012 // MC shoulders responsibilities.

It was a day like all other when Sirius was summoned by his father to gardens. There he found his father, grandfather, and Aunt Ailya having tea while exchanging heated words.

They stopped and settled into a semblance of civility just as Sirius approached them.

"Ah good, you're here." His Aunt Said invited him to sit on only empty chair present.

"Good afternoon, Grandfather, father and Auntie." He greeted everyone present as a servant served him tea.

He took his cup from the server and sipped a pleasant-smelling lemon flavoured tea.

"Yes, Good afternoon, Sirius. We were discussing something important just now." His father addressed him in his usual baritone voice.

He raised an eyebrow but didn't reply and waited. It had been a tense few months in the home with his grandfather travelling to other branches frequently. He hadn't pried much when he had realised that situation was indeed serious. His father was focusing on Business closer to home now as he readied himself for takeover soon.

"Yes, as my brother here is saying, something rather important has come up." Aunt Ailya said which made Sirius think about several things But he was not one leading the conversation here.

"Stop with this nonsense you both, just tell the lad." His grandfather's gruff voice cut both his children.

"Yes, As I was saying previously, we should inform my son," said His father looking resigned to those who know him.

"Jus sanguinis et primogenitura." His aunt said in a voice that had Sirius on high alert instantly.

He raked his brain and searched around, where he had heard this term and then he remembered. This was indeed a serious matter. Sirius was fluent in Latin, so he knew what his aunt had just said. He understood why his family was on high alert and why his mother wasn't involved. No mother could agree to this, and it meant his father and grandfather had gone behind her back in this very important matter.

"You mean that old black family challenge? I thought it was a myth." He murmured still thinking about what he knew.

"Yes, that challenge but 'Right of blood and birthright' is not a myth lad, It's the truth of our family." His grandfather was looking at him intently now.

"Who is challenging us? I don't think anyone is looking for an heir right now." He asked listing all the families he knew in his mind.

"Marchese Venerio Fittipaldi Merula had declared the challenge for the winner to gain his title, estate and heir at the end, he is losing ground in his kingdom and have a decade and a half at most." His grandfather took the helm of the conversation as his father and aunt fell silent.

"So, I must go through it. But why me?" he asked accepting his reality. He knew the Black family was not a simple Noble family, their history was long and filled with blood and various other things not worth mentioning right now.

"Jacques Noir had decided to challenge his superiors. His heir is turning 11 in a year, and he had agreed for his heir to challenge you for 'Jus sanguinis et primogenitura." His grandfather continued as his father refused to meet his gaze and focused on his tea.

"Isn't he Lord of the French branch? Why was he involved in matters of the other branch?" Sirius asked for clarification, confused for why Lord Noir was involved in any matter related to the other branch.

"Why not when we both finish schooling? This can wait until we have been through our second maturity" Sirius said thinking it through. He was a few months away from turning 11 and the noir heir was just a few months younger. He had met him previously in once a decade thing, extended Black family Gathering which had last taken place in 1850. The younger noir was a spoiled brat, but he could see a cunning mind even that early in the fellow heir. They shared an amicable relationship currently.

"You know why son. We can't take a risk. This cannot wait for another decade as till then Italian branch would fold or cease to exist." His grandfather looked defeated, and he had never seen that expression on the face of a black, not even when they had waited 3 days for his siblings to wake up while that incident.

"I'll do it." Sirius declared. He knew he had the most possible chance of conquering the challenge. With a developed mind and black family blood in his veins and all the things he had faced, he was the most obvious choice.

"It's decided then, you're the best our family had seen in 2 centuries since Lord Rigel black. you my heir would conquer the challenge, your training would begin from tomorrow at sunrise and you would have a few months to prepare. You would have the best of the family resources to prepare you. Our Family's honour rests on this" Lord Aquarius black said started laying the terms in front of his prepubescent grandson.

Terms that would make a fully grown wizard shiver and his grandson just accepted everything he laid out with nothing but determination visible. The terms were negotiated among three lords 2 days prior in the extended council meeting of the Black family which had taken place in Switzerland, in a conference room of the main bank of the Black family.

As only Grandson of Late Lord Rigel Black, Current Head of the most ancient and noble House of black, Lord Aquarius Black, residing in the ancestral castle, the main seat of his family, this was his responsibility to initiate contact with those under him, so he had taken lead. He hated involving his elder grandson in this, but he didn't have a way out except to put his younger grandson in his place by waiting 3 years.

