Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Prince Regulus Black, heir to the Black Kingdom's throne...was extremely bored

Oh, don't get him wrong, he loved parties, truly. Barty was a fun drunk, Evan loved to dance, Dorcas was just great in general, and Pandora was his best friend...but they were really the only people he liked at the ball. Of course, this meant he was being kept away from them at all costs. God forbid he actually had fun, instead of pulling at his suit's cuffs and making small talk with the duke and duchess of some small area the king and queen siphoned off for some petty reason or the other.

Still, he kept up appearances, nodding, and taking a drink of champagne now and then. He dodged a couple waltzing to some wordless piano music playing in the background, and his black polished boots clicked against the brilliant white marble tiles as he made his way up to the two nearly identical thrones at the room's far end. A huge chandelier made of pure diamonds and silver hung proudly above him, and he stomped on the urge to roll his eyes at the drama of it all. 

The background hung silver, green, and purple. The silver curtains draped sideways almost as if to show off the stained glass window that cast a beautiful shadow in the sunlight. Two guards stood next to the King and Queen with glinting swords at their sides. He took a step closer.

His shoe sank into the plush green carpet leading to the thrones where his parents sat. Two marble serpent statues stood proudly, carved mid-hiss at whoever stood before the king and queen. The wood of the thrones was nearly black, carved to look like a cobra's head with green velvet seats. They were decorated with pearls and sea glass, and silver. A showcase of the Black dynasties' wealth. They looked wicked, and there were three carpet steps that led up to the actual thrones so that the king and queen could look down upon those standing before them. Meant to intimidate. The king and queen themselves...they matched the very thrones they sat upon.

His father wore a deep purple garment with silver accents, white puffed sleeves, and white tights, while the queen wore a flowy purple dress with silver accents hat flared out at the waist with silver lace at the chest and feathers. King Orion and Queen Walburga were currently speaking with Duke Cygnus and Duchess Druella. His aunt and uncle. This would be fun.

He bowed deeply upon reaching them, "My King, my Queen."

"Prince Regulus, where have you been?" his mother's cold voice was shrill. Of course, she had just been chatting with her sister, anyone would be annoyed.

Still, he suppressed a wince at her tone.

"Greeting the guests, Mother, as you asked." Had she forgotten that already? Senile oldwoman.

The Duchess cut in. "Oh, Regulus, how long has it been?" Duchess Druella trilled.

"Far too long, it's a pleasure to finally see you again. You look absolutely stunning, Duchess," he responded politely, brushing his lips to her knuckles. Her wrinkled hands smelt like artificial roses.

The Duchess chuckled, "Oh, you flatter me. Your mother has raised you so well, Regulus! Call me Auntie."

His mother hadn’t ‘raised’ him at all.

"Prince. Prince Regulus. He came of age some years ago, Druella." Walburga reminded her.

 Of course, Druella was trying to create some connection between herself and the throne. The old hag would probably marry him herself if she got the chance, just to be in power. Thank the lord Walburga had gotten the throne-although she had faced much hostility from the court. Druella was such a bitch, she’d had a servant whipped for dropping a tray of grapes. Fuck her. Truthfully, Regulus despised Druella and Cygnus, but he had a strong bond with their children. Narcissa, Bellatrix...and Andromeda.

Narcissa was his favorite cousin, they both got along so well. Maybe as the youngest, they always understood each other. They would both play hide and seek and run around and hide under tables with long covers, whispering secrets to each other as the others pretended to look for them. Andy would always try to make them play but the others would want to listen to the grown-ups and try the fancy drinks.

This was, of course, before Bellatrix went mad from the torture her parents put her through, Andy ran away, and Narcissa had been left alone in that house...just like him. He really had to finish writing his weekly letter to her.

"Good evening, your majesties. Quite a wonderful ball you've hosted." A handsome young man in a golden suit with brown hair bowed to the sovereigns.

Oh, finally. "Might I steal Prince Regulus for a moment?" Barty asked politely.

The queen glared at him, her silver eyes trying to cut him down from where he bowed to her.  With a slight sneer, she said, "Very well."

She waved her hand to dismiss him, and the second they reached the drinks table, Barty grinned brightly. "What were you doing with the Wicked Bitch of the West when there are drinks right here?"

"One, she's my mother, two, I can't exactly get roaring drunk and jump on a table. I'm a-"

"Prince, yes I know. Heir to the Black throne. You've only told us a billion times."

“And I’ll tell you a billion more times if you don’t stop suggesting I do outrageous things.”

"Aww, don't be mad, Reggie! I was only teasing." Barty pouted.

"Don't call me Reggie."

“No way, Reggie .” 

“Why don’t you just call me Regulus? I hate Reggie. Reggie was a stupid twelve year old who cried because of scary stories.”

"Well, someone has to show you you can't have everything in the world! Who better than me?" Barty spread his arms in a wide gesture.

