Mark's Gran-mother
"As Helen has already told you, I am Chanterelle Nightshade and I do believe it is time, my children that you each learned about your respective Fey heritage. I, am a full Wood Nymph and Mark and Helen's mother was my daughter. Her father, who is no longer with us, was fully Centaur. So as far as that goes, Helen and Mark are fully Seelie. Now, as for you, Clary, you too have Wood Nymph ancestry on your mother's side. I know this because your grandmother Adele was my niece.
"Sufficed to say, the Shadowhunter who impregnated my older sister, Juniper, never stuck around to help raise her daughter Adele, and Juniper wasn't the most responsible of Faeries, so, when Adele was eight years old, she was sent to Idris to be raised by the Clave. But she was permitted to keep the Nightshade name. She later married Granville and became Adele Fairchild, raising your Mother, Jocelyn as a Shadowhunter under the Fairchild name.
"Now, on your father's side, I'm afraid you have a darker heritage as is generally the case in that family. His mother was a Half-Morgen I am afraid. They are Unseelie and are somewhat similar to Sirens. The story is, Shee-kna the Morgen, lured a Shadowhunter to the water to sire a child for her, believing that the child would still be aquatic, because Morgens lured sailors in that manner all the time. They would then kill the sailors and keep their babies to strengthen the bloodlines.
"Little did she realize, however, that Shadowhunter blood is always dominant so when her daughter was born, she couldn't breathe underwater and Shee-kna knew she had to give her to the land dwellers in order that the child should survive and she named her Seraphina to signify that she was giving her over be raised by the Angel's Children. It is the belief of most Fey that the reason Valentine Morgenstern was so corrupt was because of his Unseelie heritage and unlike you, Clary Blackthorn, he had no Seelie or extra Angel blood to balance it out.
"So your Fey heritage, my Dear, comes from both Courts and that is one of the reasons that you've been receiving such a warm welcome since your arrival in The Faerie. As our new Seelie Princess it is believed that with your Unseelie connections, should you choose to claim them, you will make an excellent liaison between the Courts. It would be nice to improve our relations with the Unseelie, considering how volatile they've always been, that is, if you are up for the challenge. And it would be even nicer if you succeed in eventually convincing them to accept a seat on the Council and represent themselves among the Clave, since they have not been represented thusly for quite some time.
"You see, the Fair Folk used to co-mingle much more and the separation of the Courts was at one time, merely a formality. Our borders were not only open but commonly traversed. Nowadays, they have closed themselves off to us, scorning our relationships with the rest of the Shadow world and as such, our people hardly co-mingle with their people, and that leads to more inbreeding. If we don't settle all of this soon, it could eventually put our entire species in jeopardy
"So, while I don't wish to overwhelm you on your wedding day, my Lovely, it would appear the fate of the Fair Folk may someday come to rest on your pretty little shoulders. Not yours alone of course, but in large part. We haven't had a Seelie Princess with Unseelie family connections in a very long time, my Girl. Your arrival is quite the momentous occasion. Besides, the Morgens carry a lot of… influence among the Unseelie. They are believed to be direct descendants of Morgan le Fay, though no one knows for sure.
"So, while I don't envy you in having to adjust to a new life in the land under the hill as well as married life and life as a Princess and soon to be motherhood, I hope… it is important that you at least consider adding just one more responsibility to your ever increasing list, by becoming our ambassador at some point in time. The problems will keep for a while but not forever. And as your Great-Great Aunt, emphases on the 'great', I felt it would be best if you heard it from me. And Clary, if you, or your mother, ever wish to hear stories of your gran-mother's childhood, we should sit down to a visit sometime." She smiles hugging us again and departing to give me the opportunity of processing all that I've learned.
"Well, by the Angel my sweet, sweet Bride! It would seem I've picked a good woman to fall in love with… between all this prophecy stuff and that ambassador business. Pardon the expression, but you're hot shit around here! Although after all of this craziness, I won't blame if you want to back out or something?" He asks, trying not to look as deflated as I can tell he feels at that prospect.
"Mark, my Darling, look at me! Do I look like I have any desire to run away?" I smile with all the love in my heart, letting it pour out of me and envelope him.
"No, but we still have six more days with all of these well-meaning relatives, so, keep me posted?" He laughs.
"I love you Mark Blackthorn." I grin, kissing my husband while held in his tender embrace. The kisses soon become a passionate frenzy as we both try to release some of the sexual tension that has been building between us since our vows. Unfortunately, it will be a while before we can leave the festivities to go off and do what we'd both rather be doing right now. Oh well, I am told we might get to have a nice loooooong honeymoon, since it is a Seelie tradition for the bride and groom to sequester themselves in the wild woods until she is with child. So I suppose there will be plenty of time for that later!
"I love you, Clary Blackthorn!" My husband grins, guiding me back into the fray.