Authoress Notes: Chapter Six, newly expanded and re-written.
Disclaimer: I Don't Own Anything except my OC Selene.
Chapter Five
"I honestly think we shouldn't tell Luke, Jocelyn or anyone about this."
The bright, warm sunlight shone through once dark ominous clouds which had vanished instantly from the now azure sky. They instantly broke apart, dissipating into the distance. A cool gentle breeze now caressed Clary's luminous skin; she was lying in the shallow waters, her tail resting in the serene oasis of a palm tree. Her green eyes wandered down the beach where Jace sat on a overhanging rock, his eyes carefully closed as he soaked in the direct sunlight. To her, he was in striking contrast a breathtaking sight as he basked in its warming gentle golden rays, as he cracked open an eye and winked knowingly at her. Clary's heart skipped a beat as her eyes stayed locked with his.
Her best friends comfortably sat just a few feet away from them. Simon was flopped down on the soft sand, onto his back, his long fingers gently touching the smooth sand which felt nice to the touch, and also running through his fingers. He proceeded leisurely to carefully construct a miniature sand castle. Magnus was attentively watching the water his back merely turned. Selene lay in the sand as well on her back, intentionally allowing it run through her dainty fingers. She slowly sat up, her elbows resting in the water before turning back to look steadfastly at the ocean.
The sun had risen higher in the sky; her blue eyes widened as she hastily propelled her body back into the dark crystal waters turning towards her sister a sly grin upon the brunettes radiant face. It was probably most likely mid-morning by now, and she knew precisely that they all genuinely needed to be heading back soon.
"I'm getting sunburned out here, and it's past sunrise so I better be heading back home. Have fun you lovebirds!"she said. Clary and Jace looked at each other, their faces were right now each a brilliant shade of crimson red. There was precisely and absolutely no denying the growing feelings between them. Selene carefully raised her arms above her head, dove into the crystal waters and vanished from sight. Simon was too absorbed in shaping the glittering sand that he failed adequately to carefully note the time as well, as so did Magnus.
"We'd best be getting back as well, before my mom has a cow," he said solemnly, suddenly pushing himself back into the water.
Magnus laughed."Yeah, no offense but she is known precisely for overreacting sometimes," he replied eagerly, typically doing the identical exact thing.
"C'mon Clare, we best be heading home."
They both turned to Clary who nodded as she quickly swam back into the deeper water, pushing herself farther out to sea. She wasn't too far from where Jace sat comfortably.
"I'll catch up in a minute," she said politely to them.
"Okay, we'll be waiting by those rocks."
"Just don't be too long biscuit." He and Simon swam across the shallow waters, behind the rocks and stayed out of sight so that no one would see them.
The mermaid looked back at Jace again but this time her radiant gaze was marked with great worry. He somehow sensed it and held out his hand to her, as she swam towards him, stopping at the edge of the rock, while one gentle hand rested comfortably upon the smooth surface, the other intimately intertwined with Jace's.
"Clary why does your father not allow humans to know of your existence? I really don't understand where the hatred of our worlds comes from. I know you mentioned he despises us greatly. But we've done nothing wrong. That I'm sure of," he said.
She sighed as he gently took her into his arms, gently depositing her on his lap. Her tail hung over the side gently resting upon the ground. His head rested against her neck as he breathed in her scent. The green scales on her tail sparkled in the early morning sunlight.
"I honestly don't know either. He's never mentioned it, that one specific reason why he hates people like you so much. It never really comes up. I don't understand why both worlds can't exist simultaneously either."
He chuckled,"I naturally wonder what your father would think about of all this."
Clary pulled back to look steadfastly at him, cautiously raising a quizzical eyebrow at his words. Her expression was a unique mix of unimaginable horror and shock, as she finally opened her mouth to speak candidly.
"You mean of us being together? For one, I know he wouldn't be ecstatic I rescued you from drowning. And if he somehow were to find out, he would absolutely have my head," she said, before turning back to look at the ocean.
"I better be getting home. My family is going to start worrying about where my friends and I have been."
She knew her father was known for literally jumping the gun if they didn't return after the allowed time set. Just at that thought being away or torn apart from Jace was even more difficult for the princess to stomach. He felt the same exact way, somehow not being with her was undoubtedly causing him alot of anguish. That had been before an idea popped into Jace's head and he almost nearly smacked himself for not thinking of it earlier.
"How about if you and your friends came back later on tonight? Alec, Izzy, and I could meet you by those rocks over there."
Clary's expression instantly lit up, "Yes, and we could keep our meetings a secret so that my father doesn't find out."
Jace grinned, his golden eyes brightened, "That sounds wonderful. Just promise me you won't get caught," he said touching the side of her face. She had smiled before they exchanged another kiss.
"I'll see you soon Jace," she promised.
"And not a second later," he replied, kissing her forehead before she let go of his hand and quickly slid from the rock and into the water. Just as she was about to swim out further, a very loud sound began echoing through the air. Roof! Roof! The sound echoed off the massive cliffs which surrounded the beach. Clary immediately swam away, startled going out further into the deeper water. The sounds had got closer and closer before she waved once and disappeared below the waves.
Jace let the smile still linger on his face. Clary. Her name, hair, lips and everything else about her were beautiful. The way she smiled at him. He was on cloud nine, walking on eggshells. As one would expect, he was in that moment awestruck at everything in which had happened in the last few hours.
"JACE!" a chorus of familiar voices called, immediately snapping the prince out of his thoughts. He turned around to see his siblings Alec, Izzy, Max, and of course Hodge, Axel, and his two rottweilers running towards them along with Jordan and Maia. "You're all right!" his best friend said. Just before he could react, the blonde found himself being hugged tightly by his brother Tears of joy were streaming down his, Izzy's and Max's faces. His sister joined in on the hug as well and so did his younger brother.
"A-Alec, I-zzy, Max it's good to see you too," he managed to get out, as his siblings squeezed the hell out of him.
"We honestly thought we lost you forever!" his sister cried.
"Don't you ever scare us like that again?" Alec sputtered.
"Yeah, you almost gave Mom and Dad a heart attack, whatever that means," Max replied.
