Sweet Little Serena (Original)

Chapter 95

The four of them walked through a snowing forest, the sunlight hitting the barren trees in the most enchanting of ways.

Clary and Simon walked first on the trails, Jace and Serena behind, trying not to gag at their conversation.

"You know, for a dangerous mission, the Seelie Court's pretty romantic," Simon commented.

"It's like being dropped inside a fairytale," Clary agreed as she smiled. "Which makes sense, I mean faeries do live here."

They didn't notice Simon stop walking until he said, "Is that blood?"

And Serena and Jace turned to see him walking towards a Kill Tree.

"Simon get away from there!" Serena yelled.

He didn't listen as he touched the branch and pulled it back to reveal three dead bugs on his glove.

Jace pushed the vampire away and into the snow as Serena walked over and yanked off his glove.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Simon asked, pissed off as Serena began to bury the glove into the dirt.

"Saving you. As usual," Jace answered.

"From a tree?"

"That is called a Kill Tree. It would've wrapped its vines around you and torn you limb from limb," Serena explained before she began chanting in the language of the Seelies.

"What the hell are you talking about? And what the hell are you doing?" Clary asked Jace and then Serena.

"Serena is trying to save our lives. And that tree almost tore Simon's pretty face off," Jace said.

"You think I'm pretty?" Simon smirked and Serena rose from the ground.

"Ave Atque Vale. Hail and Farewell. May you find peace in the presence of the Angel," she muttered before turning on Simon and punching him in the face.

"Serena! What the hell?!" Clary exclaimed as she checked on Simon and Jace tried not to smile.

"You just signed our death warrants," she spat at him before she started walking.

"Everything is deadly here. Don't touch or eat or smell anything. No matter how small," was all that Jace said before storming after his sister, also pissed at Simon.

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They walked into the Throne Room, the Palace enchanting, a perfect mix between nature and the mundane structure that kept it standing.

While the others were disarmed, Serena held out her weapons to a Seelie by the name of Koralie, who nodded at the girl in hello.

Serena returned it as she returned to the group and Clary said, "Jace, my stele. Our weapons."

"You'll get them back when you leave the court," the Queen said as she stood, her form of a young girl with hair even more fiery red than Clary's.

"You're Majesty, what a rare honour," Jace spoke as he and his twin bowed, gesturing for the rest to do the same.

"Wait, that's the Queen?" Simon asked.

"Why is the vampire here? He was not invited," the Queen said with a small frown and Serena stepped forward.

"My sincerest apologies, Your Majesty. He was not supposed to accompany us into your realm but rest assured that he is with us. Simon has proved himself a worthy warrior and a loyal friend. And has attributes I'm sure you'd be interested in," Serena explained.

"Very well. If you vouch for him, Lady Herondale, then he can stay," the Queen relented.

"Why did she call you Herondale? Doesn't she know that you're a Lightwood?" Clary asked her.

"Seelies don't do marriage. They mate. And Lightwood is my married name, it's not valid here," she answered as quickly and softly as she could.

As she said this, Jace responded to the Queen with, "Thank you, My Lady, you are generous as you are lovely."

The Queen stepped down from her dais as she said to a handmaiden, "Set an extra place at the table for our fourth guest."

She then took Clary by the hand, leading the group away as she said, "This is going to be fun."