✓ | POOR JUDGMENT (A.FORRESTER)

Books. Chapter Six.

It was funny to think that Jon had been at the Wall since everything had kicked off with the Lannisters and his family. His father left for King's Landing with his sisters when he had left for the Wall. That was when it had all started, and since then he's been secluded from it all, stuck as far North as any man would wish to go. He didn't seem to mind it at Castle Black, his only regrets being that he hadn't been at his brother's side during the war, but he did not speak much of it. They spoke of generic things, and old times, avoiding talk of their dead brothers or anything else about their families, which Cynthia had grown grateful for the more time they spent talking. She was soon introduced to Jon's closest friend, Sam, who seemed to be a lovely and polite man, someone whom Jon deserved at his side. With Sam joining them, the trio wandered aimlessly around Castle Black, whilst Duncan spoke with Gared, whom Cynthia had already caught up with. They both seemed stunned and miserable about the loss of Ethan, but neither spoke of it. Gared blamed himself just as much as Cynthia did her, but Duncan had shut them up before they'd groveled about it too much. Jon and Sam appeared to be a good distraction from it if nothing else. And Cynthia was pleased to have something to take her mind of it in the meantime, before she had to return home and face her family again.

When they reached the library of Castle Black, Sam was enthusiastic to show off his prized possessions, which Cynthia hadn't minded at all. She loved books, as Jon had already pointed out, and she was thrilled to be looking through books she had not yet read, finding it more amusing then rereading books from the Ironrath library. Over the years she was sure she had read every single book the Forresters owned, and couldn't bare to read them any more. Castle Black's library wasn't nearly as big, but they had some books she had never before seen. "These are all of the family record books." Sam gestured to a shelf of leather bound books, lined up on a solitary shelf beside the fire. "Can I take a look?" Cynthia replied eagerly, wishing to read through the old family histories. She had never learnt much of her family, only knowing the name of her father and that she had once had some siblings, but they were all gone now, apparently. Lord Gregor had spoke of Lord Galbart many times with Cynthia, as the two men were rather close and had fought side by side during the war for the North. But never once had her mother been mentioned, or the names of her siblings. "Of course!" Sam beamed, retrieving a large black book from one end of the shelf, before dropping it down onto the wooden table in the centre of the room.

They flicked through each page at a sickeningly slow pace, admiring all of the family trees and calligraphy that sprawled across the mangled pages. But none of it interested Cynthia as much as she thought it would have. All she seemed to want to read was her own family history, and have all of her questions answered with the flick of a page. She anticipated the name Glover to appear any moment now, wanting desperately to at least know the names of her relatives, if not anything more.

"The Targaryens" Sam exclaimed, flicking to the last page in the book. He seemed amazed by the spreading limbs of the tree, names coming off of each branch, but none of it seemed to register with Cynthia. Jon had barely paid any attention either, not until now. He glared down at the page with a blank expression, clearly ignoring the information Sam recited whilst pointing to different names on the parchment. There was something concerning about the way Jon's eyes scanned over one specific section of the double-page spread, his gaze never diverting from a huddle of names in the bottom corner. In the entirety of the time the trio had spent in the library, looking over this large book, Jon was yet to pay this much attention at any given point. It was only now, on the last page, that his mind had actually focused on the paper in front of him. He said nothing, but his alarmingly concentrated expression clearly expressed his concern and misunderstanding of something he attempted to fathom.

"Sam?" His deep voice cut through Sam's sentence like a blade, his eyes still not removing themselves from the page at hand. "Yes?" Sam said, his voice displaying his irritation toward his best friend. "Does this say what I think it does?" Jon spoke calmly, though there was something disconcerting in his tone. Sam sighed, pulling the specific corner toward him so he could read the handwriting clearly. Sam mumbled the words as he read them, tracing his finger over the huddle of names as he went, before he stopped abruptly. "Well?" Jon asked sternly, not tearing his gaze to meet Cynthia's. Sam merely reread and reread the text in front of him, mimicking Jon in that he refused to look elsewhere. "What is it?" Cynthia asked, becoming slightly anxious at the secrecy. The two men's faces were pale from confusion, but at the same time, there was a glint of excitement lurking somewhere in their demeanor. "Glover..." Sam whispered, his voice trembling slightly as he spoke, before his stare finally moved upward. "It says Galbart Glover...." Jon repeated, placing a gloved finger onto the page. It took Cynthia a moment to recognise the name they both spoke of, not at all comprehending what they were both insinuating. It was only after a moment of thinking it over that it finally clicked, and she stole the book from Sam's grasp, preparing to read over every inch if she had to.

"What does this mean?!" She exclaimed, reading the words but not entirely understanding them. "Well...It appears that your father married another woman, before he married your mother, or at least who you thought to be your mother," Sam said aloud, glancing back at the page. "Well then who was my mother?" Cynthia snapped quickly, frantically scanning the page for anything that made any sense to her. It was all just names and lines as far as she could see, none of it appealed to her confusion in anyway. "Rhaella Targaryen...apparently." Sam's voice had lost its volume, instead it was but a dull hum. "But...But she married Aerys II, The Mad King, how can she be my..." Cynthia's voice fell, her words failing her as she glared at the page. If any of this were true, which it could not be, then this would mean something Cynthia had never comprehended before. She knew her mother had died, but she had also believed all of her siblings had found the same fate. If Rhaella was her mother, then it would mean any children she had with Aerys, would be her half-siblings. And that could mean they are still alive.

Jon's firm hand landed upon her shoulder, glancing over her to look at the page one last time. "Look..." He whispered, placing his finger beside a familiar name. Galbart Glover...Rhaella Targaryen....but beneath those two names there was another. Cynthia Glover, written in the finest hand-writing Cynthia had ever seen. Never before had her name been so unfamiliar, so traitorous. "This can't be..." She breathed, eyes still focusing on the page in front of her. "You're a Glover." Sam exclaimed slowly, following both their gazes to the bottom corner, "And a Targaryen..."