Chapter 5
James proudly presented the new found of Regulus’ name to Remus, Peter and his parents who seemed just as delighted as him.
Regulus felt so utterly welcomed, it was unreal.
As the days went on, he felt himself fall more in love with James every single day. They spent so much time with each other, getting to know each other even though Regulus couldn’t use the words to actually tell him something. But he loved listening to James, to the way he animatedly talked about the things he was so passionate about.
He wished, they could just live the rest of their years like this together. But apparently he had forgotten that just like himself James was a prince with responsibilities to fulfil. Responsibilities like marriage, founding a family, forging alliances with neighbouring countries.
So, when one day James came into his room and flapped down next to him on his bad and said
“I’m going to marry”, Regulus felt cold shock creep into his body. He went completely still and didn’t show any reaction.
James twisted his head to look at him with a frowning face but his eyes showed a glimpse of sadness, as if he knew what Regulus was feeling.
Or maybe he didn’t because he looked away and went on: “I am honestly lucky that I already know her. Her name is Lily Evans. She is the daughter of a very high priest. My father says it would be very good for our kingdom if I married her. She’s very nice. Very pretty too.”
Regulus cursed himself inwardly. How could he have been so stupid to not think about the possibility that James was going to be in an arranged marriag? Did he really think James would’ve stayed with him? Sure, technically he was a prince too but nobody on land knew that. Here he was merely a shipwreck, nobody of high stand, not fit of their shining prince.
“We are going to marry next week”, James said quietly. Regulus huffed to show at least any reaction. Even though he actually wanted to scream and yell or just lunge at James and kiss him senseless. But he didn’t. Because James was going to marry some girl next week.
Regulus didn’t see much of James in the following days. He was preoccupied with wedding plans.
The Evans family arrived some days before the wedding. The parents seemed nice enough. The older daughter held her chin high at all times and talked in a tone that reminded him of his sister.
He had planned to hate Lily, to despise her, because she got to marry James, got to spend the rest of her life with him while he would decay.
But how could he hate her. First of all, she was beautiful. Her long red hair was like fire and looked like spun gold in the sun. Although she lived in this sunny country, her skin was almost as pale as his but it was decorated by freckles everywhere. And her eyes were the most beautiful shade of green he had ever seen. Her smile lit up every room and when she talked she spoke eloquently and intelligent and kind. She seemed to be the opposite of her older sister.
When he first met her she smiled at him and he couldn’t stop himself from smiling back at her.
How could he hate her? She was absolutely wonderful. And James looked at her like she was his entire world and how could Regulus blame him.
With ice cold clarity he knew, this meant his death. And he wished it was different but he couldn’t find it in his heart to even try to come between James and Lily. They were beautiful together.
And so the wedding came. The ceremony was held on the shore and after that they all would travel on a ship to the sea for a few days just how it was tradition.
And the night came and everyone went to sleep except for Regulus. Barely anyone was left on deck only those whose shift it was to sail at night. He found a lone spot and leaned on the edge of the railing and looked over the dark sea.
Suddenly, he thought the waves had whispered his name but he dismissed it as the wind. Until he heard it again, louder, from a familiar voice.
And then he saw him. His brother in the water. He almost didn’t recognise Sirius, he looked terrible. He was almost as white as a ghost and his blue eyes were dim and sunk in. And worst of all, his hair was gone. Sirius had always prided himself with his beautiful mane of thick black locks that he let grow long. And it was gone, shaved down almost to his skull. The sight frightened Regulus. And even more so when next to his brother his sisters rose to the surface, in a similar state as his brother. The wild glimpse in Bellatrix’ eyes seemed to be gone and they all just looked sad.
“Regulus”, Sirius said again. He nodded in response.
“Regulus we are very worried about you. You never told us anything about your wish. You didn’t even say goodbye.”
Regulus felt a pang of guilt in his chest at Sirius’ words.
“But that doesn’t matter anymore. We know that your little prince here is going to marry someone else. We know that this means your death. So, we went to the sea witch. And for our hair he gave us a solution.”
Regulus felt tears well up in his eyes. What had his siblings done, just for him.
“Come down here”, his brother said and pointed at the ladder on the side of the ship.
Regulus climbed over the railing and went down a few steps, ignoring the sharp pain in his feet, just like he always did.
He faced his siblings again, the guilt becoming stronger with seeing his once so beautiful sisters in the state they were currently in.
“Open your hand”, Narcissa said and Regulus complied. And Sirius put a dagger in his open palm.
Regulus just stared at it while Andromeda began to explain. She sounded tired but a bit hopeful too.
“You can come back to us, get your tail back, even your voice. All you have to do is kill the prince and his wife before the sun rises. And then you can come back to us.”
Regulus almost dropped the dagger back into the ocean. This was an impossible task, even if it meant he could reunite with his family and could come back home. He stared at his siblings before smiling at them reassuringly. Then he turned around and climbed up again. He didn’t look back at the ocean and sneaked into James and Lily’s room. Like a shadow he stood over James, turning the knife in his hand. He had seen the inscription outside in the light and had recognised the only letters he knew from the surface. And he had realised that the merman from the story James had told him once had been Sirius and the human boy from his brother’s tale had been James.
Regulus knew he couldn’t kill him, either of them. So, he put down the dagger on the little table next to the bed, returning it to his original owner, kissed James on his forehead and left again. He didn’t notice how James startled in his sleep and how he woke up. Or how James followed him outside or how James yelled his name when Regulus flung himself over the railing in the soft first rays of sunlight from over the horizon. And he didn’t see how James looked over the railing, horrified when he couldn’t see Regulus anywhere.
Where Regulus had hit the water, was nothing left of him but sea foam swimming on the surface.
James didn’t notice how the soft breeze twirling his hair seemed to softly whisper his name or how it brushed over Lily’s face with pure adoration after she had followed him outside.
With marvel it watched as the newly weds searched in the water for Regulus, who wasn’t there anymore. But who would look out for them and accompany them for all the years to follow as a little fresh breeze.