Valentine Morgestern

Valentine Morgenstern Part 3

Anyway the weekend flew in and I was dressed in a royal blue gown with my red hair tied up in a bun. I glanced nervously in the mirror to see an excited looking young woman gazing back at me. My low heeled sandal set the outfit off and I began my descent down the stairs into the hallway. Valentine was stood at the foot of the stairs chatting to my Father who was grinning broadly and chuckling along with the things Valentine said.

"By the angel, I've never beheld anything so perfect, so beautiful," Valentine declared. I smiled broadly as I stepped onto the tiled floor.

"I like your suit,' I replied.

Valentine chuckled and took my hand. He bent to kiss it like a gentleman and that one motion almost sent me swooning to the floor. I felt warmth rise from my chest to my cheeks, red colouring my face. I was beginning to fall for him. Out of all the girls he could have had any of them but he had picked me, Jocelyn Fairchild. My face as red as my hair I stepped onto the tiled floor of the hall. Valentine rested my hand in the crook of his arm while my father took a couple of photos and my mother cooed. Valentine reached over to one of the side tables and lifted the most beautiful corsage. The pale white rose was attached to a silver beaded bracelet. I smiled broadly as he slipped it onto my wrist.

"It looks pale now in comparison to your beauty, Jocelyn," Valentine murmured.

I giggled and kissed him softly on the cheek. We set off to the school ball. One of the last I'd attend. The room had been decorated lavishly with floors and centrepieces on every table. The room was beautiful, one of the counsl's nice rooms for hosting meetings. They leant it out to us. A band played and couples danced and people stood or sat and chattered.

"May I?" Valentine asked, extending his hand.

"You may," I replied, taking his hand in mine and praying he wouldn't realise how sweaty it was. To my surprise my damp hand was met with an equally clammy one.

We danced slowly, neither of us too certain on the dance floor. We talked as we danced, bonding over silly nonsense, like favourite colours, birthdays, Christmases of our childhood, first demon vanquished, first day at Shadowhunter Academy and first rune. Both of us received the voyance rune first, drawn by a Silent Brother on the back of our right hand. One of the permanent runes.

At the end of the night he dropped me off at the door of my home. We stood for a second in an awkward silence then he very slowly leant in and tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear. Slowly I leant up on my tiptoes and he bent down slowly and our lips collided in a soft, gentle kiss. The kiss sent shivers down my spine and I wrapped my arms around his neck and he gripped my waist and pulled me closer crushing me to him. As we deepened the kiss the door opened and my father cleared his throat loudly. We broke apart suddenly and stood back from each other in embarrassment.

"I will see you soon," Valentine promised.

"See you soon," I replied, "I had a wonderful night."

"I did too," he said gently in reply.

My Father beckoned me inside and I smiled at Valentine once more and he smiled back as my Father closed the door with a hint of amused laughter colouring his eyes.

**********

Weeks turned into months and after dating for little over eight months. Valentine got down on one knee and proposed to me. On a hill outside Alicante, at sunset. It was beautiful. As he slid the Morgenstern family ring onto my left hand, third finger I smiled. The silver ring with the Morning Star engraved around the outside with a capital M in the middle. I rubbed my thumb over the silver ring marvelling at how perfectly it fit my finger.

"That ring has never looked better," Valentine commented as he took my hand.

I smiled and leant in to kiss him. My heart rate sped up and I felt the blood rush to my cheeks as I breathed in the musky smell of his cologne. His soft lips touched mine and I curved in towards him, his warm palms rested on the base of my back sending sparks rushing through my veins. We stood in the top of that hill for a long while and just kissed, enjoying each other's company.

As we made our way back towards my house, I felt like I was floating in a cloud. My feet barely seemed to skim the ground. Valentine teased me and kissed my cheek every few steps. An adoring love. I thought I'd never be able to live without him.

"Jocelyn Morgenstern," he said as we stood in my doorway.

"Sounds good to me," I agreed, "Valentine Fairchild has a nice ring to it though." I pretended to ponder the thought carefully.

Valentine chuckled and kissed me gently but it built very quickly to us leaning in my doorway, kissing until our lips were red and swollen. Eventually I was forced to tear myself away from him in favour of my solitary bed.

I lay in my bed in a half sleepy, half excited mood as I fantasied about the type of wedding we'd have and the children we'd have.

The next day I sat at the dining room table and designed my dream wedding dress. I drew a flowing gown with a slightly dipped v neckline. My Mother chattered to me and together we decided that I'd wear a gold gown, staying true to the shadowhunter rhyme, "Black for hunting through the night, for death and mourning the colours white, gold for a bride in her wedding gown, and red to call enchantment down." Gold was said to bring good luck to the marriage and favour for the couple and for as much as I loved Valentine I wanted us to have as much luck and favour in the world. My Mother, Adele Nightshade, was so caring but I knew slightly disappointed that I'd chosen to marry so young and so suddenly to Valentine.

"Are you sure you are ready for this?" My Mother asked as we poured over my drawing of my dress.

"Yes, I love Valentine," I replied simply. If I said too many words it would sound as though I were uncertain of myself.

"As long as you both love each other," my Mother agreed, "But you know there's nothing wrong with a long engagement."

"I know but why not get married while we're young, we both know how fickle and easily lost the life of a shadowhunter is," I countered.

My mother pursued her lips and said nothing more. Her eyes poorly hid a little disappointment and if I wasn't wrong I saw fear but I couldn't be sure what my Mother was thinking.