Familiar Faces
“Any moment might be our last.”
December 31st, 6:43 P.M
The sun was starting to set below the horizon, a breeze falling down upon the fields. The sound of trotting horses hit the ground, echoing for some time after. Conversation flew about in the air, unfinished sentences fading out into nothingness. A kingdom was celebrating as much as they could, a new year falling onto the Kingdom of Lleuad.
The new year party was a time that came every year. Always the same day, the same time, and the same place. An annual ball that wasn’t like most balls. A ball where you parade around in your nicest clothes talking to people you will never learn the name of. A day where you can be who you want without the worry of your last name affecting your appearance. The day that made it difficult to find the difference between a lie and a truth.
A boy with espresso black coloured hair moved calmly through the large ballroom, a black cane tapping against the floor whenever he walked. He basically radiated politeness. Whether that be because of the kind smile that sat on his face, or because of the way he greeted everybody he passed. He smiled softly at the servants, towards the maids and the butlers. He nodded toward the guards who were stationed in certain areas. No guests had arrived yet, but he would most likely end up greeting every individual who entered before he got whisked away into the crowd.
Remus moved through the ballroom and in the direction of the main doors. His eyes scanned about watching as guards straightened up and as maids and butlers rushed to prepare the last-minute decorations.
There were seventeen minutes before the doors would open to a variety of guests.
Seventeen minutes until the ball would take place.
Royals from kingdoms all around had been invited. The King and Queen always invited as many people as they could. What was a ball if not to mingle with kingdoms you normally would never be in touch with? Kingdoms that Remus did not even know existed had been invited, as well as kingdoms he knew all too well. His parents had even invited kingdoms that they did not get along with. The New Year Ball was a ball where a truce was formed. There was no violence, no arguing. Just a ball where conversations can be held and alliances can be made. Where new royalties can meet the old.
Remus sucked in a breath at the thought. He was always wary of kingdoms they did not get along with. He knew the rules, he knew the truce that lingered in the air. However, that only made him more paranoid. They would expect him to not think too much about what could happen, and it was only causing him to think more. Despite how his heart was telling him he needed to relax, his brain was screaming at him to not trust anybody.
He tried to let his shoulders relax, though it proved more difficult than one would think.
He looked at the time once more. The large clock that sat on the wall behind him read ‘ 6:52 .’ Time was going considerably fast. Remus thought it was due to the nerves moving with ease through his body. He continued on forward to the main doors, smiling when he caught sight of one of his favorite guards. A boy that he had run across a few years ago. A boy who exceeded the guard's training after going through it. It was strange, and at one point Remus had thought it was suspicious. He had every right to believe so, and his gut had not been wrong.
Sirius Potter , that’s the name of the male. A male with raven-colored hair fell to their shoulders in extremely loose waves. It was like their hair had been straightened many times, enough that their waves had begun to straighten out. Remus had never seen a hair straightener touch the other's hair though, not since accepting the role of a guard only a few years ago.
Throughout the years, Sirius had become one of Remus’ close friends. And not due to him being a guard, no. His personal guard was a girl that he had known since birth. Her parents had worked previously in the kingdom and under his parent’s rules. So no. Sirius was not his personal guard, but they were close friends. Remus tried to see the other boy as often as he could, meeting with him constantly and sometimes getting into trouble by sneaking into the village alongside them.
“Have you gotten your rounds set up yet?” Remus questioned, moving up to the shorter male. He got a smile from Sirius and that made him smile a small bit. The others emotions basically radiated off them, falling onto whomever they tended to be around. There were times Sirius tended to be closed off, and Remus was thankful he never had to fully witness them. Though, the rest of the time Sirius was a loudspoken individual. It is how they became friends in the first place after all.
“We have,” She spoke up with a smirk on their face. “I’m a guard at the entrance until the guests all arrive, and then I’m to move over to one of the East corners of the room.” Sirius spoke calmly as if he had spent some time memorizing what he was to do. Though, Remus would not put it past him to actually do so. When they first went through the training process, Sirius was definitely not the one to be able to memorize everything.
