Disclaimer: I do not own any of JK Rowlings work, or characters, so anything you see in my story that is in her story is hers.
Summary: Lily is personal servant, body guard, and best friend to Amial, princess of Spain. When Lily hears of a possible attempt at Amial, she must use her wit to save the princess...and herself. She must race against time, Dark Powers, deceit, the King of Thieves...a particularly good-looking man..., and love to save her kingdom. L/J AU
Of Fire and Thieves
Musings:
Sirius burst through James' doors, fuming.
James looked up idly from his papers. "Back from feeding Her Highness?"
Sirius growled. "I'll be happy if the King refuses to step off the thrown; then we can kill her!"
Remus, across the room, playing a game of wizard's chess with Peter, looked up, too; his face worried. "Now Padfoot, I'm sure she isn't that bad. After all, you did steal her," he said sensibly.
Sirius turned his withering gaze to his werewolf of a friend. "Not. That. Bad?" his voice squeaked. "She's freaking warrior princess slash seductor!"
James burst out laughing. "She tried to seduce you?" His rich laugh carried across the room. Sirius looked a bit disgruntled.
"Well… er…"
"Did it work?" James asked, obviously not believing that the 'princess' they had captured could fight, or seduce for that matter.
"It's not bloody funny!" roared Sirius.
James stopped laughing. "Alright, mate. She's a killer. I'll deal with her tomorrow. Did you at least give her the meal?"
Sirius shook his head, but kept silent—he would rather not have his friends know of his embarrassing defeat by the princess. "I'll leave her disarming to you, man," he said to James. "She's got at least two knives under all those clothes."
James frowned. "She's got knives? What kind of princess has knives?"
"Obviously she does," muttered Peter.
"I don't think we have a normal princess on our hands," Sirius spat. "If it weren't for her trademark blonde hair, I'd say she's a trained assassin!"
James rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Sirius continued, pride now showing through his voice, "But that's your job, you are our king!"
"And the rightful king of Spain!" piped Peter.
This remark was met with a chorus of "Shh's" and "Shut your loud trap, Wormtail!"
Peter looked down at his clasped hands, "Sorry,"
"No, Peter. We need to know that you won't say that again," Sirius's face was angry. "If word got out that James was still alive and the Dark Lord found out, there could be no hope left,"
"But isn't he going to find out anyway?" asked Peter, trying to defend himself, but failing miserably.
Sirius growled, but James interluded, "It's not just the Dark Lord that is a threat. If the 'King' found out, all our plans could be ruined. Don't you understand, Peter? Everything must be played out equally. One mistake and our country men and homes could be lost. The Dark Lord will stop at nothing,"
Peter swallowed, his adam's apple bobbing nervously. "Yes, yes." He hurriedly agreed, then turned back to his game of Wizard's Chess.
James stared at him a moment, then turned to Sirius. "So are the rumor's true about Amial? Is she the fourth wonder of the world?"
Sirius tilted his head to one side, remembering the lustful way the princess had looked at him, and remembering his own attraction to her.
He whistled slowly, "If it weren't for her blonde hair, I would call her a downright beauty. But her hair…" he grimaced, "I don't know what people were talking about, calling that blonde hair beautiful. It's the ugliest filth I have seen," a dreamy look came back into his eyes. "But Merlin…those eyes, and that body. To die for. I'd say a man would have to be out of his mind not to be attracted to her."
Remus raised an eyebrow at his wolfish friend. Moments before he was vowing to kill her. Now he was spouting his undying lust for her…Remus chuckled; Sirius would be Sirius.
James only grinned.
Darkness settled over the room as the last rays of the dying sun dispersed. James shuffled his papers and arose from his desk. Turning to his friends he said, "I need to greet some business downstairs," he hitched a few daggers to his arms and tucked his wand securely into his breeches. "What say you to a couple of drinks?" he asked his friends. Sirius nodded and put his arm over James' shoulder.
"D'you think my lassie will be in a good mood tonight?" he asked no one in particular.
Remus came up behind the two. "Only if you keep your hands out of her dress," he replied.
Sirius laughed heartily. "Rose, m'dear, here I come!"
His three friends groaned and followed him down the stairs to the Inn.
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Lily ran through her morning exercises with ease. It was dark in her cell, the sun not having risen yet. Her stomach growled with hunger, but her mind was used to such unjust treatment of her belly because of twelve years with Master Moody. Hunger was the least possible threat when one was a hostage. Constant vigilance! Lily grinned as she heard his gravely voice in her head.
What would he think of her now? –If he were alive, that is. Lily's sparkling green eyes became solemn as she thought of his downfall. Alaster Moody was right hand man to the former King of Spain. He was proud of his position.
Lily remembered his laugh, which was heard rarely, unless he was laughing at Lily's sorry attempts. Thinking back on it now, Lily found it ironic that the person Moody had sent her to become body-guard to would later turn out to be the daughter of the one who took his King's position.
Lily lay back down on the floor, done her stomach crunches. She wiped a strand of yellow hair from her eye. A cool breeze floated through the small window. Dappled sunlight peaked through the bars, telling the young woman that morning had found it's way back to her, once again.
Lily's sweet lips creased upwards and she crab-walked over to the spot of sunlight dancing on the ground. Laying her face in it, she looked up and her eyes sparkled merrily with new-found happiness. "If there is one thing I can count on," she whispered, cupping the rays of light in her hand, "it is that you will find me once more."
She giggled and jumped up nimbly.
Her grin was wiped off her face when she heard the feet approaching. Two people. She could tell from the footsteps. Lily decided to wait and hear the people out. She would play it cool and aloof…like the princess she was supposed to be.
The lock turned. The woman heard a few muttered words, something along the lines of, 'She'll jump at you, I'm telling you. Bloody crazy—' his voice was cut off. Another, more calming voice said, 'If I didn't know you better, I'd say you were scared.'
Lily heard the first man scoff, but no more was said as the door swung open.
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(A/N: I realize that there was a line that was extremely confusing >in the paragraph about Moody . Figure it out if you can, don't sweat it if you can't)
Thank you soooooo much for the reviews!
Please keep sending them with any mistakes you pick up or construcitve critisism or anything!
I have a question, though. What color are James' eyes? I'd like to be true to the series, and I thought they were brown or hazel, but I'm not sure which.
For Abarraine's question: There is a reason that Amial's hair is blonde, not dark... /hint hint/