"What the hell are you doing?" Evan asked as he neared, glass in hand.

"Oh, nothing...Explaining to Reggie that even though he's a prince now and looks down at us-" "-I don't-" "He's only the prince of the Black Kingdom, not the whole world."

Evan's dark brown eyes pierced Barty's blue ones. "You're an idiot..." he grinned slowly, "But you're right."

They stared into each other's eyes for a moment, causing Regulus to roll his eyes.

"Barty right about something? Now, that's new." A female voice interrupted.

"Oh, piss off, Meadowes. We're not making fun of me  right now, we're making fun of Prince Regulus, heir to the throne of the prestigious, wealthy, snobby-" Barty stated dramatically.

 "I'll cut you," Regulus threatened as Barty put his hands up in an 'I surrender' gesture.

"You're all idiots." Dorcas drawled as she brought a dark-skinned, carefully manicured hand up to her lips to carefully wipe off champagne that collected on her cupid's bow. 

"Barty's an idiot. I'm a genius." Regulus said.

"You have a wrackspurt infestation, so I wouldn't go that far as to say you're a genius." A soft voice added. He looked to his right to find a small blonde woman curtseying.

"Pandora! I've told you over and over again to stop with this curtseying shit." Regulus kissed the pale girl's knuckles. 

"Oh, your dress is just stunning! I got a new tailor, Madam Malkin, or something. I'll introduce you to her." Dorcas took both of Pandora's hands in her own.

"Oh, please do. I would like some champagne by the way, Barty."

Barty pouted. "What, no hi? No hello? Just 'get me a drink'? Am I just a servant to you?" 

"Yes," Evan replied, deadpan.

"Oh, darling, you wound me."

Evan rolled his eyes at that and turned to get Pandora a drink.Regulus could see the back of his tanned ears turning pink, probably at  Barty’s use of the pet name. The drink was dark red and fell into the goblet with a splattering noise.

"Prince Regulus," A pretty blonde woman in a sparkling blue dress called for his attention.

He turned to find Narcissa curtseying. "Narcissa! Oh, I've just spoken to the Duchess."

"Ah, mother. Has she informed you I'm to be married?"

Regulus paused. Narcissa. Married. He felt the world pause for a moment. The wine stopped flowing into the goblet, the piano music came to a stop. The couples dancing slowed mid-waltz.

Of course, with her and Lucius Malfoy courting, it was only a matter of time. Yet, he couldn't stop the anger pulsing through him, and his pale fists curled. His nails dug into his palms, but he ignored it.

It felt a bit impossible for Narcissa to be married. She was a beautiful young woman, in a high station, but she was also… his Cissy. His cousin, his first best friend. She was the one who shone so brightly in the shadow they lived in as the youngest. She lived with one fist curled and used the other 

She was just a pawn for her mother to move around to gain status and power. A soldier in her mother's army, to be given away to an abusive asshole. It was like Andy and Rabastan, Bella and Rodolphus all over again. Druella was senile...she was barking mad, actually, if she thought Regulus would let that happen.

He turned to his Pantheon and caught Pandora's eye. She pressed her lips together. She understood, Regulus needed to sort this out. 

"Oh. You all go on without me, I would like to speak to my cousin. Privately." He said airily, giving Pandora a pointed look. She smiled and led Dorcas away, chittering over one thing or another, while Barty and Evans trailed after them.

Narcissa took his arm, her pale hand contrasting with the deep purple. She knew not to speak while in the ballroom, who knows who would hear it and spread whatever she'd say? He led her out of the ballroom where the walls were black and the ceilings high and made of glass to let in light. The decorations were all either sea glass, silver, or green because green and silver were the Black Family colors and they were a sea kingdom. The palace was grand, with paintings and portraits made by only the best of the best, and every marble tile cost a fortune. 

He led Narcissa up the wooden stairs, and all the paintings hissed at him to get back to the party. They were magic paintings, infused with life magic and a crystal stuck in the back of the frame that kept the magic going. He took a right and glanced sideways at Narcissa as they heard rather loud noises of pleasure coming from one the small rooms where the servants kept their cleaning supplies. They headed towards a small alcove, plush with soft green pillows and a large window which overlooked the garden and the sea. 

She sat down delicately and sniffled, a pale hand coming to cover her mouth. Her nails were blue, he noticed.

"What happened, Cissy?"

"It was rather sudden. I came home from a tea party to find his family and mine, and when they told me-" She looked up so the glassy tears wouldn't escape her brilliant blue eyes.

"Oh, Narcissa. Don't worry, we'll find a way out of this." He comforted her awkwardly. It was harder when nothing horrible happened to him in the past weeks. They'd always vented about their shitty lives together, trading stories. How was he even supposed to comfort her? Hug her maybe? Oh god, she was about to cry.