Hodge laughed, "You nearly gave me one too, I'm so happy you're okay," he said, hugging the blonde.
Jordan just smiled, "I'm really happy you guys are all in one piece," he said.
"Me too, we were worried about you all. I'm so glad to see your all right."Maia and her boyfriend were really happy to see that them all unharmed and safe.
Axel smiled as well, "I'm so relieved to see you're all safe as well. So Jace, tell me, how exactly did you survive that awful horrible storm?"he asked. He was quite curious in fact to know the exact details of what exactly happened to the young prince. The Lightwood's royal adviser had always been a very curious individual when it came to matters such as these.
He waited excitedly for the prince's answer. But Jace didn't answer him right away. Inside he was pondering on whether or not to tell the old man everything which had happened. But in this case he didn't want to risk Clary, Simon, and Magnus's secret. Neither did Alec or Izzy. His brother and sister looked at him unsure of what to do. They didn't exactly want to share the details of meeting them either. Maybe it was for the best that those specific's remained a mystery, only to be known by them.
"I was knocked out by a huge chunk of the mast, which caused me to lose consciousness for a brief moment. But I was able to regain my focus and swam with all of my might to shore. I basically let it carry me the whole way back," he said.
Alec nodded, "Yeah I witnessed the whole thing. The lightning hit it pretty hard which caused it to come loose and it practically broke snapping it in half. I was nearly almost hit as well."
"Yes and the explosion was to blame too. And because were fireworks on board that didn't quite mix well," Izzy added.
"Ah I see exactly what you all mean. Well, shall we get going back to the castle?"
"You four really delight in putting these sadistic little strains on my poor blood pressure don't you?" Hodge chuckled heartily. He was of course kidding in that sense of the manner. They all knew this. Their mentor had a knack for joking around in these particular types of situations.
Alec and Izzy helped their brother who stumbled on the beach, by lifting his arms over their shoulders and began walking back to the palace. They all were extremely exhausted and tired from the events in which had occurred the night before. Axel quickly looked behind them at the ocean and beach one last time for perhaps a slight hint of what might have happened the previous night before. But there wasn't a single trace of any clues or nothing or anything. He scowled turned on his heel and left, huffing in his wake.
Meanwhile on the contrary, Clary, Simon, and Magnus weren't exactly too far away. The three of them were hiding behind a bunch of rocks just off the shoreline. Clary's fingers gripped the edges of the smooth boulder as they watched Jace, Alec, and Izzy walking off into the distance.
Profound sorrow instantly filled the redheads heart, seeing him leave for her was unimaginably hard. Clary wanted nothing more than to be close to Jace. Biting the bottom part of her lip, she could feel the huge ache which had promptly begun to form. Simon, of course, was also beginning to feel the separation anxiety mostly from being away from Izzy. Magnus too could feel it too, but he remained silent on the matter.
"Clary! Simon! Magnus!" a chorus of voices called out to them. The three friends turned to see Jonathan and Selene swimming towards them. The bright sunlight shone upon her sister's dark brown hair, as she gilded through the water she quickly placed her arms up on the rock as the two mermaid caught up with her.
"There you three are! We've been looking all over for you," she said.
"I'm so just glad you're all right!" Jonathan replied, grabbing his baby sister in a bone crushing hug.
Clary laughed, "We're all right Jon," she said, hugging him back before he released her and did the same thing to Simon and Magnus.
"Yeah dude, Clare, Magnus and I are just fine," Simon replied, returning the embrace as well.
"We survived the storm as you can see," Magnus added hugging his friend too.
"To be honest, ever since that monster storm came out of nowhere and caused all that chaos, we thought you were lost," Jonathan said.
"At least we know you all made it out alive and well. I'm sure Mother and Father will be delighted to hear that we found you all safely," Selene said.
"Yes we know that. Clary, since we found you guys, it's time for us to go home," Jonathan said.
"Can we just make sure they're all safe?" she asked.
"Okay fine, but we stay hidden," he said.
As soon as the humans were out of sight and out of their hearing range, Sebastian who was had been searching for them turned towards the princess and her friends. His dark eyes full of anger. To just, to say that he was merely shocked would've been just a mere understatement.
"What in the seven hells do you three think you're doing?" he shouted at them. "Especially you Clary nearly getting yourelf killed out there! You three know contact with the human world is forbidden! What if those friends of theirs and that other guy saw us? We all could've been instantly skewered with a knife, harpoon, or any other kind of weapons those dreadful things allegedly have, and made into shish-kabobs!" he seethed.
His words instantly fell on deaf ears, for Clary, Simon, or Magnus didn't seem to be listening or even cared about anything Sebastian said. In fact they honestly could careless about what the merman stated or thought at the moment. The thoughtful look plastered across Simon's and Magnus's face spoke for themselves. Clary placed her arms upon the polished rock. Her green eyes seemed very far away, off in some sort of imaginary dreamland or a trance. Her fingertips traced the stone patterns etched upon its pale gray surface. Her green eyes glowed happily. Simon and Magnus were right next to her, each of their green, hazel, and brown eyes alight with a happiness that Sebastian could never understand.
"Will you please shut up? As you can see Sebastian, we're just fine. So would you please calm the hell down!" Clary finally said.
"Yes someone at last said it!" Simon said.
"Praise the Angel," Magnus added.
Sebastian's dark eyebrows furrowed together, for he absolutely despised and hated being ignored. "Well at least you're all right," he said to them calmly.
"I say we all head home. It's been one heck of a day," Jonathan said.
"Yeah I'm totally exhausted," Simon yawned.
"I am too. I could use my beauty sleep after everything that's happened," Magnus added.
"Same here, I'm drained," Selene said.
Clary nodded, "I am as well. I'm definitely going to sleep when I get back home." In her heart, she didn't want to leave Jace, but she knew that they would see each other again. They all began swimming towards the deeper part of the water, over her shoulder she took one last look at the castle which stood before her. It slowly began to fade from her view. Her green eyes prickled with tears, just the mere thought of leaving Jace and his siblings made her heart nearly almost break. But her parents were expecting them all. The trio dove back into the water and headed back home.
