Hi guys! I am so sorry about the lack of updates, but I warned you it'll probably be a while. I have full intention of finishing this story, and its going to be a while. I don't know how long it's going to be until i can update again, but I know I'm nearly done with the next chapter. maybe I'll give you guys a little snippet of it soon.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mortal Instruments characters or stories. That's all Cassandra Clare.


Chapter 8: Breakfast, Spas, and Wives

The next morning, Alec and Magnus awoke to the sound of knocking at their guest room door. Neither of them wanted to get out of the incredibly soft, warm four poster bed Kiara had put in for them, but the persistent knocking kept them from returning to a peaceful sleep. Alec was the one who got up to answer it, while Magnus burrowed his head deeper into the pillows. But he kept his ears open to hear what was going on.

"Yes?" he heard Alec ask. He sounded a bit surprised, and slightly confused.

"Forgive me for awaking you, Master Lightwood," a respectful female voice said. "But Queen Kiara and Lady Hannah have requested both your and Master Bane's presence for breakfast."

"Oh, um, thanks," Alec replied, sounding a bit uncomfortable now. "We'll be down in a minute."

"There are fresh clothes awaiting you in the closet through that door, and I shall escort you and your companions to the grand hall once you are prepared. Good day." Magnus then heard the door close and decided to open his eyes. Alec was turned away from the closed door, staring dumbfounded and slightly shocked in nothing but his boxers. It was adorable.

"Aw, was it that bad?" Magnus asked teasingly sitting up on his elbows lazily. "They're treating you like royalty. In my opinion, you should always be treated like that."

"I wish she didn't call me 'Master Lightwood'," Alec replied as he searched for his pants. "Makes me feel old and awkward. I mean, I'm not some dignitary or something like that." Magnus smiled, grabbing Alec's arm and tugging him back onto the bed and began to pepper his neck with kisses. Alec's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he suppressed a small moan. When Magnus stopped his kisses, he smirked at his lover.

"I think it's kinda hot, Master Lightwood." This time Alec did groan and kissed the warlock with fervor. They remained in his position for a few moments, but when Magnus' hands travels below the belt line, Alec pulled back, much to Magnus' chagrin.

"As much as I would love to spend the day in bed, your sister wants us for breakfast. You guys already have a…strained relationship, I think it would be unwise to make it worse by not attending." At the mention of his sister, Magnus was abruptly kicked out of the mood. He silently nodded his head in agreement and began to climb out of bed. Alec watched with concern as Magnus entered the walk-in closet and shut the door, but let it go for now.

Once the two of them were dressed in their clean and mended outfits they had showed up in, the couple then exited the room. At the same time, the other two couples did as well, all dressed in mended clothes and still looking a bit bed-wrinkled. Jace was giving a dopy looking to Clary, who was still half asleep and clinging to his arm to stay upright. Izzy and Simon were both a bit ruffled, but wide awake. At the end of the hall, a girl in a maid outfit approached them, probably the girl Alec spoke to.

"Right this way, if you please," she said kindly as she gestured to her side.

The group followed the maid down the now brightly lit halls, admiring the décor in awe. Ancient paintings and statues lined the walls, along with beautiful stain glass windows that painted and the floors them in color. Also hanging on the walls were a variety of weapons, most of which were ancient and labeled as property of someone from the past, or of an ancient battle.

Soon, they approached a large set of double doors, which the maid opened effortlessly, and they entered the great hall. It was like a medieval castle dining hall, with a long, large table that could support a buffet for dozens, a large crystal chandelier on the ceiling, large windows that filled the room with sunlight, and even a fireplace burning brightly at the side. Sitting at the head of the table, with mussed bed head and a fuzzy purple robe, was Kiara. At her side was Lady Hannah, who showed no sign of tiredness or that she had just awoken. She was just as proper and pressed as ever, not a hair out of place and in her battle gear. When Kiara noticed they entered, she grinned sleepily at them, urging them to come in further and sit down.

