Grace had never been to a wedding before. She was not upset in any way that she'd been deprived of the experience. She was upset for entirely difficult reasons, reasons that involved emotions and part of her wished she hadn't come at all. Tatiana had never been invited to weddings so neither had Grace.

She hadn't expected the experience to be so chaotic. The wedding was set for next week and the guests were beginning to arrive early. Grace wanted to go home. She could if she wanted to, it wasn't as if she was important in any way to the ceremony. She was just there because she at least owed that to James.

She waited uncomfortably in the drawing room. She was not alone, Anna was pacing in and out watching her while smoking a cigar. Grace ignored it until Anna started waving the cigar in her face. "Do you need something?" She finally asked. "From you I rather not ask, but I have no choice in the matter. The boys are the angel knows where Charles is busy being superior and Alistar is drunk and useless at the moment." Anna said waving her cigar around so the smoke tangled around Grace and slithered up her nostrils. Grace raised her brow at this strange possibly insane woman whom she'd been receiving daggers of the eye from since she'd arrived. Grace didn't say anything to argue. She'd learned quickly not to disagree with Anna Lightwood.

She followed Anna to the kitchen. The maid, Grace had forgotten the woman's name already was decorating a small cake if some sort to look like a daisy. Her bushy red hair was tied on a knot at the nape of her neck and she looked up from her work as they entered. "Afternoon, Ms. Anna." She said nodding at Anna. Anna smiled " afternoon Bridget. What kind of cake is that?" Anna asked poking her finger into the cream colored icing. "Lemon. It's for Ms. Cordelia per the groom's request." Bridget said smiling. "It only seems as just yesterday they'd been wee lass and lad chasing and running around." She said swatting Anna's hand away from the cake. Anna's smile grew bigger. Grace cleared her throat and Anna stopped smiling and looked at her. "Allow me to introduce my adoptive cousin, Grace Cartwright." "Blackthorn." Grace hissed. Bridget smiled at her. Grace frowned. "I know," she said. "Master Jamie used to talk a lot 'bout you. Said ye was a pretty lil' thing. He was right about that." Grace did not allow herself to blush though if she didn't know any better she would. Conceal. Be ice. Be iron and thorns. 'He is a monster! He's an abomination and disgrace! His words mean nothing. You are the beauty. Like snow, cold but beautiful'

Grace was still. " what do we need ?" She asked Anna. "We need tarts for the tea?" Anna said looking at Bridget. "Tea and Tarts? Who needs tea and tarts? Why do we need tea and tarts?" Anna made an impatient noise and looked at Grace. "Their for Cordelia's tea party. Did I not invite you?" Anna asked. She hadn't. Grace didn't expect Cordelia would want her there. She wasn't entirely sure Cordelia knew or even cared about her relationship with James. It doesn't matter anymore. He's with her. He deserves her.

Bridget handed her a tray of tarts and Anna a pot of tea and they left.

They walked to a part of the institute Grace hadn't seen before. "Where are we?" She asked. "These were old rooms that hadn't been used in a while. Probably nobody thought about going this far into the institute. After Aunt Charlotte left Uncle Will turned them into game rooms, tea rooms, and smaller drawing rooms. He wanted here to be something fun for is children and their friends. " Anna said. She followed her into a room at the end of the hall.

Inside Cordelia sat on a couch like a flower above all else. She was dressed in a wonderfully pale green silk dress with a cup of tea perched on a sawser in her hands. She looked up with her lovely dark eyes as she and Anna entered. "I just believe that automobiles make the world seem almost dirtier than it was twenty years ago," Lucie said responding to a conversation that Grace had missed. "I will have to disagree goose, I think it's better than having a city covered in horse shit. Plus you weren't even conceived yet. " Anna said setting the tea and cakes down. "Anna! Langue! That is not a word you, a lady should even know." Said a small women with dark hair and looked like the female version of Mr. Herondale. It took a moment to realize she was, in fact, Mr. Herondale's sister, James' Aunt and Anna's Mother; Mrs. Lightwood. Anna chuckled. "Oh my dear poor mother, you as well as everyone in this room know I was never meant to, and never was a Lady." Anna said setting herself on the arm of Lucie's chair.

Grace stood uncomfortably aware of Cordelia assessing her every breath. Lucie turned just in time to save Grace from running out of the room. "Cordelia, this is Grace Blackthorn. I believe you've met? She's one of Jamie's oldest friends." Lucie said standing up and offering Grace her seat only for Anna to swing herself into it as Grace took a step closer. "Freind? Older than Matthew?" Cordelia said with a hint of suspicion. Grace nodded. "Congratulations on your engagement." Grace said quietly. "She's not as old as me," Anna said interrupting. "I'm his oldest and favorite. I was his friend before he came out of the womb. When Will said I was getting a little cousin I used to talk to Aunties' belly." Lucie plopped herself on the-the arm of the couch. "That doesn't count. Your related to him you have to love him. That's cheating." Lucie protested. "Are you accusing me of not loving Jamie? If we were strangers I'd love him like he was my own brother! Angel forgive me but I do love him more than Christopher sometimes." Anna said mumbling the last part, something about being set on fire and hair. "I've known James since we were small children. We both didn't have many friends back then." Grace confirmed. She watched as Cordelia absently twisted the too large silver ring on her finger. His ring.