The long journey back to Atlantis was one of the uncomfortable silence and ominous quietness. At long last, the once dark storm clouds which had hung overhead had disappeared and as a direct result the bleak skies had calmed down opening with the warm, gentle sunlight shining through. Below in the dark crystal waters, the treacherous sea itself was now calm and sincere. Not a single word was uttered candidly between the longtime friends as they headed towards their key destination. Typically Clary, who was very talkative and chatty, barely uttered a word. Her pale eyes were downcast towards the ocean floor, as she merely stared mindlessly at the countless sand particles, various prominent rocks and animals in their ideal habitats. Her conscious thoughts wandered to mostly what had undoubtedly occurred the memorable night before and how everything she genuinely believed she knew about humans and the world above her own had suddenly changed.
Yet at the same time, an uneasy feeling settled into the pit of her stomach. Consquently, the mere thought of voluntarily abandoning Jace behind was causing her so much cognitive anxiety and worry. Along with her friends, Clary swam as fast as her genuinely tired, worn out distinctive tail could carefully bear her through the prevailing currents towards Atlantis. Surely her concerned family, especially her anxious parents and mostly Luke. Especially her Father. He would mostly likely be wondering where they all were merely by now. By the angel, oh she realistically was in so much much trouble! But inside, she typically knew she couldn't be dismayed with herself or anyone.
Jace, she genuinely thought of him as they promptly passed by a large chasm and some exotic plants. He was so gorgeous, incredibly kind, and so extraordinarily susceptible human. Unfortunately, he accidentally bumped into her, undoubtedly causing her to suffer keenly from a massive headache, more like an enormous migraine. Sure he almost injured the unfortunate startled mermaid, nearly causing her to have a minor concussion something that she was still confused about, but she didn't really blame him either.
For that reason she allegedly assumed seeing a mythical creature whom so strange and weird as herself and her friends in whom they genuinely thought didn't even exist. Additonally what seemed like a near death experience was inextricably bound to play tricks on your conscious mind. Clary had merely perceived the panicked look in his worried golden eyes after he'd inevitably fallen off the burning ship as a result into the raging ocean. He clearly was in danger, and she also recalled the remorseful expression on his face after he recognized what had happened between them. Nonetheless as a result, she forgave him knowing that what happened was just a misunderstanding.
Undoubtedly and most importantly, the exact fact remained stated and very straightforward: As a result of the awful, horrendous storm which appeared seemingly out of nowhere, she had prevented a human from nearly almost drowning and inevitably losing his life. She had spoken and talked to a human, and agreed to meet with him later that night. Was she foolish for causing this? Probably and most likely. More like she was downright absolutely and positively out of her mind. Which was mostly likely something her Father would say. A scowl formed on her face as she thought of his exact reaction if he ever found out what happened. He would be so angry and furious with her and the end result would be a scolding and her being permemantly grounded from ever leaving the palace.
She'd learned a lot about the human world from her faithful friends and loyal family, especially her dear mother. But this was her chance to discover more than she most likely ever could. She could only learn so much from Jocelyn or Atamis. Jace was her opportunity to learn more so much more about the world she longed to enter and remain a part of at last, forever. She could perhaps present him some of her treasures and little things that she'd undoubtedly found and he could tell her what they were. The conscious thought of it instantly made her smile.
But they'd absolutely decided that it would be respectably fair and just to withhold what had happened and occurred the night before a complete secret. Because comprehending Luke he would absolutely be furious and so angry that they made contact with the human world when it was strictly forbidden to do so. For their gracious sake, though it would sorely need to remain an absolute secret between the three of them, and to make sure that Sebastian or Jonathan didn't say nor voice a word.
Neither of her friends hadn't said anything either. Normally the three of them especially Magnus and Simon were each talkative as well, but at the moment remained silent as they headed towards home. Each of them lost in their own personal daydream about the previous night before and what had occurred. Simon partically was lost in his thoughts about Izzy and how beautiful and gorgeous she was. He smiled at the memory of those amazing dark brown eyes which sparkled behind her long black lashes, and her pretty full lips which smiled at him happily. Isabelle, her name was as beautiful as she was inside and out. She reminded him of a real life Snow White, in the flesh but ten times more pretty and amazing.
Magnus's thoughts earnestly focused on the beautiful, magnificent creature that was Alec. To him, that gorgeous shy angel was undoubtedly looking to finally break of out his awkward and quiet phase. Somewhere inside that beautiful exterior there was someone that just wanted to get more comfortable in his own skin. Alec in common was a rare kind, gentle but shy soul that just needed to come out of his shy shell a little bit. His eyes reminded him of the deepest blue crystal waters, that shone even in the darkest of a cloudy day whether warm or cold. They happily sparkled melting the inner once cold exterior of the warlock's heart. His glossy hair realistically was like the ebony onyx stones or the deepest, darkest night sky. His beautiful lips which longed to be kissed.
Selene greeted them halfway as they were nearly almost nearing the palace grounds, and they swam back home. It wasn't long before each of them were at long last at last in front of the pearly palace gates. They were eagerly greeted by Jocelyn,and Lydia who swam desperately towards them. Clary's mother swan as fast as she could towards her youngest,daughter, her pale green eyes beaming with ultimate happiness and welcome relief that they all had returned home safely. She flung her arms around them all each hugging them tightly. Simon and Magnus hugged the queen as well.
"I'm positively delighted see you all," she said eagerly, not relinquishing the secure grip on her beloved smiled gently, hugging her mother back promptly returning the enthusiastic embrace carefully concealing her wry face into her dear mother's glossy red hair.
"It's delightful to see you too Mom," she replied promptly, before Jocelyn finally at last released Clary from her firm grasp. Lyida lingered fondly behind, eager to naturally see her sister as well. She smiled warmly.
"We were worried about you all. Did you enjoy your first official visit to the human world?" she asked.
"Absolutely Lydia it was wondrous," Clary replied, pushing a lock of her hair behind her ear.
Simon nodded, "Yeah it was definitely great, we all had a wonderful time," he naturally looked at Magnus who smiled.
"It was honestly the best night of my life," Magnus justly said in mutual agreement.
