Clary stretched out with a controller in her right hand. She had just beaten Simon for the sixth time out of the eleven games they had played. Clary blinked as she looked out of the window and realized the sun was in a completely different spot than it had been when they started playing.

"Oh my god!" Clary exclaimed and Simon jumped. "What time is it?"

Simon pulled out his phone and his eyes widened. "3:57. We've been playing for almost seven hours?"

"And my session with you was supposed to end three of those hours ago. I am so dead." Clary dropped the controller and held her head in her hands.

"They're not going to blame you, you're the princess and you're new. If anything I'm the one that's dead." Simon pointed out.

"Don't worry, I won't let you get in trouble. But we should probably leave now so we don't get in even worse trouble." Clary said as she stood up and rushed over to where she had thrown her hoodie down.

Simon agreed and soon they were running down the stairs. Once outside Clary tightened her hood around her face and briskly walked alongside Simon. As they were walking Clary noticed a familiar face. Her father's advisor, Hodge, was watching the streets, no doubt looking for her.

To avoid being caught Clary grabbed Simon's sleeve and yanked him into the nearest store. The moment they were inside Clary took a deep breath and immediately smelled cinnamon. She looked around to realize they were in a bakery.

"Jeez, what was that about?" Simon asked gingerly rubbing his wrist.

Clary rolled her eyes. "I saw Hodge. Do you have any cash on you? I'm starving." Clary looked down at some of the baked good before hearing a familiar voice.

"Clary?" She looked up over the counter to see Magnus Bane. "Hey, there biscuit, what are you doing in here?" He looked around and raised an eyebrow. "Without a guard?"

"I may or may not have snuck out with Simon and then accidentally stayed out too long causing my parents to send people out to look for me, one of whom I'm trying to avoid now." Clary took a deep breath after speaking so quickly and Magnus laughed.

"Of course you did. Here, you can go out the back way to get away from them." Magnus ushered Clary and Simon into the back door.

"Thanks, Magnus, you're a lifesaver," Clary said as she followed him.

"I used to do this for Isabelle all the time when she would stay out past curfew and Alec would get mad looking for her." Magnus smiled at the memory. "Anyway, do you want a muffin or something for the road?" He stopped in front of one last door.

"Really!? That would be fantastic!" Clary smiled hopefully as Magnus quickly got her a chocolate chip muffin.

"Okay, now we really need to go," Simon said. "It's past three now."

"Alright, alright. Thanks, Magnus, bye!" Clary waved as the door shut behind them. The moment it was fully closed she practically shoved the entire muffin in her mouth.

"Slow down Clare or you're going to choke." Simon chuckled as he watched Clary devour the thing.

"Sorry, I'm just really hungry," Clary mumbled with a full mouth and Simon raised and eyebrow.

"What? I can't understand you." Clary chomped on what was currently in her mouth until she could swallow.

"Ugh, I said that I'm just really hungry." She repeated.

"Understandable," Simon shrugged back.

Soon the two reached the castle. They stood in front of the door scared of who might be behind it. Clary lifted a hand to open the door but then dropped it and stood there for another minute.

"The longer we wait the worst it's going to be." Simon pointed out.

"Shh, I'm trying to figure this out." Clary scratched behind her head. She paused for another few seconds before grabbing the handle of the door and just as she was about to open it someone spoke fro behind her.

She paused for another few seconds before grabbing the handle of the door and just as she was about to open it someone spoke from behind her.

"By the Angel, there you are. We've been looking for you everywhere." Jace half jogged up the steps. "Where were you?"

"At Simon's, we just sort of lost track of time. Sorry." Jace rolled his eyes and pushed past her to open the front door.

"Time doesn't really matter, it's sort of the fact that you were in the city without a guard. This place may look friendly but it's got its bad parts too." Jace scowled at her.

"I don't get it, why do you even care?" Clary crossed her arms over her chest.

"Because I'm supposed to be in charge of you, along with Alec and a few others. Therefore it's our responsibility to know where you are and make sure you're safe at all times. You're making me look bad at my job." Jace turned and walked away but Clary stomped after him.

"Well if you guys are supposed to be watching me then how did I get away so easily in the first place? Maybe instead of blaming me for not doing your job, you should be blaming yourself." Clary yelled back.

"Don't try to pin you sneaking out on me. I did my job when I was searching the city for the past hour under your parent's instructions. Now that you're a princess, maybe you should start acting like one and lose the little rebellious attitude." Jace made a little motion with his hands and Clary's mouth dropped.

"Excuse me? I do not have an attitude. Where do you get off telling me that anyway?" Clary and Jace continued to argue back and forth. Simon stood a few feet away watching the whole thing unravel until he finally had enough of it.

"Hey, you guys," They both paused and turned to Simon. "Yeah, so I think I'm just going to go now. I'll see you later Clary." Simon turned and walked away before Clary had a chance to stop him.

"Look at that, you scared away rat-face," Jace said, only now he wasn't yelling and sounded like his sarcastic self.

