The Grove was almost as beautiful as it had been on the night of Rodrik's wedding. Mira and Cynthia, along with the staff's help, had decorated all the trees in the surrounding area with the chains they'd made the day before. They'd hung lanterns from branches and placed candles around on the large, wooden tables the staff had set out. It looked beautiful. But it would unlikely be enough to detract from the obvious absence of someone so important to them all; but most of all, to Talia. Cynthia had visited him earlier, just to say 'happy nameday' but she'd left when the tears came. She missed him dearly, and she didn't doubt Talia would pay him a visit too at some point during the evening. It was their day, after all, and every year prior to now they'd spent it together. Cynthia thought it would be good for Talia to go to him, she hadn't been there since his funeral, it would help her move on, somewhat, if she could except that was the only place she'd be with him from now on. Not that that would make her feel any better, but over time it might help slightly.
"Come on Talia, it's time to get ready," Cynthia hushed as she entered the young girl's room. Talia was 15 today - in only a year or so she'd likely be betrothed to some high lord's pig of a son. Cynthia hoped that day would never come; for Talia's sake. She didn't want her to ever grow up, and face the wrath of the world in all it's gross brutality, she wanted her to remain the same little girl she'd known and watched grow up for the last decade and a half. "I don't want to," Talia huffed miserably. She was in her room again now, she didn't sleep in her, not anymore, this was the first time she'd been back in for months. She just hated what a reminder it was. There were two twin beds, ironically, but forever one would remain empty, and that upset Talia frequently. So they'd shut the door, locked it up, and promised not to open it till Talia was ready to face the haunted space. Now, it would seem, was that time. Though Cynthia gathered it was less she was ready and more she simply missed her brother's company, and this was where she felt closest to him. Not that hollow stone outside, in the cold, where they'd hardly spent anytime together. This was the lasting memory of their lives, and even as Cynthia stepped through the door, she noticed how depressingly chilly it was. No sconces were lit, no fire at all, it was simply empty and dark, and Talia sat on Ethan's bed with her head hung low. "I know," Cynthia whispered. She felt her stomach do cartwheels as she'd neared the bed, it felt so wrong and sickening be near it, knowing the last time she'd sat on it's edge, played with it's quilts, was the last time she'd read Ethan a bed time story. The last time she'd said good night to him. It felt so wrong not seeing him sat there now. On any other nameday he'd be sat up, clothes dropped wherever suited him, and he'd be strumming his loot or playing with the figurines he made. Or, depending on the time of day, he'd be fighting with Talia over something menial.
Even as she sat down, the linens felt cold beneath her numb fingers. They felt hollow and deserted. "But you have to, it'll be fun." Cynthia brushed a straying hair back from Talia's pale face, she'd sat up crying presumably, her eyes were puffy and red and her expression looked drained. She was clearly exhausted, and probably numb from the sadness she'd wallowed in for however long. "It won't." She sniffed, a trembling hand came up to rub at her marginally swollen nose, "not without him." Her frown made Cynthia feel worse. How could she claim today would be fun? It wouldn't be, not for any of them. Especially not Talia. But she had to try; that was what she, and Mira, and the boys had promised they'd do today. They would make it fun. If only to distract from how Talia would otherwise be feeling throughout the celebrations. "He'll be there." Cynthia forced a faint smile. That, she knew, wasn't a lie. She knew Ethan. He was probably sat beside Talia, right now, playing her favourite song, carving her a new figurine, mocking her crying and telling her to get up and enjoy their day. He'd be dancing later, when he'd stolen some of Rodrik's wine and it was going to his head, and he'd start dancing with Ethan, or Talia, and go loopy before needing a long and well earned sleep. He'd be stuffing his face with Ryon, annoying his mother endlessly - though taking advantage of the fact he can't be told off on his nameday - and he'd sit beside Talia all the way. Cynthia could promise that, it was the one thing she was sure of, that he would be there, with his twin, all day today. Even if Talia couldn't see it, he'd be right there at her side; he always will be.
"He'd probably tell me to stop sobbing like a baby," Talia choked, it was an attempt at a laugh, Cynthia realised, and that was a start. "That's what brother's a for." Cynthia's smile grew. "Besides, you know how competitive he was. He'd have to beat Asher to it." That made Talia laugh, a proper, heartfelt laugh. "Yeah...He would." A single tear slid down Talia's fair expression, though she smiled it clearly hurt, and it wasn't long before Cynthia too was expelling water from her eyes. But she couldn't Talia see it. She needed her to be strong today, so that was what Cynthia was going to do. She'd be strong, and tough. As tough as the Ironwood, as was always said in this house. "Come on - what are you going to wear?" Cynthia stood up quickly, with a slight hand she managed to discard the tears that had fallen so that the young Forrester wouldn't catch sight of them. Then she plastered on a smile and turned back to the blond girl, with big, familiar grey eyes. They looked like Asher's in this light. They looked like Ethan's.
Eventually, after some motivation and more jokes, Talia finally got dressed. She looked beautiful in a lavender dress; it was always Ethan's favourite, Cynthia had thought, but she didn't say it. That would just bring on another wave of emotion that she tried hard to ignore for the remainder of the day.
Mira had forced her to wear a dress too - which made Cynthia cringe. But she too had come to an agreement, she got to wear her breaches under it. It was a white tunic, that flowed in the wind and was made of a light material. Underneath were her nicest, leather breaches that matched the maroon shade of her knee-high boots. Her hair was also done by Mira, and looked disgustingly nice and curly from where Cynthia caught sight of it in the mirror.
When they'd all gathered in the Grove that afternoon, she noticed even Asher had dressed up. Everyone had. Elaena looked lovely in dark blue, Mira was wearing her favourite green dress which had been a present from Cynthia, Rodrik was dressed in a matching blue tunic so that him and his wife matched in colour, and Asher was dressed in grey. He almost matched with Cynthia, she thought as she walked alongside Talia out to the family. And the way Mira smirked, as she glanced between the pair, made that suspicion seem quite likely. But she had to admit, it made her feel warm inside. Looking at how sweet a couple Rodrik and Elaena looked, the sight of her and Asher coordinating too gave her a faint hope that maybe one day she and him would be the same. But after what she'd told herself this morning, having experienced such a heartwarming dream, she knew she shouldn't think of it like that.
"Care to dance?" He asked her, with a charming smile and little - dramatic - bow. Oh how Cynthia wanted to take his large, welcoming hand and dance until dawn, but she knew she had to restrain herself. She couldn't trick herself like this anymore, she wouldn't survive it anymore if she did. "I'm afraid I promised Ryon," She smiled weakly, and turned away. Ryon was sat playing on the grass, innocently absentminded to whatever was going on in the 'adult world'. "Come on, Ryon. You promised me a dance." Cynthia called to him, and grudgingly he didn't argue. He ran over, dusting off his little green outfit, and took Cynthia's outstretched hand. At least he wouldn't grow up too soon, Cynthia thought, as she began to dance childishly with him. She saw faintly that Asher had sat down with Mira, looking like a stropping child, and whatever Mira was saying didn't make him feel any better. That almost made Cynthia regret her decision, but for her own sanity she knew it was the best thing to do.
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✓ | TOUGH AS THE IRONWOOD (A.FORRESTER 2)
FanfictionSequel to Poor Judgement Second Book in the Star Crossed Trilogy Based on Telltales adaptation of Game of Thrones. I'm not familiar with the books, however this is my own story line anyway. Hope you enjoy. The story follows a character calle...