"You must be exhausted after willingly staying out all night," Jocelyn said, as Clary, Simon, and Magnus each let out a yawn in unison.
"Yeah Mom, we're all in need of a good rest."
"Very true, I'm faminished and tired."
"After last night I definitely need my beauty sleep."
Lydia's eager eyes sparkled with joyous excitement, "You undoubtedly have to tell us everything!"she squealed, grasping her sisters arm.
A sigh escaped the redhead's lips, "Lydia can't we talk about this later? I'm terribly tired."
Her sister's eyes softened, "All right, but I require all the details once you wake up later!"she said, before swimming off towards the palace entrance with her family following right behind her.
Clary hugged and waved goodbye to Simon and Magnus who naturally had to return home to their families. Simon's dear mother was very much known for jumping the gun if he wasn't home at a considerable time. But she was consciously aware of the essential fact that he had explored the surface for the first time as well, and was with his two best friends and he promised her to be home before noon the next day. Magnus's maternal grandmother was a lot more laid back and as long as he was with his friends and was home at a decent hour she didn't mind either.
She swam desperately towards her room after assuredly saying good night to her family. The very first person she instantly ran into in the palace hallway was respectively Tessa. Her ever therefore responsible older sister was just rounding the visible corner of the main hallway and the one which inevitably led to the royal family's private quarters when she swam through the doors. Tessa's kind eyes widened at the sight of her dear sister, just as she was about to voluntarily enter her bedroom.
"Clary!" she exclaimed delightedly in a booming voice invariably causing the younger mermaid to nearly jump out of her skin.
"Where have you been? Everyone was genuinely worried sick about you. Why weren't you in bed last night? What happened to you all?"
"I'm sorry Tessa," Clary apologized, all ready having cautiously worked on a blatant lie in order that her dear sister wouldn't become suspicious of them.
"Simon, Magnus, and I were having so much fun and enjoy ourselves exploring the human world that we completely lost track of time."
Tessa smiled gently."I adequately understand, and you're all right little sister. After all it to be fair realistically was your first official visit to the surface and you were inevitably bound to become intrigued and fascinated by all of the magnificent and amazing things that you all could see."
"Very well you're absolutely right. What were we genuinely thinking? I found some lovely flowers and seashells," she justly said, tentatively reaching into the brown satchel hanging around her waist showing Tessa them to her as sufficient proof.
"Those absolutely beautiful! Where ever did you find them?"Tessa politely asked.
"On one of the shores near a castle, they were growing there, so I decided to select some."
"I'm delighted you enjoyed such an excellent time. I'm going to the local market with Kaelie and Selene, would you care to join us?"
Clary shook her head, "No Tessa, I genuinely appreciate the offer, but I'm exhausted and I need some sleep."
"Very well, good Father has been asking for you," she adequately warned.
Clary sighed gently, "He probably wants to lecture me about typically staying out all night and not coming home."
"No, more like he sincerely wants to know that you're properly protected and also making sure nothing bad happens to you."
"I genuinely understand Tessa, but I'm not a little girl anymore. He naturally has to sincerely trust me and willingly allow me to undoubtedly make my own decisons and live my own life."
"More like he is promptly going to yell at you for typically going to the surface and staying there all night when you should've come home at a decent hour."
"What?" Clary's fierce eyes went wide. Undoubtedly had her devoted father found out about her and Jace? Was he naturally going to sufficiently punish her by not allowing her to leave the magnificent palace and mostly likely confining her there? If he instantly comprehended what she and her dear friends had been exactly up to why didn't he bothered to typically follow or promptly order someone to drag her home earlier?
Tessa carefully rolled her expressive eyes mostly out of sheer annoyance. "Oh come on now Clary, we all know where you swam off to yesterday. Why else would you stay out almost all night? Besides, Lydia and myself overheard Father reprimanding you the other day for sneaking off to the local graveyard of ships with Simon."
The absolute relief that coursed through Clary's body instantly made her feel better. In her conscious mind and kind heart the less her father accurately knew about what had happened precisely, the better. She was knowingly allowed to live vicariously her own life and naturally make her own decisions as long as they were safe.
"No Tessa, he pretty much addressed and justly said everything that he genuinely needed to say about that yesterday."
"Well you might as well go find and speak to him regardless. It wouldn't hurt. Or he'll undoubtedly find you," Tessa wisely said as she naturally started to swim away in the opposite direction.
Clary honestly didn't want to, but she reasonably knew her dear sister was right. With their private conversation still lingering inside of her active mind, she naturally headed in the opposite direction of her private bedroom and towards the throne room. At this essential point all she genuinely wanted to undoubtedly do realistically was to naturally get some much needed rest. Every single muscle in her body and visible tail was aching sorely, and the few hours she'd spent passed on the beach while rescuing her boyfriend hadn't helped either and weren't merely enough for her to fully recover before going to see him later on that night.
Right as she voluntarily entered and just as she excepted, her beloved father was precisely of course sitting comfortably on his mighty throne, with her Jonathan and Sebastian right by his side. The considered three of them aware she instantly noticed were deep in private conversation. His trident was naturally in it's usual spot within it's key holder by the dais on the grand throne. He wasn't twirling it like he normally would do when he was in a bad mood or angry, so it realistically had to be a good sign.
"Morning Dad," she plausibly said, slowly coming to a halt before her father's lavish throne.
Sebastian's dark cold eyes were practically glaring at her from his official position beside the throne's armrest while Jonathan gave her a bright smile like he usually did.
"Hey little sister," he said earnestly.
"Hello Jonathan," she replied, before undoubtedly looking at the asshat beside him and said in a polite tone,"Hello Sebastian."
He naturally gave her a curt nod, his gaze still cold and angry. "Hello Clarissa."
She frowned fiercely at him. He was always using her full name instead of her longtime nickname and always treated her like a dutiful child just as her father typically did. The mere thought of it made her want to throw up or eat a whole catcus fruit raw.
"Clary," her father finally at last broke the silence between them. "Where have you been? We were worried sick about you."
"Exploring the surface. And I also found some flowers on one of the shorelines near a palace," she said, holding up her bouquet of roses and tulips again. Glad that she thought of grabbing them before coming back home on her way from the special occasion.
