The castle of Caliban was beautiful in a gothic 'If You Don't Bow Down To Me, I Will Destroy Your Entire Family' kind of way.
Hidden away under enough wards to make the goblins envious, the castle of Caliban lay somewhere unplottable in the Carpathian Mountains in Romania. This castle had been the main seat of the House of Caliban for centuries, although gossip says that the castle is only used for major events and the House has a house elsewhere under even heavier wards.
Blaise Zabini stood outside of the castle of Caliban in his best-tailored robes staring up at the monster size castle that made Hogwarts seem like a shack in comparison. Blaise and his Mother's portkey had deposited them outside the gates with a slowly growing crowd of very influential European families as they waited to be allowed inside for the new heir of Caliban's Beautillion Ball. Even in the pureblood families putting on Beautillion or Debutante Balls had become rare as more and more families subscribed to just betrothing their children when they were born and creating their children's future political alliances throughout their school years.
This would also be the new heir's first introduction to the public and every witch and wizard were frothing at the mouth to marry into the House of Caliban and influence the new young heir. Speculation on where the heir had been until now and just how the reemergence of the Imperial House would affect current politics in Europe and the rising war in Britain were on the tips of everyone's tongue.
Blaise didn't have any strong feelings either way coming from such a staunchly neutral background, politics mattered little to him. Blaise was honestly surprised that the Zabini name had even been enough to get an invite to the ball. Yes his mother was Contessa Viviana Zabini of Italy and Blaise would take his father's British Lordship later that month but compared to some of the other people invited to this event, they were pretty low on the totem pole so to speak.
Finally, the ornate gate swung open and allowed the guests to walk up the short stone pathway and into the castle. Well-dressed house elves directed all the guests to the grand ballroom that was truly cavernous. Musicians played in shadowed corners of the ballroom and more house elves catered food and drink for everyone. At one end of the ballroom was a raised platform decorated in silver and bronze that Blaise couldn't help but think a throne would look quite natural on.
His mother quickly left him to his own devices as he wandered through the ballroom, trying to mingle as little as possible. He ran into Draco and Pansy fairly quickly and both of them were already gossiping. He had expected them to be talking about whoever the new heir was, but instead, he overheard Draco hissing to Pansy.
"How the hell did the blood traitors get in?! Weasley and the mudblood Granger are here along with most of Dumbledore's people!"
"Well, this is the new Heir of Caliban's castle and not the Dark Lord's hideout." Blaise couldn't help say from behind them, causing both Pansy and Draco to jump.
"Caliban was a dark family!" Pansy said backing up Draco as she glared at Zabini.
"They were a family that didn't give two shits about if anyone was light or dark as long as they were obeyed." Blaise corrected, causing Pansy to scowl. "Plus we know nothing of the new heir and how he might have been hidden or raised. Best to not make any assumptions until we know if we will be killed for saying anything untoward."
"Blaise. Always the peacemaker and still a coward I see." Draco drawled.
"Oh yes, my refusal to bow down to the Dark Lord is definitely the defining trait of my traitorous personality," Blaise said with an easy grin.
"You are still an ass." Pansy had to add, causing Blaise to roll his eyes.
"I love you too. Why are you two my best friends?" Blaise questioned.
"Because you don't have a choice." Draco pointed out.
Before Blaise could snap back at Draco the ballroom fell into a hush. All eyes drifted to the raised platform as if put under a compulsion charm. Walking onto the platform was an older man in a basic but expensive set of robes, white hairs beginning to show through the man's black hair, and from as far back as Blaise was in the room he couldn't see the eyes clearly.
"Welcome Ladies and Gentleman to Castle Caliban. I know it has been many, many years since we have gathered in these halls. Allow me to introduce the Emperor-to-be, Heir to the Caliban throne, Haylan Iacob Dacian Caliban." the man's deep voice washed over the crowd as a door to the side of the stage that was previously hidden slowly opened.
When Heir Caliban stepped out, it felt like the whole hall held its breath.
The first thought that popped into his mind was the Emperor-to-be was a lot shorter than he expected. The second thought that came to him was that he wanted to bathe in his magic. Blaise swore he had to fight his eyes from closing when Heir Caliban's magic washed over the hall. His magic held the warm comfort of a mother's love, a warm bath during the cold winter, the feeling of light magic. His magic also held the cool refreshing feeling of rain on sunburnt skin, the relief of water in the desert, the feeling of dark magic. It was such a contradiction and yet Blaise wanted to drown in Heir Caliban's power.
The magic in the hall receded some, allowing the people to focus on the Heir as he stood on the raised platform.
"I am Imperial Heir Haylan Caliban. It is a pleasure to see so many people from my empire in one room." Heir Caliban spoke in a surprisingly British accented tone that easily carried throughout the ballroom.
