The Day My Soul Was Made For
"It's absolutely beautiful! I am so pleased about this, my girl. And it couldn't happen at a better time! Relations between the Nephilim and the Fey are better than they've ever been since Helen's been elected. Ooh, I just can't believe my little girl is becoming a Faerie princess!" My mother says as she finishes fixing the daisy chain headdress into my hair.
"Mark thinks I'm already part Fey, would that be on your side or Valentine's?" I ask her, as I do my makeup and she perfumes my hair. It's a Faerie tradition to choose three natural oils to infuse the bride's hair with, that are significant to the couple because of their uses. First, I've chosen Ylang-Ylang; for self-love, healing and patience, both because Jace might be here today, and because Simon is not and his death still rocks me. And I've also selected Lime; which cleans, detoxifies and energizes, which is good for the fresh start I plan on having here in The Faerie where we are going to live. And lastly, Jasmine; which calms the nerves, lifts the spirits and is also good for libido.
"Actually, on both, I believe. My mother, who you get your middle name from, was half-Fey. Seelie Court. I actually think both of your grandmothers were half-Fey, based on something I overheard Valentine's mother say once. But I don't even know if he knew that. And Seraphina Morgenstern wasn't proud of her fey heritage; they were Unseelie, you see." She says… which as I quickly do the math makes me…
"So, I'm a quarter-Fey? That's more than I thought! No wonder I've been feeling so at home here. Is that how you knew how to make this daisy chain?" I smile at her, suddenly proud of my fey heritage, which I had previously known nothing about.
"Yes it is. If we had more time I would show you. But since we don't I'm sure someone under the hill can teach you, you'll need to learn the many ways of the Fair Folk so you can teach your own children, Clary. You really are embarking on a new life journey here. I'm so excited for you!" I laugh at her enthusiasm.
"You were never this pleased about my relationship with Jace… somehow Mark gets your blessing? Don't get me wrong I'm glad, just surprised." I smile.
"Oh honey, Jace was never right for you. I think deep down you knew that too. Besides, he was raised by Valentine. Yes, I know he always treated you well Clary but technically, Valentine treated me well during our marriage. He was just a terrible father and role model with loose morals, that's all. Maybe the Lightwoods nurtured all of that negative influence out of Jace and he would have been a good father, I mean, who's to say? But I suppose we'll all find out soon enough, when Isabelle has the baby." She says, obviously not realizing that this is news to me!
"WHAT?" I exclaim in surprise, suddenly completely confused and confounded. "Did you just say… are you meaning that…? Seriously!?" I sputter. Did my mother seriously just imply that Jace and Isabelle are having a baby? I can't believe that two of my best friends would conceive a child together without bothering to tell me! I mean I know Jace is my ex, but still, they should have told me! Obviously I've moved on here, since I'm getting married today! And… Jace has always considered Isabelle his sister! I am so confused. I sigh, "Pass me that bottle of Jasmine oil, please? I think I need some more."
Just then, the door opens and who should walk in but Isabelle herself. "Knock, knock! May I come in and hug the bride?"
"Well, well, if it isn't my maid-of-honor, late as usual. Speaking of late… when were you going to tell me you have a bun in the oven?" I ask, trying to keep the huffiness out of my voice.
"Uh oh, looks like the cat's out of the bag, when did you find out?" She smiles awkwardly as if she half expects me to be mad at her, which I sort of am. Though not about the baby, but about being kept in the dark.
"Oh I dunno… how about two fricking minutes ago! But it would have been nice to hear it from the mother-to-be herself Izzy! Did you think I'd freak out?" I ask.
"Umm, you kind of are right now, Clary." She winces.
"Yeah, because nobody bothered to tell me and my mom thought I knew already, so the way I found out was through a passing comment she made, fifteen minutes before my wedding! As if the bride didn't have enough on her mind. Now I have about a million questions for you swirling around in my head!" I exhale.
"Well, there probably isn't time to ask me that many, but how about for now we start with your three most pressing?" She smiles, and just like that we're fine. Izzy and I can never stay mad at each other. We've simply been friends too long for that.