"All day?" he asked. "You were gone for quite some time my daughter."
Clary smiled sheephisly, "You know me and the world above. I'm positively always so curious and wanting to learn so much about everything."
Luke's index fingers rubbed the bridge of his nose as he continued to speak to his most adolescent daughter.
"Yes, well I'm very well aware of the fact. And where did you disappear off too after going to the surface last night?" he asked."I sent Sebastian to find you all after we saw you leave and he was unable to locate you."
"He did?" she politely asked. He hadn't informed her father about Jace? Or the awful shipwreck that inevitably occurred the dreadful night before? She promptly turned to look keenly at the merman in fundamental question. Jonathan was making very quickened silencing motions with his fierce hands, clearly indicating that she should just keep silent, merely warning her not to mention a word while Sebastian had a somewhat panicked look in his dark eyes.
"I-I mean what I intended to put into words was...you did? Why?"she asked suddenly.
Her father's expression instantaneously changed from concerning to embarrassed in less than one instant. In the present circumstances it was his turn to look and appear very uneasy minus the circumstances.
"I want to make sure you were protected and looked after."
"Dad I can assure you that I'm all okay. The truth is I was nearly awake and up all night with my friends exploring and I'm exhausted. May I please go back to my room now?"she politely asked, desperately needing to escape as quickly and utterly as possible before her little web of lies unraveled, and Luke realized that she wasn't necessary answered his previous question with the impossible truth regarding what had happened the night.
"Very well I suppose you can. And Clary, you know I don't particularly enjoy yelling at you. I only do it because I only want whats best for you."
"I understand Dad. I love you."
"I love you too Clary."
She quickly had turned to leave before his booming voice called out to her again, not that she'd gone too far. Not even an possible inch.
"Yes?" she respectfully asked, as her father got up from his throne and swam over towards her opposing side.
"Where did those cuts come from?" he naturally asked, gesturing towards her forehead and prominent fin.
She winced in mild pain for a mere moment. While the extensive cut wasn't that much of deal, it honestly hadn't hurt as it scared her when she saved Jace from the shipwreck and was struck by a large piece of charred debris. The injury on her upper forehead had been slow to heal but with a little help from Magnus's magic it looked like a scrape and with all the swimming and diving she'd managed in the last 12 hours, she hadn't had much time to properly clean it and bandage it up.
"Oh...that..." She looked uneasily at her father.
"Clary-" her father's distinctive voice expressed distinctly that of a much heated warning. Tell the truth or else face the dire, drastic consequences to follow. She sighed before finally choosing to tell him.
"I cut my forehead and fin by accident on one of the sharp rocks against the shoreline picking the flowers," she said, recalling the lie she told Tessa. "Honestly it's not that bad."
Her father sighed. "Well I wish you would be more careful the next time around."
"Yes Dad."
"Good girl," he replied before turning back to his throne and sitting upon it.
"Now as you're very well aware, I"ll be gone tomorrow with your mother. We have a meeting with the other ocean kingdom, so we won't be home until very late." Those very words made Clary's heart soar. That would be the absolute perfect oppornity to see Jace. "I except you all to behave yourselves, and if you go anywhere make sure Simon and Magnus. Or Sebastian can escort you."
That precisely was when all hopes of her plans crashed. Once she was finally at last out of her father and Sebastian's sight, she quickly swam to her room and shutting the door behind her, turned on the witch light by her bed. The room was peaceful and silent with a welcoming much needed peace and serenity that she so desperately wanted. She deposited the flowers into a vase beside her bed, and eagerly floated onto the soft bed and sank into sleep.
The typical days in the Herondale/Lightwood household started to pass by quite normally after that. As the sun rose each glorious morning, awakening this world in a brand-new dawn, letting in an abundant supply of warmth and happiness right into the earth, and set in the evening while the moon took over after that, brightening up even the darkest of nights. August faded into September and soon it was early October, the color of the leafs began to change into various different colors.
But that mere subject/matter just so happened to remain the very last thing on the Idris court's mind. An altogether unusual and unique air had suddenly come upon the palace. The crown princess had realistically been odd fully cheerful and dreamy, and it was actually quite a odd bit unnerving to see the once rebellious princess gathering sea flowers early in the morning to arrange them in her room or the conference rooms of the palace.
Simon would be found in the music room composing different songs on his guitar and harp, consistently writing each and every note perfectly and making sure the melody matched as well. He also would stop at every ornate mirror he swam around making sure his lustrous hair and face were perfectly combed and carefully groomed. He frequently undertook trips to the market to pick up different various gifts including jewelry and flowers. Simon and Izzy would typically spend many days and nights together having dinner under the stars, he would serenade her with a song he'd wrote, they would also talk for hours on end, and she would go swimming with him as well.
Magnus spent his pleasant mornings in the library reading endless books on passionate love and chivalric romance, while elegantly writing sonnets of lyrical poems about love and lifelong friendship. He then would practice his expansive magic and go off with Clary and Simon for most of the day. Alec and Magnus spent their days together, whether it was enjoying a picnic on the beach, in the courtyard of the magnificent palace near the water, or portaling to a deep part of the forest to get away from everyone just for some alone time. They got to know each other very well and would talk for countless hours about their lives. Magnus often would be also be found in the loft attic of his house writing love letters to someone that he would promptly send through a fire message with his magic.
The exact one thing that everyone began to notice that Clary, Simon, and Magnus kept doing were going into the rooms of the castle where many branches had grown literally molding onto the windows and gathering the various flowers which grew on them. Which they would arrange them in different vases, tiny, small spaces, knot holes, and every nook and cranny of the palace's hallways, rooms, and bedrooms. Pretty soon each room began smelling of roses and violets which all of a sudden had become Simon's favorite, hydras and lilies were Magnus's and Clary's were now sunflowers and marigolds.
Clary often woke up each morning, a radiant smile on her face, humming to herself a love song that her mother taught her. On some days' she would paint or draw, endless sketches and paintings of different would repeatedly be lost in a daydream sometimes. During her long boring tutoring lessons with Maya where they'd been forced into after Luke discovered she'd been skipping out on. The mermaid voluntarily gave up desperately trying to get the princess to pay attention. Ideally, she would find Clary lost in a daydream and la-land as well. Clary and Jace over the next several weeks continued their secret meetings.
