Shadowhunters

Pale Kings and Princes

Lake scene - Isabelle
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"You still haven't told me how you found this place," Isabelle said. "It's perfect." Which it was. Especially at the hour they visited it. The burnt orange sun was just setting behind the tall trees, that were beginning to change colour, spreading out further than the eye could see. The sky was a kaleidoscope of colours; the endless pinks, purples and blues reflecting onto the almost impossibly clear water of Lake Lyn. They were sat on the soft grass, surrounded by beautiful wild flowers, staring directly into the eyes of heaven. The only sound to be heard was the soft evening birdsong accompanied by the satisfied whinnies of the horses. Not wanting to get her hopes up, but feeling as though she finally can, Isabelle looked at Simon with a feeling that he was starting to be honest with himself once again.
"Just stumbled on it." Izzy heard Simon say, his voice blending in with her thoughts. "Good luck, I guess."
Izzy looked out across the calming water, the sight triggering a memory. Such a good memory. The day of Luke and Jocelyn's wedding when herself, Simon, Clary, Jace, Alec and Magnus stood by the lake at Luke's farm, all together. All happy. She could still taste the champagne in her mouth, remember the way she felt with Simon next to her for the first time, in what felt like at the time, forever.
"This reminds me of Luke's farm." she said.
"Me too." Simon replied. Izzy wondered what he was thinking about. Was he remembering that same night too? Or was he thinking about all the other times he'd had there with Clary when they were growing up? Does he even remember those days? She turned toward him and saw him already looking at her.
"I think about it a lot. The farm, the lake." She told him, not sure whether she was ready to tell him why.
"Why?"
"Because that was where I almost lost you - where I was sure I would lose you. But I got you back." She said, that last part true, only to an extent. He may have survived that night, but these days she wasn't sure if she got him back at all. This Simon that she got back from the demon realm was so cautious of trying not to say something to upset her, and so intent on trying to be the old Simon, that he became someone who didn't even have a trace of Simon on him. Though tonight, she was starting to wonder if maybe the true Simon had decided to come out and play.
"It doesn't even matter." Izzy continued, realizing that he probably has no idea what she's talking about anyway. "Not like you even know what I'm talking about."
"I know what happened there." Simon said, surprising Izzy only for a second.
"Clary told you," She said, hopelessly. It was always Clary. Isabelle could tell that Simon tried not to mention Clary around her as much as he could. He thought she was jealous of her, which was true, but not for the reason he thought, and it was more than that. It was guilt, more than anything else. She felt guilty for not being there for him, for not helping him try to get his memories back, and guilt for shouting at him. And she was jealous of Clary, not because Simon used to be in love with her. To be honest, he probably didn't even remember that. No, Isabelle was jealous of Clary for being able to talk to him about the old Simon without getting angry at him for constantly feeling bad about not being him. Which he was him. He just didn't realize he was him. It frustrated Izzy to even think about it, so she decided to think about something else...