Chapter Text
It was 7 in the morning when one of our maids came into my room and opened the curtains to wake me up.
“Your mother is waiting for you downstairs.” she walked over to my closet trying to find some clothes for me to wear.
“What’s happen?” I ask getting up from my bed. It was cold in the room. I wouldn’t be surprised to find my window covered in ice like last year.
“It’s not my duty to say Mr. Black. If it was, why would your mother be waiting for you?”
“All black? Why am I going to wear all black?”
“Not my duty to say. Now come on, your mother is waiting.”
“Thank you.” I say to her before she could disappear out of the room.
I stood there looking at my clothes. Someone must have died. It’s the only reasonable explanation for this. I hope it was the Prime Minister. He’s basically king by now. Father lets him do anything he’d like to do with this country. I put these thoughts away as I walk to the dining room.
“Good morning mother.” I stop by the door waiting for her permission to sit down. It doesn’t make any sense to me. Why do I have to wait for everyone’s permission to sit down?
“Take a sit Regulus.” So, I did. I took a seat on the opposite side of the table that my mother was in. “Your father,” she pauses. This wasn’t good. I had just realised that my father wasn’t there. Maybe it wasn’t the prime minister who has died. “His time came. He’s dead.” Not a tear slipped through her eyes. Hou could she be so heartless? The man that she had loved for ages was dead and she wasn’t even sad. I knew she was heart cold bitch, but this was way too far from what I’d imagine.
I didn’t know what to say. I was speechless. It’s not like he had done anything for me through out my entire life, in fact, he and mother made the best thing about my life go away. My brother.
“As you should know, he was the one with the royal blood, so I was forced to step down.” Another pause. God, I hate when she does that. “You’re the one who is taking your fathers role. You’re the king now.”
Shit. I almost forgot about that part. I knew something was slipping away from my mind. I must be the one taking his role as king. Me. A 16-year-old boy. Not her. A 52-year-old woman who had way more experience in politics than me. “What am I supposed to do first?”
“You could announce his death to your people.”
“Yeah, I- I could that.”
“Don’t stutter. It looks bad for your reputation. And we don’t want to look bad.”
“Yes mother.”
“Dismissed.”
I stood up and got out of the room. I needed to talk to someone.
“Your majesty.” They bowed down when I stood in front of them.
“May I enter my office?” I ask.
“Of course, your majesty.” They stepped aside to let me enter. Gosh is this how I’m going to be called for the rest of my life?
I enter the room and look around. I remember 10 years ago when me and Sirius came here when our parents were in France. Kreacher was looking for us and we didn’t want to have class, so we hid here. After 20 minutes he found us and told us if we didn’t go in there again, he wouldn’t tell mother and father. I remember it like it was yesterday.
I walked over to the phone and dialled the number that Sirius had given me when he left.
“Hello?” someone said on the other line
“Sirius?”
“Who is it?”
“It’s me. Regulus.”
“Reg, hey! How are you doing?”
“I’m doing fine, you?”
“I’m great! Why are you calling?”
“To tell you that you need to start calling me your majesty.”
“What? Orion died?”
“He died this morning. I don’t know what to do. I’m just a kid.”
“Look, the scary news is, you’re on your own now. But good news is, you’re on your own now. You can do anything you’d like.”
“You know mother hasn’t died yet, right?”
“But you’re king? She’s just queen mother now.”
“I’m not 18 yet. I didn’t run away like you did. She still owns me.”
“I suppose you’re right.”
“Everyone probably knows about his death by now, right?”
“Probably. But I need to go now, call me if you need anything, ok?”
“I will. Goodbye.”
“Bye! Good luck.”
I hadn’t realised till now that I was crying. I can’t cry. Kings don’t cry.
“Your majesty?” someone opened the door.
“Yes?”
“Someone sent a letter.”
“Leave it on the table. Can you go get my breakfast?”
“Yes, sir.” As I sat down on the chair they walked up to my table and put the letter on the desk.
As soon as they left the room, I picked up the envelope and opened it.
Dear Reggie,
It’s come to my notice that your father died this morning. I would apologise but I know by heart that you hated him so, I won’t. Anyways, I hope you put some common sense on that prime minister’s head. He’s a real wanker (I know that you don’t mind me using these types of words because you know it’s true). Please don’t send someone to kill me. I would enjoy living till I am at least 69 (you and I both know what I mean). Try to write back this time. I’ve sent you at least 23 letters and you only responded to one. It’s really annoying you know.
Cheers,
James Potter
There it is. My annoying rival. The Blacks and the Potters have been rivals ever since. I guess everyone has always taught me that I could never befriend a Potter. That’s the reason why my brother running away had ended up being a huge chaos for everyone. Because not only was he best friend with a Potter but he went to live with them. Sirius has always had a thing for drama.
A few hours passed. I was in my bedroom when someone knocked on the door. “Come in.” I speak.
“Regulus.”
“Yes mother?”
“Are you dating a woman?”
“No?”
“Well, you need to find one.”
“Why?”
“You’re king now. You must have children for when you die.”
