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

Just a Warning: There is a slightly gruesome section toward the end of this chapter. I didn't think it was that bad, but skip over it if you need, don't worry; it's not a big part!

Of Fire and Thieves

Arrests and Disappointments

Amial's now red hair bounced jollily around her head, but her face was tight and worried. Lily had been gone since yesterday, and Amial couldn't help but think that it was her fault that Lily was missing.

She had maintained her red hair, just as Lily had told her to do in such a situation. For, Lily had said, there could be more kidnappers planted in the palace to make sure they didn't get the wrong person. So Amial had to sit back and watch people scurry about her, trying to get a hint as to where the "princess" was taken.

She had been questioned thoroughly, for she was there when the kidnapping happened. And it seemed that not a soul recognized Amial for who she really was. They were too busy franticly looking for the princess. Amial's father had been reached through a letter, and had not yet responded, but Amial was sure that the King would journey to Whales to find her.

A hand darted out from the darkness of the hall and latched onto the true princess's hand. Amial gave a shriek, but the hand held fast and pulled her into a niche in the wall.

Amial stared into the large face of the Head of Servings.

"Now ya listen hear, littl' miss," snapped the woman, "I know wha's goin on, and it's somethin' fishy, for sure. I come in here, an' I find you have a boot knife. Thens the princess is kidnapped from right under your pretty nose. You, bein' her body servant an' all, an' you don't lift a finger to help. I knew it from the start! You be a snitch, a betrayer!"

Amial was more than slightly disgusted from the smell of the woman's breath, but what the woman said next made her eyes go wide with fear.

"I, bein' the Head of Servings, am now in charge of ya. You'll be gettin' a beatin' for sure,"

The supposed body servant jerked her head back from the large woman's swinging fist, and was saved just in time as a palace boy ran through the halls, crying the King's reply.

The Head of Servings' grip loosened slightly on Amial's arm, and the young woman slipped away quickly. Navigating her way through the palace, carrying herself like the princess she used to be, she entered the large room of the Duke's (the caretaker of the palace) room.

The man sat at a desk, soldiers surrounded him.

He looked up when the lady entered, and frowned. "What is she doing here?" he asked one of his clerks.

Amial strode silently to the front of his desk, and pursed her lips. "I demand to know what the King has to say."

The remark was met with silence, but the silence melted into barking laughter. Amial frowned and crossed her arms, completely forgetting that she was supposed to be a servant.

"What is so funny?" Her tone silenced the men, cutting through their mirth like a knife to soft bread.

The Duke rose from his desk. He looked imperiously at her. "And what, may I ask, is your name?"

The questioned jolted Amial back into reality. She had forgotten that she was not the princess in their eyes, but rather, a lowly servant. Her own name was on the tip of her tongue, but she quickly turned the syllables and answered, "Lily Evans, body servant to the missing princess."

It was as if a light clicked on in the Dukes mind, because his face twisted into a smirk and a knowing look entered his eyes. The Duke nodded slightly and sat back down. "Well then, Ms Evans," he gestured to the guards on either side of her, "by orders of the King, I'm afraid you are being taken into custody. The King is very disappointed in your lack of service to her Highness, what with letting her be kidnapped that all. My soldiers will accompany you to Spain, where you shall be tried in Court against the King."

Amial gaped at him, "What!" she screeched. "You can't do that!" Suddenly remembering Lily, she asked, "What about the princess? You will waste soldiers on me when the princess is in mortal danger?"

The Duke smiled, "No, my dear. The King has also sent a fleet of his best men to track down the princess. They arrived today by apparation. I will spare my men on bringing you to Spain."

Amial's face clouded over in anger, "Get off of me!" She screamed as the men tried to tie her hands. She elbowed one the in the stomach, but they soon had her tied up. "Let go!" She howled and kicked.

The men brought her down to an awaiting horse, and Amial was placed on it none too gently. "Please understand," the Duke said, trying to be kind, "I am only doing what the King has ordered. We have at least provided you with a horse, so your journey will be somewhat more comfortable."

Amial was too caught up in her rage to hear him. The soldier her horse was tied to kicked his own horse into action, and they began the long trek back to Spain.

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The man stood in the middle of the ring of people, a malicious smile adorned on his would-be-handsome face. The people around him wore masks and dark cloaks and stood eerily silent as they watched the man in the middle.

It was night, the first night Lily had spent in her kidnappers cell, to be exact. But this man knew naught of her troubles, nor cared. But he would, soon…

The stars shone brightly on the rest of the world, but around this man, they seemed to dim by his aura of power. A man within the ranks of the circle cringed as a large serpent glided by his foot, ominously snapping at his ankles.

The man in the center spoke.

"My DeathEaters. What a pleasure to see you on such a wonderful night. I assume you have completed the raid successfully?" His voice sent shivers down the spines of all. His dark green eyes pierced the ranks of his men.

One man stepped forward. "Yes, My Lord. The town of Guisal has taken a harsh beating," the man in the center's smile grew wider, "All of the muggles are dead. However," on this note, the man's smile disappeared, and a dangerous look replaced it.

"However what, Dania?" The person who had been speaking was, in fact, a woman.

The woman swallowed from under her mask and continued, "It is about our other mission. The princess. She has already been stolen,"

The man's eyes became hard. "I told you not to fail," He raised his wand at her. "This was your final chance. Where is she?"

"I-I don't kno-"

"Vineskat," the man mumbled under his breath.

Two little vines burst from the ground at the woman's feet. The masked person looked down and stumbled backward, but the vines reached after her, their pointy heads snapping like snakes. The vines wrapped themselves around the struggling woman and bound her to the ground. They curled around her legs and rose to her eye level, hissing and eyeing her. She screamed, a bloodcurdling noise, as the vines slid in through her mouth, terrorizing her body. Her scream was cut short, one vine was blocking her throat.

She flailed her arms about herself, tearing off her clothes, scrabbling at her body, trying to tear the vines out from under her skin. The weeds finally burst from her ears, and the woman fell limp, dead.

The men around her stepped back in disgust and looked on in horror to their master's display of revenge.

"Lucious." The name was said clearly, and the man stepped forward, a tall lean frame, much like a vine himself.

"Yes, My Lord?"

"I am appointing you to Dania's spot. You will research another means to getting the King off his thrown and into my control without making too much of a fuss. Come to me when you have discovered something."

Lucious bowed and retreated back into the circle.

The man in the center turned to the rest of his followers, at least one hundred there were. "I killed the King of Spain once. I can do it again if need be. But what fun would that be?"

The man known as Voldemort laughed and disapparated with a pop.

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Author's Note:I've got no idea if "Guisal" is a true city or not, but in this story it is located in the backcountry of Spain (remember, this is an Alternate Universe)

Thank you all for the reviews. It made me so happy:-) Ok, so James' eyes are hazel, got that figured out.

To Elspeth Renee: Not quite, but it was a good idea! I actually thought about making Amial related to him, but it didn't work out.

To FieryStar90: Thanks for that! I had no idea! I'll make sure to spell Wales correctly in future chapters!

To Everyone Else (lol):

I'm going away for vacation for a LOOONG time…until August, to be exact. I worked really hard to get this chapter posted, and I won't be able to write any more until I return because I'm going to a camp with no computers (tear)…and my mind fails me when I write on paper (trust me, it's really bad!)

So I hope this chapter fulfills your thirst…haha, probably not…You don't know what's going to happen to Lilyor James!

Oh! And before I forget, can anyone describe to me what a Mary Sue is…I'm telling you, I must be the most naïve person… ! I get the general logistics of it, but I'm not sure if what I'm thinking is right…so…