Disclaimer: All characters belong to Cassandra Clare.

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"A servant, Gideon?" Tatiana scoffed in dry amusement, lowering her teacup from her lips. "Honestly, I might have expected such rebellious action from you when you were a boy, perhaps, but certainly not now."

They were in one of the larger rooms of the Institute, one lined with books across one wall and a raging fireplace. Tatiana had seated herself on one of the lush, plump chairs, watching her brother through narrowed eyes as he stood leaning against the stone fireplace. They had not greeted each other as one would expect siblings to. She had remained seated, and he had given her a curt nod of his head, as if she was merely a stranger to him.

The roaring fire did nothing to alter the coldness in the room.

"Why are you here Tatiana?" Gideon asked, ignoring her statement. He had not seen his sister for quite some time, and their last interaction hadn't been the warmest, but he often thought of her, worried for her welfare even though he knew the Blackthorns would look after her. That was whom she had returned to, after all the chaos surrounding the death of their father; her in-laws, a family she barely knew. She had not wanted her brothers, and now Gideon could sense the tension between them - not quite hostile, but unwelcoming all the same.

"Why am I here?" She asked incredulously, with such a tone that implied that Gideon really ought to know why she was here. "Why, to save my brother, of course! Why else would I come back here? You have clearly been subject to some sort of spell, an enchantment this girl has paid a warlock to put upon you."

Her accusation had Gideon momentarily stunned. Of course, he had written to Tatiana to inform her of his wedding, and he had not left out any details, as he did not feel as if there was any need to hide anything. He hadn't imagined she would take the news like this, nor did he ever think she could have come up with such a story.

"Rumours spread like fire, Gideon." Tatiana told him. "I have heard such talk of how close the London Shadowhunters are with the warlock, Magnus Bane. I have come to rescue you."

"Rescue me?" Gideon repeated in disbelief. "Enchantments? I am in love with Sophie, and there is nothing sinister or sly about it. I can't expect you to begin to understand, sister. How long did you know the Blackthorn man for, before you agreed to marry him? What do you really know of love? Rufus Blackthorn was probably just a good enough option for you, seeing as you never quite recovered from Will Herondale humiliating you and not returning your feelings."

She bristled. Tatiana had always been like a snake; pretty enough to look at, but deadly. "You would never have spoken to me with such a horrible tone before you started to come here, brother. This place has poisoned you. You allied yourself with them over your own family. What other proof do I need to confirm that you are under some sort of spell? This is not you."

"You have no idea who I am." Gideon snapped, the hand that he had rested on the fireplace clenching into a tight fist. "I am not the boy who left for Spain all those months ago. I grew up, Tatiana."

"I should have known you'd be like this." Tatiana sighed with disappointment. "What a fool I was to think I could come here and reason with you, when you are still completely under her spell!"

Unable to prevent himself, Gideon struck out an an ornament on the fireplace, sending it flying across the room. Instantly, he hoped that it was nothing of sentimental value to anyone in the Institute, and he felt worse for doing it. He had learnt to keep a lid on his temper, but now, hearing his sister insult Sophie, he wasn't able to control himself.

"You know nothing of Sophie!" He shouted. "She is not a witch, she is a Shadowhunter who has earned the title more times than you ever could."

"She is a mundane, Gideon. Don't fool yourself. No ceremony will ever change her birth right. She belonged in the mundane world, and she should have stayed there." Tatiana said coldly. "You have so many suitors, Gideon! There are plenty of fine women who would all line up for the chance to even get a moment with you - Shadowhunter women of good lineage, with pure bloodlines and noble families. You're tainting our family name by-"

"Our family name has already been tainted!" Gideon's voice raised even louder, trembling with anger. "Our father did that all by himself. Do not sit there and pretend that what happened didn't happen. I saw it myself."

"And you allowed Gabriel to slay him!"

"I thought this had been dealt with. I'm not having another discussion with you about it." Gideon ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "I thought we could move on from what happened and try to regain some sort of relationship - you, me and Gabriel."

"I wanted that too, that's why I travelled all this way, to free you and take you both back with me."

"This is nothing to free me from!" Gideon shouted to her, and now she seemed to be more cautious of his mood, clearing remembering how short-tempered he had always been. "I fell in love with Sophie on my own accord. There was no spell, no enchantment. My feelings for her are the most genuine thing I have ever known in my life. I will not have you sit there and say such things about her. She is pure, and she is good, and kind-hearted, and perhaps because of that, you'll never understand."

