"Fine," Alec snapped, tears running down his face as he pulled away sharply. "You stay here then. Be sad and lonely. See if I care!" But he was lying, lying more than he'd ever lied in his life. He loved Magnus.
Alec had managed the impossible, finding a way to have a warlock in the Palace, and yet he still couldn't be with Magnus. It wasn't fair but there was nothing else to do, no hope to be had. Despite finding love - which in itself felt like a miracle - and despite finding a way to be closer to the person he loved, Alec was still trapped in the same life, as if nothing had changed. He was back at square one, the only difference being that his heart was broken.
Alec made the trip home slowly, trying to put off the inevitable. He thought of just giving up, saying goodbye to all common sense and turning around to run into Magnus's arms and never let go. Surely Magnus could portal them somewhere remote so no one could ever find them. The world didn't need another king right? In this moment Alec wanted tell the fools to figure it out themselves and run off into the sunset with his love.
Of course Alec didn't turn around, his sense of honour and duty forbade him. It was the dilemma Alec had been faced with all his life: what he wanted versus what others required of him. If Alec didn't have a deep seeded need to be what others required him to be, maybe Alec could have done the selfish thing and chosen to put his happiness before his people.
As this was not the case Alec arrived back at the Palace alone. The relief on his parents faces when they saw him return alone, Alec had expected; the fact that they'd given him this chance in the first place he hadn't. He would always be grateful they'd believed him and supported him even if Magnus had rejected the plan. The members of the council were happy with this outcome and though the grin on Valentine's face annoyed Alec, everyone else's expression just made him miserable.
As Alec's betrothed, Elizabeth came to live in the Palace. Their political alliance would secure ties with the northern province and finally settle the unrest with their neighbours. Alec would have prefered to make a trade agreement or find a marriage-free diplomatic way to solve the problem, but it wasn't up to him.
Elizabeth's mundane lover arrived; he watched them running into each other's arms with such joy on their faces and Alec felt his heart ache. He missed Magnus all the time, but seeing two people so happy just from the presence of the other made Alec miss Magnus more. Alec could remember only too well the feeling of security and love in their eyes. He ensured Elizabeth got to share a room with her love before their wedding. They deserved at least a moment's happiness.
Clary and Jace's wedding was approaching, the whole kingdom a buzz with the news. They were the most nauseatingly sweet couple the castle has ever seen and the people were thrilled by their coming nuptials.
The Palace doors burst open with a crash and all the dancing couples jumped. They were in the middle of a wedding rehearsal as everyone turned to see Valentine standing in the doorway with a small quivering man at his feet.
"I found the spy!" Valentine boomed.
"Valentine," the Queen groaned as she hurried over. "Must you bring him here now. Please go around the dungeons."
"Very well," Valentine said smugly, with a slight bow to the Queen as he turned and exited the way he'd come.
"Wow, does that man like to make an entrance," Elizabeth chuckled. She was Alec's dance partner and thus suffering greatly at this lack of dancing skills.
"That he does," Alec laughed. "He's a skilled fighter though and it seems actually able to catch a spy. Who knew." Was it strange how little he cared about this when that spy's misinformation had almost gotten him killed?
"A spy," she shivered. "What a dreadful thing. He had one in my kingdom once. It turned out to be a maid in the household. My father stopped allowing humans into the Palace after that."
"That must have made it hard for you to see Josephine," Alec commented, thinking of Elizabeth's human lover.
"It was," Elizabeth replied. "But it didn't stop us."
"You are lucky," Alec smiled.
"He really said no?" Elizabeth whispered as the Queen started them dancing again. Alec had told her this already, but it seemed Elizabeth hadn't quite believed it possible. "Josey was thrilled when I told her."
"I don't know of any other time a mundane has been invited to live permanently within these walls," Alec replied. "So I was truly surprised when a warlock was to be allowed. I should have known it was too good to be true."
"Maybe you could visit him?" Elizabeth suggested as they listened to instructions and tried to hold themselves better during the waltz.
"More stolen time," Alec sighed. Though the idea depressed him, he knew he'd do it, knew he'd suffer for those few moments of happiness.
"Or maybe there is a way, only you haven't yet discovered it," Elizabeth suggested. Alec smiled at her, sure she was wrong, and their conversation died as they focused on their dancing.
After rehearsed speeches and more footwork Alec was finally allowed to leave, but the next day he watch as his best friend married the little redhead with so much love in his eyes that Alec found himself moved to tears. Elizabeth was sitting beside him and handed him her handkerchief. Alec accept it and dabbed as his eyes while the newly webs joyfully ran down the hall.
It was almost like Alec could hear his parents say 'your turn next' as he saw the looks of happiness on their faces.
