Author's Note: Thank you so much for the reviews for last chapter! Please enjoy this chapter and review! I know of at least a few of you who should love this chapter, and I would love to hear what you have to say. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own none of these characters.

Chapter 17: Wedded Union

The next morning, Stephen woke up and had breakfast with Michael before they dressed in coordinating brown suits. Then, suddenly, he was standing with Michael and Valentine on the front steps of Fairchild Manor, greeting guests. Stephen had only seen most of the Circle together at Luke's memorial. Now, as he observed the nearly seventy people in attendance, he found himself in awe at how far reaching Valentine's influence was. The Accords would be signed in exactly one year's time, and if the Circle continued to grow, the Downworlders wouldn't stand a chance.

"We couldn't have asked for a better day," Valentine said, putting an arm around Stephen's shoulders. The rain clouds had finally blown away and left behind a cloudless blue sky. The trees around the manor were all red, orange, and varying shades of green. Even the temperature was unseasonably warm. "You should go get ready. It's almost time to start."

"What?" Stephen asked.

"You're going to get married in about an hour," Valentine said with a laugh. Stephen nodded quickly as the blood drained from his face. "Michael? Make sure you get him a drink." Valentine pushed Stephen towards the front door. Stephen and Michael went down to the study just down the hall from the kitchen. Stephen fell onto a couch as Michael poured some brandy into a glass.

"Are you doing alright? You're a bit pale, all of the sudden," Michael said. He pinched Stephen's cheeks and smiled. It was as if last night never happened.

"Why don't you go see Celine for me? Tell her I can't wait to see her," Stephen said.

"Shall I tell her anything else?" Michael asked. "Do you want her to know that you love her? Or that…"

"I'm sure you'll come up with something nice," Stephen said. Michael smiled and left the room.

Once he was gone, Stephen finished his glass of brandy, and drank another. In reality, what Stephen told Michael to tell Celine was a lie: Stephen wasn't looking forward to seeing Celine, in fact, he was dreading their wedding. He wanted to believe that these were just cold feet on the day of his wedding; however, his feet had been cold for the last three weeks, since five minutes after he proposed. Nothing felt right. Everything happened so fast. One minute, Stephen was married to Amatis, and the next minute, he was sitting in a room, waiting to marry Celine, a girl who swore she loved him. Stephen thought he loved her back, but then again, all he knew was that her name was Celine and that she fancied the color purple.

Stephen could hear people outside, milling around on the back patio. The wedding would take place on the back lawn, down near the lake. Stephen only met half of the people in attendance for the first time today, and yet they were all preparing to take their seats to see Stephen marry Celine. He could have walked out the front door, got his horse, and rode away, leaving Celine waiting to marry him and the Circle far behind. Perhaps, he could go to London, or Dublin, or New York. Stephen could disappear (not forever) but long enough to make sure everyone forgot about him.

After a few minutes, Michael walked in, trying to hide a smile. Angel love Michael, who was always everything Stephen ever needed him to be.

"She's beautiful," Michael said. "I've never seen a more beautiful bride. My wife would cut me if she heard me say that, but it's the truth. Celine wanted me to tell you that if her love for you could be counted, it would measure more than the amount of both the fish in the sea and the stars in the sky." Stephen raised his eyebrows.

"Really?" He asked. "All the fish in the sea AND the stars in the sky? That's a lot, indeed!"

"Indeed," Michael said. He poured Stephen another glass of brandy and offered it to him.

"If you do nothing else today, please, Angel Michael, keep them coming," Stephen said, and drank deeply.

There was another knock at the door and Valentine leaned his head in, smiling excitedly.

"Your mother is here," Valentine said. Stephen jumped to his feet as Imogen walked in, wearing a dress made of dark green silk. Her hair was pulled back in an updo. She looked every bit what the mother of the groom should look like.

"I'll leave you," Michael said.

"Stay," Stephen said. "Mother, why are you here? I'm dead to you, remember?" Pain flashed across Imogen's face, just for a second.

"You'll never be dead to me," Imogen said. "You are my son. No matter what you do, no matter who you are with, no matter who you hurt, you are still my son. I don't care what your father says. You will always be my son."

"You don't have to be here," Stephen insisted.