The Noir family was a branch of the Black family who settled in France on orders of their shared ancestor in the 16th century. They had broken all ties with the muggle nobility just before the muggle French revolution half a century ago and continued to thrive in the wizarding world.

He had previously tried to engage one of his daughters to the Noir branch for closer ties and to dissuade brewing conflict among them, but Noirs had postponed it declaring that they didn't have a suitable match despite having a son only a few years younger than his daughters. He had let it lie thinking that children were too young to be part of conflicts, but this was something he couldn't ignore. He had prepared in secrecy for whatever he could do to take over the Italian branch without alerting Noirs but alas it was not to be. Whatever Noirs was, blind they were not.

His family was the primary branch, while the rest 2 remaining branches spread across the continent were secondary, not having ample family members had led to this. He could cut ties with the Noirs and be done with them, but his pride and business sense won't let him do so. They had extensive business ties with the French branch currently and he would have to untangle centuries of ties to segregate which would take decades.

Italian branch was an important part of their business here in Europe and they couldn't let go of it without a fight. The rest of the Branches in Europe were currently divided between 3 lords with him having control. There were a few fledgling branches in the Americas, Russia, southern Asia and a few more parts of the world but as they didn't have a major impact on the business yet, they weren't involved much among older branches.

Lord Aquarius Black had met Signore Venerio Merula, Head of Sicily family Branch (Modern-day Italy) for modifications in current agreements and treaties between families, Due to the increased demand for the unification of Italy, Venerio had started seeing a decline in business and started losing his power base in his kingdom and had asked help from the Parent branch.

He had other reasons for that as well as his only suitable (magical) heir was a daughter under the age of 6 currently, with his wife having passed away during childbirth. He had a squib son aged 13 who wasn't suitable to take over the Magical family business, so he had to begin educating the child in the mundane side of the business. But it was only until he found a suitable match for his daughter and got a contractual agreement with the family. He had first investigated his own primary family for a suitable match, but all the other relatives were too predatory and not suitable for his princesa.

With this Unification almost upon him, he had looked at the Parent branch of his family for support but then the French branch had gotten wind of the talks and it had come to this. His son wasn't in the position to take up the title ever, as at most he could be a mediator with maintaining the family's position in Mundane society.

So, in the end, all three Lord had butted heads and Signore Merula had suggested 'Jus sanguinis et primogenitura'.

Seigneur Noir had at first said he was family head and thus doesn't qualify for the challenge and his son was too young, while Lord Black had declared his son able. Then Signore Merula had suggested suitable children of the families take part in the challenge.

Seigneur Noir had lapped at the opportunity and declared his 10 years old Son capable if Lord Black also allowed his heir to take part. They were similar in age and wouldn't be far away in abilities making it an equal challenge for both boys.

Lord black had resisted at first saying his grandson had been through an ordeal just a few years prior but then Seigneur Noir had called his grandson Sirius weak, which he couldn't tolerate, thus he had accepted.

The challenge was going to take place in a year in June 1856 with both boys getting some time to prepare and adjust after their first magical maturity. It would be headed by Signore Venerio with his Title, estate, business, and daughter at stake.

Lord Black did have a grandson worthy of the challenge and he had seen the child growing up, he couldn't be prouder of his grandson. This child Sirius Rigel Black, the First Son of his son Cygnus was worthy of the name Black. His son was adequate, but he could never boast about his son having something special in him to lead but his grandson was a born warrior and a survivor. He still remembered how the tiny babe hadn't shed a single tear during the purification ritual and then continued to grow and thrive.

How his grandson had accomplished bloodline binding ritual at the age of 7 by himself with only instructions and ingredients. Even he hadn't gone through it on his own. He had his father and elder sisters to guide him, but his grandson had done it on his own. He hadn't even asked for assistance, not that the family wasn't ready to step in at any moment.

He had confidence in his grandson that he would be able to conquer this challenge. The passage of blood and birthright. Right of a Black-Born. This challenge was last done 2 centuries ago in the time of his grandfather, where 3 sons of Lord black had attempted and only one had come out alive. This was between three Blacks who had passed their second maturity and wanted to lead the family. It had happened in 1683 when the youngest son had reached adulthood. Lord Apollo Black had tasked his sons with 'Jus sanguinis et primogenitura' to solve the conflict and get rid of his troublesome children and choose an appropriate successor.

He prayed to Mother Gaia for the strength and victory of his family. He had confidence in his grandson but having the blessing of the mother herself would be a boon for his grandson.