Twinkle Twinkle Little Star   von Bibs
                    (My version of 'Born to Endless Night')
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                                  Kapitel 7: 
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Alec paced up and down in front of the large window, each time turning just half
a step away from the opposite wall. Jace lay sprawled on the bed, his arms
crossed behind his head and Alec could feel his eyes following him. He did not
need to look at his brother to know his mouth was quirked up at the corners and
his golden eyes glinted with amusement. 
“You will walk holes into the carpet and if you don’t stop fidgeting with
your bow tie I think Izzy will kill you.” Alec, who had indeed been tugging at
his emerald bow tie again because he felt like it was suffocating him, dropped
his hands. Jace chuckled and sat up when Alec turned around to look at his best
man. 
“I’m nervous, Jace. Not that I expect you to understand but that’s just
it. And this thing is too tight”, he grumbled and walked to the bed, fell down
next to his brother. 
“Relax, Alec. It’s your wedding, nothing to be terrified. Or are you getting
cold feet about this”, he inquired and Alec averted his eyes, looking out of
the window again. 
“No. I’m absolutely sure about this. About as sure as I was about us
becoming Parabatai”, Alec answered and sighed when a swarm of golden sparkling
butterflies flew up from the pavilion in the garden of the Herondale manor.
“Maybe I’ll regret to allow Isabelle to organize the whole thing. It got
so… so pretentious.” He sighed again and got up from the bed. 
Jace laughed and got up himself, straightening his dress shirt. 
“Stop fretting about what others may think about the ceremony or the
celebration. Concentrate on what’s important today”, he demanded and put one
strong arm around Alec’s shoulders. “Me looking spectacular in this awesome
suit. Oh and you finally turning Magnus Bane into a respectable man.”
“Jace, you’re a stupid jerk”, Alec muttered but could not fight back a
smile. In the end Jace was right. Today was about Magnus and him, their love and
their little family. 
“Love you too, brother”, Jace chuckled and let him go when the door opened
and Isabelle whizzed into the room. Her bright blue dress swirled around her
legs and she eyed her brothers suspiciously. They seemed to pass her examination
and she took the waistcoat and jacket from the hook by the door. The suit she
had picked for Alec was not black but a very dark blue, decorated with delicate
angelic runes in golden thread at the collar and hems. 
“Jem sent me up to fetch you. Everyone is taking their seats. Catarina has
caught Henry and secured the rings and Tessa is on her way to get Magnus”, she
explained and handed the clothing to Alec. As soon as she had her hands free,
Isabelle started to tug at his hair, twirling some strands gently between her
fingers. “There you go.” She turned to Jace and raised an eyebrow. “And
will you please put your tie back on? This is a wedding, not some leisure garden
party.”
Jace obeyed with a grin and gently clapped Alec on the shoulder. 
“So let’s go. And don’t you dare to bunk off. I won’t marry Magnus in
your stead, no matter how hot we’d look together”, he said and pushed his
brother towards the door. 
“He won’t run, Jace. Stop bothering him and get your tie straight”,
Isabell grumbled and got hold of the crooked tie herself, pulling Jace to her on
it to redo the knot. He tried to protest but due to the lack of air, all Jace
managed was a faint croaking noise.
Alec left them at their quarrel and headed for the stairs that would lead him
down to the first floor of the manor. It still smelled kind of musty even though
they had done their best to clean and air the place. Years of vacancy had left
their marks on the manor but it was still an impressive building, with its high
ceilings and French windows that looked out to the garden. He and Magnus had
been accommodated at opposite ends of the house since their arrival and Isabelle
had insisted that they stayed away from each other. She did not really believed
in bad luck but she had taken them shopping separately for today and did not
want them to spoil the surprise of what they were wearing. 
Not that it had really kept them from sneaking out last night and meet anyway.
Alec smiled on his way to the backdoor that would lead him to the garden, lost
in memories of their midnight date. 
Isabelle had gotten Catarina and Tessa to conjure up two corridors of hedges, so
that Magnus and Alec would be concealed from each other’s view until they
entered the pavilion where James Carstairs, former Silent Brother, was waiting
to marry them.  
He waited at the last turn of his way for the music to call them both in,  for
now just hearing the muffled sound of people taking their seats, talking and
laughing. Between all the voices Alec recognized a child’s laughter and it
made him smile even wider. Henry was going to be their ring bearer, with the
gentle assistance of Catarina to make sure the toddler came running to his
parents at the right moment. 
The busy noises subsided slowly and after a few seconds of silence, soft music
started. Alec closed his eyes, took a deep breath, his nervousness piling up
inside, and he tried to let go as much of it as possible while breathing out.
Then he took a shaking step, turning the corner to the front part of the
pavilion. 
His eyes darted around, recognizing Jem in the middle of the small clear space,
Tessa and Jace standing a few steps to both sides as their man and maid of
honour, his family in the first of the few rows of chairs. Alec blushed and,
after what seemed like a much longer time than just a split second, looked at
the opposite side of the pavilion, the exit of the second corridor.
It was empty and Alec paused, waiting for his husband-to-be to appear. He took
another small step, the smile on his face slowly turning into a look of
confusion. The leafy passage remained empty, no sparkly, grinning warlock in
sight. 
Jace noticed his confusion and turned to Tessa, who looked just as puzzled and
shrugged before turning around. She vanished into the corridor without a word
and Jace took a quick step to Alec’s side. 
“Maybe Izzy forced him into a dress and he’s taking a last chance to change
into something more decent”, he tried to cheer Alec, who was still staring at
the empty patch of grass where Magnus should have been. 
“He’d totally rock a dress”, he heard himself mumble and blinked a few
times before looking at Jace. His brothers golden eyes scanned him carefully,
obviously trying to assess how badly hurt Alec was and if he was required to
plot vengeance for a broken heart. Behind them the guests started mumbling and
Alec thought he heard his father say something along the line of ‘told you
so’. 
“I’ll go looking for him”, he decided and brushed past Jace, leaving the
confused guests behind, resolutely fighting back the tears. This was exactly
what he had been afraid of since last night. Not himself getting cold feet but
Magnus not showing up. 
Tessa came down the stairs to the first floor, when he entered the kitchen
through the second back door. Alec did not want to see the pity in her eyes, so
he looked past her. 
“Did he do a bunk or is he still here?” The question came out brusquer than
he had meant it to be but Tessa just shook her head. 
“He’s upstairs, locked himself in his room. Go talk to him, I guess you’re
the only one he may let in.” 
“Thanks, Tessa. Please tell the others we’ll be back in a few minutes.” 
His burning eyes still fixed on the stairs, Alec waited till Tessa had left the
house before rushing up, taking three steps at a time.

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