Alec wanted to yelled at his parents in that moment. He wanted to remind them of the unrequited love they gave up for their political marriage. He wanted to ask why they would condemn him to the very same life that lead them to their mistresses and affairs. Alec knew Max's death had caused at least his mother to look elsewhere and he'd more than once seen his father with another woman. Alec was the product of a political marriage and he knew what that meant. He had never once seen love in his parents eyes for each others and the thought of inflicting such a fate on his own children, made Alec sick.
Magnus was right; the system is broken. And Alec couldn't even blame his parents for it. They were just living the life their parents had taught them, and after all, they had agreed to Magnus staying here even if the warlock had turned Alec down. Alec knew his parents had good intentions, but that didn't change the reality of the situation. Alec found himself wondering how this had all began. If his parents had been taught by their parents who were taught by their parents when had this endless cycle of pain started? Alec couldn't be happy, but just maybe if he figured it out he could help the generations after him they could be. Alec got through the rest of the wedding then barricaded himself in the library.
He'd already poured over every book he thought might matter before Alec had met Magnus, but this time Alec was looking for information that wasn't there rather than information that was.
There was not a single records older than 400 years. There were accounts of warlocks working with shadowhunter despite the fact that Alec knew this to be true even in his own lifetime. After all, he'd met Magnus when the warlock had saved his life. Some names in the Herondale and Lightwood family tree just suddenly vanished. Their names were Gideon and Edmund. Alec couldn't figure out why two nephilim from such prominent families (Gideon being from the royal one no less) had just been completely cut off and banished without explanation. Was the world he lived in corrupt as well as broken? Alec had to find out.
He asked everyone in the Palace, but either people hadn't heard of Gideon Lightwood and Edmund Herondale or they refused to speak on the matter.
"It isn't spoken of," Maryse told him. "Please can we talk about the flowers for your wedding instead?"
"Don't you mean Gabriel?" Izzy replied. "Gabriel Lightwood. I remember him from history lessons. He married a Herondale."
Alec quickly figured out that the answers he seeked couldn't be found in the Palace. Instead he hit the streets or at least he did when he got a chance. With Clary and Jace currently locked up somewhere enjoying their honeymoon - or rather trying to make babies - Alec and his sister had been called in to pick up the slack. Whenever a report came in about a demon attack it seemed Alec and Izzy were called in first, with Jonathan or Simon tagging along. Alec much preferred it when Simon joined them as he knew Simon would do anything to protect Izzy, but today Simon and Jonathan had been off on another errand, leaving Izzy and Alec on their own.
"Do you think mom will still let me go on missions after I'm married?" Izzy asked him as they all headed back to the portal covered in demon ichor.
"Depends," Alec replied. "If you're pregnant. Clary will be homebound soon I'm sure."
"I guess," Izzy sighed. "I mean I love Simon, but I will miss the fight."
"Urg!" Alec whined. It was just so stupid. The whole freakin world was wrong! With a sigh he stepped through the shimmering purple portal, even though he wanted to smash something.
"Maybe we could get married first," Izzy offered, coming through the portal behind him. "And you and Elizabeth could hold off a while. If Simon and I have boys and dad lives a long time you might not have to be king at all."
"That is very kind of you Iz," Alec sighed. "And I'd be more than happy to watch you get married before I stand by an alter, but it still won't solve the problem."
"Why not?" she asked. "You could go be with that warlock if you didn't have to be king."
"Okay yeah it might solve that problem," Alec replied. "But I guess the more I think about it, the more I realize my unhappiness isn't the problem, but just a symptom of the problem. The world is broken."
"It makes sense to me," Izzy smiled. "We protect the people from demons since they can only be killed with the angels weapons which commoners can't hold without extreme pain or death. They farm and pay tax." She shrugged.
"Yes but-" Alec didn't know how to explain the strange feeling of wrongness in his gut.
"I'll tell mom Simon and I want to move up the wedding," Izzy giggled. She kissed him on the cheek before running off as the Palace came into view.
Once Alec had cleaned himself up he took the opportunity to leave without being noticed. Alec dressed in casual clothes, but brought his royal weapons as he headed to the harbour to talk to any of the merchant ship captains currently docked. The few times Alec had gotten away to investigate why no one would talk about Gideon and Edmund he hadn't learned very much. The two names were common enough, but he didn't know if these were the missing royal family members or just commer's with the same names. It wasn't until Alec entered a brothel that he actually learned something useful.
"Oh my grandfather was named Edmond." The woman who spoke had something of the Herondale colouring in her hair. Though there were plenty of other blondes among the people, this shade was just slightly more golden in places than usual. She'd given her name as Lillian when Alec had asked.
"My mother always told me I was lucky," Lillian continued as Alec studied her facial features. "She said that my grandfather gave up everything to be with grandmother. She said he treasured us. I don't remember him well though. I was very young when he died."
