” your middle sister, Lin, interrupted, “you forgot this.”
Lin opened her hand to show a knife wrapped in a vibrant vermillion handkerchief, to which Lei looked at it curiously, then your youngest sister widened her eyes and smiled.
“That’s my knife!”
Lin rolled her eyes affectionately and handed it to Lei. “I checked your room after you left, knowing you’ll forget something.”
“You’re the best Lin.”
“I know, I know. Now go before she fusses over you more,” she said, gesturing at you.
You narrowed your eyes at Lin, who smiled teasingly at you, but simply watched Lei tap her horse, trodding away towards the gates.
Ryugen, who was waiting at the gates, nodded at her politely. “I hope you have a safe trip, Your Highness.”
“Take care of my sister while I’m gone like you always do,” she said, smiling cheekily from her horse down at you upon seeing the frustrated furrow on your brow.
“Understood.”
Ryugen gave you a tender smile under his mask, and although you couldn’t see it, you could tell the shift in his demeanour that left your heart racing under his gaze. Ignoring the feeling, you glared at your sister and pointed an accusing finger towards her.
“You should take care of yourself, you little—”
Ercus turned you around so that you would stop your rage towards your youngest sister. “She’s only worried about you. And she says to have a safe trip to the Slainem Kingdom.”
You huffed out a breath and turned around to give her a warning look. “If you do not come back alive, I will personally search for your soul to kill you again.”
Lei gave a chuckle and hopped off of her horse to rush you and Lin into a bone-crushing hug.
“I love you. I’ll miss you two a lot.”
“Have a safe trip and have fun,” Lin said quietly.
Relaxing at the embrace, you sighed and wrapped your arms around your sisters, burying your nose in the crook of Lei’s neck. “I will miss you too. Have a safe trip.”
“Mmmm.”
Once you broke off, Lei went to say her goodbyes to your parents as well. As she walked away, Ercus stalked over to you, giving you a light bump with his shoulder mischievously.
“I’m sure Ryugen will take great care of you,” he laughed.
You raised a brow sceptically at him. “Are you trying to slack off on your duty as my personal guard?”
“I’m sure you don’t want little old me sticking around you constantly when you have that big, scary fella over there.”
A sigh tore through your throat in exasperation, annoyed that despite your best efforts at keeping your adoration towards the oni to a minimum as possible, it was futile when it came to your siblings and close friends. Glancing over at Ryugen, you caught his startling eyes that petrified you to a stop. Before you could look away, he gave you a quick nod and turned away.
Giving up on your attempt at acting ignorant, you grumbled a simple, ‘shut up’, knowing that it was a waste of your energy to fight against Ercus who understood you like the back of his hand.
“Ryugen was always quite fond of you ever since he first joined the royal guards,” Ercus said, chuckling at your attempt at ignoring him.
“He did take good care of us three,” you agreed, to which Ercus frowned at the slight digress of interpretation on your hand.
Ryugen joined the Xaenait force when you were slowly nearing your coming of age, where your insecurities and responsibilities as the future ruler of the dynasty were laid too heavy on you, feeling constricted every day. His appearance in the palace was a shockwave—after all, oni was a very rare species of demon, choosing to keep it to themselves for most of the time. Not to mention that the black onis were the rarest and believed to be the strongest, high-ranking of them all. All of the people were quite scared of him for his cold, stoic composure, yet he quickly rose in rank as the chief guard of Xaenait and gained the trust, respect, and admiration of others—which in response offered more chances of seeing him around you.
When you first introduced yourself, you asked about his age, curious and cold-headed enough to boldly indulge yourself in a conversation. He answered that he was no older than you—perhaps two years or so older in human age—telling you that the growth of an oni was similar to humans, except for the difference that they live older.
Since that conversation, you and Ryugen greeted each other every time you saw each other, with a pleasant smile on your end, and a soft tone in his voice to his usual monotone words. One thing that you found was obvious between your interactions with him, however, was how he took you under his wing like a caring older brother. He will always warn you to sleep early with an amused light in his eyes, ask one of the servants to get you blankets when he finds you in a library during the cold season and gifts you snacks from the kitchen whenever he has the chance. As years passed, your soft spot for him turned into something deeper, something you acknowledged to never attain as your status as the heir of the throne—all these interactions with him gradually clenched your heart in longing.
“Her Highness is heading off to the Slainem Kingdom!” Ryugen bellowed once your youngest sister was ready, snapping you into reality. All the soldiers present on the palace grounds outside gave a salute in response. “Wish her Highness a safe journey.”
All the guards said their blessings and they all gave a deep bow at your sister, who smiled graciously before heading off outside the gates where her journey begins.
———
You were at a meeting with your father and the officials later that day, discussing the establishment of the trade route that was happening across the kingdoms and dynasties that were all in close ties with each other. The meeting was held at one of the chambers—your father sat at the end of a long table and you sat diagonally next to him with all the officials lined up. Ercus was standing behind you as a personal guard and Ryugen stood behind your father as the chief of guards. Today was the meeting on the trade route to the Arathia Kingdom, of which you were planning to depart, to act as a diplomat to come to agreements on some terms with their government.
“Ryugen,” the emperor of Xaenait called out to the black oni from his seat.
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Ryugen replied, bowing deeply at your father.
“Would you be open to escorting my eldest daughter to the Arathia Kingdom?”
Your eyes widened slightly at your father’s proposal, and you looked up to where Ryugen was standing to gauge his reaction. Unlike the Slainem Kingdom that your youngest sister has travelled to alone, the Arathia Kingdom was further away from Xaenait, with a need to sail across the ocean for a good while. And since you were the eldest sister, it was necessary to have extra protection; Ercus was automatically a part of your escort, but you didn’t expect your father to ask Ryugen as well.
Ryugen glanced at you before nodding at your father. “It will be my honour to escort Her Highness, Your Majesty.”
A deep exhale escaped your lips from holding it in unconsciously, and you nodded at your father who sought your agreement.
“I will be happy to have you on our journey to Arathia, Chief Guard Ryugen.”
“Thank you, Your Highness. I will promise you a safe journey.”
“I know you will.”
———
Another night was almost approaching, and you were once more in your room, taking a look at the never-ending pile of documents and books to learn more about the trade route of Arathia. The sun was setting, casting a bright orange light across the room like a crystal. A knock was heard and you answered, thinking it was one of the maids that brought a cup of tea for you.
“My princess, why are you working whenever I check on you in your room.”
Intaking a sharp breath of surprise, you shut your book and took a look back towards Ryugen. He closed the door, and you saw the glimmering skin of his muscular chest that peaked under his clothes. Shaking your head to get rid of all these thoughts, you looked up to see that Ryugen was already staring at you
“Apologies for my sudden appearance, my princess.”
“Did my father send you here again?” you chuckled in amusement.
“No,” he said, a lilt hinting at his voice. “I was worried that you were overworking yourself again.”
You yawned and stretched your arms above your head. “Well, I need to finish this in a couple of days. I might as well complete all of this earlier and rest.”
Ryugen came up to you and placed a hand on your shoulder. You froze under his touch, more so when his face neared you.
“My princess,” he whispered next to you. “You need to rest.”
“I-I—” You cleared your throat. “I am fine, Ryugen.”
There was a small pause on his end before he gave a sigh. You furrowed your brows and looked at him, jumping slightly when you realised that his mask was closer to you than you realised.
“I am tired, my princess. If you would enlighten me with your presence, could you accept my humble request to rest with me?”
Feeling heat rush through your cheeks, you tried to remain your calm and gestured at the couches and cushions in your resting chamber. “Be my guest, Ryugen.”
An unexpected laugh bubbled out of Ryugen and you widened your eyes at him. The oni brought his hand to your cheeks, albeit hesitantly, and rubbed soothing circles on them that tickled from how gently he was touching you, making your head spin like you never felt before.
“No, my princess,” he chuckled. “I want you, out of these paperwork.”
“But—”
“I will come and pick you up after supper.”
That was all he said before he walked out of your room silently, leaving you there in shock and confusion. Rubbing your temples, you tried to stop the prominent pumps of blood that were rushing through your veins that echoed in your head distractingly.
“Damn you, Ryugen. Now I can’t focus on my paperwork.”
———
Supper went along as usual, although the loss of Lei and her bubbly personality was something that toned the conversations down quite noticeably. No one noticed your nerves, except for perhaps Lin, who gave a quizzical look at you from the constant tapping of your feet under the table. As it came to a close, you said your good night, reassuring everyone that you would sleep early for tonight, and unhurriedly, yet nervously, walked towards your room.
In front of your chamber door, Ryugen awaited your arrival, perking up at the sound of your soft footsteps.
“Did you enjoy your supper, my princess?”
“I did,” you said. “Where are we going, Ryugen?”
He gestured you to the room, and you raised your brow and opened the door, entering your resting chambers with him falling in the tail.
“My princess,” he said, making you crane your neck to look up at him, “would you be against spending time together outside?”
“Outside?” you mused. Trailing your eyes out to the window, you could only see the endless blackness of the night with some flickering flames for the guards stationed outside, three storeys below you. “I… would not mind…? But I do not see how we can go outside during curfew hours…”
While you were saying this, you apprehensively watched Ryugen open the big window of your room that you were staring at, letting the cold air of the night drift inside.
“What are you doing?”
“We are sneaking out, my princess,” he said bluntly, a mirthful smile in his voice.
A surprised silence followed after, your lips parted while you stared at the oni with wide eyes. Ryugen walked over to place his thumb just under your bottom lips, the flat of his black claw gently pushing your plush skin to close them together. A blush rose across your cheeks and you tried to hide it by pivoting away from him and approaching the now open window.
“Through the window?”
Ryugen now stood right in front of you with his back to the window, as he outstretched his calloused hand towards you and leaned down to your ear.
“If I may,” he murmured.
You were unsure of what to expect next, but you nodded, offering a nervous smile and placed your hand on his large palm. A small yelp escaped you as he gently pulled you towards him and scooped your knees from underneath with his other arm, strongly bringing you off the ground in a bridal carry.
“R-Ryugen?”
“Hold on tight, my princess.”
Wrapping your arms around his neck, you buried your face into his chest to stop the scream that almost tore through your throat as Ryugen placed one firm foot on the windowsill and jumped out of the room. That uncomfortable feeling of your heart being pushed up by gravity felt like it lasted forever until you landed on the ground, to which Ryugen stood on his two feet so sturdily you almost forgot that he jumped out from four storeys above.
Catching your adrenaline-rushed breath, you looked around to see that you were a fair distance away from the palace, where just in front of you, the bamboo forest lay ahead in a mysterious veil.
“You… you could put me down, Ryugen.”
From the moonlight, you could see the deep shadows on his mask, grinning down at you hauntingly as Ryugen studied you. Without complying, he started to trod across the grass, quickly finding ground on a hill.
“I do not want you to hurt yourself walking here.”
You were about to assure him that you were fine, having trained countless years, both day and night, to prepare for any battlefield with your sisters, but you thought against it—you quite enjoyed the warmth radiating off of him. So, you simply nodded, trusting his sight in the darkness, and tentatively leaned your head against his chest. You felt his heartbeat under your eat, thinking that they might of have raced a little bit faster under your touch.
“I forgot how reckless you can be,” you whispered to him, making sure to keep your presence discreet.
He tilted his head. “Am I?”
You snorted in amusement at how he oblivious he sounded, and let the comfortable silence wash over you two as he walked up the hill, where you soon found one, beautiful sakura tree standing tall and powerful on top of it.
Once you were right at the trunk of the tree, Ryugen kneeled down to one knee and let you down on the grass, making sure you were seated comfortably against the bark and sat next to you with his arm brushing against your shoulder. You found yourself almost resting your head on his arm but stopped yourself—instead, you watched quietly as he pulled out a small lantern from the sleeve of his kimono and lit it up with a match.
“Why did you exactly bring me here, Ryugen?” you asked, watching the flame flicker instead. Although you didn’t want to admit it, his mask was still quite intimidating after so many years, especially under the firelight.
Ryugen paused for a moment, seeming to find his words.
After a while, he replied, “I already said it, my princess. I wanted for you to take a rest.”
You let out a little sigh, realising that he was trying to avoid telling you his real intentions. “But you did not have to inconvenience yourself carrying me here.”
“Did you… did you find it bothersome?”
You could hear the slightest insecurity quiver in his voice. Despite all the kind and considerate gestures he always offered to you, you always forget the awkward difference between you two—you, as a human, and him, as an oni.
“No, no, no.” You shook your head, giving him a gentle smile. “I appreciate your thoughts and actions, Ryugen. Thank you.”
He hummed in response.
Glancing at him, you bit your lips nervously as a question arose from how comfortable the atmosphere was. Thinking better of it than the consequence, you asked. "Why do you keep your face hidden behind a mask?"
His body tensed at the question, just like you saw before all those years ago. It slightly hurt you to see that, thinking that he would at least feel a little more comfortable with you than that servant who asked the same question years ago—after all, the trust you built between him was something you prized. Nevertheless, the guilt was greater than the pain and you patted his shoulder, hoping to make him relax.
“Nevermind, Ryugen. Do not dwell on it so much. I am terribly sorry for the question.”
“My deepest apologies, my princess.”
Shaking your head and reassuring him once more, you leaned back against the bark of the tree, shutting your eyes tiredly as sleep threatened to fall upon you.
“Ryugen… would you carry me once more back to the palace if I sleep?” you asked drowsily, voice almost inaudible from how foggy your mind was.
Feeling his calloused hand lay on your cheek and the other arm delicately circled around your waist, you jolted awake slightly from surprise; heart beating faster as he tenderly brought your face to his chest to rest against him.
“Of course, my princess.”
From his body, you felt the deep rumble of his voice that pleasantly echoed through your entire body, to which you unconsciously smiled and leaned in closer to him.
“Thank you.”
