Author's Note: If there is one chapter I desperately want your thoughts on, it's this one, so please, review! Let me know what you think! As always: many thanks to everyone who did review, and thank you to the rest of you who check out every chapter. Please enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 15: The Matrimonial Chapel

Sometime during the night, Stephen awoke to feel aching bruises simmering beneath his skin. Celine was sound asleep in bed, dressed in a soft night gown. Stephen rolled over, nearly on top of her, and buried his face in her neck. He pushed her nightgown up around her waist, and rested his hips against hers, feeling the coolness of her lower body against his hot skin. Celine gasped and rubbed her cheek against his. Her breath hit his ear and then he was hard for her, with no further foreplay required. Stephen wasn't sure what to say, be it "Can I?" or "Should we?" Celine parted her knees and brought them up around his waist. She took his face and kissed his lips and he didn't bother to ask her anything at all.

Stephen reached into the bedside table drawer, fumbled around, and came up with a condom. He ripped open the package and slid it on, then pressed into her. Celine gasped and dug her nails into his back. There was pain and pleasure and heat between them that burned his skin. Being with Celine hurt Stephen's body in that moment, and yet he felt more alive than he felt battling the werewolves. Stephen lifted his head and kissed Celine, his whole body shivering with pain and something else. Their bodies moved together against the sheets, until the heat became too much to bear. Then Stephen's body released all of his pain in one hard, shuddering orgasm, and after that, there was nothing.

Stephen only felt Celine's hands on him, one down on his lower back, rubbing circles at the base of his spine, the other moving gently over the bruises on his upper back. In that moment, Stephen's entire world became tiny: there were no werewolves to fight and vampires to kill and wives to turn into ex-wives, there was only Stephen and Celine together and that was all Stephen wanted and needed.

Early the next morning, Stephen awoke to find the bed empty. He staggered into the bathroom to take stock of his appearance: there were still bruises all over his skin, some still black and blue, others already faded to yellow discolorations. The healing runes could only do so much; Stephen was still mortal and would still heal as a mortal did. He climbed into the shower and washed more blood from his hair, then dressed and came downstairs.

Celine stood at the stove, cooking breakfast. Valentine was sitting at the kitchen table holding Jonathan in his arms. This morning, the baby was grinning deliriously as he giggled at the various noises and facial expressions Valentine made. Whenever Jonathan was in Jocelyn's arms, he either scowled or hinted at crying, though he never did actually cry. With Valentine, Jonathan was a completely different baby. Most babies had characteristics from both their parents, however, it seemed as though Jonathan belonged to Valentine only.

Jocelyn was missing from the kitchen, as were her parents. Michael was sitting in her place at the table, dressed prim and proper, his arm in a sling as he sipped tea. Today, Stephen was going to meet Amatis in the Silent City to finalize their divorce. Michael would come along for support.

"You can still back out, you know," Michael said. Thirty days ago, Stephen thought, yes, he could back out. Amatis might forgive him for cheating, she might not, but they didn't have to end their marriage over it. Now, he couldn't imagine going back to Amatis and pretending that the last two months hadn't happened.

"I just want it over with," Stephen said.

After the meal, Stephen saddled Nicias and rode with Michael into Alicante. They left their horses at a stable and walked to the Accords Hall, where there was an entrance to the Silent City. Michael barely spoke, not that Stephen expected him to. It was nice to have someone along, to have his back. Michael didn't have to speak. Like Celine, Michael was there, and that was all that mattered.

Stephen tried not to think about the last time he and Michael had come to the Accords Hall. Fortunately, they didn't have to go anywhere near the room where the Mortal Cup was held. Instead, they walked down two flights of stairs which brought them, abruptly, to the entrance to the Silent City. Michael went to a Silent Brother, explained their business, and they were shown to a corridor lit with candles and witch light.

