Prince of Serpents

Ian's angry hiss of 'what?' echoed through the air as Amy and the angry basilisk competed in their great stare-off. Tension dominated the atmosphere. Amy took a deep breath and said with a quiver in her voice,

"Ian, whatever you are mad at, it doesn't need a temper. Please...just...c-calm down." Angry, Ian roared and screeched,

"YOU DARE ORDER ME AROUND?" Cringing, Amy regained herself and replied,

"No. I-I'm not o-o-ordering you around. I'm just asking...could you p-please calm down from...whatever it i-is you're m-m-mad at?" She forced her soft jade eyes to stare into his grotesque reptilian eyes that were towering above her. The angry prince growled and hissed,

"You'll be paralyzed for thissss insssssolence!" That was when his reptilian eyes changed briefly to a soft white light, and then back to reptilian.

However, both were surprised to find that Amy didn't get paralyzed. Amy found this opportunity to quickly say,

"Ian, please, I'm sorry for hurting you at the ball!" The basilisk drew back in surprise at the apology. The Cahill girl continued, "I overreacted and now I know that I shouldn't have. I'm sorry for my actions. Now...please...just calm down." To her surprise, Ian only lowered his head in shame.

"Amy, it wassss not your fault. You ssssshouln't have apologized." That was when he shrank from a humongous basilisk to a handsome man. He was wearing a black sports coat with black slacks. On his head was the same simple golden band with the same garnet, which by now, Amy figured out, must be the crown. Ian was also wearing a very guilty look on his face.

"Why not? I did overreact..." Amy started, but she was interrupted by her handsome suitor.

"But it was my fault for asking the Fates to come and test you without even talking to you about it in the first place. Really, it should be me apologizing, not you." But Amy shook her head.

"I think we both messed it up at the ball. That is, unless you still think you're perfect enough not to make a mistake," she said, with a hint of joke in her voice. She smiled a little. Ian noticed this smile and smiled as well, thinking of how beautiful she looked when she smiled. He chuckled and replied,

"No. I've figured out that I'm not 'perfect' like my parents kept saying I was." Surprisingly, Amy walked up to Ian and hugged him head-on. Surprised, but eventually, Ian hugged her back. He asked as they broke from their embrace,

"So, we're friends again, then?" Amy smiled, which the prince found sparkling, as she nodded yes. They hugged again, and when they broke apart, Amy asked,

"So, was that what you were mad about?" Ian shook his head and his smile disappeared. He walked to the entrance of a door where he came from as a basilisk in the first place and gestured for her to follow. Nervous as to what could be troubling her friend, Amy followed him. It turns out that the place was a giant office. It was circular with a big rug on the bottom. The rug had the word Monstre written in a beautiful cursive, despite what the word meant. The room was overall green and gold with emeralds and gold in the walls. It was beautiful, like the palace. Amy walked to the desk that Ian was sitting at as he took a paper and slid it across the desk for Amy to see.

She picked it up and was shocked to find that it was from a very familiar person.

To whomever it may concern:

The people at the Madrigal branch are very angry that you, Ian Kabra, have stolen our future branch leader, Amy Cahill, from us. Especially since the world thinks you are dead, which you should be. We must ask that you release Miss Amy to us. If you refuse to do so, then we will do the unthinkable. You have been warned. Return her to us...or else.

Sincerely,

The Man in Black

"What? How could they do this?" Amy asked, completely shocked as she gave the letter back. Ian took the letter and replied,

"I don't know but obviously you are worth to the world a lot more than anybody else has thought." Even though you are worth much more to me then all the riches in the world combined, he thought to himself as he walked over and looked out of a window that had been broken from his fury. That was when he realized what a mess the place was. He looked around to find glass, paralyzed guards, and blood from the wounded ones. He turned to Amy and said jokingly, "I just now realized what a mess I've made of the place." Amy giggled as he started walking around and un-paralyzing most of the guards. Servants came in and cleaned up the office and the hall that led to the office like that. The now un-paralyzed guards went back to work and the wounded ones were sent to the palace infirmary. When the office was back to the way it was before (except for the broken windows and artifacts), Amy asked,

"You're not going to turn me over, are you?" The prince looked over at her, completely shocked.

"Of course not. However much you're worth to them, you're worth triple that much to me. No. I'm thinking of having either a compromise or a war."

"Over me? A war? Ian, that's absolutely ridiculous!"

"But if they don't agree to a compromise then I most certainly will not hand you over. Not after everything that's happened thus far."

"And what sort of compromise are you going to propose?" Amy asked, challengingly. Ian was about to retort when he realized...

"I'm still working on that. Messenger!" he cried. A small water snake answered his call. He bent down so that he and the snake were eye-to-eye and ordered,

"Tell the people who gave you that letter that I will not give her to them, but I will come up with a compromise. If not a compromise, then..." he looked over at Amy, for some sort of signal. She raised an eyebrow, challenging him on what he was going to say. He sighed aggravatedly and finished, "If not a compromise, then war."

"What? Ian, are you crazy?" Amy cried as Ian sent the messenger away with the message. She tried to stop the snake, but Ian stood in her path. "You do realize that war isn't the only option?"

"I know. That's why I added the 'compromise' part in there," he replied in a simple manner. She gaped at him then, furious, stormed off. Ian, angry as well, ran a hand through his hair, then sat down on his chair at his desk.

A/N:

Until then!

~storyteller221 :)