Letting sleep befall you, you spent the night resting on him as you enjoyed the gentle rhythm of his chest moving as he breathed—his arm around your waist keeping you warm against the cool air in one of the best sleeps you had in your life.
Check out my other stories set in the same world! (It might help with understanding some of the overlaps mentioned in this story)
Swords Clashing (Orc x F! Reader)
Weaving Through Complications (Tiefling x F! Reader)
It was tragic the first time she found him, pouring rain in the middle of her search for herbs, she was lost in the forest and had just found the road that led to her home when she caught a glimpse of red. Propped up against a tree, growling lowly and in pain, he was bleeding from terrible bite marks on his side and covered in an inky black slime that clung to him like tar that kept him to the spot nestled in the base of the tree. She wasn’t sure where the red started or ended from the black tipped red horns that jutted out from his currant hair to his unnatural eyes with black sclera and bright red irises, to the blood that dripped down his alabaster skin as it blended in the rain. The Violet Oaks was not a pleasant place to get lost in, the mist was so thick especially when it rained and was not a pleasant place to get attacked in. Of all the things she could have stumbled upon, an Oni in the forest was never one of them.
She knew better than to ask if he was all right, it was evident that he wasn’t, and while she knew better than to trust anyone she just met, she couldn’t leave him there. He growled in warning to her as she approached and had he the strength he more than likely would have lashed out at her. However, with his bleeding and the black tar sticking to his feet and other parts of his body, he had no energy except to keep his breathing even. He snarled at her when she touched her hand to his knee, but when she looked him in the eyes his snarling and growling paused.
“I promise I’m not going to hurt you.” She smiled as brightly as she could as she held her umbrella over him to stop the pelting rain from making him any worse. “I-If you’ll let me, I’ll take you home and stitch you up.”
He growled weakly in response which she ignored and turned her palm up to him as she extended her hand to him. “I don’t live far,” she pointed to the just visible path in the mist. “Just up this path with a tiny house. It isn’t much, but it will be warm and clean with a bed, and I had a nice pot of soup going before this dreadful weather turned up.”
She was sure it was the promise of a warm bed and hot soup that changed his mind and forced him to use the last remaining ounce of his energy to stand and not put too much of his bodyweight on her as he limped the small way to her home. While she hated to see him in such pain, she was thankful he had managed to carry his own weight as he was quite taller than she and was certainly heavier too. He’d barely made it to the threshold when he collapsed in the small entry way and hit his head hard as he went down. There was little she could do to stop his fall, but she did make sure to put extra salve on his bump when she went about cleaning and stitching him up. After doing what she could to scrape off the tar from his ankles and wrists, she saw shackles with broken chains underneath the layers of muck
Kokoro was not unused to seeing such sort of things as of this point in her life and quickly drew the conclusion that he must have escaped the Drider Castle. There were not many that crossed her tiny path that led to her tiny house in the forest as it was protected by wards and carefully tucked away into the thickest part of the mist, but she did offer a bowl of food to any weary traveler and did her best to help those in need. Any escapees from the castle were always included whether they were human, Elf, Drow, Orc, or even Naga she helped anyone that wandered into her neck of the woods because they were always in need of help. The Oni she had to drag away from her doorstep and deeper into her house to rest before the fire was no exception.
She discovered that he had more scars than he did skin the moment she cut open his thin shirt to get a better look at his wounds. All tragic markings from weapons, snarling maws, and burns he undoubtedly received from his forced battles in the arena and her heart broke to think of the pain he must have felt when he received the wounds. From the left side of his face trailing in uneven patterns down his neck, torso and legs, his body was littered in scars. While she felt bad for him hitting his head upon entering her home, she was thankful that he remained unconscious for her to properly stitch his side up and put poultice over the area. She could only pray that he would wake up after he was drenched and sitting in the rain for far longer than he should.
She had used her favorite set of lock picks to remove the iron shackles from his wrists and ankles and frowned at the vine like bruising that was hidden underneath. Like every other escapee she’d found, he was just as poorly treated as the others, potentially worse and it caused her heart to ache to think about it. With warm water and a clean cloth, she did what she could to clean him up as she finished inspecting him for wounds. Carefully wiping away the grime from his face and inspecting the spot where he hit his head, she discovered that he had a third horn hidden beneath the front tufts of his hairline. His eyes shot open as she touched his horns, panic and anger in them, and growls erupted from him as he tried to move from her.
“Careful!” She quickly grabbed him by the horn and tugged him back beside her and earned a pained whimper in response. “I’m sorry!” She squeaked and immediately released his horn and caused him to hit his head on her wooden floor. “Sorry!”
His nose wrinkled as he snarled at her, but he did nothing more than that as he weakly slipped back into slumber. Her hand went to her breast as she breathed a small sigh of relief and sagged backwards. She would certainly have her hands full with this one.
*****
When the Oni finally awoke, he had a vivacious appetite and ate three whole bowls of her soup and half a loaf of bread before he fell back asleep. Much to her surprise he was an excellent patient and did as he was told and rested and sat still during his checkups with only an occasional grunt of displeasure when she poked and prodded his tender skin. Between listening to her orders and his breed of blood, he healed quickly and was soon helping her out around her tiny house. It had come strange to her to see him patching holes in her ceiling, cutting and putting up new flax for her roof, and simply fixing things around her house. Most of her occupants left as soon as they were healed, some even left the moment they were patched up and ate; the Oni was the only one to ever stay for so long.
Kokoro had done her best to encourage him to leave, informing him that he owed her nothing and that his life was now his to live. He merely nodded at her and would continue with whatever task he found for himself. No matter how much she insisted he didn’t have to work so hard, he merely smiled at her and patted her head. Her yard had never looked so lovely, or her garden so properly tended to despite her best efforts, and her raven familiar was never so spoiled as when the Oni ran his claws through his feathers and helped prune him. Kokoro was completely beside herself now feeling indebted to him. She made him proper clothes that fit his broad shoulders and properly fit his long legs; wove a pair of shoes for his large feet for when he worked outside; and had no qualms at patching any of his clothes that he poked holes through. He had done so much for her that she knew she was going to miss him when he finally felt he’d done enough and could leave.
It was a rainy night where the thunder rolled loudly, and nothing could put her back to sleep. She had left her small room to make a cup of tea when she found the Oni practically sitting in the fire he was so close to it. He had jumped to his feet when he heard the door squeak, and if she wasn’t so used to him, she would more than likely have screamed at the sudden action. While it did scare her, she could see that he was just as unnerved as she was.
“Can’t sleep?” She smiled gently and pulled her shawl tighter around her as she closed the door behind her. He shook his head in response and slowly sat back down in front of the fire. “Would you like some tea?”
When he nodded his head, he moved to grab the kettle and poke it over the fire while she reached for her jars of leaves. Chamomile, lavender, and catnip would surely do the trick to calm their minds and aid their bodies into a slumber with the rain. When she turned to go to her table, he was right behind her reaching over her for the cups and a tiny squeak escaped as her face met his chest. He froze with his cup filled hands in the air and Kokoro had to bite back a smile as his face suddenly flushed as red as his hair. He was quick to move from her and let her pass before following her to the table. While he took his seat at the table, she found her tea strainers that sat over the tops of the cups and prevented the tea leaves from falling into the bottoms of the cups.
The thunder was practically forgotten as they worked quietly together to prepare a late-night cup of tea. Kokoro measured out the tea leaves while the Oni retrieved the kettle when it announced it was hot enough. He poured the water into the cups before taking his seat across from her and they lapsed into a comfortable silence while they waited for the tea to cool. Kokoro cupped her hands around the cup carefully letting the heat lick at her fingers and warm her. The Oni mimicked her motions, and she felt his red eyes watching her curiously.
“You know, you’ve stayed the longest.” She chuckled softly as she broke the silence. “Most don’t stay long after they’ve eaten one of my meals. This is the longest I’ve had anyone stay with me other than Kani.”
“Kani?” His voice rumbled deeper than the thunder and she realized it was the first time she ever heard him spoke in the two weeks he stayed.
“My raven.” She felt her face flush at the realization. “He lost a fight to a crab and was stuck with the name ever since.”
She laughed at the memory and listened to Kani grumble while the Oni merely tilted his head curiously at her. “You named the raven after the crab?”
“I didn’t mean to, it just sorts of happened that way and just stuck.” The cup was warm but not too hot to the touch so she could finally take a sip of it. “I can’t think of any other name to call him now.” That brought up the realization that she didn’t know what to call him. “What do you call yourself?”
The Oni’s brow furrowed as he frowned into his cup and held it in one of his large hands. “Ubel.”
“Oh, that’s lovely.” She repeated the name and liked the way it sounded on her tongue.
“No. It’s not.” He grunted and shook his head. “It means evil.”
“O-Oh.” She nearly burnt her tongue on her tea and felt as though she overstepped somehow. “Well, I don’t think you’re evil at all, and I still find it to be lovely. It sounds really pretty.”
The Oni, no, Ubel tilted his head as he gave her a strange look before sipping his own tea. When he set it down, he looked at her expectantly. “And you?”
She blinked wide in surprise at him. “Hm?”
“What do you call yourself?” He chuckled and a hint of a smile curled in the corner of his mouth before he hid it well behind his cup. Her face flushed instantly as she realized he’d stayed in her home for two weeks and she hadn’t shared her name with him.
“K-Kokoro.” Her voice squeaked in embarrassment, and she burned her tongue on her tea to hide her flushed face.
“What does it mean?”
“Well, it has many meanings.” She smiled nervously. “My parents couldn’t decide on much, but somehow landed on a name that has four meanings. Heart, mind, feelings, emotions. . .” She bit her lip slightly as uncomfortable memories of being too empathetic and sympathetic that drove her to live a quiet life away from society after her parents were killed. “I think I did too well in living up to the name.”
“It is lovely.” He repeated her sentiment with a smile that wrinkled the left side of his scarred face. “It suits you well, Kokoro.”
Had she known she liked the way he said her name, she would have given it to him sooner. Little was said after that and with tea to warm her and the phantom feeling that haunted her with the way Ubel said her name, she easily fell back to sleep.
*****
The two weeks that Ubel spent with Kokoro easily passed and turned into two unwavering months of pleasant days even through the rainy season. Many late nights of rolling thunder called for quiet late-night tea sessions together where they learned a little more about each other until they fell asleep. Sometimes she woke with a blanket over her back at the table, sometimes she ended up tucked away in her bed, and only once did she wake with him sitting on the floor with his head against the bed with his hand almost touching hers. Kokoro hadn’t seen his sleeping face since the night she stitched his side, and even then, she’d never seen his face so peaceful and found herself wanting that to be the first thing she saw every morning.
As the rainy season passed, Ubel kept her garden well protected from the rain with an interesting tent he built to keep them from drowning, and when the cold for the winter inevitably came, he put up walls around the small garden and cut wood for her to keep her home warm. Anything that needed repairs, Ubel fixed, however with each repair fixed her heart clenched with the fear that he would soon leave. Though he never expressed when he would leave or if he wished to leave at all, Kokoro was certain that he would leave. She hoped it would be in the spring as the winters were harsh to traverse in the Violet Oaks, but she could not keep him here if he did not wish to remain. She had decided she would smile and be happy so long as he was here.
The late-night tea sessions were nearly every night, and as the cold set in the first night with teeth chattering, she sought after his warmth, and he easily joined her in her bed. The late-night tea sessions at the table by the fire were slowly dissipating for more intimate conversation in her room before they would drift off to sleep and Kokoro tried to cherish these moments while she could. She learned that Ubel was kidnapped from his village at a young age by monster hunters and dragged to the Drider Castle where he was forced to fight for his survival. He had no friends, nor loved ones that came to search for him, or if any of them did he was sure they didn’t survive their rescue attempt.
“Do you ever want to see if you can find your village?” She prodded as he ran his clawed fingers through her hair.
“For what?” He grunted and rolled his head to look at her.
“Surely you had a mother or father who missed you.”
“Don’t you?” He challenged and she knew this was something he didn’t wish to speak of.
“I did, once.” She admitted with a soft sigh. “They died years ago when the Holy Knights burned down our house. . .”
“What?” His body went rigid under her, but she gently patted his chest to calm his worry.
“It’s all right, it was years ago.” She yawned. “I was used to living on my own by the time I found a coven and was exiled from it. It’s okay Ubel, my life here is much better here. I have both you and Kani now.”
“You’re sure?” He brushed the back of his fingers down her temple and over the soft curve of her jaw. “You’re sure you’re happy with me?”
“Very.’ She hummed happily and sleep easily took her as she was surrounded by his warmth.
*****
Ubel was a morning riser and often left Kokoro in the bed alone to fetch the eggs, tend to the garden, and get the morning fire started for the day. While Kokoro hated his absence from her bed, she did enjoy having a few moments longer to sleep in the bed. Ever since the snow fall, they’d mostly had vegetables and soups for meals as they’d gone through the dried meat, and she would not eat her chickens unless she absolutely had to. While soup was good for keeping her warm and the vegetables were good for her health, she missed the savory flavors of meat and couldn’t help but wish spring would come early.
“I’ve got some rabbit left that we could have for tomorrow. . .” she mumbled thoughtlessly to herself aloud. “Then we’ll be stuck with whatever we have here until the spring comes.”
“Are there no animals in the forest to hunt?” Ubel’s deep voice rumbled gently beside her as he carefully draped his arm on the back of her chair without touching her.
“There are.” She sighed and gave a weak smile. “However, I’m not much of a hunter and don’t have the heart to kill unless it’s a fish. I don’t even have the necessary tools for it.”
He hummed softly and thoughtfully to himself as he continued to work and never elaborated further.
It was the dead of winter when he left. It was so sudden she hardly recalled how it happened. She remembered him coming into her room, whispering something to her in a sleeping state, touching her forehead, and it wasn’t until she heard the front door close that she woke up and realized he’d left. She didn’t jump out of bed to stop him like she wanted to, no, she stayed in her bed, her hands clutching the sheets and nails digging into the mattress as she silently prayed to whoever would listen to her to bring him back. Tears fell from her eyes, and it took her several hours to wake and face the day to go about her normal routine.