"But, she is a mundane, Gideon."

"She went through her Ascension." He reminded her. "She bares the marks of the Angel of her skin, and she has earned those with bravery and skill. If Raziel did not find her worthy, she wouldn't have completed the ceremony, you know that. Besides, at the start, it was she who tried to much me away, because of our different statuses, but there was no way I could have stopped loving her."

Tatiana rolled her eyes. "You are being foolish, Gideon. You've thrown your heart away-"

"i am not you, sister." He growled. "My feelings are not won over easily. I don't wear my heart on my sleeve, or fall head over heels at the first available person who expresses interest." He knew his words were harsh, but he still meant them all the same. "Sophie is just as guarded of her heart as I am of mine. I've never anyone like her. Her courage, her beauty-"

Tatiana scoffed cruelly. "I have heard of the scar that ruins her face. Only a man under a spell could ignore that-"

At that, Gideon stiffened. He would not loose his temper completely, although his blood was burning on his veins. He wouldn't give Tatiana the satisfaction. "I want you to leave. You may wish to repair your relationship with Gabriel and me, and perhaps he might want that too, but I do not wish to speak with you again, until you have come to your senses."

"I cannot believe this." Tatiana was staring up at him the same way one might stare at someone who had just sprouted rabbit ears from their head. "My own brother would rather choose a mundane over me." She stood, coming to stand before him. "You've gone insane! Insane! Mingling with filthy Downworlders, disowning your own blood, standing beside Charlotte Branwell rather than our own father-"

"Tatiana," Gideon interrupted her coldly. He could not stand to listen to another word out of her mouth. "You may think what you want about me, but I will not have you think that my fiancee is anything like what you have described her. I want you to leave, now."

Outside, as the siblings faced each other, Sophie stepped away from the slightly opened door and hurried down the corridor as her tears spilled down her face.

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Gideon had escorted Tatiana out of the Institute, not unkindly, but he had not said goodbye or even waved as her carriage disappeared out of the gates. He didn't have it in him to care about his cold behaviour towards his sister, though he knew his conscience would catch up with him later.

He had practically ran into Gabriel as he stalked back inside. He had shouldered past his brother, promising to explain everything later, but his top priority was finding Sophie. He needed to see her.

But, she had not answered her door when he had knocked, nor did he hear any noise that would suggest she was inside. She had not been in the library where he had left her, or the kitchen, or any other room in the Institute for that matter.

At a complete loss, he flopped himself down in the armchair beside the fire and let his head fall into his head.

"Sir?" Cyril entered with a hint of concern on his face. "I came to escort Mrs Blackthorn out-"

"She is gone." He informed the servant, remembering to keep his voice neutral. It wasn't Cyril's fault that he was like this, so the boy definitely did not deserve to be on the receiving end of Gideon's temper. "I walked her out myself, Cyril."

"I'm sorry, sir, I did not expect her to be here for only a short amount of time. She had insisted that she would be staying, so I was preparing a room-"

Again, Gideon interrupted him, for he had much more important things on his mind than his sister's impromptu visit. "Cyril, have you seen Sophie?"

"Miss Collins? I have not, sir, not recently. I passed her a little while ago, in the corridor, but she was in a great hurry and seemed too upset to stop and talk."

"Upset?" Gideon's hand tightened on the arm of the furniture as his mind started to race. "How do you know she was upset?"

Cyril shifted uncomfortably. "Well, sir, I heard her sobbing, and she had her head in her hands. I tried to stop her, but she rushed away. I didn't see where she went, I'm sorry." It is not the place of a servant to get involved, the silent words hung between them.

Gideon sighed. "If you see her, would you come and find me? Straight away?"

"Of course, sir." Cyril said, dipping his head and leaving, the door closing after him. That was when Gideon noticed that the door had caught on the rug, preventing itself from closing by just an inch. His stomach instantly dropped.

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Sophie didn't often go up to the roof anymore.

It had been her secret place for so long. All she had to do was climb onto the top floor, go into the small room reserved for bed sheets and pillow cases, move a small wooden step so it sat just underneath the window, and then hukl herself between the gap.

She had discovered it when she had first started working at the Institute. Although Charlotte had ensured she was comfortable and well looked after, Sophie had quite enjoyed having a small place that she could retreat to to think without interruption.

From her little place on the tiles, she could see far across London. It was a cloudy day, but the sky was light enough to not threaten any rain. Everything about London was grey, bleak and smokey to her eyes. That was part of why she had been so intrigued by Shadowhunters and their lives. Nothing was normal for them.