The group further entered the room, and saw that at the chairs, there were nametags on where to sit. Alec was at Kiara's left, parallel to Lady Hannah, and, shockingly, Magnus was set next to his fiancé. Maybe a sign of mercy? Anyways, all of them sat down, their chairs magically pulling themselves back and pushing themselves in when they were sitting. The table was bare at the moment, save for the silverware at their places, but the group could smell delicious aromas coming from the closed doors to the left.

"I hope you slept well?" Kiara asked through a yawn. "I know I did."

"We slept very well, thank you," Alec replied politely. "So, now that we're all here, can we discuss-"

"Food first, work second," Kiara interrupted sleepily, stretching her arms over her head. "Need food. Coffee."

"I can vouch for coffee," Magnus agreed. Kiara didn't acknowledge him, but she didn't glare at him either. Maybe that was a good sign?

A moment later, a set of doors by the grand fireplace on the left burst open, and a group of about ten women in chef's attire strolled out, each of them levitating three large platters loaded with food, drinks, and treats. All of it was set before them, eyes wide at the cornucopia of food that was their breakfast. Kiara and Lady Hannah casually began to place stuff on their plates, Kiara filling hers with chocolate pancakes with strawberries and cream while Lady Hannah grabbed an apple from one of the many fruit bowls. Another maid had entered with large stacks of papers and handed them to Lady Hannah, who now munched on her apple and scanned through the documents. After a few moments of eating, Kiara looked around the table at her awestruck guests, cheeks puffed out from the pancakes in her mouth.

"Go on, have as much as you want," she tried to say, though it was very muffled. Lady Hannah turned to the queen, her face stern.

"Don't talk with your mouth full, you're not a child," the woman rebuked. Kiara swallowed her huge bite and smiled shyly before taking another, moaning at the taste. The rest of the table slowly began to reach for food, putting it on their plates and eating, and as time went on, the tension faded and casual conversation ensued. Some of them kept going back for more, Jace and Simon, while others were done after their second plateful, Clary. But, to the shock of the guests, Kiara beat them all by a landslide. She ended up eating four plates stacked with huge chocolate pancakes, three cups of yogurt parfait, twelve pieces of bacon, three cups of coffee, and two apples. By the time she had folded her napkin, the entire table, subs Lady Hannah, were staring at her, astounded. Kiara just giggled playfully and stretched her arms above her head.

"That was delicious," Kiara sighed contently. "Aunt Hannah, please remind me to ask Felicity to teach me how she makes such amazing pancakes. I swear, she must be enchanting them somehow."

"Of course," Hannah replied, an amused smile on her face as she turned back to the stack of papers. After a moment, Alec cleared his throat softly, capturing his boyfriend's sister's attention.

"I'm not trying to be rude, but don't you believe that we should discuss the matter of our attackers?" he asked, politely but somewhat firmly. He didn't want to order the queen around, but he was very concerned. If her people didn't attack him or his friends, then who did? But Kiara just waved her hand aside.

"Too early to think about that, my friend," she replied, her cat eyes glowing as she smiled. "But rest assured, I've already got my best scouts and trackers looking into it. They'll report back to me later this afternoon." Everyone nodded in agreement, though some of them still exchanged looks that said there was still something else. After a silent voting, Simon spoke up.

"We, uh, also had to talk to you about something else," Simon began. Kiara turned her head towards Simon, her eyes full of questions. Lady Hannah also turned, but her face was unreadable.

"What about?" Kiara asked casually, leaning back and placing her slipper covered feet on the edge of the table. Hannah gently pushed her feet down, and with a small eye roll, Kiara placed them back to the floor, leaning forward onto her arms, waiting for an answer.

"About who's handling the demons in New York while we're gone," Izzy said, not unkindly. "My mom is away in Idris, and even though the Clan and Pack of New York are strong, they still have difficulty killing demons." Kiara just chuckled.

"What, that's all? Did you really think I didn't take that into account?" The Queen asked as she smiled somewhat smugly and childishly, leaning back and crossing her arms over her chest. "Don't worry. I've sent a squad to handle any demon occurrences that arise. And if the Clan or Pack are already handling them, then my team is instructed to assist from the shadows. So don't worry about it."