The prince nodded slowly, eyeing over Sirius as if to make sure nothing seemed out of place. Sirius could look threatening at times, and so he had to do his best to make sure it stayed like that. Despite the other being his close friend, Remus had to do so with most of the guards. They were inviting kingdoms that he needed to be cautious about, and so he needed to make sure everyone looked threatening in some way. They could not be attacked tonight, nor argued with. It would be a simple ball. A masquerade ball, and a simple ball.
“That’s good,” Remus breathed out lightly as he fiddled with the ends of his button up. He pushed his sleeves up above his elbow before letting the fabric settle. “Be alert tonight, alright? There are going to be kingdoms here that I do not trust entirely, so just be alert.” He trusted Sirius to not tell anyone what he was saying. He knew she would not repeat any of the words back to others unless given permission, even if there was no rule telling her she could not. It was common courtesy between the two of them and their friendship.
Sirius nodded in understanding with those words.
“Don’t worry, princey, my eyes will stay peeled.” The comment from him made Remus have to hold back a laugh. Take it for Sirius to somehow make a stressful situation somewhat better. She seemed to be the King at doing so. If he was not to be King then he knew who he would suggest. Sirius proved himself enough as someone who knew how to deal with royalty- and that is an aspect as to why he had once been suspicious of the other boy. He trusted Sirius now though.
The espresso haired boy hummed softly, cracking his fingers.
“Thank you, Sirius.” He spoke lightly, watching Sirius bow his head as a way to respond. “Guests are arriving any moment now…care to accompany me? I’m going to be greeting as many people as I can and you are going there, are you not?” The royal already was beginning to move closer towards the entrance once more, no regard on whether or not the guard would follow. However, Remus had an inkling of a feeling that Sirius would be walking alongside him in no time.
He glanced to his side not even a second later, watching as Sirius fell into step alongside him. Remus made it known that they were equals. Despite his higher known status, the prince never tried to make anyone feel below him. It was never his goal to do so. So seeing how the other fell into step with him, a small smile once again formed on his face. He was thankful some people listened to him. He knew others would not, and that was also okay.
Neither of them spoke, so it gave time for Remus to think. Every so often he would spare a glance over to Sirius to see how the guard was doing. There were times he was stiff, other things where he seemed to bounce with each step. Today seemed like a combination of both of those things and it made Remus curious. Sirius still bounced with each step, yet his shoulders were straight and there were clear nerves falling about her. He knew better than to ask if they were okay, though. There was never a straight answer given in response to that question. So instead, Remus just made a mental note of it.
He tucked his hands neatly into his pockets and went straight to playing with the fabric there instead. It was a good way to ignore his own nerves. That was something he figured out years ago when they started holding these balls. A mask sat in one pocket and so he went to play with the string that came off of both sides. He already had an inkling of a feeling that the string would itch against his head that night, but he knew there was nothing he could do about it now.
As they neared the entrance of the castle, Remus’ eyes landed on the other guard that stood there waiting for him. The silver armor that she wore complimented against her dark skin, and so did the hints of red that sat on the armor. Her hair was curly, reaching just to her shoulders in tight and neat curls. She seemed void of emotion until her eyes landed on the prince.
“Your highness.” She hummed softly, bowing her head in a way to greet the boy.
Remus could only smile in amusement.
“No need to greet me as if you do not know me, Mary.” He told the girl - Mary. Emotions erupted on her face and a small smile formed on her lips. His personal guard.
“I don’t want to look unprofessional in front of others though.” Her nose scrunched up, the corners up her eyes crinkling. “Especially since there are guests coming from other kingdoms.” She added on, biting back a sigh as she looked at both Remus and Sirius.
“Loosen up a bit, Macdonald!” Sirius exclaimed happily, clasping his hands together before using his elbow to nudge the girl on her side. Mary shot them a playful glare, shaking her head in mock annoyance at the other now standing next to her.
“I do loosen up. I just am not in the mood to get yelled at by the King and Queen. Todays like one of the most important days!” She exclaimed, pouting playfully right after. “And I can’t even wear anything fancy!” She continued on complaining, running a hand down her face dramatically. Her dramatics received a laugh from both Remus and Sirius. That made her a bit happier about the situation. One thing Mary liked was dressing up - especially for balls. Though, her position didn’t let that happen.
Remus smiled sadly upon hearing those words. They had conversations about Mary's line of work constantly, so he knew where she was coming from. His parents were quite unfair when it came to things like that though, and sometimes there’s no way around it.