There was a large iron door at the very end of the corridor, which led to the Matrimonial Chapel. Some Shadowhunters didn't have a place to get married (or didn't want to plan a wedding) and instead were married by a Silent Brother in the same room where the record of their marriages was kept. The day after Stephen and Amatis got married, they had come to the Matrimonial Chapel to register their marriage. They had been so hopeful the day after their wedding, as if happiness would always be in their grasp. By contrast, this day had an air of hopelessness.

Amatis was standing at the end of the corridor. She looked up and noticed Stephen, then turned away.

"I'll be right here," Michael said. He touched Stephen on the arm. Stephen gave him a sad smile, and then walked down to Amatis, all the while trying to decide what to say.

Amatis appeared stronger than she had been that day in Market Square. At some point, perhaps last night, she must have cried, because her eyes were bloodshot. She held herself with wavering confidence. Stephen was afraid of saying anything, for fear of cracking through the armor she'd constructed around herself for this day. He didn't want to hurt her any more than he already had.

"Thank you for coming," Stephen whispered.

"You gave me no choice," Amatis said. "So this is it, then? This is how it's going to end? You cheated on me, you betrayed me… you pledged your loyalty to the people who killed our child and my own brother…"

"Amatis," Stephen said.

"Just answer me this. Will any of that be worth it, in the end?" Amatis asked.

"Stephen and Amatis Herondale?" A voice called. Stephen grabbed Amatis by the wrist and pulled her into the Matrimonial Chapel, which was not unlike the room where the Mortal Cup had been held. Benches ran parallel either side of the Chapel, with an aisle down the middle. The walls were covered with shelves of candles. In the front of the room hung a tapestry depicting the Angel. Two Silent Brothers sat in front of the tapestry, a large book spread out on the altar before them. A pungent bouquet, left behind from someone else's wedding, lay on the altar as well.

Stephen approached the altar with Amatis at his side. It reminded Stephen of the last time he and Amatis had stood in this very room, side by side, looking forward to their future. It was funny how everything always seemed to come full circle.

"What can we help you with?" One of the brothers asked. Amatis stepped away from Stephen and folded her arms across her chest as she stared at Stephen.

"We've come to seek an annulment for our marriage," Stephen said. "We married four months ago, and, unfortunately, it's not going to work out."

"Did you even try?" The Brother asked. "Marriage can be difficult, young Herondale. You can't just give up when the going gets tough."

"I'm not giving up," Stephen said. "I was unfaithful. Current events have made it clear that I am unfit to be Amatis's husband. It was a mistake for me to marry her."

"A mistake?" The Brother asked. "You made a mistake?"

"I made a mistake," Stephen said.

"Some mistakes can be forgiven," The Brother said. Stephen clenched his jaw and looked at the Brothers, not daring to break concentration.

"This one cannot," Amatis said. "Please, grant us an annulment."

The Brother's turned to one another, seeming to confer in complete silence. For a second, Stephen could only feel the breath in his lungs, wishing to escape. He was holding his breath, as he had been since his Initiation, since the first time something came between he and Amatis.

"Very well," The Brother said. He lifted a quill and crossed out their names in the book, then pulled out a sharp knife and rested it on the table. "Your marriage is no longer recognized by the Clave. There is simply a matter of the runes which still adorn your skin. You must have the runes disfigured so that they are deactivated. Should you wish to remarry, the runes will need to be stripped away with acid, but that is for another time, and another place. Who's first?"

Amatis stepped forward. The Brother lifted the knife and sliced length wise across the rune of her arm, then horizontal on the rune across her chest. Amatis gasped and covered the wound on her chest with her hand. Blood dripped between her fingers.

Stephen stepped forward then. He felt the knife move across his arm, barely biting into his flesh, and then watched as the knife tip pierced his chest and tore the skin open in one smooth, even slice. Stephen felt the rune deactivate, as if there was a tie between he and Amatis that had been stretched thin until it snapped and would never go together again. Stephen grabbed his stele and drew a rune to slow his bleeding and turned to Amatis, offering her the stele, only to find her nearly hysterical.

"Amatis, I'm-" Stephen began. Amatis fled from the room.

