A/N: I came up with this idea a few months ago, and actually have a majority of it completely thought out. Please enjoy.
I do not own the mortal instrument characters
My feet sunk in the hot sand as my entire body hurtled forward. The sun blazed against me while I ran across the desert. I could hear blood pounding in my ears, and the skin on the balls of my feet began to burn. I held the rim of my dress up as I hurtled down a sand hill, glancing frantically behind me.
Ten guards racing behind me. I got a lot further today then I normal do, and I wasn't going to stop now. Adrenaline pulsed through my veins, helping me sprint even faster. The sounds of clashing metal from there weapons got closer, and I couldn't will myself to go any faster. The men may had been held down by shoes, but my small size kept me from running as fast as they could.
Soon I was on the ground, tackled by one of the guards. My face dug into the jagged sand, scratching my face harshly as they tried to restrain my hands. I thrashed my body trying to shake loose of there grip. I was lifted to my feet still fighting, but I lost this battle. I kept wiggling in the two guards arms who dragged me back to the palace, still hoping for the chance of freedom that might never come. They shoved me through the doors, and my heart dropped when I saw them, making me freeze in terror. My father sitting on his throne with my brother on one side and his adopted son on the other. Jace, my stepbrother, gazed wearily at me, looking heart broken, while my father and brother seemed pleased to have me thrown at there feet. I stumbled down the hallways, keeping my eyes fixed on Jace. His golden eyes are the only thing in this room that gave me comfort because he was just as miserable as I am. My knees slapped onto the hard ground, as I was pushed into a kneeling position.
"Run away again I see." My father, Valentine, smiled viciously. I didn't respond. I just looked at the ground, holding my tongue to avoid further punishment. He stepped down from his throne, walking in front of me. He grabbed my chin, yanking my face up to look at his. "This rebelliousness was cute when you were 12, but now this is getting ridiculous" he snarled, crouching down my eye level. "This is your what, 8th time trying to run away. This is the thanks I get for taking care of you after your mother exiled herself." He loomed over me.
"I'm sorry father." I whispered, taking my eyes back to the ground.
"You do know that I have to punish you now." He ran his fingers through my hair. I shuddered at his touch.
"Punish?!" Jace spoke up behind Valentine, making me turn to him.
"Yes, I gave her many second chances and she didn't take them now she has to pay the price." He explained harshly.
"Father please." I breathed shakily, standing up. Valentine had never threatened me like this before, which made terror rise all around me. "I'll never run again." I assured him. I fell back to the ground from a crack across my cheek.
"You will get 10 lashes on your back. Maybe that will teach you a lesson." He rolled me onto my back with his foot. I was too in shock from him slapping me to defend myself.
"Father!" Jace exclaimed, bolting up to his feet. I rubbed my cheek, stumbling back up to my knees to bow at his feet.
"Stay back or you will receive the same punishment." He threatened, and Jace sat back down, not saying a word.
"Please father." I plead, feeling my lip quiver. I fought back the urge to cry because I swore to never cry in front of him or my brother.
"Grab her." He ordered at the guards. They took hold of my arms, and I struggled against them, begging for him to forgive me, but he did not listen. I was flipped away from him, while the back of my white dress was torn from my skin. I bit my lip waiting for the impact of the whip, and when it came down on me, I screamed as loud as I could.
OoOoO
I laid quivering in my bed in the housing area of all my fathers wives. Two of them were fussing over me cleaning my back. I winced every time the wet rag touched my skin. I could feel the blood oozing out of my back, and I yelped in agony every few seconds. I tried to focus on the soft linens that covered the bed, but it didn't work. I buried my face in the pillow in hopes it would disappear as if I had been dreaming, and none of this happened. Of course, it did happen. My father had never laid a finger on me before, so now if I run, I'll have to make sure no one can catch me. I heard the door open, but my face was turned away from it.
"Leave us." A male voice echoed around the room. Valentine. I won't give him the satisfaction of forgiving him for what he did to me."Clary?" The voice turned into more of a boys, and I realized it was Jace. I turned my head around, seeing him approach me. He sat lightly on the side of the bed with me, holding the bowl the women had been using. I pulled my arms underneath me to hide the sides of my breast. When they brought me in here, the women had undressed me before tucking me under the covers.
"Father is going to kill you for being in here." My voice was hoarse from crying. He squeezed the water out of the rag dapping it gently on my back.
"Well he doesn't know I'm here." He whispered, carefully treating my damaged skin. I closed my eyes, trying to relax. He was much more tender the women had been. My eyes felt raw with tears, so holding them shut took some effort. I listened to the water drip into the bowl and his breath above me. "Why did you run again?" He broke the silence, but still spoke quietly.