“How about this,” The dark haired prince spoke up finally, “After everyone arrives, I’ll let you off the time frame you were scheduled for. You can run and get changed - and you may use my bedroom if you must - and then you can join the party.” He hummed softly. “You’ll have time, I promise. This party tends to last hours.” Remus was not wrong in the slightest. The annual masquerade ball often stretched into the late hours of the night, going on as the stars and moon were out.
The girl seemed visibly okay with that. She perked almost instantly, the curls surrounding her face bouncing as she did so. Her eyes flickered with unknown emotions that Remus could not tell. Yet, her reaction caused him to be happy. He enjoyed being able to make others happy, that was all.
“Really?” She questioned, bouncing on the heels of her feet. “You’d let me attend the party?” The question fell from her. Mary may be a guard, as well as a personal guard to the prince himself, but she never attended the parties. Well, she did - when she was on duty. Never did she attend them dressed up in an outfit of her choice. Never was she able to wander off and mingle with the other royals she may come across. Now that she was being given the opportunity, excitement was coursing through her veins.
Remus nodded once more as if to confirm his own words. The dark haired boy was just glad he could make at least one of his friends happy. He classed Mary as a friend, despite it being her job to protect him. They were still friends.
“Of course, Macdonald. You’re free to join the party as soon as all the other kingdoms arrive. You as well, Potter.” He spoke to both Mary and Sirius this time. Within an instant, the duo were looking to one another with massive grins. Remus already had an inkling of a feeling that the two of them would be getting ready together after everyone arrives. They would be fine without two guards. He knew how many would be out and about tonight anyways.
“Now,” Remus began, looking at the time once more. It had just hit 7P.M. which could only mean one thing. Other royals would be allowed into the kingdom now. Humming a bit to himself, he fixed the mask he wore and he brushed off his outfit as well.”Let’s go greet some guests, shall we?” He smiled a bit, nodding to both of the guards who seemed quite happy with that decision.
『-』
Regulus found himself in a predicament that he always found himself in before missions. His leg was bouncing up and down as he sat calmly in the carriage. Barty sat in front of him, twirling his own dagger in his hand. Unlike Regulus’ dagger, which was curved and resembled a karambit, his was straight and had a slightly rounder tip than Regulus’ did. Though, it was just as deathly. Especially since it sat in Barty’s hand, being twirled around as if it was merely a toy. As if it could do no harm.
“Are you really going to be following your mothers plan, Reg?” Barty questioned. His head was tilted back against the back of the carriage, his eyes closed but he peaked them open when speaking. He wore a different outfit than he had worn earlier. Instead of wearing armor, he was wearing something that could be classed as ‘formal’. A gray button up, the first two buttons being undone to show his chest in a way. His shirt was tucked into a pair of black slacks, and it was topped off by a black vest that sat over his button-up. His hair was pushed back, a singular piece falling in the way of his vision. A plain gray mask was also found resting on his lap.
Regulus also wore something different now. His outfit was much less colorful than Barty’s. Though, still just as dark. His hair was parted in the middle, his curls falling into the way of his vision at times. A black turtleneck poked through the rest of his outfit, followed by a black vest sitting neatly on top. The vest was covered somewhat by the black suit top he wore. The only thing that was tucked into the black slacks he wore was the black turtleneck that could not be seen from besides the top. Silver rings sat on multiple of his fingers. Either plain bands, followed by a snake ring that sat on one finger and a family ring with the letter ‘B’ on another. The last thing about him was the black mask that sat next to him. One eye was not fully cut out, leaving his mask to be a half-mask instead of one that covered both of his eyes in a sense.
Barty and Regulus looked good , and even that was an understatement.
“When do I ever, Crouch?” Regulus questioned, his voice light. He stared out the window of the carriage, tucking his dagger under his sleeve. It was always so easy to slip weapons into parties. The guards made it so, so easy. And despite their guards back at home being trained differently, it was quite easy to sneak stuff past them as well.
His answer seemed to get a laugh from the other boy in front of him for some reason. It caused Regulus to roll his eyes. They knew the drill. He lied to his parents about how he would follow their plan, and then when he left the party - the killing would be done his own way. That’s how he worked, and it was how he worked for years now. It was something he had gotten used to, and it was only something he would continue on doing.