She sat with her legs tucked up to her chest, her arms wrapped around them, and her head resting between her knees. She felt utterly miserable, bleaker than the weather, and she had no idea what to do.

All the nasty words that had come from Tatiana Blackthorn's mouth had stabbed into her like a dagger, twisting inside her and causing her such pain that she had thought she would be sick. But, it wasn't just because the words had come from Gideon's sister. It was because, apart from the enchantment spell, the words had been true.

What a fool she had been, to allow herself to believe that just because she had trained hard and passed the Ascension, that it changed anything about her. She would always be the Shadowhunter who had been a mundane, a servant, not born into a noble family with the Angels blood coursing through her veins. She would always be on the outside, and now she was starting to fear that Gideon would see that too.

For despite Gideon's words of love for her, he was a Lightwood, and perhaps he would not be able to prevent the self-righteousness that his family had, even though Gabriel had gotten considerably better, and she had always thought Gideon as above it. But, could you really change what was in your blood? He was a Shadowhunter through and through, and she would never be that.

She watched as Tatiana Blackthorn's carriage rolled out of the gates and into the grey streets. Her heart was aching in her chest, and she felt ready to throw up.

You have so many suitors, Gideon! There are plenty of fine Shadowhunter women who would all line up for the chance to even get a moment with you - Shadowhunter women of good lineage, with pure bloodlines.

Her heart clenched even more as she remembered Tatiana's stinging words. Of course, she knew Gideon had had plenty of suitors, Gabriel had told her as such one day in training - not, in his defence, that he had been anything but kind about it, instead he had assured her that Gideon had never paid any woman any amount of attention before. That didn't seem to matter now though. She had always feared that Gideon would one day see that he deserved much better, and now she feared that perhaps Tatiana's speech would change his mind about their wedding.

She felt awful for even thinking such things of him, of even considering that he had looked her in the eyes and lied. He wasn't a liar, she knew that. She had listened to him defend her to his own sister, yet she couldn't stop going over what Tatiana had said.

I have heard of the scar that ruins her face.

Hugging her legs closer to her, Sophie closed her eyes as her tears wetted the material of her dress.

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She could not avoid Gideon forever, she was well aware of that. Taking a deep breath and smoothening out her dress, Sophie left the window and entered the corridor, hoping that by now her face would have dried and her eyes weren't red.

It came to no surprise when she turned the corner to her room and found Gideon waiting outside it, his back against the wall and one leg propped up.

He straightened instantly upon seeing her, a flash of relief lighting his eyes. "Sophie, where have you been? I've been worried sick-"

"I was…" She trailed off.

"I looked everywhere." He told her as she approached him. There was a tension to his shoulders, as if he wasn't quite sure what to do. "I've practically turned this Institute inside out looking for you. Cyril told me he saw you, that you were upset. Sophie, I-"

"Can we not discuss this out here?" She asked him, with a tremble in her voice. She couldn't bear to look at his eyes, instead she looked down at the handle of her door and covered it with her hand.

He sighed. "Of course,"

They entered her room in silence, with Gideon moving to stand by the window while Sophie pressed her back against the now closed door, her fingers hovering over the handle again as her instinct to run threatened to kick in.

This is Gideon, she reminded herself, trying to keep her breathing steady. You don't want to run away from him. And she didn't. She hated this distance between them, and wanted nothing more but to bury her head into his chest and feel his arms wrap around her, but she didn't dare move. Tatiana's words were still echoing in her mind and keeping her from going to him.

Gideon's eyes were dark with sadness as he looked at her. "My love, if you overheard the conversation between my sister and I, I'm sorry. Tatiana was completely out of line, and you should not even give her words a second thought, as they mean nothing."

"I heard." Sophie sniffed.

Dismay washed over his face, and his shoulders slumped in defeat. "I feared as much. Sophie, it does not change anything. My feelings for you are exactly how there this morning, and have been since I met you. All those things I told you in the library, I meant every word."

"She had a point, though." Sophie muttered meekly, feeling her stomach knot. Her legs felt ready to falter beneath her, and her grip on the door handle tightened to steady herself. She closed her eyes as a tear burned down her cheek.

Then, without making a single sound, Gideon stood in front of her, his hands cupping her face so she could look at him. His touch was so warm and gentle, so familiar, that she did not shy away from him.

