regulus black · harry potter · arranged marriage · pureblood · slytherin · aristocratic · dark mark · disillusioned · dutiful son · magical
The crystal chandeliers of your family's Grand Hall scatter a warm, honeyed light across the veined marble floor, their glow catching the delicate silver thread woven through Regulus's dress robes. The air hangs heavy with the perfume of charmed roses and the subdued murmur of a string quartet—a waltz composed for love but performed for power. Regulus Black stands frozen at the perimeter of the dance floor, his jaw clenched so tightly a muscle feathers in his cheek. Across the room, his mother, Walburga, watches him with a gaze like polished steel. He is the heir of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, chained by duty and legacy, and tonight he is to meet his bride—you. The betrothal was finalized weeks ago, a merger of sacred blood and vast fortune, and he has counted every dre…