"It is your wedding day and I will be damned if I don't see you get married," Imogen said. Stephen's eyes filled with tears. He couldn't bear to look his mother in the eye, for he feared he might start to cry and never stop. "I brought you this," Imogen lifted up a handkerchief embroidered with a pattern of birds from her purse. "Your father carried this when he married me, and his father carried it as well. It is said that this handkerchief brings good luck to a marriage. I want you to carry it this time. There is nothing wrong with a little luck."

Stephen took the handkerchief and put it in his pocket. He and Imogen sat on the couch together as Michael and Valentine silently slipped from the room. The moment the door closed, Imogen grabbed Stephen's hand and held it tightly.

"Now this girl, Celine… do you love her?" Imogen asked.

"Yes," Stephen said. "But Mama…"

"If you love her, then I have no choice but to support your decision to marry her. You are my son," Imogen said. "You father can go… what do those mundanes say? He can go flip himself." Stephen buried his face in his hands and laughed as he cried.

When Valentine reported that it was time for the wedding to begin, Stephen walked out of the room with Imogen. They went out onto the patio to find the wedding guests all seated. Michael shook Stephen's hand, and then walked down the aisle first. Stephen followed with Imogen, who was given a seat in the front row of guests. Once Imogen was seated, Stephen took his place beside Michael.

Jocelyn started down the aisle next. She was wearing a chocolate brown dress and carried a bouquet of dark ivory roses. She gave Stephen a curt nod before taking her place across from him. Jocelyn looked back at the house and Stephen followed her gaze to see Valentine standing on the patio beside the door, waiting for Celine. Valentine looked inside and held out his arm, but Celine did not walk out.

Stephen glanced back over at Jocelyn to see a little smile on her lips. Imogen rubbed her hands together and turned her light eyes to Stephen, her lips pressed closed tightly with concern.

"You don't think…" Michael mumbled. Stephen stared past Valentine, wishing he could see inside the house. Most everyone was looking at the house now, waiting for the bride to make her entrance. Valentine held his hand out once again and this time, Stephen saw a hand reach out and grip Valentine's arm. Celine walked out of the house and looked out over the crowd of people.

Valentine led Celine down off the patio and across the yard. Celine's dress was light gold, with a lace covered bodice and a full, flowing skirt that fanned out behind her into a train. Her hair was down, curled into soft waves around her face. She wore a veil that covered her arms and went halfway down her back. Her hands clutched a bouquet of blood red roses.

Stephen expected there to be a moment that he would suddenly recognize Celine as the girl who would become his wife, the way he recognized Amatis on their wedding day as she walked down the aisle holding Luke's arm. Instead, Stephen only saw Celine's lost expression as her eyes searched unfamiliar faces for one person who was there for her. She seemed so young and innocent, dressed in a wedding dress, about to become a wife just three months after her 18th birthday. It was the first time since they became engaged that Stephen saw Celine appear vulnerable.

"Smile," Michael mumbled. Stephen met Celine's eyes to find her crying. When she reached the end of the aisle with Valentine, Celine grabbed Stephen's hand and held it tightly. They turned their backs to everyone and faced Hodge, who cleared his throat and opened a book.

"Ladies and gentleman, we are gathered here today to witness the marriage of Stephen and Celine," Hodge said. "Should anyone object to this marriage, let them speak now, or forever hold their peace." Stephen's mouth fell open. Hodge smiled and gave Stephen a wink. "If there are no objections…" Celine dug her nails into Stephen's palm.

"No objections," Celine said.

Hodge began with a reading before he had Stephen and Celine face each other to say their vows. Half of the time, Stephen wasn't sure what he was saying. He felt like he was watching someone else get married.

"Celine, do you take Stephen to be your wedded husband, to have and to hold, as long as you both shall live?" Hodge asked.

"I do," Celine said.

"And do you, Stephen, take Celine to be your wedded wife, to have and to hold, as long as you both shall live?" Hodge asked. Stephen looked up at Celine. She was smiling, her eyes still filled with tears.

"I do," Stephen said.

"With the application of your marriage runes, you will be considered married in the eyes of the Clave, the Circle, and most importantly, in the eyes of the Angel," Hodge said. He brought out a stele and offered it to Celine. "Go to it, then. Don't come back until you're married." Everyone laughed.

Celine grabbed Stephen's hand and pulled him back down the aisle. They went inside the house and down to the office where Stephen had last been with Michael. Celine pushed the door closed and looked up at Stephen.

"Listen to me. I didn't know you had to have your runes stripped. Valentine told me about yesterday, how you had acid dripped onto your skin. It hurt you," Celine said. "I know you're still in pain, I can see it in your eyes. You don't want this."