Stephen and Michael arrived back at Fairchild Manor that afternoon. Stephen went straight to his room, wanting to be alone. He slept through dinner and breakfast the next morning, and finally woke up to the clatter of plates as Celine carried a tray of food into the room. Celine, who could have used this opportunity to be the only person Stephen wanted, instead kept away, until now.

"You're awake," Celine said. "I made some soup for lunch, along with some bread." Stephen sat up and Celine put a pillow behind him. He knew it was silly to lie in bed when he wasn't ill, but he didn't want to get out of bed either. He refused to admit he was heartbroken over the demise of his marriage, however… he was heartbroken.

"Thank you," Stephen said. He took the bowl of soup from Celine and began to eat as Celine busied herself with the laundry piled in the corner of the room. She was suddenly regarding him with cool indifference, whereas before, they shared a feeling of barely contained lust whenever they were alone together. "Celine… you aren't angry that I got divorced, are you?"

"I'm only angry that you blamed me for it," Celine said. She looked at the door, then walked over to the bed and sat down, leaning close to Stephen. "You must know, I never wanted to break up your marriage. No one was meant to get hurt."

"I know," Stephen replied. He touched a few silky strands of her hair and twisted it around his fingers. "It was wrong of me to blame you for what happened. I fear Amatis and I weren't built for the long haul. Perhaps, there's something to be said for not marrying your first love. I loved her… just not enough."

"I'm sorry all the same," Celine said.

"You know… about before…" Stephen began.

"We can put it in the past," Celine said. "None of it ever happened." Stephen thought it would be nice to nullify all of the past mistakes he felt guilty before. Even Amatis weighed on his conscious, though he tried to push the thought of her away in the interest of moving on. Now, there was a beautiful girl in his bed who was devoted to his happiness. Celine was always there, always.

"None of it ever happened," Stephen said. He rested a hand on her jaw and kissed her lips gently. "How, then, shall we begin again?"

Once Stephen climbed out of bed, he found himself feeling better than he had in weeks. A weight had been lifted from his shoulders and the cloud of guilt and doom was gone. He knew he should have spent time mourning his marriage, but it was impossible to mourn when Celine was always there to make him happy.

Stephen spent the next week spending as much time with Celine as possible. They spent every day together in forgotten corners of the manor house, and every night together as well. Sex was suddenly not as important as falling asleep in one another's arms and waking up the same way the next morning.

One morning Stephen met Valentine for tea on the back patio. When Celine called them inside, Stephen walked in and caught a glimpse of Celine beside the stove. She was covered with flour and powdered sugar from cooking strawberry waffles, which were Stephen's favorite breakfast. Celine dropped a waffle onto a plate, then looked up and smiled at Stephen. It was a simple expression, but Stephen felt his cheeks turn red at the same time his heart pounded just a little harder. Stephen bit his lower lip and wondered what would happen if he walked over to the stove, took Celine in his arms, and kissed her, not caring at all what her brother thought.

"Go on," Valentine said exasperatedly, "Do what you want. You will anyway, with or without my consent."

Stephen crossed the kitchen, took Celine's hands, and rested them on his waist. He leaned down and kissed her gently, just once, on the lips.

"I'm sorry," Stephen whispered, looking into Celine's eyes.

"There's no need to apologize," Valentine said. "You're allowed to fall in love with whomever you want. You are in love, right?"

"If what I'm feeling is love, I never want it to leave me," Stephen said. "I'm in love with your sister and there is nothing you can do about it." He kissed Celine again as Valentine clapped his hands and laughed.

After breakfast, Stephen invited Celine to take a walk with him around the lake. The day stretched out before them as everyday spent with Celine always did, full of possibility. They could ride their horses to Alicante to walk around Market Square, sampling all sorts of cuisine. They could go to the woods, get lost, and come home at sundown, starving and satisfied all at the same time. Or, they could walk around the lake, holding hands and getting to know one another.

"So do you remember when we said we would take things slow?" Stephen asked. He had his fingers intertwined with Celine's as they approached the fire pit they kissed at the night of Luke's memorial.