She sniffled. "My mother will kill me if I ruin my makeup."

He handed her a handkerchief wordlessly. "Why did they surprise you with it?" He asked delicately.

She wiped her eyes carefully and took a deep breath. "Black Spies say that the Marauders are getting closer to the Black Kingdom every day...there have been rumors that the Royal Court will be the ones to kill them, and Lucius is on the court. They're dangerous, Reggie. He could be killed, and my mother wants to form a union quickly so I can get the assets when he dies-the sick whore." She snarled.

Regulus scoffed. "The Marauders? Our Navy is stronger than a group of 7 buffoons on a silly little wooden boat."

"Don't be egotistical Regulus, that band of pirates like to take out the heads of the operation before anything else. They have their own spy network, and they are at peace with most kingdoms. Lucius was the one to cement the decision of denying them safe passage through our ports. They'll kill him, and I'll be a widow. A widow , Regulus. The Death Magic will cling to me like leeches, especially with how strong our family magic is. What am I to do?"

Regulus pursed his lips. How was he supposed to stop this marriage? He needed more time.

He sighed, "I'll see what I can do, Cissa. In the meanwhile, stall. Spill something on your wedding dress and blame it on a servant, I don't care. Just make some time. Come now, the King and Queen will get angry if they find out we left."

She cleared her throat and he helped her to her feet, before leading her back to the ballroom.

Her heels clicked against the floor, "It's been a while since I've been here. Did you get rid of Alphard's painting?"

"Yes. Mother fired a servant who was working too slowly at taking it down."

Narcissa chuckled. "Charming woman."

"Oh, very. By the way, my father has a new project for me and my Pantheon, though I'm not supposed to tell anyone, so keep it a secret."

"Then why are you telling me?"

"What, can I not trust you?"

"Oh, after the snake in the garden incident, I thought that bond had been broken forever."

"Well, forgive and forget. I'm a kind soul."

She snorted at that before they started to walk in silence.

Suddenly, she stopped him with a hand on his shoulder and his heart sped up. Something was wrong. He could tell in the way her forehead creased in worry, and fear merged with the blue eyes.

"What's wrong?"

"I-nothing. Never mind," she started to walk again, but he caught her elbow and pulled her back.

His heart was beating in his ears.

"Tell me."

  thump-thump. thump-thump. thump-thump.

"It just feels...I don't know.” She pauses, “Different, I suppose. Everything feels different." She looks him in the eye, her expression grim and serious.

"Something big is happening, Regulus."

She left him at the entrance to the ballroom with a racing heart and a question in his mind.

If there was one thing Regulus loved about the palace, it was the garden. The flower bloomed hues of deep purple, fuchsia, dark greens, beautiful blues, and rich yellows. Their scents wafted out for miles, tainting the air sweet. The garden overlooked the sea, which made it the perfect place to draw. Oh, Regulus could spend hours out here just trying to paint all the different colors of the sea. Sometimes it was light blue, or turquoise, greenish-gray, gray-purple, or black, and sometimes the sunset created a shadow of pink on the normally blue waters. He sighed and made his way to the fountain, the stones reddish-brown under his feet.

He could count maybe two people in the garden, two lovers sitting underneath a tree. He took a drink out of the wine glass he’d brought outside with him. He follows the pathway to the middle of the garden, where a large fountain stood proudly.

The fountain was made of sea glass and marble, in the shape of large intertwining serpents that spewed water. There was a stone path leading there, which cut off into a large circle. Down the path, there was a balcony-like fence that overlooked the sea. On a different path, there would be another one of these balconies surrounded by the most fragrant flowers and the greenest grass, and that was where he liked to spend his afternoons.

He dipped his hand in the cool, smooth water as he passed. Gold coins glinted in the pale  moonlight below the surface, and he watched the ripples move outwards slowly. He took a deep breath of the crisp air, inhaling the scent of some nearby geraniums as well. His friends could wait. They had probably made their way to his spot.

He felt uneasy. There was a pit in his stomach which had been there since Narcissa had stopped him, and no amount of wine could fill it. Not that he couldn’t try. He glanced down at his goblet. The path branched off deeper into the garden, but initially led straight to the balcony. He stepped closer and closer, until his forearms rested on the glass that was kept there as a safety precaution.

Below the balcony, the land declined all the way down to the beach.

The sea was inky black that night, crashing against the sand. They called this beach the Star beach, because if you dug deep enough in the sand, you would find diamonds. Of course, that was illegal now, but at night the diamond’s glow could be seen above the sand. The same for the sea, but the rocks that came from the sea would glow blue. They weren’t magical though, so people were allowed to keep them. 

Star beach was the only beach in the whole world where the sky was clear enough you could catch a glimpse of other planets. It glowed with magic.

The air was cold on his face, and he could tell his hair was frizzing with the humidity. He should leave. He didn’t want to. It was peaceful on the balcony, with no one else there. He could look up and see the stars so clearly. 

