Chapter Text
"Prince Alexander! Prince Alexander, where are you?"
Alec rolled his eyes and continued to walk away from the voices as quietly as possible on the traitorous forest ground. He didn't have anything against Clarissa and Simon, really. Or well, he had, but it was nothing personal. He just hated that he couldn't set foot outside of the castle without a small army behind him. He got that the woods could be dangerous and that as the heir to the throne they couldn't take any chance with his safety, but that didn't mean he had to like it. At least he had managed to negotiate having just them as bodyguards, instead of the four knights that followed him everywhere when he was younger. Clary and Simon were knights in training, but they were close to his age, so better company than Hodge or Luke. And most importantly, they were way easier to lose.
He took a portion of the track that wasn't as well defined as the main path, careful not to step on the leaves that hid it from view. He felt a little guilty for ditching them like this - they were doing their duty, and it wasn't their fault if his parents were paranoid of assassins and warlock attacks. He would make his way back to them soon – he just needed some time alone. He was almost fourteen and among the best fighter of his generation. He could take care of himself.
The voices were growing more and more distant and faint, but just when he thought he was at peace for good, he heard all-too familiar ones join his friends’. He cursed under his breath. The knights had to be patrolling in the area. Just his luck.
He kept going. Between the training, the studying, and the council meeting his parents now wanted him to attend as part of his preparation to his future duties, he barely had any time to himself lately. He just wanted to walk alone in the woods. Enjoy the silence, let his thoughts wander, let go. It didn't happen often and he was determined to make the most of it.
He walked along a trail he had never taken before. The trees were thick but he could see an opening ahead of him, what he hoped was a clearing. He was still trying to make as little sound as possible, so when he reached the clearing, he was surprised to see it wasn't empty, but not surprised that the person hadn't noticed him.
He recognized him as a young man from the village. Alec went as often as possible in town with the knights. He observed the people there, studied their way of life and watched their daily task with great interest. He wanted nothing more than to talk to them, get to know them, connect with others beyond the castle’s court, but he was naturally reserved and even then, his rank and parents’ discipline prevented him from doing so. They believed in clear separation between the commoners and the nobility, and had a pretty low opinion of the villagers in general.
Even if he dared talk to them, what would he say? They would bow, he wouldn't be able to tell respect from fear on their expression, and that would be it. His parents were probably right, they just weren't from the same world.
With that in mind, Alec stayed where he was, observing the man. He was just a few years older than Alec and the young prince recalled he was an apprentice of one of the healers in the village. He had a darker skin than Alec’s family, and slanted eyes. A native of the east then probably, or a descendant at least. He was gathering herbs in the clearing, which confirmed Alec's memory of the boy's position.
He couldn't hear the voices of the knights anymore, so he figured it wouldn't hurt to stay just a little longer. The boy was humming to himself while he worked, oblivious to his audience, and Alec was entranced. It was such a simple scene, something mundane, unimportant, but it was so far from anything he knew that he couldn't help but watch.
Alec was considering leaving discreetly, feeling a little weird for spying on someone like that, when he saw the boy kneel next to a dying wild rose bush, and to his surprise and horror, the boy's hands started to glow. A soft, clear blue light that seemed to come from within his palm and enveloped the bush. The crushed brown leaves perked up, changing gradually to green and healthy ones, and the flowers spun back to life. When the light receded, the bush looked as strong and healthy as the one in the castle's garden, and Alec was frozen in place, heart beating wildly with fear.
The boy was a warlock.
Alec was trying hard to quench his rising panic. There was a warlock in front of him, a warlock who lived in the village, who had for years.
The war on warlock and magic had gotten more and more violent as the years passed. They couldn’t be trusted, they were dangerous, a menace. He didn’t count the number of them he had seen hanged on the main square, how many knights had been injured or killed while chasing them.