"Of course I wanted it," Stephen said. "I just…"

"I won't draw your runes. No one will have to see them. We can wait until you want them," Celine said. "You wanted to wait to get married and I made us get married and now… I don't want to force you into this."

"What do you mean, we can wait?" Stephen asked, instantly suspicious. He had expected Celine to be pulling his jacket and shirt off, all to Mark him as her own faster. He didn't expect Celine to be hesitant, after all they had been through.

There was a noise in the kitchen and Celine turned her head, listening carefully. She leaned closer to Stephen.

"They're just runes," she whispered. "I can put them on you whenever I want." Stephen could only imagine what might happen if he didn't take the marriage runes while Celine did. They would be faking their marriage and therefore living in more sin than they already were.

"You want to marry me, right?" Stephen asked.

"Of course I do," Celine said. "I just want you to want to marry me. I don't want to hurt you. You would never hurt me, right? So why should I hurt you?"

"You love me," Stephen said, "you'll never hurt me." He took the stele from her, then took her right hand and drew a rune on her bicep, just above her elbow. Stephen traced his fingers up her arm and across her collar bone. He drew another rune over her heart and held the stele out to her. "Now me."

Celine reached up and helped Stephen out of his jacket. She unbuttoned his shirt next and tossed it aside. Stephen sat on the edge of a desk and Celine rested a hand over his heart, her fingers gently touching the scar the acid left behind.

"You have to promise me something," Stephen said.

"Anything," Celine said. Her gold eyes were huge and still wet with tears.

"Don't stop," Stephen said, his voice cracking. "Whatever you do, don't stop."

"I promise," Celine said. She took his right hand, laced her fingers with his, and placed the stele against his skin. She began to move the stele over the scar as black lines flowed from the stele and etched into his skin. Stephen flinched and jerked his arm away, but Celine kept her promise and didn't let him go. The stele felt like a hot knife slicing through Stephen's skin. When the first rune was finished, Celine pressed the stele to Stephen's chest and began another rune. That time, Stephen felt sick. He wanted to pull away, stop the pain, and forbid it from ever starting again.

The moment the rune was finished, Stephen slapped Celine's hand away. The stele clattered to the floor and Stephen seized Celine by the arms. He pulled her against him and kissed her lips as he began to cry in pain, sorrow, and happiness. Something had changed inside of him. Whereas Celine was once a stranger to him, she was now irrevocably bound to him.

"My wife," Stephen said. He took her face in his hands and crushed their lips together once more. "Now, you're my wife."

Once completely redressed, Stephen walked outside with Celine. Her Marks were dark against her skin, set off by the light gold of her dress. Beneath his shirt, Stephen's runes throbbed painfully, but there was no going back, not now. All of the wedding guests waited on baited breath, prepared for either outcome. Sometimes, the runes didn't take, for one reason or another. Sometimes, the bride or groom backed out at the very last minute.

Valentine stood up and folded his arms as he looked from Stephen to Celine. Imogen had a handkerchief to her mouth. Stephen put his arms around Celine and drew her body close to his. He closed his eyes and kissed her lips as everyone burst into applause.

Immediately following the wedding there was a cocktail hour before a meal would be served. Stephen took his place on the patio with Valentine and Michael to socialize with guests as the sunset began to turn the sky gold.

Michael did his duty as best man by keeping a cold drink on Stephen's hands at all times. Imogen took Celine aside to talk with her. Stephen was nervous for Celine, but his worry was soothed when he saw the two most important women in his life sharing a laugh. Celine was gone for a few minutes, and in that time, Stephen had one drink, and then traded his empty glass for Michael's full one. The day had been long and emotional, and Stephen was tired of it. He only wanted to eat dinner, go to bed, and wake up early to leave for London.

"You shouldn't drink so much," Valentine mumbled. "You have… things to do tonight."

"Like what?" Stephen asked. He knew his marriage was now recognized by the Clave, however, there was something else that needed to be done before he and Celine would be, for all intents and purposes "married" in the eyes of a higher power.

"It's your wedding night," Valentine said, as if Stephen didn't already know. "You must consummate your marriage, or it won't be sanctified in the eyes of the Angel."

"Oh, we can't have that," Stephen said. "Then again, I don't believe it's any of the Angel's business what I do on my wedding night, and I don't think it's yours either. It is, after all, my wedding night."

