Written for: Assignment 2 - Muggle Studies: Task #1: Vinyl, LP: Write about upgrading something for something more spacious.
Fantasy February - Dialogue: "You're the ruler here, right? Do you rent out dungeon cells? Asking for a friend"
As Long As You're Here
Remus has only been a king for a couple of days and is still learning all of this. How can he resist the knight that has vowed to protect him? Answer: he can't.
Remus sits on the throne, nervous about doing so. He's been king for all of a day. Before this, he was just the bastard son of Lyall Lupin, living on a farm with his mum outside of town. It wasn't until the Prince passed away, was he even sent for. The last in the family line, he was the only choice.
His stuff was quickly packed up and the farm was left in the care of someone else in need of a job, whilst Remus and his mum were whisked away to the castle.
Clothes were made for him and the vastness of his bedroom (which is bigger than their entire cottage) scared him. He's used to basic things, and now has to somehow get used to this instead? He has had no time to prepare though. He just listens and nods and tries so hard to remember things. He's crowned the following day, and there's been no time to process.
It's overwhelming.
Today is his first meeting with his knights, because, hey - let's just toss Remus in at the deep end. Though his advisor - Regulus Black - is at his side, ready to give advice.
The Knights all make their way into the room, surprised at seeing Remus ready and waiting.
"Your majesty," they murmur one by one, as they walk in and sit. "You're early."
"I am?" Remus frowns slightly. "It will only be a few minutes. Is that a problem."
They look between themselves. "Of course not. We're just not used to it," a man with glasses admits. "It's good though, we won't have to sit around and wait. It's not often these start on time."
Remus nods. He's used to early mornings, and has been awake for hours already.
"Is there a reason we were summoned so early?" a knight asks,, walking into the room ten minutes late and yawning behind his hand. "Was having a fucking nice sleep and…" the man's gaze which had been moving around the table stops on Remus and the knight straightens up. "Your majesty," he murmurs, bowing. "A pleasure to finally meet you."
Remus wants to say something in return. But the knight straightens up and Remus is speechless for a moment. This must be the most beautiful man in the kingdom. Stormy grey eyes, dark hair pulled up into a bun and that smile…
"I'm sorry for the early hour," Remus offers instead. "I'm used to getting everything done at an early hour and out of the way, but I'm not going to be calling meetings too often - I hope. I just wanted to meet you all. Me and my advisor thought it best that I do so, so you'll know who to be…"
"Reporting to," Regulus fills in from his side, and Remus gives him a grateful look. Though he quickly realises that Regulus looks quite a bit like this other knight. "So if you could all introduce yourselves to the King."
"Well, I'm Sir James - James Potter. My family have some land at the southern edge of town," James states.
"Sir Sirius," the latecomer states, a smile on his lips as he stares at Remus. "Hailing from the Slytherin Kingdom, the former King offered me and my brother refuge at a younger age and we've earned our titles. We reside in the castle."
"Sir Kingsley…"
"Sir Frank…"
"Sir Ted…"
Remus listens to the names, but he can't stop his gaze from going back to Sirius. But each time he looks, he realises that the knight is staring at him intently in return.
"My King, I have a request."
Remus glances up from his book, and puts his leg down. He silently curses himself for being so distracted that he didn't notice someone come in. He glances around for Regulus, who isn't there.
"Uh. Sure. You can… I'd prefer if you stood up and… all that bowing can't be good for your back, right?"
Sirius smirks as he stands, and Remus feels his face redden. "I'm not very good at this, am I?" he mumbles quietly.
The smirk fades. "You're not like the last two," he admits. "But I think it's pretty cute. I mean…" he coughs awkwardly. "I think it's refreshing. You seem very down to Earth and I like it."
"You… you do?" Remus slips his book down the side of the indigo throne.
Sirius nods. "I think you understand the people," he says. "The previous kings…" he hesitates. "I don't feel it appropriate to explain any concerns I had over them. They were good at what they did, but I think you'll understand what people truly need."
"Sir… Sirius?" Remus checks.
Sirius nods. "Glad to know I stood out enough for you to remember me. That never usually happens," he says, in a somewhat joking tone.
"You have a request?"
Sirius nods his head. "Just to check - you're not changing the laws on same-sex relationships, are you? They're still allowed?"
Remus nods quickly. "I approve of them," he insists hurriedly, causing Sirius' lips to curve upwards.
