besides the throne. "I just have one question. Why are you prosecuting this case?" He asked and it was clear that she wasn't sure how to answer. She wasn't even sure of the answer.

"Answer the question, councillor." The inquisitor demanded when she too saw the speechless expression on Lydia's features.

"Because the law is hard, but...it is the law." She relayed and Magnus rolled his eyes in response and sighed—hoping for a different answer. "But that doesn't make it right." She then sighed and Magnus hopes rose a little, along with Isabel and Alec's. "We're trying someone for being compassionate, thinking for herself. She saved a life that was being sacrificed for nothing." She said, defying the Clave.

"That will be enough, Branwell." The woman tried to stop her.

"No. It isn't. I'm looking out at the faces here. A brother and sister who disagree on everything except for how much they love one another...and how loyal they are to each other. A man who took this case pretending to want payment in rare objects, but really believes that injustice towards his friends is intolerable—whether they're here or not. I'm looking at one half of a parabatai who would do anything to protect her other half because she'd do the same if in this situation. Loyalty, decency, compassion, love. These are the concepts that we should consider to decided guilt or innocence in a case like this." Lydia told the truth, even though it was in front of the people who very well may strip her of her duty—she still did it. Because she knew that whether together or not, arguing or not, that group of four shadow hunters she saw fighting for each other, arguing for each other and defending each other loved each other and she couldn't bear to tear them apart.

"Those are not the concepts of the Law." The inquisitor denied, trying to demoralise Lydia. "Now, enough of this nonsense."

"I agree." Lydia nodded. "The case is nonsense." She decreed, standing from her chair. "I withdraw the charges." She demanded and the crowd began to applaud, Isabel looked as if she may cry and Alec had a smile the size of a Cheshire cat. Magnus flicked his briefcase open and it sprayed out confetti and sheets of paper.

"Silence! Order!" The woman on the throne called, banging her gavel against the arm of the chair desperately. "Silence!" She called especially loud causing the room to quieten considerably. "If you think refusing to prosecute exculpates the defendant, you are wrong. She is guilty. As is the unpresent Arya Legacy. The defence was correct. The Clave wants the Mortal Cup. If it is returned within 24 hours, this ruling will be vacated. If not, Isabel Lightwood and Arya Legacy—upon returning—will be stripped of their runes and exiled from the society of the shadow hunters forever." And once she slammed her gavel against the wooden plank, they knew that it was final. They could lose two of their closest friends. And it all depended upon Clary.

✧

"Clary, Now! We can't wait any longer." Jace demanded and Clary revealed the cup, ready to command the demons that they should leave and search for Valentine instead. Why she hadn't already attempted was beyond Arya's knowledge.

"Demons, I command you! Find Valentine!" She shouted, holding the cup out before her, but shortly realising that they weren't listening to her when the hammering on the doors continued. Their claws began to pierce through the metal of the walls and the doors so Jace and Arya got their weapons ready for whatever may happen next. "Demons. Find Valentine!" She commanded again but their response was futile.

"Let me try." Jace's father suggested, holding his hand out to take the cup. Arya was weary of how fast he had suggested it and was stopping herself from jumping forwards and taking the cup from his hands once Clary passed it to him. Instead of calling off the attack, he continued to hold the cup in his grasp, a smirk resting on his lips.

"Come on." Jace pleaded.

But as he did, Micheal took his seraph blade and used it to cut a straight line down the rune on his wrist. Arya cringed at the sight of it and hearing Jace mutter a quiet 'no' could have broken her heart. The boy finally believed that he had gotten his father back, only for him to morph into Valentine before their very eyes. Arya knew it was too good to be true.

But she wasn't as brave as she believed she would be in the moment. Her blood ran cold, finally seeing the eyes of the man who killed her parent's so long ago, stood right in front of her. She felt anger, rage, sadness, worry. Vengeance.

"Valentine," Jace growled, himself and Arya holding up their blades higher.

The man chuckled at their timid response. "Nice to see you again, Legacy." She smirked. "Demons...attack my enemy's!" He called out but also received no response. "I command you!"
He added, but still, nothing happened. The demons continued to break through the doors and the walls
and there appeared to be no way of stopping them.

"Knock it off, guys." Clary suddenly called out and just like that they stopped. Valentine looked at the Cup held so firmly in his grasp with a frown. "You're not the only one who knows how to cast a glamour," Clary smirked, revealing the real cup from inside her bag, keeping a tight hold in case Valentine attempted to steal it from her. Valentine's eyes moved from the real Cup in her hands and to what now appeared to be a 'world best father' mug. In fury, he smashed it down on the floor and it smashed into a billion pieces.

