this is how i met your father
Regulus let his servants dress him. Coronation day is the day that all peasants look forward to, however, nobles do not usually share this excitement. The time where the kingdom’s don’t have a royal in charge, is their most vulnerable moment. Most of the palace staff are on edge and are hurrying about, and Regulus can hear them from his chambers. He’s tempted to call out and tell them to shut up.
Once the servants had finished and left his bed chambers, he admired himself in the grand mirror at the end of his bed. He was wearing a white blouse that billowed out until the cuffs, black dress pants, and a matching vest. He went to his dressers and pulled out the pocket watch he always wore, despite the clashing metals.
He clipped in the watch to his button and tucked the watch into his vest pocket. He took a deep breath and then walked to his door, stopping along the way to grab his favourite travelling cloak.
If he was going to survive this stupid coronation, he was definitely taking a walk beforehand.
The guards at the gate greeted him kindly. Regulus just nodded at them and left the palace grounds.
He walked all around the village, however he’s taken a small liking to the pier. It was the most calm place he could find. The sea salt spray would fly up and leave a salty taste in your mouth, and the wind would pull at your hair.
Regulus walked up the dock which leads to the pier, he was staring at the water, not looking where he was going. Suddenly, he bumped into a man. The collision sent them to the ground, Regulus underneath him.
Despite being knocked down and about to start screaming some profanities, Regulus noticed that this man had the most wonderful brown eyes. It had reminded him of chocolate and dirt all at once. His curly hair was all ruffled and messy, like he had woken up with bed head and just didn’t brush his hair.
A minute felt like an hour, they stared into each other’s eyes and breathed heavily. Then the man slowly stood up, wincing when he touched Regulus in any way he didn’t need to.
He offered Regulus a hand, and Regulus hesitantly took it. The man pulled Regulus up with almost no effort. It was kind of hot. Wait.
“I’m so sorry, oh my god. I wasn’t looking where I was going,” the man started, “Okay, let me introduce myself, I’m James, Prince James Potter. It’s nice to … bump into someone as lovely as you,” he then winked. Regulus could feel his cheeks heating up.
Regulus raised an eyebrow, “James, as in Prince James? From the Kingdom of Potter?”
The Potters were famously feuding with the Black Kingdom. The Potters and the Weasley Royals had broken the ancient tradition of only marrying royals. Instead, they had allowed non-royals to marry into their family and create heirs. The Black Kingdom, and anyone who had an alliance with them had entirely banned any Potters and Weasleys from making an alliance with them. This was unfortunate because the Black Kingdom and the Potter Kingdom were the most powerful and rich. It's even more unfortunate that these Kingdoms neighbour each other.
“Um, yeah. Is that a problem?” Prince James Potter asked, tilting his head.
Regulus blinked, “well yeah, because I just so happen to be the prince of this kingdom.”
“I thought you were just a noble attending the ceremony, not like the literal prince. Oh this is not the best first impression I could’ve made, isn’t it?” The prince started to ramble. Regulus just ignored him, and stared at him impatiently.
It’s definitely been like five minutes since the whole ordeal happened, and Prince James Potter is still talking. About what, you ask? Regulus couldn’t tell you. Regulus began to slowly edge away from the extremely one sided conversation, but the prince just followed him.
“Pardon me, Prince James Potter, your highness, I need to leave, like now,” Regulus said, annoyed that the prince just kept talking. Did he ever stop??
“Oh right, well l’m guessing that I shall see you at the ceremony, and the celebrations afterwards too I bet,” the prince smiled boyishly and then quite literally pranced away.
Regulus stared after him, completely unsure of what to make of that interaction. He walked back to the castle. That certainly took his mind off the coronation.
He tried to make sense of the absolute mess that Prince James Potter happens to be. Regulus couldn’t help thinking that he could be quite entertaining to keep around.
~~
James couldn’t believe his luck. He was practically skipping away from Prince Regulus. Never in his life did he think he’d meet another royal. Well, of course he had met royals. But this royal was different. The way he carried himself and the way each of his words were accented just showed how well his tutors taught him.
James thought that Prince Regulus Black was pretty, but not romantically, of course not. Just in the way that boys are, you know?
Somewhere in the distance church bells rang for ten o’clock in the morning. James was yanked out of his fantasies and walked to the small palace he was staying in, with the rest of the royals.
~~
Crown Prince Sirius Orion Black III sat at his desk. He pulled out legal documents and reminders and anything he could think of to get his mind off of his impending doom.
The minute that Sirius walks down the aisle is the moment his future is set. The King of the Black Kingdom. How dramatic.
His parents had been drilling into him how to be the perfect ruler for years. So, leading up to the months of his coronation, he had been quizzed every night at dinner for the proper way to walk, talk and even eat.
Sirius wanted nothing more than to rebel against his parents wishes. Well, according to tradition, on the morning of a coronation, the heir is not allowed to leave the palace. For fear that the heir may be assassinated by the citizens, or that they may be convinced to run away from the palace and put the kingdom in danger. Tradition can get fucked.
Sirius left the palace.
He walked the streets of the village and admired the small shops lining the streets. Some of them selled food, it was divine. The gentle smell of every little restaurant wafted together and made Sirius’ stomach rumble.
Sirius turned a corner and spotted a little bookstore. The paint on the sign was faded and flaking off, and the door looked battered from the weather. Sirius found the place very charming.
He opened the door carefully, and a little bell tinkled. Shelves lined every wall possible, and there were books on the floor, books anywhere where books could fit. There was only a small pathway to move around and it really only could fit a single person.
A man around his age rushed around, a book in his hand, and putting different books on shelves. Sirius watched the man.
His hair was a light brown and it was slightly messy. Sirius noticed that the man had a scar, running from the middle of his nose to his cheekbones and then cutting off abruptly.
Sirius had been so busy admiring the man that he hadn’t noticed that he had stopped moving and was looking at him curiously.
“Sorry, sir, can I help you?” His voice was pretty, Sirius thought. The man had come closer, and Sirius could see faint freckles dotting his cheeks like the night sky.
“What’s your name?” Sirius blurted, and then looked away nervous. The man smiled kindly and tilted his head.
“Remus Lupin, sir,” he said, “are you perchance a noble? Haven’t seen many around recently.”
“No, actually, Remus,” Sirius felt a small thrill at saying his name, “I’m about to become king in a few hours.” Remus’ eyes widened and it looked like he was about to shout at him.
“Oh Merlin, your highness. There’s absolutely no way. Why are you here? Shouldn’t you be getting ready?” Remus pulled out a battered pocket watch and his eyes widened at what he saw, “you better go, your highness, come on.” Remus started shooing the prince towards the door.
“Oh but you didn’t ask for my name,” Sirius pouted, trying to buy time.
Remus blinked, “oh,” he said quietly. “What’s your name?”
“Sirius. Please call me Sirius,” Sirius said quietly.
“Well then, Sirius,” Remus said, testing the name in his mouth, “you better be on your way. Come back soon?” Remus’ voice had gone up an octave on the last three words. Sirius just nodded and allowed himself to be shooed out of the bookstore.
~~