WE MIGHT FALL (J.SNOW 2)

CHAPTER SIX

THERE WERE MORE PEOPLE AT DINNER THAN HAD BEEN EXPECTED. Obviously the Tarlys were to be joining the Iris family, but upon coming down stairs both Cynthia and Livia realised the entire Iris family would be attending tonight. Benedict, Alyssa and Asher had returned from White Harbour at last, filling both the table and the children's faces with brighter smiles than they could have anticipated. Livia seemed to be in higher spirits, though how much of it was put on Cynthia did not know, as did Alec, who was deluded by his humorous company. 

Cynthia, on the other hand, had been put out of sorts by Livia and her's conversation earlier that day. It could not be possible that such a highly respected, son of a lord like Dickon Tarly would want to marry the second daughter of Lord Iris. Surely his father, if not he himself, would want Dickon to marry Livia, the first of Benedict's daughter's and the more mature of the two. Not that either of the girls knew this to be the truth, but nevertheless Cynthia struggled to look past such knowledge all evening. 

"Sister," Alyssa gushed, bouncing partially in her seat once Cynthia joined her at the table, with Dickon sat opposite her. "You will never believe all that we have seen while travelling the North." 

"Travelling? I thought you journeyed to White Harbour." Cynthia frowned, now curious as to where else the remainder of her family could have ventured to during their excursion. 

"Oh yes, we visited Wylla and Wynafryd Manderly for nearing a fortnight. And then Ser Wylis took us to The Wall with him before we returned home." Alyssa continued to babble ignorantly, unbeknownst to how quickly she'd captured her older sisters' attention. 

"You went to The Wall?" Cynthia had nearly spat out the wine she had, meanwhile, been attempting to gulp down during her sister's talking - and at her side, Livia's face had dropped just as substantially. There was a dull silence which quickly loomed between the elder siblings, who understood the extent of what Alyssa had unintentionally uttered, despite the young girl not understanding the importance of such a location, herself. 

"Yes - did you not see father's letters?" Alyssa frowned.

"We did not, no." Livia interjected, glaring at their mother who sat idly at the top end of the table beside their father, who were both equally unaware of the conversation taking place among their children. No doubt their mother had apprehended the letters before the girls had even the slightest chance to read them. 

"Oh well, yes we went to The Wall. It was quite strange though, our friend Jon - you remember Jon, of course, don't you Cyn? But yes, it was quite strange because he was not there when we arrived. I asked after him, but all any of the watchman seemed to be prepared to say was that he'd gone beyond The Wall - that he'd befriended the wildlings." She whispered the last three words, fearing that the adults might overhear and disapprove of their conversation; not that it made any difference to those sat around them. 

"Of course she remembers him." Alec chuckled, momentarily ignoring the sincerity of what their sister had just announced Jon had done. "But that doesn't sound at all like him. Jon was honourable, he wouldn't abandon his brothers for those savages." Dickon had gone quiet; he likely did not know who Jon was, not without a surname to identify him, but also with his family being from the south, it was likely the Tarlys had no interactions with the Starks beyond that of rumours. Cynthia also felt bad for discussing Jon in such a light as her siblings were doing, in front of Dickon, given the nature of his appearance at Stillwater; if he was here to become betrothed to Cynthia, he would not wish to hear of her past acquaintances in the same way Jon was being portrayed.