HI! I am so deeply sorry that it has taken me so long to update absolutely any of my stories. The end of this semester was absolutely horrible, and though I tried to write a little every night, a little is simply not enough to put together the ending of a story. That being said, I am going out of town for a week starting tomorrow, so I will be gone a little long, but then I hope to be back for real!

I really hope you enjoy the ending of this story! I feel like this is the longest story I've written, and I know it's definitely one of my favorites! Please come let me know how you feel about it, as I would love to hear from you all!

"Anything I can do?" Magnus asked, peeking his head into their bedroom as Alec got ready for their trip to Idris. Alec simply shook his head, not trusting himself to speak, knowing that his voice would betray every single emotion he was currently experiencing. There was only one thing in the world that Alec wanted at the moment, and he knew it was something that no one could ever give him. In that moment, he would have given absolutely anything to have even ten more minutes with his little brother. So Alec simply continued packing without saying a word, not at all surprised when Magnus moved to his side.

Alec first expected Magnus to speak again, knowing that Magnus simply wanted to help in any way he could. But Magnus simply walked to Alec's side, reaching to help Alec pack the clothes he had placed on their bed. They'd spontaneously decided to stay in Idris for a few days after Max's funeral, staying at the Trueblood manner with Maryse's permission. Alec knew that his father would never allow any Downworlder to stay in any of their houses in Idris, but he hadn't had to worry about that very long when his mother had offered the use of her own manner, something Robert didn't have any rights to. "You know I love you, right?" Magnus asked, and Alec couldn't help but move to cross his arms, causing Magnus to smile. "I'm taking that as a yes," Magnus said, answering his own question.

The only thing that Alec knew to do was to finish getting ready, feeling the energy drain out of him almost as quickly as it had come to him. He picked up his tie, but he soon realized that his hands were shaking so badly that he was entirely incapable of tying the tie himself. The more he tried, the more it made him aware of the fact that he was certainly not capable of this simple task, and the more frustrated he became. All he wanted was for his hands to stop shaking because he was highly aware of the fact that Magnus was watching him with open pity, and it was the last thing that he wanted at the moment.

Alec knew that the more he struggled with the tie, the worse it would become, but that didn't seem to change anything. But before Alec could figure out what to do with the tie, Magnus moved to stand in front of him, taking hold of Alec's hands and putting them down at his sides. Without saying a word, Magnus reached up to tie Alec's tie in several swift motions before leaning forward to quickly kiss Alec's forehead. For a moment, Alec was completely frozen in place, the kindness and genuineness of Magnus's actions making him more emotional than he would have first thought. Before Alec could really think about anything else, he reached up to wrap his arms around Magnus, all but falling into the other man's embrace.

At long last, Alec began to feel himself relax, even if the effect was slight. But he did know that being in Magnus's arms made him feel as though everything might actually turn out alright. Alec heard Max's footsteps before they heard Max's voice or saw him, and yet he couldn't help but feel his heart lighten as the little boy came to attempt to wrap his arms around their legs. Normally, Max would have had something to say to them, but it was clear that the little boy understood just how different the situation was from what he had become accustomed to in their household, how heavy the situation really was.

Instead of dwelling on that, Alec simply kneeled down to zip up Max's coat, something he'd insisted on Max wearing, knowing all too well that the weather in Idris would be cold and dreary. "You ready?" he asked, finally allowing himself to speak. Max stayed quiet, simply nodding, and Alec began to wonder if Magnus had talked to the little boy about being on his best behavior today. But Alec didn't think about that long, his mind shifting yet again as he realized that Magnus had opened the portal to Idris. Before walking through the portal, Alec grabbed Magnus's hand, knowing that he was about to walk into a storm in which only Magnus could keep him grounded.

