CHAPTER VIII
DEAR SIRIUS,
I hope we keep in contact. How are you doing? Are you still living with the Potters? I had an idea: One day, when you get your own housing, maybe I could escape too, and live with you. That is, of course, if you do not mind. And if you do, I understand. I will leave this place anyway, and find somewhere. It could be quite difficult for me, since I do not have any acquaintances outside of the royal families. Are you doing anything to earn money at the moment? I have always wanted to work somewhere like a boutique shop, I visited one once when I was little with Constantine. It was during a sleepover, we had to sneak out, of course.
You probably heard about the last battle. It was quite traumatizing for some of us. Your brother was very badly wounded. He is alright now, has to stay in bed most of the day, not that you care much.
The days here are very lonely. Only two people occupy this enormous palace, it gets boring after a while. Especially since I do not get along well with your brother.
Maybe one day you could come visit? No one would notice, your mother is not here anymore. I hope you think about it, it would mean so much to me.
I miss you,
Arabella
She sealed the envelope with wax and delivered it herself to the Owlery. She disliked being in her—and Regulus’s—room, especially since Regulus spent all day in bed now with his injury.
The air had become colder and colder each night, darker and darker as well, until frost blanketed the surfaces.
At the Owlery, she noticed a letter had arrived from a familiar owl. She recognized the seal immediately, it was her family’s seal. When she opened it, she read that it was addressed to both her and Regulus.
She arrived back in her bedroom and sat in front of the fire with rosey cheeks and a pink nose; she was shivering.
“There will be a royal ball,” she said, turning towards Regulus, who was sitting on his bed with an opened book in his hand. “My parents are hosting a ball for Christmas.”
“Are you asking me for permission to go?” Regulus interrupted with a slight smirk, but not looking up.
Arabella knitted her eyebrows; this irritated her a lot. “No,” she answered sternly, “they wanted you to come . . . obviously.”
“Obviously,” he mimicked her. “I do not see anything so obvious.”
“You are their daughter’s husband—” Regulus flinched at the word, “—of course they would want to see you and have you there. They think we—!” She stopped herself and took a deep breath.
They think we like each other, finished Regulus in his thoughts. It was one of those unspoken things between them. Words like “husband,” “wife,” and “Sirius,” were taboos never brought up.
“For fuck’s sake, you are making such a big deal out of this stupid ball,” he said, finally looking up from his book. “I will go with you.”
“It is not stupid,” she retorted. After a moment, she said, “I want to—I mean—I will propose to have the ball at our palace.”
“What? Why? No.”
“What do you mean ‘no’? I have already decided.”
“Why do we have to have it here?”
“Why not?” Arabella crossed her arms. “I am so bored all the fucking time in here. This place sucks! It is so empty and silent and dark and cold all the time, we never have anyone over.”
“And what the hell am I supposed to do about your shitty problems?”
Arabella’s pale face flushed to a dark crimson. Her chest heaved up and down with sharp breathes of frustration while Regulus’s menacingly icy eyes penetrated her.
“Nothing,” she said simply. “I would never want you to do anything for me.”
She wrote back to her parents, and he watched her.
“Will Katya be there? You invited the Volkov family, right?” said Regulus.
Arabella glanced at him skeptically. “Oh, now you are interested in the ball?” she said. “I did not know you were close with Katya.”
“There are many things you do not know about me.”
“And it is better to stay that way, is it not?”
“Definitely,” he answered.
“Yes, I will invite the Volkovs,” she said. “It will be this coming Saturday.”
———
Arabella was dressed in a velvet maroon gown for the Christmas ball, and Regulus a dark hunter green dress suit.
Arabella took the glass of champagne from Regulus’s hands. “I do not want you to be seen as a foolish drunk.”
“Why start caring about me all of a sudden?” he murmured as he took the glass back from her hands.
“I do not care about you one bit,” she uttered, watching him drink down the golden drink. “Knowing you, you will make many mistakes in the eye of the public when drunk. Stop drinking.”
“Why are the elves serving champagne then?”
“They are not for you.” She glanced over the crowd. “The Rosiers are here, I am going to see Constantine.” She stared him hard in the eye. “Do not make a fool of me.”
When Arabella found Constantine, she had been having a conversation with a bright blue eyed girl wearing a white and gold ushanka.
“Arabella, it is so nice to finally meet you,” spoke the girl with a Russian accent.
“This is Katya Volkov,” said Constantine.
“So nice to meet you too,” replied Arabella, shaking Katya’s hand. Arabella saw something strange glint in her eyes, but did not know what.
“Where is Regulus?” she asked, looking at the glimmering diamond on Arabella’s finger.
“I am not sure,” she replied, “probably off getting drunk.”
Katya chuckled, saying, “That is the Regulus I know.”
“Katya loves to get drunk,” said Constantine.
“I am Russian.” Katya was tall and she glared down at Arabella, and always once in a while gave a cold glance Arabella’s way. She pulled out a large cigar and lit it with her wand, puffing clouds of smoke.
“Sorry, but could you please not smoke in here?” said Arabella quietly. “You can go outside if you want.”
Katya’s eyebrows knitted, holding the fat cigar between her fingers. “But Regulus has always smoked inside,” she said, taking another inhale of smoke.
Arabella tilted her head. “Really? Well things have changed, plus, this is a formal ball.”
The Russian princess smiled. “Sorry,” she said, and dropped the cigar in a glass filled with champagne.
“Katya?” came a voice from behind Arabella.
“Regulus!”
They embraced in a long hug, laughing together.
Katya turned to Arabella. “Why are you laughing? It is an inside joke.”
This made Arabella want to laugh out so hard. “I was not even laughing,” she said with a straight face.
“This lady said I am not allowed to smoke,” said Katya, ignoring Arabella’s comment.
Regulus smiled and shrugged. “I say we can smoke.”
“Regulus, stop.”
Katya held Regulus by the arm and pulled him away, laughing, and the rest of the night, Arabella spent it with her family and her best friend, and away from Regulus and Katya. Arabella eyed the two from across the ballroom and could easily distinguish they were both absolutely drunk. They were whispering in each other’s ears and giggling, flushed and flirty. She marched up to Regulus, not laying her eyes once on the tall blonde, and uttered under her breath, “Regulus fucking Black, you are making such a fool out of yourself, you will not even remember this evening tomorrow morning from all the alcohol you drank.” She leaned in closer to him. “You need to stop flirting with Miss Vulture before someone starts to suspect anything. Understand?”
Regulus just smirked, and slurred, “Are you jealous?”
Arabella stepped back, her cheeks flushing. “I feel like a mother telling you to stop doing this, and that, stop drinking, stop flirting, no smoking. Grow the fuck up.” She looked him up and down with an expression as if he were the most grotesque creature. “You disgust me, why would I ever be jealous?”
“I know you think I am charming,” he said, “you can stop hiding it.”
“I would slap you across the face if we were not in public,” she said.
“Oh yes, I bet you would love to lay your hands upon this most handsome face.”
“You want to keep playing this game? Because I think it is you that wishes I would do that to you,” she said before turning around. “Pathetic,” she whispered, shaking her head. She went back to Constantine, saying, “I hate him, but, seriously, what is Katya’s problem?”
“Don’t you know?” said Constantine. “Katya was the one arranged to marry Regulus before Sirius left.”
Arabella turned back to glance over at them, and saw the two holding hands, and making their way out of the ballroom, giggling.