"Are you sure they can handle that?" Jace asked, skeptical. Lady Hannah turned accusing eyes towards him, and Jace squirmed a tiny bit under her intense gaze. Kiara just sighed, rubbing her forehead and muttering something like "here we go".

"Our fighters are qualified to deal with any sort of demon, mundane, warlock, or other Downworlder with the most extreme effectiveness and precision. We have been killing demons much longer than you have been, and I know from personally training them that they are more than qualified to slay any demons that may rise in New York during your absence. So rest assured, I am quite sure they can handle it." Jace just put his hands up, indicating he didn't mean to offend the woman. Kiara smiled.

"Anything else while we're at it?" she asked, eyes scanning each of their faces.

"A couple things," Alec replied, looking at Kiara. "How long do you plan on letting us stay here? I mean, we don't want to intrude…"

"Nonsense," Kiara replied with a smile. "You can stay here as long as you need. It's been so long since I've had company outside of the high guards and servants. As for you staying here, I figured that you could stay here until we have this whole 'who attacked you' situation sorted out. You know, for precautionary measures." The group nodded their heads in understanding.

"So do we get to see the kingdom?" Simon interrupted before Alec could get around to his second question.

"Oh, no way," Kiara said, frowning. "We're not doing that."

"Why not?" Izzy asked, frowning. Kiara crossed her arms and leaned back.

"One, because the scouts will be out for hours before they finalize their report and bring it back, so it's best to wait here until they return," the queen stated. "And two, have you guys smelled yourselves? No offense, but you reek."

All of them glanced around at each other, slightly confused. Magnus and Izzy frantically began to smell their arms and clothes, trying to figure out if what the girl said was true. When they nearly gagged, they knew their answers.

"Well, when one is locked in a cell for days with no bathroom, that tends to happens," Jace said somewhat bitterly. Kiara blushed shyly, while Hannah cracked a small smile, nodding in his direction as if to say "touché".

"Then let me make it up to you," Kiara replied. Then, turning to the doors, the clapped her hands a couple times. Immediately, one of the maids, with blond hair and green eyes, ran out. Leaning down, the maid put her ear to Kiara's lips, and a moment later, she nodded her head and scurried off.

"Oh, right. Alexander, what was your other question?" Kiara asked, looking around the table, her gaze kind and genuinely curious. Alec slowly reached for Magnus' hand, taking a deep breath.

"Well…" Alec began, but trailed off, looking somewhat nervous. Magnus subtly slipped his hand onto Alec's thigh and squeezed it softly. Not looking at Magnus, Alec slipped his hand over his boyfriend's and laced their fingers together. Magnus silently shook his head, saying that now wasn't the time to ask. Reluctantly, Alec agreed, turning back to his boyfriend's half-sister. Kiara just watched Alec and waited.

"We have to let someone back home know that we are alright," Alec said, which wasn't a lie. Catrina and Maryse would most likely ask where they were if they didn't show up soon. Perhaps they were already out searching for them. "Would fire-messaging them be alright?"

"Of course," Kiara replied with a kind smile. "Let them and anyone else know that you are safe. But you may want to make up a cover story that's believable. I don't really want anyone else snooping around here for a bit. Times right now are…difficult."

"What do you mean?" Jace asked. Kiara turned her head away, as if the matter was closed. Lady Hannah then began to quietly talk to her, in a language no one, not even Magnus could understand. Kiara responded, but rather than a simple answer, she was rambling on and on, and none of them understood what she was saying. But her expressions portrayed it wasn't good.

Just before the group could ask further questions, the maid scurried back inside, politely moving around the guests, to the queen. As Kiara saw her approach, she stopped her rambling so the maid could whisper in her ear, and a large smile graced her face. After a moment, she thanked the maid, who gave a tiny bow and scurried back out the door. Kiara turned back to the group.

"Please follow me," was all she said, standing up and strutting through the large doors. For a moment, the rest of them just remained staring, but as Lady Hannah indicated to follow, all of them slowly got out of their chairs to follow their hostess, leaving the woman behind. They wandered through the castle, not really sure where they were going, until they reached a large set of golden doors. Kiara pushed them open with ease and beckoned the others to follow her excitedly.