"Should we let the demons take care of this, or..?" Clary pondered out loud.

"No." Jace and Arya said immediately. They were ready to fight the man who had plagued them for as long as they could remember. Arya was ready to seek revenge for her parents and Jace the same for his.

"Send them away." Jace seethed.

"He's ours." Arya glared.

"Demons, be gone." She commanded and they did so, the distant growling from outside the room wasn't even an echo anymore.

"You pretended to be my father." The blonde man growled.

"You killed mine right before my eyes." The brunette snarled.

"I wasn't pretending, Jace." Valentine excused.

"You murdered him. Both of them." Jace ignored him.

"My mother too. You left me with nothing." The girl was so upset that all she could feel was rage.

"I am your father, Jace. I always have been. The face that you saw as Micheal Wayland was mine. Then and now. It was a powerful glamour. I want you to know me as I am. To know the truth about me...and you." He explained shakily as Jace lunged forwards and held a seraph blade at his throat.

"Jace. Jace, don't listen to him." Arya scoffed, nearing him with her blade swinging between her fingers. "You killed my family, right before my eyes." She snapped, advancing on him.

"I was cleaning up. I couldn't have them telling my secrets to the Clave. Collateral damage." He brushed it off and Arya wanted to murder him

for the lack of sympathy snd remorse, he showed for the lives he had taken.

The girl ran forward, ready to attack him with her blade, but as a complete surprise to them both, Jace grabbed her wrists behind her back before she had the chance.

"Don't listen to him, Jace. He's my father we know that for a fact." Clary stressed—also surprised
By the way, he had prevented Arya's attack.

"Yes, that's true. That's a fact. I am your father Clary. And Jace's. Think about it. Why are the two of you so drawn together? You are meant to be. Blood calls to blood, no? Ah..." He plagued and Arya felt awful for Jace as he watched his eyes formed tears, and his breathing became uneven and his stance questionable. Valentine pushed his arm away from him and walked over to a mirror propped up in the corner. He ran his stele down the front and it opened a portal. Much to Arya's surprise, he didn't leave immediately and instead turned to the group
of them although he couldn't care less whether she was there. "My family. Together at last. Minus you, Arya." He glared and she did so back. "A lost mother found. A brother and sister, finally united."
Jace yelled running forwards and pressing his blade against the man's neck like previously. "You won't kill me," Valentine said so sure he was right. "I said that you were weak and I meant it." He taunted. "What's wrong, Jace? Can't kill the man who raised you, hmm."

"I can!" Arya shouted, running forwards with Clary by her side with the same idea. But the man contorted their position so he now remained behind Jace, using him as a human shield.

"Go ahead, girls. Two for one. We can't even fight back, no?" He threatened but neither could do it. Jace was like Arya's brother and Clary wouldn't admit it after the new revelation but she loved him. "Come with me, son. You know that you love me." The hairless men continued to persuade. "Your sister is welcome to join us. And bring your mother alone. Arya's the only piece that doesn't fit." He growled. But since he knew that neither would accept his offer, he sent Jace back toward the two girls.

Arya steadied him as he stumbled back but he shrugged her off. The doors flung open startling them all but it was only Luke. He took a glance to ensure Clary was okay before running to her mother. She was encased in a green cloud still and although none of them had any clue how to revive her yet, they had still found her. It didn't feel like a victory to any of them though.

✧

Once they all returned to the institute, almost immediately Arya was taken by the guards and pushed into a room where only a sofa, a fireplace and a desk sat. She dropped down on the sofa with her head thrown back against the arm, gnawing at her nails with guilt and nerves.

She hadn't a single clue that Isabel had been isolated away from everyone and been put on trial while she had been running around with the mortal cup. She didn't know what she would do if she arrived back a day late and Isabel had been exiled.

And at the same time, she had just seen the eyes of the man who murdered her family before her eyes. He had threatened her and she wished she had killed him. No guilt would have followed after if she had done so. She would have killed the man who had taken so many innocent lives.

And as the flames crackled and roared, her heartbeat still hadn't slowed down from when they arrived back. She was nervous now that she knew Valentine was out there. She had seen proof with her own eyes and that had chilled her to the bone.

But her thoughts were cut short by a knock at the door. Arya wasn't sure how long she had sat in that room isolated from everyone else but it couldn't have been more than a few hours.

