Shadow-hunter practice became a persistent interruption in Magnus' life. Alec started being gone every other afternoon, and he came home sweaty and tired.

Not something Magnus liked to see when he wasn't the cause.

Still Magnus could see Alec was trying.

He woke Magnus up every morning with a gentle hand on his arm or shoulder. He was full of smiles and laughter for Magnus when they sat together for meals, and he even struggled with himself to stay awake with Magnus at the end of the night, no matter how exhausted he appeared to be.

Most the time Magnus pretended to be tired so that Alec would just go to bed, but it was a nice gesture all the same.

Alec seemed to trust him more, and that was a good thing. Still, Magnus was a bit of a petty man, because he really couldn't stand how many days Alec was spending training with Jace.

"You want to come with me?" Alec repeated in surprise when he and Magnus were eating breakfast together one morning. "To practice? You know it's very boring…"

"I plan to keep it interesting," Magnus replied, sipping at his coffee. "I can help train you all with my magic."

Alec smiled kindly, "That would be very nice of you, but don't push yourself too hard."

Magnus wanted to roll his eyes but refrained since it was actually endearing that Alec was worried about him. Still he ought to know that Magnus was far too powerful to be worn out by a handful of new shadowhunters.

So that afternoon, before Jace had a chance to send for Alec, Magnus transported the two of them into the castle courtyard.

The shadow-hunter soldiers training there looked startled, and Alec looked dizzy, but Magnus was pleased with himself.

"What is he doing here?" Jace asked, turning away from a man he had been talking to. He was glaring at Magnus but clearly addressing Alec.

"He's helping." Alec said in a stern tone that left no room for questions, and Magnus was deeply pleased.

"That's right," He agreed, rolling up his sleeves, "Are you all ready for a workout?"

Jace sneered. "Of course we are."

Magnus smirked.

Things got a little competitive after that. Magnus created swarms of illusionary demons for the shadowhunters to fight. It mostly a pretty fair, if difficult challenge but there were two exceptions.

Jace seemed to be getting the brunt of the attacks. Alec seemed to be getting the passed over.

At first Alec was just confused and started throwing himself for eagerly into the fight, going after other people's demons, including Jace's- If he could get them before Jace did- but after a while Alec whirled on Magnus.

"Stop babying me!" he said it low, standing directly in front of Magnus. "I can take it, stop treating me like I'm weak."

Magnus stared in surprise. "Alec I wasn't-,"

Alec glared. "Challenge me. The same way you would if I were Jace."

"Jace?" Magnus repeated, honestly confused as to why Alec picked him, but this only seemed to spur Alec on.

"I'm just as strong as him!"

Magnus raised an arm in surrender.

"I know you are. I'm sorry. I'll-,"

"Forget it," There was hurt in Alec's eyes now. He felt that even if Magnus gave him what he wanted it would just be out of pity at this point. "I don't need to prove anything here."

Alec stormed out of the courtyard, and Magnus watched him in shock.

Jace stopped fighting- by no small expense of will- to walk over to Magnus.

"What did you do to Alec?"

"Nothing," Magnus glared. "I blame you for this."

Jace cocked a vicious eyebrow. "He wasn't yelling at me."

"He's here because of you!"

"He wants to be here!"

"He wants to prove that you're not better than him!" Magnus grabbed Jace by his shirt. "You're a fighter golden boy, I will give you that. Alec on the other hand is so much more. If he keeps trying to fight, just so he came be better at it than you, he will get himself killed. Not because he's weak, but because ending up dead is exactly where you're headed. I will not let Alec run that race, and I'm certainly not going to let him win it." Magnus dropped Jace on the ground. "If you cared about him at all you wouldn't either."

"You think I would let Alec die?" Jace demanded, "He's my family."

"You won't do it on purpose." Magnus rolled his eyes, "You'll do it because you don't notice him chasing after you, trying to protect you. So one day, when you throw yourself into danger, Alec will be dragged right into it with you. Or at least he would be, except that I'm going to protect him."