His eyes immediately caught on the brightest one in the sky. Sirius. His brother.

There was a feeling of melancholy whenever he looked up at the night sky, like someone was squeezing his heart, and it had been there since he was 10 years old. 

That day, when his brother had slammed his wooden trunk closed, filled with clothes and other trinkets. 

He had stormed through his room, overturning everything, punching walls. Regulus had stood in the doorway, feeling smaller than ever. He’d watch as his older brother ran his hands through his hair and got ready to leave. To run away. And then he’d looked Regulus in the eyes and said-

Regulus chose to let his thoughts wander to the marauders. He placed his wine glass down on the stone.

Crafty bunch. Smart. Deadly. No one knew their identities, or how many of them there were. All the world knew of them was that they were to be feared. It was better to let them travel peacefully than stop them, or your head would be sent back to your kingdom in a wooden crate. They went by aliases. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs. Regulus had heard of them, when Lucius had made the decision to deny them safe passage, but now…

His thoughts were interrupted by a handsome young man, perhaps a year or two older than him, coming up to the balcony.

Regulus moved over to the left to give the man space. He was tall, looming over Regulus with slicked back brown hair. His skin was light brown, and he had large scars criss-crossing all over his face. Regulus couldn’t see his eyes.

“Beautiful night, innit?” He had an accent, like a sailor. His ‘r’s were very pronounced. Although, a lot of noblemen grew up on boats around sailors.

He hadn’t bowed, so Regulus assumed he hadn’t recognized him.

“Yes, I suppose.” Regulus bent down to retrieve his goblet.

“Star beach. The only beach where the sky’s clear enough you could catch a glimpse of the planets, they say.”

“Hmm.” He took a sip.

“Not much of a talker, huh?” The man glanced at him sideways. Regulus suppressed a yawn, his limbs relaxed a bit.

“No, not really.” 

They stood in silence for a moment, and Regulus was starting to feel tired. He didn’t want to move anymore.

“I suppose you’ll start to feel it now.”

“Pardon?” He wanted to ask, but he found he couldn’t. His tongue felt heavy in his mouth, and his limbs felt like they were moving in honey. He staggered backwards.

“The effects of the somnus leaf.” The man turned around as Regulus fell backwards onto his rear.

The man smirked down at him and showed him the purple-red petal held between his pointer and middle finger.

Regulus gasped for air.

“Ya know what they say, never leave yer drink unattended; and yers… Yers was right by my feet.”

Panic seized Regulus as he willed his body to move, to get up and run, or grab the knife in his boot and make a move. He managed to inch his body backwards, straining himself. 

He was wrong, this man wasn’t a nobleman raised on the sea. No, this man was a pirate.

“Shh, it’s okay. You’ll join yer friends soon enough. Close yer eyes now.” The man bent forward and dropped another petal in his mouth.

Regulus didn’t even have the energy to bite him. His eyelids drooped, and all he saw was black.

Chapter Text

When Regulus woke, it was to a bright red light behind his eyelids. His eyes fluttered open, and immediately he scrunched his eyebrows up into a squint. It was so…bright. The events of last night washed over him like a tidal wave, and he took a sharp breath. His whole body felt like pins and needles, but when he tried to move, he was stopped by thick ropes holding him in place.

The sun was harsh on his skin, the tops of his hands becoming red. The scent of perspiration tainted the air as Regulus struggles against the ropes, sweat dripping into his eyes. Regulus panted for air, his mouth dry.

He swiveled his head around, trying to capture his surroundings. Below him was a wood floor,

and above him there was a large wooden mast.

Oh god , he thought, I’m on a boat.

Suddenly, there was a loud groan by someone next to him.

“Wha- what’s goin’ on?” Barty asked.

Regulus’s blood felt like ice in his veins despite the heat. He was regaining feeling though, and he swiped his tongue around his mouth a bit until he was sure he could talk.

“Barty! Barty, shut up!” he hissed, his voice hoarse. He didn’t want to alert his kidnappers to the fact they were awake.

“Re-Reg?” Evan, tied on his other side, asked drearily.

“Yes, Yes, it’s me. Is Dorcas on your other side?” He asked.

“Yeah. What…What happened?” 

So they were tied all around the pole, four of them. What about Pandora?

“We were kidnapped, but don’t worry. The boat is docked. We’re not moving forwards. I’ll cut us free, just pretend to be asleep.” Regulus whispered.

No one else was on deck. Evan’s breathing became quick, and Barty’s hitched in his throat, but they didn’t say anything else. They were clearly panicking internally, but Regulus had to focus on one problem at a time.

