Disclaimer: Forgot to use this for the last chapter but no, sorry, not JK Rowling.
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Lily was silent for the first mile or so. Prince James was not quite what she was expecting. Then again, she wasn't entirely sure what she had been expecting, but figures of authority and power had never been her kind of people. From what little she knew of royalty, they tended to be detached from their subjects, unaware of what was going on in the kingdom. No doubt the prince was more concerned with his next jousting tournament than with the poor people of his kingdom.
"You don't say much do you?"
Snapped out of her thoughts, she eyed him seriously.
"I don't normally have much occasion to speak. I'll leave the running commentary of the journey to our demise for you, shall I?"
He just shot her what she assumed he thought to be a charming grin.
"It's ok to be afraid you know. You can leave if you want to."
She rounded on him, feeling the fury pounding in her chest she glared at him.
"I am not afraid!"
His eyes widened and he took a step backward, but she didn't stop.
"You don't have a clue what Riddle is like. He kills people because he wants to purge the earth of those who are undeserving. I'm one of those people."
She could feel her knees beginning to buckle, so she sat down, shoving his hand away when he tried to help her up.
"Eighty years ago, when Riddle came to power, he seemed to embody everything my kind stood for, power, knowledge and magical ability. But he didn't waste time showing people what he really wanted."
She shuddered. She'd learned of these times in school, the Dark Ages. Her Professor of History of Magic had refused to talk about it so she'd done her own research. She'd still had nightmares about the things she'd read.
"Riddle changed his name to Lord Voldemort and with his followers, he began to kill all muggles and muggle borns in Nnaerié. Muggles are non-magical people and when Voldemort attacked… they didn't stand a chance. All muggle borns went into hiding and all muggles left the land. Families were torn apart. The greatest of our witches and wizards fought and died trying to stop him. Then one day he just disappeared. We thought he was gone forever."
She laughed humourlessly.
"We were wrong. Magic drains beings, especially those whose magic is not part of their make-up. He was just recuperating, plotting to rid his sacred land of filth like me. I am not afraid Prince James of Griffinvale. I am angry."
She could feel him staring at her and felt surprised when instead of sending her on her merry way, he sat down beside her.
"You're right, I didn't know. I just wanted for once, to prove myself a hero to my people. They rely on me. My father…"
His expression hardened and Lily saw the anger and bitter resentment in it.
"He doesn't care about the people of Griffinvale. He just wants enough gold to keep living the way he does. He doesn't see the people starving in the streets or those dying from diseases that can be easily cured. For Merlin's sake, I've seen kids eat tree bark to survive! I just…"
She laid a hand over his and forced him to meet her eyes.
"I was wrong about you Prince James of Griffinvale and for that I apologise. We're not so different after all."
Wrapping her fingers around his, she felt the raw strength behind them, and astonished herself by blushing.
"We should get going. But I'm afraid to say you're stuck with me. If you're going to defeat Riddle, you're going to need someone with brains and knowledge on your side."
James looked indignant.
"What's wrong with my brains, might I ask?"
She blinked at him innocently.
"Nothing I'm sure. If you had any."
He laughed and took the hand she offered to help him up.
"You're a sharp tongued little pixie, aren't you? C'mon, we've got a world to save."
Neither of them realised, as they trudged down the dirt path through the forest on their journey to certain doom, that someone was following them a little too closely…