Prologue
“I want you out of this castle!” Mother yelled as I pulled away from her grasp on my arm. It was sharp and cold and painful. I didn’t understand why she hated me so much, but then again she always had. Wasn’t easy to love me.
“Yes mother, right away mother.” I stepped back a bit further. Father pointed his wand at me and I could feel his curse cover my skin. Flashes of pain, burning down to my bones.
“It is your majesty, you filthy mutt. You have no title, no name, and no home. Make yourself useful and disappear.” He spat. I twitched as I climbed the stairs and packed my bags. It hurt to move, but it would hurt more if I ever stopped.
That was how I found myself stumbling on the front steps of my brother's castle. He had been recently removed as the heir to our parents from the first time I was kicked out. Of course, the same reason was to blame, but unlike my brother, who was smart enough to get caught in a scandal, my parents simply speculated with me.
“Black!” Someone shouted before a short,thin man brushed past me. He was a head shorter, and if I hadn’t known my brother so well, I would have ignored it. That, and the fact that whoever shouted had used my last name, made me turn.
“Oh, I wasn’t expecting you here. Prongs, come here.” The man in front of me waved the shouter over. I waved and he gave a tired smile. “Sorry about Prongs he had a very late night, we are just getting back. What are you doing here?”
“Mother and father, or their majesties have kicked me out. I really just need a bed. I’ll leave tomorrow. I just need a bed.” I informed my brother. He looked towards the darker skinned boy with glasses and he seemed to look more alert than when he had walked up.
“We have a friend, he needs help at his castle, maybe you could go and stay with him? That way you have a more permanent bed, hm?” He wrapped his arm around my brother. They looked happy, happier than I ever remember him being with our parents.
“If I wouldn’t be imposing too much on him. I can head to his castle. Whose castle am I going to?” I tucked my hands into my pockets, it felt wrong asking for help.
“We can get you a carriage, um.” The man looked at my brother expectantly. We had yet to meet and so I understood his hesitation. I don’t even think my parents told me his name when I was told of the wedding.
“James, this is my older brother Sirius. Sirius, this is my husband James.” Regulus finally introduced us. James seemed to visibly relax before he waved over a footman and instructed him to bring a carriage around for me.
“Thank you, your highness.” I remembered my new rank in life and bowed to the king consort. James turned and had a confused look to his face. Regulus placed a hand on his back and whispered something to him, his face melting again. He really spoke a lot with his face.
“You don’t need to call me that, Sirius. James is perfectly fine, you’re my brother in law after all.” He reached his hand out to straighten me up. I quickly rose to my proper height, still shorter than the man, and stepped back.
“Right, right. Um you’ve never told me where I’ll be going, or who I’m going to.” I watched as the couple shared a silent conversation about me and assumed they hadn’t really planned for that, they just probably wanted me gone.
“I have a friend who owns a castle, he’s got this illness and can’t take care of himself alone anymore. And he has a baby, a brand new six-month-old baby boy. Duke Lupin really could benefit from you being at his estate. The carriage will take you there.” James explained.
I remembered Duke Lupin. He had married my baby cousin a few years back, but everyone rather hated the match. It was an arranged marriage by the late Duke, and it was apparently done so that someone was trapped with him until they died. I didn’t realize he had been made a father. I hadn’t heard anything from his wife in a good year, so I figured they were busy with the baby.
“I can go there, yeah, yes.” I bowed to my brother and his husband and saw the taller man almost flinching as I did. The carriage arrived and I was inside and on my way before either could reply. I knew when I wasn’t welcome, so I had become good at disappearing when I needed to.