Ruby Otrera

King Tollak (paternal grandfather)♰

Queen Pirra (maternal grandmother)♰

Lucina (adoptive grandmother)

Queen Nalani (Aunt)

Plague of the Gods

Bundle of Firewood

Little Inferno

(By Arcus)

Fireling

(By Rasmus)

Firefilth

(Soldiers, etc)

Little Bird

(By Kai)

Child of Darkness(Eurus)

Ruby is the protagonist and narrator of the Frostblood series. She is a Fireblood, and an outcast in the Frostblood realm. She is forced to hide her powers in order to avoid being killed or imprisoned. In the book Nightblood, she then discovers that she is a Nightblood and is able to control Minaxes.

## Biography

### Early Life \*Spoilers\*

Lali Otrera Elatus, also known as Ruby, was born to an unknown father and Princess Rota- a descendant of King Tollak, a Fireblood King. In the book *Fireblood*, Eurus states that he told the Minax to leave its host, the Fire King, to inhabit his younger daughter, Princess Rota, who was then expecting a child, Ruby. Day in, day out, before she was born, Ruby was surrounded by the essence of the Minax. Her own mother didn't mind, being tender and patient while possessed by the Minax until the time Ruby was born. Her mother shook the Minax off easily. To Eurus's contempt, Ruby's mother soothed Ruby's discontent into the patient and her fury to love preventing her darkness from growing. Yet when Eurus was going to get rid of Princess Rota, she quickly fled with an infant Ruby going someplace far enough for the Minax to lose any sense of them.

Growing up, Ruby lived with her mother and grandmother nearby an unnamed village up in the North. She was taught a little about how to use her Fireblood gift from her grandmother, Lucina, but was always told by her mother to never practice at all. Despite her mother's wishes, she continues to slowly practice her gift and, due to the excessive heat coming off her skin, she is found out by Frostblood soldiers. They ransack her village and force her to watch her mother die before leaving her to rot in the freezing Blackcreek Prison.

Ruby is first introduced practising her fire magic against her mother's wishes. She and her mother live in a small town in the frost kingdom Tempesia, where the current Frost King has ordered all Firebloods to be killed or captured. Later, as Ruby gets more firewood to replenish the supply she used up, she sees soldiers making their way to her home. She runs home to warn her mother. They immediately gather supplies to leave but are caught by the soldiers. They are taken into the town, where villagers are rounded up as the village is ransacked by soldiers. A boy, Clay, is brought forward by soldiers to identify Ruby as a Fireblood. Clay is aware of Ruby's power because of a short romance they had before the story. Ruby's skin gives off more heat due to her fire magic. Ruby's mother attempts to fight the soldiers to give Ruby time to run but is killed by Captain Drake. Ruby is devastated by her death and is unable to control her powers due to her never being properly trained and the strength of her emotions. She unleashes some of her power, burning the soldiers around her. She is unable to get away and is taken to Blackcreek Prison.

Five months later, Ruby is still in the prison, her fire powers growing weaker by the day- the guards throw buckets of cold water on her as well as the freezing temperatures in the prison. One night, after having a nightmare of a shadow creature reaching for her, Ruby awakens to find her cell covered in ice except for the floor around her. Two men (Arcus and Brother Thistle) outside her cell offer to break her out if she agrees to work with them to stop the current king of Tempesia. Unsure of whether to trust two Frostbloods, Ruby agrees because she believes it would be easier to escape them than the prison, should she stay. They break her out and Arcus has to carry her; her body heat stops them from freezing off the chain on her ankle, which is digging into her skin. They travel to the abbey, home to monks.

She is taken to the infirmary in secret as some monks are not welcoming to a Fireblood. Brother Thistle informs her that he will be training her to use her fire magic since he learned to use his frost by watching old Fireblood Masters. During her stay at the abbey, a fire breaks out in the library. Ruby rushes over to help. One of the monks is trapped inside. Arcus is unable to put out the flames with his frost, here we learn of his fear of fire, so Ruby runs into the library to find the monk. Being a Fireblood, Ruby is not harmed by the flames from the library and finds the trapped monk, while Arcus creates a path to help get them out. Ruby is accused of starting the fire by a monk, Brother Lack. She is angered by the accusation, especially when Arcus does not defend her. She decides she's had enough and plans to leave the abbey.

That night she steals a horse, whom she affectionately names Butter, and they leave. As the days wear on, she finds a small camp of people. She plans to steal some food from them since her supply had fallen the first night of her escape. However, the camp is well-guarded by its people. She notices a young girl by the fire who is very sick. The adults are arguing about how they spent all their money on medicine and nothing has worked. They talk about how there are soldiers at all the seaside towns looking for a Fireblood girl who escaped the prison. Ruby determines what ails her and risks herself to save the girl's life after knocking out her parents with a sleeping draught. She is caught while giving the girl, Kaitryn, instructions on how to use the medicine. She escapes but decides to return to the abbey to avoid being captured by soldiers. On the way back, a blizzard hits and Ruby decides to send Butter off on her own, believing the horse would have a better chance alone.

## Physical Appearance

Ruby has charcoal black hair, which her mother says she is lucky to have since most Firebloods have red hair. She also has amber eyes and her skin is a shade she deems too sun-kissed for a child from the North. When she was first possessed by the Minax, it marked her, leaving a heart-shaped mark behind her left ear.

## Personality

Ruby is shown throughout the series as someone with a fierce and fiery persona. She is a strong female character who has unconsciously adopted many false beliefs imposed on her by Frostblood culture. Later in the series, it is mentioned by Queen Nalani that she inherited her mother's passionate and idealistic nature as well as a quick temper.