When Heir Caliban had first stepped out into the ballroom, Blaise had thought the man's messily styled curls were black, but in the light, Blaise could see his hair was a deep blood-red color. Even from where Blaise, Draco, and Pansy stood they could see the bright, almost glowing, green of his eyes. Heir Caliban had a regal look about him, completely comfortable in who he was, his power, and his looks. A small smirk played on his lips.
"I know many of you will have questions about myself and the supposed disappearance of my family. Tonight is not the night for those questions. Tonight we celebrate my introduction to all of you and hopefully rebuild alliances that have been left to crumble. Tonight we drink, we eat, we dance and celebrate the mother magic who gifted us all, and look towards building a brighter future for the Wizarding World." Heir Caliban's captivating voice said carefully, eyes scanning over the crowd as he spoke. "I welcome all of you to my castle and I hope you all enjoy the festivities later tonight. For now, let the music play and I will mingle with you all until dinner is called."
"So he is going to play in politics," Draco murmured causing Pansy to look at him confused.
"He didn't address the war though?" Pansy pointed out.
"Doesn't matter," Blaise spoke. "He said he spoke of the rebuilding of alliances, acknowledging the countries and governments that broke contracts and treaties that they had held with the House of Caliban prior. He won't be a passive ruler."
"The Dark Lord isn't going to like this," Pansy said worriedly.
"Sounds like a you problem Pansy." Blaise snarked at her, causing her to scowl at him. That crazy man wasn't his Lord.
An hour later Blasie managed to escape Draco and Pansy and made his way to see if he could find his mother, he wanted to leave. Instead, as he was passing through the crowd he ran into someone, or rather someone ran into him, their head smacking hard against his chest. While he felt slightly annoyed about someone running into him, his mother raised a gentleman.
"My apologies, I did not see you. Are you alright?" Blaise's voice lowered a little as he helped whoever ran into him not fall over from the impact. His blood just about froze when vibrant green eyes looked up at him with a slight frown on his lips. Oh Merlin, he ran into Heir Caliban. He was so dead. His traitorous brain's next thought wasn't how to save his neck, no of course not, it was 'his cheekbones look like they could cut glass'. Damn.
"I am fine, thank you Lord Zabini." Heir Caliban said with a tight nod, straightening his robes and looking straight into Blaise's eyes. The eye contact was both unnerving and made him horny. Double Damn.
"Actually I am just Heir Zabini. At least for the next two weeks until I turn 17." Blaise corrected before he could think about what the hell he was saying. You don't correct the Emperor-to-be, what the hell was wrong with him? He needs someone to shoot him before he can say anything else.
"Heir Zabini then. A pleasure to uh, meet you I suppose." Heir Caliban mused, amusement dancing in his eyes making Blaise's mouth go dry.
"It is an honor to be here and to meet you Heir Caliban," Blaise spoke, bowing low in front of the man. Standing this close he could feel the dizzying edge of Heir Caliban's power and he felt like it might make him pass out, or have a permanent erection.
"You are the first one to bow to me tonight." Heir Caliban mused.
"What? Really?" Blaise asked in undisguised shock. "But you are Emperor-to-be, you are Heir to the Caliban House."
"Mmm yes truly. I believe most of the people here are disgruntled by my appearance. They fear losing their power more than they fear a 16-year-old Heir." Heir Caliban said with a wry smirk.
"Well, then they are fools. Perhaps 53 years of the Imperial House's absence has damaged certain people's intelligence." Blaise sneered.
"They will learn fast enough. They can behave as they want for now, but after my coronation, we will see who is truly brave." Heir Caliban spoke with sadistic glee at taunting the most powerful families in Europe into committing their own suicide in the face of the House of Caliban.
"I have no doubt there will be plenty to misbehave," Blaise said with a smirk. "It has been a pleasure to meet you Heir Caliban, but I must rejoin my mother."
"I understand. I have enjoyed talking to you Heir Zabini. I am looking forward to speaking with you again." Heir Caliban smiled, pushing some of his dark red curls out of his eyes. Blaise was going to have to spend hours in a cold shower once he got home.
"I look forward to speaking to you again as well Heir Caliban. Have a good night." Blaise forced himself to say and bowed again before trying to make a quick retreat without looking as if he was running away. Oh, he was in so much trouble.
While the Emperor-to-be was quite small at almost a foot shorter than Blaise's own 6'4, his power and his behavior made him seem much taller. Blaise couldn't help but want Heir Caliban even if he knew he was foolish and it wasn't even a possibility. Heir Caliban was perfect though and Blaise knew if he ever talked to the Emperor-to-be again that he would have to cast an impotence spell just to get through it without any embarrassment. Maybe he can just imagine Headmaster Dumbledore kissing Professor McGonagall, yep that would work, disgust already filling him and making his erection wilt as quickly as it had raised.
Maybe Blaise would just avoid public functions for the next 10 years. That would be safer than having to stare into those mesmerizing and yet somehow familiar green eyes again.
Blaise was doomed.