#efrit x reader

Once Ariana began collecting her Jewels, the position as the Empire’s ambassador had been switched over from you to her.  She used it to find Prince Efrit of Xek, Sir Raymond from Galdeon and Jade Meldea within a year. Duke Nell Phantom had become her first Jewel after he had been honored for his contributions in the war against the Oriana Islands. In exchange for being the Princess’ Hound and overseer of her other Jewels, Ariana had promised to provide financial aid to his family after so many failed business deals forced him to fight at a young age. She has yet to deliver it to him. 

Huan Baek, her favorite and the Moon Fairy of Darhan, came to the country three months ago after he said good-bye to his loved ones.  Either he would come willingly to Arbezela as a concubine in your sister’s harem, or there would be war between the Empire and Darhan.

 Jade had been forced to be here too, as compensation for his father’s mistakes. If that wasn’t enough to give poor King Neptune a heart attack, Ariana ordered Lord Melda to be castrated for the crime of using his position and rank to force women into being his sex toys. Castrating a royal official based on Ariana’s testimony that Lord Meldea struck her when she had traveled to the southern kingdom of Marloe under the guise of a dancer? In Galdeon, she had coerced Sir Raymond to get on his knees at a banquet and kiss her feet in front of everyone, including King Goldblackrose. 

 By Astotelia’s mercy, when will she understand that actions have consequences? How could you even trust Ariana to look after the people with this kind of mindset? 

Why couldn’t your mother trust you to do more than just handling the palace’s domestic affairs and entertaining guests? 

You reclined back against your chair, glancing over your shoulder to blink owlishly at the sight of a setting sun from the oriel window in your office. The light blue skies were slowly transforming into an indigo tapestry of the night before you had realized that the day was already over; pink clouds still hovered the horizon, lingering for a little longer before they molded into one and birthed the constellations. You’ve been in here for too long. It was time for a walk. 

You stood up. As you did so, you saw two furred bodies spread across the floor twitch. The first one possessed a lanky frame with a long silky black coat and tail, one ear pointed up at the ceiling while a dark brown orb squinted at you. The second was smaller with a white fluffy coat and bouncing on her stubby feet, yipping in excitement  as her black nose twitched. You smiled softly, kneeling down to scoop up the little darling in your arms before pressing a kiss against the side of her head. 

“I’m sorry, Penelope. I didn’t think the paperwork would take me this long. How about you, me, and Morpheus here go outside for a bit while the chef makes us something yummy to eat?” Penelope licked your cheek in response, making you laugh. “Yes, yes, you would like that, wouldn’t you? Well, lead the way, silly girl.” You placed her back on the carpeted floor, watching in amusement as she almost barreled through the half-open doorway while Morpheus languidly stretched himself before following suit, although at a more leisurely pace and on your right side. 

An overprotective, energetic Pomeranian and a gentle Borzoi. They were last-minutes gifts from your parents, even when you had tried to persuade them that you did not desire anything for your fifteenth birthday. Now? They motivated you to step outside from your office and take time for yourself, though the habit of not eating lunch is still hard to break when these two ate twice a day, breakfast and dinner. 

And these two knew the way to their little playground like the back of their paws; down the grand staircase, turn right at the last step and then walk through the double stained glass doors to a cobblestone path that sliced through a wide, evergreen courtyard. They never liked the stone path, preferring to blitz across the grass. You would need to apologize to the gardener and make sure he’s paid properly for patching up the grass in the courtyard for the nth time after Penelope and Morpheus’ running around. 

In the center of this humble courtyard was a large two-tier fountain, commissioned by a famous craftsman in the Empire. Upon your request, the miniature statues of wolves that lined each tier were gulping down the water and  illuminated at night by magic. You personally liked the crescent-shaped moon where the water sprang out and was gulped down by the wolves  looking  up for it, for either guidance or sustenance. Fitting for Winterfell, the northern palace that served as your home. 

As much as you wished to appreciate the blossoming beauty of this chilly night on this little walk, your mind was plagued with anxiety and unease. The preparations for the Sun Ceremony would begin soon and the Emperor had not decided on which of his children would act as the Believer of Light. For Ariana or Bavilo, it was an opportunity to prove to the Emperor and everyone else that they had what it took to be his successor. All it meant for you was more paperwork and hours spent in the Empress’ office, organizing the event from the menus to the seating in the Holy Temple. You would never be considered to become part of such a sacred ceremony because the Emperor and Empress cannot bear the thought of another legitimate child being taken away from them by the gods. 

You squeezed your eyes shut. You inhaled deeply through your nose and slowly exhaled, allowing the scent of the white floribunda roses scattered across the courtyard to engulf your senses for a brief moment. To make you forget about the responsibilities you would have to face tomorrow and relax with your precious companions. You were about to take another breath when the sound of Penelope’s barking reached your ears. Blinking, you turned around and backtracked towards the fountain. 

