Chapter 1
A prince strolled through the halls of his castle, He ignored the servants and guards bowing to him as he passed. He was on a mission and meant business. If he were late, he would not go unpunished.
Guards opened a pair of large double doors without command; the prince passed through and knelt on one knee. “You summoned me, Father?”
“Yes, Draco. We have important matters to discuss.” The king motioned for his son to rise. “Less than a moon ago, the Light Royals requested an audience with us. I agreed.”
Prince Draco was confused. “What could the Lights possibly want with us? Are they going to cause trouble?”
“They would not dare so much as whisper words of ill intent towards us in our home. Though they are our enemy, they are still a respectable family. Their intentions will be revealed when they arrive for dinner tonight.”
“They are to dine with us?” Realising his tone had risen, Draco bowed his head. “I apologise.”
His father waved his hand in pardon. “You are to be on your best behaviour, needless to say, and mind your tongue. Do not disgrace this family.”
Again, the prince bowed his head. “Of course, Father.”
“Go dress. Guide their carriage from the village of merchants to the north.”
At the king’s dismissal, Prince Draco bowed to him and left for his room. He would need to change into proper riding attire if he was to bring the Light Royals from the merchant village. It was possible for them to travel by apparition or floo, but travelling by carriage or horseback for at least the ending part of the journey was a sign of deep respect.
He sincerely hoped only the king and queen would be coming. If it were only King James and Queen Lily, then Prince Draco would have no problem controlling his tongue. However, if their insufferably kind son, Prince Harry, came as well, he could not promise his compliance.
Prince Draco had loathed Prince Harry from the moment he had met him. He had been taught to have a general hate for the Lights, being the Dark Prince; his hate for Prince Harry ran much deeper. They were sworn enemies in every sense of the word.
The prince’s horse, Morticia, was a pure-black Clydesdale. She had been saddled and was ready for him by the time he made it to the front gate of the castle. He took the reins from the elf handling her, mounted her, and took off. The merchant village was almost half a day’s ride away, and he had to arrive before the Lights did.
Morticia was a large, sturdy mare, but her figure only added to her power. Prince Draco could feel the flexing and contracting of her muscles, the thunderous vibrations of her hooves shaking through him. She was the best horse in the Dark’s kingdom, due partly to King Lucius’ horse having grown in age. However, she could more than hold her own against him in his glory days.
There was no road between the Dark Castle and the merchant village, paved or otherwise. They were muggles, and no Dark pureblood made contact with them. A vast forest armed to the teeth with charms and beasts separated the castle from the village. Since the Light Royals would be arriving by carriage, though, Draco would have to magic a road into existence. He would put a glamour over it so no one could find it, then destroy it after the Lights left.
Muggles knew their lands were ruled by royal families, however little they saw of them. Nothing of the wizarding world reached the muggles, though that is what the royals concerned themselves most with, but they clamoured over the nobility nonetheless.
Which was why Draco was swarmed upon entering the village. Morticia was unfazed by the crowd, stomping through to wherever she was directed. Draco was different. He wished all the villagers would go away, had the mind to hex every last one. They fought to meet his eyes or touch his robes; Morticia kept the prince out of their reach.
No place in the village was safe from the merchants, and Draco cursed his father for choosing such a meeting place. Even if he had had to ride further from the castle, it was more dignifying than sitting atop a horse to avoid muggle peasants.
The prince did not wait long for the Lights. The stampeding sound of hooves announced their arrival just past sunhigh. He had led Morticia to stand beneath the shade of a giant oak tree at the centre of the town. Draco stayed put as the muggles ran to meet the Lights, excited to be in the presence of more royalty. Guards with wands glamoured as swords kept them at a distance, but they hardly took notice.
At last, Draco dismounted when the Light carriage approached. The curtains drew back, and he bowed. “Greetings King James, Queen Lily.” Almost sourly, he added, “To you as well, Prince Harry.”
“Prince Draco,” the Light King acknowledged him. “A pleasure to meet you at last.”
“You seem a fine young man. Strong minded, strong willed, yes? A great sportsman from what I hear.” This came from Queen Lily, her piercing green eyes studying him.
“I dare not boast about myself, and I can only hope to live up to your expectations.” Draco kept his voice cool and polite, but his words were only for show. He knew his strengths and capabilities better than anyone.
She fanned herself in response, her expression hidden.
Noticing her face cast in shadow, Draco looked up and noted the position of the sun. “We may exchange more pleasantries at the castle. If we wish to arrive before nightfall, we should depart as soon as we can.”
“Lead the way, Dark Prince,” the king said.