Regulus wiggled his leg a bit, hoping for a feeling to come back in his foot. He grunted softly and brought his legs under himself. Unfortunately, his hands were tied behind his back all the way on the other side of the pole. Fortunately, Dorcas’ hands were digging into his back, which may not sound fortunate, but it meant that she might be able to get the knife tucked in his boot and cut them free.

“Is Dorcas awake?” He whispered.

“Yeah.” she replied breathily.

“Take off my boot.”

“What?”

“Take off my boot. No, the other one. Just pull it.”

“Ow!” Barty hissed quietly, something probably hit him.

“Shut it!” they all whispered.

 Dorcas managed to pull off his boot, her nails raking against his skin. 

“Now take the knife, strapped to my ankle.” Regulus instructed quietly.

Her hands were warm as she worked on the leather strap, pulling the knife out carefully- and cutting him in the process. He did his best not to hiss in pain as something warm spread along his foot.

The knife pulled away from him and he heard her sawing at the rope. They sat in silence, the only sound was the knife against the rope. Suddenly, her hands pulled away from his back and he sighed in relief.

“Good, now cut your legs free.” he whispered.

“I’m free, but I’m keeping the rope on my stomach, in case they come back. Element of surprise.” She informed him quietly.

She cut the ropes bounding his own hands, and he sighed in relief as the ropes fell away, behind him. His wrists were sore. As she started working on his legs, they heard footsteps bounding up from below deck.

“You’re all asleep.” He snapped quietly.

Regulus kept his eyes open.There were voices from beyond the wooden door of the captain’s quarters. The handle twisted and the door creaked as it swung open… revealing the man who’d knocked him out.

He’d ditched the suit for a loose white shirt and black pants, paired with sturdy black boots. A red bandana held his curly brown hair out of his face and his gold earring glinted in the sunlight. There was black paint under his eyes. His scars were less pronounced in the light, and his eyes looked almost yellow. Like a hawk’s.

“Ah, yer awake. Sorry ‘bout last night.” The man made his way over to them and kneeled in front of him, “Can ya talk? The effects ain’t supposed to last this long.”

He spoke much harsher when he wasn’t playing dress-up as a nobleman.

“No, I can speak, I just refuse to converse with filth.” he sneered up at the man.

The man stared at him, his amber eyes cutting into Regulus’ blue ones. “Filth’s the only thing you’ll find out ‘ere. We’re setting sail at noon. Make yerself comfortable.” 

He reached behind Regulus and seized the knife out of Regulus’ hands before tying him up again. 

He turned to go down to what Regulus guessed was the hold, but stopped suddenly.

“Oh, and do yerself a favor,” He said, “Get rid of that horrible attitude, won’t do ya much good out ‘ere.” He whistled at something above them on the quarterdeck, and Regulus strained his neck to turn and catch a glimpse of a tall man wearing a red coat standing facing the sea. The man whistled back.

Of course, he couldn’t see much with the sun practically blinding him, but now he knew that there were other people above deck. Sneaking off would be harder, but they’d have to get off before noon. Bandana Man left.

“Dorcas.” He whispered.

“How are we going to get off before noon?” She whispered back.

“Just untie me using your hands, as quick as you can.”

“Okay.”

“Can you see anyone in the crow’s nest?”

“I can’t see anything.”

“That’s okay.” Regulus sighed and closed his eyes as Dorcas got to work untying him.

“Reg.” Evan whispered.

“Yes?”

“Do you know that man?”

“I met him last night. He drugged me.”

“What?!” They all whisper-shouted.

“Shut it!”

“They knocked us out with force!” Barty hissed, “Are you okay? Do you feel like you’re about to throw up?”

“No, of course not! If I felt like I would throw up, I would’ve done it already! Ow, Dorcas, stop pinching!”

“Suck it up. I’m trying to save us here!” She snapped.

“Fuck you.” Regulus huffed.

In a couple hours, Barty, Regulus, and Dorcas could move both their arms and legs, and Barty was currently working on untying Evan. The only thing binding them to the pole was the thick rope holding them to the mast, but they could slip out of that easily.

Over time, two others had climbed aboard the ship and made a beeline for the captain. A man had climbed down from the crow’s nest, and went below deck, then came back with something in his hands and scurried back to his post. Regulus hadn’t been able to get a good look at any of them.

Regulus had gathered a few things though.

One, he was aboard a ship of pirates.

Two, the boat was docked at the far end of Star beach, where no one really bothered to go because the sand was rather grainy. This meant that they were remote, and that no one would hear or see them.

Three, the only way they could escape was to make a run for it.

Four, they would probably not get very far.

Of course, when Regulus shared his concerns, the others decided to just go with it. 

They were very outside of their element. They were all sweating buckets, and from what he could see, Barty was getting sunburnt. Evan was used to the heat, as the son of a sailor, but he was still sweating. Regulus couldn’t see Dorcas.

“Someone’s coming.” Evan alerted, and Regulus turned to see a scruffy young woman with auburn hair approach them.