Who or what did she see that was causing such a ruckus before dinnertime? Did Morpheus topple over her again? Did she see one of the new servants walking around and went into her watchdog mode until the danger passed? When you finally reached the center of the courtyard, she was snarling at someone you had not expected to see at this hour of the night. 

[nell phantom]

[efrit karsia]

[jade meldea]

[huan baek]

[raymond amber]

When he had finally gotten permission to speak to you in Winterfell’s reception hall, he said plainly what he wanted with no pleasantries or whatever the custom is when speaking to a host in Arbezela. His request to hand over the mines did not please you because he demanded that you hand over property that is rightfully yours. Rude.

“Why do you want them?” You asked, lacing your fingers together neatly on your lap. He told you. You looked at him for a while, eyes piercing through his bird skull mask before you finally spoke. 

“The Emperor gave those mines to me. I cannot bequeath the rights to the crown princess of Xek without a good reason, and what you’ve just said will not persuade him. He will think you are trying to gain more strength through me and he will not take it well. However, if I tell him I wish to give them to Princess Tetra as a gift, a sign of goodwill between our two countries, he might change his mind. It is doable but time consuming because he is the Emperor. Yet it sounds like you do not have that kind of luxury.” You sighed. “What do you know about crops, Prince Efrit?”

From there, the discussion shifted from magic stones to a project you have been secretly collaborating on with the wizards of the magic tower. Including the second prince Haveron, the two of you have seen a decrease in crop production, especially during the summer. If it continues, there will be a famine the likes of which no one could have predicted in Arbezela. The nobility might be all right, but the ones who support the crown will suffer. People who live in the capital and on the streets will starve, and what follows with hunger? Unrest. Turmoil. Sorrow. And anger towards the royal family for not acting sooner. This project is to prevent that from happening. The trial run will soon begin.

If he can wait six months with no setbacks, you will provide him with the seedlings and the cultivation method necessary for successfully producing them in Xek. You are also hoping six months is more than enough time to persuade the Emperor to give four of the magic stone mines to Xek for their usage. Perhaps it can coincide with the celebration of Karsia’s birth, the sun god who would soon after create a kingdom in the desert and crown a king to lead the people; Xek’s foundation day, and receive such gifts from an ally? Efrit could not deny that being patient for a little longer would be worth it all in the end. What would you want from this exchange, though? No one is truly generous unless they expect a payment that equals the services they are offering.

To his surprise, you smiled at his question. It was small, yet such an expression made his heart skip a beat.  “I won’t ask much,” You said as a servant approached on your right, carrying a tray where an indigo-dyed letter rested, a gray wax seal in the shape of a wolf stamped on it. You plucked the letter from the tray and slid it across the table towards him. “Deliver this to Crown Princess Tetra and I will consider this arrangement to be valid unto my honor as the Moon of the Arbezela Empire. However…” your smile grew, stretching, and became razor sharp. “If I find out that you had tampered with this letter and read the contents for the sake of satisfying your curiosity, then our arrangement will be, unfortunately, voided. Do I make myself clear?”

He nodded vigorously. “Of course. You have my word.” He just hoped you would believe him because, damn it all, he wanted to know why everything hinged on this letter. Is it intel written in a secret codex only known to you and Tetra? Or were you offering something else to the person who could very well take Xek’s throne as an Empress? Either way, Efrit was curious. And it was never a good idea to keep a curious spy in the palace because he’ll use whatever means necessary to collect the information he desired without getting caught.

That’s why Sir Raymond Amber, the Golden Fox of Galdeon and Princess Ariana’s second favorite Jewel, is the perfect volunteer for the job.

Efrit already had a plan in his head by the time he left Winterfell, only informing Abal about it because he trusted his childhood friend to keep his mouth shut. The following morning, his plan was in the lounging area of the eastern palace and played it out gloriously.

It had been so simple; leave the letter out on the table in the conference room where everyone met with the princess to discuss ideas on how to handle the Red Rose and solidify her position in the Empire. Right now, she is hoping to be nominated as the Believer of Light for the Sun Ceremony. Ambassadors from all over would attend to witness the sacred ritual, including Akelaide and Tetra.

Since Sir Raymond was always the first one to arrive, he would see it first. He would turn it over and see that the letter was from you. Sir Raymond would open it to see the contents because who wouldn’t want to know why you were contacting the youngest princess in such a manner when you could have done is summon her to Winterfell or go to her yourself.. Then Efrit would step inside the room just half a minute later, and get into an argument with him that was so loud that the princess would come and see who is making all the racket. Efrit would tell Ariana that you entrusted him to deliver this letter on your behalf, with the condition that it would not be opened. He had accidentally left it in the room last night and came back immediately to retrieve it.