She discovered that he took her sharpest knife, a few rolls of bread, and that he left his clothes that she made him folded neatly on his bed in his room. Kokoro hadn’t stepped in the guest room since he stayed her, wanting to provide him with all the necessary privacy she could in her small house, and nearly broke into tears when she did. The entire room smelled like him, and she lay in his bed the first night he was gone.
The second day she found that Kani was nowhere to be found and a part of her feared that the raven finally left her too. For the first time since losing her parents and leaving her coven, she feared being truly alone again without any companionship. Though Kokoro was used to the quiet and the empty house before now, it was especially empty and far too quiet without her familiar and Kani. There was a backwards village not too far from her, Drusilla she recalled, but only visited there when she thought she could sell things at their annual festival.
The third day Ubel was gone, she heard the soft ticking of Kani’s beak against her window trying to wake her up. It was early in the morning, the sun was hardly up, but he squawked loudly and pecked at the window to get her attention.
“Kani?” Kokoro gasped as she sat up with the quilt wrapped around her shoulders. He cawed proudly in the window before tapping it again and flying off.
“Wait!” She called out and tumbled out of bed to throw on her shawl over her shoulder. She nearly fell on her face as she rushed from the bed and stomped her feet into her boots before flinging the door open. Kani was hopping impatiently in the snow, cawing at her before flying in the air with a caw.
“Kani, wait!” The chill of the air pierced her lungs, but she didn’t care as she chased after her familiar as he led her deeper into the woods. The mist was gentle wisps on her face as she ran as quickly as she could in the thick piles of snow. She could feel the snow clinging to her nightdress and sliding into her boots, but she didn’t care, Kani was here and with any hope Ubel was too.
Her familiar cawed loudly as he guided her through the Violet Oaks and led her up a hill. Her lungs screamed from the cold, and she panted heavily as she looked through the thick forest and lost sight of Kani.
“K – Kani?” A puff of hot air escaped her, and tears threatened to rise in her eyes when she heard his caw echoing in the distance. Off to her right she heard the gentle crunching of snow, the labored breathing, and a deep chuckle that warmed her heart as Kani landed on the back of a black bear. A gasp escaped her, and she quickly clapped her hands over her mouth as a small fear of a bear attack happening when she watched it get pulled through the snow.
“Making my load heavier, are you?” Ubel chuckled as he tugged harder on a rope attached to the sled. “Not very nice of you, Kani.”
Kani squawked and ruffled his feathers in indignation and Kokoro found herself laughing with relief as she fell to her knees. Ubel’s red hair flipped around as he looked up and spotted her. His black and red eyes widened, and he dropped the rope as if he were caught with something he wasn’t supposed to. His alabaster skin would have blended in with the snow had the bloodstains of his kills he was carrying hadn’t covered him. He was bare-chested and only in his pair of work trousers and boots.
“Kokoro?” Leaving his pile of dead carcasses behind him, he climbed the hill to help her to her feet. “What are you doing out here? It’s freezing!”
“Says the man who is half naked.” She choked on a small sob and a laugh as she smiled up at him. “You came back.”
“I told you I would.” His brow pinched in surprise as his black and red eyes searched hers for answers. “I went to get meat for us.”
She glanced at the sled with a black bear, a few deer, rabbits, and even a fox lay unmoving and couldn’t quite grasp why he’d done this. “But why?”
“You said you wanted more meat.” He tilted his head in confusion with a faint smile on his face. “I hunted for more to last us the winter.”
“But it is so much!”
“You deserve much more.” He chuckled as he picked her up and held her in a hug. She relished his touch and despite his bare chest in the freezing snow, he was warm. “You took healed me, fed me, and even clothed me, Kokoro.” He hummed and pressed his head to the top of hers as he held her. “I owe you my life and only the finest things this life can offer.”
“I could have waited until spring.” She rubbed the heel of her hand into her eyes as a few tears dared to slip out.
“I couldn’t.” He grunted as he carried her back over to where the sleigh was. “I love your cooking, but I need more than just vegetables if I’m going to survive the winter. The furs will also make good coats too.”
She laughed at her precious Oni and pressed a kiss to his cheek that made him pause in the snow to look at her with wide eyes and a deep blush. “Let’s go home, Ubel.”
A young woman travels far to learn her passion as well as embracing a side of herself she’s kept hidden.
Female Main Character x Male Monster x Male Monster (all cis)
I grew up in Rakshasa Country, far away from my family’s ancestral lands. My mother left before I was born, traveling with a small band of other women to start a brothel. They traveled from their native island of Shimokobe between the ocean and the Cobra Strait, and I was born in Rakshasa Country some years later. Aside from the other women, I never knew any other oni. I was separated from my heritage, and I grew up knowing more about the rakshasa than anything else.
When my mother passed away, Madame Seki taught me a traditional craft from back home. She made beautiful ornate masks, which she sold to customers who wanted to keep their anonymity. Granted, the ones she made for them were quite simple compared to the ones she taught me how to make. She started me out making them from clay, then taught me how to carve. I was passionate about the craft, and I learned all I could. I learned what different faces meant, and what the colors represented. I even went to the market to have one of the old rakshasa women teach me to make paints from pigments and spices.
I set up a small shop during the Festival of Color to sell my wares, hoping to make enough money to travel to Shimokobe and continue my education about my beloved craft. At first, it seemed no one was interested in them, but once the festival started I began to sell quite quickly. By the end of the night, I had nothing left and plenty of money to begin my journey to my native home.
Madame Seki was hesitant to see me go. She warned that back home I might not be well-received, and I should claim to be half-orc rather than half-oni. She gave me some clothes that once belonged to my mother, and her own hairpin for good luck and protection. I’d seen her threaten several customers with that pin, so I knew how to use it.
I bought passage across the Cobra Strait to Shimokobe. Unfortunately I could not enjoy the journey, as I suffered horribly from seasickness. I wasn’t quite right even when we docked, and it took a couple of days and some thin broth to get me on my feet to travel again.
The port of Shimokobe was only my first stop. Most of the Oni live further inland, along the mountains further north. I found out that a lot of the master craftsmen I was looking for would be closer to the mountains, where clay and wood are readily available, but right then the weather was frightfully cold. I wasn't worried, not taking into consideration the fact that all my life I'd known only the hot sun of Rakshasa Country.
The further north I go, the more I understand the folly of my mistakes. I use my mother’s clothes to bundle up, but that does very little. The caravan transporting me stops in a small village to pick up supplies, so I go to find warmer clothing for myself.
That’s when I see a vision of my mother, standing beside a building, wearing that beautiful dress covered in blossoms and butterflies.
“Come here, my darling Kiri. You look so cold.” Her voice is faint against the wind, but I recognize it instantly.
“Mama,” I step towards her, reaching out my hands. “Mama...” I take another step and my foot descends through thin ice. I sink like a stone with my clothes bundled around me.
I wake to warmth and a weight upon me. There is also a bright light swinging above me, so this must be heaven. I didn’t think the light would be moving so much. I raise my hand to try and catch it, but it feels too far out of reach. Something falls from the light and hits my chest, and a blurry red face surrounded by white comes into my vision.
“God?” My voice cracks. I reach up to touch. “Your fur is much softer than I thought.”
“Soso, get off of her this instant.” A deep, powerful voice shoos away God, and then a big red hand falls onto my forehead. “Good to see you awake, little stranger.”
I grunt and turn my head, chasing the warmth of the palm. “Where am I? Am I dead?”
“You almost were, but I think we got you out of the woods.” The big red shape sits down beside me, and I can start to make it out. “You’re lucky I was close by when you fell through the ice, young lady.”
“I thought I saw my mother,” I murmur. “I was so cold.”
“You were probably hypothermic before you even went through the ice,” he says. “But not to worry, Uji and I have been taking good care of you.”
I rub my eyes and I can finally make out his big, round head. His skin is blood red, shocking at first. He has huge tusks jutting upwards out of the sides of his mouth. His sharp red ears are dotted with jewelry, as is the center of his flat nose, and his white hair is pulled back into a ponytail at the back of his head, accentuating a massive widow’s peak and spiked horns at his temples. He has really long, thick arms, and he’s quite rotund in the middle.
“Uji went out to get some ginger for you. He’ll be back shortly.”
I know I’m staring, but I’ve never met a male Oni before. “And you are?”
“Morikazu,” he chuckles. “But you can call me Mori. Who might you be?”
“Kiri,” I say as I sit up in bed.
Mori instantly puts a blanket around my shoulders so I stay warm. “What on earth are you doing here, Kiri, so unprepared for the cold weather?”
I frown, seeing that red face again at the foot of the bed. “I make masks. I was told master craftsmen lived here, so…” I squint as the red face continues to stare at me. “What is…”
“Soso, be polite.” Mori chuckles. He holds his hand out, and a monkey climbs up his arm, still staring at me with beady black eyes. “This is Soso. He’s a little awkward but he’s also a greedy ass.”
“Oh!” I marvel at the monkey just as much as I did Mori. “He’s cute!”
“I saved him the same way I saved you,” Mori laughs. “Found him in the ice and nursed him back to health when he was just a baby. Perhaps he was just practice for this moment,” he continues to chortle.
“I’m home. How is she doing?” a gentler voice calls. Another oni walks into the room, blue and much taller and leaner than Mori. His long black hair hangs down his shoulder in a loose plait. He has golden eyes where Mori has brown, and two sets of crescent-shaped tusks.
“She’s awake!” He sounds elated when he sees me.
“Kiri, this is Ujimasa, but you can call him Uji.” Mori holds his hand out as Uji comes to stand by the bedside. “He’s been doing most of the work caring for you.”
Uji smiles, showing off the deep curvature of his cheekbones. “Now, now, don’t let him undersell all the hard work he put in. After all, he’s the one who went into the ice to save you.” Uji sets a small box by the bed and places his long, willowy hand on my forehead. “She’s still a touch cold.”
“I grew up in Rakshasa Country,” I say hurriedly. “I’m not used to the cold down here.”
“Even still,” Uji clicks his tongue. “Mind if I see your feet?”
What a strange question. “Uh, sure. What for?”
Uji pulls back the blankets, revealing my feet wrapped in a compress. He peels back the wrapping, revealing wet leaves and a weird jelly underneath, and pinches my toe, wiggling it back and forth. “Do you feel that?”
“Yes, but it feels… weird,” I answer.
“Still a bit of damage.” He wraps my foot back up. “It might take a while for you to recover. Is there anyone we should send a message to?”
I frown and shake my head. “I came here alone, and the only people I know are in Rakshasa Country.”
“She’s a mask maker,” Mori says to Uji.
Uji turns towards Mori, and I notice he is missing an arm. His long sleeve hangs loose, and Soso tugs on it in a way that shows there is nothing inside. “A mask maker?” he says as he looks back at me.
Nervously, I blurt, “Half-orc.”
Uji and Mori both make a face.
“I am,” I say breathlessly. Half-orc, that is.”
Uji nods as he looks me over with a curious glint in his eye. Most of my life I had been confused for a half-orc. Like my mother, I have green skin and pointed ears, but my tusks only jut from my bottom lip, and I’m not as tall as most oni. I never knew who or what my father was, but I always knew I was oni on my mother’s side.
“Well then, Kiri the half-orc, I assume you were coming to study under the master mask-makers,” Uji says gently. “Is that correct?”
“Making masks in my passion,” I say staunchly. “I wanted to learn from a master in hopes of becoming one myself.”
“Were you not warned of the winter here?” Mori seems angry. “It’s not like the winter in the southern continents”
“I wasn’t aware,” I confess. “I guess I should have prepared better.”
Uji gives Mori a scolding look. “You had silk dresses and robes. What did you bring them for?”
“They were my mother’s,” I say weakly. “I admit I was foolish and under-prepared.”
Uji smiles. “We should let you rest. I’m sure you’re still quite tired. If you’re hungry, Mori will fetch you something to eat. Meanwhile...” He picks up the small box he brought in. “I will be making you something with this ginger.”
As they both turn to leave the room, I reach up into my hair and find it’s down. I gasp in alarm and begin searching around the pillow in a panic. “Oh, no! Where is it?”
Mori stops and looks back at me. “What’s the matter?”
I feel tears welling up in my eyes. “My hairpin! It’s important!”
Mori comes back into the room, kneeling beside the bed to pick up a small bag. He dumps the contents into his palm, and it’s the hairpin. “We took it out when I brought you here.”
I grab the pin and clutch it close, breathing a deep sigh of relief. “Oh, thank goodness!”
“We kept it covered because Soso loves shiny things.” Mori watches me curiously. “My grandmother had something similar to that, what with the enamel butterfly and...”
I glare up at him. “It was a gift from someone.” I look at it in my hands. “I’m just glad it’s okay.”
Mori nods with a slight frown on his face. “I’ll go fetch you something to eat now. You’re going to need food to survive this cold,” he chuckles.
Once he leaves, I look back down at Madame Seki’s hair pin and sigh heavily. “Some luck this has brought me so far,” I grumble. “Being sick the entire boat trip, and nearly freezing death. I sure hope all of this is worth it in the end.”
I look around the room, seeing scrolls and prints on the walls. There’s a desk in the corner with massive ink pots all over it and a shelf made of cubbies full of quills, parchment, and various other tools. Uji comes in a moment later, carrying a tray with one hand. He places the tray on my lap, which is nice and warm from the tea set. “I hope you don’t mind if I join you for tea. Mori is busy making something special for dinner.”
“He cooks?” Back home I never knew a man to cook.
Uji smiles softly. “Too bad you didn’t come here to study the art. Mori is a master chef, and studied under his grandmother most of his life.” He pours tea surprisingly elegantly using only one hand. “Before we had the war, that is.”
I hadn’t heard of that. “What war?” I ask.
