Chapter Text
POLOGUE
And you don't seem to understand. A shame, you seemed an honest man.
—Duvet By Bôa
July 22, 1761.
“Is not he a bit young to be emperor?” While walking through the long carpeted corridor, the room that was supposed to be silent was populated with mumbles.
He was not the first young man to take the crown at that age, nor would he be the last, and he wasn't a child anyway. Why after so many centuries there was still so much commotion?
He had no expectation of anything less, the period of mourning for his father had not been fulfilled, yet the nobles had already awarded him the crown.
His entire life had been prepared for that position, but he still felt unprepared. Who was he supposed to be? His knowledge of the laws and cultures of allied empires was not helpful at that time.
What actions should he take? How do you lead an empire? Who would he ask now that his father had died? It wouldn't help him if he was alive, either.
His thoughts were akin to exploding fireworks, encompassing a multitude of hues and sizes within his mind.
He hated fireworks.
His gaze was fixed on the icy black stone floor, marking his coronation. He was unaware of the duration of his kneeling in front of the high priest, and he did not for it either.
“Do you pledge to dedicate your life to the upkeep and care of this vast empire with fervent devotion?” All the sound around seemed distant, as if he was underwater, without being able to scream for help.
As the seconds passed without an answer, the murmurs intensified.
The high priest struck his shoulder slightly, as if that blow had saved him from drowning, he looked up and blinked repeatedly at him “Do you swear, Remus.” he didn't hear anything about the presentation or the oath, but he nodded his head.
All those oaths were always the same babbles with different extravagant words, he had been in hundreds of coronations when he was a prince.
When he still believed that his was far from coming.
“Yes, I devoutly swear” He answered in a whisper that resounded in every corner of the acoustic place. He could not see the face of the one who approached the high priest with a massive crown on a velvety scarlet cushion, but he saw his legs shaking. “Remus John Lupin of Vuxley, son of Emperor Lyall Lupin of Vuxley, today before all these witnesses I crown you emperor of your home that you have sworn to protect with your life and more.” The high priest took the crown carefully and placed it on the inclined head of Remus who made his best effort to stop the noise in his mind.
He took a deep breath before getting up and turning towards the aristocrats present, the applause sounded throughout the room, it was not a particularly gratifying noise
He scanned the place with his eyes out of simple curiosity, most of the nobles were hypocrites, and those in front of him were no exception. All the candles in the room were lightened up, not just the chandelier in the centre as usual.
The festivities would not take long to begin, he had already prepared to receive congratulations and condolences, all the previous week he received letters containing the same.
“My deepest sorrows,” “My condolences.” “He was an excellent emperor.”
They all knew he wasn't.
He didn't waste his time pretending sadness that he didn't feel, Remus hadn't cried in several years and he didn't plan to start doing it for someone like Lyall. It was him who constantly repeated to him that crying was only for the weak. Remus had seen him cry many times.
He was sure that the nobles would not do anything to him for at least a few months because, after all, he was a “poor boy who has just been orphaned”
Remus knew he would have problems and attacks towards him sooner or later, for the simple fact of having been crowned at seventeen, he was an easy target for anyone who wanted the throne. He knew it and he was prepared.
It was contradictory that he felt prepared for those things, but not for the position of emperor.
But in his perspective dealing with the nobles was much simpler than being emperor, dealing with those old men hungry for power behind his back was something he had been doing all his life, but being monarch meant that everything he said or did would affect the empire in one way or another and everything would fall on his shoulders.
Remus had no choice, he just hoped that when he was finally ready, it wouldn't be late.
It was an ordinary coronation, he was sitting on the throne, while the nobles celebrated and approached from time to time. Was he supposed to enjoy it?
He had no desire to eat the banquet that was soon to be served. The thoughts that had almost ceased moments before had completely appeared In front of him in a single question.
What would you do now?
He was responsible for alliances that his father couldn't finish alive. No reputable country would be willing to work with a child.
He witnessed Lyall rejecting hundreds of children who were in the same position as him now.
The critical and strategic thinking needed to start producing ideas right away for him to be able to avoid conspiracies against his territory.
Everything inside his land was his, everything and everyone, he couldn't understand how just one human could own all that without even having to fight for it. In his opinion, the divine right was bullshit. Even if he was unable to say it out loud.
