Summary: When a female Shadowhunter turns 16, she must go to the Glass City and be in The Matching. Where the Clave choose her future, her life and her husband without her choice. CLARY/JACE AU
A/N: The reviews are amazing! Thank you all for your encouragement. This chapter suppose to be about The Matching, but I wanted to put more Clary and Jace moments in. The story would be somewhat long, hopefully at least the chapters be in the late 20's. Now for some more story information: This time with the Shadowhunters etc they treated women cursed and sadly awful in some situations. Jocelyn had her own Matching that involved Valentine and everyone favorite Lucian. (Luke). I do not and will not own Mortal Instruments in anyway possible.
Please read and review. :)
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The Matching
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"Valentine, please don't make our daughter do this." Jocelyn begged her husband. She was dressed in long white dress. Her ginger hair pinned up in a tight bun. She had dark circles under her eyes from the lack of sleep, remembering the conservation she had with her daughter. Clarissa wouldn't be happy with her match, she knew. She was walking in her own mother's footsteps. Valentine sighed reading one of the books he had on his desk-"History of City of Glass".
"Jocelyn, I have no time for this. Go finish on up your knitting. Something your good at other than warming by bed at night." He dismissed her. Jocelyn flushed red and she opened her mouth to resort back at her husband when she felt a small tug on her back. She glanced over her shoulder frustrated, and stared into the very kind and warm blue eyes of Lucian Graymark; her husband parabati.
"Everything will be okay, Mrs. Morgenstern. Clarissa is strong." Something in his tone hinted at something to Jocelyn. Valentine glanced up at his long dear friend with a smile.
"Lucian, it been awhile." He stood up and spread his arms to greet his friend, pushing his wife out of his way. Lucian flinched when Jocelyn gasped in pain when he pushed her, giving her a sorry smile, he hugged Valentine before he parted.
"I know dear friend. I'm here to escort Clarissa to The Glass City for The Matching." He said warmly, catching Jocelyn startle glance. Her hands trembled. Her childhood friend Lucian was the one delivering her daughter to her fate? She sudden felt very dizzy. Her chest tightened and she knew she was within moments of a panic attack.
"Jocelyn, leave. You're scaring our guest." Her husband said sharply. Jocelyn caught herself. How could her husband be so cruel to her after he fostered two children with her?
"Go to hell, Valentine." She spat out in anger, surprising Lucian.
At one point in time they were in love.
At one point during The Matching, he promised to protect and never hurt her.
Valentine slapped her and she fell.
"Valentine, control yourself!" Lucian snapped at his friend, catching Jocelyn.
She trembled in his arms and all Lucian wanted was to carry her away from this pain.
Valentine trembled in anger.
He will not be talk back to in his house and era by a mere woman. Now how Clarissa got it from.
Jocelyn cheek was bruised.
She held her tears back grasping for Lucian to hold her, to take her away.
Lucian stood still didn't pull her back in a embrace, not now right in front of her husband.
"I escort her out. Her time of the month might be near." He excused her behavior as such. Female problems.
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"Luke...what happened?" Jocelyn questioned when he laid her on her bed softly.
"Your husband slapped you." He didn't hid the truth in his words nor his anger on how his best friend treated his wife.
Jocelyn shook her head and reached out grabbing his hand firmly. Tears, fell from her eyes when she spoke next.
"No...with us?"
Lucian paused; "Nothing, we all just change."
During Jocelyn matching, she had the right to choose between him and Valentine.
She closed her eyes, slipped down still and he wiped them away softly with the back of his hand softly.
A sob left her lips.
"Clarissa-"
"Shhh." He interrupted her softly,
"She will be okay, my dear. She wouldn't be harm." He promised her.
Jocelyn opened her eyes and stared up at the ceiling.
"Lucian?"
"Yes, my darling?" He whispered to her softly.
"Please tell me a story." She whispered in sorrow and sadness.
He paused before giving her a sad smile.
"Well okay, once upon a time there was this man that loved this woman very much."He told her, rubbing her hand softly. She smiled, which made Lucian heart twisted. This story always brought a smile to Jocelyn's lips whenever she was depressed.
"One day he..."
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Isabelle sit down next to her brother.
Her eyes red from all the tears she cried. She spend months just sitting here watching over her older brother.