Uji looks at me with another curious stare. “Some years ago there was a dispute with the cyclopes over territory. That’s how Mori and I met. We were both warriors.”
“Oh,” I gasp in surprise.
“I know I don’t look it,” Uji chuckles as he hands me a cup of tea.
I shake my head. “That’s not it at all.” I take the tea into my hands and marvel at the warmth.
“We were both young men - boys, really.” Uji smiles gently as he pours another cup. “This tea will help build you stamina again and support what the cold has weakened.”
“Thank you.” I sniff the cup, finding there to be a spicy herbal note to it. “Is it bitter?”
“Only a little.” Uji takes a drink.
I take a sip, half expecting an experience that would connect me to my roots and teach me about my lineage. Instead, it’s the most disgusting thing I have ever put in my mouth, including the mud pie I ate as a toddler. I almost spit it out, but I gulp it down painfully. Uji is holding back a smile and trying to remain polite.
“No,” I whimper and cover my mouth. “Oh, no!”
“Not to your liking, Kiri?” Uji sets his cup down.
I set mine down with his. “Thank you,” I say simply. “But that was quite enough for today.”
“I’m afraid I have to insist you endure that cup, and another.” Uji is still stifling his laughter. “It’s for your recovery.”
“You’re mocking me!”
Uji breaks into a beautiful grin. “No. I would not do such a thing. But your expression, on the other hand, hit a soft spot inside me. Reminds me of my Mori.”
I scowl at him.
“It made me instantly fond of you. Come, now.” He picks his cup up again. “I will drink as much as you drink. The ginger will be your reward for finishing this.”
I scowl at him. “If it wasn’t so hot, I would take it in one go.” I take the cup again, enjoying the warmth of it at the very least. I take another drink, as does Uji. “It’s horrible!”
Uji nods, only his nose wrinkling. “It doesn’t get any better with age, like my grandfather told me.” He shakes his head. “I do apologize.”
“You make Mori drink this, too?”
“He gets congestion easily during the cold months. I make him drink it every morning to ensure his health. Somehow, he still loves me.”
I stick my tongue out as I see I still have over half a cup. “Wait, are you and Mori…?”
“Mori is my brother-in-arms,” Uji replies. “As well as my partner in life.”
“Oh.”
Uji chuckles. “Is that rare where you come from?”
I shake my head. “Not exactly. I just didn’t expect… You make a very handsome couple, really.”
“Well thank you, Kiri. I do consider Mori to be very handsome.”
“And you, Uji, are very beautiful.” Mori comes and looks down at the tea in my lap. “I see. You’re making her drink that now?”
“She’s still got one and a half cups to go. She needs to finish it before she eats your wonderful cooking.” He looks at me and smiles. “Hurry up, he worked hard.”
I manage to finish the tea, horrible as it is. Mori then carries me to the dinner table, which is quite low to the floor. He has a massive spread of food prepared, and I’m ravenous since I’ve only supped on thin broth since leaving home. I eat so much that I fall into a deep sleep as soon as Mori takes me back to bed.
Each morning, Uji wakes me to serve me that awful tea. Afterwards Mori comes and gets me to have a big, hearty breakfast, and Uji sits at the desk and does calligraphy. Mori sometimes takes me into the kitchen when Uji is working, as Soso tends to try and cause havoc.
I think about how nice it would be to continue being part of this world, to be included in Mori and Uji’s lives so lovingly. They’ve both been so kind to me. I’ve found myself growing attracted to them, which is quite a shock. I’ve never had a crush before, but Mori is so warm and affectionate, and Uji is so beautiful and calming. While working on masks, I have daydreams of kissing them.
I have to shake these thoughts from my head. Back home, I never really had a comfortable life. Growing up in the brothel I wasn’t exactly coddled, and even when my mother died it felt like things went on as usual after the funeral. Madame Seki treated me well, but I think it was just because she favored my mother. That’s why I poured everything I had into the masks. They brought me comfort.
“During the war, Uji was our tactician.” Mori has been telling me stories about him and Uji from their youth, while feeding me bites of what he’s cooking. “He helped me to keep cool and not lose my temper.”
“Have a temper, do you?” I ask.
Mori laughs. “A family trait. I used to get so angry I’d go blind with it.” He looks up from the counter for a moment. “But Uji helped me to see through the anger, and taught me not to rely on it. You’re half-orc, so I’m sure you understand the importance of such discipline.”
I fidget in my seat as the lie is brought back to me. “Oh… yes, of course.” I chuckle nervously, eager to change the course of the conversation away from me. “Is that why you fell in love with him?”
Mori chuckles. “Well, not exactly. Uji and I didn’t really start all that until after we came home.” He hands me a dumpling to eat. “See, he lost his arm, and he didn’t want to go to his home, so I brought him here to heal.”
I gaze starry-eyed at Mori, wondering just how romantic that must have been. I would so love to be taken care of like that. I guess I am right now, but surely there’s nothing romantic about this. I’m just some poor fish they pulled out of the river.
“That’s enough storytelling, Mori.” Uji comes into the kitchen holding a scroll.
“I wasn’t storytelling,” Mori chortles.
Uji just half-smiles as he lays the scroll down on the table. “I just received word back from Oyama. He says once the winter passes, he will consider taking on Kiri as an apprentice.”
I look between Mori and Uji, who both have smiles on their faces. “Who is Oyama?”
Uji places his hand on my shoulder. “A master mask-maker we both knew. Mori and I discussed it one evening and sent him a letter asking if he was interested in taking a new apprentice. We told him about you, of course. Sometimes the masters are reluctant to teach outside their clans.” He shrugs and frowns, but slowly his smile returns.
“Anyway, Oyama said he’d be happy to take you on if he approves of your work. He requests you make ten masks for him between now and spring, and that will help him decide.” He looks at me seriously. “You can stay here, of course, but you will have to earn your keep around here once you’re strong enough.”
The excitement inside me is such that I can barely contain myself. “Of course!” I jump up in excitement. “This is wonderful! Thank you so much!” I don’t realize until I’m hugging Uji that this is the first time I’ve stood on my own since being pulled from the ice, which causes another burst of joy inside me. At that moment, I fall for Uji and Mori even faster.
PleaSE what is an oni?? Honestly?? I'm so confused I can't find anything on it I'm so lost
So, what I found on Onis, I did base it off on yen-yen-yen’s amazing art and what was provided on the wiki page here that I found:
Oni (鬼おに) is a kind of yōkai, ogre, or troll in Japanese folklore. They are typically portrayed as hulking figures with one or more horns growing out of their heads. Stereotypically, they are conceived of as red, blue or white-coloured, wearing loincloths of tiger pelt, and carrying iron kanabō clubs.
From its origins:
An old etymology for "oni" is that the word derives from on, the on'yomi reading of a character (隠) meaning "to hide or conceal", due to oni having the tendency of "hiding behind things, not wishing to appear". This explanation is found in the 10th century dictionary Wamyōshō, which reveals that the oni at the time had a different meaning, defined as "a soul/spirit of the dead".
So I saw them as just living spirits/demons who hide from humans, but from the little backstory that was mentioned of yen’s Oni’s, he lived in an abandoned temple. I didn’t overall follow the wiki page, but just went with what was there and went with it.
I realised this may not make sense, but I hope this is useful.💫😊
Female Main Character x Male Monster x Male Monster (all cis)
It takes me a while to build my strength back up, but I do it by cleaning dishes and washing Uji’s brushes. I start cleaning around their house, as well as beginning the process of making the ten masks for Master Oyama. I have so much going on in my head, sometimes it feels like I’m not doing the best work that I possibly could. My feelings for Mori and Uji are at the forefront, as well as my guilt about lying to them over my heritage. I want to tell them the truth, but that could possibly ruin my chances of studying under Master Oyama. Madame Seki warned me not to tell the truth, but she never told me why. Is being only half-oni frowned upon? I wish I knew, but I also want to stay in Mori and Uji’s good graces for as long as I can, even though I know that keeping up the lie will only make it much worse.
I begin crying over a mask one day, thinking about all this. This is the first time I’ve ever felt connected to anything of my heritage. Mori comes in to see me weeping and kneels beside me. “Kiri, what’s wrong?”
“I’m sorry. I just...” I look at the mask before me. “I was just thinking about my mother.”
Mori pulls me into his big arms and warm, soft belly, making me feel safe and comfortable. “I lost my mother when I was young, too. I was raised by my grandmother. Even now, there are days when I still miss her.”
“Thanks Mori,” I rest my cheek against him, and he smells like ginger and sesame.
He strokes the back of my neck. “Anytime, Kiri. Uji and I have both come to see you as one of our own.”
“Really?” I ask shyly.
“What’s going on?” Uji comes into the room. “Am I missing out on anything?”
Mori chuckles. “I’m cmforting Kiri. Saw her crying and I couldn’t bear it.”
Uji places his hand atop my head. “Is there something you want to talk about?”
In a flash I fear he knows I’m not half-orc. “No. I just miss my mother.”
“You can talk to us about anything, Kiri. Here, you’re family.” Uji places a soft kiss on my temple, and I could melt into a puddle.
“Thanks,” I sniffle.
Mori kisses my cheek as well, and my fate as a puddle is cemented. “You have us both from now on. So don’t forget us when you’re a master mask-maker.”
“How could I?” I giggle.
One evening, after falling asleep while carving, I wake up in the middle of the night. My lantern is snuffed out and I am very thirsty. I get up to go to the kitchen, but when I do I see that the light is still burning, and it sounds like Mori is inside. I hear Uji talking, and peer through the door to make sure I’m not interrupting anything. I see Mori knelt down before Uji ,who is completely naked. He has his hand wrapped around Mori’s ponytail and is moaning in pleasure.
Uji throws his head back and shuts his eyes tight. “Mori, yes!” I’ve seen faces like his back home, but Uji’s is special. The way he breathes makes me want his words.
I gulp ,watching for a second longer. Then I turn to leave, but as I do, Soso jumps from the shadows, scaring the shit out of me. I scream and fall through the door to the kitchen floor with Soso on top of my head, chewing at one of my hair buns.
“You heathen monkey!” I try to pull him from me so I can escape.
“Kiri?” Uji gasps. Mori rises from his knees, looking back while Uji covers himself.
I quickly cover my eyes with Soso’s body, as he continues to chew on my hair bun. “I’m so sorry!” I push Soso towards them and stand up. “It was Soso! I didn’t see anything...” I run into the wall as I try to leave. “Ow!”
“Easy, there.” Mori comes over to me. “Oh dear, she’s bleeding.”
“I’m almost decent, I’ll get a cloth,” Uji says, rushing in tying up his robe.
Mori tries to move my hands away from my face. “Come now, let me see the damage.” He walks me over to the counter, where Uji has a damp rag prepared.
“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” I bleat as they move my hands from my face.
Uji puts a rag to my face. “Don’t be sorry.”
“I didn’t see anything!” I’m muffled by the rag.
Mori snorts. “Was there something to see?”
I crack an eye open at them and feel a flush of embarrassment as well as desire. I quickly look away from them.
“That was our fault. Not yours.” Uji checks the rag to see if my nose is still bleeding. “We weren’t exactly being smart about it.”
“You were asking for it,” Mori jibes. “Next time, Kiri, just come right on in. Uji likes that sort of thing.”
Uji gives Mori a seething glare. I keep my eyes averted. “It’s your house, you can do whatever you like inside it. I’m a guest, I should be the careful one.”
“You’re just as much a part of this household as anybody,” Uji replies cooly. “We told you that you’re part of our lives now, Kiri.”
“But...” I want to tell them the truth. I don’t want to lie to them anymore if I am really a part of their lives now. Tears well up in my eyes and I have to pull away.
Uji stops Mori from coming in to hug me. “Go on,” Uji says gently. “What is it, Kiri?”
I sniffle but it hurts my nose, making the tears come quicker. “I have to tell you something, and I’m worried it may change how you see me.” I look at them, still holding the cloth to my nose. “I was told when I left home to not tell who I really was. But I don’t want to hide from you two because… Because my feelings for the two of you are more than just…” I look up at them, watching me with concern. Mori is holding Uji’s hand tightly. “I am not Half-orc,” I confess shakily. I swallow the painful lump in my throat. “I’m Half-oni.”
Uji sighs and looks at Mori. “I had a feeling that might be the case. Your tusks didn’t exactly look like orc tusks.” He glances back at me. “Were you told why you should lie?”
I shake my head. “I just assumed it wasn’t okay.”
“For a long time, Shimokobe was closed off to the rest of the world. Some of the old-timers still think that half-oni are a danger to our way of life.” Uji steps forward and places his palm upon my cheek, using the rag to clean up my face. “But that certainly isn’t true.”
“Can I hug her now?” Mori asks.
Uji smiles, stepping aside so Mori can wrap me up in his arms. I hug him too, weeping gently onto his massive shoulder. “I don’t care what you are, Kiri,” Mori whispers to me. “You’re you, and you could be a purple bell pepper for all I cared!”
I laugh softly and sniffle, but my nose still hurts. “I didn’t want to lie to you anymore. I care about you too much.”
Uji places his arm around me as well, resting his cheek upon my forehead. “We care about you as well, Kiri. You don’t need to hide anything from us, and we will not hide anything from you.”
He takes my hand, leading Mori and I towards their bedroom. Their bed is quite large, of course, to fit both of them. Their room is decorated with paintings and some of Uji’s calligraphy. The large fireplace is lit, casting the room in a warm glow. Uji sits me down, taking my hair out of the buns and combing out what Soso has chewed and spit on. Mori lies down beside me, placing his head in my lap as Uji plays with my hair.
“I grew up in a brothel,” I tell them. “My mother came from Shimokobe, but I grew up in Rakshasa Country.”
“It’s more common than you think,” Uji says softly. “Lots of people left Shimokobe just before the war broke out. That included the sex trade. Lots of our prostitutes and entertainers left for more chances.” Uji’s long fingers brush down along my scalp.
