Happy New Year!

I know I shouldn't start a new fic but I promise this wont be any more than 10 chapters, it's more of a new year's fic. I got the inspiration from A Royal Christmas so if you want to check it out you can, I didn't totally based it on that though.

OMG WHO HAS READ THE LEGEND TRILOGY?! D,: It's horrible, don't read it for it will make you cry.

DISCLAIMER: CASSANDRA CLARE OWNS THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS CHARACTERS.

This is just so you know what the countries are called and who rules them and such :)

King and Queen of Alicante – Jocelyn and Valentine

Prince and Princess of Alicante – Jonathan and Clarissa

Baron and Baroness of Idris – Eleanor and Andrew

The Honourables of Idris – Helen, Mark, Julian, Drusilla, Olivia, Tiberius and Octavian

Duke and Duchess of Blackfriar – Emma and Jem

King and Queen of Seraph – Celine and Stephen

Prince of Seraph – Tobias

Princess of Seelie –Kaelie

Duchess of Nixie – Katrina Loss

King and Queen of Citadel –Robert and Maryse

Princes and Princess of Citadel – Alexander, Isabelle and Maxwell

Duke and Duchess of Northern Isles – Charlotte and Henry

Princes of Northern Isles – Charles and Matthew

December 27th

"We need to talk." Those words echo in my head. Oh god. She's breaking up with me. This girl who is the only perfect thing in my life is going to break up with me. What did I do? What did I not do? I'm about to get dumped through a phone call by the most amazing girl I have ever been with. What did I do to mess it up? "Jace?"

I clear my throat. "Yeah? Uh what is it?"

"I think it would be best to talk in person? Can we meet at Java Jones? Please?"

"Of course babe."

"Cool, I'll see you there sweetheart." She hangs up. Wait. If she's still calling me sweetheart, does that mean she's not gonna break up with me?

I hurry to my car and drive to Java Jones, the café where we first met.

I walk in and see her. She's beautiful, I mean most girls are pretty but her… she's just stunning and she's a fiery little brunette with emerald eyes and is 5 foot 3, everything about her was amazing. And no princess could compare.

She looks up and smiles. "Jace." I walk over to her and she stands and hugs me.

"Hi babe." She takes a seat after releasing me and gestures for me to sit down too.

"I just wanted to tell you something because it's really important and it literally cannot wait."

I can feel my heart beating rapidly.

"My parents want me to come home for New Year's."

My eyes widen. "You're going back to London? For how long?"

"That's the thing. I'm not going to London. In fact, I'm not even from there. I am from Alicante. Actually I'm the princess of Alicante. My parents are the King and Queen."

I take a moment to take in what she just told me.

"You're a princess?"

"Yes. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. My parents want me home for this New Year's Promenade. And I want you to come. I want you to meet my parents and see my country."

"A Promenade… Princess… Alicante. Gosh Clary."

"I know it's last minute but I really want you to be there." She takes my hands in hers. "Please, Jace I want you to meet my parents. It's gonna be so much fun!"

I take a deep breath. I love her. Really I do. I don't want to be away from her for so long, I was planning on proposing on New Year's too… But I haven't even gotten her a ring yet.

"Okay. I'll go with you." I agree. She has her moment of glee where her eyes widen and her mouth breaks into an open smile and her hands clap. I find it adorable.

"Oh! We have to go pack! It's 9:14 and our flight is at 10 o'clock. We need to pack your stuff." She says and then she takes my hand and pulls me out of Java Jones.

"There's something else. This isn't my real hair colour."

We arrive at my house and she starts to pack for me since she know what's best to pack for such an occasion.

"We're gonna have to go shopping when we get there since you have a limited supply of suits and ties, my love." Clary says as she zips my suitcase up.

"Hey, Clary?" I take a seat on my bed. She looks up at my from the floor and hums to tell me she's listening. "Why did you wait so long to tell me? Why keep everything a secret?"