The room they entered looked like some sort of Roman bathhouse. The walls were tiled beautifully, steam resonating off the walls, and multiple relaxing scents filled their senses. Stepping into the room, all of them immediately felt relaxed, as if being there had just been a weight off their shoulders. As they looked around the fabulous décor, an Asian woman in white robes approached them with a smile.

"Your Highness," she said with a smile and kissing her cheeks. "It has been a while since you have visited the springs. What is the occasion?"

"I have guests," Kiara replied, gesturing to the group behind her. "Do you have the rooms I requested?" The woman nodded.

"Four bathrooms, each stocked with the best perfumes, soaps, and potions we make," the woman replied, counting each item off on her fingers. "The spring waters have been heated and are ready whenever you and your guests are."

"Wonderful," Kiara replied with a smile. "Thank you again for arranging this. I know you and your girls are awfully busy these days, what with all the…" Kiara trailed off, but the woman nodded her head in understanding.

"It's no trouble, Your Highness," the lady replied with a motherly smile. "You have done more for us than any before. We love accommodating you. After all, even a queen needs to relax." Kiara smiled and thanked the woman again, and finally turned back to her guests.

"Follow us," Kiara said, and the two women walked deeper into the spa, the rest of them on their heels.

"The water for the spas is heated spring water," the woman explained as they walked through the dimly lit halls. "It was discovered thousands of years ago when our people were first trying to save ourselves from extinction. The water has magic properties, for it was enchanted by our first official queen, Queen Veronica. She used the spring as a marker for where she would build her kingdom, as a refuge for our people and those who wished to join. Using her magic, she enchanted these spring waters to heal, enhance strength, give knowledge, or anything your body requires to be completely clean. Queen Veronica opened the spring to all her people, and we have been using it ever since."

"That's pretty cool," Simon said. "But, what do you mean by 'enhance strength'? Is it temporary, like runes, or does it make you stronger as a whole? And is it just the physical strength, or magical properties, too?"

"It depends upon the user," Kiara replied. "But no more questions."

The crowd of them were in a small, dimly lit hallway, which had relaxing music playing in the background. There were four doors lining the wall, each labeled "Private Bath" with their number in gold letters. There was a generous amount of space between each door, as if each lead to a different room. Perhaps they did. In front of them, the woman turned back, now holding four baskets full of what appeared to be soaps, potion bottles, towels, and robes.

"These are for you," the lady said. "Also, I thought you might like to know, she's already here. Last room." Kiara beamed brightly at the woman and thanked her profusely before she disappeared back down the hall, leaving Kiara with the confused Nephilim and her brother.

"Who's 'her'?" Izzy asked, her tone teasing. Kiara just gave a bright smile with a tinge of mischief, before she turned and practically skipped to the last door at the end of the hall. Before entering, she turned back, her eyes dancing with laughter and happiness.

"These are double baths, so feel free to couple up," she said, her eyes dancing with mischief and…something none of them could decipher. "They're cleaned after each bath, so don't worry about sanitation. Oh, and don't worry about no one hearing you. The walls are soundproof. You could literally fire a machine gun in there and no one would hear you. So you guys be as loud as you want. Have fun!" Kiara then flung the door open, smiling all the way, and magicked it shut behind her, the click letting them know the door was locked.

The group looked around a bit, some in amusement, others trying to hide their blushing. After a moment, Jace gave them a "bye" gesture, took Clary's hand, grabbed one of the baskets, and practically dragged her through the closets door, Clary blushing, but smiling and giggling as they entered. Izzy grabbed her basket and Simon's hand, strutting towards another door, practically pushing Simon inside and slamming it behind her. Alec face palmed, still not entirely comfortable knowing what everyone was most likely going to be up to in those baths, but then again, who was he to talk? He and Magnus would probably end up the same way. Magnus, on the other hand, just chuckled, taking the last basket Kiara had left, linked his hand with Alec's, and together the two of them entered the last room, closing and locking the door.