“I never knew anything about Shimokobe until I came here,” I murmur. “The closest I got was when Madam Seki taught me mask making.” I smooth my palm over Mori’s forehead, tracing around his horns and down his widow’s peak. “I learned a lot from the women in the brothel, but nothing about my heritage.”
“Did you work in the brothel?” Mori asks.
I shake my head. “I worked for the brothel, but never inside it. I ran errands and did cleaning. But Madam Seki didn’t think I’d be a draw for customers, which I was grateful for.” My fingers are still on Mori’s skin. “I’ve actually never…”
“Have you ever wanted to partake in such activities?” Uji asks.
“I have certainly been curious,” I respond. “But I’ve never felt the urge until recently.”
Mori sits up with a deep chortle. “What happened recently?”
“Don’t tease her tonight, darling. She’s been through enough.” Uji runs his fingers through my hair one last time.
I fidget on the bed, biting my lip as they watch me. “Do you two like girls?” I ask quietly, almost hoping they don’t hear me.
“Women,” Mori corrects. “And yes. Uji and I enjoy all genders.”
“So even I could...” Mori’s brow raises as Uji looks away shyly. “I mean. Hypothetically. If I were into such a thing, or you two were even a thought...” I laugh nervously. “Oops! Look at that, it’s time for me to die!” I try to scurry away but Uji holds me.
“We want you to focus on creating those masks for Oyama,” Uji says. “We don’t want to distract you at all. But we’ve both grown deeply fond of you, Kiri. So, hypothetically, you are always welcome to join us.”
“Really?” My voice squeaks.
Uji slips his long fingers along my cheek. “Really.” He gently kisses my temple. “But like I said, focusing on your craft is what’s important right now. I will not allow you to forgo that for us.”
Mori snuggles close, kissing my cheek as well. “You’ve been through enough tonight anyway. You should get some sleep.”
I look down, then back into their eyes. “Can I stay here with you?”
Uji breaks into a smile. “Nothing would be more delightful.”
I’m sandwiched between the two of them that night, coddled in such a warm cocoon of limbs and blankets. I’m so excited I think I may never fall asleep, but I’m pulled under so fast I don’t realize it until morning. I wake in bed with just Uji, who is sitting up reading. When he realizes I am awake, he lies back down beside me and strokes a hand through my hair. “Sleep well?”
I nod, rubbing my eyes. “Where’s Mori?”
“Making breakfast.” He kisses my forehead. “He’ll bring it to us.”
I snuggle against his bare chest, and his skin smells like cool air and smoke. His arm trails down my back, and I shiver slightly. “Are you cold?” he asks. I shake my head, causing him to chuckle. “Thank you for telling us the truth last night. I know it must have been difficult.”
“I feel better having said it,” I sigh. “I just wish I had done it sooner.”
Uji kisses the top of my head. “I’m sure it will have no effect on Oyama either. So don’t worry about studying with him. Once you are done there, we want you to come back home to us, unless there is something important where you grew up.”
I kiss Uji’s neck, and he moans quietly. “I want to come back here. I want to stay in Shimokobe.”
Uji dips his head down, placing a soft kiss upon my lips. “Then this is your home, Kiri.”
I’m so breathless from the kiss that I chase after it again. I kiss Uji lovingly, even a bit hungrily, and Uji grants each kiss to me, moving his hand to my face to keep me steady. He smiles at me with a chuckle, taking another kiss before Mori walks in with breakfast.
“What’s this?” He sets the food aside and dusts his hands. “Should I step out to let you both finish?”
Uji waves his hand. “No, no, come and partake.”
“The food will get cold.” He kneels onto the bed as I sit up to meet him, and his tusks brush either side of my head as he kisses me. I lean in, taking more kisses as Uji stands, going to the breakfast tray and pouring his tea. I pull Mori down onto the bed, hooking my leg around his thigh as our kisses deepen. The ladies of the brothel taught me a thing or two about kissing, but I’ve never put it into practice before.
Uji clears his throat. “Breakfast is getting cold.”
Mori chuckles and kisses my ear, whispering into it. “I’d make you my breakfast in an instant.”
I snort and giggle, covering my mouth so I don’t make too much noise. “I heard that,” Uji chuckles.
Mori helps me up and offers me tea. Thankfully, it’s not that nasty stuff Uji makes us all drink first thing in the morning. “She needs to get a mask done today. After all, she must complete ten before spring. We can’t be distracting her with our own wants and needs.” Uji insists.
“Can you follow your own advice?” Mori jabs.
Uji sniffs and pushes his long hair from his face. “I will try my hardest.”
After breakfast and a few more kisses, I go to work. With so much off my mind, I’m able to complete the rough carving of the mask before dinner. Tomorrow I’ll be able to smooth it out, finish the details, and have it prepared for painting the next day. I’m so proud of my work, and eager to continue, but I need to pace myself or I could make a mistake. So I take my time, a little work each day, crafting perhaps the most beautiful mask I have ever made.
I hurriedly take it to show Uji and Mori. “If I keep this pace up, I’ll have the ten done by spring to take to Master Oyama.”
“It’s very beautiful,” Uji says.
Mori looks it over, a contemplative look on his face. “What will you call it?”
I stop dead in my tracks. “I’m not sure.”
“Names can take longer than even the crafting,” Mori replies. “Oyama is a stickler about those sorts of things. You can’t just name it anything.”
“I know.” I take the mask back. “I just wanted to show you two what I’ve been working on all this time.”
Uji takes me by the hand and pulls me between them. “Then we should reward you, shouldn’t we, Mori?”
Mori smirks. “What would you like, Kiri?”
My face burns as one thing comes to mind, but I couldn’t possibly ask for that. “It’s fine, really! Only one mask.”
“But you worked so hard. Certainly you would like something for all that effort,” Uji offers again.
“Maybe some more kisses,” I say shyly.
“We’ve got lots of those,” Mori chuckles.
I bit my lip. “And cuddling?”
“Of course.” Uji slips his arm around my back.
“Could I be… naked?” I feel silly asking for this, but I can’t help myself.
Mori and Uji both chuckle. “If you would really like that,” Mori says, “it would be a treat.”
“It’s not too ridiculous?” I giggle.
“Not at all.” Uji stands, leading the way to the bedroom. He makes sure Soso isn’t in and closes the door. I stand there awkwardly, unsure of what to do. I see Mori taking off his clothes and I suck my breath in. Uji disrobes as well, dropping his clothes to the floor before fanning out his long hair. I fidget with my clothes, forgetting how to take them off. I’m so awed by Uji and Mori’s naked forms that I can’t think of anything else.
“Come here, Kiri.” Mori offers his hand to me. “Let us help you with those.”
“Okay!” I take his hand, and he leads me between him and Uji. Their hands smooth over my body, under my clothes, moving them away from my skin. I shiver all over, excited and nervous for what’s to come. Uji’s hand goes down my back, and Mori’s hands take hold of my hips. Their lips fall on my shoulders, my arms, my chest.
“Would you like to lie down, Kiri?” Uji breathes into my ear.
I nod shakily and Mori lays me down against the sheets. I tremble slightly as they touch and fawn over me. Uji kisses my chest and neck, and Mori kisses my belly and legs. I whimper softly, trying to remember to breathe. “Do you mind if I kiss further down?” Mori whispers. His fingers slip along my belly to my mound.
I feel dizzy. “Do you want to?”
Mori grins against my cheek. “Very much.”
I nod. “Okay. I’d like that.”
Uji kisses my cheek as Mori moves down. “He’s very good with his mouth. Don’t worry.” His hand cups the back of my thigh and lifts it up as Mori lowers himself and places his palms under my ass, lifting me slightly off the bed. I squeak nervously, covering my face with my hands. Uji kisses my breasts, tickling the sensitive nipple with his long tongue. Mori kisses and kneads at my mound, moving down to kiss my thighs, and then right between them. I squirm at first, unused to the sensation. He slowly warms me up, kissing and touching before spreading me open. I squeak and Uji kisses me.
“Mori loves to please,” he whispers. “He wants to pamper you.”
Mori’s tongue licks me, and I lose my breath. “It feels weird! Slimy...” I lose my breath as his tongue hits against my clit stays there.
“Do you want him to stop?” Uji purrs.
I shake my head as Mori’s tongue circles my clit, and his low growls vibrate throughout my loins. “It feels… It feels...” I pant. Uji grabs my hand as my breathing becomes erratic.
“Feels wonderful, doesn’t it? That soft, warm tongue pressing against you. Bringing out all those breathtaking feelings.” He kisses my neck and cheek. “Making you wet, making you want more. Should Mori use his fingers?”
“He has such big hands,” I giggle dreamily.
Mori’s fingers slide up against me as he moans again against my clit. “His fingers feel wonderful inside. I promise.”
I look down, seeing Mori’s eyes focused on me. I nod silently, arching my back a little so Mori can move. He growls again, slipping his finger inside me. I bite my lip, squeezing tightly around his digit as he plunges inside. “How does he feel?” Uji whispers.
“Big,” I whimper. “Nice.”
Uji bites the tip of my ear. “I’m rather jealous. I bet you feel divine.”
Mori lifts his head, chuckling softly. “If you’re so jealous, then why not join me?”
Uji dips down, kissing Mori and licking his lips. The sight is enough to make me lightheaded. Uji chuckles, replacing Mori between my legs, careful not to poke me with his tusks. His long, elegant fingers slip inside me while his lips pucker around my clit. “Mori!” I whimper loudly.
He lies beside me, fondling my breasts as he puts his arm around my back. “Having fun still? Need a break?”
I press my face against his chest and whimper. “No! Please don’t stop.” I place my hand on his thigh. “I want to keep going.”
Mori moans softly. “I’m glad you’re enjoying it.”
I slowly pet up his thigh, feeling his shaft against my fingertips. “Mori,” I mewl. I squeal as UJi’s fingers begin to move.
“That’s it, Kiri.” Mori kisses me, swirling his tongue into my mouth. I grab hold of his cock, feeling how thick and hot he is. Uji’s fingers curl, and suddenly I come undone. I have to lie back for a while, panting and cupping my hands around my mouth.
“Breathe,” Uji coaxes. “Deep breaths.”
I giggle softly. “Oh, wow!”
Mori kisses my cheek. “Still with us?”
I nod and smile blissfully up at them. “I feel ascended. Wow!”
Uji lies down beside me, kissing my shoulder and back. “Glad we could make you feel so good.”
“I didn’t know it could feel that way.” I reach out for Mori, kissing him lovingly. I feel him poke against my belly, and he angles his hips to move his erection away. “What about you two?”
“This is your reward, Kiri.” Uji replies.
I reach down, brushing my fingertips against Mori’s cock. “Can I touch it?” I ask.
Mori moves his hips, placing himself in my palm. He moans as I stroke him, feeling his hard shaft and veins. “Uji? You can touch me with yours, if you like.”
Uji chuckles, rubbing himself against the back of my thigh. He feels quite long, while Mori is short and thick. “You’re too kind, Kiri.”
I whimper softly, feeling myself become aroused again. I move down, letting Uji continue to rub against me as I kiss the tip of Mori’s cock. I look up at him, asking for permission with my eyes, and he moves my hair away and nods. I kiss his glans again, slowly darting my tongue out over him. Uji rises, lifting my hips up into the air. He slides his cock between my thighs, and I moan against Mori’s cock.
I rise up, kissing Mori then turning to kiss Uji. We all fall onto the bed together. I’m guided on top of Mori, letting him inside me. Uji enters Mori, using oil from the bedside. When Uji moves, Mori thrusts inside me. Uji presses down against my back, kissing me and moaning into my ear. When one moves, we all feel the same thrusts, deep breaths, and sweet desire. I lose my breath several times, taken by both Mori and Uji as the night wears on.
I am raw and elated by the time the sun rises. Mori and Uji are exhausted as well, snoring beside me. Despite how loose my legs feel, I get up and make breakfast for all of us, letting them rest after such a long, delirious night. As I am taking the rice off the stove, I hear them calling for me. “Breakfast is almost ready,” I say as I step back into the bedroom, wearing Uji’s robe. “I didn’t want to wake you.”
“Can you come back for a moment?” Uji asks.
I nod, climbing back into bed with them. “Is something wrong?”
Mori grabs me, hugging me tightly as they pull me back into bed. “Last night was wonderful,” he says happily.
“It really was.” Uji snuggles up to me. “We wanted to be better lovers last night, but we fell asleep.”
“Lovers,” I coo the word. “No, it’s okay! I was exhausted too.”
“Now you’re making breakfast,” Uji breathes. “You’re far too wonderful.”
“How are you feeling?” Mori asks. “We weren’t too rough last night?”
I giggle softly. “I’m fine. My legs feel a little undone, but aside from that, you were both perfectly amazing.”
“Good,” Mori relaxes.
“You’re part of our lives forever now, Kiri.” Uji whispers. “Our friend, our lover, our partner, as long as you want it.”
I don’t have to think too hard about that. “Of course I do!”
Both relax and melt together with me. “Good,” Mori replies. “Once your training is done, we have big plans for our lives.”
A new fairy tale type story featuring a winter wonderland in peril.
Female reader x Male Monster
I can see the storm clouds over the mountains from my window. Everyday at the same time, they gather and unleash a powerful snow storm on the already frozen peaks. They say there is a witch who causes the snow storms to happen. Stories and rumors have built up in the years since the snowstorms started. Some people say the witch is just trying to keep people out. Others claim that the witch is building up her powers so she may spread her storms to the surrounding villages.
Because of the storms, the melting ice has created a river that runs through my village. It is the purest and most refreshing water and has caused crops to grow in a miraculous way. Anything watered by the river sprouts and blossoms within moments. Within days, it produces fruits and vegetables. The once floundering village was brought back to life by this river. Because of it, my father, the King, no longer had to sell it to survive complete collapse.