“Don’t do anything, she’s armed.” Regulus murmured to them.

She was short and plump, in a white shirt and black pants with two large criss-crossing belts that held multiple things. Multiple cloths, pouches, and weapons hung from the belt loops and familiar black paint circled her eyes. She was holding a large cup in her hands.

“Hullo! We’re leavin’ in ‘nother  twenty minutes, and ye looked like ya were gettin’ a bit overheated. Thought I’d cool ya down.” The woman smiled, and Regulus noticed that she had a small scar on her pink lips. She was pale for a pirate, with freckles and brilliant forest green eyes. They shone brightly in the sunlight. 

She unsheathed a large dagger and cut them free of their suits, leaving them only in their white shirts, before pulling the cloth away. She didn’t do anything to Dorcas, as far as Regulus could tell.

“Do you have any idea of the worth of that cloth?” Barty snapped.

“Er…No, not really. Ya look like yer getting a nasty sunburn though. Gotta be careful on the sea, the sun’s relentless. ‘Ere, I got some sunburn cream for ya.” She said, dipping her fingers in the pale green cream. 

“Don’t come near me!” Barty exclaimed.

She rolled her eyes. “Oh, calm down, would ya? If I wanted to hurt ya, I woulda done so already. I’m the ‘ealer on the-on this boat, I can ‘elp ya.”

She held Barty by the chin and slathered the cream on. Then did the same for Regulus. He glared up at her, but couldn’t deny that the cream was cooling him down effectively. She then did the same for his hands. Her hands were calloused and rough, but she worked with a surprising gentleness.

“There we are! I’m Lily. Lily Evans, I’m the ‘ealer. Hopefully we’ll get to know each other better. I suppose the others will introduce themselves soon enough.” She chose to speak to Regulus.

“As if I would ever consort with the likes of you . No, what do you want? Money? Land? That can be arranged if you leave us on the beach…If not, you’ll be tracked down and killed like dogs.” Regulus snarled.

Something dangerous flashed across Lily’s face then, but instead of answering, she just smiled.

“The Captain will answer all yer questions soon ‘nough. We noticed ya’d untied yourselves. I just came here to tell you Peter, up there in the crows nest, has a great aim. He’s also got a wand. He’ll immobilize you fer the time bein’ by shootin’ ya in the leg if ya try to make a run fer it.” She explained this all very calmly, but Regulus felt his heart drop. 

There was no way off this ship, and they were leaving very, very soon. He had to be able to do something! They could grab Lily, but she was armed. And by the way she held the dagger, she was experienced. Peter, whoever that was, might just shoot them down anyways.

He couldn't die here, not like this. He also couldn’t put his friends in danger. How was he supposed to fix this? Could they just make a run for it?

Regulus realized three things at that moment. 

One. The only way out of here was to talk his way out.

Two. His friends' lives depended on him, so he could not afford to screw this up.

Three. They were completely, utterly, fucked.

He pulled the thick rope over his head and stood up. His body creaked in protest, and his legs felt like they were full of pins and needles. He hated that Lily was only a couple inches shorter than him. 

“I want to speak with the captain of this ship. Now.” He said calmly, looking down his nose at her as much as she could.

“The Captain of this ship doesn’ wanna speak with ya, as of now. In ‘nother hour, I suspect he’ll be very chatty.”

“If you don’t take me to him, I’ll go up there myself.” He said, chin held high.

Suddenly, Lily grabbed him by the front of his shirt and pulled him towards the edge of the boat, her dagger at his throat. Regulus’s friends quickly stood up.

“Ah- ‘nother step, and the pretty boy gets it.” Lily said, the dangerous look back in her eye.

“I’ll tell ya one thing, Regulus, out ‘ere ya gotta learn quickly how to talk with who. And by that, I mean that if ya disrespect the captain again, other people ain’t gon’ be so nice.” She snarled in his ear.

Regulus stared down at the waters below him. The sea was blueish-green that morning. All it would take was one strong push, one shove, and he’d drown there. His heart thumped erratically in his chest. She’d said his name. How did she know him? 

“Understood.” He managed.

Lily nodded and let him go, and he briskly made his way over to his friends. They grabbed him by the arms and pulled him closer, shooting glares at the curvy redhead.

How was he supposed to talk his way off if he couldn’t even speak to the captain?

Loud footsteps then drew their attention away from her as a group of other people came into sight.

“Oi! Hoist the sails! We’re leavin’!” There was a sudden flurry of movement as the others got to work.

A tall blonde woman in a loose red shirt and black pants passed him, tugging a rope over her shoulder. Regulus glanced at Dorcas, who was following the woman with her eyes. Two identical redheads passed him, carrying two large barrels. Regulus had to make sure he wasn’t seeing double. It was a stark contrast to the peaceful quiet on the ship just moments before.

