Hey there.

• You're likely not a human if you were together before he became the Shadow Monarch. Maybe one of the Rulers? Someone from their troops?

• You knew him before he knew you. He was kind of hard to miss since he was once one of Brilliant Fragments of Light. Talks about him amongst your fellow Rulers were common as well.

• He's a busy man of high ranking, well respected and admired by many. He's not someone anyone thinks they could approach lightly but contrary to those beliefs, Ashborn would never turn down any of his companions who come to him.

• You're probably the one to approach him first. It could be anything like reporting the status of the army to him or just asking him a question out of curiosity, if you're bold enough. Either way, now he's aware of who you are.

• As your interactions become more frequent, he slowly grows more curious about you as well. Expect deeper and longer conversations too.

• Sometimes you'll find yourself training together and although Ashborn has never been one to flaunt his abilities, he'll pull off a hard stunt or move just to impress you. You can see the corners of his eyes creasing slightly under his helmet when you show your admiration or praise him.

• (Bellion has some competition)

• It takes some time but eventually the both of you grow close enough that he feels safe to share his fears and concerns to you about the wars and how much it pains him to see the others get hurt.

• He's so used to being the strongest, the reliable pillar everyone can lean on. You're the only one who gets to see him like this. Vulnerable. 𝘞𝘦𝘢𝘬.

• After you cross that threshold, you can see him being a lot more open and affectionate towards you. It includes small things like asking you how your day was, waiting for you to catch up to him and asking if you need help with anything.

• Kissing isn't really known by him or any of your kind, for that matter. Instead, you'll get affectionate head bumps (helmet to helmet), nuzzling your horns or faces together, holding hands and brushing your wings with one another.

• He'll become more protective of you, especially during the wars. Even though he can't always be by your side, he'll make sure none of the more dangerous opponents come your way. Checking up on you after every fight in also a must.

• Give him your love and loyalty, he will return it tenfold. But beware, betray his trust and you will burn in the fires of his anger. Yet...

• ...He could not bring himself to hate you even as you sink your spear into his back and fly off with the rest to kill his Master.

• Whether you are a Ruler or human or anything else, you will have to have a lot and I mean A LOT of patience with this man. He has already been betrayed twice which has left him a little more than distrustful and paranoid about others.

• Unlike his Fragment self, he pushes away anyone who tries to approach him. He refuses to entertain any sort of conversation unless it's with his shadow soldiers, even then their interactions are limited to business.

• He's not taking any more chances. He's had centuries of time to build up the walls around him so it's going to take more than just a few words for you to break down each and every one.

• Lot of cold glares, short & direct answers and getting ignored. Don't take it to heart. Being dismissed is still better than ending up on the wrong side of his greatsword.

• Its going to take a long time before you can earn even a smidgen of his trust. He is constantly doubting what your true intentions are, whether you're lying to him or not or if you're just trying to exploit his weaknesses (if he even has any).

• The key is consistency and knowing when to give him space. Try not to accidentally anger the ancient being. That's how you end up as fertilizer for the World Tree.

• Don't force him to do anything he doesn't like and recognize the cues when you should take your leave. Slowly, you'll find him starting to relax around you. It's not an easy process but eventually, he will acknowledge you and respond to your greetings or small talk.

• Ashborn will likely begin observing you from afar, taking note of your behavior and intentions. When he sees you are sincere in wanting to get close to him and not hurt him, he will gradually start to open up more.

• You won't notice exactly when it happened but Ashborn has already warmed up to you and your presence. He still has his doubts but he's weaker to his emotions than he thought...

• He will remain defensive but in rare moments, his true personality shows through, revealing the weary and kind-hearted being underneath.

His fingers twitch against his sides for a split second–claws flexing on instincts before he forcibly relaxes them. You had already reassured him that the cut on your arm was an accident but he still seemed on edge. He mutters something like, "Foolish creature...you are already fragile as it is." And quickly walks about before you notice the hint of vulnerability.

(He offered to have one of his shadow soldiers follow you around to keep you safe but of course you immediately turned it down.)

• You've become somewhat of an emotional pillar for him and although Ashborn doesn't show it, his feelings of not being good enough (not only as a lover but also as a warrior and protector) haunt him constantly. Your words of reassurances mean more to him than you might think.

• He would show his affection in subtle yet meaningful gestures: He would walk close to you, slightly shielding you with his body or cloak at all times, offering you words of encouragement when you seem to be struggling and remembering small things you mentioned in earlier conversations.

• The most you'll get from him in terms of physical affection (for now) is hand holding. At first, he's hesitant but he doesn't realise how touch starved he is until his fingers curl around yours. He had almost forgotten how it felt to touch another person after being surrounded by nothing but the cold and shadows for years.

• The warmth of your hand lets him know that you're here, safe and alive.

• His love is selfless, caring for you before himself. He loves you with everything he has and he will give up anything just to keep you safe. He has lost everything else, he doesn't want to lose you too.

• • •