The river didn’t just urge the flora in the village to bloom so amazingly. Within the garden of the palace, my mother had planted an apple tree. The seeds she used were supposedly magic and she had been given them by a fair stranger on her wedding night. After she and my father returned home from their honeymoon, she planted the seeds in the garden, hoping they would take root and grow with me, since she was sure I had already been conceived.
The tree never grew and my mother died in childbirth. Then the river came and my father used its waters on the small mound where the seeds were planted. It had worked miracles for others, perhaps it would work on my mother’s tree. Come morning when he awoke, the tree had grown tall and sprung a few limbs. The leaves that grew from it were pure gold.
My father tried to pluck the leaves from the tree, yanking and pulling on it, but they never budged. The tree grew and more and more leaves sprouted, all of them pure gold, silver, and platinum. Each day, my father tried to rip leaves from the tree, hoping to use the gold to repair the crumbling palace and rebuild the gates around the village. Alas, the leaves did not move.
I was barely two when my father took me out to watch knights try and chop down limbs from the tree. All that did was destroy a few good axes, many swords, and the will of some of my father’s finest warriors.
I toddled up to the tree, having heard stories my mother had blessed it and her love resided in it. I hugged the tree with all my strength, and the next thing I knew, a golden leaf had fallen in my hair. My father was aghast! He and all his strongest men couldn’t make the tree budge and yet me, the two year old princess, had gotten a leaf from a hug.
Needless to say, my father and all the knights attempted a hug or kiss on the tree, yet received nothing. Sir Tobi, one of my father’s best knights, picked me up and told me to pick a leaf from the tree. I did. Sir Tobi told me to pick more, and I did.
My father soon realized that because my mother had planted the tree for me, I was the only one who had any power over it. I was the only person in the world who could pick leaves from the apple tree.
When I was five, I spent most of my time around the tree. I built houses into its roots, making small furniture from nut shells, leaves, bits of bark, and whatever else I could find in the garden. Since I felt my mother was present within the tree, I wanted to spend as much time with it as possible.
I hated picking the leaves, but my father needed them for the kingdom. The village was blossoming and we were well known for our hearty and bountiful vegetation. My father constructed a massive wall around the entire kingdom to keep out those who would rob us of our wealth and he kept guards around the river so no one tried to steal it as well.
One day, as I was making dolls for the root houses, I heard a whispering. I thought for sure it was the wind rustling through the leaves, but when it happened again, I heard a voice. I turned, looking at the tree as the voice picked up again.
“Who goes there?” I asked.
“Who are you?” The voice sounded similar to mine.
“Are you the tree?” I moved in closer to the trunk and patted my hand over the bark.
“Are there any apples on the tree yet?” They asked me. The leaves rustled and I looked up into the many branches.
I pointed up. “Wouldn’t you know if you were making any apples?”
“That’s not how it works!” The voice whined. “Just tell me if there are any apples! Maybe a blossom?”
I tilted my head. “This tree has never blossomed,” I answered. “It’s been alive as long as me. It makes many leaves, but there has never been an apple or blossom.”
“That is not good,” the voice from the tree grumbled.
“No it’s not,” I agreed. “Considering everything else in the village grows like crazy.”
“Who are you?” They asked again.
I shuffle on my knees closer to the tree. “I am Princess Natsumi,” I answer. “You never told me who you are.”
“You’re the princess,” they giggled. “So you’re the one who is master of the tree.”
“Aren’t you the tree?” I asked.
“Not how it works!” The voice scoffed. “Tell me how old you are.”
“I’m five,” I answered.
“No wonder. The tree won’t blossom until you’ve blossomed. At least that’s what I understand.” They sighed then. “Once that happens, you have to be careful. Someone is going to come for the apple that will grow on this tree and you must give it to them.”
“Why?” I asked.
“It’s very important!” The voice snapped. “You must give it to them or something bad might happen. You really don’t want to make them mad.”
I frowned at the tree. “Who are they?”
“I can’t tell you,” they whispered. “It has to stay secret. I shouldn’t even be talking to you now! But it’s so boring and I can’t stand it anymore.”
“What’s wrong?” I looked up back into the branches. “Are you ok?”
“Not really. I’m cursed. And don’t ask any more questions! This is all I can tell you for now.” The voice hissed.
“Will you come back here?” I asked.
“Probably not,” they huffed.
They did come back, every day for years. We talked and played together, even though their voice came from the tree. I grew up and yet the voice didn’t. They remained a precocious child all the time I knew them. As I grew older, I became a big sister type to the voice, telling them stories, giving them advice, and talking about things I didn’t think mattered but was of the utmost importance to them.
They asked me the same question at least once a day. “Is there an apple yet?”
And to my dismay, I had to answer the same way every day too. “I’m afraid there isn’t one today.”
They would sigh sadly then perk up. “Well then, maybe tomorrow.”
Over the years, my father had gone through some changes. At first, when the tree was grown and I could pick the leaves, he used them sparingly. He only took leaves when it was absolutely necessary. He then started using more and more. He built his walls, he hired his guards, he added on to the palace. Then all at once, he forbade me to pick any more leaves. Anytime I hung around the tree, he would send someone to guard me to make sure I didn’t pick anything. He even started keeping count of all the leaves on the tree. He started hoarding his own wealth in the palace as well, keeping it under lock and key so only he could visit it. He even kept my own valuable things I inherited from my mother, locked away. If I wanted them, I had to ask him, and sometimes, even days in advance, so he could think about it. My father had changed, and I felt like I couldn’t recognize him some days.
On my twenty-third birthday, I am sitting under the tree and reading out loud so Sir Tobi and the tree can hear. I am taking a break from the book and having a drink when the tree sighs out loud.
“Is there an apple today?” They ask.
I chuckle. “No, I’m afraid there-” I look up into the branches and stop cold. “There is.”
“There is?” The voice gasps in excitement. “There really is? Tell me there is again!”
The apple is hanging right above me, a perfect golden apple that catches the light and shimmers so exquisitely. It bobs and sways on the branch as a cold breeze cuts through the limbs. I shiver as the cold feels more bitter than a spring wind should.
“Yeah,” I gasp. “It’s there. There’s an apple!”
“Princess, is everything alright?” Sir Tobi asks as he approaches.
In awe of it, I point upward. “Tobi, look!” I gasp. “Right there in the branches. You see it too, correct?”
Tobi pushes back his visor as he tilts his head up. “By the gods,” he whispers. “I think I see it! In all these years, it’s never produced fruit. Why now?”
I lay my hand on my chest, remembering the words the voice had told me when I was young. The tree had blossomed because I had. But why now?
“You should pick it and take it to your father,” Tobi exclaims.
“What?” I shake my head. “No! He won’t even allow me to pluck the leaves. If I were to pick the apple, he might cut my hand off!”
“It isn’t his anyways!” The voice scoffs. “Remember! There is someone coming that you have to give it to. If you don’t, something really bad could happen.”
I glance back up at the apple as another harsh wind shakes every limb. It grows stronger and colder and I rush inside to tell my father the news.
I stand before him as he sits at his table, going over ledgers and documents that need his approval. He looks up at me as I walk into the room and he waves his fingers at me.
“Come in, come in,” he sits up in his chair. “To what do I owe the honor of this visit?”
I bow my head to him. “It’s about the tree, Father.”
He clutches the arms of the chair and his brows pinch in a furious fashion. “What happened to it? Did you pick any of the leaves?”
I shake my head. “No. Of course not. Nothing bad has happened, I assure you, Father.”
He barely relaxes, his knuckles remain white as he grips the chair’s arms. “Go on then. What is it, my child?”
“There’s an apple now,” I say with a nod. “A golden one.”
My father jumps to his feet with a strange grin on his face. “An apple? Finally?” A wicked scowl then cuts across his face. “You didn’t pick it, did you?”
I shake my head again and take a step back. “No, Father, of course not! It’s still on the tree, I promise.”
My father claps his hands on my shoulders. “Good girl, Natsumi,” he says. “You don’t touch it, just like the rest of the leaves.”
We go outside and the sky grows dark and the wind has not ceased, it has only grown stronger and colder. My father stands at the tree, looking up at his precious new commodity. As he gazes at it in awe, ice joins the wind. It stings my skin and I try to grab my father and convince him to come inside.
“You’ll catch your death out here! You need to come inside, it is starting to storm!” I grab hold of his arm but he yanks it back and I stumble.
“Leave me be! Let me admire this,” he snarls at me.
“Father, it is starting to ice! If it hails, you could get hurt!” I try to argue with him, but he is as rooted as the tree is. The wind grows harsher and I stumble to stay grounded. Sir Tobi rushes me inside and, despite my pleas, he goes outside to stay with my father and his new precious apple.
The weather grows worse and worse over the course of the next few days. My father continues to obsess over the apple and even has a globe constructed around the tree to protect it from the worsening weather. I am no longer allowed to get close to the tree, it is part of my father’s vault now, like everything else.
A snow storm strikes the village, bringing down ice and snow by heaps and piles. While my father worries about the apple tree, I start bringing villagers into the castle. The snow and ice has driven them from their homes and those who couldn’t escape have been frozen inside. I send out knights to go and rescue those who are trapped. I have turned the ballroom into a shelter and have provided the people with beds, blankets, and three hot meals every day. I sit and read with the children, hoping to calm them during the worst of this horrible blizzard. It’s sad to say my father hasn’t even noticed this, but I know it’s all for the best.
One day, as I am helping the kitchen staff set up for a dinner, I see a man in the crowd I hadn’t before. He’s so very tall, standing head and shoulders above even the burliest of Orcs and farmers in the room. He stands with his back to me, staring out the boarded up windows with his hands braced against the wall. No one seems to notice him there, they all walk by and ignore him when someone of his stature would be a remarkable sight to see.
He turns and looks back at me, his face covered by some sort of strange mask. He lifts his hand, placing a finger over the lips, as if asking me to keep quiet.
“Natsumi,” the chef grabs my attention and I look at her in shock. Her smile fades and she tilts her head. “Are you ok? What’s wrong?”
I turn back to where the man was standing, and already he’s gone. “I just thought-” I murmur. “It’s nothing,” I try to brush it off. “What’s the matter?”
“Tobi is asking for you.” The chef points to the door where I see Sir Tobi waiting. As I approach him, he grabs me and pulls me aside. His expression is anxious and frightened while his face is red and chapped from the cold.
“What’s the matter?” I gasp.
Tobi clutches my arms. “There’s someone with your father! You need to go now! It’s getting violent!”
I shudder and my jaw drops. “Is it one of the villagers?”
Tobi shakes his head rapidly. “I’ve never seen him before! He says that the apple is his. Your father is trying to kill him, but I don’t think he can.”
I follow Tobi outside, wrapping myself up as I step into the storm. I can hear my father shouting and then I hear glass shatter and a horrible scream. I rush out with Tobi, entering the apple tree’s dome, and I see my father kneeling on the ground while his hand is bleeding.
“Father!” I sit beside him and put my arms around him. “Are you ok, what is going on?” I follow his rabid dog gaze up and see the man who had been standing in the ballroom.
“You,” he points at me. “Pick the apple for me and hand it over.”
My father grabs me and forces my arms behind my back. “If you touch that tree, I’ll cut your hands off! Don’t you do it! I’ll beat you if you do!”
I scream from the shock of it. My father is hurting me and saying the most awful things. “It’s just an apple!” I cry. “Why does it matter so much?”
“Shut up! It is mine! He can’t have it! It’s mine!” My father shakes me and pushes me down onto the ground.
“Let her go, you old fool,” the man snarls. “Let her go, let her do her job.” He steps closer to us and my father drags me back.
“Stay away from us, you fiend! You monster!” My father spits and foams. “This tree is mine! It’s mine, you hear me! That apple belongs to nobody but me!”
The man’s long white hair billows around his body like the storm clouds on the mountains. A harsh wind rattles the tree and snow whips through the open door. My father pushes me onto the ground, digging his knee into my back.
“If you do not give me the girl and the apple, I will destroy your kingdom. This blizzard won’t just bury your people in snow, it will fill your walls and melt, drowning everything and you in the process.”
“Father, please!” I cry. “Just let me give it to him!”
“I was going to be fair and leave with just the apple,” the man roars over the wind and snow. “But now, because of your greed, I will take the girl with the apple and leave you your precious tree with no way to harvest it!”
“You’ll never have it!” My father screams. “Bury the village in snow! I don’t care!” He cackles. “Let it all melt and drown everything! But you will never have it!”
“Father!” I cry out in agony. “Please! Let him have what he wants! Let him have the apple! You’re hurting me! Please let me go! I beg you, Father! Why are you doing this?”
“Shut up, you! Shut up!” My father strikes my face. “You will stay silent! You are mine too and you will do as I say!”
“You fool,” the man whispers with intense anger under his breath. “I gave your bride the seeds as payment. All I wanted was the apple! And your blessed child, you treat like this?” He steps towards my father and wraps his hand around his neck. He rips him away from me and slams him against the glass of the dome.
“You are no father,” he snarls, “if you treat your daughter like she’s nothing.”
I jump up from the ground and rush to the tree. I try to jump and grab the apple, but I am far too short to reach.
“Princess!” Tobi rushes forward and grabs me around the waist. He lifts me up and I place my hands around the apple.
“No!” My father screams. “You pluck that apple and I will kill you!” He then gags as the man chokes him, crushing his throat in his fist.
I take the apple and pick it and hurriedly rush over to the man. “Here, please, let him go!” I cry. “Don’t hurt him, please!” I hold up the golden apple. “It’s all yours, take it and go from here!”
He places his hand over mine grasping the apple. “You will go with me too.”
I shiver and nod. “If that is what must be,” I gasp. “End the storm and I will go with you as you ask.”
Outside, the world goes quiet. The winds have ceased, and the ice becomes fluffy flakes of slow falling snow.
“Natsumi,” my father wheezes. “Don’t you dare go.”
