Slytherin boys 2

The grand ballroom of the royal palace glittered beneath hundreds of candles.

Tonight was the annual gathering of the eight young heirs.

Eight children from the most powerful families in the kingdom had been brought together since they were very young. They had grown up attending the same lessons, wandering the same palace corridors, sneaking into gardens they were forbidden to enter, and getting into trouble together.

They were supposed to behave like proper young nobles.

They rarely did.

Draco Malfoy stood beside one of the enormous windows, staring at the guests below.

"This is boring."

Blaise glanced at him.

"You've said that six times."

"And I'll say it seven times if necessary."

Lorenzo laughed from the sofa.

Mattheo was leaning against the fireplace, watching the crowd with an amused expression.

Theodore sat nearby with a book, seemingly uninterested in the celebration.

Regulus stood beside Rosaline, quietly observing the nobles entering the ballroom.

Then the doors opened.

The entire room fell silent.

Tom Riddle entered.

He wore the black and silver colors of his house, his expression calm and unreadable despite the dozens of nobles turning to look at him.

Mattheo smirked.

"Finally."

Tom's eyes immediately found the group.

He walked toward them.

"You started without me."

Draco scoffed.

"You were late."

"I wasn't."

"You were."

Blaise smiled.

"This should be entertaining."

Before Tom could answer, the sound of a ceremonial horn echoed through the ballroom.

The King and Queen had entered.

Every child immediately straightened.

The King raised his glass.

"Tonight, we celebrate not only our kingdom's prosperity, but the future of our realm."

His gaze moved toward the eight children.

"You will one day inherit the responsibilities of your families."

Rosaline exchanged a glance with the others.

They had heard speeches like this their entire lives.

This is a dark royal fantasy AU.

There is no Hogwarts and no modern world. The story takes place in a fictional European-inspired kingdom filled with royal courts, noble houses, political alliances, ancient castles, formal balls, royal ceremonies and arranged marriages.

Tom Riddle, Mattheo Riddle, Draco Malfoy, Theodore Nott, Blaise Zabini, Lorenzo Berkshire, Regulus Black and Rosaline have all grown up together at the royal court.

They are between 8 and 10 years old at the beginning of the story.

Each child belongs to a powerful royal or noble family and is expected to inherit a title, estate or political responsibility when they become adults.

They have known one another since childhood. They are close despite their constant arguments and differences in personality. They have attended lessons together, explored the palace together, gotten into trouble together and secretly protected one another from court politics.

Tom Riddle is ambitious, intelligent and calculating. He naturally becomes the unofficial leader of the group and already understands that power matters.

Mattheo Riddle is Tom's younger brother. He is impulsive, mischievous and much more emotionally expressive than Tom.

Draco Malfoy is proud, spoiled, competitive and obsessed with family reputation.

Theodore Nott is quiet, intelligent and observant. He is fascinated by history, politics and ancient traditions.

Blaise Zabini is charming, sarcastic and socially intelligent. He understands manipulation and court gossip exceptionally well.

Lorenzo Berkshire is adventurous, playful and rebellious toward royal etiquette.

Regulus Black is disciplined, reserved and mature. He understands the expectations placed upon noble children and is quietly protective of Rosaline.

Rosaline is an heir to a powerful royal family. She has grown up with the seven boys and is an equal part of their group. She knows all of them extremely well.

The story should begin when they are children, around 8-10 years old.