“You make a point, dear.” Barty hummed idly, the pet name falling from him easily. That also made Regulus roll his eyes. It was not uncommon for Barty to use pet names in conversations. He had seen it happen with complete strangers as well. It’s how the other worked, and Regulus would continue to let him do so.
“I always do.” His response was blunt. He didn’t like sugar-coating things. That was one thing Regulus never did. He always spoke the truth, and only the truth. Unless the truth would get him in more trouble than a lie. That was his only excuse.
“Does that mean I don’t have to watch you as much once we’re in?” The other boy questioned, using his free hand to try and push back the individual strand of hair that kept landing on his forehead. “I hate being your babysitter.”
“Barty, it is literally your job to be my ‘babysitter .’” Regulus deadpanned.
“Yeah, well that doesn’t mean I like it.”
“Will you like it if I tell you that you are correct,” The prince began once more, “You don’t have to watch over me during this. I’ll come to you when we need to leave. You can go off and do as you please.” He told his best friend, shaking his head a bit when he saw how Barty instantly perked up.
Barty cheered playfully, twirling his own dagger in excitement.
“You know how much I love you, Reggie, have I ever said that? You’re an amazing prince and an amazing best friend and-”
“Okay I get it, Crouch. You don’t have to continue.”
“You don’t get it though-”
“No, I really do.”
“Would you stop cutting me off?” Barty finished, shaking his head at Regulus with a huff. He watched as the faintest of smiles formed on the royal's face. The corners of his lips quirked up just enough to be classed as even a ‘smirk.’ It made Barty smile seeing Regulus smile, though he tried to push those feelings away.
“I’m not cutting you off,” Regulus began finally, “I’m just trying to tell you that I understand.” He pointed out, dragging his eyes away from Barty to look out the carriage once more. He could tell the cart was slowing down which meant they were approaching the Kingdom of Lleuad. That forced the raven haired boy to sit up, his posture straightening. He became aware of the dagger he held on his person.
“We’re almost there.” He voiced out, moving to grab the mask off him. Quietly, he moved to pull it around his head so that it could settle over his eyes and rest on the bridge of his nose. The strings already hurt, digging into his head a bit, but what was beauty if not for a bit of pain? Or in his situation - without being a tad uncomfortable.
He could hear the sigh that fell from Barty, and he spared a glance over towards the other boy. Neither of them liked social events, for separate reasons of course. Regulus hated all of the eyes on him. He hated attention from those he did not want it from. For Barty, he hated not knowing what could happen. Everything could happen at a ball, or a party, and it was something he always had to be on his toes for. Neither of them liked this situation for different and total opposite reasons.
Before either of the boys could speak again, the carriage they sat in came to a full stop. It caused Barty to jerk a bit and it caused Regulus to have to hold onto the edge of his seat for a moment. The prince and guard duo could hear someone moving from the outside and already knew of what was going to happen. Barty moved to stand up and as soon as he did, the door to the carriage was being opened by someone on the other side.
The smile dropped off of Regulus’ face, not wanting to show much emotion while he was here. Barty was the first out of the carriage, his head turning back to keep his eyes on Regulus for the time being. The prince sucked in a small and faint breath as he stood up. The dagger was out of sight, tucked away. It felt heavy, weighing him down as he moved to get out of the carriage. The coldness of the dagger sat flat against his skin as he tried not to make it obvious he had one on him.
“Prince Regulus,” The voice of another spoke up, and he knew that voice did not belong to either him or Barty. He turned his attention to whoever it was that had spoken, only to make eye contact with another guard. One he presumed was a part of the kingdom they had arrived at. He nodded as a way to greet them. A blond girl stood there, their hair perfectly framing their face and her eyes shining with kindness. “Prewett, Fabian Prewett. I’m meant to be showing you up to the doors.” She rambled slightly, and it reminded Regulus of one of his friends back home. One of the stable girls he befriended when they were both still kids - Pandora.
He nodded towards the guard in greeting. A small gesture, but a gesture nonetheless. It caused the guard to smile though and that’s what mattered. Regulus may strive to look threatening, but that was only to people who needed to be scared of him.
