This is my very first story, so please don't judge TOO critically. However, constructive criticism would be very good. Enjoy!
Clary POV
I awake with terror rumbling throughout my body, and I can't stop
Shivering. Apparently fear makes you cold. I thought that I was
Finished with the nightmares but they just keep coming. But now it's
Not just nightmares. Whenever I doze off I imagine my mother's pale
Face, her sickly body still and stiff as a stick. She caught the
Plague that had been running amuck for the past few years and
Spreading like wildfire.
I couldn't sleep, so I evaluated the thoughts of the past few days.
*Flashback*-5 days ago
"The queen has the plague!" A rough man's voice roared as castle the
Whole castle heard the news. My worst fear-my family gets the
Plague-had just been turned into reality. Incredulously came first,
Then denial, I was in a state of skepticism.
My mother Queen Jocelyn caught the plague? This can't be true I won't
Believe it! I'm just dreaming and my mother is perfectly fine. She has
To rule a country she can't be sick. She isn't ill.
Thoughts and an abundant amount of emotions raced through my mind at a
Million miles an hour.
"Clarissa what are you doing mom is in the hospital!" Jonathan my
older brother by 2 years, and heir to the throne of Alicante came
sprinting to me. Any thoughts that my mother wasn't infected left my
mind and were replaced by pure dread.
"So it's true?"
"Yes. She's unconscious currently and you need to go and see her."
I've seen many people who had were currently fighting with the plague,
and the images of them were permanently burned into my mind. That was
just from mere commoners. I knew that seeing my mom in this stage
would kill me from the inside out.
"Well are you coming? Now is not the time to be in weakness. We have
to be strong... for mom" He choked on the last words and I could tell
that this hurt him just as much as it hurt me, if not more.
"I just don't want to see her this way." Jonathan looked at me with
profound empathy and I knew that he was heartbroken over this.
Our mother both meant the world to us. When King Valentine was
stringent and cruel, mom would come to the rescue. She always knew
exactly what to say to soothe me even in my most distraught states.
Jon and I both relied... no depended on mom. Her strength was the only
think that kept me going. She was truly the only hope for the kingdom
while Valentine was in power.
"We just have to hope for the best. Dad has already sent for the best
healer and he'll be here in a couple days. Come on Clarissa! Mom
wouldn't want to be us to be in dismay."
"Well how do you know what mom wanted!" Rage overwhelmed me and I
could hear the anger in my voice as it echoed across the halls. "You
know that there is no cure for this disease and that she only has a
few weeks left!"
"You think I don't know that! That I'm not grieving over our mother
right now, wishing that I could be in her place and save her! What I
aam asking of you right now is to see mom because she is sick and I
don't want to be alone." A few tears spilled over his eyes and rolled
down to his cheeks. "I can't bear the sight of her anymore than you
can but I need to see her and I can't do it alone." His voice had
dropped to almost a whisper, pain and sorrow staining his words.
"Fine."
I stop in my tracks as I approach my mother. She is still beautiful as
the sickness hasn't had much time to spread. If I had come tomorrow,
the circumstances would have been different.
I can hear Jon suck in a breath behind me, and I know he's thinking
the same depressing thoughts as I.
From one poor victim to the next there was no cure found. Our country
was running mad with no queen to rule them. That was the fate that
awaited my mother.
"How is she" I asked the nearest doctor, even though I already knew the answer.
"The queen is in in a subconscious state of mind right now. She can
hear everything currently happening around her, but she is unable to
compute and will therefore remain unconscious until she is cured.
Magnus Bane is coming soon, and he will be able to fully analyze her
majesty. Until then all we can do is wait." Of course Magnus Bane was
the one the king sent for. He was known everywhere for being able to
cure anything or anyone, but the plague. I could only hope that he
could have a medical breakthrough and cure my mom.
"Is there anything that we can do?" A deep voice came from behind me,
causing both me and Jon to turn. It was none other than our father,
Valentine. You see even growing up I knew that he was cruel. Not just
by what he did to me and Jon, but just by his personality in general.
But he truly loved his wife. He would do absolutely anything in the
world for her, and to ensure her love.
"I'm sorry but right now all we can do is hope for a miracle."
*End Flashback*
The past few days have all been a blur. I can only remember the sorrow
of seeing my mother, and everyone else. It seemed as though the news
of my mother had caused everyone to be in dismay. I hadn't seen a
smile, or heard laughter since it happened. Cries and sobs were
constantly occurring, and what once was a glorious and magnificent
castle, had suddenly transformed into a bleak and gloomy prison.
