(A/N: They/them pronouns are used for Finn for a reason. She/her pronouns are used for Eret.)
There were a lot of rumours about the young ruler of the Scented Forest. It was to be expected; they were rarely, if ever, seen in public, and yet the rulers of the other kingdoms respected them enough to have compliments for them.
The rumours included things such as the mystery of their gender, their abilities in war and diplomacy, and there was even one which suggested that they were only the ruler of the Scented Forest simply because they had seduced the other rulers into helping them get it.
Most of them were outlandish. A few were right, but just a few.
But if they thought they knew enough about the mysterious ruler of the Scented Forest, well, they were mistaken.
Finn was sat on their throne, a portable wooden table with elegant markings in front of them. On top of the wooden table were some papers and parchment; they were the ever-dreaded paperwork. They scowled as they read through another paperwork amidst the silence of the throne room, having asked everyone else to not bother them unless it was important.
At first glance, if you merely saw them on the streets, you would've never imagined that this unassuming person would be the ruler of the Scented Forest. After all, they looked as ordinary as someone could be. Curly brown hair and dark brown eyes, and wearing a blue hoodie, black jeans and white sneakers, no one would pay them attention if they simply decided to walk along the streets with everyone else.
However, if they bothered to look twice, thrice, maybe more, they might be able to see past the glamour that made them human. Namely, the branch-like horns on both sides of their head, and the way that they didn't look quite male, nor female.
Those were just the more obvious ones, of course. The other rulers knew of their mannerisms much more personally, and to be frank, they were more than a little terrified and awed of it.
A knock startled Finn out of their thoughts. They looked up from their paperwork as their most loyal subject, and friend, came forward.
Eret was dressed in a classy modern suit, with the only change being that she had a robe wrapped around her, making her look more like a Queen than an advisor.
"Hard at work, I see," Eret drawled.
Finn scowled. "Shut up, I can hear you laughing in your head."
Eret snickered, walking even more forwards to swipe the pen away from their hands, ignoring their little, "Hey!".
"The Council is having an impromptu meeting," Eret informed them. "Headed by Ruler Dream. It's important, and you have to be there by an hour."
"Anyone there I should be worried about?" Finn asked, already getting up from their throne and stretching.
"The rulers from Dalmatia and Errial will be there, as well as the Lesser Grounds." Eret smirked. "I do hope you'll get into the form. Viscount Oraya pissed me off last time; it'll be funny to see his reaction."
"Don't worry, I'll get revenge for you," Finn's outfit started to change. What once was a hoodie and some casual pants and shoes, now became a dark blue dress, translucent sleeves wrapping around their arms. The dress flowed all the way until the lower cloths were sprawled on the floor, almost like a particularly long veil. A golden brown belt wrapped around their waist, little diamonds and crystals on it.
"I don't suppose you'll let me accompany you, can you?" Eret asked.
"You don't even need to ask," Finn's hair grew longer until it was just resting slightly below their shoulders. They brushed one side of it to fall behind their shoulders, their horns curling out of their hair.
Finn walked out of the throne room. Skeletons and piglins bowed before them in respect, and in return, Finn gave each of them a small smile.
After a while, they made it to the gates. Finn gave their orders to some nearby servants, and once those were given, they walked out of the gates, outstretching their arm for a big black and gold cuckoo to land on it. Together, them and Eret disappeared slowly in a swell of mist. Leaving the forest of creatures of the night.
Finn always laughed at the assumptions of what their gender was. Why bother with labels when they were just them? It didn't matter if he had long hair or short hair, or if he wore a skirt or pants. They were just Finn, ruler of the Scented Forest, of the creatures that lived within the shadows. They were the ruler of the little things that went bump in the night, of the misunderstood shadows that people were afraid of, of the secrets that weren't always visible at first glance.
Finn was the ruler of monsters, and if someone tried to take away what was theirs?
Well, there's a reason why no one else dared to challenge their throne.