"I fell like I'm trapped in a cage." I opened my eyes to see him.
"Every time I hear that you run, I think that Valentine is finally going to crack and execute you." He ran his damp fingers along my cheek, making me turn flush.
"He would never kill me." I retorted quickly.
"Last time you ran away, he sent you to the cells for a week, you said he would never hurt you, and today he hurt you." He placed the bowl onto the bedside table. Jace spent a lot of his time with me because he was the only one who seemed to control my emotions. "If you keep running, he will kill you." He stroked my hair softly. "Promise me you won't run again." He dropped his hand from my hair.
"I've promised you that before." I nuzzled my cheek back into the pillow.
"I know." He sighed softly.
"How can you stand it here? I know you hate it. Why don't you run with me?" I was beginning to feel groggy, and fighting with him was going to take more effort then I had in me.
"Because I would rather be miserable and alive then free and dead." He huffed. A stinging pain shot threw my back as he started to clean my wounds again. I winced, cringing my muscles.
"You could have warned me." I gripped the sheets tightly.
"Sorry." He breathed, and continued to nurse my torn flesh. He didn't speak again. His fingers carefully worked on my back with out saying another word, but him being here was enough to comfort me. My eyes slowly started to fall, making the world dark, and I didn't fight it. My entire body drifted into a deep dark sleep.
OoOoO
I was awoken by a loud knock on the door. I flinched up, cringing forgetting about my injury, and scrambled to cover my chest, as Jonathan strode into the room. "What do you want?" I snapped, making sure I was all covered. Jonathan didn't really care about boundaries, which made me extremely uncomfortable.
"Father is expecting you at dinner." He tossed a dress onto the bed next to me. "This should cover the whip marks."
"Thanks." I glanced down at the silky gown, waiting for him to leave, but he just stood there looking at my pretty much naked body. "I'm not moving from this spot until you leave." I could see the lust in his eyes.
"Very well." He made a face at me, exiting my room.
A few of Valentines wives poured into the room, helping me get ready for dinner. The gown was tight around my torso, sending tiny shock waves through my back when I moved. They pinned my red curls back behind my ears, wrapping a band of gold around my forehead. Another one clasped my ruby necklace across my throat to complete the outfit. I stood in the mirror, seeing the golden gown shimmer in the candle light. I noticed a dark bruise across my cheek from where Valentine hit me, and hand mark type bruises on my arms from where the guards held me. I sighed feeling like I still looked horrible.
I sucked in my breath when I took a step. My entire body felt sore and beaten. I finally made it to the dining room, and everyone was seated already eating. I slipped into the seat next to Jace, trying not to be noticed.
"How nice of you to join us." Valentine smiled happily.
"Sorry, it took longer then normal to get ready. It was hard to get dressed." I mumbled, sipping the wine that was just poured for me.
"Better late then never." He beamed at me. I leaned back against the chair and immediately regretted it. I whimpered slouching over myself slightly, and Jonathan was snickering at me. I felt a hand over mine under the table, squeezing it assuringly, and I met eyes with Jace's. Valentine had started to ramble about the pyramids he was building, but I just focused on Jace's hand on mine. Memorizing the way it felt against mine. I started to eat our food, and all of us grew quiet.
"Jace." Valentine broke the silence. "When are you planning on marrying?" He asked gulping down a swig of wine.
"I- I don't know." Jace stammered.
"Well I came up with an idea today." He stood up at the head of the table. "You will marry Clary." He demanded. I choked on the food in my mouth, making me gag, while Jace's jaw dropped open.
"What?!" Jonathan shot out of his seat, getting to eye level with my father.
"You're the only one who can control her, and you're the only one she seems to care about. It makes perfect sense, so if she decides to take a trip off grounds again without approval, she won't be the only one who's punished. You will be." He told Jace.
"But father you said-" Jonathan started to say, but Valentine cut him off.
"I changed my mind." He put his hand on Jonathan's shoulder, gently urging him back into his seat. "Now do you understand why I'm doing this Jace?" He leaned against the table.
"No!" Jace scoffed, shaking his head.
"You need to keep your wife under control or you'll get punished." He spelled it out for him. I was still frozen starring at our father. Jace's finger tucked under my chin, closing my mouth. I didn't even notice that it had opened. Jace and my face had both gone completely flushed out of embarrassment, while Jonathan just looked angry.
"I understand father." Jace mumbled nodding.
"Father- I-" I tried to speak, but Valentine stopped me.
"Clary you don't have an option on this arrangement." He snarled at me, sitting back down.
A/N: I hoped you guys like it.
I'm going to start with 10 reviews before I post the next chapter.