"Of course it is," Valentine said. Stephen finished his drink and snapped his fingers at Michael to summon another. Hodge walked over and stepped between Stephen and Valentine.

"There is a… wolf situation," Hodge mumbled. Stephen looked beyond the lake to see a lone wolf standing on a hill in the distance. As the party's conversation died, the pack leader was joined by six other wolves.

"Should we send a representative?" Michael asked. Celine walked onto the deck with Imogen and stood beside Stephen. She shivered nervously and Stephen put an arm around her shoulders.

"I'm sure they mean no trouble," Valentine said.

The pack leader sat back on his haunches and stared down at the gathered Shadowhunters. The hairs on the back of Stephen's neck stood up as he felt the wolf's gaze on him alone. There were a few tense seconds of silence. Then the wolf tilted his head back and cried out with a howl full of pain and sorrow. If Stephen didn't know better, he could have sworn the wolf was heartbroken. When the howl finally stopped, the wolves stood up and ran out of sight.

Dinner was held soon after, followed by more socializing. Imogen left after the meal, causing Stephen to feel inexplicably homesick. Someone lit a bonfire beside the lake and some of the men went down to it. Jocelyn went inside to tend to Jonathan, and everyone else broke off into their usual cliques. Stephen sat on a porch swing and drank; Celine sat beside him and fiddled with her hair.

"Come on," Celine finally said. She stood up and pulled Stephen off the porch and out into the lawn. Stephen staggered after her as Celine led him away from the house, into the shadows surrounding the lake.

"Save it for tonight!" Someone yelled.

"Aw, come on, treat her right!" Another person called. Stephen's face got hot. He spun around, prepared to walk back to the house, but Celine grabbed his arm and pulled him after her. They ended up beneath a tall oak tree on the west side of the lake.

"Forgive me for wanting to spend time with my husband on our wedding day. We haven't had a moment to ourselves since we drew our runes," Celine said.

"That's what happens on the wedding day," Stephen said. "Amatis and I…"

"What?" Celine asked. She stepped closer to Stephen. Sometime during the evening she had become less of a stereotypical mundane bride and more like the girl Stephen sat beside at his first Circle meeting. Celine was wearing her Circle amulet around her neck, and her dress was now covered with leaves and grass stains. "You and Amatis what?"

"Nothing," Stephen said. Celine folded her arms.

"I won't have you keeping secrets from me. I'm your wife. I love you and I am your wife. I'll never lie to you; I only expect the same from you," Celine said. "Now, what's the matter?"

"Nothing!" Stephen exclaimed. "Nothing is the matter." Celine remained in front of him, her arms folded, a scowl on her face. "The wedding isn't about the bride and groom. It's about everyone else. We're just… the reason for the party."

"We got married today, remember?" Celine asked. "I said I do, you said you do… Now we're married. We are Mr. and Mrs. Stephen and Celine Herondale, remember?"

"I'm going to be sick," Stephen said. He fell onto the ground and leaned against the tree, putting his head down between his knees. The world seemed to turn over, so that the sky was beneath him.

"You've been through a lot," Celine whispered. She sat beside him and put a cool hand on the back of his neck. "It's just our wedding day. Tomorrow, we'll wake up together, and we'll go to London, and everything will be back to normal."

"I've done things I fear I may never forgive myself for," Stephen said. He looked out onto the lake, thinking how there was no amount of alcohol that would ever numb the pain he felt inside.

"I'll forgive you," Celine said. She took Stephen's hand and pressed it to her lips. "I'll always love you, Stephen. Always." Stephen shook his head, unable to tell her that it wasn't her forgiveness he would ever need. "Look what I found."

Celine lifted her hand to show Stephen two thin wooden sticks and a book of matches. She gave Stephen one of the sticks, then struck a match and lit the end of the stick he held. The stick ignited with a shower of bright gold sparks. Celine lit her sparkler as well and waved it around, drawing lines in the air with light. Stephen smiled and watched as Celine spelled out their names and drew hearts until finally, the sparklers went out. "Feel better now?" She asked.

"I do," Stephen said. It was one thing he could always count on: for Celine to make him feel better when he felt his worst. When he closed his eyes and kissed her, he managed to convince himself, for the moment, that this was all for the best.

Author's Note: Thanks for reading! Please review! Here is a teaser:

"In twenty years, your son could change the world. It all starts with you."