Disclaimer: Cassandra Claire owns all except for the kids!
Chapter 11
Kings and Kingdoms:
"Have we reached any improvements with Bane?" I asked as Mortmain and I headed down the hallways. Mortmain was head of interrogation, had been ever since my Father put me in charge of this facility. "He is a strong one Sir, but I believe with a bit more time he'll break. They always break at some point," Mortmain said with a confident smile in place. "You better be right," I said with finality before changing directions in the hall. I needed to meet with my Father before checking over Bane. It may seem like I run everything here, but it won't truly be mine until he is gone. One cannot rule a kingdom with it's King still in place.
I walked into a round, dome like room with a curved desk to one side and an arched door with about seven bolts securely locking it into place. "Oh," Seelie, the woman behind the desk gasped when she saw me enter. She straightened up behind the desk, puffing her chest out and squeezing her arms together to emphasize her already swollen chest. "Are you here to see your Father?" She drawled as she batted her eyes, whipping her fire red hair to the side. Seelie was gorgeous, anyone with eyes could see that, but I was here for business today, the fun would have to wait.
"You know I would much rather prefer your company Miss Seelie, but you know how my Father can be, maybe later," I said, brushing my hand down the curve of her jaw. She was one of my favorite play things, of course I can't turn her down completely. "Oh," she giggled before leaning even further over the desk, giving me a full display of her perfectly sculpted chest, "I'll be looking forward to that." Seelie glanced down at the desk, pushing a small red button, before looking back up at me, biting her lips which were the same shade of red. "He'll see you now," she whispered. "Thanks Seelie," I said with a small wink before heading over to the already opening doorway.
I could hear the churning gears as the door opened all the way. The doors opened to another round room, this one had a sterile, white feel to it. The floors were white tile that made an echoing 'click' noise when you walked on it and the walls were a bright white as well. Black, gold, and silver decals lined the walls, most of them being the symbols, runes, of the Clave. A black couch sat in the middle of the room with a glass coffee table in front of it, a still warm cup of coffee, black of course, sat in the middle. In the far left of the room sat a desk made of dark wood with runes engraved into the front in gold.
A large portrait hung just behind the desk, it depicted a man with fair skin and curling gold and silver hair. He had a proud jaw line and a straight nose. His lips were in a line playing with a smile and his gold eyes glimmered as if he held a secret. Ithuriel Shadowhunter. My father. "Jonathan," a deep voice bellowed behind me. I turned to see the man from the portrait stand just before the open doors leading to a balcony, "You took your time my son." "Forgive me Father, but I was looking into the Bane case. I thought…" I started o say before he cut me off with a wave of his hand. "Excuses mean nothing to me. If you wish to rule after me then you have to room for mistakes. One man slips up it can ruin his life, one king slips up it can ruin a kingdom," Ithuriel said, "Now come. Look with me." Ithuriel didn't wait to see if I was going to follow, but instead walked back out to the balcony. Silently, I followed, no one could refuse my Father. No one.
"Look, Jonathan. What do you see?" Ithuriel said as he rested his arms against the stone railing encasing the balcony. Below sat all of the Clave's lands, my Father's lands. The setting sun casted a warm glow on all the clean, stable, common buildings and the identical rows of houses. The streets were empty at the moment, as they should be since curfew was only moments away. I sighed internally at the town and its inhabitants. Its ignorant and all too trusting inhabitants. They believe anything you want them to really. All but a select few believe in the 'Clave's' rule, that they have any say in how their lives will be run. At one point in my life I had felt pity for these people, the fact that they had no idea that all of their lives, every single moment, was being run and chosen by a single man. My Father was practically a god to these tiny ants.
Ever since I was little I remember my Father taking me out hear and telling me the same thing each time. I could recite it word for word now. "I see a world full of imbeciles. They need guidance, someone to make their lives simple and easy, and that role has always rested on your shoulders. They don't know how to choose for themselves, and if they were given the chance the world would surely turn to chaos. Someone needs to protect them, all of them, and if that means shielding them from the truth, and keeping outside forces away, than that is what needs to happen. You do all of this and have established a sound society for years, and one day I will do the same."
I stared out at the town, a bitter taste in my mouth from the words I had just spoken, but I ignored them. This was my job, this was what I was raised for, what is expected of me. I am going to do what is right for my people no matter what it takes. "Good, my son, good. Now you need to enforce that. I will not just hand this over to you, you need to earn this position. Now go prove yourself," Ithuriel said, not turning to me once. "Yes Father," I said before heading towards the door. Just before I exited he called after me, "Jonathan." "Yes Father?" I replied, turning to face him only to meet the back of his crisp, black suit. "Don't fail me," He said. "Yes Father," I replied before exiting the room. There was no way I could fail now, if that happens… I don't even want to think about that.
"Oh, Jonathan!" Seelie giggled when I she saw me, "What time should I…" "Not tonight Seelie," I cut her off, "I have something I need to do." And with that I headed in the direction of Magnus Bane's cell and I'm not leaving until I get an answer.
Author's Note:
Hey guys! So I'm guessing you may or may not have caught on to Jonathan, but then again I could be evil and have it be a completely different person? You'll just have to wait and see I guess lol I am dying to know what you guys are thinking about this, I don't remember if I've said this but this is my first time writing anything like this so I need feedback. If you think its terrible then please tell me so that I can improve, no matter how harsh it is it can only ever help me in the long run. Anyways I love you all and thank you so much for reading!
-Haybell