Quickly, Draco mounted Morticia once more. He snapped the reins, and they were off. A moderate pace was set so the muggles would be left behind while he still had time to create a path through the dense Blackwood Forest.
It was just before sundown when they arrived. There had been no stopping or slowing on the way, Draco having seen the dangers of his forest at nightfall for himself. He had no intention of fighting off beasts at this hour.
Morticia was led away by a different elf to her stable, and Draco straightened his attire with a quick spell. He stood by as the Lights stepped out of their carriage.
“General Parkinson will escort you to the throne room to meet my father. If you would excuse me, I must change into proper dining attire.”
“Would you take my son with you?” King James asked. “You are acquainted with each other, no?”
Draco had to stop himself from gritting his teeth. “As you wish. This way, Prince Harry.”
The walk to the Dark Prince’s room was silent, but as soon as the door closed behind them, Draco rounded on Harry. "What are you doing here, Light Prince?”
Prince Harry shrugged. “I know as much as you do. My father requested an audience with yours, and we are to have dinner together.”
A brow arched, Draco frowned. “Sit, and refrain from freeing another house-elf.”
Huffing, Harry found himself a seat on a dark grey chaise. “There should be no reason for me to free them. All you have to do is treat them right.”
Draco ignored him as he sifted through his wardrobe. Spotting the suit hung separate from the rest, he began to unbutton and unlatch his outfit. He undressed and redressed in the same heartbeat before leading the Light Prince to the dining hall. The kings and queens sat, waiting patiently for the princes to begin their meal.
At one end of the table, King Lucius Malfoy sat with his head held high. To his left was Queen Narcissa Black, Draco’s mother. Her hands were folded neatly across her lap, her expression black, but Draco knew she was listening to the uneasy chatter of the other royals. King James Potter sat opposite of the Dark King, with Queen Lily Evans nodding at everything he said.
The princes bowed upon entering and seated themselves next to their respective fathers.
“Now that Prince Draco and Prince Harry have arrived, we may begin,” King Lucius announced, interrupting a conversation about the latest scores in the Quidditch World Cup.
Immediately, house-elfs began bringing dishes out onto the table. They worked quickly and quietly, avoiding eye contact with any of the royals. Draco spotted a particular house-elf bringing Harry a chalice and knew Dobby was paying his respects to the wizard who had freed him.
He turned his gaze away, however, when he heard his father say, “So, tell me why you requested an audience, King James.”
“Right, then. King Lucius, as you are aware, both of our sons will be coming of age to marry in a few years’ time. There is none in my kingdom fit to court my son, but I had a most wonderous idea! What if Prince Draco were to court him?” King James had a large smile on his face, as if waiting for the others to acknowledge how great his idea was.
All three Dark Royals stopped eating, and even Harry was staring at his father in surprise.
“You are aware, King James, that we are mortal enemies?” King Lucius asked slowly.
The Light King let out a weary sigh. “Yes, but are you not tired of the fighting? The Darks and Lights have been at each other’s throats for millennia. King Lucius, why are we still waging a war that has no end?”
“Unlike our past rulers, James and I are not so naive to believe that balance is restored only when Light prevails,” Queen Lily stood up for her husband, her green eyes defiant. They reminded Draco of Harry’s. “We know that without darkness, there is no light. We want to bring balance between Light and Dark, good and evil. What better way to do this than through the bonding of our heirs?”
At her husband’s nod, the opposing queen spoke her mind. “As a mother, my first instinct is to keep my son away from anyone who may cause him harm, like an enemy. As a Dark, I would never allow my son to hold relations with Lights. Our sons are nothing if not incompatible.”
Draco snuck a glance at Harry, only to find the Light Prince already staring at him, his eyes wide. The younger of the two blinked meaningfully before turning away. Draco did the same.
“Has Prince Draco found someone to court?” the Light King asked.
Head reeling, Draco watched his parents. The Lights had no right to ask such questions, and frankly, his life was none of their business. He felt the need to voice his thoughts, but he knew his father would not thank him for it.
Queen Narcissa stared at King Lucius, whose eyes were narrowed at King James. “I will send an owl before the beginning of term to inform you of my decision. The future of my son is not to be determined over the course of one meal.”
At this, the Lights relented. “Of course. Think carefully.”
A sickening churning feeling in his stomach, Draco rose to his feet. A torrent of words and thoughts wanted to pour out of his mouth, but in the end he only said, “I will be in my room. I have eaten my fill.”
King Lucius waved him off, and he bowed before shutting himself in his room for the rest of the week.