TALE AS OLD AS TIME
Chapter II
A sad, boring place.
Everyday, Quiet Village awoke at sunrise, and it was always the same old song, the same old routines of a small country village. For whatever point you chose to watch, Lily Evans didn't fit: Her beautiful red hair and brilliant green eyes made her stand out right away, her love for books gain her the reputation of 'weird' since she was a girl, being the daughter of the crazy inventor in town didn't help that much either, and, finally, the fact that at her nineteen years of age she had never had a boyfriend made more than one eyebrow rise.
But Lily didn't care for any of that, with her older sister already married, a father to whom 'minor explosions' were something commonplace and a best friend who lived perpetually in love of… well, of any man that was single and available; Lilly didn't had much time to worry about what everyone said about her in the village. If fact, the only other person with whom Lily spoke –besides her dad, her best friend and her best friend's mother – was Mr. Colbert, the town's librarian.
Every morning, Lily woke up, had breakfast with her dad and went out to do her little errands around town, stopping at the bookstore to greet Mr. Colbert – swearing she was staying only five minutes – and to get a new book, she would usually stay there till lunch and Cinthya came into the store for her, then the two friends would go back to Mrs. Kersh house to have lunch. And in the afternoon, Lily would go back home and do a little 'damage control' in her father's workshop, and then she would curl up on a chair near the window and read away the rest of the evening, dreaming about distant lands.
Lily liked her the little routines and fixtures of her life, it was true she, deep down, yearned for adventure and sometimes here live seemed a little bit boring, but that was okay, it wasn't in Lily's nature to get depressed or sad…. Though that didn't mean her thirst for adventure was sated.
One particular morning, Lilly had left Mr. Colbert's bookstore with before Cinthya came looking for her, so she sat outside, by the fountain in the middle of the town, and started to read her book, it was her favorite and Mr. Colbert had just give it to her as a present. Lily was completely lost in the story by the time her friend showed up.
"How far are you gone?" Cinthya asked, fixing her skirt as she sat. "Outside the planet?"
"Try outside the galaxy and you will be closer." Lily answering, closing her book with care, Cinthya read the cover.
"This one? You have read it ten times already!"
"What can I say? It's my favorite, all the magic, the mystery, kingdoms far away and all the adventure!"
"And the romance, my little friend, don't forget the romance. Every good story ever told always starts with a bit of unrequited love, or impossible love or obsessive love or love of some kind."
"Oh, Cinthya, don't start again about The Romance."
"Well, then… let's change the subject. How was dinner last night?"
"Same old, you know my sister." Lily answered referring to the fact that she and her dad had diner with her sister Petunia and her husband once every week. "Vernon and Petunia are trying to have kids, imagine that."
"I rather not, thanks, I value my mental health."
Lily smiled, "Besides that it was fairly boring, as usual. Petunia insists is time for me to marry. She even suggested I should accept Snape's offer."
"NO!"
"I know, I know. Can you imagine? Me? And Snape? Not in this life time or the next, I promise you."
"Uh huh, speaking of the devil, here he comes." Cinthya said as she saw Lord Snape approach them. "Please, don't be too harsh, trouble we need not."
"Miss Lily!" Snape greet her warmly. "What a pleasure to see you around here."
"Good morning, Lord Snape." Lily answered with a small curtsy, trying to not let show how much she hated Snape. But Lily knew how powerful Snape was and trouble with him was not something she fancied to get into. "Cinthya and I were just leaving, Mrs. Kersh awaits us."
"Then I'll cut to the chase. Have you thought about my proposition?"
Lily palled a little, every time she saw Snape he asked the same. And as long as Lily still had blood on he veins her answer would always be the same: "I'm sorry, milord, but my answer hasn't changed. I can't marry you." Lily said in a firm clear voice. "Now, if you excuse us, we have to go."
Lily tugged at Cinthya's arm and the two friends practically vanished into thin air.
"I still don't know why you don't simply take her." A snotty little voice said at Snape's back. "She's just a girl, I'm sure you could manage."