The princess was graciously allowed to come and naturally go as she pleased. Clary described Jace who her father was but not where her home was located because of the law and for protected privacy. He knew it took her a while to reach Idris's shoreline and his own home mostly due to the distance between their meeting place at the beach. The two of them would talk hours about their lives. Clary eagerly told Jace about her remarkable adventures with Simon and Magnus.
She told him how they'd met and grown up together and how she collected many different things from the human world. Jace sincerely loved undoubtedly hearing about her life and extraordinary adventures under the limitless ocean and her life. He also told her all about his life on land and how he grew up with his parents and siblings, the city and towns they'd been too, the festivals, activities and foods to try, and the balls in the palace. Clary would ask Jace not to leave out a single detail. She wanted to hear everything. Isabelle and Clary were becoming good friends as well. They along with Magnus would spend the afternoons on the beach some days painting their nails and talking about various different topics including love, relationships and fashion.
The many pictures each of them would paint in each other's minds, and hearts were absolutely incredible. Clary longed more than ever to be a part of Jace's world. He desired the similar thing, but in reality there was a tremendous obstacle in front of them: She was born of the sea, and he was born of the land. They all loved their meetings, and even thought it was never mentioned or discussed, they all dreaded that it wouldn't last forever, and the one day it would come to end, the secrets each of them were keeping would eventually come out.
Members of the mer-court had also observed the princess's peculiar behavior as well. Atamis and Jocelyn gradually started picking up on it when she noticed Clary daydreaming and singing to herself each and every morning. Jonathan hadn't said anything to their father or mother. Jocelyn and Kaelie smiled knowingly as they both watched Clary depart one morning in the late fall, for she perceived exactly what was going on.
"My, my," Jocelyn whispered in a wispy undeniable tone that morning. "She's definitely got it bad."
Luke and with questionable looks on their faces, confused at her words.
"What?" he asked stupidly. "What does my daughter got? Some sort of sickness or ailment?"
Jocelyn smiled knowingly."Isn't it obvious Luke? Clary's in love."
"Clary in love?" he smiled at the thought as well.
As the typical days and weeks passed, Clary grew more fond of human beings and the ideal worlds that they traditionally inhabited. She strongly wished to truly wander and realistically be with them, to merely see the lands that Jace, Alec, and Izzy had seen, as their world seemed so much bigger and vaster than her own. They could instantly fly over the seas in ships, just like the birds soaring through the sky, ride along the grassy, hills, valleys, meadows, and mountains that reached high above the clouds themselves. There was so much that she sincerely wanted to undoubtedly know, and Jace promptly told her all that he knew, and she even asked her dear mother and maternal grandmother.
Luke invariably saw the profound change in his daughter over those weeks. She seemed happier and more confident in her own skin. In fact, everyone else could see it as well. Her moods were extremely lighter, and she was singing and humming to herself nearly almost all the time. He was very overjoyed and happy, and wanted to unanimously find out her well-kept secret. So he promptly sent Sebastian to find out where she was sneaking off too.
He was hesitant to agree at first, but Luke and Jocelyn insisted that it was important for them to know. So he promptly did as he was sufficiently instructed and carefully followed Clary to her intended destination without her even knowing. He just was there to observe and report back to the king, like a good royal advisor would always do. He merely suspected that she was just hanging out on the surface and thoughtfully watching the world above. He considered himself so much smarter than your average merman. But what he fortunately discovered that she was doing voluntarily left him completely astounded and shocked.
That day in particular, Clary gently woke up just a few precise moments later. Her green eyes blinking, as she knowingly allowed her groggy mind to properly focus. Subtly shifting her tail over to the right-hand side of the bed, she yawned, while extending her arms up into the air. Gradually she naturally felt her sense of evident touch which was gradually starting to carefully return. She undoubtedly knew and sensed inside that there was going to be an adventure today, as she subtly shifted her right fin it suddenly brushed up against something hard.
Carefully looking at the visible bottom, she instantly noticed the considerable piles of books and sketches scattered across the bottom of her room. The pile had grown continuously over the last few weeks, and each and every day she subtly reminded herself that each held its very own unique story behind it. Her pale green eyes looked across the room and observed her reflection in the glass mirror of her vanity. The astonished girl staring back was an absolute mess. Her deep red hair was a tangled, knotted mess and looked as if a tornado had twisted its way through it.
She quickly swam out of bed, moving quickly towards her mirror vanity. Her green eyes looked into the glass, and imagined it shattering into a million tiny pieces. A simple crack at first, and then once it fully digested and swallowed everything in sight, nothing would be left but the grumpy girl staring back into the clear smooth glass. She began brushing her stubborn curls before at last finally smoothing them down. Once she was done getting ready, she slowly got up from the soft comfy bench she'd been sitting on and swam over towards the door and headed out into the hallway.
The palace corridor was silent as glass, not a single soul seemed to be around. Clary was very quiet as she swam past a row of doors going down the long winding hallway. Her father, mother and sisters were most likely still asleep since it was still early, the red-headed mermaid was very careful not to make a sound. Tentavitely reaching for the large golden handle, she eagerly grasped the cold metal between her deft fingers and slowly but cautiously opened the door just a tiny visble crack.
Peering cautiously through the tiny, confined space her pale eyes merely took into the peaceful, quiet hallway, as she surveyed the area for any signs of movement or danger. It was silent as glittering glass; as she peered outside. Everything in the dingy corridor was peaceful, and yet despite it being a lovely day outside everything seemed dark and gloomy. She stood passively at the ornate door for just a mere moment looking back and forth right across the private corridor.
Her green eyes carefully surveyed the specific area being very cautious before very leisurely swimming to secure it. She promptly moved to quickly close the door behind her. It creaked loudly by accident. She winced at the mere sound decided to knowingly cause and adequately secure it quietly. Not a solitary soul scarcely seemed to be nearby. She glanced both ways at the gates of the palace making sure no one was nearby until then ultimately at long last leaving.