The room itself wasn't huge, but not tiny either. In the center, taking up about three quarters of the floor was a large Jacuzzi looking put that was already filled with streaming water. The walls and floors were tiled different colors and patterns, white, gold, black, blue, so many colors and yet they blended so well, like a painting. Alec strode over to the water and placed his hand in while Magnus set their basket down on a marble bend protruding from the wall, sorting through the bottles and bars of soap until he pulled a few out with a satisfied grin.

"Sandalwood bubble bath," Magnus read, holding out the items for Alec to see. "Strength enhancer, magic rejuvenation, relaxing bath salts, and stamina potion." Alec raised an eyebrow at the last one, a teasing smile on his lips, while Magnus just playfully wagged his eyebrows. As Alec changed out of his clothes and put on one of the robes that was hanging by the door, Magnus, already in his bathrobe, carefully added the potions and soaps to the bath. Soon, it was bubbling mildly with a mixture of blue, gold, and green bubbles as well as a faint silvery mist that rested just above the water's surface. Once Magnus gave the ok, the two men shed their robes and entered, forgetting about the rest of the world for the next couple hours and just focusing on the present…


When Alec emerged from the bathroom feeling refreshed and more relaxed than he had in a long time. His skin was tingling and his muscles were loose, as if all the tension in his body had been sucked out. His hair was still damp, and the only thing he was wearing was the now slightly damp spa robe that the lady and Kiara had given them, but he didn't really feel self-conscious about it. After all, that's what everyone else was wearing.

Magnus, in his own modified bathrobe, crept up behind Alec, wrapping his arms around the Shadowhunter's torso and peppered his cheeks and neck with kisses, making Alec laugh. A few feet away, they heard a door open and saw Izzy and Simon emerge from their bathroom. Izzy's hair was down and her robe was tied somewhat loosely, looking relaxed and satisfied, while Simon looked slightly flustered and ruffled, but satisfied nonetheless.

Jace and Clary emerged a few seconds later, both in bathrobes and slightly flushed. Jace had an arm wrapped lovingly around his girlfriend, smiling at her and peppering her cheeks with kisses. Clary, on the other hand, was blushing as brightly as her hair, but smiled and laughed as Jace continued to give his little shows of affection. Suddenly, all six of them made eye contact, and took in each of their appearances and moods. Silently, all of them made a silent pact: what happens in the baths stays in the baths. Now the only person they were missing was Kiara.

At the end of the hall, they heard the last door creek open, and all of them turned to face that direction, expecting Kiara to emerge. To their surprise, someone entirely different came out.

It was a woman clad in only a towel wrapped around her torso and stopping just above the middle of her thighs. As she emerged, she was turned towards the door, giggling like a schoolgirl with her crush. When she turned and saw that others were looking at her, she shrieked before ducking behind the door. From inside the room, they heard Kiara's voice.

"Alyssa?" she called out worriedly. "What's wrong?"

"They saw me, my queen," the girl, Alyssa, replied and she peeked around the doorframe, embarrassment and fear in her eyes. All of them heard Kiara give something between a laugh and a sigh.

"One, what have a told you about calling me 'my queen'? It makes me feel like I'm not your equal, which isn't the case. Two, it's fine if they see you. It's not like you're my secret."

"But…Kiara…I'm in a towel…" Alyssa trailed off, embarrassed. Kiara laughed heartily, which grew louder until she was in the hall, trying to pry the girl off the door. She was also in a towel, which stopped dangerously close to the top of her thighs, her hair damp and down, with bare feet. The group could make out a number of fading and fresh scars littering her arms and legs, but that wasn't what drew their focus. As she tried to coax the girl out of hiding, she was smiling, a type of smile that all of them recognized. Pure love and adoration.

"So am I," Kiara said as she playfully tried to pull Alyssa out from hiding. "Besides, they're friends of mine. You don't need to be shy. Trust me." Reluctantly, the girl stepped out from behind the door, shyly out for them to see her.

Now that she was standing still, mostly, they were able to see here better. She had long auburn hair that was slightly damp and flowing behind her, and her skin was like porcelain, unblemished and pure white. She was tall, a nice figure, slightly curvy but not too much, and nicely toned muscles. Her nimble fingers were playing with the edge of her towel wrap, trying to pull it lower while at the same time trying to keep her top half covered. Kiara, on the other hand, had no qualms about how high her towel was and just smiled at the girl with so much love and adoration it almost seemed too intimate to watch. After staring at her for a few moments, Kiara seemed to remember there were other people in the room. She turned to them with a smile, fingers intertwined with Alyssa's.

