✓ | POOR JUDGMENT (A.FORRESTER)

Lord Ethan. Chapter Three.

  The Grove was so peaceful in the afternoon, and with everything going on around Ironrath this was the perfect place to be to get some peace and quiet. Well, it would have been had there not been three children running around after each other. Cynthia sat against one of the large rocks with a book in hand, it had been the book her and Mira used to read to Talia when she was a baby, and since Mira had been gone Cynthia had dared not put it down whenever she was given the chance to read. The children were playing hide and seek, and currently Ethan was winning. He'd become better than Asher at the game, and even now when he was officially Lord of Ironrath, he still had time to beat the others at such a childish thing. And having had to send Gared to the wall, the four of them were happy to have been given a break, even if that did entail playing with Ryon. "Ethan...!" "Ethan!" Talia and Ryon called out, scouring the area they had been playing in, not entirely sure where he had gotten to. Cynthia knew he had hidden himself behind a nearby tree, but she decided against speaking up, knowing that Ethan would hate having the game given away for his brother's sake. After giving up on searching, Ryon walked over to Talia, who stood not too far from where Cynthia was sat minding her own business. "I couldn't find him, could you?" Ryon asked, his voice riddled with disappointment. Talia shook her head, glancing around one last time. "He hides too well. And if he were smart he would reveal himself." Talia replied, loud enough for Ethan to hear, wherever he was hiding. "I don't like this game anymore." Ryon pouted, turning to Cynthia whom merely carried on with her reading. She knew Ryon got agitated when he couldn't find someone, and that is why when they had all been playing together when they were younger, they would all let him find them, or not hide in such difficult places so he would easily catch them. Asher never used to abide by these rules but the others would.

"Maybe something happened to him..." Ryon continued, looking down to his shoes, and sounding more depressed than ever. "Ethan's fine. He's just forgotten this is a game." Talia stated, annoyed that her twin had beaten them again. Out of nowhere, the bushes began to rustle and suddenly Ethan appeared not far from where the two siblings had huddled. Smiling at his little brother, Ethan said "You found me. Well done Ryon." Cynthia couldn't help but smile at this, noticing how even when he could have so easily won, Ethan still allowed his brother to have the victory, knowing that he'd become quite distressed when he hadn't been able to find Ethan. "Don't worry. It's just a game, Ryon." Ethan laughed softly, wrapping his arms around Ryon who had run into him. "A stupid game. I don't like it." Ryon protested, releasing his grip on his brother. "He was worried you were gone." Talia stepped in, approaching the two boys, "I thought we'd never find you again." Ryon continued his pouting, looking away from Ethan. "I'm right here...and I promise, I'm not going anywhere." Smiling once more at Ethan's behavior, Cynthia stood, placing the book on the floor where she had been sitting before, and then walked over to the young Lord. "I wish Mira was here. And Asher. And...And Rodrik." Ryon sighed, wrapping his arm around Cynthia's legs as she approached. "I do too, but Mira's in King's Landing, and-" "Can't she come home? I don't want her to die too." Ryon interrupted, clearly having been deeply affected by the death of his brother whom he had adored so much when growing up. "Ryon she's perfectly safe I promise you." Cynthia spoke up, crouching down to meet Ryon's height. "I don't want Gared to die either. Maester Ortengren said he got sent to the Wall." Ryon walked away slowly, sitting down on a dry patch nearby and beginning to pick at the grass. "I'll miss Gared. He was nice."

Sitting beside Ryon, Cynthia spoke up once more. "I'll miss him too, but I'm more than sure that Gared will be fine." She smiled, trying to brighten the young child's mood. "Gared is smart." Ethan pitched in, taking a seat opposite his brother. "No one will tell me what Gared did but it must've been serious. I heard Duncan and Ser Royland talking. They said someone will come here looking for revenge..." Talia perched on a nearby rock, sounding extremely worried for her dear friend. Gared had been like brothers to all of the young children, having been around since before the twins and Ryon had even been born. Cynthia could still remember his first day. Being much younger than the three eldest Forresters meant she was still quite young when Gared joined. He hadn't been much older than her but he was still very strong for a young boy, and very smart. She looked up to him, and grew to like his company. "Everyone's worried about you. But I'm not. I know you'll protect us." Ryon turned to Ethan, who smiled warmly at his younger brother. Ryon had been right, everyone in Ironrath appeared to be doubting Ethan as a Lord, but the Forrester's were sure that he would be as great a lord as any. "Who said they're worried about me?" Ethan immediately snapped back, clearly not liking the idea that people spoke of him behind his back. "Well...Ser Royland for one. He says you can't fight very well." Ryon said slowly, causing a small smile to break onto both girls' faces, though Ethan didn't seem very amused. "And he called you a milksop." Ryon added quickly, trying to sound as innocent as possible. This made Cynthia laugh, Rodrik had been called the same when he first picked up a sword, and look at the man he had become since then.

"Ser Royland forgets himself. After all you are the Lord of the house now." Talia spoke up, trying her best to ease the obvious frustration building in Ethan the more he heard of this. "He doesn't know me or...what I'm capable of." Ethan insisted, quick to defend himself. "What does milksop mean?" Ryon asked, causing another chuckle to escape from Cynthia. "Well I don't know but I know it's not good!" Ethan replied sharply, causing Ryon to let out a laugh as well, curling himself against Cynthia in the process. "Ethan, you should let Ser Royland teach you how to wield a sword...like a man. He taught Rodrik, and Asher...He even showed me how to fight. Properly, I mean." Talia insisted, having a point. Asher had been a far better fighter than Rodrik, and Talia was right, Ser Royland had taught them both. Both Rodrik and Asher had taught Cynthia to fight as well, whenever they were given a break and were allowed into the Grove, they would give her private lessons until she was as good as the two of them. The two would also fight for her hand in marriage, knowing one day she would have to be married off, or if not that, then she would be sent back to her father once she came of age. The only way they could think of securing that they stay together forever was that one was to marry her. Of course back then they both fancied her, but Asher always won, being the better fighter and all. "A Lord should know how to fight." Ryon climbed to his feet, holding up a stick and flailing it about randomly as if he were fighting an imaginary opponent.

"Do you remember when we were younger? When we all used to play here? You, me, Rodrik, Asher, Cyn. We'd all be out here for hours." This brought a smile to Cynthia's face, remembering all of the times they would play hide and seek into the night, chasing each other around and pretending to fight with sticks or whatever makeshift weapons they could get their hands on. "Where was I?" Ryon asked innocently, ceasing his fighting to turn and look to his siblings. "You weren't born yet." Ethan replied with a genuine smile, clearly missing those days as much as the other two were. "We had so much fun. But then...Well, then everything changed. Rodrik became so serious. The Lord in training. And he never smiled anymore. And Asher...Asher just got angry. At everything...Promise me you won't be like that. Please. Just be you. I like you the way you are." Talia was right again. Rodrik had to change, it's what his father told him a good Lord should do, be stern and serious. And Asher...Asher hated being the second born son, he got to do what he wanted but never got the time of day from his father, and so he got angry. The only thing that could ever calm him down was spending time with Cynthia. But that died when he met Gwyn....