Hi! Sorry, I know it's been a while and this chapter isn't the best. I briefly lost inspiration for this story and I've barely found it. I'll try to improve at a later point.

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters.

Earlier that day...

Jace fidgeted in his seat. He didn't see the point in his attendance at this meeting, or even having this meeting before they introduced the Morgensterns at the ball later that day. The Hall was eerily silent, the Morgenstern's looking at him and his family expectantly. Of course, as the hosts, they would have to initiate the conversation and Stephen was using that rule of etiquette to his advantage, staying silent for an almost unbearable amount of time. Even Celine - Jace's calm and collected mother - was starting to look on edge.

It's like we're not meeting to talk about peace. Surely if you wanted to broker a peace treaty you would want to form bonds of friendship, instead of intimidating your allies.

Jace, admittedly, was surprised that the Morgensterns had even agreed to visiting the Herondales. For all they knew, his father could be planning to murder them in his sleep and claim their kingdom amidst the carnage. He wasn't but... It was a leap of faith.

And he could tell by their expressions - or at least, Jocelyn's; Valentine's face was guarded and Jonathan just looked bored - that they were questioning whether or not they had landed on solid ground.

Stephen cleared his throat. Finally. Jace had to suppress a smile as he saw Jonathan roll his eyes. They caught each other's eyes and exchanged sly grins. He was a pain, but he was an entertaining companion.

"We all know why we're here," Stephen began, "I understand that we had another gathering similar to this with the same intent, but the plans made then have hit a slight complication." Understatement of the century. "So perhaps the way to peace is to agree to another marriage alliance?"

The Morgenstern king gave a curt nod, but sneered "And who is there to go into the marriage?"

His father only eyed his fellow king coldly. "The Herondale court has many eligible bachelors and bachelorettes. I'm sure yours has just as many."

Jace felt faintly sick. These were people. It was their entire lives that would be affected by this. Yet Stephen and Valentine were discussing it as though they were talking about breeding horses.

"We have compiled," Stephen said, pulling out a rolled up piece of paper, "a list of possibilities. I trust you've done the same?" Valentine nodded, bringing out a similar list. They handed them to each other and scanned down the names.

"Clary Fray," Valentine said, as Stephen read out "Sebastian Verlac."

Jace was itching to object, though he would probably end up making a fool out of himself. He had no solid reason to. He therefore was incredibly relieved when his father said "Not Miss Fray."

"Not Seb either." Jonathan said firmly. Jace raised an eyebrow at him and he scowled.

"Jonathan," Valentine said, staring disapprovingly at his son. "Don't speak out of turn."

"You're the one who said I should be here to 'gain experience'. How am I meant to do that whilst staying silent?" Valentine didn't respond so the Crown Prince turned to Stephen. "Not Seb." He repeated.

Stephen nodded. "Very well." Without asking permission he took back the Herondale list and compared the two. "Aline Penhallow and Alexander Lightwood seem fit matches." Jonathan's right to interject had assured Jace of his own. He stood up quickly at the names and, to his shock, Jonathan stood up as well.

"No," they said in unison, taking everyone including themselves by surprise. Neither offered an explanation as they retook their seats.

Celine glanced at the grandfather clock. "It grows late. We should adjourn the meeting and continue it tomorrow." She was already rising to her feet.

"I agree," Queen Jocelyn said, following suit. Jace really looked at her for the first time and realised she looked incredibly familiar, like he'd seen her before, when this was his first time meeting her. He'd heard that her daughter was the spitting image of her, but he was fairly sure he had never met Clarissa.

"Indeed," his father said. At that everyone who'd remained seating rose. "Jonathan," Jace was fairly sure he was the one being addressed, "take Jonathan to his chambers. Make friends and try not to kill each other."

Present (at the ball)

Jonathan Morgenstern did not want to be here.