Whoever it was cleared their throat and Arya turned to see the raven-haired boy she had missed but would never admit so. "Jace and Clary have given Lydia the cup. You're free to go." He informed her seriously but behind his eyes he was desperately trying to hide the look of pure relief that he felt, seeing that she was there and alive. Ironic really.

"Thanks for telling me." She smiled softly, but still didn't move from her spot on the sofa.

He swallowed his mild anger for the girl and sat down on the opposite arm of the sofa that her head was rested on. "I'm glad you're okay." He admitted and Arya hummed, silence resting over the room for however long it took for Alec to speak again. "You know just because I'm getting married, it doesn't mean we're any different than we were before." Alec insisted although deep down he knew he was lying to himself.

"Yes, it does, Alec." She sighed, watching the rain patter against the window through the corner of her eye.

"How?" The raven-haired boy questioned.

"You're not the same person that you were before I got hurt. I mean, you told Lydia about me and Raphael. There must have been some part of you that wanted to get back at me in some way. You knew what could have happened." The brunette stressed and Alec nodded lowly. "You're not the same Alec that I used to know." She huffed.

"Yeah, well you're not the same Arya I used to know either." Alec scoffed. "The old one would never have risked her Parabatai getting banished to go and follow Jace and Clary! The old you wouldn't have left without telling me for days—" He started.

"I did those things because of you. Because of everything. You know what happened today, Alec. What happened is, I looked into the eyes of the man that murdered my family, the same one that has been giving me nightmares since I was eleven years old. And I wanted to kill him. I tried to kill him. And I thought it was just for revenge or vengeance but really...it was because I couldn't stand the thought of him still being out there and the possibility of him hurting anyone else. God, I almost died yesterday trying to find him, and when I did. I couldn't do it. I couldn't kill him because he used all of that against me. He knew I would never hurt my friends. And you know what, even though he knows that it doesn't mean I'm going to change. So next time you stand there and tell me that I don't care...remember that!" Arya ranted, her voice raising the more she explained it.

Alec was silent for a moment. He didn't know what to say to that. Because it was all true. Maybe he was the one who had changed. "Sorry." He sighed. "But you scared me out of my mind yesterday." He stressed. "While you were gone, Isabel's parabatai bond started to fade. She could feel you disconnecting from her and for the rest of the day, all I could think was that you were going to die and I would never get to see you again or tell you how I lov—" He started but stopped himself when he realised he couldn't say what he wanted to. "Isabel's probably waiting to see you. Glad you're okay." He mumbled, walking out the room.

Arya sighed. Everything was going to change.

✧

In exchange for helping Isabel, Alec had promised Magnus his bow and quiver. He lived up to his word and went to retrieve it to give over to Magnus.

"I just want you to know, Lydia was wonderful in court. She's great." Magnus nodded, taking the relics into his possession.

"So you get it." Alec smiled slightly, if Magnus could understand then maybe so could everyone else.

"No, Alec. I get her. I like her. But you don't have to marry her." He insisted. While Magnus' feelings for Arya were more than just friends he couldn't deny that if he couldn't make her happy then someone else should. It should be Alec.

"Yes, I do, Magnus." Alec insisted.

"You'll be lonely all your life and so will she," Magnus argued. It was true. He knew that Alec's feelings for Arya would never fully go away, not for as long as he saw her every day and continued to be one of her close friends. He knew Alec didn't truly love the blonde. How he felt for her didn't even come close to how we felt for the brunette. "Neither of you deserve it. And Arya doesn't either." He admitted and Alec clenched his jaw. He wanted it to mean what he thought it did, but also couldn't think about it. He knew what he had to do for his family and he knew that if he thought about it for too long he wouldn't go through with it. This time he couldn't be selfish. "I don't know what to do with these. You keep them for me." Magnus sighed, passing them over to the Lightwood and leaving before he uttered anything else he shouldn't.

But as he stood there alone, he just thought of what Clary had said to him a few days previous. 'Some things can't change. And when you find the one. That's it.' That was what she said.

Alec Lightwood hoped that wasn't true. Because otherwise, he didn't know what he would do. 

✧

Jeez, that took a while to write.

I don't know how I feel about this chapter but I do like the ending I think. I know it talks about how Alec really loves Arya quite a bit but I'm just trying to show it since the next episode is the wedding and I don't feel like they've seen each other or spoke enough in the past few episodes.

Xoxo—LCC

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