Imagine his surprise and anger at seeing Sir Raymond with the letter in his hands, unsealed! Surely he must understand that he should not pry into some letters.

While Ariana scolded her Jewel in front of Nell, Jade, and Huan, Efrit got to glimpse at what you had written, although it was a few sentences because he did not want to get caught just yet.

Enemy factions seek to use my position for their own ends, which has led me to make this difficult decision: to seek political asylum in your kingdom, where I hope to find safety and protection. Your Highness, you may view my arrival with suspicion, but I urge you to consider my situation with compassion.

What Efrit had read surprised and puzzled him. Why would you, an imperial princess of Arbezela, ask for political asylum in Xek? What have you done to garner such animosity from the other noble families that would make you turn to a foreign country for refuge? Did it have something to do with the Red Rose and her schemes to put her sons in the line of succession? Or is there another secret lurking in Winterfell, something he has yet to discover? The fiery-haired prince is not sure, and the feeling of uncertainty scares him more than it should. Especially since it is you.

He took Sir Raymond’s little pranks in stride as he and his men searched for answers. The golden fox exacted revenge by making silly drawings on important trade documents and making it seem like Efrit had stolen her favorite handkerchief when he didn’t even know she had one. Bastard. But no matter, he had more important things to worry about.

You.

He observed you across the table at Winterfell while tea and snacks were being served amid a conversation about dealing with the spawning of magical beasts and crops. He watched you from the branches of trees in his beast form; close enough to see you, yet to be undetected by your servants and your pets. He didn’t want to get caught and endure a lecture from you about Arbezelan etiquette and customs for hours.

Efrit saw you differed from Ariana; albeit born as the Emperor’s legitimate children, the youngest princess had the tyrant wrapped around her finger. She wasn’t above threatening diplomatic relations between allied countries to get results. That was how she got everyone roped into becoming part of her Jewelry Box except for Sir Raymond. He willingly left Galdeon to stay by her side as her beloved Lemon and future prime minister when she ascended to the throne.

In contrast, you carried yourself with dignity and took your duties in the palace seriously. It was almost unhealthy to see how you thrived, how you enjoyed doing paperwork and handling domestic affairs alongside the Empress because it gave you a purpose inside your gilded cage.

Ariana had taken your position as the Empire’s envoy to fulfill her agenda and collect the power she needs to become the Empress. It’s a reminder to yourself that you still have some value as a princess who doesn’t have your father’s favor. Efrit can only assume that the enemy factions are aware of your political vulnerability and would conspire to control you, as you passionately requested Tetra’s help in the letter that he reluctantly delivered after ensuring the seal was securely fixed without no signs of tampering. Abal assured him that no one would be the wiser; after all, he is a specialist in both forgery and document restorer. Efrit trusts him as well, having known Abal since childhood.

When a letter in golden silk arrived from Xek, Efrit’s heart sank into his stomach as he held it up to the chandelier’s light, sitting alone in his quarters. The other Jewels were still working, including the imperial princess herself. What was his sister-in-law’s response? Would she allow you to come to Xek? Or would she deny it?

Either way, he would not allow you to slip away from his grasp. He still needed more time to convince the Emperor that he can enhance the political alliance between the two countries by taking you as his wife. He would be more than happy to take you away from Arbezela, if that is what you desire.

Better it to have him as a son-in-law than that cunning weasel Huan.

He knows that the Moon Fairy has been sending Darhan gifts to Winterfell, including toys for Penelope and Morpheus. The little beasts made you happy, taking your mind off of your duties as you played with them or watched them running around the courtyard, wearing an exasperated smile. That was why he is here tonight. To profess a vow of undying devotion and love to you, and hope with all of his heart that you will accept his courtship.

You wouldn’t reject him for the other Jewels, will you?

Like Nell, do not mistake him for being a soft-hearted man. Prince Efrit is not only of royal blood, but he has led various expeditions to exterminate magical beasts. He is also a beastman, able to transform into a crimson-feathered eagle and fly at breakneck speed.

Efrit does not like the idea of sharing you with others. He is a possessive man with a high opinion of himself, taking pride in his achievements as Xek’s second prince, who had exchanged a life in high society to protect the country in the shadows from threats.

He is a secretive, controlling man. He will do everything in his power to ensure that he keeps you from getting close to anyone else and that your affections are only for him. He would try to plant some spies in your household who would give him daily reports on your every move. Unfortunately for him, it is not easy to fool or bribe the servants of Winterfell.

If push comes to shove, he can create an event that will put you in a perilous situation just so that he can prove to you he is the only one who can keep you.