Royal Dilemma

Opportunity Presents

"I'm going to check if the other portal is open," Alec said. "Right back." He moved quickly toward the door. Stepping outside Alec noticed the position of the sun. He had been gone far longer than he'd thought. Alec followed the winding path back to where he'd come from. Considering the time he was suddenly sure the portal was gone. Alec could picture, Jace or his parents, walking through the portal room, noticing it was active and turning it off out of habit since no one was meant to be out of the Palace at the moment.

Alec didn't linger once he saw his suspicions confirmed. He could feel a pull to return to Magnus. It was the strangest feeling, but at this point Alec was beyond understanding any of his feelings. He had embraced them without a second thought and he had no regrets.

Alec knew what his future held --marriage, children, the throne-- and he'd accepted this, but he wasn't going to pass up an opportunity like the one that had just been handed to him. Knowing who you are and experiencing it are two different things and Alec had never felt so physically attracted to another person before he'd met Magnus. Alec had made a promise to himself the day he realized he could never have what he wanted out of life. Alec had promised himself that if he ever met someone who could inspire in him what he saw in others, like Clary and Jace or Simon and Izzy, he wouldn't let it pass him by. The most surprising part of all this to Alec was that Magnus had wanted him the same way.

When Alec re-entered to the house he saw that Magnus hadn't moved. Alec stood for a moment and studied the beautiful form of the man he'd just- Alec didn't have a word for what they'd done. All he had was a feeling for it. He felt alive like never before, glowing with joy.

"You came back?" Magnus spoke softly. His tone was casual and Alec couldn't understand why the warlock needed to ask.

"I said I would," Alec replied. "The portal's gone."

"Ah well, in that case," Magnus said, as he waved a hand and sent bright blue light against the wall. The portal that appeared there was different than the one Alec was used to seeing. The only portal he'd ever seen was purple, and permanent with a smooth crisp border. As Alec studied the orange portal with broken edges he realized the difference.

"Does every warlock create a different coloured portal?" Alec asked.

"Most do," Magnus said, casually. "Though I have one friend whose magic is also blue so her portal is about the same colour as mine."

"Our portal has clean sides," Alec said. "But this one..." Alec took a step toward it, hand outstretched as he wondered what those jagged edges would feel like.

"Is rough around the edges?" Magnus replied smiling. Alec nodded. "This is a one time use portal. They are easy. Those permanent ones are quite a pain. I never bother with them."

"Wow," Alec said as he walked toward the alien light.

"You better go, prince," Magnus said softly. "Or people will wonder where you went."

"Right," Alec said snapping out of his revery, but before he walked through the shimmering orange portal he turned to Magnus.

"I'll be back," he said firmly. Alec took a step forward and was just inches away from vanishing, when Magnus called out to him.

"We shall see," Alec just caught Magnus's voice before he was pulled through the orange light.

Alec now stood on the Palace grounds, toward the edge of them. It was quite a walk back, but Alec knew all the side paths and quiet routes to make his way unseen. As Alec reached the Palace, he sighed in relief. It seemed luck was with him today, no one was on guard. He slipped through the front door and quietly headed up to his room.

Alec almost asked his sister for romantic advice about a dozen times over the next few days. He, Izzy and Simon were often in the practice room with him training. Izzy with her whip, Alec his bow and arrows and Simon favoured his mace.