And that boy…
That boy Alec had seen laugh with the other apprentice at the herbalist’s shop, and dance around the fire at the summer festival, wander the market with the same bag he had now in hands. Who was singing in the clearing, a smile on his face, as he watched the beautiful roses soak up the sun’s rays. That boy was…
Alec tried to get up and draw his sword, but he tripped on a root, which he was sure wasn’t there before, and rolled on the humid forest ground with a loud noise and undignified cry. He managed to get up quickly, only to realize that his sword laid a few feet behind him, and that the boy was staring at him.
Alec was sure that was how he would met his death. But nothing happened.
Warlocks were demon’s spawn, they relished in chaos, destruction and death. They could manipulate fire, spread diseases. They were liars and murderers, they were a threat.
The boy was looking at him with an amount of terror he had never witnessed before.
He was frozen in place. His hands were up but he wasn’t doing any magic, he wasn’t attacking, he wasn’t even running away. He was motionless, eyes wide and panicked, and every move Alec made, made him flinch and recoil like a frightened animal.
Alec had never induced fear like this, in anyone.
The villagers and the servants in the castle always avoided the gaze of the nobility, tried to stay away from their path and shrunk down were they were shouted at, but they never looked so scared. Alec didn’t understand. The boy certainly had the power to kill him. He was the one who was supposed to be afraid.
They heard noises behind them, of people coming closer, shouting. Alec didn’t take his eyes away from the boy, who looked behind him with frantic gazes, before locking gaze once more.
“Please,” he said quietly. “I don’t want to die.”
Alec was so surprised he let his guard down. The boy was standing straight, posture rigid and face tense, trying to maintain some composure as he was begging for his life.
“Prince Alexander! Prince Alexander!” came the muffled voice of Clary, and Alec saw clearly when the boy understood, when he recognized him. He was sure he was going to die then. What warlock would pass the chance of killing the heir of the kingdom?
But the boy just stood straighter and cast him a heated look.
“You’re the prince,” he said, not really asking, just stating the obvious. Alec gave a short nod and all expression left the boy’s face. He was trying to look brave, Alec understood suddenly, to look dignified and strong, even if he was shaking, even if his eyes were shining. Even if Alec could only see resignation in his eyes, the desperation of someone who’s fate was sealed.
Of course that’s how he felt. He was condemned. Using magic warranted a death sentence, no matter the magic, no matter the age. It had to be this way.
It had to.
Right?
The knights barreled into the clearing, weapons out and ready for a fight, but neither Alec nor the boy looked away from each other. There was so much hatred directed toward Alec, so much pain and regret, and Alec was lost. Why, why was it going this way, what was happening? Why wasn’t he attacking them? He just stood there, in his battered clothes, pressing his bags of herbs and flowers against his chest as if it was going to protect him.
“Prince Alexander, are you alright? We heard you scream,” said Clary while Simon was handing him back his sword.
“It’s nothing, I fell. I’m sorry for getting lost”, he answered, hyperaware of all the eyes fixed on him.
He was right, several knights had joined Clarissa and Simon, including the girl’s father and his friend, the knights Valentine and Luke. Sir Luke was a good man but Alec didn’t like Sir Valentine very much. He didn’t like people who took pleasure in killing, as he was sure the man did.
Said man was making his way towards the boy with a threatening look.
“And who are you?” he asked loudly with a menacing voice. The boy cast a panicked look at Alec.
Alec had never disobeyed his parents. Not once. His parents, his preceptor, no one, never. The full extent of his teenage rebellion consisted in straying away from his guards when he was out in the wood. This was literally the most scandalous thing he had ever done in his life.
He had never questioned the war on warlocks before. He had never batted an eye at seeing strangers cry and scream and curse as a rope was passed around their neck.
He also couldn’t remember the last time he had lied, to anyone. Maybe he had hid things for his parents but…
He wasn’t really thinking, he didn’t know what was happening in his head. But the boy looked at him, that boy who took refuge in the castle’s court during the raids from the next kingdom and the floods, who wore flower on his clothes the first day of spring, like all the others did.
Alec heard his voice like it was someone else’s.
“He’s a healer apprentice from the village. I was just going to ask him the way back to the castle.”