"Because you care about Alec?" Jace demanded. "His slave owner cares?"

"He isn't my slave." Magnus hissed. "I've been protecting Alec this whole time. If you weren't so self absorbed you would have noticed that. Isabelle did."

"Izzy?" Jace actually looked surprised. "What do you mean Izzy noticed, noticed what?"

Magnus shook his head. "You're beyond my help, Captain. I think you and your men can take it from here."

With that Magnus snapped his fingers and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

After kissing Magnus, Alec had trouble keeping up much of a coherent conversation. Mostly Magnus just found himself comforting the prince, trying to tell him that it was okay. What he felt, and what he wanted was okay.

Alec didn't seem to hear much, but he leaned into Magnus tiredly.

"I'm glad I met you." Alec murmured in a slurred voice. "I don't really feel so alone now that you know. Now that I know people like you exist."

Magnus blushed a little and felt stupid for doing it. He wrapped an arm around Alec's shoulders.

"You're definitely not alone, Alec. You were just lead to believe that."

Alec nuzzled into Magnus' shoulder and at first, the warlock was surprised at the forwardness until he realized Alec had fallen asleep. Magnus sighed and scooped him up.

"Time for bed, sweet prince."

Magnus found himself wandering the castle corridor, unsure of where to take the prince to rest where he wouldn't be found by the wrong people. In the end though, it seemed the right person managed to find him.

"What are you doing with my brother?"

Magnus jolted in surprise and turned around.

Behind him, with her hands on her hips, was Princess Isabelle who Magnus had heard of mostly because of her famous fashion sense. In person she was somehow shorter but much more imposing. Her dark, black-fire eyes bearing down on him like an avenging angel.

"I'm sorry, dear, I'd happily give him to you if you'd like. We had been talking and he drank quite a lot. He's asleep now."

Isabelle walked up to him with the staccato click of her heels.

"What were you doing with him?"

Magnus tried to look as innocent and sincere as possible. "I was trying to find his room, I just wanted to help him sleep I swear."

"What did you talk to him about?"

Magnus swiped his teeth over his lip. "Just some birthday plans he'd had in mind, but it sounded like they weren't going to work out."

Isabelle's expression softened.

"He didn't tell dad, did he?"

Magnus' eyes widened.

"Well I… He… No. He didn't."

The princess sighed.

"That might be for the best," She said, not cruelly but with a deep regret. "I'm surprised he told you thought."

Magnus shrugged awkwardly. "I think he sensed a sympathetic spirit."

Isabelle smiled a little. "Maybe. You are handsome. At least brother has good taste."

Magnus cleared his throat and looked around awkwardly. "It was really nothing-,"

Isabelle was suddenly glaring again. "It wasn't for him! He never talks to anyone about this. He never even told me, not to my face. If you really don't care then leave him alone."

Isabelle elbowed Magnus in the chest and tried to pry Alec from his arms.

God damn that girl was a force to contend with.

"I care." Magnus said before he really knew what he was saying, hoisting Alec back out of his sister's arms. "I care… It's just… It must be awful to be the prince and feel the way Alec does. But as long as he wants to be a member of a royal family, there isn't much that can protect him from what he's feeling now."

Isabelle looked at Magnus, and then down and away.

"Alec is so noble. He never puts himself first but I wish he would. I wish he would go make himself happy instead of fight so hard to be the person that everyone else wants him to be."

"I think he's pretty great how he his," Magnus admitted, trying to downplay it with a shrug.

Isabelle's eyes met his again.

"You do, don't you?" she smiled, "Do you like my brother?"

Magnus rolled his eyes a little defensively. "I'm a very old and wise warlock who has lived through many centuries. I don't "like" people Isabelle Lightwood."

She raised he eyebrows and folded her arms over her chest in disbelief.

Magnus held her gaze for a moment before looking away with a huff, and Isabelle laughed light a bell.

