P for Permanent
"Simon? Simon are you ready?"
Isabelle knocked relentlessly at his door. Then – without waiting for an answer – she entered the room and scrutinized Simon for half an eternity without saying a word. Insecure Simon looked down at himself. He was wearing – quite mundie-like – a dark jeans and a pale shirt underneath a navy blue suit coat. He himself felt pretty confident with his appearance, even if it felt a bit unusual to see himself like that. As his sight went back to Izzy, her mimic was still unreadable. Immediately doubts began to rise. Certainly he looked totally ridiculous. With suspicion he glanced in the mirror behind him. His eyes met Izzy's reflection right over his shoulder. She grinned broadly and gave him a wink.
"You look amazing."
Simon exhaled in relief. If Izzy said so, it had to be right. Nevertheless he felt still a little bit uncomfortable in this getup.
"Iz?"
She must had sensed his unease, because Simon was immediately turned around by his shoulders and dragged into a hug without further ado.
"Don't worry, Simon. You are doing the right thing. I know that you love Clary."
"It is just because everything is so new to me."
Simon cursed himself inwardly for always sounding so weepy in such situations.
"You can do this, Simon," whispered Isabelle and kissed him gently on his cheek. Simon shivered as always when Isabelle was touching him.
"I've to look after Alec," Isabelle tossed in and turned away, "you know him." Simon nodded in understanding although he would have done everything for Isabelle to stay with him.
"See ya!" Isabelle shouted as she passed the door and left Simon all by himself in his room.
The Accords Hall in Idris was decorated all in solemnity. Large banner hung down from the ceiling and tiny bouquets were attached to every row of chairs. Simon eyeballed the decoration wary.
"What do you think of that?"
Jace approached Simon from behind and slapped him on the back.
"Well, if I'm honest…"
"Do I detect criticism?"
Synchronous Jace and Simon turned theirs heads backwards.
"Izzy!" exclaimed Jace and embraced his sister. Isabelle joining the hug winked over Jace's back at Simon.
"This blue dress suits you excellent, Izzy, but you already know it, don't you?" Jace smirked.
"I must be hearing things! Is it just me or did Mr I-am-so-perfect-like-nobody-else-in-this-whole-universe just declare someone else despite him as good-looking? Miracles do happen!" Simon shouted sarcastically and spread his arms. Jace glanced at Simon with a withering keep-practising-sarcasm-as-long-as-there-is-the-slightest-hint-of-hope-that-you-will-be-good-at-it-one-day-look while Isabelle burst in laughter and blew Jace a playfull kiss.
"Isabelle, you look absolutely gorgeous today." Magnus took Isabelle's Hand and kissed her gently and in old-fashioned manner on the back of the hand.
"Thanks, Magnus. Oh dear! Alec, what have you done? Haven't I given you your new light blue shirt to wear? And what – for God's sake – have you done with your hair?" Consternation wasn't even a term for Izzy's reaction anymore. Understandable. Alec wore a purple-coloured shirt with golden flower embroidery and his hair gleamed in glitter, which fluttered slightly down onto his shoulders by every single movement of his head.
"Alec!" Isabelle's glance packs a punch as she stared at her brother. Alec just shrugged his shoulders and peered at Magnus, who had put his arm around Alec's hip.
"Magnus!" remonstrated Izzy and was interrupted immediately by Magnus, who corrected her with a reproachful blink.
"My dearest Isabelle Sophia Lightwood, you may have an idea about fashion of the 21st century but I still remain the one of us, who came to appreciate the advantages of all bygone ages. Regarding the glitter, which I have successfully applied to emphasise Alexander's attractions a fortiori…"
Isabelle put Magnus off generously before he would have talked himself into a rage.
"C'mon, Simon. Let's take our seats."
After a last distressed glance at her brother and Magnus, the two shiny disco balls, Isabelle turned around and linked her arms with Simon's. She kindly led him through the centre aisle until they were in the front row. Next to each other they took their seats. Being wreck with tension Simon wriggled about on his chair.
"Hey, calm down," whispered Isabelle soothingly and put one hand on Simon's upper arm. The familiar tingle spread on his skin and set every fibre in his body into vibration. This definitely wasn't going towards calming him down. Simon tried to breath slower and listened to his pounding heartbeat. Clarissa-Clarissa-Clarissa. He groaned. His heart has taken the rhythm of Clary's name as well.
