Robb
Standing in the Hall of the Lord of the Crossing, there was far too much kin for him to count. Sons, grandsons, daughters, granddaughters all seemed to fill the castle plenty, though Robb had a hard time even telling them apart.
There were some who looked different from the others, and he could see there were differences within the family, but he had not the slightest idea as to who was who.
For a moment he wondered if he might spot one of Ty's uncles or his brother, but he remembered they all lived at Casterly Rock with Lady Genna. He did see one man though who seemed to look a little like Olyvar, in addition to Perwyn that he guessed to be their full-brother, Benfrey.
Robb knew little of Lord Walder, save that he was old. Seeing him now, Robb saw a man who looked every bit the ninety years Robb had heard he was, with gout so bad he didn't seem capable of standing. The Late Lord Frey indeed Robb thought to himself.
Beside the Old Lord Frey was a young woman, no older than eight and ten, with fiery auburn hair that was even redder than Sansa's, and deep blue eyes. She held a babe to her breast, and had another growing in her belly. It was Aunt Lysa's daughter, Lady Minisa, he knew, though they had never met before.
"My lord, my lady," he greeted, bowing his head a little as he did. He would need his courtesies here, even if Lord Walder was a discourteous man. That was what he had been told of Lord Walder before he had come.
"What is it that you want, boy?" Lord Walder asked impolitely.
Robb hadn't expected the man to be that rude. It took some effort from him to maintain his cool. To anger the man any further would not serve him well here.
"To cross my lord," he answered bluntly.
Lord Walder didn't respond though.
"My lord… We ought to allow my brave cousin to cross," Lady Minisa said.
"And why should I listen to you woman?" Lord Walder. "Out, the lot of you…"
Robb watched as they all filed out. Lady Minisa protested some, saying she could stay, though Lord Walder had her leave all the same. And there goes one of my few friends in this hall, Robb said. He wondered if she was his only friend in the hall. He supposed he likely had more, but he didn't know them.
"Are they all gone?" The old Lord of the Crossing asked after a while.
"Aye," Robb said.
"Good… Now you wish to cross, right?" Lord Walder said.
"Yes," Robb said, nodding.
"Then you'll need to pay your toll, the same as everyone else."
"My grandfather-" Robb started to say before he was interrupted. He had never met Lord Hoster before, but Lord Walder was sworn to him all the same.
"-Isn't here," the old man finished. "I swore an oath to the crown I remember, but I swore no oaths to you."
"One of your grandsons is my squire, and two more are wards at Winterfell," Robb reminded the man.
"Perhaps you would take one of my daughters or granddaughters to wife then," Lord Walder suggested.
I'd sooner jump in the river. "I am wed my lord," he managed to say instead, trying to maintain as much courtesy as he could.
"A shame… I don't doubt many of them would be eager to wed you… Do you have brothers?" Lord Walder asked.
He means to have a marriage, Robb realized. "Two… Though Bran wishes to be a knight of the Kingsguard." Robb knew that Bran would hardly be thankful if he made a betrothal for him, so he told Lord Walder.
"How old are they?" Lord Walder wondered. "I don't suppose it much matters. I have daughters and granddaughters of all different sorts. Widows, young maidens, girls and babes, whatever would please them."
Robb tried to remember if Bran's name day had passed. It must have, he realized, since he was now five and ten. "Eight and four, my lord." He could've mentioned Jon too, he decided, though he and Jon were not on good terms now, and Robb guessed Lord Walder would feel insulted by the offer of a bastard.
"Well… If you want to cross, one of them will need to wed one of mine," Lord Walder said firmly.
"They're too young-" Robb started to say.
"-You don't think I know that? A betrothal will suffice for now, and they can wed when they come of age," the old man said.
Fine, Robb thought to himself. Mother and father may not approve of this he supposed, but it was what had to be done.
Lord Walder called in the steward. He wore the garb of House Frey on him, so Robb guessed him to be one of the man's sons, who seemed to walk with a limp. His black hair was past his shoulders, and Robb recognized the quartered pattern on the man's garb, with the twin castle of Frey quartered with the sigil of House Blackwood.
"Are you Big Walder's father?" Robb asked. He remembered hearing of a man named Lame Lothar who was the steward.
The man seemed a little humored by that. "No, he is my nephew, the son of my brother, Jammos."
Robb nodded. The man limped over to his father, and they spoke to each other quietly enough that Robb couldn't hear, before the steward began to lead him away. "How old is this brother of yours?" The man asked.
"Rickon is four," Robb told him.
"My daughters Emberlei and Walda might be suitable for him. Walda is of an age with him, and Emberlei only a year younger," Lothar offered.
"There are others, yes?" Robb wondered curiously. "Others who may be suitable for Rickon?"
