The Other Wayland

The clearing and the Meadow

Joe's POV

He led me further into the intoxicatingly beautiful realm. The air was cool, fragranced with the heavy scent of flowers and carried the feeling of unsettling danger that I couldn't quite put my finger on. The guard continued to lead me through the forests to a clearing where there is a throne created from the twisted branches and roots of the great oak trees in the clearing. 

"Joseph," A tall, graceful woman called to me as we came to stand in front of her. "It has come to my attention that one of my court's children has fallen quite ill,"

"Elizabeth? Are you talking about Elizabeth?" I asked confused. What on did the Seelie queen want with Liza?

She rolled her eyes dramatically, "Of course I am talking about Elizabeth as you call her, she is sick, is she not?"

"Yes, my lady, she is but forgive me, what does that have to do with you?" I asked, the seelies rarely took interest in the lives of petty shadowhunters even those who were in comas.

"Did you not hear me? Your Elizabeth is a child of the court, well half of her is but seelie blood flows through her veins non the less and she requires our help," The queen said, the revelation that Liza was half seelie didn't come as a huge surprise. No one was entirely sure of her parentage anyway.

"But how can you help her any more than the Silent brothers or Magnus Bane?" I asked, sceptical of the Queen's intent. "We have tried all we can, I can't see how you can help,"

"This realm is purer than yours," She said dismissively. "I want to assure you that this is not a choice.  She is a citizen of my realm and therefore I retain all rights to bring her here without the consent of anyone." She tilted her head to look at me. "I will take her whether you like it or not. It will be easier for you to consent. I would not like to be accused of breaking the accords,"

"She will be safe here with you?" I asked, I couldn't believe I was considering this. I guess I was desperate,  desperate to have my girl back.

"Yes, of course. I wouldn't dare to hurt such a treasure. Beside her father is still here amongst my courtiers. Do you think that he should still be denied his daughter after all this time?" I shook my head. I didn't want to hand Liza over to this woman that was renowned for her twisted nature but I had little choice. If I didn't say yes, I was putting Liza at risk of kidnapping, but if I did, I was handing her off to a woman who nobody truly trusted. I was torn, I knew that the brothers and Magnus could do precious little to help Liza anymore, everyday it was getting a little harder for them to keep her pain free but was handing her off the Seelies really the answer?

"If I say yes, will I be able to visit her?" I asked, I didn't want to abandon her in this realm. I couldn't stand not being able to watch over her. The chance that any second could be the last was something I was all to aware of.

"Of course." The queen assured me. I nodded and sighed. I had no choice, I knew I was going to regret this decision, they were all going to hate me. "I will be watching over her, there will be healers taking care of her, her father will visit her as well, she will not be short of company,"

"How are you going to transfer her? She is extremely fragile," I informed her. 

"Don't you worry your handsome head about it," She dismissed me a sly smile on her face. 

***

Joe's POV

"How could you just give her over to the Seelies?" Jace asked the anger evident in his eyes. 

"I didn't have a choice, she was going to take her either way," I said crossing my arms as we watched the Seelie knights carefully transport Liza through one of the gates in the forest. "Apparently her seelie side should be able to overcome the extra demon blood or something," 

"I am not sure about that," He said glaring at me, "Why do you get to make all decisions about Elizabeth?"

"Because I am her partner," I said coolly as the knights disappeared through the gate.

"And I am her brother," Jace snapped at me. I shrugged, not bothering to answer him before I quickly followed the knights through the gate. The knights lead us through the woods, Elizabeth in the arms of one to a bed set out in a clearing. The bed was covered in white linen and flowers, the air was perfectly cool and fresh smelling, the whole place felt healing. I hoped it was, I wanted nothing more than to see Liza awake again, I'd have given anything to have her back again. I prayed to the angels, promising that I would spend my entire life repaying them if only they gave me my Elizabeth back. I would do anything, give anything just to see her open her eyes once more, to tell her how much I loved her, to have her live like she was supposed to do. The universe deserved to have her in it.

The knights placed her onto the bed so gently that the flowers beneath her barely appeared crumbled. She seemed to immediately relax into the bed and when the knights were sure that she was comfortably arranged they left. Jace watched them going, glaring at their backs as they disappeared. 

"How is any of this nonsense going to help her? Surely she should be somewhere that her vitals can be monitored or I don't know, anywhere that isn't a clearing in a forest?" Jace asked hastily.

"I don't know but we've tried anything else, if this even has a chance of working why shouldn't we take it?" I asked him in response. I walked over to Liza on the bed and sat on the edge careful not to crush the flowers. I look her hand in mine, it felt warmer than before like life still flowed through her veins. Jace walked over and lent down to kiss her forehead before walking away towards the gate muttering something about Clary and needing support.

I sat for awhile with Liza before a familiar voice sounded in the clearing around us, "She is quite the beautiful child," The queen said as she caressed Liza cheek. "Is she not?" She asked, turning her head to the side as she looked at me.

"She is," I nodded. "She is beautiful," I agreed.

"She suits the seelie blood well." She added as she tucked Liza's golden hair behind her ever so slightly pointed ears. "She will be right at home here,"

"Will it not get cold out here at night?" I asked worried.

"Don't worry my child, she will be perfectly comfortable her through the day and night," The queen assured me, "It should not be more than a month before she can return to you, she is a resilient child, she will recover most wonderfully," She stroked Liza's face lightly, "She is magnificent, whatever Valentine did to create her was quite something. So strong, but fragile and small.  The atmosphere here will lessen her bodies desire to force the balance and after a while it will balance itself." She explained. "You are going to be perfectly fine my darling," She told Liza caressing her once more. "You can go now child, she is in good hands." I nodded and walked from the clearing.

***
Elizabeth's POV

The temperature of the meadow around me changed. It was a comfortable cool, like the end of a spring day. I had been in this meadow for what seemed like months. It never got dark or rained. The temperature though changed, sometimes it was hot like the hottest day in summer and others it was so cold I shivered but now it was  just a new coolness. The grass around me smelled fresh and a wave of calm passed over me. It was first time I was aware of this sort of feeling in the meadow. Maybe it meant I was close to being able to pass through the door. The door at the edge of the meadow, that seemed closer some days and further away others. Maybe I could go home soon. I hoped I could. The door seemed impossibly far away still. Before I woke up here all I could feel was pain and the dreams but here in the meadow there was no pain, no dreams, just the grass, the daisies and the sun. At first it was lonely but then I came to welcome the solitude.

I laid back in the grass and enjoyed the waves of calm and the cool breeze passing over my body. It was a lovely to feel the wind passing over me. The air was so still here that the breeze was a lovely change. I don't know how I ended up in the meadow but I liked it here. Not enough to stay forever but for now, this was nice.