Lily gazed at herself in the wall-length mirror, turning in different directions to survey her reflection. Her startling green eyes were gazing critically at her new dress, an emerald green bodice to match her eyes that expanded into a wide skirt at her hips. Locks of her curly auburn hair fell to her waist and swished as she spun in a circle. "Petty," she called to her sister, "What do you think of this dress?"
Petunia, Lily's older sister sighed exasperatedly, and removed herself from the comforting confines of her warm bed. Her pale face appeared just beyond Lily's in the mirror, wearing an irritated expression. "The dress is fine Lily," she said in a disdainful tone laced with jealously, "You know the only reason we're here is to buy a wedding dress for me and Vernon's wedding."
"Of course, Petty, how could I forget about you're engagement to that wonderful man," Lily said sarcastically, thinking of the fat Spanish Duke her sister was engaged to.
She knew all too well, the only reason her father, who also happened to the King of England, had let she and her sister out of sight (regardless of the fact that they had several guards keeping watch outside their room), was so that Petunia could look her best. After all, the two Princesses could easily be kidnapped by a commoner, or worse, a pirate, and held for ransom. The King had given strict orders that his daughters be accompanied by their respective bedchamber maids, and ten of the finest guards of the palace to a small and inconspicuous inn located just inside the skirts of Thames. Thames was a famous fashion port, known for its highly expensive stores and extravagantly dressed villagers. Originally the trip had been planned for just Petunia, but Lily had persuaded her father that her older sister would be safer with Lily by her side. Truth be told, Lily had no concern for her retched sister. She was just yearning for a chance to be outside the palace walls for once.
After deciding that the dress looked suitable on her, Lily sat beside her sister on the gold quilt and sighed. "I really wish you hadn't found your dress so quickly, I was looking forward to a little more adventure than just a day outside the palace," she said.
Petunia sneered making her already ugly face that much more unappealing, "You're so selfish Lily. Thousands of girls would kill to live a day in our shoes."
Lily looked at her sister with a hurt expression, and realized the truth of her words. After all, who wouldn't kill to be a princess? It was every girl's dream to dress up in beautiful dresses and attend gala's and balls. But princess life just wasn't for Lily. She hated the orderly fashion in which her day was conducted. Schedules were drawn up a week in advance, designating every hour of her life to a specific event. Then there was the matter of the retched corsets that squeezed at her ribs and hips painfully making it difficult to breathe. If that wasn't enough for her to hate, Lily's father had already decided who Lily's fiancé would be. He was the most despicable man she had ever laid eyes on. His hair was a greasy black mop that hung over his coal black eyes, and his smirk, oh, that smirk, how she would love more than anything to wipe it off his face. She had caught him more than once wearing that smirk while sweeping his eyes up and down her body in an intrusive manner. The only redeeming quality about him was his status; the heir to the throne of Spain. Since England and Spain were often engaged in conflicts, Lily's father had seized the chance to initiate an alliance between the two warring countries. The potential engagement would not be an option for Lily, it would be an order. She had no escape.
"You're not thinking of Snape again, are you?" Petunia said referring to the heir of Spain.
"You wouldn't be able to get the prospect of marrying him off your mind either if you were engaged to such a disgusting man," Lily retorted defensively.
Petunia opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off by the booming sound of cannons firing. A startled squeal emitted from Petunia's mouth and she grabbed onto her sister's arm in fright. Lily rolled her eyes at her sister's antics and pried Petunia's fingers off of her so that she could stand up. The sight that greeted her at the window was terrifying. A ship with sleek black sails bellowing ominously in the wind was docked at the port and firing at the village. Men were rushing into the streets brandishing swords, daggers, and pistols killing of people as they ran. At first sight it looked as if they were there to conquer the village of Thames. However, soon comprehension dawned on Lily as she took in the manner in which the men ran through the village, it wasn't in random directions, but rather in a solid line all heading for the same destination. The men weren't here to claim Thames as their own, they were here for something or someone.
A knock on the door broke Lily's gaze and she turned to face the opening door. One of the guards in his finely tailored red uniform met her eyes and nodded respectfully. "Sorry to intrude Miss Evans, but it appears that the village of Thames is under attack. The marauders (I don't mean James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter, I mean the actual noun, as in invaders)are heading this way so we are setting out to head them off" he informed her.
Lily nodded briskly and returned her attention to the horrifying sight below her. Innocent villagers lay dead and abandoned in the streets, their cruel murderers nowhere in sight. No longer able to bear the sight before her she ran back over to the bed her sister was occupying and sat down. Petunia had crawled beneath the covers and was huddling beneath them as if doing so would make everything go back to normal. "We should have never come here," she moaned from her makeshift shelter, "It's all my fault. Now we're going to die because I needed a stupid wedding dress."
"You couldn't have known this would happen," Lily whispered soothingly, "We're going to be fine."