"Gold till White our lives intertwine

Take my ring till tis' time

Let me kiss and make you mine

Exchange the ring for runes of love

One on your arm and one for your heart

To tell all those shadows you are mine" He sang absently as she looked at him. "What is that?" She'd asked. "A song I just made up." He said turning his head in the grass. He had eyes the colour of honey. "It's about getting married?" She asked. "Yes." He said smiling. "It seems like it would make a better poem then a song." She said. He smiled even wider, such a boyish smile even for one who was a boy."Is it about anyone?" He nodded. "who's it about?" She asked "Who are you going to marry?" he smiled. "You." He said as if it were all that easier. "I'm going to marry you." He said. "How do you know I'll say yes?" She asked. "Well if you don't then I'll have to drown myself in Lake Lyn." He said. "That's not funny." She was upset. "Well, then You must say yes." He said. "I will make no such promise to you James Herondale." She said. "Well, then I guess it's off to my inevitable death." He said teasingly and sat up.

Cordelia twisted her head over to another girl whom Grace didn't know and started to talk to her. Anna looked in between both of them then got up and Lucie slid into her seat. Grace's chest started to tighten and for some reason behind her eyes started to sting. She had never felt such discomfort and the fact that Cordelia was being so nice to her made it worst. Maybe I should tell her that he's in love with me. Maybe I should let her know. Grace soundlessly made her way to the door and out into the hall. She was stopped by a woman entering. "Sorry." She said sheepishly and looked up into the eyes of James' mother who smiled."It's alright dear." She said sweetly "I hope I'm not too late for tea." She added. Grace was always surprised by Tessa Herondale appearance for she looked only a few years older than Grace herself. 'It sometimes bothers me' James said 'It's difficult watching my father grow older and having Mum stay the same. She stopped ageing before I was born. Did you know that?' Grace felt uncomfortable. "It's actually quite boring in there," Grace said. "You haven't missed much," Tessa smiled. and went in past her. Grace followed.

"Ah, there you are. Trying to escape are you? Well, I see Aunt Tessa caught you." Anna said from the arm of Mrs. Lightwoods chair. "Anna." Mrs. Lightwood warned. "What I was only teasing." Grace watched Tess- Mrs. Herondale takes the seat next to Cordelia on the sofa. Tessa handed something to her, a small silver box with a pattern of a castle tower and birds.

She shifted on her feet and watched everyone in the room talking and laughing and recounting memories that they all were a part of. Grace had never felt so alone. She had wished she had known a family or had a sense of what it was beyond Jesse and Tatiana. She wondered had she been raised by her birth parents and had they still been alive, would she have family friends, a best friend, a joking uncle or a cousin who was the life of the family. All she'd had all this time was James and now he belonged to someone else because she'd pushed him away. She felt so uncomfortable and she felt like couldn't breath. 'Sometimes I feel suffocated around other people' James had told her once, and that had made her believe they were alike and that they were meant to be each other's friend and walk the world together.

She looked at Cordelia who looked so comfortable surrounded by people and who was a flower in a patch of weeds. She seems like the person who'd know how to correctly respond to love and being loved unlike herself who at the first sign turned into a terrifying monster to scare love away. She realized then that Cordelia was what was right for James the way she could never be.

Tessa stood and made her way next to where Cordelia was seated, her cup raised. "I'm not one for speeches." She announced. "But I want to make a toast to the bride." Grace watched as she took her future daughter-in-law's hand to help her stand. Lucie took her cup and smiled. "You are already a part of my family as far as I'm concerned, my dear. I hope you always will be. Both my children are lucky to have found such a kind yet strong willed young lady to give their lives and hearts to. I hope you've found happiness with my son, for you have given him his happiness back and for that I'm grateful." She took Cordelia in an embrace that was returned if not given more.

It was Lucie who started to tap on her teacup a little too excitedly that it broke and tiny shards of china as well as tea fell to the floor. Grace ducked down to pick them up with Lucie's help. "I'm such a clutz." she murmured. Grace felt a pinch and a slice as she collected them into her palm and saw that she was bleeding. "Oh, Grace your bleeding." Lucie said and Grace gave her a pointed look to say 'oh really, hadn't noticed'. Grace stood and placed the shards onto a dish on the table and took the opportunity to slip out of the room.


In the courtyard she sat holding her bloodied hand listening to the sounds of birds swiveling in the trees. She watched the fog drift into the courtyard along with the sound of voices in a merry mood that manifested into four figures approaching the gate. "Oh… I've got one! I've got one!'

'T'was the night when my poor ol' mate

A melancholy one was he

Had fallen out of love with roses and in love dear ol' daisy'

"Stop it, Matthew! That was horrible. Never write poetry."

One of the people approaching shouted. The gate creaked open and the four figures became recognizable. Four boys and two of which she knew. Matthew with his fair hair floating around his face so disheveled so pitifully. Something made her want to punch him. And then there was him….

"Jamie's right, you're making my ears bleed with that rubbish. Stick to quoting Wild please."

She tugged her coat tighter around herself as if she could disappear into its folds. She wondered where the carriage was to take her home. She wanted to be anywhere … anywhere than here.

She watched as they neared closer. And then something strange. He looked at her. Not James. But one of the two she didn't know. He stopped as the others went inside. But he stayed and started walking towards her. He sat next to her.

"You're bleeding," he said.

He was a pretty boy. All brown curls that touched his shoulders and lavender eyes that matched her dress.

"I am." was all she said.

He touched her hand to get a closer look at it.

"What happened?" he asked.

"I'm carless." She said.

" Well hello carless, I'm a disaster." He said and laughed. So did she.

"I'm Grace."

I'm Christopher."