Somehow, Alec found that bowing and smiling and acting like Prince Alexander was a bit easier than it normally was, and he wondered if it had to do with the fact that he felt partially absent from the present. He knew where he was, but he felt almost as though he was somewhere else entirely, as though his mind was resisting the reality of the situation. He was going through the motions in a way he never had before, and he couldn't find it in himself to care. It was as though his mind was protecting him from the situation, not allowing him to pay too much attention to the surrounding events.

When they'd first arrived, Alec actually thought that he might be able to make it through the night. Before the actual funeral, there was the obligatory "paying of respects" which Alec had come to think of as more of an opportunity for the Clave members to suck up to his parents than anything else. But Alec had to admit that it was much easier for him to avoid his father than he would have first thought. Not to mention the fact that Magnus was clearly hovering, trying to stay as close as possible and show his support for Alec while also not arousing suspicion.

So Alec had quickly found that being able to glance at Magnus when needed was just enough to keep him upright and steady. But as soon as they began transitioning into the funeral, Alec found that his resolve was quickly disappearing. Downworlders were allowed to attend the funeral, but they were restricted to a particular area that was, naturally, as far away from the royal family as possible. So Magnus and Max had been forced to separate from him, and Alec was almost certain that he could physically feel their absence. He knew that even catching a glimpse of them at this point would be impossible, as they were standing directly behind him at the back of the room, and turning to see them would be extremely obvious.

In the end, Alec stood beside of Isabelle, as far away from their father as possible, becoming incredibly relieved as Isabelle reached to take one of his shaking hands in her own. It didn't take long for Alec to realize that if he focused on the words being said during the funeral that he wouldn't be able to make it through. But simply blocking the words out didn't keep him from watching as they wrapped his little brother in the ceremonial white silk. Max was too young to be buried with the Shadowhunter warriors, so the Clave had decided to burn his body. At first, Alec hadn't thought much on the matter. But now that he was standing in front of his little brother, watching as the flames took hold of the pyre beneath Max, Alec knew that he had been horribly wrong.

As soon as the flames reached Max, Alec felt the world fall out from beneath him. Suddenly, there was nothing keeping him upright, and the he felt as though the last thing he could do was remain where he was. Up until this point, the entire ceremony had been a blur, but now Alec couldn't tear his eyes away from what would be the last time he would ever see his little brother. Yet just as Alec began to feel as though he would never properly breathe again, there was another hand taking hold of his free hand. At first, Alec felt himself relax, but then he turned his head to see who had come to stand with him.

As soon as Alec realized that he was going to have to look down to see who was holding his hand, his heart rate increased, knowing all too well that it had to be Max. It took one second of turning to look at Magnus to figure out that the young warlock had somehow escaped Magnus's hold, running to stand with Alec despite the fact that doing so was against every rule in the book. Alec wanted to believe that Magnus had the sense to glamour Max as soon as he'd gotten away, but it was clear from Magnus's face and the faces of those around them that Magnus had been too surprised to do so. Alec felt both anger and fear welling up inside of him, knowing that this sort of reveal would only lead to the Clave's discovery of the nature of his relationship with Magnus. But then he felt Max give his hand the gentlest of squeezes, and he somehow felt calmer.

It was almost as though the boy was reminding him that he no longer cared what the Clave or his father thought. The only thing that Alec still wanted in life was to know that Magnus was safe. His throne and his title had never been important to him, but now they were merely things that could potentially separate him from Magnus, and that meant they were almost less than nothing to him. So Alec looked down at Max and smiled as best he could, his heart lightening ever so slightly. He knew that the little boy's actions would have repercussions, but he also knew that Max's actions had come out of a heart full of love, and at the moment, that was enough for him.

As soon as the ceremony was over with, Alec realized that Magnus was making his way toward them, clearly on his way to apologize and make himself scarce. Alec was very aware of his father's eyes on him as he reached down to pick Max up, smiling ever so slightly at the look of confusion and surprise on Magnus's face. "Thank you," Alec whispered to the little boy as he began walking toward Magnus. "I'll handle it," he continued as Magnus finally stopped in front of him. Magnus began shaking his head, but Alec cut him off saying, "He doesn't scare me anymore." Alec began to wonder where this burst of courage was coming from, but he didn't have long to ponder that as his father came to stand beside of them, clearly not pleased with the current turn of events.