"The point, my little Helena, is that I want her to agree to marry me, I don't want to just take her by force, which would be too easy. Lily has spirit, strength, will…"
"Look that you're pathetic. You fell in love with the sweet, pure and virginal Lily Evans."
Time had passed since Lady Helena had been exiled from Prince James' palace –nearly three years ago – and that time elapsed had made her more beautiful than ever but at the same time those years had made her bitter and the attraction and possible love that once she felt for Snape had turned into indifference; they were still lovers, but more out of custom than out need.
"Well, since I already have a slut for my bed all I need is a mother for my children." The time elapsed had also made Snape more cruel and cold. He had focused on making himself rich and powerful and he had succeeded at that in Quiet Village. "You understand tat a man of my position can't possibly marry someone like you… besides, you must admit, Lily is even more beautiful than you."
That might be true but Helena wasn't admitting a damn thing. "She's just a pleasant girl."
"Perhaps, but I will have her."
"Dad, you aren't going to believe this." Lily said as she walked inside her father's workshop.
"Snape bothered you again?" Mark Evans asked patiently.
"Just as always, it doesn't matter."
"It does matter, sweetheart, that man is cruel and evil and I don't want him near you. I just hope that with this new artifact I invented I win the fair and finally we'll have enough money to leave Quiet Village."
"That would be nice, daddy. Can you imagine? A fresh start..."
"Yes. That's why I need to hurry and finish this. I want to leave tomorrow at first light."
"Then I'll help you in all I can!" Lily declared happily.
"My little Lily, what would your old father do without you?"
"You would probably forget to feed your dog, dad."
The next day, Lily said goodbye to her father. She was used to this kind of short absences but that didn't make it any easier, since she could remember it had always just been her and her dad – before it had been Petunia too, but since her marriage Lily knew she couldn't count on her. Is not that she was left utterly alone, she had Cinthya and Mrs. Kersh but it was just not the same. Lily and her dad were a team and that was that.
As Lily saw her father go, she couldn't help the weird feeling inside her chest, as if lighting were about to strike, as if winds of change were blowing by.
It turn out that Lily was right, her life was about to change thanks to an unexpected meeting…
Next morning, James Potter and his friends were enjoying a morning ride across the fields and woods that surrounded the royal palace. Once upon a time, James had been a carefree, happy boy, but the years that had passed since the deception of the woman he thought love had left him cold, distant and indifferent. His heart had healed, that was true, but the price had been that his heart had turned of stone. James imposed some rules and he expected them to be followed. Venturing into the woods that surrounded the palace without direct permission from the prince was punished with dead. It was way over the top, Remus and Sirius had told him so several times, but James really had the whole 'I-don't-want-anyone-to-come-near-me' thing right down to an art.
"I couldn't possible get so lost!" Mark Evans muttered for himself as he made his way through a dense mass of woodland in which he had never been before. He was on his way back to Quiet Village to tell Lily that his newest invention had been a success but he got lost on the way back. "This is the last time I let you pick the road, Rocinante." Mark said with alight scowl, and his horse gave a snort but then his ears went up and still. "Did you hear something?"
By a clear in the forest three figures came into view.
"What are you doing here?" One of the men asked. "Who are you? What matter brings you here?" the man who spoke was in front of the group and his hair was jet black and looked disheveled.
"I beg your pardon. My name is Mark Evans and I got lost, I come from Trinity City, I'm on my way to Quiet Village but I think Rocinante gave a wrong turn somewhere along the way."
"Rocinante?" Asked another one of the men, he had sandy brown hair and his voice was kind.
"Yes, sire, my daughter is a fan of El Quijote, mind you. She named our dog Sancho." Mark explained and the sandy haired men smiled. "Sancho is always the one who first greets me when I get back from my trips."
"Cut it with the mindless blather." the black haired man almost yelled. "Do you know that wandering in these woods is punished with death by the prince of these lands?"
"I didn't know that. I'm not a great traveler; I've never been farther away from Quiet Village than Trinity City."
"Then is a shame that you have to die. But the prince gives orders and he expects them to be fulfilled. Of course you understand that as the prince here I can't let this pass me by."
