"Thank you for coming," Alec spoke into the silent room. His weeks of investigating were about to be put to the test. Aside from his parents Alec addressed, Valentine, Jocelyn, Lucian, and Amatis who together made up the generation before him and the King's council. If he was going to change the world, it had to start here.
"You said you had something to share with us that you learned on those odd little trips you've been taking to the docks," his mother said.
"Yes," Alec replied. "Though it's a little more than just that."
"Let's hear it then son," Robert sighed, leaning back in his chair.
"We have always married shadowhunter to shadowhunter," Alec stared. "To allow the next generation to hold our weapons like the previous one, but I have discovered there is no need for this. It takes only a single ancestor to pass on the ability, even three generations later."
"Not possible," Valentine dismissed him. "And even if it was true, the gene would be so diluted as to be useless."
"It is possible, in fact, it happened and the ability isn't diluted," Alec explained. "I met a little boy directly descended from the Herondale line who could not only make my bow glow brightly with the slightest touch, but also knew instinctively that he could touch it without harming himself."
"Ha!" Valentine scoffed. "A fools dream. Let me meet this boy."
"I knew you'd say that," Alec smiled. He'd spoken to Lillian about this and she was expecting him. "Follow me."
With dubious looks on their faces everyone followed Alec to the portal. Alec opened it and when they appeared on the other side Lillian and Ed were there to greet them. He'd set them up with better living conditions, so the council arrived in a small, but comfortable two room cottage. Alec handed Lillian his bow and watched the terrified looked on his family's faces as they saw it light up.
"Shiny!" little Ed said as he tried to get the bow from his mother. Lillian leaned down and handed it to the boy who smiled widely, waving it in the air, clearly very happy to be holding it. Jocelyn gasped and Alec heard her whisper how Jonathan had been much the same when he'd first seen a weapon of the angels.
"Never once had we considered this," Alec stated firmly. "The idea of sharing the burden of fighting demons with our people never occurred to us, but it is possible. The proof is before your eyes."
"You are ruining a way of life!" Valentine snapped at Alec.
"I am improving it," Alec replied calmly. "It will be only so long before there aren't enough of us left to keep our traditions alive without incest. And I am here to tell you that mundane blood mixed with ours is a far better option than such insanity."
"Oh Alec," Maryse sighed.
"I still can't believe," Jocelyn whispered.
"This is an amazing discovery," Lucian exclaimed. "This could change everything!"
"Thanks," Alec smiled at him.
"What matters is that there is someone able to keep the demons at bay," Amatis added calmly, siding with her brother though without his enthusiasm.
"Exactly," Alec continued. "What if the majority of our people had the blood? What if everyone could fight? Wouldn't we all be safer?" There was silence as they all took in what he'd just said. This meant a change in the very fabric of their society. It meant marrying, training and arming their people. It meant the end of isolation, a new world.
Alec thanked Lillian for her time, then lead everyone back through the portal and into the mission room, where the silence continued as everyone sat down, without a word. Then Alec was asked to leave so they could all discuss the issue. He wanted to stay and defend his plan, but sensed that wouldn't help so he left. Alec paced outside the mission doors as he went through everything in his mind, over and over. Had he missed something? Should he have appeared more to how this would benefit the council? If they said yes, where would he start? Maybe letting more humans into the Palace permanently? A cook perhaps? Intermixing the races was the first step to intermarrying them right? And what next, maybe outlawing marrying shadowhunters to shadowhunters or was that too bold a move? Alec reached the wall again and turned pacing the other way. How could he find a way to throw hundreds or maybe thousands of years of tradition out the window? This wasn't only about him anymore, his happiness. This was about his people. If the royal family continued as they were the world would be broken forever.
When the doors finally opened, one look at his father's face told Alec all he needed to know.
"Why?" Alec asked, almost falling to his knees in despair.
"I think this is the way of the future," Robert explained. "And I am so proud of you for finding it, but people won't accept it now. Maybe when my generation is gone you can make it work. I have not the ability."
"It was Valentine wasn't it?" Alec growled, his sadness replaced with anger.
"It was more than Valentine," Robert sighed. Then Alec saw something in his father's eyes he hadn't expected, fear. That was the problem. Everyone in that room was terrified of not being needed, scared of change. They were scared of their people, scared that one day the citizens they governed would realized they didn't need their royal family anymore. Nothing would change so long as they were scared to be cast aside.
"I am sorry Alec," Robert said gently touching Alec on the shoulder.
"Yeah," Alec mumbled, turning away. Despite all his efforts Alec was back where he started… again. He felt like he was in an endless loop of getting his hopes up just to have then crushed.