"Yes, my father would have you meet some of them," Lothar said.
We don't have time for this, Robb thought to himself. He supposed it would be worth it though, to win the Twins and their swords to his cause.
He spent several hours there, discussing with Lame Lothar, and meeting some of the girls he thought would be suitable for Rickon. Most of them were little more than babes though, and Robb ended up putting more interest in who their mothers were.
Ultimately he ended up selecting a girl of four named Ryella, whose mother he had learned was the daughter of Bronze Yohn Royce. He supposed he would need to find some way to repair relations with House Royce after he had married Rhea to Daemon.
Her grandmother had been a Crakehall too, and Robb wondered if perhaps the Crakehalls might abandon Lord Tywin if they knew of the betrothal, but he didn't think it likely.
After they had sorted that out, they then sorted out matters of war. The Freys had four thousand men gathered at the crossing, waiting to march, a thousand horse and three thousand foot.
The horse would be going west with him to Riverrun, while most the foot would be going south with Jon against Lord Tywin, though it was decided that four hundred of Lord Walder's men would be left to guard the crossing, and four hundred of his own too. He had little trust for the man, so he supposed leaving half the garrison as men who were under his command would make certain Lord Walder did not open his gates to Lord Tywin, or close them to him.
When they were done, Robb was able to finally leave the castle. It was past midday when he was finally outside amidst his host again, and he found his lords were waiting in the tent that he had left them in.
"Well?" Theon began to say when he was there.
"Lord Walder will allow us to cross," Robb told them. He felt a little excited he realized, having won Lord Walder to his cause. "And his men will be joining us too."
"Without a toll?" His uncle Bryden asked curiously.
"With a toll," Robb said. "Rickon is to wed one of Lord Walder's granddaughters when he comes of age."
He hoped that his mother and father would not object to the match. Ryella seemed to be sweet enough, and he hoped she and Rickon would find happiness.
"Did he make you bed one of them too?" Theon asked mockingly. "You were gone for so long…"
Some of his lords laughed, but Robb managed to maintain his cool and simply shook his head. He had met a few girls who were comely, but only one he would have described as beautiful.
"You'll find one of them in your bed soon enough," Daemon said when the laughter had died down a little, which caused another round of laughs. Robb was a little angrier at that jape.
He had allowed Daemon to sit on his council here, and even go west with him, since he needed every man he could get, but he didn't trust Daemon much anymore.
Instead he simply glared at Daemon, who was silent after that. "Spread the word that we are marching today," Robb said when it had quieted down again.
They wouldn't get as far as he would like today, but he wanted his host to have split off, and every day they didn't march was a day wasted.
The men did as they were told, and immediately they began to leave the tent, spreading words to captains and men that they were going to be marching. Robb himself began to work on taking down his tent, with aid of some others, while he watched the camp disassemble quickly enough.
At one point though he went and found Ser Helman Tallhart.
"My lord," the man greeted when he spotted Robb looking at him.
"Ser.." Robb said, addressing the Master of Torrhen's Square. "Lord Walder will be keeping a garrison of four hundred men here at the Twins to guard our crossing. We will leave four hundred men of our own, and I would put them under your command."
Ser Helman nodded. Robb knew him better than most of his other lords, and figured he would be a capable commander to guard the crossing if it came to that. He wanted a loyal man in command here, but one that he could also stomach to part with.
"Yes my lord," Ser Helman said, and immediately he turned away from Robb, and seemed to be going to gather men. He has the easiest part to play, Robb judged, and felt a little envious.
It was less than an hour before their camp was completely disassembled, and they were ready to march. Robb managed to say goodbye to Jon without issue, before they went their separate ways, with Robb taking six thousand men, all mounted, to cross the Twins, while Jon was taking thousands more south.
They were not parting on good terms, but Robb felt confident in his brother all the same. Jon will not betray the family, no matter how angry he is with me.
The Frey cavalry were already waiting on the other side of the crossing, while their foot was starting to go south with the rest of the host. Robb was not taking all of his horse though, as near a thousand mounted men were going south too. Outriders and lords and freeriders he knew.
Meanwhile Robb watched his own host was crossing too. The bridge was wide enough for two wagons to cross abreast, and their column was not so narrow as he would've thought it would have to be.
He rode in the front third of the column, speaking with some of the men, japing with them, and trying to know them better as his father would. He didn't speak for too long with any of them, though he did speak with them, and listened to them when they talked to him.
As the sun was beginning to set, he found some of the Frey commanders with him. He had forgotten the names of most of them who were going with him, but Robb spoke with them while they rode, Ser Stevron and his grandson, Walder, who they called Black Walder, as well as a handful of other Frey knights and commanders.