"C'mon, James! You aren't going to kill this poor man because he got lost!" the third man intervened, he also had black hair but his didn't look as if he had just gotten out of bed. "He's just a villager from the neighboring kingdom."
"Sirius is right, James. What harm has he done to you?"
"Remus, don't you think is better to be safe than sorry?" For all we know this man could be a spy of…"
"I assure you, sir, I've never been anyone's spy!" Mark cried indignant.
"There you go, James, let the man go." Sirius insisted. The three men argued for fifteen minutes more till finally James agreed to let the man go.
"However," James said, "I want something in return. I want… the first living being that greets you went you get home."
"Sancho?" Mark asked, astonished in the face of this arrogant man who wanted to punish him just because he –Mark- had gotten lost and he-James-was the king.
"Yes, I think that shall do. It would be nice to have another dog .One of my servants will go pick it up at your house in three days time." James said and turned around.
Sirius shook his head. "If you ride in to the left hand side you'll get out of the woods and back into the main road. If you get lost again, find the river and follow it." Sirius said.
"Let's get going!" James yelled.
What a crazy man!
Mark thought for the umpteenth time, he was close home now, and he had dismounted his Rocinante so the horse could get some rest. "Now I got to tell Lily that she was to give up her dog."
Mark was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn't notice he was in the paths that lead to his home until he heard Lily yelling in his ear: "Daddy! You're back!"
"Oh my god, Lily!" Mark cried in terror, taking a step back and looking up to his house and his dog sitting by the door shaking his tail without moving from the spot.
"What's wrong, dad?" Lily asked, suddenly scared.
Mark passed his arm around his daughter's shoulders and told him what had happened with Prince James that morning.
If it was true that that man was the prince of Godric Hallow, they were lost. Lily had been the first living being to greet her father on his way back. She had to go with the prince now in exchange of her father's life. They couldn't lie because when you lie in exchange of a life all you get is a cursed life, a half life.
Lily and her father cried and yelled and cursed the skies above till finally resignation kicked in. It was fate and against fate simple mortals had little to do. On the morning of the third day since her father's return, they said goodbye again.
"Dad, everything will be fin, I know it. We'll live through this, I promise. If we are lucky the prince will tire of me soon and I'll be able to come back home in no time."
"My little girl, how could I let this happen?" Mark said in the verge of tears.
"'It's not your fault. Now, I want you to promise me that you will take care of yourself while I'm gone. I don't want to worry about you, so please promise you will take care of yourself."
"Lily,"
"Promise me."
"I promise."
Lily smiled then. "I'll be back, dad. I'll find my way back."
Then, with a little pop, a short, rather round man materialized in the middle of the Evan's living room. "Mark Evans?" the man asked.
"Yes,"
"I'm Peter Pettigrew, emissary of His Royal Highness Prince James Potter of Godric Hollow. He has sent me to retrieve something of his?"
"Yes. Me." Lily said in a dispassionate voice. "I'm the first living being who greet my father when he got back."
"Very well, then." Pettigrew said.
"Dad…" Lily was going to say goodbye one last time but suddenly a green light surrounded her and it was too late, she was in her father's living room no longer. Instead Lily found herself in a strange room that appeared to be a luxurious dining hall. "Dad…? Daddy?" Lily blinked in confusion.
"He can't hear you." Pettigrew said. "Now you are in Godric Hollow's Royal Palace."
"What!" Lily yelled at the top of her lungs. "No! No! Why? It can be, you didn't let me said goodbye! I might not see my father ever again and you didn't even let me say goodbye! Lily had started to hit the short man with her fists on the chest, yelling over and over: "You didn't let me say good bye!"
That was until a voice cut in the room. "What the Hell is going on here!" demanded no other than His Royal Highness Prince James himself.
-
End of Chapter Three
NOTES!
Here's the second chapter, hope you like it. Things are about to get interesting. You'll meet one of my favorite characters ever in the next chapter; her name is Lady Anabel –in honor to my favorite cousin.
NEXT CHAPTER:
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Thanks for reading and please review!
Much love,
Crazy, Lovable Me.