"We haven't been doing much of that," Celine said. "What with breakfast, and…" They had been moving full speed ahead, even in the bedroom. Stephen couldn't fall asleep unless he had Celine in his arms.

"It's just that…when I thought you were pregnant, I had to think seriously about us," Stephen said. "I told myself if you were pregnant I would marry you and if you weren't… we were done with. And yet…" Stephen lifted their hands. "I can't seem to get away from you! Do you think… no…"

"What?" Celine asked.

"Do you think, perhaps, this was supposed to happen?" Stephen asked. "We were fated to meet, like two star crossed lovers…" Celine laughed. "Really, Celine. I was at my saddest and you were there to make me smile. I was in pain and you made me not hurt. I was lost and you have been my safe haven." Celine rolled her eyes.

"You give yourself not credit," She said. They got to the fire pit and stopped.

"I'm lucky to have you," Stephen said. "Sometimes, I think… I don't know how I could survive without you."

"You don't have to worry about that," Celine mumbled. She reached up and touched his face, running her fingers over the stubble lightly covering his jaws. "I'll always be with you, until you don't want me with you anymore."

"That will never happen," Stephen said quickly. "I mean… I don't want you to go anywhere. I want you to stay with me."

"So I'll stay," Celine said. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his lips, then ran a hand down his chest. She turned away and tried pulling him after her.

Stephen stayed rooted in one spot, unable to think, or do anything. He thought he might open his mouth and never speak again, or, he would open his mouth and never stop talking again.

"Marry me," Stephen said.

Celine turned around; her eyes wide, her mouth open in shock. Stephen's expression matched hers as he wondered where those words came from. He had gotten divorced a whole seven days before. To be considering marriage, now, was madness.

"Okay," Celine gasped. "I mean…If you… Do you…?"

"Yes," Stephen said. He nodded quickly and fell to his knees before her. "Will you marry me?"

"YES!" Celine screamed. "Yes, I'll marry you!"

They returned to the house soon after to formally announce their engagement. Valentine was beside himself and even shed a tear of joy, while Jocelyn managed to fake her happiness quite convincingly. Jocelyn had been friends with Amatis and hadn't spoken to Stephen since the annulment. Stephen doubted she would be happy about him remarrying so quickly.

"So, when's the wedding?" Valentine asked.

"Perhaps in the spring," Stephen replied. "I was hoping to have a long engagement… this time around."

"What's stopping you from getting married now?" Valentine asked. "You want a small wedding, right? Why don't we plan a get together, say, three weeks from now? That's enough time to put together a little something."

"Oh, Stephen, please?" Celine asked. She was clutching his arm, as she had since he asked that stupid, infernal question. "Look at it outside. In a few weeks the leaves will be all red and orange… I've always wanted to get married in the fall."

"I don't really think…" Stephen began. "It's so soon… I don't want to rush into anything."

"Of course, I understand," Celine said quickly. She let go of his hand. "We can wait until February or March or even, perhaps, April. I want you to be comfortable." She was being so sweet and loving, so understanding, Stephen felt selfish for wanting to put off the wedding. Celine had agreed to marry him, which meant she wanted to get married quickly.

Stephen looked outside. He couldn't have picked a better autumn day to get engaged. The sun was shining brightly and some of the trees were starting to turn yellow and orange. The color for Shadowhunter weddings was gold, which Celine would wear, while Stephen would be expected to wear dress gear, or even a nice suit. He'd worn a tuxedo for he and Amatis's wedding, while Amatis wore a light gold dress made of satin. She'd carried daisies. Their wedding day was possibly the happiest day of Stephen's life.

"Stephen?" Valentine asked.

"Fuck it," Stephen said, "Let's get married in three weeks."

Author's Note: Thanks for reading! Please review. PLEASE? Okay. In honor of the next chapter, here are two teasers:

"The prodigal returns," Marcus said.

And for those of you who know who you are:

"I wouldn't mind," Stephen said. "You could beat me black and blue. I wouldn't mind."