Royal Dilemma

Magnus's life today was unrecognizable from the one he'd been living just two years before, no time to an immortal, yet everything was different. Not only did Magnus now have Max, but he also looked forward to Alec's visits as if the time in between were decades rather than weeks or mere days. When he wasn't caring for Max or helping those who arrived at his doorstep, Magnus filled his time without Alexander by inquiring after his lover's politics from an outsider's perspective, asking questions and speaking in those directly involved. His life was consumed by the love he felt for his family. For most of his life, family had been a foreign concept to him, and Magnus knew that without Alec it would still be.

He reached out to his warlock contacts in neighbouring nations, and learned they knew little of what was happening in Alicante. Magnus didn't enlighten them. Alec had enough to worry about without neighbouring countries getting nosy. Though Magnus did discover that Elizabeth's country were aware enough to know that, though their princess was living there, she wasn't married to the King. They were growing a little unsettled by the news.

Magnus used monitoring spelling to keep track of how Alec's changes were affecting his people. The humans of the nation seemed to be split into two groups. Half of them loved the new changes and were excited to be more involved in the safety of the land, while the other half were scared out of their minds. They didn't want to be responsible for their own safety. They didn't want to fight or to learn. They simply wanted to work the land and think of nothing, but the next harvest, knowing someone else was there to protect them and make all their decisions for them. Magnus saw families split in two when some of them moved into the Palace while others stubbornly resisted change. He'd heard of parents trying to physically prevent their children from leaving to live in the Palace, young adults who'd had no choice, but to cut ties with their parents in search of a better life. Magnus had tried to explain this to Alec, to show the king that he was chasing his dream too fast with too many repercussions, but no matter how he phrased it, Magnus couldn't bring his lover to worry.

"It just takes time," Alec replied, bouncing Max on his knee. "It will settle on its own. I am slowly down a little. Everything will be fine."

The King was visiting more frequently these days and their little blueberry, as Magnus had taken to calling him, was always happy to see his dad now.

"I am not so sure, Alexander," Magnus sighed resting his head on his lover's shoulder and wrapping his arm around Alec. "I am worried."

"Don't be," Alec smiled and leaned forward to kiss him, before adding with a huge grin. "Izzy had her baby. A boy. She named him Robert."

"That's wonderful, Alec," Magnus smiled.

"The Palace is so different now," Alec sighed, contentedly. There was a happiness about him that made Magnus want to relax, despite his worries. "Humans and nephilim interacting socially everyday, working together. And the new recruits we found. Magnus, if there are that many of the mixed blood without encouragement, think of how many there could be once it's allowed, even rewarded."

"Did Elizabeth have her baby too?" Magnus asked.

"She and Josey named the baby Sydney," Alec explained. "She was born just a few weeks after baby Robert."

"Isn't Sydney a boy's name?" Magnus asked. He couldn't help, but think that this child had been originally meant to be Alec's baby. If Robert hadn't died Alec may very well have went through with his political marriage. Magnus had never been a jealous man, until he'd had to think about sharing the love of his life with a stranger.

"Usually," Alec agreed. "But they wanted a less gender specific name for her. She is the first child to be raised by two mothers after all. She is special." Alec jumped suddenly turning to face Magnus. "And Josey's brother is taken with one of the new recruits. I am hoping for wedding bells."