PROLOGUE
AS he sat on his cushioned vintage couch lined with the fine fur from a bear that had once been brutally hunted by one of his ancestors, he held a rather fancy invite in one hand and a half-drunk glass of wine in another. Usually, he would think of the cruelty of his ancestors and pity the bear but today he could care less, his attention wholly focused on the cursed object in his hand. If he could he would have crushed and thrown in in the rubbish can, where it belongs or in the fireplace for better riddance but he couldn’t just throw away a charmed invitation with the royal seal. It just won’t be ideal to be arrested for treachery or attempt to rebellion, anything Kingsley could use to put him behind the bars.
An invitation to the special ball held on the 16th anniversary of THE WINNING, the official end of the First Wizarding War. Not only that but the prince of the Wizarding World will be making his debut into the society with this ball. So, it was going to be a very grant affair it seemed.
Regulus signed, rather loudly. If his mother had been alive, she would have chastised his about his forgotten manners or criticising him for abandoning his lordly duties to go into hiding in this small town at the outskirts of Western England. 16 years has passed since the war ended changing so much, be it his loyalty along with many others or the nature of the wizarding society. But instead of changing it for better it has become worse. Monarchy and other social hierarchies were strictly followed even more now than before, titles and lands were passed around to those in favour and a life-time in prison for those who didn’t. But it really didn’t matter, if you are a part of the sacred 28 then you will get away with it, though the blow faced by families like the Lestrange and Malfoy- who were stripped off their titles and most of their existing property making them drop from the higher ranks of the sacred 28. The Blacks, however, were spared – both because of his brother’s allegiance to the ‘Light ‘or his change of alliance before the fated night, when the Dark Lord was finally defeated for good. Though his sudden change of heart has raised the eyebrows of many but couldn’t really care less. He had been living in peace with his friend, house-elf and daughter, until now.
He had been summoned to London for his attendance at this nuisance they called a ball, to show his acceptance and support towards the new government and he also had to bring along his daughter for her to be officially accepted as his heir. Though the wizarding world isn’t necessarily patriarchal but still heirs to wizarding families were rarely female with the exception of the Parkinson and the Greengrass families. He very well knew his attendance had less to do with the Royal Family but more to do with Sirius. Regulus knew how curious his brother could get and to what extends he could go sate his curiosity.
He chuckled darked, putting down his invite and his empty glass of wine. He then asked his loyal house elf, Kreacher to summon his friend and his daughter and also bring along a bottle of Fire whiskey.
“It’s going to be excruciating.”, he mumbled to himself, before pouring himself more wine knowing very well that the ball will not lead to anything good but he could not do much but prepare himself for the worst.
Slowly sipping the wine, his soul seemed to slip away losing himself to some wonderful memories as he patiently waited his friend and potion master, Snape and his lovely daughter, Cassiopia.