The lie came easy. Easier than anything he had ever said, or done. Nothing showed on the boy’s face. They both looked away, determined not to make eye contact. Sir Valentine backed off carefully with a “alright then” that was almost disappointed, like he had wanted nothing more than to brutalize some teenagers. Alec gritted his teeth but said nothing.
“Let’s go back,” suggested Sir Luke after a tense moment of silence. Alec agreed and turned on his heel to follow him, never looking back even if he wanted nothing more.
“Are you okay?” asked Clary quietly, looking behind them with a worried glance, but still he didn’t turn.
“Yes. Everything’s fine.”
.
Two days later, Alec was back in the same clearing.
It wasn’t planned, wasn’t even really conscious. He had lost Clarissa and Simon, as he always did, and let his feet carry him through the forest. Before he knew it he was back at the edge of the clearing, and the boy was back too.
Which was all kind of stupid, what was he thinking coming back at the same spot again?
He stepped forward. “You shouldn’t have come back here.”
The boy jumped out of his skin and was several feet away in an instant. Alec honestly couldn’t tell if it was magical or not.
“I’m sorry I didn’t… didn’t mean to startle you. It’s just… It’s not very wise. Coming back here.”
Fear let room to anger on the boy’s face. He picked back the satchel he was filling and went back to gathering herbs.
“These herbs can’t be found anywhere else. Should be fine as long as you don’t tell anything,” he grumbled.
“I-I won’t. I swear.”
The boy cast him a surprised look. He abandoned his task to come stand in front of Alec, studying him intently. The young prince squirmed under his scrutinizing glare.
“You saved me, last time,” the boy said in a much softer voice. Alec shrugged.
“You did. I won’t forget it. I’ll repay you someday.”
“It’s not…”
“I will.”
With that the boy went back to his duty. Alec stood motionless, not knowing what to do. He wasn’t about to pass this opportunity though.
“I’m-I’m Alec.”
The boy scoffed and Alec felt his cheek reddened.
“Yeah, I know,” he answered with a mocking tone. Alec waited, but it looked like he wasn’t going to say anything more.
“What’s your name?”
The boy stood up abruptly. “What are you doing here?” he asked, anger rising in his voice. Alec took a step back, startled.
“I just… I…”
“Aren’t you the idiotic one to come back here? Don’t you know what I am? I could very well kill you.”
Alec frowned.
“You can’t. You owe me.”
The boy raised his arms and rolled his eyes like he honestly couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“I’m not afraid of you,” Alec added, defiant.
“Well you should be!”
“Oh yeah? What are you going to do?”
The angry boy just thrust his hands forward and muttered something under his breath. His hand caught fire.
Alec let out a startled cry and jumped forward, panicked.
"What are you doing? You’re going to hurt yourself!"
The fire died down in an instant and they were left staring at each other. The boy seemed appealed, even more so when Alec grabbed his hand to check for injuries. He was surprised to find none.
"I'm a warlock making warlock fire. It's not going to hurt me," piped the boy, sounding strangely soft and even a little amused.
Alec stepped back with a sheepish smile, embarrassed. "Oh."
"Yeah."
"That's... that's good then."
Alec didn't look up until his eyes were drawn by the light coming from the boy's hand - they were on fire again, although it was more subdued, probably because he wasn’t trying to scare him anymore. Alec couldn't help but get closer, drawn to the glowing flames coming to life in the boy's palms.
"I know, I'm awesome," the warlock said proudly. Alec rolled his eyes but didn't say anything. It was true.
"I never thought... I mean..."
He didn't know how to say it. He had never stopped and considered that magic could be so harmless, so beautiful. The fire was unnatural, dancing in a swirl of too bright colors, and it was the most fascinating things Alec had ever seen.
The boy drew back his hands sharply. Alec blinked, surprised, and found him looking angry again, defensive.
"What? That magic wouldn't try to kill you on the spot?" the boy accused. Alec flinched.
"N-No but... Magic... Magic is..."