"I knew it." She flicked her hair. "In that case his room is down the next hall, third door on the left. Let him get some sleep and I'll talk to him in the morning. I'm sure he'll want to see you again."

Magnus glanced away casually, "I wouldn't mind it, if he did."

The princess winked and strode off. "It was a pleasure to meet you warlock." she said and waved.

Magnus looked after her with a smile and a disbelieving shake of his head before carrying Alec to his room.

The more hours passed before Alec came back to the manor that night, the more agitated Magnus got.

He got the feeling that if Alec didn't come back before midnight when the spell kicked in then he would have lost him. Alec wouldn't be pleased feeling forced to face him if he was still angry. If he wasn't coming back on his own terms.

However, at nearly ten o'clock, Magnus' fears were put to rest.

The door to the manor opened quietly but Magnus perked up like a cat.

"Alec?"

The door closed heavily.

"Yeah it's me."

Magnus hovered uncertainly between getting up and going to him and giving him space. In the end Alec came to him with a determined expression.

Magnus smoothed his pant legs nervously.

"Alec about today-,"

"What am I to you?"

Magnus blinked, staring into Alec's deep, unyielding eyes and being unsure what he'd just stumbled into.

"What do you mean?"

"Am I your pet?" Alec asked, "Am I your trophy? I never got the feeling that I held no meaning for you but after today…" He shook his head. "I don't know what you see in me. If you don't see me as a valuable shadow-hunter-,"

"I do-,"

Alec held up his hand. "You didn't pick me as a soldier. You didn't even want me to be one. That isn't why you wanted me so," he sighed, "I don't know what was it?"

Magnus took a deep breath, unsure how to have this conversation.

"Alec…"

"You mentioned something about liking me."

Magnus' eyes flashed up, startled, and caught an uncertain look on Alec's face.

"Was it…" Alec cast his eyes down. "Did you bring me here for sex?"

Magnus might have choked.

"Alec! No. I would never do that!"

Alec raised his eyes and Magnus waved his arms as if to clear the air.

"Alec, I wouldn't want someone who didn't want me. I'm not the desperate."

"But you like men," Alec clarified. "Did you… I mean…" he seemed unsure where to look. "There could have been rumors about me, and there aren't that many men who would… have that sort of relationship in this kingdom."

"You'd be surprised." Magnus replied and Alec looked at him like he grew a second head.

"Nevermind." Magnus continued. "No. I do not expect sex from you, Alexander."

"You couldn't have wanted me for my cleaning skills." Alec said finally, exasperatedly. "I'm prince, I don't clean things, so was it just to get at my father? To say that you have the crown prince under your thumb? A power struggle?"

Magnus knew he should almost say yes, that reason was probably the one that would make the most sense without revealing anything. But Magnus was already shaking his head.

"No Alec," He murmured lowly. "That isn't why."

Alec's expression was earnest. "Then why?"

Magnus swallowed and twisted his hands together. "I asked you here… because I wanted to protect you."

Alec looked almost offended, "Protect me from what?"

"From your father." Magnus ran a hand through his hair. "From… yourself. The secrets you were keeping."

Alec glared, "What right do you have to accuse me of keeping secrets?"

"I'm not," Magnus held up his hands. "I'm not. It's just that you told me once how scared you were to tell your father the truth about yourself. I knew you were terrified of him finding out someday, and you were right to be afraid. I was trying to give you a way to get out from under your father where no one would judge you. Where you could be safe."

"What are you talking about?" Alec looked terrified. "I never told you anything."

"You don't remember," Magnus admitted, "I realized that, pretty quickly, and so did Isabelle. We decided it would be better not to tell you, because we thought with time you might remember on your own."

"Izzy? What does she have to do with this?" Alec looked a little green.

Magnus sighed, "Alec. I can explain everything, but it might take me a while so are you willing to hear me out?"

Alec stared at him, eyes searching his face as if he was trying to understand him. "Okay."

Magnus let out breath. "Okay." He agreed and smoothed his tie.

"It started at your 18th birthday party…"