## Relationships

### King Arelius Arkanus/Arcus

Arcus and Ruby first met when she was incarcerated at Blackcreek Prison, while he and Brother Thistle were planning to set her free and allow her to reside in the Abbey. At first, Arcus and Ruby have a cold relationship due to Arcus' cool demeanour, and their interactions started with snarky remarks. Eventually, after spending more time together and Arcus helping Ruby with her training, they develop feelings for each other. Later when she is taken to the king's arena, Ruby prays for the safety of those dear to her, especially Arcus. She is told of Arcus' death and grows angry, causing her to show no remorse in her arena fight against the soldier she believes killed him. The Frostblood soldier in the arena she's about to fight, who goes by the name of Kane, is unmasked as Arcus. Ruby is shocked and happy as she comes to the realization he survived. When she is battling with King Rasmus and possessed by the Minax, Arcus brings her back by restoring her to her former self. King Rasmus is killed in the fight and Arcus claims his brother's throne, grieving over his death.

In *Fireblood*, Ruby lives among his court in Tempesia, feeling insecure with their relationship as she believes Marella to be better at his side. A fight breaks out during a ball and Arcus is wounded in the ballroom whilst Ruby is in the gardens with another Fireblood, Kai, battling Frostbloods. Kai recruits Ruby and offers her passage to Sudesia, causing tension in Arcus and Ruby's relationship. Reluctantly, Arcus allows her to travel with Kai and become a Fireblood Master. Later, when Queen Nalani is announcing the engagement of Ruby and Kai, Arcus is hurt and resentful towards Ruby as she and Kai share a kiss, sealing the deal. Yet when Arcus is taken in by Queen Nalani, Ruby shows she would do anything to prevent him from being harmed or sent to prison.

At the beginning of the book, Ruby is confused about her relationship with Arcus. Yet, when she sees him in Sudesia, she realises she has no profound feelings for Kai.

### Prince Kai of Isle Tuva/Kai

Kai was sent by Queen Nalani to recruit Ruby yet was ordered by Prince Eiko if there were mistreatment in the Frostblood court to bring her to Sudesia. Kai first met Ruby when she was stuffing herself with pastries at a royal ball in which she after the heavy battle she would later agree to go with him. Upon travelling to Sudesia they become really close friends as they prepare for the three trials that await them to be Fireblood Masters. He opens up to her about his family and his reasons for failing the third trial when he took the three trials beforehand. Towards the second trial, Kai helps Ruby before she had fallen to lava which later becomes heavily concentrated on from the Fireblood Masters since he wasn't allowed to help Ruby in the first place. Queen Nalani later allows Ruby to pass the second trial and following in the third trial Kai proposes to Ruby to which she accepts only to pass the third trial and to find a way out of this marriage. He relentlessly teases her and gives her the nickname 'Little bird'. Ruby was confused with her relationship with Kai when he proposes because she can't imagine herself tying herself down to anyone, yet it becomes clear to her she truly loves Arcus more later on. She shows care for Kai, especially when she was possessed by Minax and felt the human feeling of not wanting to hurt Kai and ordered Eurus to spare him and take control over Prince Eiko instead.

### Princess Rota

While Ruby was growing up, her mother- Princess Rota- hid her royal heritage by hiding in a sleepy village in the North. She and her mother constantly debated her Fireblood powers. But it was evident she always had a strong love for her mother. Her mother was slain by Captain Drake in front of her and this later led to her avenging her mother by killing Captain Drake in the arena. Later in the book *Fireblood,* she finds more of her past and about her mother through Queen Nalani, giving her an ache in her chest, showing her grief for her late mother.

### Queen Nalani

Upon arriving in Sudesia, Ruby didn't know Queen Nalani was her aunt. Their relationship at first was mainly Ruby wanting to show deep respect to the Queen; she wanted to pass the three trials the Queen had set for her to become a Fireblood master. Later, Ruby loses her temper with the Queen, beginning a rocky relationship. In the final trial, Queen Nalani is the one who tells Ruby of her royal heritage as well as her being the heir to the Sudesian throne. She's angry when Ruby doubts they're related and nearly harms her with lava. There is a sign of possession from the Minax and the queen orders for war to avenge Fireblood deaths in Tempesia. Later though, after destroying the throne which freed the Minax from possessing the Queen, Ruby pleads to her to allow Ruby to find Prince Eiko and Marella with Kai, and Arcus. She allows the quest as she wants the return of her husband.

### Prince Eiko

Prince Eiko in *Fireblood* was an ally. He helped Ruby by ensuring she passed the second trial as well as letting her pass the third trial with no bloodshed. Eiko held the book *The Creation of Thrones*, the book Ruby was looking for to destroy the Minax- the solution was mainly in creating Royal Frostfire. With Ruby's intention of destroying the Minax and Eiko's intention of saving his wife, Queen Nalani, they both skipped the Firemasters ceremony and freed Arcus from prison, heading to destroy the throne in which the Fire Minax was being held. While possessed by the Minax, Ruby betrays Prince Eiko by allowing Eurus to take him as a mortal host.

### Marella

Marella was Ruby's ally in *Frostblood* helping her destroy the throne. Marella is saddened over the death of her love, King Rasmus. Ruby becomes jealous of: Marella's elegance, her relationship with Arcus and her prowess for strategizing. Marella responds with her own jealousy toward Ruby because two kings had fawned over her. In *Fireblood*, Marella is the host of the Minax, possessing strong Frostblood powers. To which she and Ruby combine being known as "twins". Later, as Ruby defeats the struggling possessive nature of the Minax and was going to attack Eurus with Kai and Arcus, Marella is a hostage. Eurus declares he'll snap her neck if they do anything to him.

## Trivia

One day after waking up from a vivid dream about "a girl with powers over fire" the name Ruby jumped into Elly Blake's head.