"What? Evil? Dangerous? Mortal, a crime? Yeah sure, because brewing potion to cure diseases and doing spells to clean dirty water is so sinful, really people should be hanged for it!"
Alec stepped back as the boy stepped forward. He was getting angrier as the words stumbled out of his mouth and Alec was afraid he was going to hit him. He wasn’t about to get treated like that though.
"Yeah, because no warlock ever did any wrong, they’re just persecuted so unfairly they never killed anyone, ambushed knights in the woods or slipped into the castle to try and murder me and my family!"
The boy wasn’t expecting him to answer back. His frown deepened.
"I never did anything like that!"
"Well you could!"
"So what? You could kill people too with your swords, so why aren’t you and any other knights locked up?"
Alec opened his mouth to reply but find himself at a loss.
"That's... that's a good point."
"Just because some of us are evil and bad doesn’t mean we all are! Why should we all get punished for their misdeeds? How is that justice, how is that fair?"
"You can't blame us for being afraid of so much power!
"I WAS BORN THIS WAY!”
Alec jumped but Magnus didn’t even looked at him. He paced, worked up by an argument he must have had many times in his mind. “Is it my fault? Why do I have to pay for that? I didn’t ask for it! I didn't have a choice! I was born a criminal because of you!"
He stabbed his fingers in Alec's chest who didn't take the time to ponder over the fact that no one had ever treated him with such disrespect. He was too worked up to care.
"You shouldn't use it then!"
"Of course you'd say that, but what do you know? How would you feel if I told you you should keep your eyes shut at all time even if you can see, or crawl even if you can walk? Magic is part of me. It comes to me as does breathing, hearing, talking. Why should I deny it? I never did any wrong. I'm not guilty."
"Well you..."
"Well, what do we have here?"
The two boys turned at the same time to the edge of the clearing. Alec's body tensed all over, he blanched. Two men were emerging from the woods, sword in hands their clothes ragged and their long hair and beard dirty. They looked at them like they were a first meal after days of hunger.
Bandits.
Alec drew his sword and went to stand in front of the other boy, cursing their foolishness and bad luck. Or course their... discussion would attract people lurking around. Clarissa and Simon were nowhere to be seen, but Alec could take on two untrained men by himself.
They got closer but Alec was distracted by the boy by his side who raised his hands, a dark expression on his face. Alec elbowed him, panicked. "What do you think you're doing? Do you want to die?"
The boy shot him a surprised look. Unfortunately it was enough to distract them from the more important issue at hand. The boy shouted out a warning and Alec barely had the time to counter one of the man's first blow. He almost wavered but managed to push him back, only to have the second one launch himself at him. Fortunately, for him, they had no real knowledge of sword fighting – it took only a few moves to slash the man’s abdomen. When he turned to deal with the other one, the man decided it was a better idea to grab his friend and run through the trees.
He focused back on the boy to boast a little but was surprised to see him looking angrier than ever.
"What?"
"You're hurt, you idiot!" the boy shouted, pointing at his arm. Alec followed the accusing finger to find blood seeping through the fabric of is shirt, between his shoulder and elbow.
Only then did the pain registered in his mind. And, oh, well. It hurt.
"It hurts," he said dumbly, a bit disoriented. How hadn't he noticed? Everything had happened so fast, but still, it was all kind of stupid. His instructors would give him hell for this.
"Let me help you," the boy said. Alec flinched away from his hands.
"No! What if someone sees you? Seriously, can you be any more reckless than you are? You have to be careful! You could get killed!"
"Why do you care!"
Alec just glared at him, but the effect were somewhat dimmed by him wincing in pain. The wound wasn't deep by any mean but it still stung. The boy softened.
"Besides, I meant regular help. I do work for the village's healer you know," he mocked, even if it held less heat than it could have.
"Ah. Yeah, I... I know. Okay. Please, then," Alec answered awkwardly. They sat down in the grass and the boy started working with practiced ease, cleaning the wound with a cloth from his satchel before applying some healing cream and bandaging his arm.