The Hall became silent when consul Jia Penhallow stepped forward and delivered the opening speech. Simon tried to follow her address but the words reached him only as single letters and his thoughts hurry-scurried. He almost missed to stand up when Jia asked him to come to the front but a not so pain-free dig in the ribs by Izzy got him back in the presence. He stood up tumbling and stumbled to the front. Blinded by the bright light the occasion what he had come for came back to Simon's mind. The whole day he avoided more or less successfully every thought about her. But now, standing right before her, he was over-boiled by his emotions. Clary-Clary-Clary-Clary. Fragments of several memories came to his mind. Memories, he thought which were forgotten forever. Clary and him as children, nestled tight to each other deep in sleep. They both together at their primary school. Clary drawing, him watching her. Clary and him with Luke at the lake. Innocent hours full of happiness.
"Simon?" Clary's swift voice drew him out of his thoughts. Simon blinked away the mist in front of his eyes hastily before he realised that the other councillors were standing in a semicircle around them.
"Are you ready to start the ceremony, Mr Lovelace?" Jia Penhallow calmly asked her question for the second time. Simon nodded and wiped his sweaty hands on his pants. His knees were shaking harder than ever before.
"Do you swear by the angel Zacharel to dedicate yourselves with commitment to what is known as the shadowhunter's holy mission?"
"We swear."
Simon rasped it more than he actually said it but Clary's voice was firm and she looked him deep in the eye.
"Do you swear by the archangel Raziel to share all your knowledge and capabilities with each other to become a unity conquering all evil until victory?
"We swear."
As Clary's determination leaped to Simon a new assurance flooded through his body.
"Do you swear by the archangel Michael to protect and entrust your life to each other and to use your combined strength to serve the clave and the case to relieve the world from any evil?"
Clary and Simon exchanged an intense gaze.
"We swear."
"Then hand each other your steles, apply the rune and speak the oath."
Simon gulped as he drew his stele out of his pocket and attached it to Clary's crook of her neck. Simon took a deep breath.
"Entreat me not to leave thee,
Or return from following after thee."
While Simon ran gently with his stele over Clary's soft skin, a dark pattern was burnt into it. Clary clenched in pain. Nonetheless she kept up sounding still confident.
"For whither thou goest, I will go."
"And where thou lodgest, I will lodge," Simon joined in again.
"Thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God."
He drew the last line and finished the rune. It was a pretty rune and it looked markedly aesthetic on Clary's neck. Determined he tilted his head a bit and bared Clary his throat.
"Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried."
Simon cringed in pain when the stele touched his skin scorching. He forced himself to clench his teeth and to continue the oath as clearly as possible.
"The Angel do so to me, and more also,
If aught but death part thee and me."
Clary finished the rune with a last sweeping motion and the stinging pain eased slowly. Simon met Clary's sight and held it while Jia spoke the final words. Neither Clary nor himself paid heed to the closing remarks. They were too inebriated by the feeling rushing through their bodies. It was a breath-taking feeling fulfilled with boundless happiness. Capable to weaken the one but strengthen the two. It was impossible to put this into words.
Cheers reached them bit by bit. Jia's speech was apparently over. Any second they would be surrounded by their friends. Wanting to exploit this fading moment of togetherness abundantly Simon looked Clary deep in the eye not saying a word. He saw the endless depth of her soul, saw Clary by nature with all of her weaknesses and imperfections and all what he saw was absolutely beautiful. There was no need to play-act. They knew each other as good as they knew themselves. In such a moment every single cell in Simon's body was aware of the reason, why he acceded to Clary's wish. They didn't need words to communicate. One single glance said more than thousands of words possibly could. There was only one word able to describe his sentiment.
"Parabatai," formed Clary's lips voiceless before Isabelle fell around her neck and they nearly lost balance.
"Parabatai," Simon answered just as mute and a smile stole across his lips.
Hello, everyone!
I hope you enjoyed my version of Climon's parabatai ceremony.
The exact words of the oath are from the shadowhunters' wikia: wiki/Parabatai
Please tell me if you liked it or if you have any improvement suggestions :) I would really appreciate to get in touch with you. ^^
Take care & a happy new year!
Amber ^^