"I have no idea what you think you are doing," Robert began, his voice so icy that Alec could almost feel it on his heart. "But if you think you are going to ruin this family, I'd sooner disown you than allow you to do so." Alec forced himself to keep from laughing at his father, knowing all too well that doing so would only anger Robert further. But the thought of Robert disowning him was so absurd because all Alec really wanted was to be with Magnus. And disowning him would give him the perfect opportunity to live the life that he wanted. Yet before Alec could formulate any sort of answer, it was his turn to be surprised as yet another person joined them.

To say that Robert was surprised when Benjamin stepped between them would have been an understatement. Alec looked toward his mother to quickly realize that Benjamin had obviously spoken to her far before this moment, as she was not at all surprised to see him there. At first, Alec wondered if that was why Maryse had ultimately decided to move into the Trueblood manner, but he knew deep down that his mother would have done so regardless of the circumstance with Benjamin. "I don't think you have to worry about your son ruining your family, Robert," Benjamin said, his courage slightly surprising Alec. "You seem to have that one covered yourself."

Alec moved to hand Max off to Magnus then, realizing that things were about to change for better or for worse, and he didn't want Max to be in the middle of whichever it would be. He urged Magnus to leave then, but the warlock wouldn't budge, not surprising him in the slightest. Before Robert could respond in any way, Benjamin continued, barely catching his breath. "You have been given the most amazing family. You've literally been handed them on a silver platter. And yet you still have managed to lose each and every one of them in one way or another. So might I suggest that you turn around and simply go to the Clave meeting before all of these lovely people around you realize the very same thing."

Benjamin's voice was dangerously loud, but Alec knew that no one could actually hear him, not over the noise around them. Yet it was the tone of the werewolf's voice that told Alec that he was not messing around. He was fully prepared to expose the kind of husband and father Robert truly was, and Alec began to wonder what the Clave might actually do with their king if they realized this. But he was spared the thought as he watched his father turn around, making his way out of the room and toward the Clave meeting in the most defeated of ways. Despite himself, Alec smiled as he watched his mother take hold of Benjamin's hand, clearly not worried about the repercussions of her actions. Feeling ever so slightly liberated, Alec surprised Magnus by requesting to attend the Clave meeting as well, wondering what all the fuss was about.

The more Alec tried to hold in his anger, the worse everything became. He was trying to give Jace the benefit of the doubt, but at the moment, it seemed as though Jace was hell bent on making that utterly impossible for him to do. He had watched as his parabatai took the stand at the Clave meeting and revealed everything they had discovered about the nature of the royal line and the fact that the Lightwoods were far from the true owners of the royal title. What was confusing Alec the most was Jace's motives. And no matter how much he wanted to believe that Jace wasn't acting out of selfish desires, he couldn't seem to connect what was happening with what he knew about his parabatai. At least, he couldn't until Jace voiced his demands of the Clave.

"I'm telling you this for one reason," Jace said, pointedly meeting Alec's eyes for the first time since he'd taken the stand. "I have no wish to be your king, and I would like to officially transfer the royal line to the Lightwoods, which is something that I have heavily researched and know to be possible." This was news to Alec, but he continued to give his brother some slack, knowing that Jace had to have a point. "But my demand before I do so is that the Clave changes the Law to allow all members of the royal family, including the king, to marry whomever they wish to marry, regardless of their sex. Including Downworlders," Jace concluded, his words hanging heavily in the room. "Either you allow this to happen, or I abdicate my own thrown and the Shadowhunters are left without a royal line altogether."

