If you're reading this then thank you! I TRY PEOPLE. I TRY MY BEST. My professors have always told me my writing is tedious to read and has the voice of an old person so I'm TRYING to keep a bit better paced. Hope you can sort of somewhat appreciate some aspect or another of it :D


The next day business was as usual. Not Alec, Jace, nor Izzy made a habit of recounting their secret night escapades to the convent. The spring sun again beating down on Alec's face, he sits on the parapet of one of the tall towers of the keep, watching his two younger brothers fool around in the yard below. He turns slightly noticing Izzy coming to join him. The two sit in silence, not quite comfortable but also not entirely uncomfortable. Alec watches down into the yard again to see Max tackle Jace at the legs, knocking the two over.

"I was watching you last night, Alec." Izzy looks at him pointedly with a tinge of pity. Alec feels his chest constrict in an uncomfortable way.

"Of course you saw me last night, we all went together." Unsure exactly what Izzy was getting at but feeling cornered all the same, Alec tries to look anywhere but at her deeply rooted eyes. That's what his mother called them, deeply rooted browns, as in the deep system of roots that keep the greens, the yellows, and the blues of plants alive and well. They may spread out and establish themselves on their own, but in the end they will always support their kin.

"I meant when you first got to the cathedral, before you realised I was there." Izzy lays back on the edge of the tower, making Alec a bit too nervous. "You need to stop looking at Jace like that." Alec tenses and his eyes shift slightly between different objects on the roof, including his sister. Izzy sits back up when Alec doesn't say anything. She looks at him with eyebrows raised in an expecting look.

Alec opens his mouth then closes it. His mind should be racing he thinks, but there's nothing. He knows his sister hasn't said anything outright about his feelings, but she has certainly implied it. Not that Alec himself even fully understands what it is he feels when he sees Jace. All he knows is that he sees golden beauty that at the same time burns like staring at the sun during its highest point. Alec let's his eyes set on the stone floor just in front of his feet before replying. "It hurts me to see him Izzy." Alec looks away to watch his brothers again, only to see max poking at a clump dirt and Jace walking towards the castle glen with the Fairchild girl, Clary.

Izzy's eyes soften but remain strong. Her lips purse a bit as she contemplates Alec's truthfulness. "I think Alec," She says on her way back down the tower, "that now would be a good time to try and sort out how you feel about Jace. You two are brothers, but eventually you'll have to go your separate ways." Izzy's sharp footsteps echoing down the tower steps pierce Alec's ears. He spins around, hanging his legs over the edge, thinking about what it would be like to fly.


Later in the day, when Alec went to see what was going on in the great hall, he found his father barking orders at the servants, decorating the hall in colours of red and yellow. On every table brightly coloured tulips sat in vases giving the entire hall a fresh aroma. Izzy plays a hand game with Jace at the end of the hall on the steps leading to the private quarters, looking fed up at losing consistently. Alec goes to is father to ask what was going on.

"Alec, perfect timing. I need you to greet the Dutch guests tonight in the main courtyard when they arrive tonight."

Alec hesitates before refusing outright – he may be confident enough to put on a brave face and act like the noble he is, but he still loathed unnecessary attention. "Why do I have to? I think Jace would make a much better impression. He is the golden child." Robert frowns at his seemingly lazy son. "You know you have responsibilities as the eldest, and I decided this would be an opportune moment for you to exercise your diplomacy." Alec keeps looking at his father skeptically, not fully believing his father was just trying to groom him into a well-mannered nobleman. "That, and also Valentine seems to think the Dutch merchants may also be travelling back to the Netherlands with a General stationed in Dutch Indonesia who happens to have a very eligible daughter." There it is Alec thinks, knowing that his father had been subtly trying to marry Alec off to various well to do persons.

Not wanting his father to know how sickly he felt at the prospect of being forcefully engaged into a union that would without doubt be an unhappy one, Alec simply nods and excuses himself to talk with his siblings. As he sits on the steps to join them Izzy looks at him with a look that said she knew vaguely what their father was planning. He didn't know how but Izzy just knew what went on in their home. Jace on the other hand, for all his wit sure didn't seem to notice any of the happenings around the court.

"You ready for the party tonight Alec?" Jace asks while getting elbowed by Izzy.

"It's not a party Jace, and Alec can't even have fun while everyone is expecting him to act like a Grand Duke," his sister says, polishing her well-kept nails.

Jace stands and stretches, tilting his head to expose a pale and smooth neck. "Well I for one am not going to pass up a chance to get wasted. Not to mention Clary is going to be there and I know she can't take her alcohol." Alec cringes hearing Jace talk about Clary. For a while now he's known Jace's feelings for the fiery redhead but initially he had assumed it was simple attraction like the other girls he had been with over the years. However the more Jace gushes about the girl the more dejected Alec feels and the more he realises that Jace may be serious about his feelings.

Not able to handle hearing anymore about Jace's romantic intentions, Alec stands sharply and starts heading to his tower bedroom. "Where are you leaving to Alec?" He hears from his sister. "To get ready for tonight. You know how cross dad would be if I showed up looking like this."


