Carry On

Chapter 1: The Villager

A/N: New story!!! Yay! I'm really excited for this story! I hope you guys all like it!

Disclaimer: I do NOT own The Mortal Instruments. That amazing book series belongs to Miss Cassandra Clare.

*Clary*

Her knees hit the ground with a loud thump, the guards' hands placed forcibly on her shoulders. Standing in front of her was one of the king's most cruel and ruthless guards.

"Clary, Clary, Clary," he said, shaking his head. "When do you ever learn?"

"Let me go," Clary hissed, struggling within their grip.

The guard, Sterling, looked at her with a hard, steady gaze. He then nodded his heads to the two guards holding her down and said, "Let her go."

They released the red-headed girl from their death-grip, and she stood up and straightened out her dress. She was breathing heavily. "What do you want?" Clary said, her voice strong despite almost being strangled. Sterling took a step closer to her, and she took a step back. "Tell me."

"I want you," he started, "to stop your little act of rebellion. I want you to stay on the king's orders. And don't get out of line."

Her eyes narrowed. "Why do you care?"

"Without order," he replied, "we have nothing. Without order... havoc will be wreaked. And no one will be safe. Do you understand?"

"No!" Clary shouted. "No! I don't! If you didn't treat us villagers so poorly, we wouldn't have to act out! Maybe if you helped us out a little instead of lounging in your piles of gold, you can have your precious 'order'!"

"How dare you speak about him like that," he growled. "A little villager girl, insulting the king?" He laughed. A cold, mirthless laugh. "Big mistake."

Clary was still heaving, but she fixed the guard with a careful gaze. "How dare I? HOW DARE I?!" At this point, she was screaming. "HOW DARE YOU HURT MY PEOPLE?! HOW CAN YOU-AND THE KING-JUST STAND THERE WHILE PEOPLE ARE STARVING?! WHILE PEOPLE ARE DYING!"

"Take her to the dungeons," he ordered, pointing at the guards.

"You can't take me," Clary said, her voice dangerously quiet. "I refuse."

Sterling laughed again, and a chill ran down her spine. "How adorable. As if you have a choice."

She gasped. "You cannot touch a lady!"

"If the maiden had committed a wrong-doing, I have the ability to. There are no laws defending perpetrators."

"Wrong-doing?" Clary said incredulously. "I am no perpetrator! I am a quarry-a quarry of the king's cruel behavior. I am defending my people! That is no wrong-doing! If you believe in something, you must stand for it! And I will stand by my decision. You will not silence me. No matter what torture-whatever punishment-I shall not stand down."

Sterling rolled his eyes ungraciously, and said to the guards "Cover her mouth."

The second the guard put his hand on her mouth, she heard a cry. "GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF HER!"

Simon.

A long-time best friend of Clary's, he had always defended her, and stood by her, but at this moment, she wished that he hadn't. He had only put himself in danger.

Simon ran up to her side, and punched the guard that wasn't closing her mouth. She screamed, but her cries were muffled by the hand on her mouth.

Clary suddenly had an idea. She opened her mouth and bit down on the hand with all her might, and suddenly her mouth was filled with the salty, bitter taste of blood.