The Dragon Prince
Prologue
As far as anyone in the wizarding world ever knew, no daughters had been sired by a Malfoy since before the Battle of Hastings. The Malfoy family, being just as esteemed as it was old, had maintained quite an accurate record of their own history. Few shadowed spaces existed on the family tree. However, it was quite strange that, in all the centuries that the Malfoy family had resided in Great Britain, not one single leaf had ever belonged to a daughter.
Sons of the Malfoy line were raised to believe they were a sign from God—omens of the family's purity and goodness. Proof that the name deserved to be. This increased pride in the young of the Malfoy line and was believed to be the cause of devotion and obedience in sons. It not only ensured that the family name would live on but also ensured the strong bond between generations, therefore maintaining the virtuous traditions of ages long gone.
This, of course, was all a ruse, as any Malfoy who had sired a child could tell. Whilst their wife was with child, they would learn the most heinous truth. If their wife were to give birth to a female, all parties who had borne witness would have their memories erased, the child would be orphaned, and the man would have to choose another as his bride. The names of any daughters were to be omitted from the family tree, as were the names of any ex-wives, whose existence may further mar the noble House of Malfoy. Any who failed to follow these rules would, by their own father, be cursed and exiled. The elder patriarch would then bring forth another child with his wife if she were capable of conceiving, or keep a courtesan to bear the next heir of the Malfoy line.
This, of course, never happened, as only the most obedient sons were born to the House of Malfoy. And honour to the family name was held above all else.
That is, until one son, bound in matrimony without a pre-arranged contract, chose love over his filial honour.