Alec went to the archery range to shoot things rather than fulfill his fantasies about punching Valentine in the face. Valentine like everything else was a symptom of the problem.
His sister came to inform him that Maryse was more than happy to switch the weddings around and just a matter of weeks since his rejection from the council Alec found himself at his little sister's wedding. The biggest event of which was Clary having to leave during the vows to throw up. Alec assumed she was pregnant but didn't bother to ask. In Alec's experience when women threw up they were usually pregnant. Nephilim were rarely sick besides she and Jace were newly married. It didn't take a genius. Simon looked at Isabelle like she was the only person in the world that mattered to him, and Izzy was equally enthralled. Then when Alec saw Josey and Elizabeth holding hands, he couldn't help but feel like everyone in the room was blissfully happy except for him. Alec could remember what it felt like to see that look of love reflected in another's eyes, but it had been months since Alec had seen Magnus. Four months and five days, but who was counting? Certainly not Alec.
"What's that face?" Izzy asked her hands on her hips. They were at the reception and Alec had to admit, in that wedding dress, her current annoyed expression was rather comical.
"I am really happy for you," Alec told her.
"No, you aren't," Izzy replied. "You are miserable. You miss him." Alec couldn't deny it. "Go see him then." She smiled then returned to dancing with her husband as if she'd said the most natural thing in the world.
Alec took the opportunity to escape the wedding and the festivities. Walking down the halls slowly, almost without purpose, Alec found himself suddenly in the portal room. Then he was working the console, opening a portal. Magnus was on the other side of that shimmering purple window, but did he want to see Magnus for such a short time only to have to leave again?
Alec had never stared at the portal for so long before, rippling like water, though it stood upright. It was such a striking thing to behold now that Alec was taking the time to really see it as something more than a tool. His whole life Alec had taken for granted that it was there, only to realize now what it meant. A warlock had made this, one probably long gone. Alec wondered why the warlock had done it? Had the warlock been forced to or was it like him and Magnus, a warlock who cared about a shadowhunter despite the world being against them.
"It's beautiful, isn't it."
Alec turned to see his father smiling at him. Robert walked closer to stand beside Alec, as they both turned to face the open portal.
"Yeah," Alec agreed. "Do you know who created it?"
"Haven't the foggiest idea," Robert replied. "It's as old as the Palace, the shield, our society really."
"Our broken society," Alec mumbled.
"I know you got Lillian and Ed moved to better living," Robert told him. "But I requested they be moved into the Palace permanently for training. The little boy at the very least. I don't know if his mother will be interested, but she can live a better life." He sighed turning to face Alec. "I can't change the world, but I can help those already in it."
"Thanks dad," Alec smiled. "Though I am sure there are more descendants of banished members of the royal family out there."
"I suspect you are right," Robert replied. "Since at the time we would have assumed the royal traits were lost if mixed with mundane blood."
"I think Simon is one of them," Alec confessed. "Though I don't know from which line and he still could be from a different royal family like we originally thought. He was so young when we took him in, it's hard to know."
"True," Robert agreed. "I suspect you are right though and he is of mixed blood. The world will change eventually, my son. Have faith."
"Yeah eventually isn't soon enough to help me though is it?" Alec grumbled.
"I am sorry it didn't work out," Robert said, putting a hand on Alec's shoulder. "I have an idea what you were hoping to gain from this and I'm sorry for what you've lost. If there was something I could do."
"Just live a really long time," Alec laughed. "That way I don't have to be king."
"Deal," 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 visit him," 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 on the oh so familiar path to Magnus, and moved quickly to be standing at his lover's door. Alec knocked, and heard commotion from inside, then Magnus's perfect voice asking who it was.
"It's me," Alec said. It was silent until the door flung open. Magnus looked quite different than he had the last time Alec saw him. The warlock had a child's burping cloth on one shoulder, a bottle of milk in his hand and in general he looked rather unkempt, his hair sticking up at a strange angle.
"Alexander," Magnus whispered. Alec smiled at him, knowing the warlock to be just as beautiful despite his appearance. Alec moved into the Magnus's embrace before his next breath, his arms wrapping about Magnus. The warlock held him close, then leaned down to touch his lips with Alec's. Kissing Magnus again was like coming home.
"Is everything alright?" Magnus asked, clearly worried Alec had returned because of a problem.
"I missed you," Alec confessed. Magnus smiled warmly and Alec knew he'd been missed as well. They kissed again, before a child's cry interrupted them.
"Coming Max," Magnus called as he turned and walked away down the hall. Alec followed and soon found himself in a small bedroom decorated for a child. The little blue baby he had named was in his crib shaking on the bars, wishing to be released. "Come to papa," Magnus added as he lifted the child from the crib, and began feeding him the bottle.