Jon POV
You know that feeling when you are useless? When something is wrong in
the world and you are just forced to watch everything crumble and
break apart and you can't do anything to help? That's what I how I
feel right now. Some people call it depression; I call it pure misery.
Jace POV
I heard the news about the queen a couple days ago, and I have felt
more in need of guidance. I have wanted to help ever since I heard
the news, but what can an arrogant little servant do? I float around
the castle all day, taking on a new task everyday. I aspire to be a
knight, but that can never happen since I am not of noble blood. It's
a worthless dream that just the thought of sends waves of joy through
me.
I've seen how the recent events have affected everyone. But the royal
family is the one that is suffering the most from this tragedy. The
king has been more uptight, it only takes a second to set him off and
ruffle his anger. The prince has been staying by her side regardless,
he hasn't left the room since it was found.
Then there's the princess.
She appears to be the most distraught out of everyone in the entire
palace. I've seen maids enter her room with food or to assist her,
only to be sent away moments later. She doesn't eat, her screams
pierce the night, she hasn't come out of her room, and I'm pretty sure
that she locked her door so no one can see her. I've heard servants
try and coax her into coming out, but to no avail.
I wish that I could do something to help Princess Clarissa. I've
always admired her personality: spritely, acts of her own accord,
stubborn, and just plain foolish at times! When she is out running in
the garden, her vibrant red curls whipping in the wind I can't help
but stop and look.
The sounds over her screams wake me every time as they did tonight. I
wish that I could make myself useful in someway, even if it was just
comforting her or attending to her every whim. I want to stop feeling
like the pathetic coward that I am, and actually do something with my
existence!
Somehow my thoughts tie back to the Princess, and I fall asleep with
the picture of her fresh in my mind.
"Wake up you lazy imbeciles!" A rude shout immediately wakes me from
my slumber. Great. Another day of torture is upon us all.
My task awaits me on a small piece of parchment that lies beside me.
Jace Wayland:
You are to bring the princess all her meals today,...
Excitement ripples through me as I realize this will be the first time
I will ever interact with her highness. I quickly read the rest.
...and spend the day dusting the East Wing of the castle.
At least the princess's room resided in the East Wing.
Bright rays of sunshine then hit me, and I realized that I was going
to be late in delivering breakfast!
My heart was thumping so loud, I thought it would have burst out of my
chest. I was a bundle of nerves as I approached the door. The princess
had turned everyone else down, so why would I be any different? Would
she reject me, and then loathe me forever? Would she despise me and be
cruel to me? But I had to do my job, so I had to do this.
I thumped twice on the door, waiting for a response.
"I'm not hungry go away!" I sighed. I guess she would treat me with
rejection just as I predicted.
"Please Princess Clarissa you must eat!"
"I haven't heard you before, who are you?" Does she memorize voices
and use them to identify people? Just one more thing to like about
her.
"I am Jace Wayland and I am at your service highness" I proclaimed,
trying my best to sound genuine and nice to appeal to her.
"Jace, you can go now there is no way I am coming out of this room."
Her words stung, but I wasn't a quitter.
"As much as you wish for that to happen, I cannot leave until you eat."
"Why? Did my father order you to take care of me?" The anger and fury
was apparent in her words, it was obvious she was getting fed up with
me.
"No" I said my voice assertive and clear. "It is purely because I
personally care for your well-being."
"You're not the first person to say that to me, what convinces met that
you are any different than everyone before you who tried?"
"I am different because I can empathize with your situation almost in
full, and I know how hard it is on you right now." I could hear
shuffling in the room. Was she getting up?
The door opened with a crack only big enough for the plate to fit through.
"I hope you are telling the truth Jace." A small slender hand emerged
from the gap, the skin paler than an average hand. Apparently the not
eating phase had gotten to her. "Can I have the food"
Her words shocked me out of my thoughts, as I quickly passed her the plate.
"Thank you." Then the door was closed.
Clary POV
I don't know why I let the servant give me the food. Ever since the
night my mother was diagnosed I refused to eat, and two days ago I
locked my door and refused all interaction with human life.
He sounded like he actually knew what I was going through? Did a
family member of his die from the plague? No it couldn't have been. He
said "almost in full", so it couldn't have been the plagued. I'll have
to figure out his reasoning later.
There was something different about this Jace Wayland. Perhaps it was
that he tried a different approach at getting me to eat. Others said
"The queen would want you to eat" or " Mourning does nothing". One
person even said I was being irrational for refusing to eat! Why don't
you try having the person you love most fall ill and there is no way
to help them? Am I really the irrational one hear?