"Do you always carry all that with you?" Alec asks, curious.
"Have too, you see, I might need it."
Alec didn't dare ask anymore questions. He was annoyed at the boy being so rude but he couldn't really fault him either. They weren't friends, quite the opposite, and they were in this situations because of Alec in the first place.
Still, he didn't have to be so mean. He didn't know why it bothered him so much.
"All set."
"Thank you."
They got up and dusted their clothes in a tense silence. Alec was looking for something to say, but nothing came to him that wouldn't spark another argument.
"You saved me again," the boy stated to break the silence. Somehow it still sounded like a reproach. Alec frowned.
"Whatever," he grumbled, picking up his sword to put it back in its sheath. He could hear Clarissa and Simon again, which mean his alone time was up, and he had spent it arguing with a stranger and getting attacked.
"I'm Magnus."
Alec blinked. The boy was looking sideway, scolding.
"What?"
"My name. It's Magnus, Magnus Bane."
"Oh. I'm Alexander Lightwood."
"Yeah, I know."
Alec frowned at the sarcastic tone and the other boy looked at least a bit apologetic.
"I'd better get going before they call the knights on me again," Alec commented as his friends’ voice echoed towards them.
"You won't... you won't tell, right?"
At that moment Alec saw again the boy from last time, putting up a brave front not to show he was terrified. He hated it. He wanted to convince him he had nothing to fear from him, but how could he? They had no reason to trust each other. The simple fact that they were just talking right now was ground breaking enough.
"I won't. I promise."
Magnus looked at him with a strange expression before thrusting his hand at him. Alec blinked again, confused.
"Swear?"
There was challenge in his voice, meaning. He didn't take it lightly. Well, Alec didn’t either. He shook his hand.
"I swear."
He swore he felt something then, something passing between them, through their linked hands, but it was gone as soon as Magnus draw back his hands so he ignored it.
"Goodbye then," he concluded with an awkward wave before turning back. Magnus didn't answer but he felt his gaze on his back while he walked away, and all the way to the castle.
.
It was true this clearing was the best spot to find healing herbs. Magnus was almost certain it had actually been created and nurtured by warlocks once, because a wide variety of plants grew there that didn’t grow anywhere else in the forest. He was always the one on herbs duty for some reason, so he came often.
It was true, but it was also true that they didn’t really need any more supply for now, and he was still back in the clearing.
The young prince intrigued him. Magnus couldn’t pretend he had a good sense of self-preservation – the other boy had been right about that. His friends accused him often enough of being reckless, but he hated having to hide. He was unapologetic about his magic, or well, he wanted to be. He wasn’t suicidal though, no matter what Ragnor said.
He was very curious, that much was true. He had to admit at least that, as he made his way through the woods, trying to convince himself that he wasn’t going on the off chance that he would meet the prince again. And now he was back at the clearing. And the prince was there.
Magnus hid behind a tree to spy. The prince was laying on the grass, carefully angled so that his whole body was warmed by the spring sunlight. He had removed his shoes and his eyes were closed. He looked peaceful.
It pissed Magnus off.
He approached a little to be at hearing range. “And I’m the one not careful enough?”
He snickered as he witnessed the prince spring up on his feet with a clumsy urgency. He had his sword and his guard up by the time he realized who had disturbed him. His expression, a mix of anger and embarrassment, was priceless.
“We were attacked here three days ago and here you are sleeping on the ground,” Magnus went on, arms crossed and posture judging. The prince gathered his things with unintelligible mumbling before facing him again.
“We were attacked because you couldn’t shut your mouth. You’ve been coming here a long time and doing magic without care. I figured the place was safe enough then.”
Magnus frowned, annoyed, because it was true. Part of its magical charm was that no one ever seemed to find that place. Ordinary travelers and passerby never saw it, and that was why Magnus was so surprised and curious the prince had stumbled upon it so easily.
Last he knew, the heir to the throne of Idris wasn’t a witch.
