Will and I had been waiting for the day for what seemed like forever. Ever since I met the boy I knew this is what should happen. Ever since I saw that little boy with the jet black hair, holding the knife the wrong way, I knew, William Herondale was meant to be my parabatai. That morning I woke up, wiggled on a pair of trousers, stomached my yin fen, and went downstairs. Sophie was just setting the table while Charlotte was making smalltalk with Henry, steadily nitpicking at his inventions like always, Jessie twirling in the new dress she was allowed to pick out and William singing in gibberish while trying to trip Jessamine as she twirled and the madder she got the harder he'd laugh. It was a normal morning in the London institute but we all knew it was a big day, Will and I were getting our marks that day. Breakfast seemed to fly by, the eagerness was so palpable I could feel it everywhere. We took two carriages that day, Will, Sophie Jessamine and I rode in the institute's carriage with Thomas, Henry and Charlotte rode with Benedict Lightwood and his children. Will wasn't exactly glad that the Lightwood children would be present at the ceremony, no good worms he always called them, but we needed the carriage, and Benedict heard there would be drinks, so he agreed to provide transportation under the contingency of a seat right next to the bar. As the carriage came to a stop me and Will were overwhelmed with excitement. The location of our ceremony had been withheld under done superstitious belief that Charlotte had so this is the first time we would see where we were going to be eternally connected. Will hopped out of the carriage like a wild animal, feisty as ever, after letting Sophie and Jessie exit first I followed. I scanned the location for any clue as to where we were when my eyes met a big sign "BLACKFRIARS BRIDGE."
I took in the scenery while Will mumbled something unintelligible about "hating ducks." It was a waterfront bridge connected to a park, it was the ideal place for a ceremony like this. The event was about to start any minute so we hurried and took our places by the bridge. The council called upon us, this is as nervous as I had ever been in my entire life but it was the right thing to do. The inquisitor scanned us, two normal looking 15 year old boys, ready to share one soul. "Repeat after me," the inquisitor said in a loud hefty voice. "Entreat me not to leave thee, or return from following after thee," after a brief silence Will and I repeated. "For wither thoust goest I will go and where thou lodgest I will lodge," after four more lines we had completed our oath and the marks were ready to be applied. The inquisitor handed the long black pen to Will first. I snickered and under my breath said "I hope you're better with Stele's than you are with knives." After 30 minutes of inscribing my whole upper body was covered in black and Will handed me the pen, and I took it. "No backing down now right?" He said with a worried laugh. "I couldn't back down if I wanted to, without me you're gonna get yourself killed one day." I mumbled just to get a rise out of him. "It's not too late for me to trade you for Lightworm James, don't test me." Before I could even let out a laugh I realized that we were both fully covered in runes and the ritual was complete. Will grabbed me and wrapped me in the biggest embrace I'd ever been in. "I love you brother." He whispered in my ear that day. And that's a moment I'll never forget, 140 years ago I was bound with one of my loves and here I am decades later to be bound with my other. So here, on my wedding day, I wanna say I love you brother. Ave Atque Vale William, my brother.