I can’t make myself look at him and I bow my head down low. The man steps close to me and wraps my cape around my body. “You will not see him any longer. You are no longer his prisoner.”
I shiver and take a weeping breath. “But am I yours?”
“Merely a hostage.” He pulls away his cape and we are standing in the center of an observatory. Above us, there is a spiraling staircase leading to a monstrous telescope pointing through a glass ceiling.
As I gaze in awe, the man takes the apple from me. He steps away, laying the cape over a large chair. His long white hair then floats around him, twisting and turning until it has plaited itself into a long braid. Not an inch of his skin shows, he is covered from head to toe so none of his body is revealed. He’s so tall with such long arms and legs, I have never seen anyone of his stature before.
“Where are we?” I wipe my face of cold tears.
“The Mothdust Mountains.” He turns and looks down at me. “You can see your home from the window.” He points up.
“The Mothdust-” I stop and clutch my hands around my clavicle. “But that’s where the witch is.”
He chuckles and throws his head back. He guffaws and slaps his knee, laughing uncontrollably for what seems like an eternity. When he calms and giggles, he turns to me with a sound of glee in his throat.
“You are looking at him.” He flourishes his arms out, one hand still clutching the golden apple.
I hate how hard I must be staring at him. All my life, I have been told stories about the witch in the mountains who wanted to bury the world in snow and ice. Yet here he was, the very creature from all the stories.
“I did not know they were calling me a witch,” he chuckles again. “How flattering.”
“Yes, but I...you-” I cup my hand around my mouth. I cannot get a word out at all. I have no clue what to even say in this moment.
He bows low and sweeps his arm across his waist. “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Princess. Although, I do not plan on calling you that here. Your father said your name was Natsumi.”
I nod at him. “It is, sir. And who might you be?”
He tilts his head to the side. “Setsuna,” he answers. “I hope you do not mind that I took you. Your father deserved the punishment.”
I nervous lump has formed in my throat and no matter how many times I swallow, it will not go away. “I mind a great deal,” I tell him. “You shouldn’t have done that at all.”
“After what he did to you?” Setsuna scoffs. “He hurt you, he struck you! No man should ever harm his own child in that way. All you were to him was another key to his treasure.”
“He didn’t-” I stand still as I wonder why I am trying to make excuses for the man. “He didn’t used to be that way,” I finish unsurely.
Setsuna scoffs and turns away from me. “You should rest. I’ll fetch you when I need you.”
“Rest?” I gasp. “Rest where?”
“In the bed,” he scoffs. He shuts the door behind himself and leaves me alone.
I turn around and am startled when I see a full bedroom set where we had once been standing. I tip toe towards it, afraid it could lash out and attack me. I tap the bed gently and give the blankets a tug, pulling it away to reveal the silken sheets beneath.
“How strange,” I whisper. I look back up at the spiraling stairs and the telescope above me. I slip into the bed, laying down and covering myself up. I lay on my back and stare up through the glass ceiling. It’s starting to snow but none of it falls or even clings to the windows. It floats away, keeping the sky perfectly in view.
I wake up to a strange sound and when I open my eyes, there is now a canopy covering the bed. I step out from the curtains and look up, seeing snow falling from the open window. Setsuna is sitting by the telescope, which is now jutting out the window.
I stumble into a table and on it is a note. “There is food for you. Just eat and ignore me.” I frown at the words but as I look away from them, another table has appeared with a magnificent spread of food on it.
I sit down at the table, picking gingerly at the food. I sample it first, not wanting to take too big a bite just in case something were to happen. The fruit is fresh and the tea is fragrant. The biscuits are fluffy and the size of a cat’s head.
As I am eating, I become aware of footsteps behind me. I lower a bite from my lips and look up as Setsuna stands over me. He is dressed so no skin shows again. His long hair is swept to one side and collects into a ponytail that lays over his shoulder. His mask has sharp, harsh features that create a scowling expression. The collar to his clothes fan around the jawline of the mask and then taper down into the faded blue of his clothes.
“Good morning?” I murmur unsurely.
“You’re up earlier than I expected,” Setsuna sighs as he walks around the table. He pulls out a chair that hadn’t been there a moment ago and sits down. “I thought princesses lazed about and stayed in bed until noon.”
I frown across the table at him. “I’ve never done that.” I watch as he pours himself a cup of tea and places the cup to the lips of the mask. “I like sleeping in sometimes, but never like that. I’ve always been an early riser.”
Setsuna hums and suddenly a book appears in his hand. He opens it and starts reading as he drinks his tea, or maybe he’s just miming it. I try to return to my food, but I feel too distracted by his presence to eat.
“Aren’t you hungry?” Setsuna then asks.
“I uh-” I huff and take the napkin from my lap. “I’ve had enough to eat.”
“Women should have a hearty appetite with all things.” Setsuna looks over the edge of his book and gazes across the table at me. “Food, education, romance, even hatred. Or did your father say something to the contrary?”
“I would appreciate it if you didn’t bring him up,” I grumble. “I don’t feel much like talking about him, let alone thinking about him.”
Setsuna snaps the book shut. I then see that there is an apple engraved on the cover. “You’re right.” He stands from the table and the chair has vanished. “I have work to do anyways.” He moves towards the door and places his hand on the handle. “Stay here,” he commands. “Don’t leave this room unless I say you can. Everything you need will be provided for you here. Understood?”
I grimace at him then nod. “Understood.”
“Good.” He opens the door and all I see beyond it is an inky black void. He steps into the darkness, fading into it while the door closes behind him.
I sit back in the chair, picking up another biscuit and shoving it into my mouth. I do not know what to think, so instead I eat. After the biscuits are gone, I climb up the stairs, finding myself at the very top sooner than expected. I gaze out of the windows and look down upon my home below. The snow is gone and things look green again. I can only wonder what fervor my father is in, and I find myself enjoying the thought. For so long, I have been nothing to him but a key to the fortune of the apple tree. Now without me, the tree is worthless and half his wealth is meaningless.
“Good,” I murmur like Setsuna. I do feel sorry for the tree though. I hadn’t spoken to the voice that came from it in so long and I know how lonely they got. Without me at the palace to keep them company, I wonder what will become of them.
I glance down at the door below me and see green light shuddering from between the cracks. I wonder why Setsuna needed the apple, and aside from punishing my father, why he was keeping me here.
For now I can only ponder my situation, it will take time to learn the answers.
I hope you’re enjoying this story about Setsuna and th world of winter he’s created to protect himself.
Female Reader x Male Monster
I have sort of figured out how to control things in Setsuna’s home. Often times, I just have to think about something I want, then it’s there. Other times, it’s like a suggestion. I see something written down and then it’s there beside me. I’m not sure how the magic works, but I am never really without it.
Setsuna drifts in from time to time, keeping an eye on me. He reminds me often never to leave the observatory without him, or else. Not sure what ‘or else’ means, but I have not wanted to test those waters. My curiosity is piqued however.
I still don’t know what Setsuna wanted with the golden apple, or why he even gave the seeds to my mother in the first place. He’s never really answered my questions, he’s rather vague and withholding. I was used to my father shouting out his commands and demands, never once budging or giving way. Setsuna, on the other hand, even with his order I never leave, allowed openness. He’s encouraging, in a strange way, that I explore as much as I can about the observatory. I can do as I see fit and roam about wherever I want to go. I can use the telescope to look into the village and check on things.
The apple tree is still kept under a dome but I have not wanted to look much at the palace. I don’t have the stomach for it, but I love seeing the village as it goes about its daily life. I miss the people and I am lonely in this solitary keep. Even if I have more freedom here than at home, Setsuna isn’t exactly the best of company.
One morning after breakfast, I am feeling rather restless. There’s nothing I want to do, and nothing that seems interesting to me. I wander around, scouring through books, rustling through chests of sewing supplies, and nothing makes me feel any better. I am bored, yet I don’t want to do anything, but I want to do everything. I sit down in a chair, grumbling over my state when I glance towards the door.
Setsuna had been gone for a long time after having gone through that door. He disappears behind it every day after breakfast, only coming out for dinner and then vanishing behind it again. There’s a large keyhole under the doorknob and suddenly my curiosity is tormented. I sit up and stare at the keyhole for a long time. I know I shouldn’t peek, I should try and obey Setsuna as best as possible.
I stand up from my chair and walk over to the door. I wonder if this is all some sort of test and he’s waiting for me to open the door. Perhaps he’s just been waiting all this time and laughing at me. After all, any normal girl would want to escape this situation. I kneel down and peer through the keyhole. Inside, I see Setsuna sitting at a desk, his long white hair is tied back in a braid that hangs over the arm of the chair.
Beyond him, there is a bed covered in white lace and laden with dolls and teddy bears that are all covered in a layer of frost. The bed itself is encapsulated by ice, shimmering in the glowing lights coming from Setsuna’s desk. I change my position a little more to see there is a very young girl tucked into the bed and covered by the ice.
I gasp in shock and Setsuna’s head rises. He turns to the door and I duck down, scuttling to behind the door as it opens. I’m squished between the wall and the door and start to crawl away while Setsuna’s back is to me. I am near the bed when he clears his throat.
I freeze and sit up on my knees.
“What on earth are you doing?” He scoffs at me.
“I was, uhm-” I see the sewing kit sitting by the fire place. “I dropped a needle!” I blurt out quickly. “Yes.” I stand up and dust off the front of my skirt. “I was sewing and I dropped a needle and was looking for it. I didn’t want to step on it, or you.”
Setsuna tilts his head and closes the door behind him. “A needle?”
I nod anxiously, feeling sweat start to trickle down the small of my back.
“What were you sewing?” Setsuna crosses his arms against his chest.
My mouth opens and closes like a landed trout. I finally shut it and clear my throat. “I don’t know,” I answer.
“You don’t know?” He laughs.
“I’m uninspired,” I quickly move along with the lie. “I’m having a hard time thinking of things I can do. There is only so much I can do here.”
Setsuna looks around. “I suppose so. But is it much better than where you came from?” He takes a step towards me. “Seems your father kept you on a pretty tight chain so you were never too far from his beloved apple tree.”
“I suppose,” I mutter. The apple tree had been my friend, so had Sir Tobi. I would at least have the voice from the apple tree to talk to, to read to, someone I could talk with.
“I suppose what is lacking here is a friend,” I confess.
“A friend?” Setsuna scoffs. “Are you serious?”
I shake my head slowly. “Back home, I was used to having people around. People I could talk to and share with.” I fidget in place. “Here, I am left to my own devices and it’s getting pretty lonely.”
Setsuna’s shoulders slouch and he tilts his head back. “I’ve been up here alone for far longer than you have been alive,” he tells me. “The Mothdust Mountains aren’t a friendly place. You have no idea how to cope without friends? I have no idea how to cope with them.” He lays his big hand over his chest.
“I just want someone to talk to,” I say with a shrug. “It’s not something so difficult.”
Setsuna wags his finger before the mask and clicks his tongue. “For some people, talking is a very hard thing to do.”
My expression becomes pinched and exasperated. “Then why even bring me here? Just to torture my father? I doubt that wholly the case.”
Setsuna reers back then. “You have everything you want on a whim, it is comfortable here for you. Why question it and not just enjoy it? You don’t have to deal with all the malarkey down there. You can finally just ‘be’ here. Don’t try to poke holes and go along with it.”
“Says the warden to the prisoner!” I snap back at him.
Setsuna balls up his fists then thrusts a finger towards me. “How dare you call me such a name! I keep no chains on you like your father did!”
“Then why can’t I go outside? Why am I trapped in here?”
“Because there is a blizzard outside!” Setsuna snaps his hands towards the door. “You don’t see from the observatory window because it is protected. But you set one foot outside without me and the blizzard would have you broken and bloody over a cliff!” He stomps his foot down hard on the ground. “I keep you in here to protect you until the storm has passed! Once it has, then you can decide where you want to go.”
I stand still for the longest moment. I avert my gaze, feeling ashamed for a moment. “I didn’t realize.” I rub my hand up my arm. “I just assumed there was a reason.”
“There is,” Setsuna growls. “But I do not have the heart to voice it yet. What happens between now and Spring, well, it is a matter of wait and see.”
“Does it have to do with the apple?” I step forward cautiously.
“Maybe it does and maybe it doesn’t.” Setsuna places his hand on the doorknob.
“You were willing to destroy an entire Kingdom for it,” I urge. “It must mean something, something important!” I then shake my head. “There was a voice that told me someone would be coming to take the apple, and if we didn’t hand it over-”
Setsuna surges towards me. “A voice?” He bends over me. “What sort of voice? From where?”
“The tree,” I gasp. “It always came from the apple tree.” I look up at him and his eyes are glowing underneath the mask. “The voice always sounded like a little girl.”
“What’d she say?” Setsuna’s voice is suddenly gentle and bewildered. “What else did she tell you?”
I shrug then clear my throat. “Anything personal she was vague about.” I look into the glowing shapes behind the mask, seeing colors of purple and soft pink with tinges of blue. “She told me the apple should be readily given. I suppose she meant you.”
“What else?” Setsuna snaps.
“I always just talked to her.” I squeeze my shoulders up around my neck. “She always sounded young, acted it too, so I just sort of became a big sister to her. She liked stories about animals the most, so I always had books on hand.”
Setsuna stands away and turns his attention elsewhere. His breath comes out slow and with a muted sob.
“Is something wrong?” I step towards him.
Setsuna swings his arm out and blocks me from coming any closer. He goes to the door again and shakes his head at me, “It’s nothing. Find that needle.” He disappears beyond the door again, slamming it shut behind himself.
I sigh and my shoulders slouch. “Well then,” I murmur. I start to walk away when the door thrusts open again. Setsuna stands there, staring down at me.
“A little girl’s voice? You’re sure?” He steps towards me, leaving the door wide open.
“Yes, I’m sure,” I gasp in alarm. “She sounded nice!” I peer behind him inside the door where I can see the young girl sleeping in the bed, covered by ice and snow. I look back up at Setsuna as he stares me down.