Watched him to just laid there in the bed when Warlock Magnas came by each evening giving him his daily medicine to keep him alive.
The coma was slowly getting to him...slowly getting to everyone. Her family cancelled her Matching till at least Alec opened his eyes, but when he does she wouldn't be able to attend till next year. A huge stain on her family when every one of their friends questioned why Isabelle still with them unmarried and without her first born on it's way.
Alec didn't stir.
He was very pale and looked very much as a statue.
"Please wake up."
"Debe descansar. Él no se despertaría en cualquier momento pronto."
Isabelle turned around sharply, to Raphael Santiago; who leaned against the door frame watching her.
"Leave me alone, Raphael."
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Clarissa,
Do not, I repeat do not disgrace the family.
If you failed, your not welcome back.
Remember this.
Best of luck, your father.
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Clary took Lucian's arm gently while he escorted her to the carriage that waited outside the mansion.
She was stiff as she tried to calm her nerves. When the carriage came in closer view, she saw all her future passing her by. She didn't want this and in which she let go of Lucian's arm, picked up her dress so she wouldn't trip, and begin to run toward the woods scared. She didn't know where she's going, but she knew she didn't want to join The Matching now.
"Clary!" Lucian called after her, but from the lack of footsteps she knew he wasn't chasing after her. She wondered why.
When she got to the entrance, she was breathing hard.
A branch snap.
She shrieked when she saw a shadow.
"By the angels, shut up." Jace hissed, coming in view. Her scream died down into a embarrassing blush.
"I-I'm sorry, you surprised me." She whispered looking down to her heels.
Jace glanced over her shoulder to the young man walking toward them in a slow pace. Maybe he was giving her time to cool off or something.
"I take it you're on your way to your matching?"
She nodded, trembling.
Jace grinned.
"Follow me then." His hand grasping hers making her gasp, tugging her along inside the woods.
Clary felt utterly confused.
Why was he sudden here close to her house?
He spoke answering her question,
"We live right close to you." He pointed to the rooftop of another house over the trees.
"Oh"
When they got deep enough he had let go of her hand.
Clary felt her stomach dropped for a bit at the sudden loss of hand contact before snapping herself out of her small daze.
She glanced up at Jace and really taking him in.
He wore a darker blue tux. His long golden haired hung just above his shoulders. He was handsome in everyway.
She froze.
Everything rushed back in.
She was alone in the woods with a man.
This was very indecent.
Her heart started to beat a little more faster when Jace sit down on the log beside them, making room for her.
The bottom of her dress was stained with both grass stains and dirt when she tried to sit down when she finally tripped on a trig in her heels sending her over to Jace. He fell back surprised, hitting his head on the ground with her pinning him on top. Jace could feel his heart beating rapidity, when she didn't move. He glanced up within her confused green orbs and smirked.
"If you want to be on top, just say the word then."
She leaped away shrieking, with him laughing after her.
"You jerk!" She hissed out blushing even redder than before.
He then winked.
"Only to you, my dear."
Was he flirting with her?
"Clary!" Lucian voice called closer to them.
Why was he flirting with her? Jace didn't even know.
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"You stained your dress." Lucian told her disappointed, when he lead her out of the woods leaving Jace behind. Out of all the things he could have yelled at her for. (Running away, following a complete stranger who was a man into the forest alone) he chosen her dress, the least out of the three.
"I'm sorry...I don't know what came over me." She told him softly, almost feeling herself tearing up again.
Damn it.
She felt the loss of his company, the stranger's already.
Getting a crush on the mysterious stranger was going to be the end of her, now that she's going to be matched. She buried her feelings deep down within her heart. She would most likely not going to see the perverted jerk again anyway.
"I know, Clarissa. That's why I gave you time alone to calm yourself, but when I saw that boy taking your hand I ran after you." Lucian told her, when he helped her inside the carriage, worried.
He sat down beside her, closing the door.
"I'm sorry."
Lucian gave her a smile, no longer disappointed about her dress.
"Cheer up, Clarissa. Today is for a day of happiness." He wasn't so sure, but told her anyway, trying to cheer her up the best he could.
At least Jocelyn had a choice.
He knew that it will take a miracle if the same chance fell into Clarissa hand.
The Carriage begin to move.
She had only one hour to prepare herself.
One hour till this event ruin her life.
One hour till she reached The City of Glass.