Little did she allegedly know, Sebastian had precisely therefore happened to instantly see her sneak out of her private room. His black eyes narrowed in suspicion, as he wondered where exactly she was escaping off to at all these unusual hours of the day and night. He decided right then to aggressively confront her.
"Clary!" he called out to her. "You need to help your family get ready for the grand ball tonight! Going out on your own and exploring wasn't allowed today!"called Sebastian as he literally swam and half scurried across the water swimming after Clary. Swimming alongside her were a small party of yellow and blue colored fish, cutting and slicing through the abundant waters like an excellent pair of gleaming blades or scissors. Clary clearly seemed to be ignoring him, not bothering to pay attention.
She headed to the surface to see Jace, and there was absolutely nothing that her Father or Sebastian could anything about it. Being eighteen years old, she was free to come and go as she pleased. Her thoughts drifted to the previous day when he was telling her about how he and his family lived in houses on land and they decorated their homes with many different things called walls, sides, furniture, etc. He had also told her stories of the different constellations in the sky and the directions humans used to travel. He called them north south, east, and west.
The ocean's current was turbulent that morning, as she floated along the water. She enjoyed the sea. She perpetually had. Swimming beneath the dark crystal waters. It realistically was her home, where she was naturally born and belonged. But all her peculiar life she had always felt something was undoubtedly missing. Like she never exactly belonged anywhere. She was invariably the odd one out of all of her beloved sisters who frequently didn't constantly travel or genuinely want to undoubtedly see the human world. They naturally preferred to stay comfortably in the boundless ocean, safe from the prying eyes of any human being. Jace, she felt was the missing piece and part of her life that she realized was missing.
Today just so happened to be a extremely special significant day. It had been precisely almost two dull days since she'd last seen her boyfriend and he informed her that he had a surprise planned when she went to see him the next day. If there was one thing, he was excellent at it was never really ceasing to surprise and amaze her with something about the human world.
Mostly aside from Simon and Magnus, not a single one of her family members really knew about what was going on between her and the human prince. Not that she minded nor cared what they thought about it. Simon and Magnus were very supportive, and they wanted her to be happy and she also wanted the same for them.
She instantly realized that she was nearing the very spot where she and Jace met each other as much as they could. A large number of rocks by the shoreline along with a pretty shady oak tree provided the perfect amount of shade. Looking up at the clear surface, she could see Jace sitting underneath the shade of a willow tree, hidden from all others outside. Beating her tail against the current, she floated up through the dark blue waters as light as a bubble.
Clary burst through the gleaming surface of the shimmering water, her lungs absorbing the invigorating pleasant air of the human world. The brilliant sun was all ready high in the unclouded sky. It was most likely nearing noon or midday as Jace called it. Along the sandy shoreline of the castle and towards an off shore area where the lush rural grassy landscape happened to break off from the clear crystal waters. The willow trees branches reached to the ground, it's leafs stopping at the fine sand.
Jace had discovered precisely it one morning while on a training trip with Alec before he'd gone to see her and they officially made it their very own meeting spot. And if he undoubtedly had a delightful surprise like he said thoughtfully for her today then she affectionately knew it was best if she wasn't late. She lowered her visible head above the flowing water, before she was greeted enthusiastically by a lovely handsome familiar face smiling tenderly at her.
"Hey Clary, there you are," Jace said earnestly his golden eyes brightened with radiant happiness. "I'm delighted you made it."
She smiled, extending her fingers through her wet red hair which cascaded down her shoulders.
"You know me I wouldn't miss today for the world," she said with a beaming smile. Clary placed her hands against the level moist sand of the beach before pulling herself out of the water and onto the ground. Her kind eyes instantly noticed the neatly made picnic lunch which he'd set out before them. She was carefully lying upon a beige blanket with a brown basket on top. The handwoven basket itself was open revealing the contents inside. She smiled with sheer joy as Jace began pulling out some plates and different eating utensils and then the food.
There was an excellent arrangement of flowers in the very centerpiece, including roses and violets. Jace pulled out two plastic wrapped sandwiches, a small tray of various vegetables, dip, macaroni salad and a little apple pie. Carefully examining it further she saw steam rising from the brown crusted surface, it appeared to have been baked that morning.
"Jace all of this is wonderful," she said enthusiastically, as he promptly handed her a delicious sandwich. She'd been on various picnics and social outings with him before but this was sufficiently the loveliest of them all. He smiled gently, "Well it's nothing really to be honest with you. Just some ordinary human food that I thought we'd might enjoy together."
"Truthfully I genuinely think you honestly outdid yourself this time," she justly said placing her hand into his. He gently squeezed it enthusiastically back lacing their fingers together. If there was one thing, he knew for sure his mother definitely knew how to prepare a good meal.
"My mother definitely knows the way to a person's stomach. She did all the cooking."
"Well be sure to offer my compliments to her," Clary said taking a bite, chewing slowly.
"I will definitely."
The golden sun shined through the thick shady trees naturally coming to gently rest on Clary's green tail. Her glittering scales shone in the light glittering like a thousand tiny emerald jewels. A distinct strand of direct sunlight also brought out the natural scarlet hues in her flowing hair. Jace would never really get used to how beautiful Clary really was. She considered herself just an ordinary girl who realistically was nothing special. But that's not how he perceived it. She was so much more than that especially to him.
She was kind, gentle, easygoing, a excellent listener, patient, and just realer than any other girl he'd ever met or been with. She didn't mind what anyone else thought of her and she wasn't afraid to show her feisty fiery side. And he genuinely loved her for it. When he naturally heard her gasp he sufficiently realized he must've spoken out loud.
"You love me?" she asked, her pale eyes wide at his words.
Jace smiled his golden eyes bright with happiness, and an enormous smile played across his lips. He nodded in response," Yes I love you Clary."
"I love you too Jace," she said. Jace gathered her closer and their lips met in a passionate kiss. He gently wrapped his arms around her ample waist before promptly pulling her into his lap. Her gorgeous tail hung down over his legs. They continued to passionately kiss before breaking apart for air. Clary's arms carefully wrapped around his neck. His gentle fingers found the tie on her top which held everything together, pausing for a pivotal moment, as she carefully looked into his golden eyes.
