"So," Abarax asked, pacing the length of the room like a restless cat, "are you ready?"
Orion looked up slowly. He looked less like a man who had spent days buried in a library and more like someone who had been fighting demons—most of them inside his own head.
"It's not as if I have any other option," Orion replied flatly. "And trust me, I've tried to find one."
His gaze drifted to the bag in Abarax's hand.
He froze.
"…Don't tell me that is—"
"Yes," Abarax said brightly. "That is our Portkey."
Orion stared at it as though it had personally insulted his ancestors.
"Absolutely not," he said. "One—why a Portkey? And two—why this Portkey?" He gestured sharply. "Whose bag is that? This is an abomination. Feathers? Ruffles? Merlin preserve me—are you Crouch? He's the only man I know with taste this offensively tragic."
"Relax," Abarax scoffed. "It's not like we're parading it through Diagon Alley. We'd have Apparated if we knew the exact location—and our dearest brother-in-law still doesn't trust us enough for that. So." He lifted the bag. "Ready?"
Orion pinched the bridge of his nose. "I can't believe I'm doing this."
"Yet here you are," Abarax replied cheerfully.
He activated the Portkey.
With a sharp pull and a hollow pop, both men vanished—mere seconds before a house-elf appeared, balancing a tray of freshly made scones.
The elf blinked at the empty room, sighed deeply, and turned back toward the kitchens.
"Wizards," it muttered, disappearing with a soft crack.
*****
Rajveer was still eating with his family when a knock echoed through the dining hall. He set his hand down calmly and called for the servant.
The man entered at once and bowed deeply."Rana sa… Rani sa…"
Rajveer gestured for him to raise his head. "Speak. Why are you here?"
"Rana sa, there appear to be two foreign men at the gates. They are asking for you."
Janani's eyes flicked toward Rajveer, a brief flash of annoyance crossing her face before her expression settled into calm authority.
"Have them seated," she instructed coolly. "See that refreshments are served. We will come to receive them shortly—and do not forget to welcome them properly. They are the sons-in-law of the Rathore family. Understood?"
"Understood, Rani sa," the servant replied, bowing again before leaving.
Janani turned to Rajveer. "You never told me they were coming today. And at this hour of the night—like thieves," she added pointedly.
Rajveer sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose."Jaanu, they said they would arrive a couple of days early, but they never specified the date or time. And I was… still angry. It took time for me to even consider allowing them here. I hadn't yet written to grant permission." He paused. "It seems they were informing us, not asking."
Janani exhaled slowly. "Fine." She turned to Pavitra. "Go and get ready. We will welcome our guests. They may lack manners, but the title they carry deserves respect."
She then looked back at Rajveer. "And you—control your temper. Don't try anything."
Rajveer scoffed lightly. "What makes you think I would, jaan? I'm not young anymore. I've matured."
That earned him a single raised eyebrow—sharp enough to silence him.
Janani and Pavitra left to prepare, leaving Rajveer alone in the dining hall. He stood and walked toward the window, gazing up at the moon and the scattering of stars beyond. They seemed to blink back at him, watchful.
His eyes glinted—perhaps even glowed—but who could say? The Rathore family had always carried secrets. And every secret belonged to the head of the family alone.
Not even his wife knew the lengths he had gone to sit upon the throne—and the lengths required to keep it there. The weight of the family name rested heavily on his shoulders, and the only person who had ever truly understood that burden was his sister, Vishaka.
And Orion Black had taken her away from him.
He was not pleased about that. Not in the slightest.
"May the stars align for the Rathores this time, Mahadev," he prayed silently.
Straightening his shoulders, Rajveer turned away from the window to prepare himself—to welcome his brothers-in-law, who clearly had no understanding of etiquette… or timing.
*******
At the waiting room…
Abarax and Orion sat side by side, having been received with a welcome befitting the sons-in-law of the Rathore family—formal, precise, and unmistakably royal.
"Well," Abarax muttered, lifting the glass handed to him, "this is… more than I expected. Do you think Rajveer will be pleased that we showed up unannounced—and at night?"
Orion let out a dry breath as he bit into the sweet placed before him."He won't be pleased," he replied calmly. "He'll be furious. And I'm fairly certain it's the latter."
Almost as if summoned by the words, Janani and Rajveer entered the room.
They were adorned in gold—not excessive, not minimal—just enough to declare power without needing to announce it. The servants immediately bowed low as they passed. Rajveer carried an aura that seemed almost visible, one that spoke of battles fought in silence, of bloodshed endured and survived. His power was tightly controlled, honed, dangerous in its restraint.
Beside him walked Janani, her presence a perfect counterbalance—serene, composed, yet radiating unquestionable authority. She carried a brass plate holding a lit lamp, flowers, vermillion, and rice. Following her was Pavitra, holding two garlands carefully in her hands.
Orion's breath caught.
They had both been present at Pavitra's birth. She had been a shy child then—quiet, observant. Orion still remembered how Sirius had been utterly fascinated by her, thrilled at the idea of being a big brother. She was the first sibling he had ever felt close to.
Whenever Orion visited, Pavitra had followed Sirius everywhere—like a little duckling trailing behind its mother. Sirius had been fiercely protective of her. After learning about Raksha Bandhan and spending one festival with her, he had sworn—on his magic—that he would always protect her.
It had been a powerful oath for a five-year-old to make.
His mother had been so proud of him that day. She had told him that being a brother came with responsibility—and she was glad Sirius already understood what it meant to be an elder sibling.
Now Pavitra had grown.
Though she carried many of her mother's features—the softness of her face, the elegance in her movements—it was her eyes, her posture, her very aura that mirrored her father. Power, quiet and unyielding, wrapped around her just as it did Rajveer.
And Orion, standing on the other side of that room, could not help but feel the weight of time—and everything that had been lost with it.