"Because I had to." She stands and takes a seat beside me. "My mother said that the only way for me to be able to leave Alicante was for me to hide who I was. Nut I knew from the moment I met you and got to know you that that would be pretty difficult. I'm sorry I took so long to tell you, this is the only opportunity that I've been given, really."

"I get it. I mean, I can't imagine being a princess and having to hide who I am but I get that it was important for you to do so."

Her eyes sparkle I can just see it. Then she wraps her arms around me. "I knew it. I knew you were a good guy, I knew from the moment I met you and got to know you that I could trust you." Clary gives me a chaste kiss and then pulls away. "We should get to the airport."

After a five hour flight and a 45 minute car ride we arrive.

The chauffeur that drove us from the airport opens the door to Clary's side and she steps out. I on the other hand don't know what to do… Do I get out from her side of did he just open it for her because she's a princess? Do I open my open door? Oh god what's wrong with me?

I decide to just open my door. There is a beautiful fountain in the middle of this palace driveway roundabout thing and then some sculptures lining the outer edge of it.

"So I'd like to introduce you to… Jace?" Clary calls out.

I clear my throat and walk around the car.

"I'd like you to meet the head butler, Lucian, I just call him Luke, and he's known me since I was a kid." Said butler looks about 47 years old. He has a few greying hairs and his face is lined with age and his eyes tell a story, where it's a sad one seems pretty clear. His posture was stiff and his hands behind his back.

"Pleasure to meet you." I reach out my hand and he seems quite stunned at the notion of me shaking his hand. At the corner of my eye, I see Clary hold in a breath. I can tell I've already done something wrong.

Clary takes another step up the stairs that's covered in a red carpet.

"This is Jordan, Daniel, Maia, Sophie and Simon." On each name we took a step and I just nodded and smiled at them because apparently handshakes are frowned upon on Alicante.

"Luke, where are my parents?" Clary asks.

"They are in the Upper East drawing room, Princess." He replies.

"Thank you." Then Clary loops her arm through mine and leads the way.

"What about our bags?" I ask, we just left them in the car.

"Don't worry. Jordan and Daniel are valets. They'll take it up to our rooms."

"So we have separate rooms?" I raise a brow.

"Jace, my parents are the King and Queen. That means they are the biggest prudes in the country." I chuckle at that. "I highly doubt they would let us share a room when there's 312 guest rooms."

"312? How many do you need? I can't believe you were okay to live in that loft of yours for almost a year, much less staying over at my tiny apartment!"

She'd stay over but we would never do anything. If she wasn't comfortable with anything then we'd stop. I was pretty shocked to hear it really, a beautiful girl like her still so innocent and pure but now that I know the truth it actually makes sense.

"What are you thinking about?" She asks me, shaking me out of my thoughts.

"You… Me… Us. Nothing much."

We suddenly stop. "We're here." She says facing a door.

I hear a muffled conversation behind the door. "It's probably not that serious…."

"You're just saying that to ease my nerves... She's bringing an American. A commoner into the palace. Why am I the only one not okay with this?"

Clary knocks quiet hurriedly. She heard it too.

"Come in." A strict female voice calls.

Clary opens the door and behind it are who I assume are her parents. What gave it away I wonder… Well the huge as crowns on their heads did.

"Clarissa darling." The woman says and acts like nothing happened. She wore this red outfit which is kinda like a suit but it's not pants, a skirt which reached past her knees. Not what I expected really, I thought that she'd be in an extravagant gown. She had really red hair which was half up half down and that diamond crown on her royal head. Clary's father was wearing a normal suit and

"Hello mother, father." Clary smiles in greeting.

"So, who's your acquaintance from America?" Her mother asks with quite a cold tone.

Clary rolls her eyes. "He's not just my acquaintance mother, this is my boyfriend, Jace Wayland."

Her mother stiffens and I can see her expression darken. "Hello Jace."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, your highnesses." I bow because that is what I've seen on TV… Yes my logic has no flaws.

"I'm sure." She says and then she clears her throat. "Lucian, please escort Mr. Wayland to the Adamas Room."

"Right away your majesty." I jump slightly. When the hell did Luke get here?