"Sophie, look at me." He willed her, and she opened her eyes. "I have met many Shadowhunters in my life, and not one of them deserved to carry such a title as much as you do. I was born into this world, my place was set for me, but you...your determination, your hard work, you earned your place in it. No one can take that away from you. You are the bravest person I have ever met, and Tatiana will never begin to understand, because she has never been a warrior, and she has never known what it feels like to want something so badly that the thought of it powers you through every day, every moment, until you get it."

Another tear escaped her, rolling down her face slowly. "Gideon, she thinks I put some sort of spell on you, that your love for me was so awfully unbearable for her to comprehend that she thought up a theory so cruel. Others will think that."

"To hell with them if they do." Gideon said, and at first, the harshness of his tone made her freeze. But, his touch, his face and his voice pulled her away from that fear and reminded her that it was Gideon standing in front of her, and that the coldness in his voice would never be directed at her.

He continued on, "I don't care what anyone thinks, Sophie. I only care if they have the nerve to speak such things in your presence. If Tatiana hadn't been my sister, I don't think I would have been able to control myself as I did. Let her think what she wants. It's not important. What's important to me is you, and that you know I love you. You do know that, Sophie, don't you?"

There was a flash of fear in his eyes that she did not recognise with Gideon. Even in the face of battle, he had stood strong and sure of himself. It was enough to make her breath catch.

"Yes." She answered him, her hands coming up to his as they rested on her cheeks. "I know that."

He sighed, his head dropping so it was resting against her forehead, their noses almost touching. "I hate that she made you feel this way. I hate that she made you question yourself, and question my love for you."

"You cannot protect me from everything." Sophie whispered.

"I know you are strong, Sophie, but if I could shelter you from the world's bitterness, I would do so in a heartbeat." He vowed. "I'd face a million demons for you, Sophie. I'd walk through fire, swim any ocean, battle any enemy, and that's why I know I love you - because your life means more to me than anything in the world. If you could not have become a Shadowhunter, I would have had them strip me of my Marks, and I would have followed you into the mundane world without looking back."

She gasped at that statement. "Gideon, you couldn't-"

"I couldn't what, Sophie? Leave it all behind me? Of course I could. My life was empty without you. I travelled all the way to Madrid, because I wanted to find myself. I thought I had, but it wasn't until I met you that I realised that everything else in my life hadn't made sense until I found you. Before you, I was merely existing. Nothing terrifies me more than living in a world that you're not in. So, yes, I would have followed you, because I know that losing you would absolutely destroy me."

This time, as a tear ran down her face, he wiped it away slowly with his thumb.

"Please, do not think about Tatiana." He said softly. "Her words mean nothing. I love you, so much, and by some miracle, you love me too. That's all I need to know, and I hope that's all you need as well."

"I only need you." She assured him, her voice quiet as she gazed into his eyes, seeing the small hints of green amongst the grey.

He kissed her forehead gently, his lips pressing against her skin and staying there for a few moments. She felt all her sadness fade away under his touch, at the comfort of knowing that despite what Tatiana had said, he was with her. Gideon didn't lie.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. "I ran and hid away like a child, I know, I just couldn't bare to-"

"I'm not angry with you for that." He reassured her, his cheek now against her temple as he breathed in her familiar scent of vanilla and rose petals. "People have their own ways of dealing with things. I used to punch walls. But, I hope you know I'm always going to be here for you."

Her fingers wrapped around the back of his neck, her nails gliding over his skin as she held him to her. "I love you." The words did not frighten her to say anymore. Instead, they brought her warmth and comfort.

"And I love you." He promised her.

She turned her head and stretched slightly to reach his lips. Gideon's hands went to her waist, squeezing her slightly, as her back pressed against the door and his body leaned into her. At the sudden closeness, she parted her mouth, feeling his tongue graze across her bottom lip.

"Sophie," He whispered as they broke apart. "If there is any chance of me maintaining even a scrap of self-control, perhaps it is best you don't kiss me like that." A chuckle rumbled from his chest.

Sophie flushed instantly, having been so caught up in her emotions that she had allowed her deepest desires to overpower her. But, she didn't feel terrible for it, either. She'd wanted it. "You're right." She agreed.

Gideon did not step away from her though. Instead, he tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear affectionately and smiled. "Our wedding cannot come soon enough." He whispered, and she wondered where he had meant to say the words allowed, but she didn't question it. Instead, she rested her head against his chest, closed his eyes, and exhaled slowly, feeling all the pressure and sadness she had felt all afternoon finally disappear.

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Next chapter is the wedding chapter :)