"Congratulations, Miss Carstairs." Catherine Townsend bowed her head.

"Thank you, Miss Townsend." Cordelia replied while giving her a small smile.

She stood in the ballroom of the London Institute, that evening, for her and James' wedding ball. Cordelia was still dressed in her golden wedding dress and could not count how many people had come up to her and had congratulated her on her marriage. She had not seen James since they had entered the ballroom together but she figured that he was greeting guests just as she was. Cordelia stood with her mother, father and Alastair.

"Oh, I am just so happy for you, Cordelia." Her mother smiled gleefully. "I had always thought that you and James would make a good match."

Cordelia could not help but smile at her. "Well, I have always deeply cared for James."

She then looked over at her father. "I am very happy that father was present for my wedding. I had been upset because I had thought he would not be able to attend."

Her father smiled. "As was I. You looked very beautiful, Layla, I feel very proud to be your father."

Cordelia smiled at him and then turned her eyes onto Alastair. She noticed that he was staring across the ballroom at something. Cordelia followed his gaze to see that he was looking at Christopher and Thomas who were holding wine glasses and laughing about something. As her mother and father walked away to greet Charlotte Fairchild, Cordelia addressed her brother.

"You seem very distracted, Alastair." She commented.

He snapped out of his trance and looked down at her. "I am not. I was simply surveying the room."

Cordelia did not reply and only studied her brother; he looked very handsome in his formal clothing and his dark hair was swept neatly to the side.

"Are you happy, Cordelia?" Alastair then asked her softly. "In regards of your marriage to James?"

Cordelia nodded her head. "I am. You know that I have always harboured romantic feelings for James ever since I was very young."

Alastair only nodded his head at her and she suddenly wished to tell him that her and James' marriage was not real but she refrained. Too many people already knew the truth about it and it was too much of a risk.

"Have you spoken to Charles Fairchild since my engagement party?" Cordelia found herself asking.

Alastair shook his head. "I have nothing to say and he has not tried to speak to me. I suppose that really is the end for us."

Cordelia frowned and wished that her brother could fully move on from Charles as she could tell that he had not. Music then began to play as Cordelia was about to reply to her brother, and then suddenly James was at Cordelia's side. He was giving her a small smile and then he held out a hand to her.

"Would you care to dance with me, Daisy?" He asked.

Cordelia smiled at him and nodded her head. She bid goodbye to Alastair and allowed James to lead her out onto the dance floor. She could not help but remember the last time they had been in this position, as they danced together. James had left Cordelia in the middle of a dance, without a word, to go greet Grace Blackthorn. Matthew had then swooped in and saved her from humiliation. Matthew. Her heart hurt at the thought of him and recalled how she had not seen him all evening.

"We are married." James spoke, an odd smile on his face. "It seems as if I am in a dream when I think about it."

She felt surprised by his words. "In which way?"

He shrugged, still smiling. "It is just hard to believe. We have been good friends for so long and now we are married."

Cordelia could not help but agree with his words. Everyone in the room was watching them dance together and she could not help but blush. James was looking at her, his golden eyes bright. Cordelia knew that he had often been bullied at the Academy due to his eyes, but she had always found them to be magnificent. Like someone had melted down the sun and made it into two irises.

"I must say, that you look stunning, Mrs. Herondale." James gave her a small smirk.

Her heart jumped at his way of addressing her. "No one has called me that yet."

James then suddenly twirled her and then pulled her back close against his chest and spoke in a low voice in her ear. "Well, it is only fitting that I was the first one then."

Cordelia only giggled as he twirled again so they were face to face and she looked up at him. She wanted nothing more than to kiss James in that moment but she did not.

"You look quite handsome yourself." Cordelia grinned at him.

He faked being hurt. "You are only saying so because I complimented you on your looks."

She laughed. "I swear on the Angel that I am not. You truly do look very handsome, James."

James smirked. "Well thank you, Daisy."

"You know, I did not think that you would remember that old nickname when I first moved back to London." Cordelia told him, smiling.

"I could never have forgotten it." James grinned. "I can still see you, when I first met you on that trip to Paris, with that daisy in your hair."

Cordelia blushed and continued to smile. "We were all so very young then."

"And look at where we are now; you and I have gotten fake married." James chuckled and Cordelia laughed

They danced for awhile longer and James kept making her laugh. Tessa approached them then and stole her son away to greet Magnus Bane who had just arrived; James had given Cordelia a small smile and then left. She stood by herself for a moment, simply observing the room. Lucie was dancing with Jesse, beaming up at him, and Cordelia could not help but smile at them. Lucie was clearly in love with Jesse and it made Cordelia feel glad. Anna was speaking to her mother but smiled and waved at Cordelia as they locked gazes.

Cordelia then felt someone approach her and turned to see Matthew standing before her. Her heart lurched at the sight of him and felt a blush raise up onto her cheeks.

"I thought you had gone home." She told him. "I have not seen you all night."

"I could not have gone home without asking you to dance first." Matthew held out his hand. "Will you dance with me, Delia?"

Cordelia swallowed hard but accepted his hand and Matthew led her out onto the dance floor just as James had. She could tell that Matthew hesitated for a moment but then held her close against his body and Cordelia returned the action. The dance was a waltz, just as it had been the first time they had ever danced together, Cordelia tried to ignore the heat that radiated off of his body.

"Where have you been all night?" Cordelia looked up at him, breaking the silence between them.

"Mostly drinking." Matthew did not even bother to lie. "And I spoke to Anna for awhile as well as James. He seems very happy."

"He must pretend that he is." Cordelia replied. "It is supposed to be one of the happiest days of his life, after all."

"You do not seem as happy as him." Matthew searched her face, concerned. "What is it that troubles you?"

Cordelia did not reply and only looked up at him. How could he not know what it was that pained her? She had cried in his arms the night before because of it. After a few seconds, he seemed to realize.

"Ah." Matthew spoke, tearing his eyes off of her. "That. You must not feel pained, Cordelia. Some things in life are simply not meant to be."

She recalled how she had said that to him once, when they had been standing on the balcony at the Hell Ruelle. Cordelia had not known that now her words would be so accurate to her life.

"How can I not be? I love you, Matthew." She spoke in a low voice.

He took in a deep breath. "You must not say such things, Delia. I -- we cannot say that to one another again. You are now married."

Cordelia knew that he was right and only stayed silent at his words.

"You look very beautiful, though." Matthew looked down at her. "You took my breath away when I laid eyes on you this morning."

She smiled and blushed slightly. "I have never worn something so grand before."

He only studied her for a moment and then spoke. "I am happy for you and James. If I cannot be with you, I am glad you are able to be with James."

"Matthew--" She began to say and laid her hand on his cheek without thinking.

But she was cut off by a loud crash ringing throughout the ballroom. Cordelia pulled her hand away from Matthew and looked in horror at the sight before her; dozens of Khora demons had crashed through the windows of the ballroom and were now standing before them.