Alec all but sighed in relief as he realized that Jace's motives were indeed completely and utterly selfless. Jace was doing the only thing he knew to do to attempt to allow Alec to marry Magnus if that was what he wished. The thought brought a smile to Alec's face, and as the room burst into noise, Alec stood up and motioned for Magnus to follow him. "What are you doing?" Mangus said as soon as they were out of the room. "Don't you want to stay and hear what they have to say?" he asked, his surprise only causing Alec to smile even more. He knew that nearly everything he'd done over the past couple of hours had been completely unexpected, but that only made Alec want to see them out even more.

"You're welcome to go back in and listen to them argue for the next couple of hours," Alec said, knowing that Magnus was already giving in. "I, for one, would like to take a nice walk, since today seems to be a mild day for Idris," Alec continued, trying to hide the fact that his smile was growing ever wider. "And I thought that the three of us might talk about more important things," he finally said, trying to make his hint as subtle as possible. The day before, he and Magnus had had a rather long conversation about whether they wanted to invite Max into their little family or not, eventually deciding that they most certainly did. They had agreed to talk to Max about this at a much later date, but the new turn of events had Alec wanting to say so much more than he had first imagined.

Eventually, they found themselves in a courtyard of sorts that was completely empty thanks to the current Clave meeting. Before Magnus could say anything at all, Alec took lead of the conversation, hoping to head Magnus off so that he could get through everything he wanted to say. "I actually wanted to talk to both of you about something very important," Alec said, wondering just where his courage was truly coming from. "You see," he said, turning to look at Max and trying to keep the smile off of his face. "Magnus and I were talking last night, and it really got me thinking about how much you mean to us."

The smile that appeared on the little boy's face was decidedly the most satisfying thing that Alec had seen all day, and he realized that this was exactly where his courage was coming from. "And what you did for me today at the funeral just reminded me more and more of the fact that you are the most amazing thing to happen to us lately," Alec continued, hoping that he was saying the right things. "So Magnus and I were wondering if you would do us the honor of becoming our family and staying with us," he finished, looking up to see that Magnus's own smile had finally replaced his look of confusion.

At first, Max seemed to be in shock, unable to say anything in response. Finally, he came up with something that he wanted to say. "You mean forever?" he asked, his expression filled with the kind of heartbreaking hope that Alec had last seen in him on the night they'd met. "You mean like you'd be my daddies?" he asked, looking back and forth between Magnus and Alec as though he couldn't actually believe that they would want such a thing. But after a couple of painfully long seconds, Max launched himself into Alec's arms, tears beginning to fall as he realized just how serious they were being with him.

As Magnus moved to hug them both, Alec continued, pushing on before he lost his resolve. "The reason I didn't stay at the Clave meeting is because the outcome simply doesn't matter to me," Alec said, registering Magnus's utter surprise at his words. "Sure, their decision will either mean that I am allowed to rule with you by my side, or it might mean that I would have to give up my throne to be with you, but that's just it, Magnus," Alec continued, hoping that he wasn't overstepping himself or saying the wrong things. "It doesn't matter what the Clave decides because, ultimately, I've already made my own decision." Alec smiled at the flash of realization in Magnus's eyes as the warlock began to understand where Alec was headed with this.

"If the Clave decides that I am not allowed to marry as I wish, then I will simply abdicate my throne and let the Clave deal with the aftermath. But no matter what happens, Magnus, my plan is to be with you and our new family," he said, glancing down at Max as he did so, almost wondering when they'd gotten to this point. "Their decision really has no weight in my life anymore. Either we'll be together as the Clave's new kings, or we'll be together as outcasts, but hear me when I say that we are going to be together." Alec wasn't at all surprised when Magnus's lips found his, and he couldn't help but smile into them as he heard Max complaining about how gross they were currently being. If there was one thing Alec knew at the moment, it was that his life had finally turned out just the way he had always hoped it would, and that was more than enough for him.

I can already see the comments that will be coming, but I can't wait to hear from you all about this story! Please don't forget to leave a comment, as I would love feedback of any kind!

Thank you so much for sticking with me through this roller coaster of a story! Much love to you all!