He did not want to be in a room so large people with agoraphobia would panic. He did not want to be surrounded by pretty, pompous lords (he also used some other unfavourable names for them) that resembled peacocks, or the giggling ladies (again, more insulting nouns came to mind) who were as shallow as peahens whilst they sought to flirt with the man with the most money. What's more, he did not want to spend another moment in this castle, when he could be organising the searches for his sister.

He knew she was still alive. It was why he always brought her up in conversation. So no one would forget that.

It was tragic. He'd barely gotten the chance to be the protective older brother he'd wanted to be, before she disappeared.

He touched his finger to his left shoulder, imagining he could feel the slight bump of the star-shaped mark beneath the layers of fabric he had on. Every Morgenstern developed the mark at some spot on their skin around the ages of fifteen and sixteen. Knowing that he wore his heritage as a permanent mark soothed him, and helped him feel still connected to the sister he'd lost, even if she probably didn't have it yet. He was sure that even if she'd disappeared ito the masses, one day someone would notice it and bring her back.

But until then, here he was. And he couldn't pretend for another moment that he hadn't seen Jace ogling someone, despite the fact he was engaged.

"Who's that you keep gazing at?" he asked, pointing over at the two girls whose direction Jace had kept glancing in. He didn't need to ask, he was pretty sure it was the red-haired girl. Which didn't make sense if Jace was just admiring her, since the other was more eye-catching. "The red-haired one or the black-haired one?" He smirked, though he wanted to yell at the Herondale Prince. If Lissa came back and found her betrothed was hung up on another girl...

He slightly regretted speaking so loudly when he saw Seb and Alexander Lightwood turn towards them, looking like brothers with their similar hair colours and masks to hide their faces. He hadn't meant to interrupt his friends conversation. "They're my sisters:" Alexander - Alec, he'd asked them to call him - said. "Isabelle Lightwood and Clary Fray."

He was sure his ears pricked up at the last part. "Fray?" He cast a sidelong glance as Jace. That explains a lot. "Not Lightwood?"

"Clary was adopted." Jace said curtly. Evidently he didn't like Jonathan's poking around. Alec turned to his prince, seemingly startled at the ice in his voice. But...

"Clary?" Jon asked, struggling to keep his voice steady. How far had this gotten?

Jace flushed bright red and Jonathan counted it as a victory. He glanced back over at the girls and found himself frozen in place. Clary was looking back at him. Their gazes locked. Jon's stomach contracted as he tried to identify the feeling he got. Familiarity. But the blankness in her gaze as she surveyed him was alien. Unfamiliar. What was happening?

The feeling disappeared as soon as her gaze snapped away. He presumed she had met Jace's eyes, but he suddenly found he didn't care enough to look. What seemed like moments later, Jace turned to him. "What's wrong?" It was one of the first civilised things they'd said.

He frowned. "She looked... sort of familiar. Like someone I saw long ago."

Jace seemed to consider something. He said "I have a question."

He shook himself free of the vulnerable, confused state. "Oh?" Jonathan quirked an eyebrow, tone mocking. Jace's eyes narrowed.

"Why did you react the way you did when our fathers proposed the second marriage possibility with Miss Penhallow?" His smirk faltered at that, and the prince noticed. "I'll tell you my reason if you tell me yours."

Jonathan gulped, checking no one was in earshot. Could he really trust him enough to tell him? Seb and Alec had resumed their conversation so he leaned in and said in a hushed tone "Lady Aline Penhallow is homosexual. I promised her I wouldn't let her be put in an arranged marriage."

"So you don't agree with the punishment?" Jace inquired. Jonathan would have been angry if it wasn't abundantly clear that he was against it as well.

"They're being imprisoned because of their love. It's like something out of a ballad. It's not right." Jace nodded. "Now what was your reason?"

"Alec's the same." Jon nodded grimly. "I promised his family when I overheard them discussing it that I wouldn't let him be married off either."

They stood in silence for a moment, just inspecting each other, finally seeing just how similar the two of them were.

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