"You adopted him?" Alec whispered as Magnus turned to face him.
"What gave me away," Magnus chuckled. Alec smiled, moving closer to put his arm around the two warlocks.
"Why did you adopt him?" Alec asked. "Could Caterina find no one else?"
"I wanted him," Magnus smiled back. "He reminds me of our week together, of how quickly you took to him. And the name you pictured suited him so well I didn't want a foster parent to change it." Alec didn't know what to say to such beautiful words. He pulled Magnus close and kissed him instead.
"I did listen you know," Alec whispered. "The system is broken and I want to fix it."
"How?" Magnus asked and Alec explained his discovery and how it had been rejected.
"What would that mean?" Magnus asked. "If it had worked?"
"A new world," Alec smiled. "A world with no need of monarchs."
"A world they don't want," Magnus added.
"They are scared," Alec sighed as he laid his head on Magnus's shoulder. The warlock placed an arm around him and Alec closed his eyes.
It was the most domestic afternoon of his life, as Alec listened to the man he loved talk about the trials and joys of raising a child. Whenever Alec was with Magnus it was like the rest of the world dulled.
As the sun set, Alec knew he had to leave. He'd put it off too long already. Sadly Alec had to request Magnus to make a portal for him. Alec stepped through remembering perfectly why he hadn't wanted to come see Magnus. It was so hard to leave. Every fibre of Alec's being wanted to stay there with them, but the moment he stepped out of the portal on the other side Alec could feel that something was wrong. A great darkness hung over the Palace that could only mean a demon attack and Alec wasn't there to help. Yet another reason why he shouldn't have gone to see Magnus today. Taking off at a run Alec tried to make up for lost time.
He had to fight his way past lesser demons to get to the shield, but once behind it the demons could only hover at the barrier, waiting to fight him again. Alec could hear weapons being drawn and orders being given as shadowhunters darted in and out of the shield trying to use it as they fought back against the tide of demons. The King was at the center trying to organize the fighters.
"What's going on?" Alec asked as he found his way to his father's side.
"Waves of demons attacking the shield," Robert explained. "With the help of a winged warlock."
"A warlock!" Alex exclaimed. He'd seen only demons when he'd approached. "Are you sure?" A great booming voice shook them, making the shield crackle as if trying to answer Alec's question.
"You cowards hide behind your shield," the magically enhanced voice cried. "But not for long."
"They are trying to take down the shield," Robert explained quickly. "It's all hands on deck. Even Clary has been called in." Alec stared in awe for only a second before he sprang into action. They never called pregnant women into a fight, even those not yet showing like Clary. This meant there was a risk that the whole Palace would fall so Clary wasn't safe out of the fight any way. Alec quickly collected more arrows and a better blade before running out with the next wave. He found a spot with good traction and started loosing arrows into the huge snarling beasts before him, but no matter how many beasts he fell, more seemed to take their place. When he saw the warlock, with ink black skin and huge bat wings flying high above the battle, Alec felt sick. How could this creature, Magnus and Max be of the same race? It felt so wrong.
Despite their efforts the waves of demons attacking them wasn't thinning. Alec knew he'd lose, if they didn't try something else. Rushing back into the Palace Alec found the only person who hadn't been called into the fight. She was hiding as far from the Palace doors as she can, looking terrified.
"Josey," Alec called gently. "Josey I need your help. Can you hear me?"
"Liz is out there isn't she," Josey sobbed, her body shaking with fear and dread.
"Yes, but I promise to take care of her if you do one thing for me," Alec said clearly. "Do you understand?" Josey nodded. "I am going to open the portal for you and I need you to go into the little house on the other side and tell Magnus what's happening here. Tell him we need help."
Edited by the lovely MyaZab. Sabiduria and Karen Hikari are busy with exams so MyaZab stepped in for this chapter because I was being impatient. It just feels so wrong to have two chapters finished and not update! o_O
Also what do you think of the plot? I know this is a very plot heavy story, but shadowhunters itself is more plot than romance so... And this is my only plot heavy story. I wanted to try something different.
Sneak Peek Chapter 13
Magnus was sure Alec wouldn't return again until after his wedding and he was trying and failing not to think about it. Magnus could picture his future rather well and it scared him at times. How was waiting for Alexander any better than being trapping in the Palace with him? Sure, rationally Magnus knew he'd made the right decision, but emotionally he was a mess. If not for Max Magnus felt like he'd just crawl into bed and not get out for a decade.
When he heard a quiet knock on his door Magnus knew somehow that it wasn't Alec. The Prince didn't knock like that. Magnus put Max down in the enclosed play area Magnus had made for him, then turned to get the door.