“This is my guard, Bartemius Crouch Jr.” He introduced, waving a hand towards the brown-haired boy who stood on his side. There was a protective aura looming around the guard, his eyes narrowed and set deadly on the other guard in front of them. Barty didn’t trust people easily, especially other guards. Yet, when he heard his full name, he dragged his eyes back down towards Regulus and a very faint scoff fell from him.
Fabian seemed content with that answer and she nodded a bit.
“Well then, you two may follow me.” The smile never did seem to disappear off their face. Not saying anything else, the guard began moving in the direction of the kingdom’s stairs and in the direction of the entrance into the castle.
Regulus felt Barty’s elbow digging into his side and he glanced up to the other with a small glare.
“Was there a need for my full name?” The boy whispered with a grunt.
A smile of delight danced onto the royals face and he just moved to follow after Fabian.
“There’s always a need for it. You have a funny name.” He responded to Barty's question once the other boy had caught up with his fast-paced steps. A loud breath of air fell from Barty and it caused the other guard to turn her head back to look at them. Yet, Fabian did not say anything as she went to lead them up the stairs to the entrance. There was a seen pep in the ginger's step.
Already now there were at least five differences between this kingdom compared to his own. Some were more obvious than others, but those were things that Regulus picked up on. The kingdom was decorated, with plants on every inch of the soil. As well as bushes that held hundreds of tiny colored berries on stems. There were vines climbing some of the walls of the forest, big enough for a person to climb if they had to. Lights filtered through most of the windows, warm colors that Regulus knew would not blind his eyes, unlike the lights that filtered through his own castle.
His shoes hit the ground, tapping against them with every step he took. An unknown feeling settled in his gut the closer he got to the castle, and he spared a glance to Barty to see if he was feeling the same thing. He was not and that was something Regulus knew. He could tell that Barty thought nothing of it because if he did, he would not be able to hide it well. Regulus knew him like the outside of his hand. He knew him better than he knew himself at times.
They reached the top of the stairs and Regulus sucked in a small breath. As soon as he stepped foot into the castle, his job would start. He would have to be on alert, and he would have to keep track of everything he saw. For once, he just wanted to be able to go to a party to enjoy himself. Though, he doubted there would ever be a time when he could do so.
Fabian led them towards the entrance of the castle, silence looming over them. There was a small line of people, though there were only two others in front of Regulus. Each of them was accompanied by a guard from the castle he assumed. Though, unlike him, they were making quiet conversation with the person next to them. Regulus wished he had the people skills for that, and maybe if he had been raised differently then he would have, but that was not the case scenario.
However, the short time in the line gave Regulus time to look around. It gave him time to see if there was anyone he should keep his eyes on.
He already knew at first glance that Fabian would not be a problem. She may be a guard, but they seemed oblivious (in a nice way of course). She had not caught the dagger under Regulus’ clothing, and so that was enough for Regulus to assume she was oblivious. Sometimes he had to stop assuming things, he had been told that countless times by Pandora.
The two guards who stood by the other two royals did not seem like they would be problems either. Their posture was disrespectful, and they moved about as if they had no care in the world. How were the guards in this kingdom being trained? The guards in his own kingdom were not like that, were they? He looked at Barty once more. No, they were not.
His eyes landed on the trio that stood at the entranceway, talking kindly to the royals that passed them. He paused almost immediately, his body going stiff and his eyes landing on one individual. He froze in his spot, and it felt like his feet were glued down to the ground. His body would not let him move as he stared at the guard that stood there happily whispering to another.
He had not seen him in years.
I promise.
Regulus blinked a few times as he was brought back into reality. He could feel Barty’s hand on his back, grounding him a small bit. It seemed that the other boy also had found his eyes on the same person as Regulus. He felt Barty leading him forwards despite how Regulus’ body had grown stiff. He wanted to turn around. He wanted to go back to his carriage and demand for it to bring him back to his own kingdom instead. Yet, he could not.
Before he could even process it, the two royals in front of him had vanished into the castle. It was now his turn to greet whomever stood there. Despite it being his turn, everything in his body was screaming at him to leave. To disregard his parents' plan, to leave and disappear. Just like the guard in front of them had. Even if it was all those years ago. Was this the universe’s way of how everything would always come back if it had been lost. He had remembered a story Pandora told him during the hours they spent together.