"Good to know," and Remus may be imagining it, but he thinks Sirius' voice has deepened slightly. "My request… well, You're the ruler here, right? So… Do you rent out dungeon cells? Asking for a friend."
Remus stares at him and Sirius stares back.
"You… a dungeon cell?" he asks. He didn't even realise they had a dungeon, though he's not had proper time to look around the castle. That's something he'll have to look at in a bit.
Sirius nods.
"Is that friend you, perchance?" Remus checks.
"No, I mean I'm asking for one because I want to put my friend in one," Sirius tells him. "I'm happy to pay, of course."
"Of course," Remus whispers. "I don't think it'd be right to just lock someone up without… I mean, did he commit a crime or something?"
Sirius shrugs a little. "It's a personal crime," he says. "Look, he slept with my brother, okay? He needs to be punished somehow. If I lock him away, he can't shag Regulus for a while."
Remus stares at him. "I'm not sure if I'm allowed to do that," he admits. "I mean, was it consensual?"
"Regulus is only twenty. He doesn't know about sex," Sirius scoffs. "Bloody James Potter - he seduced my brother into bed with his stupid hair, and stupid promises of marriage."
"Well, is he going to uphold those promises?" Remus checks.
Sirius shrugs. "Probably. But that's my brother. He needs to be locked up. You understand, don't you? My king?" He takes a step forward, and another, and he's so close to the throne.
"Uh. I… I mean, I… I get that you're protective of your family. I'm quite protective of my mum," he stutters, because Sirius is right there next to him and he's beautiful and Remus wants to see what's underneath that armour.
"Excellent. I'll go and collect James now." Sirius leaves before Remus can think of something else to say.
James and Regulus follow Sirius back in, and by that time, Remus is having a slight panic attack because he doesn't know how to handle this situation.
James looks worried, and Regulus looks between the King and Sirius. "What did you do to him?" Regulus asks. "Did you try and seduce him or something?"
"No, of course not. That's not till next week," Sirius says, waving his hand. "He's too shy."
James sighs. "What did he ask?" he says, walking over towards the throne, bowing as he does.
"You can stand," Remus murmurs. "He… he thinks I'm going to lock you in the dungeon for… I mean, I can't just lock people up like that. I… I don't know what to do." He looks towards Regulus urgently. "We ran a farm before this, for fucksake."
James rubs his face and sighs. "Okay, your Mag—"
"Just please call me Remus," Remus murmurs.
"Like friends?" Sirius asks hopefully.
Remus nods. Friends sounds good.
Sirius and James high-five, before James remembers why they're there and glares at him. He turns back to Remus. "I suggest that you not imprison me. Sirius is a little too over-protective over Regulus. We've been dating for a while now and will wed."
Remus nods. "Sorry Sirius," he murmurs as Sirius pouts a little. "But maybe I can make it up to you? Is there anything else you'd like?"
He kind of feels bad, but he doesn't want to lock up James for no good reason.
Siirus considers this, before approaching. He bows a little before moving closer and dropping to one knee a couple of feet from the throne and bowing his head, his arm crossed over his chest, resting on the raspberry red lion there. "I'd like to become your personal knight, charged with protecting you with my life."
"Oh for fuck—" Regulus starts, but Sirius cuts him off.
"I pledge my life to you, Remus," Sirius adds.
"Oh. Well, good, I suppose. Would you like to… I dunno, hang out for a bit? I was thinking of exploring the castle. Do you… I mean…"
"I'd be happy to give you a tour. I'm sure my brother has other things to do." Sirius gives a pointed look that isn't discreet at all.
James laughs, amused. "Come on Reg, let's leave them to it, yeah? Let's go for a walk in the gardens."
"I stayed out of your way," Sirius explains as they walked. "You being new here and all. Regulus said that I can be an overwhelming presence, so I didn't want to overwhelm you."
Remus smiles. He's been learning lots about his (favourite) knight as they walk around the castle. They had started with the dungeons and worked their way up, and they're now near the east wing.
He pauses at a door. "These rooms belong to me and my brother. We also have a bit of land that was given to us. We plan to build a home there. I'm not sure if you're still happy having us reside here. If not, I pray you allow us a home until we've built our own."
"No, I'd like you to stay here - if you want, that is," Remus insists.