"Wait, the Adamas Room?" Clary speaks up.

"Is there a problem?" The Queen asks. "It's the biggest guest room we have, Clarissa."

"Yes there is a problem, mother. That room is the farthest from mine. MY room is in the West Wing and that is in the Far East." She frowns.

"Yes, I find that that is slightly unfair, Jocey." The King inputs.

"Why not the Electrum Room?" Clary suggests. "Please mother, it's in the West Wing but it's not right next door to mine."

"Enough. The help have already moved his bags there. IT would be a burden to have them walk to the opposite side of the palace."

Clary scowls. "Since when do you care about being a burden to the help, mother?"

I can feel the tension so I clear my throat. "It's okay, Clary. The Adamas Room sounds awesome."

Clary takes me hand and stops at the door looks behind her and says to her mother, "We'll see you at dinner." Then we make our dramatic exit.

"Luke, you are dismissed."

"Yes, your highness." Then he walks away to do his butler-y deeds, I suppose.

"Clary. Hey, it's okay. You don't have to snap at your mother."

"I'm sorry. Really I mean, she's really traditional. She wants me to marry a prince and have 100% royal babies and I was fine with that until I met you."

I give her a hug. "It's not a problem being in the Adamas Room. I'm sure it's great."

"Of all the 312 guest rooms, she picked that one."

"3 hundred… 312? How many do you need?" There are probably secret tunnels around here.

"Clary?" I hear a deep voice behind us and we turn around.

It's a guy with super white blonde hair and as tall as me.

"Jonathan!" Clary exclaims as she lets go of my hand and runs into this other guys arms.

"Hey sis, it's been too long." The guy –Jonathan – puts her down. Sis? Any thought of jealousy vanish. "Who's this?"

"This is my wonderful boyfriend Jace Wayland. Jace this is my older brother and heir to the throne, Jonathan."

"Jace from America. It's good to meet you. I trust that you'll take care of my little sister. She's quite a handful." He shakes my hand and smiles.

"I'm not a handful. You were the one caught fondue-ing with the maids therefore getting them fired!"

"Fondue-ing?" I ask, obviously confused.

"It's our code word. In this world there are things you just cannot say when important, royal people are around." Clary says.

"Well, I've got to go. I need to fetch the Lightwood Royals from the Harbour. They are joining us for dinner this evening."

"We'll see you later." Clary calls as he disappears.

"He's nice. He seems like the only person here who wants me in the palace."

"Hey, that's not true. They'll warm up to you, I promise."

It was a long walk to the Far East but when we get to my room I was pretty stunned.

"Wow… This room is as big as my apartment…." I say. The room was full of silvery-blue-grey everything.

Clary chuckles. "I love the colour scheme of this room. But it's the complete opposite of you, Jace. You should have the Gold Room."

"Are you comparing me to a room?" I raise a brow.

"Don't worry Jacey-Poo, I love everything about you, your golden blonde hair, your goldish brown eyes and golden tan skin. Though this room is your antithesis in literature, it does bring out your features."

"Antithesis in literature? What the hell are you talking about?"

"I do not know."

She starts to unzip my suitcase. Then she goes over to the bedside table and picks up this telephone.

"Is that room service?" I ask as a joke.

"I guess you can look at it that way…" Clary replies, she presses 2 numbers and waits. "Hello, can you send Maia up here? I have a suit that needs to be pressed. Thank you."

"How fancy." I say.

"It is a palace." She shrugs. "And the Lightwoods will be here for dinner, we have 26 minutes until dinner starts so you need to dress up."

"Who are the Lightwoods?"

"Important people." Clary pulls her phone out and shows me a few pictures. "This is King Robert and Queen Maryse." They both had dark hair and blue eyes. She flicks to the next picture. "This is Princess Isabelle, Prince Alexander, he prefers Alec, and the youngest is Max. They're close family friends. The Royal Family of Citadel."

I nod. "I look forward to meeting them."

I hope you liked this start!

Please review!

Love you all ~ Liz Ashley xxx