"May I see you?" he politely asked. She nodded, "Yes," before he loosened the strings letting the thin straps fall from her shoulders and past her forearms and he placed the garment on the ground next to them. Jace's golden eyes took in every inch of her bare skin. Her breasts were small and round but firm, while her stomach was flat and curvy adding to her ample waist.
"You're so gorgeous," he said admiringly, his hands reaching up to cup her breasts, gently massaging them with his palms. Clary promptly let a gasp escape her rosy lips before Jace gently took her left breast into his mouth and sucked. The sensation felt odd but amazing and was different; it felt so good. When his teeth came into play, they nipped at her sensitive breast tissue and she moaned, her fingers finding themselves buried in his blonde hair to massage his scalp. As he lavished attention on her upper half, Clary's thoughts drifted to her tail. Her green eyes instantly filled with genuine sorrow, as she undoubtedly looked at it. She didn't have legs like he did and it honestly was really killing her.
She couldn't help it as the fear, anxiety and self-loathing began to course through her veins. The genuine tears instantly started to naturally form in her eyes. A sniffle fortunately escaped her and Jaces head immediately to look her in the eyes.
"Clary what's the matter? Did I do something wrong?"he asked.
She carefully shook her head, "No you didn't. I was thinking about how we're separated from each other, and it's caused such a horrible situation. You have legs and I don't."
"That honestly doesn't matter to me at all. Clary you're perfect just the unique way you realistically are love," he said.
"I know, but I honestly wish I had a pair of legs. I could walk fearlessly on the land just like you, and see the world around me with you instead of always being stuck in the boundless sea. We could be together all the time instead of being apart."
He sighed gently."What I wouldn't give for that as well too. I've dreamed of you being able to visualize my world as well. But being with you each day is enough."
She smiled knowingly."I know Jace I love you."
"I love you too," he replied before he leaned in and tenderly kissed her.
"There may be a possible way for us to be together," she said after they broke apart for air. Jaces fingers promptly ran through her red hair carefully pushing a little piece of it behind her ear.
"What way is that?" he asked, his large hands cupping her breasts. She rested her head against his shoulder.
"Well to be completely honest with you it's extremely dangerous and involves dark magic that isn't of this realm. It would require me to visit the sea witch Lilith. She lives exactly outside of the kingdom. Where I'm from Atlantis it's a magnificent place, where our kind lives in peace. My beloved father Luke and his clever sister Lilith ruled there peacefully for countless years. Until she unanimously decided to intentionally try to overthrow my father and he naturally had her banished."
"So she's a witch?" Jace asked.
Clary nodded in response, "Yes, she possesses dark powers which may help me. But in order to implement that I would need to strike up some sort of bargain with her."
Jace's eyes narrowed at her words before they softened. "A bargain in order for you to become human and for us to be together."
"Yes and I don't know exactly what she may want in return but I'm willing to do whatever it takes," she said.
"Just make sure she doesn't take anything that's precious to you and make sure you come back to me safe. Promise me, Clary I can't lose you. I love you," he said squeezing her fingers.
"I won't Jace. I love you too. I promise you that," she replied.
Little did they know Sebastian just so happened to be watching them from the shadows of a large rock. His black eyes narrowed in utter shock and disgust. What in the hell was she doing with that human? He rolled his eyes and then without being noticed slipped back into the water.
Sebastian swam through the key corridor of the splendid palace minding his own business. His inner thoughts were typically focused on the organizational meetings and other various tasks that he naturally needed to get done and complete through the day. There was to be a grand ball to held that very night and he was in charge of helping to meticulously organize it. That was when he instantly noticed Atamis coming towards him, he immediately snapped out of his conscious thoughts.
"Atamis," he justly said in a polite tone bowing to the noble king's beloved sister. "How lovely to see you."
"Hello Sebastian," she modestly replied, promptly stopping to catch her breath. "The king's requested an private audience to see you. It's about something about Clary."
Sebastian's alive heart nearly almost stopped dead in his brawny chest. He realized then what if the king knew her profound secret which he had unanimously decided to put out his inquisitive mind, intentionally blocking it from ever crossing it. He naturally forced the unspeakable terror out of his body and decided to remain calm and collected, nodding approvingly, "All right Atamis I'll go meet him at once."
As Sebastian swam past Atamis towards the palace he instantly felt a very uneasy feeling quench in the pit of his ample stomach that nearly made him genuinely want to throw up. It was very rare for the king to ask for an audience of him in private, particularly with just one single person because the whole entire court acted together as one. Usually, the king, queen and the court had the absolute sole responsibility of dealing with the people and any problems that arose.
Heart pounding, Sebastian carefully made his efficient way through the underwater corridor toward the throne room. His throat was tight, his jaw clenched...But he intentionally kept his expression calm. After what felt like an almost, an eternity, the palace advisor exited the corridor into the royal chamber.
Clary's father sat on his throne as usual, the trident in its holder. The kings expression was calm, and he didn't seem angry. Summoning nearly every possible ounce of necessary courage in his body, Sebastian finally at last willingly spoke.
"You wished to speak with your majesty?" he politely asked.
"Yes, Sebastian, I was naturally wondering if you were able to find out why my daughter has been acting so peculiar lately. I'm very concerned," Luke said quietly. "I've noticed she's been invariably acting very different lately. The usual daydreaming, singing joyously to herself. Atamis and Jocelyn have also seen it. You yourself haven't noticed?"
"To be honest with you Luke, not really. I don't believe so. She never really confides in anyone except her friends," he replied promptly.
Luke's mild expression looked somewhat hopeful for a pivotal moment, and then turned grave, as Sebastian turned to voluntarily leave. He shrewdly suspected that his most trusted advisor wasn't telling the truth.
"Sebastian, is there something you wish to tell me?"
At those exact words, Sebastian immediately froze. In all profound seriousness, he never meant to react so fearfully, but the kings words instantly filled him with such a overwhelming sense of dread, grief and fear that he wasn't be able to keep it a secret for much longer.
"Sebastian?" Luke's distinctive voice snapped him out of his conscious thoughts.
"As a matter of fact, yes, there is."