"When are you due?" I ask her.
"In five months approximately, it should be a September baby if comes when it's supposed to." She smiles.
"If it's anything like its mother it'll be late. I take it you don't know the gender, since we're saying 'it'?" I grin.
"Not yet, no, I've had a couple of ultrasounds but this silly baby is stubborn and won't let us find out." She sighs, exasperatedly. Isabelle like to plan things especially things that involve shopping so she's probably going stir-crazy not knowing.
"Oh, you mean like its father?" I laugh. "Which brings me to my second question… when did Jace stop being your 'brother'?"
"Oh, about the time he helped me survive my grief over Simon. I got so bad I couldn't sleep without him in the room with me at night and during the day I would just go hunting from sun up to sun down looking for the demon that killed Simon and drag Jace with me. I had stopped living, Clary and Jace brought me back. He reminded me that Simon would have wanted me to live. That he would have wanted me to go on and make a new life for myself that consisted of something more than just being Simon's widow. I had to move on eventually, I just never thought it would be with Jace.
"Your first birthday after Simon died… I think you were in Nicaragua or Brazil maybe? I can't remember which. Anyway, it was especially hard for both of us. For Jace because your birthday was the anniversary of your first kiss and for me because Simon and I had always spent your birthday with you and then, you were both gone, it sucked. Anyway, Jace and I decided to do shots that night and take our minds off of it. And that was when, he told me I was beautiful and I said 'Shut up' and he was like 'No, I mean it. I don't know if I've ever told you that before. And life is so precious, I'm done wasting it.' And I don't know what possessed me, but when he said that, I just kissed him. And he kissed me back. And we've been going strong ever since." She says, holding out her left finger to show off the Herondale ring there.
"Well that answers my next question… I was going to ask if you're together for real or not. Congratulations! That ring looks an awful lot better on your finger Iz than it ever did on mine." I laugh, shaking my head in disbelief at how well everything has worked out.
"How about you, I never even knew you liked Mark, this whole thing seemed to come out of left field?" She grins.
I smirk. "Well, it's a funny story, that. And one I love to tell, so sit down." And I proceed to tell Isabelle about a boy who came to a girl in her dreams so many years ago and showed her what true love was and what true happiness felt like. I tell her about how, by choosing this future, I was actually making the dreams come true.
"So you mean you're really going have all of those children, like in the field? Well, how many were there?" She asks.
"It looked like about ten or so. You have to remember two things though Izzy. First, Mark himself comes from a big family. And secondly, by choosing to raise our family in The Faerie, Mark and I will be bringing Shadowhunter blood into the bloodlines here, which strengthens them and then that means less changelings they have to create. So yes, we want to have a lot of children." I sigh in sheer happiness.
"So, you're happy with your decision? Mark makes you happy?" She asks hopefully.
"Quite happy… it feels as if, this is the day my soul was made for." And I really do think it was.
"Well good, because it's time for your wedding!" Isabelle says as Aline knocks on the door to let us know everything is ready and all they need is the bride. As I look myself over one last time in the mirror, I see something I have never seen before. The woman looking back at me in her flowing, white feather gown complete with waterfall braids placed into her hair that afternoon on a picnic, by her soon to be husband. That woman is exactly that, a woman, no longer a little girl or a feisty teenager and no longer an insecure young lady, dependant on a boy for her self-esteem. She is undertaking more than a marriage today. She is coming into her own.
Clarissa Frey, soon to be Clary Starlight Blackthorn (which she has chosen for her Faerie name), is ready to grow up. She is ready to become a wife and hopefully soon after, a mother and just as importantly she is prepared to be a Princess. I've decided that not only am I going to be Mark's wife but, I am fully embracing the land under the hill, along with all of its ways and customs. And I will be fulfilling my role in the Seelie Court by Mark's side. It's exhilarating and beautiful and terrifying and wonderful. And I owe it all to a boy, with tousled blond hair and pointy ears who gave his heart to girl ten years ago and has waited patiently for this, plenty long enough. So, Mark Blackthorn… here comes your bride!