Now it was certain. Bran and Rickon were alive. Rhaena knew it to be true as surely as she was certain she herself drew breath. However she could not tell anyone else, for how was she to explain that she felt the phantom presence of Bran Stark in her room during the hour of the wolf? No one would believe her and some might even begin to call her a witch. In any case, she did not want to give anyone hope only to find herself proven wrong. Instead she simply firmly pronounced her belief that the young Stark boys were alive and being looked after by someone kind and gentle. Even if Lady Catelyn did not believe her words, she seemed to draw comfort from them. In any case, there was much to be decided at present with the ongoing war and the new issues which were arising seemingly each day. Robb was preparing to march his army upon Casterly Rock, however Walder Frey had now demanded recompense for the insult of Robb breaking his oath to marry one of his daughters. The missive had arrived with two of the old Lord Frey's sons, neither of whom made any good impression upon Rhaena when she had passed them in the corridor. Their eyes had roamed over her with no hint of discretion. It was only the snarl of Nymeria which sent them scurrying away. "Beasts." Muttering under her breath, Rhaena pushed them away from her mind and continued on her way.
It was Robb who found her later by the river, sitting peacefully gazing as it washed by with Nymeria laying beside her. She heard him coming but did not get up. Since it was just the two of them alone, there was no need for formalities. He was not a king when it was the two of them. He was just Robb. "I thought I might find you here." Robb announced as he came and promptly dropped down at Rhaena's side, stretching himself out and resting upon his arm as he too began to watch the water.
"Nymeria does not like to stay inside for too long." Rhaena explained with a glance to the snoring direwolf beside her. "How did the discussions go?"
"More or less how we expected them. Lord Frey is adamant that I pay for my betrayal immediately. He demands that I give him a formal apology in person, the seat and lands of Harrenhal as well as a union between my uncle and one of his daughters. Roslin." Pursing her lips, Rhaena thought these all to be fairly reasonable demands. "We have persuaded my uncle to agree to the match and agreed to the rest. However I could not agree to their demand that I attend the wedding personally in a fortnight's time, we cannot delay in our plans for striking at Tywin's weakness, but the Frey sons have suggested that if I agree to their father's demands and hurry myself in meeting them, he might reconsider our alliance and give us his soldiers to bolster our ranks." All the while Rhaena had not once looked away from the river, though now she was paying close attention to Robb's words rather than actually watching the water as it bubbled and frothed in places where the fish swam and played. "It is a weighty decision. I must consider it carefully."
"Would Frey's men make that great a difference compared to the number you have already?"
"We might lose less and take the castle sooner, leaving less room for Tywin to block our escape, however if we delay then word might reach him and he will have cut us off ahead before the wedding feast was even over. I cannot trust that our plans will remain secret. Not anymore. There is too much at stake. I cannot afford to move carelessly now, not strategically…or politically." Feeling that he was looking intently at her, Rhaena finally shifted her gaze in order to meet with Robb's. "Rhaena, you understand politics better than anyone. The men at my command are soldiers and commanders. My mother is a lady but has not lived her life in court. Your experience far outranks anyone else within a hundred miles of this place as you grew up in the heart of it. Tell me. What counsel would you give a king who does not know which step to take next?" It almost made Rhaena laugh to think of her situation now. Not long ago she was a prisoner, no more than a rat allowed to live simply because it suited others. Now she was offering advice to a king like her opinion was the most important in all the world to decide the fate of this king's reign. It was not a pleasant kind of pressure to experience.
"I have counsel for you, my king, but you will not like it." Warning him beforehand, Robb gave a long and steady sigh which seemed to make him shrink before her. All the same, he took her hand and laced their fingers together tenderly as he looked up at her once more and tenderly told her to call him by his name, not king. Not right now at least. "Very well then, dear Robb. Here is what I offer you by means of advice." Shifting herself downwards until she was settled upon her side, mirroring Robb's elongated pose, she then affixed her attention upon him. "You will have to lie." Instantly a flicker of disapproval appeared in Robb's expression but Rhaena pressed her hand to his mouth to stop him from voicing such opposition so that she may continue. "Agree to go to the wedding but demand that Frey's men must move immediately to join your main army in their march to Casterly Rock. You will have your men and Lord Frey will have his wedding, but you will not be there to attend as you will be with your men taking Casterly Rock. Send someone else as your representative to go in your stead along with your apologies, tell him that urgent matters of war called you away and assure him that the moment they have been attended to, you will gladly ride through the night in order to present yourself to him in person to deliver your formal apology for breaking your vow."
"I have already broken my oath to him once. I cannot do so again, Rhaena." Her nose began to scrunch itself as her lips pursed in displeasure as she thought of Lord Frey and his reputation.
"The man is a greedy child-stealing lowlife. You are his king. He should obey your command. He should never have dared demand you marry one of his girls in the first place. A Frey girl married to the King in the North? His lofty ambitions are that of a conniving snake." It was rare for Robb to hear Rhaena speak so venomously so to hear her speak of Lord Frey in such a manner came as a surprise.
"Have you met Lord Frey before, Rhae?"
"Lord Frey? No not at all, but I know him by reputation, and I know his type." Exhaling deeply, Rhaena attempted to clear her mind as to not allow emotion to sway her judgement. "In truth I find it surprising that he is willing to forgive you at all. He seems the spiteful kind. One who will never forget a grudge." Tapping a finger against the ground Rhaena thought deeply. She strongly believed in her counsel that Robb should demand the men first as it would force Lord Frey to reveal any hidden intentions behind his demands. "If he seeks to betray you then he will not agree to send his men. That being the case, my next advice would be to put him to the sword and continue with his heirs until one of them is intelligent enough to bend the knee to you and obey your will." Hearing these words caused Robb to look at her sharply with shock though Rhaena did not even blink in return. "Do not look so astonished, Robb. You were about to behead Karstark because of his betrayal. Lord Frey should not receive any mercy if he proves to be insidious."
"All the same…I did not expect such thoughts to come from you. It sounds so…villainous." A twist of sadness tore at her soft features.
"King's Landing will make a villain of anyone." Now it was Robb's turn to wince, guilt ridden for bringing forth thoughts of a life he knew Rhaena wished to leave far behind her.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything."
"It is alright, Robb. The past is the past. It is nothing to me now. At the present we must focus on what must be done. Now I know you do not wish to lie, but tell me, have you yet given your answer to the Frey sons?" Telling her that he had not with a shake of his head, Rhaena suddenly gave a grin which Robb thought absently seemed almost wolfish in appearance, finding humour in the likeness as she pushed herself into a sitting position once more. "Excellent, then there is yet still hope. Listen carefully to me, my king, and I shall guide your tongue and tutor you in the ways of speaking a lie whilst only using the truth." And so Rhaena spoke, telling Robb exactly what he should say to the Frey sons so that they would walk away satisfied and convinced of their victory whilst remaining utterly ignorant of the fact that they would not have won anything at all. It took Robb some time to master the words for often he became tongue tied, but once he was certain of himself, he went and delivered them to his guests who left with such smiles upon their faces they seemed rather idiotic in their expressions. It was done. Now all that was left to do was wait to see how Lord Frey would respond.