Ser Stevron was Lord Walder's heir, a man of over five and sixty years, and in command of the Frey forces, who Robb was surprised to find to be little like his father. He was kind, and dutiful, which Robb was glad for, and spoke with full courtesy.
The rest of the Freys, Robb took less note of, but he did interact with each one of them, before the sun had nearly set, and Robb called an end to their march.
When he looked back, the Twins weren't even in view anymore, and they seemed to be in a bit of a forested area.
They hastily set up camp, with men not setting up as much as they had before. Now that they had made their crossing, it was the time for haste, which meant men didn't want to spent much time breaking camp in the morning.
Robb was sitting alone in his tent, thinking of home, when he heard someone enter the tent.
"Uncle," Robb greeted, a little surprised to see the Blackfish here.
"We have dire news from the west I'm afraid," he said, pulling out a piece of paper. "Last we heard, the Kingslayer had smashed some of my brother's lords beneath the Golden Tooth. It would seem that my brother and his sons choose to meet the Kingslayer though, this time beneath Riverrun."
"What happened?" Robb asked, though he knew whatever had gone down was not good for them. He had been hoping that by joining his force with his grandfather's that they would be able to beat back the Kingslayer.
"Their host was scattered in battle, with my brother being killed in the battle, and Edmure being captured. Elmar led some of their forces in retreat, but he is now under siege at Riverrun," Ser Brynden said.
"I'm sorry Ser," Robb said when he had finished. He knew that his uncle and grandfather had fallen out over his marriage, when Ser Brynden had chosen to marry Lady Falia Vance, rather than one of the brides his brother had suggested, and that was how he earned the nickname Blackfish.
He wondered if he ought to mourn for Lord Hoster too, a man who mother had spoken of often, though Robb had never met. In the end, he couldn't find it in himself to grieve, and Robb wondered if it was because he didn't care, or because he didn't think it would seem proper of him.
His uncle seemed a little confused by the words at first, before he realized what Robb meant with his words. "Thank you, my lord," he said.
Robb's mind turned to battles though, and how they would face the Kingslayer now that he was under siege at Riverrun. "How many men does the Kingslayer have?"
"Fifteen thousand, my lord, or near enough that it will make no matter," Ser Bryden answered.
We only have a third of their strength, Robb thought grimly. "Might we be able to raise more men along the way?"
"Some, no doubt. The Mallisters had not left Seagard yet, and no doubt there are other remnants from my brother's host that can be won," the Blackfish told him.
Robb nodded. "How many do you think they'll amount too?"
"You could get perhaps five thousand and count yourself lucky," his uncle said back.
He pulled out the map, wondering if perhaps there were other houses they could try to win over. "The Freys are tied by marriage to the Lyddens, Leffords and Crakehalls," Robb said a little hopelessly.
"Aye, but that's not like to do you much good. You have an aunt wed to Lord Brax's heir who might do you more good, but you're not like to be able to win them over to your cause. Instead they'll try to use it to claim Riverrun," Ser Brynden said.
"Then how can we hope to win?" Robb asked.
"There's likely a strong garrison inside, and when we attack, Elmar may lead a sortie out. But Riverrun is not like other castles either. It sits where the Tumblestone and the Red Fork meet, and when the castle is under siege we only need fill the moat between them to turn the castle into an island. To lay siege the Kingslayer will have to divide his host in three," his uncle said.
Robb looked at him, feeling more hopeful. They would have the numbers he realized, and they only needed to bleed the Lannisters to hopefully break the siege and get them to let father go.
More men would be useful, but this should be enough he prayed. "Thank you for your council uncle," Robb said.
Ser Brynden gave a sad smile, before he left the tent, leaving Robb alone again, though he quickly saw Greywind enter the tent. He realized he hadn't seen the wolf all day, though there was some blood around his mouth.
"Did you find something?" Robb asked the wolf, though he didn't answer.
Instead Robb went and found some water to clean Greywind off, and wash him. Since they had started marching, Greywind often was dirty at night, so he had found himself cleaning the wolf himself.
Robb looked into his yellow eyes that in the dim candlelight seemed to shine like gold. Like Myrcella's, he remembered, before he laid down on the bed, and Greywind curled up next to him.
Once this battle was won, he could return to her, he promised himself. With mother and father and Sansa and Arya and Bran too, and they could be a family together at Winterfell once more. Rickon was only four, and Robb hoped that his brother would one day be able to understand the betrothal and why he had made it.
Robb managed to drift off to sleep, with the promise of family and home in mind.
Author Notes:
Not too much to note here...
Just thanks so much for all your lovely feedback and engagements with this story, and thank you in advance for all the new ones.
In case you've missed it, this is the part where I tell you that I don't own ASOIAF.