“I’m the one who couldn’t shut his mouth?” he said loudly. The prince cast him a pointed glare, one eyebrow raised as to say “see who’s shouting again?” Magnus scolded.
“What are you doing here?”
The prince just shrugged.
“It’s not often I get to get some peace and quiet away from the castle. I like it here.”
“Well it’s my spot. I don’t care for disturbing you,” Magnus said petulantly. He sounded childish and obnoxious even to his own ears and to the prince’s too, judging by his expression.
“I didn’t say anything. I don’t care what you do,” the prince retorted before sitting back on the grass. He pulled out some bread from his bag and started to munch angrily, looking purposefully away from Magnus.
The older boy sighed. Searching for a way to start the conversation again, his eyes fell on the prince’s arm.
“How’s your injury?”
The prince’s brow hitched in confusion for a second. “Oh! It’s fine. You... you did a great job.”
“I’m good at what I do.”
“Modest too.”
“Did these guys get arrested then?”
Again the prince looked confused. “What?”
“The men who attacked us. Surely the knight went after them? For daring to raise a hand against the prince or something.”
The prince scoffed.
“Of course not. I didn’t tell anyone.”
“What? Why?”
“If my parents get wind that I got hurt while out in the woods, they’ll forbid me to go out again. Plus it would fall back on my knights who are supposed to look after me. I don’t want to cause them trouble. They were just petty thieves anyway. They’ll get caught sooner or later, if the one I stabbed didn’t die already…”
He seemed upset over that fact, for whatever strange reason.
“And still you came back. No wonder your parents don’t trust you on your own.”
“I told you I felt safe here. And my parents don’t trust me anyway, or anyone for that matter.”
“Must be so hard.”
The Prince shook his head with a sigh. He got to up again, careful not to cross Magnus's eyes.
"You’re right, it was a bad idea. I'll go. "
"Oh come on, don't be so touchy. Stay."
"I can't. My time is up, I have to go back, and you probably have work to do. I'll leave you to it."
"When will you be back?"
Alec frowned unhappily.
"Never, don't worry, I'll find somewhere else. Sorry to bother you, goodbye."
"Wait!"
Racking his brain, Magnus asked the first thing that came to this mind, the thing that had been plaguing his thoughts ever since their fateful encounter.
"Why did you lie? Why didn't your report me? I spent two days without sleeping, waiting for the guard to storm the healer’s shop and arrest me, but no one came. You said nothing. Why?"
That was the real reason why he had come back to the clearing. He had thought about it again and again but he couldn't figure it out, it made no sense. That boy was the prince of Idris. It made no sense.
"I don't know," the prince said cautiously. "I don't know. I didn't think. I just didn't want you to die then. It didn't seem fair."
"Fair? And what about all the witches hanged on the main square? What was fair about their death?"
"I... I don't know either. I can't tell you anything more. You looked at me and... Never had anyone looked so scared of me before.
"I wasn't scared."
"You thought you were going to die. It was such an absolute certainty, so inevitable, and it would be my fault. I think that's what did the trick. When you commit a crime, you are convicted, because a crime had been committed and so the guilty must pay. But there was no crime then, nothing but my words. It seemed so absurd then, what would I have said? Kill him, he makes flowers grow. It seemed so absurd.
"You don't know, maybe I did kill with magic before.
"Yeah, maybe. But then maybe anyone I pass in the street or in the castle has killed with a sword and got away with it. You didn't... there was no crime."
"Magic is a crime. It's the law."
"Well maybe the law is wrong."
There, he had said it. The prince had said, "the law is wrong". It was so strange, so unreal, to be there in the forest talking with this boy like he wasn’t the prince of the realm and responsible for his torments. But it could do good. The boy would be king someday and then maybe...
"I have to go."
"You can come back here. If you'd like."
They stared at each other. Magnus wasn't sure what exactly passed between then, but there was something for sure. Then he was gone.
.
“It’s your fault!”
“No it’s not!”
“It’s your fault, you and your father, and mother, and all your fucking family.”