Clary glared at Jace. "His name is not rat-face." She said before storming off in the other direction, she would've gone after Simon but after her fight with Jace, Clary was not in the mood for social interaction.

Clary ended up back in her room. She lied in her bed and stared at the pin she had found earlier. She was so focused on the thing that she failed to notice when Isabelle entered her room.

"That's your families crest." Isabelle walked over and sat on the edge of Clary's bed. "It's pretty, I've always admired it."

"What does your families crest look like?" Clary asked sitting up.

"It's these two snakes wrapped around a sword. It's really lame." Isabelle said with a small smile and Clary shook her head.

"Definitely sounds lame," Clary replied with a chuckle. "Yeah I mean everything about this place is just so... lame." Both Clary and Isabelle laughed. Clary couldn't really deny that she felt comfortable around Isabelle, she was a good friend even if they hadn't known each other long.

"So where did you disappear off to? Your parents have been worried sick. They do know you're back right?" Isabelle raised an eyebrow.

"I was out with Simon and I don't know. I went straight up to my room after..." Clary stopped herself unsure what to say next.

"After..?" Isabelle pushed.

"After I had a fight with Jace." Clary continued after a moment.

"Really?" Isabelle seemed surprised.

"Yeah, he seemed really pissed off that I snuck out with Simon." Clary set down her pin and scooted to the edge of the bed next to Isabelle.

"Really?" Izzy's voice changed that time and Clary narrowed her eyes.

"What?" She asked suspiciously.

"Nothing, nothing... it's just not really like Jace to get mad about stuff like that." Isabelle had a small smile on her face that kept Clary curious.

"He said that I made him look bad at his job," Clary responded and Isabelle laughed.

"Jace doesn't care about his job." She shook her head. "He's been acting so weird lately, by the angel."

Clary cocked her head. "Weird how?"

"I... I actually don't know. It's not really something specific, he's just been different." Isabelle sighed before seemingly remembering something. "Oh, your parents wanted me to tell you that there's going to be a homecoming ball for you in about a week."

"A ball? Really?" Clary was exasperated.

Izzy shrugged. "It'll be fun, it'll give you a chance to meet all the nobility."

Clary groaned. "Okay fine."

"Yay!" Isabelle clapped and hopped off the bed. "I have to go now but I'll see you later."

"Bye Iz," Clary called out as the girl left her room.


A few days later Clary was getting another lesson from Simon. This time they didn't sneak off though. They couldn't. They were being watched.

Clary yawned and rested her head in her hands. Her eyes slowly fluttered shut as Simon continued to drone on.

"Clary? Clary wake up." Simon snapped in front of her face and Clary's head jerked up.

"Agh, sorry," Clary said shaking her head.

"You alright?" Simon closed the textbook.

"Yeah, just really tired with all the planning for that stupid party coming up," Clary said.

"I think we're just about done for the day anyway." Simon began collecting his things and Clary stood up.

"Great, hey we need to hang out again, you know outside of tutoring," Clary suggested as she and Simon started walking inside.

"Wouldn't that be something, I sincerely doubt that would ever happen. Your parents may like me but we run in two completely different circles." Simon laughed as if the idea was ridiculous.

"I never chose to be in the circle I'm in and I don't even know most of the nobility yet, but if they're anything like what I'm expecting I'm not going to like them." Clary noticed that the guard watching them before was now following them inside.

"Well at the homecoming ball you're going to get a chance to meet all of them." Simon pointed out.

"Ugh don't remind me. You're going to be there right?" Clary stopped Simon and raised her eyebrows hopefully.

"The invitation for the ball extends out to everybody in Idris, but I don't know-" Simon started to say but Clary cut him off.

"Please, you have to! It's going to be so boring, I won't know anyone there." Clary begged.

"Really? You'll have Isabelle and Alec and Jace-"

"I'll have Isabelle, you mean. But she's going to make me do stuff and act like a princess, I need someone to make fun of everybody else with. Pleeaase Simon." Clary gave Simon puppy dog eyes and he sighed before caving in.

"Fine, I'll go. But I'm not going to like it."

"Thank you, you won't regret it. I promise." Clary squeezed Simon in a hug. "Okay I have to go now, but I'll see you soon. Bye."

"Bye Clary." Simon hugged Clary back before the two parted. Clary looked back over her shoulder to see that the guard had left.

Clary sighed before continuing on through the castle. As she was headed towards the kitchen for a snack she passed by Jace. Under his breath, she heard him say something.

"Princess."

"Pillock." Clary decided to insult him back causing Jace to stop and turn to Clary.

"What did you just call me?" Jace raised an eyebrow.

"A pillock. Why are you too stupid to understand that I'm calling you stupid?" Clary smiled tauntingly.

"No I know what a pillock is, I've just never been called one before." Jace crossed his arms.

"Well," Clary started walking backward towards the kitchen. "You might want to get used to being called things you haven't heard before. See you later, dullard." Clary turned around but right before she did she thought she saw a smile appear on Jace's face.

Hope y'all enjoyed this chapter!