Magnus & Alec (Romeo & Juliet)

Chapter Two

Alec laid in his bed, reading his favourite book. The book had bent pages and had lost that new book smell ages ago, but he loved it all the same. He sighed, placing his book mark in between the pages, and setting it aside on his bedside table. He sat there for a minute just staring out his window at the park across the street. The door of his bedroom opened and he smiled when his nurse came in. She was cradling a laundry basket full of towels.

    "Dear, if you keep sitting there doing nothing, you will never amount to anything. I didn't raise you to be lazy now did I?" Jocelyn said with a shake of her head. Jocelyn raised Alec since he was born. His mother and father had better things to do than raise a child, so they hired her as a nurse. But Alec didn't really care. He loved her like a mother, even more then his blood one. Jocelyn always wanted to have a chid but after he first child, Jonathan died, she was unable to have any more, so she loved Alec as if he was her own Jonathan.

    "Sorry, good nurse." He teased. She threw a towel at him, hitting him in the face. Alec could hear her sniffling a laugh.

    "Your mother is asking for you, dear." Alec's back straightened. He barely spoke a word to either of his actual parents. They were never really home and when they were, all messages would be communicated by Jocelyn.

    "I'm sure it's nothing, Alec." She reassured him, as he walked to the door. He nodded.

    "Will you be coming with me?" He asked her. It wasn't that he was scared of his mother, it wasn't like that at all. He was terrified! His parents always talked and treated him like another business partner or client. Jocelyn smiled, and followed him down the stairs, with her hand on his shoulder. As they made their way into the library, he found his mother seated at her desk sipping tea. She was dressed in a crisp pencil skirt and white dress shirt. Her black hair pulled back into a tight bun. Jocelyn never dressed like that. She always wore t-shirts and jeans, with the odd paint stain on them. She dressed casually. The style of his mother alone, was enough to cause him anxiety. Jocelyn and Alec sat in the chairs placed in front of his mother desk.

    "Hello, Alexander." His mother said.

    "Good afternoon, mother." He said formally. She gave him a tight smile and continued.

    "Your father and I have been recently offered a deal. Mrs. Penhallow, and your father were talking and she mentioned that she had a daughter about your age, named Aline. She is a very beautiful and intelligent girl and we got to talking about you. Mrs. Penhallow and we, have been discussing ways of making our alliance with the Idris Foundation stronger and we think we found a way. Marriage." Alec tensed as did Jocelyn.

    "Now, Alexander, we understand you are probably thinking your not ready, but we think you are. You are eight-teen and it's time you met someone. You are going to marry Aline. No arguing, no 'buts', this is final." Alec's eyes widened

    "What?" Was all he could muster out of himself.

    "You should be off. You will meet her tonight at the Masquerade Ball, your father is throwing. Please be on your best behaviour and keep an eye on Jonathan." His mother noted. Jonathan was Alec's cousin and best friend. They were closer than brother. They would die for each other. Jace and Alec. Alec and Jace. The two were stronger together. But sometime Alec felt like he was just babysitting Jace the entire time, but he still loved him, for some reason.

    Jocelyn followed Alec back to his room and when the door clicked closed, Alec started to feel a panic attack. He slid against the wall and buried his face in his hands.

    "What am I going to do? I can't marry some girl!" Alec breathed into his hands. Jocelyn paced about his room.

    "I know, honey. This is stupid."

    "It's not stupid. It completely insane!" He shouted.

    "Alec...Alexander. Listen i'm sure if you told them, they would call it off." She said pulling his hands away from his face. Alec hadn't cried, because he knew there was no use. Maybe if he met her, his feelings would change.

    "I know what your thinking, Alec. You cant change the way you feel, and you know that."

    "But I could live with her. Even if I don't love her. I could pretend. You've always said I was a good actor."

    "But Alec, pretending to be someone on stage is different than pretending to be someone else for the rest of your life. There is more to marriage then just love. You can't give her what she wants. You know that. If you just told—"

    "And what am I supposed to say?" He shouted, causing Jocelyn to step back in shock. He very rarely shouted. "Huh? Hey mom and dad. I can't marry Aline because I would very much rather marry a guy? or I can't be attracted to her because I find men so much more appealing? Listen, mommy." He only called Jocelyn that when he was serious and trying to get her to know he cared more for her then his mother. The last time his called her mommy was five years ago when he told her he was gay. Jocelyn shut her eye when he called her that.

    "Jocelyn, it's my duty as a Lightwood, to hold up the name. Jace isn't technically a Lightwood. His last name is Herondale, and only adopted Lightwood when his father died. He can't continue my line, he has to continue his. I owe my parents that."

    "You owe them nothing!" Jocelyn said sounding angry now. Alec looked at her with pleading eye. "Fine, but at least think about it." He nodded and she left him alone so he could get ready for the ball that would change his whole life.