It was late in the night again and Alec felt more comfortable. The darkness tended to make him feel less naked to the world, safer. Alec dressed in his finery for the banquet, wanting to impress his father, to show that he could be the model son Robert wants him to be. Alec found himself wearing a charcoal grey coat with gilded edges and a sapphire in the second most top button. The coat collar was high but enough neck was shown that his Jaw remained well defined. He wore black boots which laced partway up his shin with his grey pants – lighter than the coat – tucked into them. With the crest of the Lightwood-Romanovs on the right side of his chest depicting a set of light blue wings on either side of a red rose, Alec nods to himself in the mirror before going to meet Izzy at her quarters.

While standing in her doorway, Alec watches as Izzy does the finishing touches to her hair, himself now feeling sort of nervous about the banquet. "What do you think the Dutch merchants will be –"

"Dad wants me to marry one of their daughters," he says hastily. Alec bites his lip, now feeling a little bashful. More quietly he says "I don't want to marry a Dutch girl." Izzy turns to face him instead of looking at him through the mirror. "Do you mean you don't want to marry her because she's Dutch or because she's a girl?"

"Both," he answers even more quietly and glancing to the left at a portrait of Alec, Izzy, and their mother. Alec sighs and moves to flump onto Izzy's bed. "I don't know what to do anymore. Eventually I'm going to have to find a wife so I may as well get it over with. And I definitely am not going to live in a monastery."

Izzy chuckles a bit at Alec acting just a little bit dramatic. She turns back to fix her hair. "Alec you don't have to force yourself into marriage, this is 1915 after all, I hear in France people fall in love and live together without ever properly marrying all the time, I'm sure you could just avoid the entire process altogether!" She smiles obviously thinking herself to be the most brilliant sister ever. "Come on," she says pulling Alec up and linking their arms together, "walk me into the great hall will you?"

As soon as the two entered Alec began to feel overwhelmed. He hadn't realised how many people were going to be attending the banquet. "Come on," Izzy says, dragging him through the crowd to where Jace and Clary were standing, leaning gently against an open window. Clary smiles at the two of them standing up straight. "Hey you two, we've been waiting for more young people to join since I got here." Alec nods his head by way of answer and looks her over. She wore an emerald green dress with golden edging and small diamond shaped silver fabric on the skirt. The smell of the flowers just outside the window made her entire outfit seem fresh and lush. Jace leans his arm on Alec's shoulder making him wobble a bit. "She's gorgeous tonight isn't she?" Clary blushes at Jace's compliment and moves to talk with Izzy.

"Where've you been? Everyone else here is old and boring. Thought you'd get here an hour ago."

"Sorry," Alec answers, "Izzy and I were. . . Talking about some stuff." Jace eyes Alec briefly but doesn't continue. "Come on, let's get some drink in you before you greet our oh so esteemed guests of the evening." Jace smiles, taking Clary's arm and leading them to get drinks.

Before Alec knew it he was sufficiently tipsy. He was fine if he stayed seated but would wobble and stumble a bit when he stood. Alec was just thinking that he might need to take a break outside in the gardens when Robert walks to the four friends, face as severe as always. "Alec, are you ready? The merchants have entered the grounds and you need to greet them. The general is here as well." Swallowing hard, Alec stands as best he can and tries to follow after his father. Thankfully Izzy notices his poor state and subtly slides her arm through his, inconspicuously supporting him.

Robert led them outside onto the wide stone steps that led to the entrance of the keep. Outside a fair sized group of men all in European finery waited, chatting idly. Robert cleared his throat to get their attention before looking to Alec to do his thing. "On behalf of House Lightwood-Romanov, it is my pleasure to welcome you to Kelnig Castle." Alec pauses for a moment trying to gather his thoughts. "It is as I'm sure my father would agree, an honor to have such striking entrepreneurs of the Netherlands join us tonight. I would like to-" Alec finds his voice catch as a flash of rich colours catches his eye. Alec remains silent, gazing as a boy, near his age – maybe a bit older, steps from behind the group of Dutch to look at one of the roses growing near the wall. The boy leans toward the bush, gently holding the rose to his face taking in its fragrance, eyes closed and calm. He opens his eyes and turns his head slightly, locking eyes with Alec. He smirks. Taken aback by a sudden unknown feeling, Alec feels compelled to hold the gaze despite the guests waiting for him to continue. Robert again clears his throat to get him to go on. Alec blushes realising how awkward he must seem, however the boy standing with the roses just laughs silently and winks boldly at Alec. Hot. Hot hot so damn hot is all Alec can think. The boy arches an eyebrow in a questioning manner reminding Alec once again he needs to finish what he was saying. "I – I understand you have all travelled quite the distance today already, so please come inside and join the rest of the guests. Many of our more prominent citizens have already joined us tonight."

Alec smiles his best smile, regaining his composure, the horde of Dutchmen casually starting to make their way into the hall. Alec moves to follow in with his father when he's suddenly dragged forcefully in the opposite direction by Izzy. "What are you-" he begins before seeing exactly where he's being taken – directly to the exotic looking boy, leaning against a pillar covered in white morning glory, smirking that devilish smirk.