I do not own any George R. R. Martin articles and or any aforementioned literary articles.
Alora Frey pov:
When I first married Walder I thought I would be spending the rest of my days in miserable and abhorrent marriage with a man who was a close minded southron.
But instead, I ended up with a man who seemed less like a southron, and more like a Northerner, not to say he doesn't have the southron ostentatiousness when it comes to his projects.
The Northerner in Walder shows in his allowing our daughters to be trained to fight, and is shown again in his willingness to establish weirwoods in his lands to others this action would be considered religious conversion, but to those that truly knew Walder would know that this action is more done out of practicality.
Walder is not a religious man of the kind who follow a deity.
He said this once, "Religion or faith is a beautiful thing in of itself, until mankind got ahold of it, especially for religions that entail that their god or gods is the only one that exists, even a world away nothing changes.", that last part sounded weird to me, what did he mean by a world away?
I remember when he said that it happened after a zealot septon petitioned Walder on one of the rare times he himself personally took petitioners.
Flashback beginning:
Walder sat in his dark throne in the great hall with couriers, guards, and scribes lining the sides of the hall and a line of petitioners beginning at the great halls entrance.
I was sat a couple feet behind him with Visenya and Nymeria watching the petitioners come and go.
"Next petitioner septon Kase!" The announcer yelled, looking at his piece of parchment
The septon walked to the middle of the room where a chair was, there were two guards standing on either side of the chair.
He sat down, "I ask that House Frey chop down heathen gods trees for they are an afront to the seven." He said, with a tone that you usually hear from zealots
"Your petition is denied on the grounds that it goes against the kings rule." Walder said coolly, waving his hand towards the septon
Two guards from the side stepped forward to escort the septon out of the Twins, upon grabbing him, he began to struggle against the guards.
"You allow yourself to be corrupted by that heathen whore, and her spawn. Change your course now before the gods and their righteous sons and daughters strike you down!" He yelled, pointing at me and my daughters
Visenya and Nymeria hid there faces in my chest, I could them beginning to cry.
"Please escort the dear septon back to the sept, but before that cut out his tongue for slander and threats against the house of Frey." Walder said, with rage spreading across his face
Two more guards moved forward, grabbing him by the legs, the septon was carried in between the four guards as they left the great hall.
Standing up from his chair, "I am a fair man, but even a man of the gods is not above the laws of Westeros." He yelled, walking around the table
Standing in the middle of the room, "All those that disagree with the punishment of the septon, step forward now and there will be no retribution." He said, turning to look throughout the room
Throughout the hall silence reigned, not a single stepped forward to object at Walder's judgement of the septon.
The silence was broken by pleadings and screams of the septon coming from the court yard, just as fast they began, they ended just as fast.
"No more petitions will be heard for the day." He said, walking back to the table as guards cleared the hall of the petitioners
I stood up with Nymeria and Visenya in my arms, Walder took Nymeria into one of his arms and took my free hand.
"Let's have a snack, I can have the kitchen make your favorites girls?" He asked, looking to either of them for confirmation
Both of them silently nodded their heads.
"Ok, lets go." He said, as we left the hall heading to the private dining room
Flashback end:
I learned later from one of the servants that after they cut the septon's tongue out the guards punished him more by using his head to open the door to the sept.
I'm happy that Walder didn't even humor the zealot in any shape or form, nothing good ever comes with dealing with zealots even if they are on your side.
Even after all that, as Walder said, "I have contingencies in place if the septon tries to raise hell.", I don't know what his plans for the septon are if he does something.
But what I do know is that they most likely entail the septon's death and along with any who would follow him.
A knock from the door brought me out of my thoughts.
"What is it?" I asked, placing my book down on the table
"Milady, Lord Frey wishes for you to join him for a lunch in the private dining hall." Someone said, from behind the door
"I will be joining him." I said, standing up from my chair
I could hear the person walking away from the door as I walked to it.
Time skip:
The dining room had hunting trophies, and Frey banners lining all of the walls but one of the walls had purple and blue checkered stained glass windows.
Every piece of furniture was made of darkly varnished polished oak with the sigil of house Reed and Frey carved prominently on each piece.
Walder had the private dining hall along with the furniture built in celebration of Nymeria's and Visenya's birth.
Sitting at the table was Walder eating one of his favorite meal's venison heart braised in red wine with mushrooms, and a drink he calls lemonade.
He had written a book on recipes for the castle cooks since he said, "I am sick of everything being in the form of a pie.", I had to agree with his sentiment of being tired of pies.
"Hello, Walder." I said, sitting down at the table
In front of me was a seared trout with various root vegetables along with some lemonade, Walder has barred me from alcohol while I am breast feeding, pregnant, and or suspected of being with child.
"Hello, Alora, how would you feel about adding another to our family?" He asked, looking up from his meal
Thinking on it for a couple seconds, "I would like to wait a year before we try for another." I said, looking at him
Walder nodded in acknowledgement before we both focused back on to our food.
Someone knocked at the door, "Come in." Walder said, placing his silverware on the table
Maester Harran walked into the room with an urgency in his step, and a letter in his hand.
"My Lord a letter has come from Casterly Rock." He said, placing the letter down on the table
Walder took the letter breaking the seal beginning to read, when he was done reading, he placed it back on the table.
He sat there for a while zoning out before he looked back to Maester Harran.
"Maester please take the letter to my solar, I will write a reply later." Walder said, handing the letter back to maester Harran
"Yes, my Lord." Maester Harran said, walking out of the room
"Shall we continue?" Walder asked, turning back to me
"Lets." I said, leaning back in my chair
Walder Frey:
Time skip:
Me and Alora rarely ever get time to ourselves, and even rarer time that is uninterrupted by people.
Sitting in my solar thinking on the letter from House Lannister of Casterly rock, Lord Lannister was hinting at an alliance of sorts by the way of fostering.
Fostering Visenya or Nymeria to Casterly rock is out of the question, they are too young to be fostered away, and will never allow them any near the hornet's nest that is the Westerlands.
Lord Lannister, Lord of the west
House Frey is open to an alliance but will have to say no than you to the offer of Fostering, the grey towers company would be open to negotiations.
House Frey would be open to fostering your son Tytos.
Lord Walder Frey, Lord of House Frey
Ringing the bell on my desk a guard stepped into the room, "Milord?" He asked
Holding out the letter I wrote for the Lannister's and another, "Deliver the letter on top to Maester Harran so he can send a raven, the bottom one hand it to Alys Snow." I said, waiting for him to grab them
Speed walking forward he grabbed them and left the room.
If I do end up fostering Tytos Lannister then I could mold him into something more than a lion who was without bite or roar, I could avert many future tragedies or hasten them along.
I think lord Lannister will say no to the offer of fostering his son since he should be around 10 years old now, and fostering after the age of seven is uncommon unless done for marriages, being a ward or hostage of some kind.
Now I must get back to relaxing, before I get sucked back into work.
I think I need a hunt, leaving my solar I made my way to the armory to get my crossbow and other tools.