Unfortunately, no sooner had the words escaped her mouth, when a booming noise came from the inn below as the door was thrown off its hinges. Lily's eyes widened in terror at the noise and she looked at the lump of blankets that was her sister to see her reaction. Petunia began to shake violently and threw the blankets off of her to reveal her distressed appearance. Thick tears were flowing down her cheeks and her hair was thrown about in a messy disarray, "Lily what do we do?!" she yelled anxiously.
Emerald eyes scanned the room observantly searching for a place to hide. "Quick, Petunia hide in the closet by the window and don't make a sound."
Petunia didn't need further persuasion she scurried off to the closet Lily had specified and closed the doors once inside. As for Lily, she hurried to hide inside the small bathroom, and bolted the door. The sound of clinking swords and stamping feet met her ears and she waited with baited breath. She insinuated from the loud thuds that doors were being thrown open and rooms being searched. Screams of the inhabitants alerted her that her assumption was correct. Then, the sound of boots against the wooden floor came from just outside the door and the door to her room was thrown open. Fear clouded her mind as she realized how foolishly transparent her hiding spot was. She would be caught within seconds.
"This is definitely the room. The dresses in this wardrobe are way too expensive to belong to a commoner," a soft male voice mused.
The next voice was deeper and huskier than the first, "Well, then they've got to be in here somewhere."
In a sudden act that was both very noble and very stupid Lily threw open the door to the bathroom and stepped out. At the time she had thought that it was a very rational thing to do because if both the princesses were captured and killed their father would be devastated. Later, she realized just how rash and suicidal giving herself in had been. Two men of contrasting features whom Lily presumed the voices belonged to looked up alarmed at the sound of the door slamming against the wall. Once seeing that the cause of the noise had not been an armed man with the intention of killing them, their startled features relaxed. The man closest to Lily was wearing an amused grin as he looked over her. Though Lily's first instinct was to regard the intruders with disdain and loathing she couldn't help but notice how attractive he was. He had silky long black hair that swept over a pair of stormy grey eyes and wore a quite a tempting grin. The other man was less attractive, but handsome all the same, with light blonde hair and pale blue eyes. His expression was more gentle and reassuring. "Don't worry, we're not going to harm you," the blond spoke.
Lily was far too frightened to speak and simply nodded her head to show she understood. "Where is your sister?" the darker haired man demanded, his tone far less gentle than the other man's.
Realizing that she needed to speak in order to save Petunia Lily found her voice. "She's not here, she is on the way home as we speak, to inform our father of the happy discovery of the perfect wedding dress," Lily lied smoothly.
The dark haired man's amused expression turned indignant, "Peter swore to us they would both be here," he said to his companion his voice laced with anger.
"Well one princess should suffice wouldn't you say?" Remus reasoned rationally.
"Suffice for what?" Lily interrupted curiously and a little fearfully.
"Now, now, there's no need to fret. Ya just have to come quietly and as long as your daddy complies with our strict orders you will be back to the palace in no time," the dark haired man said in a tone Lily thought was intended to be soothing but came out more mockingly.
That sounded reasonable enough Lily decided as she nervously curled her fingers around the familiar golden key that hung from her neck on a delicate chain. "Hang on a minute, what's that you've got on your neck?" the more handsome man spoke again.
His friend looked at him quizzically before glancing at the key that hung by Lily's chest prompting his eyes to widen in awe. "It can't be," he murmured, "Where did you get it?"
Lily looked down at the key recalling the memory of how she'd gotten it out loud, "One evening when my father took me into town a pirate ship was pillaging the village. My father had run off to alert a commanding officer of the intruders when I saw this on the ground."
The two men glanced at each other briefly before looking back at Lily. "Well, you best be coming with us," the darker haired one said, seizing her arm suddenly, and leading her out of the room.
"We haven't formally introduced ourselves have we," the lighter hair one realized as they walked out, earning an astounded glance from his companion.
"We're not some proper nancy boy English men," the darker one reminded him chuckling.
Ignoring him the lighter man went on, "I'm Remus Lupin, second mate of The Godric and that's Sirius Black, first mate."
Sirius scowled at his friend for introducing himself despite his complaints, and then grinned at Lily. "I also happen to be the most attractive of the crew," he informed her smugly.
Lily eyed him bewildered, what kind of capturers carried on this way to their victim? "Pleasure to meet you," she said, her manners kicking in despite the fact that these circumstances were under no definition pleasurable, "Lily Evans, though I presume you already know that."
Sirius and Remus chuckled, "Well aren't we cocky," Sirius teased.
Lily was affronted, she was certainly not cocky. In fact, most people of the palace had informed her she was rather humble for someone of her status and beauty. Then, regaining her sense, Lily remembered it was a pirate that she was speaking to and that there were worse things to worry about than her reputation. Like being killed, for instance.