Barty, Evan, and Dorcas backed up, holding onto each other.

“Uhh, Reg? I thought we were making a run for it. Let’s go, now, while they’re distracted.” Barty urged him, panicked.

He turned his head to look at them, “No. Peter’s still up in the crow’s nest and armed. I have a plan, don’t worry.”

The blonde woman in the silky red shirt walked up to them. “Hullo. I brought ya some water.” 

She presented them a tray with four goblets on it.

“No, thank you.” Dorcas rejected politely.

“Oh, please. I ain’t goin’ to poison ya. Yer friend, the blonde one, ‘s resting downstairs. She’s just woken up, she’s drinking water. I’ll bring her above deck if ya-”

Evan interrupted her. “Yes! Yes, take us to her!” he eagerly gestured for her to lead the way to his sister.

The girl smiled. “The Captain’ll be the one to introduce ya to our ship, I’ll bring her to ya.”

“But that’s my sister!”

“Yer sister’s fine. She woke quickly so we used a somnus petal on ‘er. I’m Marlene Mckinnon.” The girl stretched out her  hand to shake, but took it back when neither of them took her hand. “The others ‘ll want to introduce themselves to ya soon. Hopefully, we’ll get t’ know each other better over time.”

“You say that like we’re going to be here long.” Dorcas replied, stepping forward. Her dress was cut and dirty from sitting all day, her sweat messing up most of her makeup. It smudged on her dark, usually clean, cheeks.

Marlene’s eyes widened a bit, but then she just smiled mysteriously as another crewmate handed her a large knife. He was tall with light brown hair.  “‘ere, let me help ya with that.”

She took a step towards Dorcas, who took a step back. Marlene bit her lip. 

“Listen, I’ll just cut you free o’ yer dress. Pretty as it is, yer gonna wanna be able to move.”

“Yeah, one thing about me, I don’t really trust my kidnappers to come near me with a knife.” Dorcas sassed.

Marlene stared at her for a moment, before hanging the dagger in her belt and grinning. 

“Oh well, yer the one who’s gonna have to move ‘round in a huge fuckin’ ballgown. I’ll go and bring yer friend now.” She turned heel and went below deck as another girl tapped on Regulus’ shoulder.

“Hello!” Regulus whirled around to find a beautiful, tanned young woman with coily black hair calling for his attention.

She wore an off-shoulder(that’s what Regulus thinks it’s called) top and flowy skirt with patches of colorful cloth sewn all over it. 

“I’m Mary Mcdonald! I’m the cook, I’m responsible for feeding you every day. Oh, your dress is beautiful!” She said to Dorcas.

She spoke like a commoner, which Regulus found slightly relieving after hearing the pirates speak. She spoke like a Hogwarts commoner, though. 

Hogwarts was the kingdom right underneath Black Kingdom. Black and Hogwarts were at war for over fifty years before King Orion and Queen Mcgonagall signed a peace treaty. Hogwarts was said to have the best education system in all the lands, and Regulus had gone to school there. He almost smiled as he remembered his nightly escapades to the kitchen.

If she was a citizen of Hogwarts, maybe she could be reasonable. Pirates had proved to be just as rough and unreasonable as he'd been told they’d be.

When Dorcas didn’t answer, Mary turned to Regulus. They’d all done that, which was slightly an ego boost for Regulus for some reason. He rubbed the sweat off his brow and spoke.

“Dorcas, don’t be rude. She was just telling us yesterday how she had it custom made.” Regulus supplied, trying to charm Mary. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

He took her hand and let his lips graze her knuckles. She smiled and took her hand back.

Suddenly, someone flew from behind them, swinging on a long, thick rope. Regulus had looked up to see the swish of a red coat and dark black boots. The man landed about fifteen feet in front of Regulus with a loud thud as the main sail erected above him. Regulus was relieved with the sudden shade. 

The man wore a large black hat, and had messy black hair. He was tall, wearing a long red coat despite the heat.

It was when he turned that Regulus forgot to breathe.

He was the most beautiful man Regulus had ever seen. 

His skin was dark, tanned in the way someone who spent their time on the sea would be. His chestnut colored cheeks sloped down towards his sharp, angular jaw. His lips looked soft despite the salt air, the top one slightly brown and his bottom lip pink. He was grinning, showing them straight, pearly whites and a cute dimple on the left side of his face. A wide scar ran from under his eye to his jaw on his right cheek.

His hair was messy and curly, dark brown. It piled on top of his head around his black Captain’s hat. A gold earring glinted in his ear. The collar of his red jacket was pulled high up his neck, and it showed off his wide, angular arms which led down to strong, muscular arms.

He was wearing his white shirt unbuttoned slightly at the top to show off his toned brown chest, and several gold chains sat against his skin. On his belt hung a large sword, which was definitely not ornamental, and several other small trinkets. He wore brown trousers and black boots with large platforms.  Not like he needed them anyways, he was already towering over Regulus, looking down at him.