Deep down, he was not certain there was a god, and yet he felt guilty for complaining. It seemed hypocritical to compare his life as a newly-crowned emperor to that of a commoner who was tortured for not being born into a prestigious family.
“Your majesty, forgive my insolence, but the banquet began almost forty minutes ago and you have not touched your food.”
Has it really been that long? Remus was still without any appetite.
“Sorry, Oswald, I was thinking about other things.”
Oswald had been the main butler of the palace for as long as he could remember, he liked him.
A laugh at one of the tables distracted him from his short conversation, curiously the laugh belonged to the Marquis Orion Black
He was very sure that his son had recently passed away, but seeing him so happy made him doubt.
“Oswald, the Marquis and the Marquise Black lost their son recently, right?” Remus leaned forward and finally took the shiny cutlery.
The confused butler nodded, observing from the distance directly at the Marquis.
“That's right, the young Regulus passed away last week, that's why Marquise Black did not attend today.”
The captivating sight of the oldest black son, seated stoically at the table with all the drunk old men, captured his attention, and could perceive the rage he held even from a distance.
That was the first time he saw him, strangely, he was never at any party Remus was forced to attend. Everyone knew about the existence of the first son, after all he was the heir, still, Remus had not once heard his name
“May I know the name of the elder son of the Black?” He pressed the fork into the dish, a piece of raw meat that was reddish and bloody, as per the preferences of the former emperor. That only served to further discourage his appetite.
“I'm convinced it's Sirius, your excellence.” He stroked the fork into the dish, it was raw meat, redish and bloody, just as the old emperor liked it. That only scared his appetite away even more.
The first mistake Remus made was staring, the marquis had noticed and pulled his child's shoulder, forcing him to stand up.
He was almost as tall as the Marquis. With a whisper in his ear, and finally looked back. His face was devoid of emotion, lacked human-like colours, and held purple bags under his eyes.
The rest of the celebration continued in a normal way. Remus never got up to enjoy anything, but all the nobles seemed to have a good time.
In the end, he just wanted to remove the heavy crown from his head.
“Oswald, that was horrible.” Remus could not wait to get into his room and do not leave it until the next day in the middle of the day.
“I think it was a curious party, your majesty.”
“Curious?” He threw the heavy and hot cape into the soft furniture that was placed in the office.
“Of course, considering that everyone was celebrating except, you, your majesty.”
“I didn't feel like celebrating with a six-pound crown on my skull and an uncomfortable eleven-pound cape on my back” He answered by taking off the huge garment”I also didn't have a reason to celebrate.”
“The purpose of the banquet was to celebrate the new emperor, who turns out to be you, your excellence, I think you had enough reason to celebrate” he said quietly closing the office door behind him.
“Sooner or later I would be appointed emperor since unfortunately I am my father's only son, but apparently that man left some problems unresolved, Which are now my responsibility.” Oswald took the crown and placed it into a velvety cushion with golden edges, extremely similar to the first one the garment was placed.
“Does that have anything to do with wanting to see Marquise Black?” Remus nodded as he sat behind the desk.
“You are very perceptive, Oswald, I will write a letter of condolence to the Marquise” He mentioned, opening the drawer where the paper was.
“your majesty, has complained that all the nobles are hypocritical for sending him letters of condolence and you will do the same.”
“It's different, I won't pretend to know Regulus” Remus looked at him badly. “And since you mention it, do you have any idea how their son died?”
Oswald seemed disgusted for a minute.
“As I understand it, it was hung up.”
That was an answer He did not expect, he did not exactly agree with hanging people publicly, which was something that was made mainly for treason and with a previous judgement, although they were repeatedly unfair and innocent people were sentenced.
“Why did they do that? Don't hear about any recent judgement.”
“There was no Judgement, in reality it is not known who did it, but because of the injuries they say he possessed it seems that he try to fight.”
“What has Marques Black done about it?” Uncouncislly he felt the uneasy sensation around his neck, tight and rough.
“Nothing yet.”
“His son was found hung by someone anonymous and he hasn't done anything?" Oswald, who was always serene, denied in discomfort. "It seems that this year Orion Black Stole the father of the year award from my dear parent."
There he wondered what his father would have done if he had been the one they hung.
Well, it didn't matter anymore, he was the one who was six feet underground, not Remus.