The Mortal Guardians

Chapter 36

Isabelle Lightwood sat at her new desk in her office in the New York Institute. Now that she was the head of the institute, truth be told she felt a great deal of pressure to do a good job in the role. Her mind kept jumping around and around to to the Downworld cabinet meeting she had organised tonight, hoping that it would go well.  She knew that this cabinet would be the first step in repairing the broken trust between downworlders and Shadowhunters. Isabelle let out a shaky breath, reassuring herself that she was cable of doing this as she heard a knock at her door. She turned her head and smile appeared on her face seeing her mother standing the in the doorway.  "Mom what are you doing here?" She asked walking over and hugging Maryse as she enetered the office. 

"I wanted to congratulate you on the promotion." She praised her daughter as they sat down on the couch. "I'm so proud of you, and so is your father."

"Speaking of Dad... What's the latest? Are you leaving him?" Isabelle knew it was a tough question to ask her mother, given the situation. About a week ago Maryse had over heard Robert, her supposed faithful husband on a phone call with another woman. Talking about meeting up somewhere with her, confirming what Maryse had thought for a while now. That Robert was cheating on her with this woman. Even though she was in love with Luke, that her feelings for him still lingered, she had never acted on them, she had remained loyal to her husband. Isabelle found all of this at Max's rune ceremony, when she saw that first off her father wasn't there and that her mother wasn't acting like herself. Maryse only told Isabelle and no one else. 

"It's complicated." Maryse said in a small voice looking at the floor. 

"It's not, he cheated on you."    

"And it's over between us. But we can't let our marital problems undermine our political careers. The last thing we want is to tarnish the Lightwood name."  Isabelle laughed a little at this. 

"It's been through a lot worse." They both laugh before Isabelle's face takes on a more serious look. "I know that you haven't really talked to Alec and Avalon since when ever you lasted talked to them but they deserve to know about what Dad did. You know how fast gossip spreads, they shouldn't have to hear about it second hand. Plus they have been asking what he is like lately and I've had to dodge all of their questions." 

"I'll tell them." Maryse said putting on a brave face, knowing that she would have to face the twins sooner rather than later. She hadn't even seen them since the forsaken attack at the Jade Wolf, but she knew that she would see them soon and tell them the whole truth.

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 Alec and Avalon walked into the institute, sticking close to Luke. All dressed in formal attire for that Downworld cabinet meeting even thought Alec and Avalon weren't going to be apart of it, they still wanted to be there for Luke and Magnus, who as the High warlock was apart of the cabinet. Isabelle had asked the twins to join the cabinet since they were the mortal guardians and having the Shadow-worlds best inters e at heart not one or the other, But they declined the offer, since they were both Downworlder and Shadowhunter they couldn't be apart of the cabinet, It was best for them to try and stay out of political as best as they could, to remain impartial  to everything. So it wouldn't look like they were taking sides.  They watched as Luke went off go and great Isabelle, seeing the werewolf shake their little sisters hand and both heading into the cabinet and noticing that everyone seemed to be looking at them, whispering about them. 

Ever since they stopped Valentine from using the Soul sword from wiping out the downworld, they didn't need to glamour their diamond markings that made it very obvious to everyone that they were the guardians . "There talking about us." Alec whispered to Avalon who just rolled her eyes. 

"I wonder why." She mumbled looking down at her own markings which were on full display. With everyone talking about the twins secretly, as if they weren't even in the room they started to feel uncomfortable with the whole thing causing them to roam the halls of the institute. That is until they stopped in their tracks coming face to face with Maryse Lightwood, their mother. "Uh hi?" Avalon said, not really know what to say. 

"Hi." Maryse replied with a bit of an award smile on her face. "How's the meeting going?" She questioned trying to start a conversation with the twins. 

"We'er not sure." Alec said, injecting himself into the conversation and saving Avalon from doing all the talking. "It just started and we'er not part of the cabinet." 

"Why not?" 

"Well it wouldn't really be fair. Since we." Alec motioned to both him and Avalon who was starting to play with her opal ring.  "are both Shadowhunter and Downworlder we need to remain impartial with these things. Plus the head of the Institute is our little sister so.." 

"That and I hate long, long meetings, ever since high school." Avalon smiled as Maryse laughed at her comment. Causing all three of the Lightwoods to smile. 

"I need to tell you both something." Maryse said her tone becoming more serious. "This probably isn't the best thing to hear but Isabelle said you had been asking about the topic lately and I wanted you to hear it from me, and not some type of gossip that is going around." She took in a deep breath not knowing how the twins would react to the news. "Robert, your father, he had an affair." 

"We figured it was something like that." Avalon said calming causing Maryse's face to twist in confusion. Alec sighed. 

"Whenever we would try to ask about him, Izzy would change the subject, and growing up in both the mundane world and shadow-world we got pretty good at figuring stuff out, and you don't deserve that." Maryse bit back the teats that were puling in her eyes. Alec and Avalon didn't hesitate to pull their mother into a much needed hug for all of them. Maryse smiled hugging the twins back. "You deserve to be happy." Alec said as they pulled apart with Maryse hold their hinds, looking into their eyes. 

"So do you two. I hope despite this, despite everything, I hope you don't give up on love. I hope you fight for it. I hope you both find someone that makes you happy, that accept you for who you are." 

"Kind of already have." Avalon said with happiness in her voice as Maryse only smiled. 

"Tell me?" She asked with both twins nodding, telling their mother all about Ryan and Magnus. How happy they made them and how they meet, how they both stuck by them through all of the crazy that the world seemed to throw that them. Maryse was nothing but happy and proud of them, with the three of them spending the evening talking about everything they had missed in the last nineteen years of being apart.       

A/N

Mother and children reunite at long last. About time right? Until next time