the floor.
"Hello?" A voice calls from the balcony. I quickly straighten, startling the cat. The woman standing above me is undoubtedly beautiful, with shining black hair, and an elegant red dress, flowing to her ankles.
"Hello, Im Val. Val Morganstern. My sister Clary… she arrived here about a week ago. Along with my brother, Jonathan. My father, Valentine Morganstern sent us." i wring my hands nervously as she considers me. Then she calls over her shoulder, and two familiar persons come running.
"Jonathan! Clary!" i call, exited. They come charging down the stairs to meet me. Jonathan reaches me first.
"Oh, Val!" he scoops me up in a hug, and hands me off to clary.
"Hows my little sister?" she asks, tousling my hair. I grin broadly.
"Not so little anymore. I'm fifteen, remember? My birthday was tuesday." they look at each other, pretending they had no idea.
"Squirt, I'm sorry i forgot," jonathan says trying to hide his smile. He could never lie. Clary wears a similar expression.
"Yeah me too. I guess we can scrounge up a few gifts. Come on, we'll see what we can do." she says, grabbing one of my bags, jonathan grabbing the other. They lead me through corridor after corridor, each lined with wood doors and paintings. On our way, i glance through a larger door, and see two boys sparring. One, blonde like jonathan, another, hair black as night.. Just as I'm beginning to think were lost, the lead me into a bedroom with a bed, dresser, a beautiful bay window, and a wardrobe. The walls were a dark blue. The floors were wood, and to my left was my own own bathroom, which is pre-stocked with towels. Sitting on the bed are several pre-wrapped gifts of various lengths and sizes. I smile and sit down, tearing open parcel after i've finished i stare at the collection of items in front of me. A sketchpad and colored pencils, a Morganstern ring, a dagger, training gear, and a beautiful locket engraved with my name. I turn to thank them, and see each of them holding one more gift. Clary, holding a sheathed sword, and jonathan holding a beautiful mahogany box, about eight by three inches long. Clary has tears in her eyes, and jonathan is stroking the box lovingly.
"Th- these ones were sent from dad." jonathan said, voice cracking. They sit me in the window and explain that the sword, Heosphoros, was our fathers, meant to be given to the most successful of his children. There were two matching daggers, and clary and jonathan each possessed one. The box contained our mothers stele, which she had left to me in her will. The subject was still sore, so we don't dwell on the gifts. Bt seeing the stele is like pouring salt in an open wound. I of course have my own, but i know i'll never use it again.
"Oh, val…" jonathan starts. Then he seems to decide against whatever he was going to say, and stands.
"I'll be in the library if anyone needs me."he says, before ruffling my hair and kissing me on the cheek.
"I-i'm going to find jace." clary mumbles, stumbling out of the room after her brother, leaving me in the window, stroking my new sword and crying over my new stele.
