Matthew Fairchild

Charles Fairchild (older brother)

Unborn sibling †

James Herondale (parabatai)

Jocelyn Fairchild (possible descendant)

Clary Fairchild (possible descendant)

Sebastian Morgenstern (possible descendant)

Ash Morgenstern (possible descendant)

Emmy Herondale (possible descendant)

Stevie Herondale (possible descendant)

Ella Herondale (possible descendant)

Toby Herondale (possible descendant)

Liam Herondale (possible descendant)

Ava Herondale (possible descendant)

Celina Herondale (possible descendant)

Adele Herondale (possible descendant)

*This article uses material from the “Matthew Fairchild” article on the Shadowhunters wiki at FANDOM and is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License.*

**Matthew Fairchild** is the second son of Henry Branwell and Charlotte Fairchild, and the younger brother of Charles. He is also the *parabatai* of James Herondale.

## Biography

### Early Life

Growing up, Matthew had a close relationship with his father. Being the curious inventor Henry was, he had a tendency of endangering himself with his experiments. Matthew took it upon himself to look after him.

### Academy

Matthew unwillingly attended the Shadowhunter Academy in 1899, where he became considerably popular among the students. Wanting instead to return home to look after his eccentric father, Matthew took every opportunity to discredit himself to get expelled—an unlikely idea given his mother's position as Consul. At the Academy, he was friends mostly with Christopher and Thomas Lightwood and had an initially complicated relationship with James. One morning, he and James finally had a conversation about their situation and realized that they were being rude to each other for no reason. The pair since became very close friends, despite the revelation that James had the ability to turn into a shadow.

When James was expelled, for an incident, started by Alastair Carstairs, that led to a student's death, James was blamed and expelled. Matthew had a confrontation with Alastair on the day of James's departure from the Academy. Matthew intended to berate him for his cowardice; instead, Alastair told him of rumors that he was not Henry's offspring and was instead Charlotte's son with Gideon Lightwood.

After setting up an explosion with Christopher that would surely get him expelled, Matthew left with Will and James to the London Institute, something the Herondales agreed to after Matthew proclaimed his desire to become James' *parabatai*. The pair eventually became *parabatai* and grew closer.

The Fairchilds and moved to their home in London so that Matthew could stay close to his *parabatai*. Christopher was also expelled for their stunt at the Academy, and Thomas did not attend the following year, and so the four of them remained a tight group and trained together at the London Institute.

### Great Sin

Alastair's lies about the supposed rumors that he was Gideon's bastard affected Matthew more than he'd liked. He grew paranoid and sometimes had moments when he feared that his parents were separating. For a time, he even resented Gideon, refusing to think of him as his Uncle Gideon. During a trip to the London Shadow Market, recommended to him by good friend Anna Lightwood, Matthew came across Brother Zachariah, known to the Herondales and Lightwoods as Uncle Jem, and took it upon himself to get closer to him. They then came upon a faerie selling potions and charms. Matthew was particularly intrigued by a potion that he was led to believe would compel the truth out of someone and purchased it behind Zachariah's back.

Matthew put the potion into the cranberries for the scones he baked for his mother, hoping it would make her tell the truth about his parentage or the status of her marriage to Henry. As soon as Charlotte took a bite, Matthew realized that the potion was, in fact, a harmful concoction, just as Brother Zachariah had warned him that the fey could not always be trusted. While Zachariah overlooked Charlotte's treatment, Henry took Matthew aside to tell him that they had been expecting a daughter. He then told him that he hoped to name her Matilda, after his own great-aunt, from whom Matthew inherited his blond hair and for whom Matthew was named after, making Matthew realize that he was indeed Henry's son and not Gideon's.

Zachariah later told him that Charlotte survived, but the child in her womb did not. He advised Matthew to tell someone of the burden of his sin, but Matthew refused and feigned ignorance, though he carried the guilt—of having inadvertently caused his mother's miscarriage and for even listening to Alastair instead of trusting his mother.