And his eyes! They looked like two melting pieces of chocolate, brown and glowing in the sunlight. They were captivating, drawing Regulus in and boring into his own greenish-blue ones. Thin, gold circular glasses framed them like artwork.

And when he spoke, oh, Regulus could have died.  His voice was deep and husky, but soothing in a way, and-

 Oh. He had spoken. And like a noble, too. A Black noble.

“Well!” He began, drawling, “If it isn’t Regulus Black-oh, my apologies, Prince Regulus Black of the Black Kingdom!” He bowed exaggeratedly, bending over slightly, one forearm over his stomach, and one in the air. His chains hung forward.

Everyone on the boat stood still, listening, and snickering at his words. Some murmured to each other quietly. Regulus felt his skin crawl. He hated when people watched him.

Taking a deep breath, Regulus responded.

“I demand you let us go, this instant.” He stared into the Captain’s eyes defiantly, chin tilted upwards.

He took a couple steps forward until he was face to face with Regulus and smirked down at him. “Or what? We’ll be long gone before anyone even realizes your missing, sweetheart.”

Regulus scoffed. “Do you really think you’ll come out of this alive? As the heir to the throne, not just the palace, but the people will be itching to find their prince. And their royal court. Let us go in peace, and we’ll let you and your ship leave in peace. Otherwise, everyone on this ship is dead, excluding me and the rest of the Royal Court.” 

He’d called Regulus sweetheart. Regulus felt a fluttering sensation in his stomach. He didn’t like it. He didn’t like the Captain either.

Aggravated whispering broke out on deck as the others took in his announcement, but the Captain didn’t respond. Instead, he raised a hand as if to quiet the rest of the ship, and they obeyed. 

“I’m not here to keep you hostage, my Prince, I’m here to welcome you into my crew.” 

Wow, Regulus hadn’t even realized the man had come so close. Damn, he even smelt good. Like the sea. Regulus tilted his head upwards to look at him. 

 “Why would we ever join your crew? Leave us on the beach, and we’ll give your crew anything they could ever dream of. Gold. Diamonds. A home.”

The Captain threw back his head and laughed, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down. His crew laughed loudly with him. Regulus spotted Marlene with one hand on her stomach, guffawing.

“Hear that? Gold, he says!. A home, he says!. Ha! The sea is our home, pretty boy! She welcomes us! Listen…do you hear it? The waves, the wind!” He then lowers his voice so only Regulus can hear him, “You’ll learn soon enough.”

The crew got back to work then, moving and completing their tasks.

Regulus glared. “You and your little boat can fuck yourselves.”

“I’d much rather fuck you,” The captain said, winking, and Regulus was about to say something before someone else spoke up.

This man was a bit shorter than the captain, his shirt white and his trousers black like the rest of the crew, but this man wore a mask. It was black and Regulus couldn’t make out any of his facial features, only that his hair was black and long and his skin was as white as Regulus’.

“Prongs. That’s enough.” The man walked up to them.

Prongs. It sounded familiar somehow, and Dorcas gasped behind him. Barty grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back. The man’s voice sounded familiar too. Like a dream that he definitely had but couldn’t quite remember.

Regulus raised an eyebrow at him. He saw fear in Barty’s eyes, when the captain spoke.

“I’m the Captain of this ship. Captain Prongs, but everyone here calls me James. It’s… a pleasure to finally meet you, my prince.” The man took his hand and brushed his knuckles, and something squeezed in Regulus’ chest, but he yanked his hand away.

“Don’t touch me.” He snarled.  He wished he had his knives.

“Yeah, Prongs, don’t touch him.” the masked man said pointedly, grabbing James’ arm and pulling him away from Regulus. 

James looked at the man, sheepish. “Er, yeah.” He looked at Regulus, biting his lip. 

God, that was sexy. Regulus immediately shook that thought away. He couldn’t think that way about James, he was his kidnapper for god’s sake- James shook him out of his thoughts.

“This is my first mate, Padfoot.” The man reached out his hand, which was in a leather fingerless glove. His fingernails were painted black. Regulus chose to sneer instead of take it. The man scoffed and took back his hand.

“We should be leaving now. You give the prince a tour.” Padfoot said coldly, turning his head to face Regulus, and for a second, Regulus could swear he knew Padfoot.

Padfoot stalked off to the quarterdeck, climbing up the wooden steps and Regulus felt his heart drop.

They were leaving, and Barty kept tugging at his shirt. James sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose under his glasses. “I’ll give you a moment to talk this out.”

He followed padfoot up to the quarterdeck, and Evan immediately burst out, grabbing his shoulders.

“Regulus, we’ve been kidnapped by the Marauders!” He cried out.

Regulus felt his blood turn to ice.

“Fuck.”