“I’m not my father. My father won’t be king forever. I’ll be king someday.”
“And so what?”
“So I’d change the law then.”
“You… why would you do that?”
“I… I don’t think it’s fair, I don’t think it’s just. I can’t do anything for now but I… I will. So that you, and your friends, you won’t have to hide, won’t have to be scared.”
“I don’t… I don’t believe you!”
“It doesn’t matter. I’ll do it anyway.”
“You will?”
“Yeah.”
“Even if we’re not friends anymore?”
“Yeah.”
“Even if I’m dead?”
“Yeah.”
“You promise?”
“Yeah. I promise. I promise, Magnus.”
.
“Hey, Alexander.”
“Hey.”
“What is it?”
“I just… Could you call me Alec?”
“Why?”
“Alexander is so… And no one wants to… It’s… nothing. It’s nothing.”
“So tell me Alec, what has your royal ass been up to?”
.
“I don’t like when you do magic.”
“Well, thanks, but I do what I want, I don’t care what you think.”
“That’s not… I like seeing it. But you shouldn’t be so careless. What if you got caught? I couldn’t do anything for you.”
“I won’t get caught.”
“But what if you do?”
“I won’t.”
“I can’t watch you die.”
“Alec, please calm down. I won’t. I promise.”
.
“What about your parents?”
“What about them?”
“You live with the healer right? Where are they?”
“They’re dead.”
“Sorry.”
“My mother killed herself because of what I am and my father tried to kill me. So I killed him, and then I ran away.”
“That’s…”
“So you see, I did kill with magic after all. You should have reported me.”
“Magnus…”
“I’m the monster you see? Just like you thought.”
“Magnus! Stop. Come here. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”
“You should hate me.”
“No I shouldn’t. I’m sorry. You’re not a monster.”
“I don’t want you to hate me. You should, but I don’t want to.”
“I don’t, I don’t Magnus, I could never.”
“You promise?”
“I do. What about you?”
“What?”
“Could you? Hate me?”
“Never. I swear.”
.
“You weren’t there yesterday.”
“Sorry, couldn’t get out. I was the center of the attention.”
“Why?”
“It was my sixteenth birthday.”
“Oh. Happy birthday Alec.”
“Thank you.”
“I always forget we’re almost the same age. Sorry, I don’t have anything for you.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Still. Had I known, I would have brought you something.”
“Don’t worry about it. I already received more than I could ever need, and most of it I couldn’t care less about.”
“Poor prince, receiving too much gifts, must be hard.”
“That’s not… forget it.”
“Sorry.”
“You know, there is something you could give me.”
“I thought you had enough?”
“Not… not a gift. Not really. Something only you can give me.”
“What?”
“A-a kiss.”
“…I’m not the only one who can give you that.”
“Yes you are.”
“No I’m not.”
“Well you’re the only one I want it from.”
A kiss then.
.
“I’ll be eighteen soon.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“I’ll have to marry. A woman.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“…I don’t want to.”
“Yeah. I know.”
.
“Don’t fall in love with me.”
“I know.”
“I’m serious. It won’t end well. We can’t.”
“I know.”
“Just don’t.”
“I won’t, I swear.”
.
(Promises are easily broken)
.
Magnus walked back from the wood heavier and more worried than usual. He had always been careful not to think about the future, to keep Alec and the two of them hidden in the woods, nowhere else in his life. He’d been a fool to believe he could protect his heart though, that it could end with anything but heartache. Every time he tried to tell him that this had to stop, or simply not to go at all, but he couldn’t. He was too weak to deny Alec, deny himself.
He was so lost in his thoughts he didn’t notice Catarina running toward him. She slammed into him violently enough that he almost ended up flat on the road, but he didn’t have the time to scold her – she was bawling, obviously in a panic, and she didn’t notice, or couldn’t care less.
“Cat, what it is? What happened?” he asked as gently as he could despite his rising panic. He knew, before she answered, he knew to his core what she was going to say. It was just a matter of who.