"Do you have any idea what your grandfather gave up?" Alec asked. He wasn't sure if this was another dead end or not, but he would leave no stone uncovered.
"Being an angel, she always said," Lillian replied. Alec hadn't quite decided what this meant when the woman's son suddenly appeared. He was no more than three years old and walking unsteadily toward his mother with great determination or so Alec though, but the little boy made a beeline for Alec instead, catching him quite off guard.
"Oh no little Ed," Lillian exclaimed. "No don't bother the Prince!"
"I don't mind," Alec smiled leaning down to talk to the him. "Hello there."
"Shiny!" the boy cried as he reached forward. Alec didn't realize what the child was after until his bow was suddenly yanked on. Alec jerked away, instantly terrified for the child. The woman was crying, moving quickly towards her son. She knew just as well as Alec how dangerous the Angel's weapons were to those without the blood.
"Shiny," the boy repeated. Alec stared in wonder; the boy was fine. Hardly daring to believe what was right in front of his eyes, Alec took the bow off his back and handed it to little Ed. His bow was black with the angel's markings on it, that would glow when Alec used it. Both the boy's mother and Alec stared in awe as the little boy held the glowing bow.
"Who is his father?" Alec asked in a whisper.
"I don't know," she replied. "I have quite a few regulars but-"
"Any of them from the royal bloodline?" Alec asked. The woman shook her head, staring in total shock and disbelief at what was right in front of her. Alec on the other hand was starting to understand.
"Take this," he said holding out his bow. "Hold it."
"No!" Lillian shrieked as if Alec had offered to drive a hot poker through her chest.
"I think I know what's going on," Alec smiled at her kindly. "Trust me." Slowly as if being asked to die for her country, she reached out and gently held his bow, that glowed an angelic white in her hands. She gasped, promptly dropping it.
"Your grandfather was Edmund Herondale," Alec told her confidently. "And he gave up his life in the Palace to marry your grandmother, a human."
"But it takes two from the bloodline," she said numbly, clearly unable to process what was right in front of her.
"It seems not," Alec smiled. He had his answer. He'd solved the mystery and Alec was willing to bet somewhere out there were the children and grandchildren of Gideon Lightwood who would also be able to hold an Angel's weapon.
"Will you kindly consent to coming back to the Palace with me?" Alec asked. She shook her head violently, collected her son into her arms protectively and took a few a steps back. "I shall take that as a no." Alec sighed then added, "If you ever need help, an education for your son or assistance in any way, please come to the Palace. I will help you." She nodded, still in shock and Alec turned and left.
Alec found marriage records in one of the mundane churches for a Gideon and Sophie Collins. His surname was not listed and it seemed he took hers once they were wed. Alec went back to the brothel a few days later and this time managed to convince Lillian to accept his help, at least a little. Alec got both of them rehoused and found a cleaning job for Lillian.
Once he knew what he was looking for locating the marriage records of Edmund and Linette Owens was easy. Again Edmund had taken her surname without listening his own and so they'd lived hidden from the world. Alec wondered how many of the royals in history had accepted being stripped of their name and position for love.
Then Alec thought of Simon. The orphan his family had taken in because he had angelic blood. What if Simon wasn't from another kingdom, what if he was from this one? What if he was descended from a single banished member of the royal household?
The revelation that the angelic blood was dominate even from one ancestor three generations ago would change everything. Alec collected all the information he could so that when he went before the council he'd be ready.
So who likes all the plot? I know this story is plot heavy with Malec too rather than Malec with plot too, but I hope you are still enjoying it. My beta for this chapter was Sabiduria since Karen Hikari was busy. She is back for chapter 12 which is already finished and with her. I also write chapter 13 today so... been kinda writing all morning #DishesDidn'tGetWashed lol.
If you are reading my other story, Roommates and Soulmates don't sorry it will get an update too but since I've binge written this all morning I will probably update RD again before R&S. Don't fear though once RD is finished R&S will be my ONLY fanfic so I don't be pull away from it like I so often am. hehe.
I may have (definitely actually) been writing this all morning to procrastinate working on my original novel. Yes I know writing to put off writing doesn't make any sense though I also didn't clean so there's that. Anyhow.. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please let me know if you were surprised etc.
Sneak Peek Chapter 12
Robert chuckled. "So are you doing to just stare at this portal forever?"
"I haven't decided yet," Alec sighed.
"If it is set to go where I think it is then you should go visit," Robert smiled. "Elizabeth has her indulgence, why not you? So what if he can't live here? Doesn't mean you can't visit."
Alec smiled, gave his father a quick hug then dashed through the portal. He emerged in the oh so familiar path to Magnus, and moved quickly to be standing at his lover's door. Alec knocked, and heard much commotion from inside, then Magnus's perfect voice asking who it was. Alec wondered by the warlock couldn't use magic to find out.