Another Jordelia fanfic! They have taken over my life! Mother of ships.
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flowercrownsandherondales
-write and read forever
1. Comfortable rituals
London Institute, 1903
James POV
I remember when I was about seven, Lucie and I used to spy on my mother and father. We would sit by the door of the library, and just watch them. My mother would sit on the white settee, and my father would sit a crossed from her in the great, brown chair. They would do this every night, just enjoying the company of each other. Lucie would smile, and I would dream. Dream of having someone read with me every night.
And every night, my father would come sit next to her as she drifted off, putting her book away carefully, and kissing the top of her head. Setting her head in his lap, she would sleep comfortably, while he continued to read. We would go back to bed, but I would never forget their comfortable ritual.
Before Grace broke my heart, I often dreamed that she was my wife. She would come read with me every night, and we would create this comfortable ritual ourselves. We would have a happy life, and when I asked her about it once, and told her about this thing I would watch explode with love before my eyes, she would drop her smile and tell me that she would never do that because she hated reading.
On the day that she broke my heart, I often call to it as, "The dark day", her last words to me were, "James Herondale, I would never read with you, one because I do not enjoy to read, and two because I do not love you, nor will I ever." And then she left. I had become numb that night, not because of hurt, but because of my parents. They had misled me to believe love was so free, but it indeed was not. It had a price, a price Grace was not willing to pay.
But someone else was.
Cordelia's POV
Lucie had once told me of a ritual her parents did every night. I would dream those following nights of James and I doing that, and it comforted me.
I was taking a walk the day I overheard James Herondale's heart break. I had walked pass Tatiana's mansion, where James and Grace stood in the front yard. Hiding behind the gates, I listened to what she said.
"James Herondale I would never read to you, one because I do enjoy to read, and two because I do not love you, nor will I ever."
I heard his heart shatter, and I wanted to pick up the pieces and present them to him. Half of my heart screamed, "But Cordelia, He doesn't love you, he would just throw it away when you turned." And the other half screamed, "Cordelia do it! He will sweep you off your feet and lead you to a nice wonderful carriage where all of your family will be with you again and all will be well."
I knew that it was a mix of both. So I gathered pieces, a little at a time.
The day I was kidnapped and beaten, James saved me. Upon finding me, he kissed me, telling me he loved me. Crying, I kissed him, giving him his heart back, fully repaired. I never wanted it to be shattered again. And it never was.
James's POV
Cordelia Carstairs had given me back my heart, and in return I gave her her's. it had been cracked and I saved it. She made me believe that love hadn't damned me anymore, it had made me see. I was free to love on my own, and she was too.
We were married two years later, when I was twenty and she was nineteen. We traveled to the Paris Institute, which had been in her name for years. Alistair inherited the Cornwall Institute.
One day while I was exploring our new home, I came a crossed the library, and found Cordelia asleep on the settee. Her arm had fallen off the couch, and a book lye next to her hand.
"Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens, my favorite book. I had suggested it to her long ago, and she had no read it yet. I smiled, and picked up the book, but a small note fell out.
"James,
Darling, is your vision complete?
I do hope so, I know Grace did not want to read with you, but I, I am not Grace. Nor shall I ever be.
Thank you, James for choosing me.
with love, Cordelia."
James smiled brighter than any other smile he had ever smiled. Slipping the note in his pocket, he sat down and put her head in his lap, kissing her forehead, he opened Great Expectations.
"You'll always be my Estella, I If can be your Pip." He whispered, before starting to reread.
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-write and read forever.