“It’s Ragnor.”
Magnus lost his breath.
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He was pacing the clearing, uncaring of the flowers rising and dying under his feet, his magic as unstable as he felt. He had spent all day and night trying to reassure the other apprentice of the healer – all of them witches, all of them scared to death. How had Ragnor managed to get caught? On top of worrying about the man presently locked up in the castle's jail, he had to consider the fact that if the healer was discovered, it could mean that all those he trained and sheltered could be too. Torturing witches so that they would rattle out their friends wasn't unheard of, and even without it... There would be an investigation surely, they would come knock to his door and ask them if they knew, and Magnus could lie to God himself but it wasn't the case of all the other apprentices. It was a nightmare.
"Magnus!"
In spite of everything, the sight of Alec running toward him in the clearing had the power to calm him down. He went to meet him, to hide in his embrace, and finally let go, after keeping such a tight leash around his emotions so that the others wouldn't see him break down. He clung to Alec's shirt, pressed his nose in his neck and finally he could breath, finally he could rest, center himself. His magic quieted down to, appeased.
"Are you alright?" Alec asked against his ear, a hand stroking his hair lightly. Magnus mumbled an affirmative before pulling back, trying to get composed.
"You have to help him."
Alec looked lost, helpless and scared, even more than the apprentices, and Magnus felt something break inside of him at the realization that he would do no such thing.
"Magnus..."
"No, you have to, you have to do something. You know he's like a brother to me. He has half a dozen of witches in his care and protection. You have to."
"I can't! I have no voices at the court, no power. My father won't listen to me, and what would I tell him anyway? The healer has been caught red handed. There is nothing to do."
Alec tried to reach out but Magnus took a step back, avoiding his extending hand.
"Ragnor was the most careful of us all. He's been hiding for decades. How could he have slipped out? Who said, who talked?"
None of the others had been able to tell him. They were all out running errands when Ragnor had been arrested, Catarina had just seen him being taken away.
"There... there was an incident. The daughter of the blacksmith, the youngest, she... She tried to climb the porch of the healer’s shop. She was on the roof when she tripped, she would have bashed her skull against the pavement and... He stopped it. Maybe the villagers would have kept it quiet but there was some knights in the streets... They arrested him on the spot."
Magnus’s head was reeling. Suspicion were enough to grant them the rope sometimes, so there was nothing to say about actual magic witnessed.
"Doesn't it matter that he was saving a child?"
"Not... Not to my father, no. It's the law."
"The law! To hell with your law, with your father, with your damn family!"
Alec froze where he was trying to approach him again, to kill the distance between them, a few steps that seemed as wide as an ocean.
"It's your fault... why can't we live in peace? What did we ever do to you?"
"Magnus..."
"Don't say my name! I hate you, do you hear me? I hate you!"
His magic was crackling at his fingertips, agitated by his fury. Alec look scared of him for the first time since their very first meeting.
"I can't... I'll just be locked up with him if I try to defend him. I'm so sorry, Magnus, there’s nothing I can do, I'm sorry, please..."
"If you can't help him, then what’s the point of you Alexander? What’s the point of this?" Magnus asked with a broken voice, eyes overflowing with tears he stubbornly held onto, refusing to meet Alec's gaze.
"Magnus..."
"Leave. I don't want to see you ever again. Just leave!" he screamed. Magic rushed toward Alec and knocked him down. By the time he had managed to get back on his feet Magnus had fled.
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"Ragnor Fell, you are accused of using witchcraft. By the law of this kingdom, your sentence is death. Does anyone here contest this decision?"
Silence on the courtyard. All eyes trained on the loose loop of the rope hanging above the condemned man's head.
"Do you have any last words?"
He doesn't meet anyone's gaze. He speaks to the sky.
"Be kind."
A single scream accompanies his fall before both are cut by the rope.
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Alec spends his days in the forest, but he never finds the clearing again. Neither would have Magnus had he tried, but he doesn't go back anyway.
(Promises are easily broken.)