“I don’t know what else to tell you. We were probably the same age when she first started talking to me,” I reach out to touch him but he yanks himself away. “I grew up, she didn’t, so I just tried to be there for her. There were some days she just sounded so alone. She never told me her name though, she never told me who she was. She only said she was cursed one time.”
He scoffs and tosses his head. “All these years and yet-” He stops himself. He turns around and looks back into the room. “She never blamed anybody?”
“No,” I stay behind him, afraid to step out of bounds. “The only other person she ever mentioned was the one who was coming to get the apple. She just said they were mad for some reason.” I stretch out my hand and place it on his arm. “Are you ok, Setsuna?”
“It’s my fault,” he whispers.
I take a step forward and stand beside him. I look up at his mask and see there are tears spilling out.
“I was working and she scared me-” his voice trembles.
I look to the open door and see the little girl in the bed. “Is she your daughter?” I place my hand on his arm again.
Setsuna hangs his head. “I found her when she was a baby. She was left in the snow all alone, just screaming and screaming. I was so angry at whoever left her there. I took her in and warmed her up, fed her, clothed her. I always intended to take her back down to the village but time just-” his voice fades away as he stares at the bed. “It slips away so fast. She called me Dad before I knew it.”
Setsuna steps into the room and kneels down beside the bed. The little girl is small and completely white with tiny horns sticking out from her forehead. She’s a tiefling.
“It was always just us,” Setsuna whimpers, cupping his hands over the mask. “I thought she was napping so I tried to work. But she was faking.”
I place my hands on his shoulders and stand behind him. “Is that what the apple is for?”
Setsuna sniffles. “Your mother offered me what I needed,” he whimpers. “She took the seeds and promised to plant them. I didn’t know the tree would bond to you.”
I look over at the little girl on the bed. So, this is the little girl I had been speaking to all these years. This tiny, white tiefling with fluffy hair and pudgy cheeks. All this time, she was reaching out because she was lonely and trapped. “What’s her name?”
Setsuna lifts his hands from his palms and looks at her. He reaches out and places his hands over her hand frozen in ice. “Aya.”
On his desk, a vial starts to glow. It brightens into a radiant gold color and Setsuna stands up from the floor. He looks at it in awe then quickly takes it and goes to Aya. He pours the gold elixir over her mouth. The ice melts and the gold slips between her lips.
Once the vial is empty, Setsuna stands back from the bed. He reaches out, taking hold of my hand and squeezing it tight.
The ice melts away and Aya’s fluffy hair springs up. The frost from her dolls and stuffed animals turns into a fine glitter that makes them sparkle. Aya yawns and stretches, sitting up in bed. She opens her eyes and grumbles.
“Daddy?” She whimpers. Her bright pink eyes stare up at him and fat tears start to slide down her cheeks. “Daddy!”
Setsuna throws himself at her, wrapping her up in his strong arms as she clings to him. Her tiny hands tug at his collar as she tries to hug him harder.
I sigh with relief, clutching my hand over my chest. My heart is beating so fast, so terrified the moment Setsuna grabbed my hand.
“Natsumi!” Aya gasps as Setsuna sits aside. “Is it really you?”
I kneel down as she puts her hands on my face. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Aya.”
“You weren’t talking to me anymore,” Aya whimpers. “I thought something bad had happened to you.” She touches my cheek where my father had slapped me. “He hurt you.”
“I’m fine, Aya. I’ve been here.” I run my fingers through her hair. “Your father brought me here.”
“If the apple worked, I didn’t want her to be so lonely after-” Setsuna sobs and Aya pats the top of his head.
“It’s ok, Daddy,” Aya coaxes.
“All of this was my fault,” he cries. “I thought you would hate me!”
Aya pouts her bottom lip out. “It was my fault, I thought you would be mad at me.” She tilts her head down. “Why are you wearing that mask? I want to see you.” She grabs hold of the white mask and pulls it away.
Setsuna’s hair and hands cover his face. His skin is all bright red and massive horns jut out from his forehead. As Aya peels his hands away his eyes are a brilliant yellow with small black irises. Two sets of tusk jut from his mouth, one going up while the other goes down.
“An Oni,” I whisper in awe.
“There you are,” Aya fusses. She cups his face between her hands. “If we both apologize, will it be ok?”
Setsuna’s expression is soft and gentle. “You don’t need to apologize, little one. I’m so sorry I did this. I’m so sorry it took so long.”
“I’m sorry I scared you.” Aya smiles. She hugs him again then steps off the bed. She takes hold of our hands and leads us out into the observatory where a huge banquet table covered in food has appeared.
I look up at Setsuna, admiring him for a long moment before he turns and looks at me. I quickly avert my gaze and feel my face burning red hot.
“Come on!” Aya urges us. “I want us to eat together!” She sits us down across from one another while she sits at the head of the table between us.
I try not to look at Setsuna, because when I do, I find myself staring at him. His skin is lovely, and the way his long hair falls over his face makes him all the more pleasant to look at. Aya is adorable at least, excitedly going on about the things she wants to do now that she’s free from the curse.
“Don’t get too excited now, Aya,” Setsuna warns her. “Spring will be coming soon and with it, Natsumi may wish to return home.”
Aya’s expression sinks and her eyes go big and wide. “But why would she want to go back?”
“That is only for Natsumi to decide,” he growls and pets Aya’s head. “All we can do is allow her the freedom to go.”
Aya pouts. “Then I’ll make her want to never leave!” She announces decidedly. “I will make Natsumi happy here and she will want to stay with us forever.”
Setsuna scoffs and urges her to sit back down. “Aya, what on earth are you going on about?”
Aya looks at me. “I don’t know what it is yet, but by Spring, you will want to stay and stay and stay! I swear it!”
I chuckle and nod. “It’s a challenge then.” I reply. I hold my hand out to her. “I accept it, young lady.”
Aya grabs my hand and tries to shake my entire arm. “I’ll win! You’ll see!”
For the next few days, Aya is heavily in thought. Anytime Setsuna or I ask her what she’s doing, she tells us she’s plotting. It gives us a giggle, but we leave her to do as she pleases. One day, I am going through sewing materials to make Aya a new dress and she notices the big bundle of white fabric at the bottom of the chest.
“What’s this for?” She asks me.
“That’s wedding fabric,” I explain to her. “A bride would make her wedding gown out of this fabric.”
Aya’s eyes light up. “A bride?” She stares up at me. “What about the groom?”
“He has different clothes,” I chuckle. “Depending on his family, his clothes would be made from their sigil colors, but the bride would have made him a special handkerchief from her gown’s fabric that he would keep.”
Aya furrows her brow as a calculating look comes over her face. “Have you ever made a wedding gown before?”
“Oh, goodness, no!” I gasp. “I’ve never been married.”
Aya sits down and rubs the white fabric between her palms. “What if you did make one? I mean just in case.”
“Oh,” I start to catch on. “Just in case of what?”
“You never know,” Aya replies. “It’s like in the stories you told me, sometimes true love comes without a warning. If that happens, you’d want a dress right away, wouldn’t you?”
I shrug and smile at her “I suppose.”
Aya then thrusts the white fabric at me. “Then you should start! Who knows how long a wedding dress takes! You should start now just in case!”
“Oh, Aya,” I laugh, “I don’t think-”
“For me then?” Aya pouts. “You can make it and if you don’t need it, it’ll be for me! How about that?”
I sigh and smirk at her. “Ok, for you then.”
I start to work on the wedding dress while Aya watches over me and helps me with certain things. One day while we’re stitching together, she gasps. “Oh no! I lost my needle.”
I reach for the tin box beside me. “That’s ok, I have more over-”
“I need to go get Daddy,” she says decidedly. “He has good eyes, he can help me find it!” She scampers off and, a moment later, Setsuna walks into the room. He looks at me then looks back at the door as it shuts.
“What’s she doing?” I ask, setting aside the material and papers.
“I’m not sure, she told me to come out here.” He then turns as a table appears and the lights in the room go dim. Candles flicker on and Aya knocks on the door. “You stay in there and you don’t get to come out until I say so!”
“Aya!” Setsuna bangs his fist on the door.
“She’s playing matchmaker,” I sigh.
“What?” Setsuna glares at me.
I glance down at my hands, trying not to stare again. “She wants me to stay forever, remember? So she’s playing matchmaker. She thinks if we fall in love, then I’ll stay.”
“Oh, that’s a laugh,” Setsuna snarls. “You can’t even look at me. How does she expect us to fall in love when you can’t stand me?”
I gasp and look up at him. “That’s not true!”
Setsuna keeps his back turned to me. “Everytime I glance your way, you avert your eyes. I see it often. You can’t stand to look at me.”
“But that’s not-” I am burning hot with shame and embarrassment. “I look away because I tend to stare.”
Setsuna turns to me as he grabs the wine and pours a glass. “Stare at what?”
I peek up at him. “Because I like looking.” I curl my hair around my finger. “I like looking at you.”
Setsuna doesn’t seem to notice his wine glass is overflowing and the vinter red is pouring over his fingers. He sets the glass and near empty bottle down. “You what?”
“I like looking-” I grumble, “at you and stuff.” I release my hair and gaze back up at him. “You’re very handsome.”
His lip curls up and his brow arches. “Are you joking?”
I shake my head. “Red is my favorite color.”
Setsuna sighs and plops down in his seat. He runs his fingers through his hair and cups his palm around his eyes. “A lovely girl like you likes to look at a creature like me?”
“You’re big and handsome, there’s a lot to look at.” I play with my fingers as I try to keep my silly smile in check. “I’m sorry if it’s embarrassing.”
Setsuna looks up at me. “You’re like a rose,” he murmurs. “So beautiful and delicate, yet you were kept under glass when you deserved to be in the sun.” he then scoffs. “That’s how I saw it anyways,” he grumbles.
“Maybe Aya is smarter than we realized,” I giggle. “Have we both admired one another all this time?”
Setsuna bows his head down. “It appears that way.”
I stand up and walk over to him. As he looks up at me, I place a soft kiss on his lips. I place my hands on his shoulders as his wrap around my waist.
“I knew it!” Aya bursts open through the door.
Setsuna stands up and grabs her. “Your timing is terrible, you heathen child! I’ll curse you again and this time on purpose!”
Aya is cackling and laughing loudly. “I knew it! I knew it!” She cheers.
That evening, Aya asks me to tuck her into bed. She clutches her favorite stuffed tiger and looks up at me with big round eyes as I read her a story.
As I kiss her cheek good night, she tugs on my sleeve. “Natsumi?” She chirps. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Of course, what is it?” I sit back down and hold the book in my lap.
“You’ve always been there for me,” Aya murmurs. “You were what I assumed a mother always was.” She holds onto my hand. “When you and Daddy get married, can I call you Mama?”
I don’t know how I didn’t burst into a puddle of tears then and there. I kiss her hand and smile at her. “Yeah, it’s ok.” I don’t have the heart to say anything else on the matter. Her sleepy grin is everything I ever needed. I tuck her in and as I close the door, I drop the book to cover my face with my palms.
“Natsumi,” Setsuna gasps. “What’s wrong?”
“She’s the sweetest thing in the world!” I blubber. “How could I ever tell her no after that?”
Setsuna wipes my cheeks and smiles down at me. “Ok now, what did she do to you?” He chuckles.
It takes me a moment to talk again. “She asked if she could call me Mama.”
“I see,” Setsuna chuckles softly. “That would be a difficult thing to turn down.” His hand slips around my waist. “Is that ok with you?”
“Of course it is!” I cry. “I love you and Aya, why would I ever-” I cup my hand around my mouth and look back at Setsuna.
His expression is blank and I can’t read it. I am terrified I have spoken a secret too soon. I remove my hand to explain myself and Setsuna quickly replaces it with a kiss. He wraps his arms around me tight, pulling me closer into his body.
“I love you too,” Setsuna breathes into my ear.
I run my fingers through his hair and smile up at him. “Aya won after all,” I chuckle.
“She did, didn’t she?” His hands rub up and down my back. “So you’ll stay with us then? Through Spring?”
“I want to go home,” I confess quietly. “If only to check on my father and tell him I will be with you.” I pet my hand down his strong chest. “I will tell him I love you and Aya, and if he wants me to return home, he will have to seek help to return to the man he used to be. He will have to get through his madness and cruelty if he ever wants to know his family.” I touch Setsuna’s cheek and smile at him. “Aya and whatever other children come.”
Setsuna snarls and bites my fingertips one by one. “Other children?”
“That’s what happens when you make love,” I whisper to him. “Because I plan on sharing more than just a bed with you.”
Setsuna chuckles darkly and kisses me. “Aya was smart to suggest you started on making your wedding dress,” he whispers. “Because I plan on seeing you in it very soon.”
That Spring, we travel back home to my kingdom. I find my father has fallen very ill and I am able to be with him in his final moments. In those few days we share together, he gets to meet and accept both Aya and Setsuna. He apologizes to me, weeping that my mother would never ever forgive him in heaven.
When Setsuna and I marry, Sir Tobi places the crowns on both our heads. Aya and I read under the apple tree together often and I teach her how to build doll houses underneath the roots like I used to.
One day, Setsuna and I are enjoying a late morning. We had woken up early, but we had enjoyed each other heavily. We are kissing and cooing when we hear Aya running up the hallway.
“Mama! Mama!” Aya bursts into the room just as I get my robe on. “Daddy! You need to come see! Hurry! Hurry!”
“What is it?” Setsuna laughs as she drags us out into the garden.
“You have to see! Hurry!” Aya places us under the tree and points up. There on a branch is a new golden apple.
I gasp, covering my mouth with my hand. “Another apple?” I stare. “But what does it-” I stop when Setsuna places his hand over my belly. “Oh!”
“The tree and you are connected, remember?” Setsuna grins. “The apple means something has blossomed.”
