A/N: I know this is a really short beginning, but I hope you guys like it. I usually get ahead of myself and make the story go way to fast when I make longer chapters especially for the first chapter.

Let me know how you feel about this story, and as I always say, constructive criticism is extremely welcome.

By extremely welcome, I mean I'm begging for it . . .

Just kidding.

I do not, in any way, own The Mortal Instruments.

Enjoy the chapter!

"Ms. Nightwine?" The woman in front of me said, waving a manicured hand in front of my face. I glared at her, crossing my arms to show that I wasn't happy to be here.

"Do you feel you would be suitable to have a child?" She asked loudly, as if she had spoken a different language that I couldn't understand. I narrowed my eyes at her.

"Are you suitable to have a child?" I retorted, looking her over to make her feel uncomfortable.

She cleared her throat noisily. "Well, I'd like to think so. It'd be an honor to save shadowhunters from extinction." I felt bad for any person who had the misfortune of being the blonde bimbo's child.

I doubt she'd even know how to have a child, much less feed and take care of it.

"Miss, will you answer my question?"

I slowly uncrossed my arms and looked her straight in the eye. "I feel pity for any child born to me, actually. It depends what kind of suitable you're talking about, though. I can have a child, but I won't."

"Well the orders from the clave say as long as our numbers are low, everyone from sixteen to twenty years old must be married and have a child within the time it takes them to turn twenty," she hissed with a sneer on her face.

I took a slow look around the interview room. She seemed to get irritated by every passing second that I didn't pay attention to her questions, and I enjoyed that. It was better than getting asked if there was anyone I particularly wanted to be married to or if I was infertile.

I was pretty sure she wanted me to pick someone or something. She had already determined that my husband had 'better be blonde, because blonde hair with my blue eyes would look great on a child'. Apparently, not only did the Clave want children reproducing, but they also wanting them having pretty kids.

She waved her hand in front of my face again, ripping me away from my thoughts.

I really wanted to rip that hand off of her arm.

"I've gotten your results back, and you've been paired with Matthew Herondale," she said, closing her computer and pushing it away from her. She wiggled her eyebrows, her attempt at lightening the situation.

"He's a blonde."

"Screw you," I replied, flipping her off. She opened her mouth slightly, before rushing out of the room.

That lady irked me to the point of no return.

Her name is probably Hilda. That name annoys me even more than her.

I'd have to call her that next time I saw her dreadful face.

I looked up at the speakers, confused, as they let out a high-pitched scratchy sound that hurt my ears. My mouth opened up until it was as round as a tomato when I heard the words, "Alana Carissa Nightwine, please make your way to the main room. Your betrothed's family is here to take you home."

They had arranged for them to be here? But I'd just gotten my match . . .

"It was already decided," I whispered, my lips trembling with the horror of the situation. I was an item to them already. I was another pawn in their game- this whole thing wasn't rebellion. The game's outcome was already decided for me before I'd decided for me.

I numbly made my way out into the hall, desperately grasping for anything to tell me the new law was a dream. No arranged marriages were being ordered, no arranged births.

I took a deep breath, making sure my lips had stopped trembling and my facial expression was as confident as always before walking into the room with my head up.

This arranged marriage thing sure as hell wasn't going to break me. That was a promise.

The family that stood in the main room was inhumanly beautiful. The middle aged woman had a delicate air about her I doubted I'd ever be able to muster. She had long and curly dark red hair, and even from my spot across the room, I could see vibrant green eyes peeking out from under a few stray strands of hair. She was dwarfed by the men that flanked her, which made her look even more fragile.

An older blonde man, who I'd assumed was her husband, had vibrant honey curls. Even though he had an air of wisdom about him, he looked timeless. He still looked like a twenty year old, even though I was fairy sure he was much older.

Age had definitely passed the couple by, and they were definitely lucky for that.

Lastly, I looked at the boy who I automatically thought of as the 'forced fiancé'. He looked just like the older blonde man, except for the fact that I could see vibrant green eyes peeking out from under his eyelids. The older blonde man, although I couldn't see his eyes as clearly as the others, had eyes that seemed a light brown color.

I mustered to smile a little bit at the couple's son, who lightly said, "So you're my fiancé for the rest of my life? At least you're cute." The statement earned him a smack on the back of the head from the redhead.

The woman stuck her hand out, "Nice to meet you . . . Alana is it? I'm Clary. Jace is my husband, and Matthew is my son," she said, her voice so soft and comforting it made my muscles loosen from their tensed state. "I'm sorry we have to meet under these circumstances, but we have to take to the institute. The Clave wants you to get all new stuff- nothing from home."

I shook her hand slowly, trying pretend this didn't affect me in any way. I couldn't though soon and found myself clenching my fist behind my back where nobody could see it.

"It's Lana, Clary," I said through gritted teeth. "And I'm sorry too. Arranged marriage and forced motherhood with your son- or anybody for that matter- isn't exactly what I had planned for my future."

"But I'll take what I got. So Jace, Clary, Matthew," I continued, sighing. "It's nice to meet you."

By the time we got to the institute it was about five o'clock. I was grateful to be away from the interrogation center and all the people there. All the attention and looks I was getting were starting to make me extremely nauseous.

By extremely nauseous, I meant I was ready to throw up all over Matthew's shoes.

Not a good feeling, by the way.

I ended up being so tired I barely remembered anything until the time I was in bed. I had slipped on a white tank top and some pajama shorts that I assumed were Clary's. They fit me well, so they must have been too long for her.

I had pulled my light brown hair into a bun at the top of my head and taken my contacts out at some point in the afternoon, too. The bed I was laying in was fairly comfortable, but not as comfortable as the orphanage beds were.

I found it strange I was missing the orphanage now, but at least I knew people there.

You'll be just fine. You've always been fine, no matter what life has thrown at you.

I let a tear slide down my cheek before deciding I would be fine here. I could make myself fine, one step at a time, no matter how long it took. No matter what, Lana Nightwine could not be broken.

Like it? Hate it?
Do you like Lana so far?Is this story going too fast?

So many questions that I have for you guys!

But seriously, let me know. It really helps me fix my writing and I like to know what you guys think.

Toodles,
Anna