Things we lose have a way of coming back to us in the end.
Pandora's voice rang through his head. He did not want to believe them at that moment. For once, he did not want to believe them despite how correct she might be. How did she always seem to be correct? It was something that Regulus truly never did understand.
He turned his attention away from the raven haired guard before the other could recognize him. Instead, he turned his gaze to the other dark haired boy in front of him. He wore a simpler outfit than Regulus, yet one that no guard would wear. His thoughts grew, and they were only confirmed when the dark-skinned boy began to speak.
“Good evening, Prince…” The other boy began to speak, trailing off as if waiting for Regulus to speak. Though, he truly did not want to speak at the given moment. He was forced to anyway.
“It is a masquerade ball, is it not? Saying my name would defeat the whole purpose.” Regulus bit out smartly, a small smile formed on his face. Though, it was more of a smirk than a smile. Only one corner of his lips perked up, and there was a twinkle in his eye. His comment seemed to get a small snicker from the curly haired girl on the other side, followed by a small laugh from the nicely dressed boy in front of him.
He noticed how the royal tapped his cane against the ground and made a mental note of it. An anxious movement maybe, everyone had them. Even Regulus himself had them. Though, that was not something he would willingly admit so easily.
“It is,” The boy confirmed, “Though, class it as a safety procedure. Everyone must say their name.”
Ah. A safety procedure. That made sense in a way. A masquerade ball itself was risky nonetheless. It was a smart move to get their names before letting them enter. Regulus could understand that, which is why he was willing to answer only a few moments later.
“Regulus. Prince Regulus.” The French boy spoke calmly, bowing his head a bit as a sign of respect towards the other royal. He had given his name, a name that the other raven haired guard did not know him by. He knew him of a different name, one that he hoped would never be repeated again. He did not deserve to know who stood in front of him.
“Ah. Good Evening then, Prince Regulus. I assume this is your guard then?” He questioned, looking towards the brown haired boy who still had a hand on the prince's back. Regulus nodded almost immediately.
“My guard, Barty.” He replied simply, not finding the urge to use his best friend's full name. He knew if he did then Sirius would be confused. And as much as he would love to confuse the other, Sirius had nothing to do with tonight's plan.
“Goodevening to you aswell.” The other boy spoke up. “And thank you for attending as well. I’m Prince Remus, and these are my guards - Mary Macdonald and Sirius Potter.”
In an instant, Regulus’ eyes snapped towards Sirius.
Oh.
That hurt.
That stung his heart.
It felt like his dagger had stabbed him right then and there without him realizing.
He sucked in a breath, and he heard the breath that Barty let out.
Regulus looked to Sirius, and then back to the other prince. Sirius Potter. Sirius. Potter. Not Sirius Black. Regulus knew of the Potter household, he at least knew James Potter. When Sirius had first left, he had seen the letters that sat on his desk. Addressed to a boy in a neighboring village who went by the name James Potter.
His brother now shared his last name. And that hurt more than a knife stabbing him. It hurt more than he wanted to show. So he would not show it. All the emotions that had previously sat on his face dropped almost immediately. His eyes went void of emotion and he just nodded in response to Remus Lupin.
“Thank you for inviting us.” Regulus responded lightly, keeping his eyes on the prince. He did not want to look anywhere else. Instead, he was now spending the time eyeing over the male he was meant to kill. He was pretty . It would be a shame to lose him by the end of the night, yet that was something Regulus could not stop.
Remus moved out of his way, sweeping an arm out to let the prince and guard duo into the castle.
“Have fun.”
The words were so simple, yet it still stung. Regulus looked to the curly haired girl who had let out a tiny laugh in response to the other guards words. Had Sirius truly not recognized him? There were no emotions on the other person's face that would show he did.
Before Regulus could say something in return, he felt Barty’s hand pressing against his lower back. It was a sign to just go forward. This was something they would talk about when it came to it. Now was not the time to talk about the appearance of the other. The raven haired boy sucked in a breath and he nodded. He let Barty lead them into the castle, and into the ballroom.
This castle was a lot different from his own.
Maybe that was why his brother had found comfort in it.
Or maybe it was because of the pretty prince that ruled there.