It was weird that Alec didn't notice that he wasn't alone. Shadowhunters were trained to be watchful of their surroundings and after years of hunting with Jace, he knew better than to be inattentive. But he was caught up in his cleaning and with daydreams of leaving the Institute.

Which was a strange thought that caused him to set down the book he'd been dusting. He had left the Institute. He'd been living with Magnus before they'd arrived at the Library. Why had he thought that he needed to leave?

When Alec heard a voice, he thought it was weird that he didn't react like he should have. If someone he hadn't known had snuck up on him before, he would have been reaching for one of his blades. Instead, he smiled at the stranger even while wondering why he wasn't more worried by what was happening.

For a moment, he began to say that he could use help with some of the broken shelves but the words turn into something he didn't expect. "Thank you, but princes should not clean. That's servants' work."

Why did he say that? He doesn't normally talk that way and why did Alec call him a prince?