"I like it here. I didn't like it as much with the last king - I felt quite unwelcome. We didn't get along too well, but I'm a good knight and loyal. But my loyalty is to you. Not because you're king - though that plays a large part - but I've never sworn myself to anyone before."
They continue walking down the hallway. They're heading towards his room now. Finally, it's his turn to point a room out - though Remus suspects that the news isn't anything Sirius doesn't know.
"You're welcome here," Remus assures him. "I like having you around. I think you're really nice."
"And… attractive?" Sirius asks. "I mean, I think you're beautiful, Remus. I was just wondering…"
Remus nods, his cheeks reddening. "Very much so," he admits softly. "I'm not sure how things work here. How… I mean, would it be an abuse of power if I… wanted to…" fuck. He can't even say the words.
"Kiss me? Bring me into your room and ravish me?" Sirius suggests.
"Hold your hand," Remus finishes weakly. "Those are options?"
Sirius smirks. "They can be. Not an abuse of power, unless you're bringing others back to your bed. I mean… it's only been a day and I… I really like you. I'd happily allow you to hold my hand and do whatever you want, as long as it's me and only me. I know this is quite fast, but I've never… I've never felt attraction like this before."
Remus starts to nod.
"I understand one day you'll want an heir, and might make an arrangement to have relations with a woman in order for that heir to be born. I can… I can accept that, but I want your heart to be mine and I plan on winning it. That is something I realise is duty. I do vow to you to always be faithful as long as you'll have me."
Remus moves closer. "That can be arranged," he says softly. He leans in, his lips pressing against Sirius' and suddenly he's turned on the spot and pressed against the nearest door and Sirius is kissing him deeply. He's sure he can feel sparks shooting between them, and the arm around his waist pulling him close. His fingers tangle in Sirius' dark curls as he tries to keep up with the soft lips claiming his, and then suddenly he's falling backwards. Only the arm around his waist catches him and holds him upright.
"You may want to do this against a different door," Hope says, grinning at the both of them. "It's lovely to meet you, Sir Knight. Perhaps you would like to join us for dinner so I can meet you properly when you're both not so distracted."
Sirius nods, grinning. "Sir Sirius, your majesty," he says. Hope technically doesn't have a title, having never been the queen, but Remus is glad that he's talking to her with such respect. It warms him to Sirius even more. "I would love to join you both for dinner. I had better get back to my duties now." He leans in and places a soft kiss to Remus' lips. "I'll be thinking of you every moment whilst we're apart."
Remus is speechless after the kiss, and can only nod, dazed. Sirius lets go of his waist and strides away.
"Look at you, getting yourself a handsome," Hope says, with a laugh. "I'm happy that you've met someone. It's nice, and I can't wait to get to know him at dinner. So, tell me, does he have a handsome father that you could introduce to me?"
Remus laughs softly. "I'll be back in a few minutes," he says. He rushes after Sirius, who hears him calling and stops.
"I just need to know. If I were still a farmer, would you…"
"Still be captivated by you?" Sirius asks softly. "Of course. I just regret having never passed your farm before, because if I had, I'd have seen you and vowed to make you mine. This isn't because you're king. In fact, I was a little hesitant before about this because you're king, my love. Otherwise I'd have seduced you the moment I first laid eyes on you. My heart is yours, no matter your station."
Remus smiles at the words. "Good to know," he murmurs softly. Sirius pulls him in for a soft kiss before heading off, and Remus can't keep the smile off his face as he heads back to his mum's room. He's not used to affection like this, but he hopes it never stops. His heart is already Sirius'.
Maybe this king business will be fun after all.
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Also written for:
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Winter Seasonal
Days of the Year - January 1st - New Year's Day: Write about the beginning of something.
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Crochet Week - 1. (word) basic
Penguin Awareness - 11. (emotion) amused
Colours 12. Indigo
Crystals and Gemstones - 15. Trope: Rags to riches
Tarot Reading - 2. Queen of Pentacles, reversed: Write about someone overwhelmed by work
Slytherin Challenge - O - word: Often
Writing Club
Character Appreciation - 12. Trait: Loyal
Book Club - Imogen - (genre) Romance, (trait) shy, (emotion) hesitant
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Amber's Apothecary - 14. Word: Spark
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Gobstones - Silver: Loyalty / Accuracy: affection / Power: romance / Technique: reading
You Get My Love - Romantic - 15. Title: As Long As You're Here.
WRITING MONTH
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