“I’m only 16!”
“Time flies by. You’ll be a having a tour around the world. You’ll meet royal families, and you’ll have to choose a wife.”
“What if I don’t like any of them?”
“You must. And just because we’re in the 21st century doesn’t mean that you can marry a guy. My only hope for the future will not be a fag.”
“I thought we went through this before. I do not like women.”
“Why don’t you like women? Men are disgusting!”
“So, you like women?”
“What no! What’s gotten into your brain? Just because you’re king doesn’t mean that you’re superior to me!”
“Actually, it does mean that.”
“I AM YOUR MOTHER. YOU LISTEN TO ME RIGHT NOW.”
“I AM NOT GOING TO MARRY SOMEONE I DON’T LOVE.”
“YES, YOU WILL. END OF DISCUSSION.” I stare at her. I wasn’t expecting for her to be on my side, but after all these years of containing my anger, I knew it would all explode. I guess this was my breaking point. She left the room leaving me behind. This woman was mental. She was the worst thing that might have happened to me. It’s the 21st century and she can’t even accept that her precious little perfect son is gay? That woman will drive me mad one day.
12 days went by, and I was standing in front of a coffin with my father in it. I think about my past with him. It felt as if my brain was a computer, searching through many files till I find something happy enough to make me feel sad at his funeral. One minute of searching through my memories and I imagine a sign appearing on the screen. Error: No files found. It was funny because it was true. Not one single memory came to mind, so I imagined myself opening the coffin, grabbing his body, pouring gasoline all over it, lightning a match, throw it on top of the body, and watch his soul burn. That would have been fun in my opinion, all though I know that most of the people here don’t know who he truly is, or even if they do, they don’t give a shit because they are all morons. I consider myself the only one in this room who has fucking brain. That is until I notice a familiar figure from the corner of my eye. I turn around to look at them and discover that it was Sirius. He was talking to someone. I couldn’t see the other person. As I lean backwards to see who it was, someone smacked the back of my head.
“I truly doubt that your father is up there.”
“Sorry mother.” I mutter an apology. I quickly glanced back to where Sirius was, but he was gone.
“Amen.” The officiant said.
“Amen.” Everyone else repeated after him.
“I need to go.” I run out of there. It was raining outside. I look around trying to find someone until I heard a familiar voice. I follow the sound to a small corner. There were two voices. One could be easily recognised as my brother’s. The second on though, I’ve heard it before, but I couldn’t bring myself to remember whose it was. “Sirius. Why did you come?”
“Well, I wanted to have a laugh. And-”
“Potter.”
“Arcturus.”
“Why the heck are you calling me by my middle name?”
“Well, you clearly would be mad for using your first name, and by calling you by your last name it would be strange since your brother is here and you both have the same last name. Don’t you think?”
“Yes, I can think but, Sirius left the Black family, so isn’t he a Potter now?”
“You don’t want him to be your brother?”
“That’s not what I’m saying.”
“Then what are you saying?”
“What I’m saying is that-”
“Both of you shut up! Honestly, I know our families are rivals but, you two can be different right?”
“I would do that, but this little king doesn’t even want to try. I’ve sent him many letters, and he didn’t respond to one.”
“I did respond to one actually.”
“It was a drawing of you laughing at me while I lie dead on the floor! Which was surprising, you draw very well.”
“Thank you.”
“Just try. Maybe in the future the Potters and the Blacks will be friends. You two are the future now. Maybe you two won’t have to alone when you grow up. You’ll have each other’s back. You guys are the future.” Sirius looked at the both of us. I stared deep into Potter’s deep brown eyes. I mustn’t lie. His eyes were beautiful.
“Let’s start over.” James took a deep breath extending his arm towards me. “James Potter. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
I stared down at his hand. Then looked at his stupid smile. I thought about Sirius’ suggestion. It wouldn’t be too bad I suppose. I extended my arm and shook his hand. “Regulus Black.”
“Oh my gosh it’s like watching High School romance movies.” Sirius started jumping around and I stared at him in disgust. Sometimes I am embarrassed to be brothers with Sirius.
“Except that we are not in love.”
“Or obsessed with each other.” James joins in
“Sometimes I think you are obsessed with me. You send me letters every week.”
“I would stop if you’d ask properly.”
“Don’t. It’s my weekly entertainment.”
“Hm, is it? That’s cool.”
“Regulus Arcturus Black! Where are you!” A voice called out for me.
“Well, that’s the sound of torture. Goodbye Sirius. Goodbye Potter.”
“Can you try to call me by my first name?”
“Goodbye James.”
“Goodbye Regulus.
“Bye Reg! Good luck on being king!”
“Thank you?” I start walking backwards. I had forgotten that it was raining so I got myself wet. It was not what I planned for this evening. Imagining burning my father’s corpse, finding my brother at the funeral, making peace with James Potter. I suppose Sirius did not plan that either, neither did Potter, but I’m sure the one writing my book knows what they are doing. I usually prefer to predict things, but when it comes to the crazy world of royalty, I don’t mind a few surprises.