"Everyone, this beautiful angel is Alyssa Dare, my wife," Kiara said with pride and love. At the word wife, Alyssa seemed to blush a bit, but smiled shyly and gave a tiny wave to the group.

"Wife?" Magnus asked, shocked. "You're married?"

"Why else would I call her my wife?" Kiara quipped back, her tone slightly biting. But it immediately went away as she looked back at Alyssa, playfully wrapping her arms around the other girl's torso and placing loving kisses along her cheek. Alyssa protested weakly, blushing brightly while saying her towel may fall, but Kiara laughed it off.

"She and I have been married for the past century and a half," Kiara explained between showering her love with affection. "Right after I repealed the anti-marriage law."

"You guys weren't allowed to marry?" Jace asked, his hand holding Clary's tightening. Kiara nodded her head, somewhat sadly.

"It was sort of like a vow of celibacy for Catholic priests, but not really," Kiara continued. "Our first queen declared all werecats to be female, to disregard the perpetual reality that men were superior. Therefore, all werecats are female, and were not allowed to marry. But as the world changed, I saw that we needed to change if we wanted to thrive and be happy. So I repealed one of our oldest and most sacred laws, made marriage between any two equal, and was the first to utilize the law. Alyssa's and my wedding was the first werecat wedding in history."

"That's amazing," Izzy said in awe. "Why did you do that? I mean, the world was changing sure, but was there another reason?"

"Of course there was," Kiara said with a small smile. "Once I met this God-send, I started to see that even though just having her in my life made me feel like it was more than enough, but as time went on I wished for the same rights that those back in the world had. The right to love who they did, and cement that love with a vow and celebration held by those dear to you. To be bound to your soulmate. And as I became more aware of this, I saw that others in my kingdom felt the same way. So, once I had enough of feeling so upset, I realized 'hey, I'm queen, I can do what I want', and changed the laws."

"Just like that?" Alec asked skeptically. "Must have been some resistance. Changing a law that has defined your people since the beginning?"

"Oh it was hard." Alyssa spoke this time, her voice soft like a gentle breeze in spring. "Some people called it heresy, others were thrilled, but too scared to try it. In fact, a few left the kingdom to follow—" she stopped, abruptly slapping a hand over her mouth. Beside her, Kiara's face had gone stone, her eyes cloudy as if stuck in some sort of dream.

"I'm so sorry," Alyssa whispered. "I didn't mean…"

"I know, love," Kiara quietly responded.

"What's wrong?" Clary asked, concerned about the queen's change in mood. "Is something the matter?"

"Not exactly…" Kiara trailed off as the sound of footsteps approached from behind the group. Suddenly, there was something jostling the guests, pushing them around without slowing down and stopping in front of Kiara with a hasty bow. She looked like one of those ninja guards that had been at the front gates of the palace. Quickly, she stood erect and softly began to tell the queen something in another weird language none of them understood. But as she continued on, both Kiara and Alyssa's faces went pale, both of them gripping their hands tighter. Once the messenger stopped, Kiara quickly thanked her, and the girl pushed past the group, down the hall and out of sight.

"What was that about?" Simon asked as he rubbed his side where the messenger had elbowed him. Their hosts weren't paying attention to him though.

"If you will please get dressed and follow Alyssa, she shall take you back to the dining hall for lunch," Kiara said, her tone all business. "I apologize, but I must see to this latest development. Excuse me." Without another word, Kiara strode past them and out of sight, leaving all of them confused and wondering what was wrong. However, a moment later, Alyssa slipped back into the dressing room, emerging a few moments later dressed in a purple t-shirt and jeans. The others took a few minutes to get dressed, and then followed the queen's wife out of the spa and back to the dining hall, all the while wondering what they had discovered.


Let me know what you guys think! Leave some comments on what you think will happen or how you like the chapter. What do you think they discovered?

KiaraBaneTMI