### New Arrivals

In August 1903, a ball was hosted at the London Institute to welcome the Carstairs family to London. After James left the new Cordelia Carstairs stranded on the dance floor, Matthew hastily swooped in to save her from embarrassment. The pair had a pleasant conversation with each other, with Matthew inviting her to the picnic that was being held the next day.

At the picnic in Regent's Park, a group of demons suddenly attacked them in broad daylight. Matthew helped fight off the incoming horde of demons but they soon left of their own accord. He then went with the others back to the Institute where he and the Merry Thieves closed themselves in the ballroom. Once James decided that he must travel into the shadow realm, Matthew and the others helped push him there.

The following day, Matthew made his way over to Anna Lightwood's flat for a trip to the Hell Ruelle. Matthew was surprised to find Cordelia there and that she would be joining them at the Downworlder haunt. While waiting for Anna's signal inside the salon, he and Cordelia talk about her father and he offered to talk to his mother for her. Their conversation was cut short by Anna calling them into Hypatia Vex's bedroom. After Cordelia saved Hypatia and Malcolm Fade from being poisoned by their mermaid companion, Arabella, the warlocks repaid the debt by telling them some rumors that had been circling about the lack of demons in London and contacted Ragnor Fell to offer them further assistance. In addition, Malcolm gave Matthew a bundle of faerie blades for his gratitude.

Based on the information given to them by Ragnor, Matthew and his friends visited the flat of the warlock Emmanuel Gast. There, they found the corpse of Gast and Lucie got a great deal of information from his ghost. Matthew also discovered a drawing of a Pyxis and the remains of a broken one. Later at the Institute, Lucie confronted Matthew about his drinking, and her fear that he would get James killed because of it. As Matthew stormed out in anger, he encountered James, who was upset and just found out about Grace Blackthorn's engagement to Charles. Left alone, Grace approached him and they begin to argue. Grace then forced Matthew to kiss her and threatened to tell Charles or James if he tried to do anything to prevent her marriage to Charles.

The next day, the group was able to deduce Gast had raised a Mandikhor demon. They hatched a plan to get a Pyxis box in order to capture the demon as that seemed the only way to stop it. With Anna's help they were able to steal one from Hypatia the following day. They then went to Tower Bridge in hopes of finding the Mandikhor demon. They did, but it was able to break free of the box and vanish.

During all this, Christopher was hard at work on finding a cure. When they learned that the last ingredient he needed was at Chiswick house, they tried to go retrieve it but were ambushed by Khora demons. Matthew was flung by one of the demons but prevented from sustaining more damage as Oscar came to his rescue. Christopher, however, was not so lucky and was poisoned and sent to the Silent City.

While discussing what to do at the Devil Tavern, James received a note from Brother Zachariah, requesting he come to the Silent City. Not wanting his *parabatai* to go alone, Matthew accompanied him, along with Cordelia. In the infirmary there, the ill suddenly became possessed and chanted James's name. The trio fled and, realizing that James's grandfather had sent them there, James explained that he needed to go to the shadow realm and face Belial. Matthew made him tie a rope around himself and then Matthew to ensure he had a tether and could tug on it if he needed to be pulled back. However, soon the connection began weakening and hurting Matthew so Cordelia cut it and traveled into the realm herself, leaving him behind.

When they returned, James was dying. Matthew did all he could to save him, and he survived. Matthew stayed by his *parabatai's* side for the next few days while he rested. As soon as he was fully healed, and after a private conversation with Grace, James announced that he had to go to Blackthorn Manor and destroy something. When Matthew noticed through the Portal that James had set fire to the house, he and Cordelia came through to rescue him. At the Enclave meeting the next day, when accused of burning the house down, Cordelia provided James with an alibi, though tarnishing her reputation in the process. In order to save it, the two announced that they were engaged, much to Matthew's dismay as he had realized he was in love with Cordelia.

And so, at James and Cordelia's engagement party, Matthew drank heavily in an attempt to drown his sorrows. Because of his drunken state, Matthew revealed the rumors Alastair Carstairs had spread about their parents to Thomas, in an effort to prevent their friendship. Later, he confided in Magnus Bane about his feelings for Cordelia and that James and Cordelia did not love each other and in fact had an arrangement for a marriage blanc.