After I eat-and I have to admit it feels good to eat-I decide to rest
until I meet the empathizer again.
An abrupt knock woke me up, and I could only assume that it was Jace.
"Are you awake princess? Princess?" Ugh his constant knocking was
giving me a splitting headache. Not to mention the fact that I was
already wasn't feeling very good.
"Yes I'm awake now stop your knocking and shouting you are giving me a
headache!"
"Are you not feeling well?" I was surprised to actually hear concern
in his voice. He was different.
"Not really so please just give me the food and go" I said sticking my
hand out from behind the door I just opened. I felt rude being this
cruel, but I really felt awful.
"If you aren't feeling good could I come inside and see for myself?" I
was startled at the fact that he was being so blunt about wanting to
come in. I pondered this question for a moment, I mean it didn't sound
as if he wanted to hurt me or anything. Plus he was probably the best
person I could go to consult with about my feelings, besides Jon. He
reminded me too much of mom.
Mom. I still can't believe that I stopped thinking about her for even
a minute! Why was I so selfish?
Okay I really needed someone to talk to.
"Yes that is alright with me" I said. What did I have to lose?
But then once he stepped inside even I couldn't feel guilt about
forgetting about mom.
Jace was well, how do I explain it? He was at least a foot taller than
me, with curly golden blond locks that looked ass if sparks would fly
out of them. His face was long and oval-shaped, his eyes were
practically golden, with a narrow mouth. Even his mundane clothes, he
looked heavenly. It seemed that he shouldn't be a servant, more like a
knight in shining armor.
I knew that if I stared for too long he would get suspicious, and I
couldn't have that.
"So why did you want to come inside?" i asked, breaking the silence
"You said you weren't feeling well so I felt obliged to check on you."
He sounded so much like Jon.
"Well, as you can see I'm completely fine" I said gesturing to myself.
"Today is the first time you've eaten in days, and from the sight of
you I can tell that you aren't in peak position."
"Well if you had a mother and she was exceptionally ill, would you be
in peak position?"
"I wouldn't know. I hardly having a mother." I could hear the hurt in
his voice and I immediately knew I it a soft spot.
"Is that what you meant by saying you could almost relate to me?" I
knew I had to tread lightly, or he might shut me out.
"Yes. If your wondering I don't remember my father either, he died
before I was born."
"Oh, If it's not asking to much, could you tell me the whole story? I
need something to occupy my thoughts."
"You might as well sit down, this is going to take a while."
"I've got nothing but time."
"Okay I might as well start from the beginning. My father was a
merchant who met my mother by selling her exotic items. They fell in
love, got married, and then my mom-Celine-was pregnant with me. My
dad-Stephen-traveled for a month or two because I was hard for my mom
to bear and he wanted to ease her suffering. My waited and waited for
him to come back. Even after I was born he still never came back. When
I was about two years old my mom killed herself because she had come
to the conclusion that my father had died, it was because of me.
"After both my parents were gone, I was raised by my grandmother
Imogen. She told me that I was at her door crying with a letter from
Celine explaining everything. I could tell that she hated me. I was
the reason that her son was dead. I left, not being able to bear her
anymore when I was around 10. I wandered the streets for 6 years until
I was employed here, and now I'm 18 and working at the palace."
It was a lot to take in. I felt deeply sad for him, and my problems
suddenly didn't seem so important.
"Thank you for telling me, and you have my condolences." I knew it was
a terrible reply, but I couldn't come up with anything else.
"It's okay. I've learned that having a troubled past can only mean the
best for the future right?" The hurt was in his voice, no matter how
many jokes he tried to crack it was obvious that he felt guilty for
his father's death.
"I mean I was the reason that my father had died. I know I didn't kill
him, but it feels just like I did." He looked at me with the pain in
his eyes and I knew that if I could do anything I would. That gave me
an idea.
"You know, you have no actual proof that he is dead. He could still be
out there, alive and well."
"Is it possible?" Seeing the look of hope in his eyes, and the thought
of his father being alive, I knew I had to find out.
"You never know. In fact, I'm going to ask my dad as soon as I get the chance."
"Thank you so much, I can forever in your debt." He smiled bug and
wide, I felt like I was going to melt. I also noticed a small chip on
his incisor teeth. I guess no one could be truly perfect.
Once I was about to get up, I got a severe migraine, causing me to fall on Jace.
"Are you okay?"
"Yep. At my peak-"
The last thing I saw was Jace's face before I plunged into a world of darkness.
So that was my first chapter, I hope that you enjoyed it! I'm wondering if I should make this AU or have magic. Thoughts?