Conversations with the not so dead
Author's Notes: Thanks for all the reviews! All are appreciated :) Here's a new perspective you all might like. It will explain what the Blackfish was taking about in the last chapter of the main story. As always, don't forget to review! :D
Rating: M; it's Game of Thrones, anything less is not Game of thrones :D
Summary: Companion piece to my other fic, the Raven's Plan. A series of conversations from minor characters perspectives.
Stevron Frey I
Never in his life had Stevron imagined that the manner of his death would be the one thing he was most thankful for in his life. Dying for Robb Stark was the best thing that had ever happened to him in his long life.
As they passed through the gates of Riverrun, he thanked the Seven again for that blessing.
As he brought his horse to a stop, the hostility that was coming from all the waiting servants was palpable. Even the stable boy taking his horse as he dismounted was staring at him with hate filled eyes.
Stevron kept his face blank as he internally sighed, this wasn't going to be changing any time soon. The infamy of the damned Red Wedding wasn't going to disappear anytime in his lifetime...or in the lifetime of the next Lord of the Twins- whoever he finally named his heir in the end.
His sons were dead, executed for their part in the massacre. His elder grandchildren as well. Only babes and women remained of his line. After outliving three wives, that was all that he had left.
He shuddered, in the end, Hoster Tully might just decide to give the Twins to one of Roslin's future children. That would be the easiest path.
Those thoughts haunted him as he was ushered towards Lord Hoster's solar. He found himself seating and waiting in an richly decorated antechamber. Sitting next to him was his much younger sister, Roslin Frey- soon to be Roslin Tully.
He looked at his half-sister and their eyes locked, she was young enough to be his own granddaughter. And before their return he couldn't remember a single time they'd ever spoken. There had been no reason to before...and it was much the same with the rest of his younger half-siblings. After the spell, he'd found himself speaking with her a great deal, and despite the age difference they'd actually gotten closer. There hadn't really been another option, he was well aware that the future of House Frey was in both their hands now.
He felt a hand on his and looked down and saw her hand on his. He looked up at her quizzically.
"All will be well, brother," she reassured him.
He snorted at the absurdity of it, considering the age difference it should have been him reassuring her.
She frowned at him and he quickly patted her hand, "I hope so, my dear, unfortunately, much like our father, Lord Hoster is a man that does not let go of grudges."
She winced at the mention of Walder Frey, before smiling reassuringly, "Edmure will smooth things over," she reassured him.
He wished that he felt as sure as she did, but the world was filled with too many impossible things for him to be assured just by words. The sooner her wedding to Edmure happened, the safer he'd feel.
"I hope so," he rejoined hopefully.
They lapsed into silence as they continued to wait for Lord Hoster to summon them. They waited for quite a while before they were finally summoned before Lord Hoster. All the while, Stevron sat and simmered in his own anxiety, agonizing over what he would say to his liege lord and just how Hoster could change his mind over a number of dangerous- if not lethal ways...
When they were finally summoned, they entered hastily. Inside the solar, Lord Hoster was sitting behind his desk, he looked old and weak, but the implacable look in his eyes drove away Stevron's initial assessment.
Lord Hoster didn't speak as Stevron and Roslin genuflected to him, Hoster sneered at him, before ignoring him, and turned to look at Roslin. His implacable look disappeared as his eyebrows rose in surprise as he gave her a once over with his eyes before turning to Edmure.
"Are you sure she's a Frey? She's far too pretty to be a Frey," he stated with aplomb.
Brynden and Edmure snorted and started to chuckle.
"That's the exact same thing I said, Hoster," declared Brynden as he chuckled.
Hoster sniffed and huffed, looking cross for a moment before looking back at Roslin, "She'll do." He turned his attention to Stevron.
Stevron didn't wait to be welcomed or commanded, he knelt, head bowed down as low as his old joints could manage, "I pledge my allegiance to House Tully as Lord of the Twins...I will remain as loyal to House Tully, as I was to the Young Wolf," he stressed the last part, going out of his way to blatantly remind Hoster that unlike his father he had never betrayed Robb Stark.
Hoster drummed his fingers of the surface of his desk rhythmically, Stevron was too afraid to meet Hoster's eyes as he continued kneeling.
Hoster hmmed, letting the silence stretch out before speaking, "As Lord Of Riverrun and Lord Paramount of the Riverlands, on behalf of his grace, King Jon Targaryen the first of his name...I accept your fealty- be sure not to abuse it," he finished with a snide warning.
A weight that Stevron didn't know had been pressing down on him eased off of him.
"Get up, my Lord," Hoster continued. His tone held a modicum of respect that Stevron had never heard directed at his father.
Stevron rose gingerly, his knees aching. Their eyes met and he nearly recoiled at the baleful look in Hoster's eyes.
"Sit. Sit. We have wedding preparations to discus," Lord Hoster commanded, the baleful look in his eyes not going anywhere.
Stevron sat not at all reassured by the look he saw in his liege lord's eyes.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
Having survived his meeting and oath of allegiance to Lord Hoster Tully, he'd been relegated into the background, no one in Riverrun was going to be taking orders from him- not even concerning the wedding preparations.
Night fell quickly and the hastily arranged wedding went off without a hitch.
It was his sister's wedding and yet each and every Lord and knight glared at him and not a small number that looked like they wanted to spit in his face.
So that's a step in the right direction, not as many murderous looks as before... he thought to himself as he looked over the grand hall of Riverrun.
He was sitting at the high table, a couple of seats down from Lord Hoster. Brynden Tully sat on his brother's left, Edmure on the right. Roslin sat between Stevron and Edmure. To his own right, Ser Patrek Mallister was seated.
A close friend of Edmure- at least before the spell, Stevron was well aware of the part he played in mitigating Edmure's wrath at the Twins. The boy was green and well meaning, and a friend that Stevron intended to cultivate over time.
The wedding was very quiet and subdued despite the fact that Roslin and Edmure seemed happy with the marriage. The large number of armed and armored guests was probably responsible for the tense feelings in the hall, he thought idly.
…or it could be the crossbow men that were standing behind the two bards that someone had managed to scrounge up somewhere at short notice.
Stevron tried not to pay attention to all the reminders of how little trust currently existed between House Frey and...everyone, as the wedding feast continued. At least his new goodbrother was smiling and being civil with him. The ceremony in the Sept had been simple but dignified, if small. The smile on the new married couple's faces had been more genuine than any he'd seen in a long time. After the Septon had declared them joined, he'd felt all his anxiety ease out of him. It wasn't done to have your goodfamily murdered...and everyone would be avoiding his father's example of faithlessness for the next several generations.
The servants began bringing out the next course.
The servant placed the dish in front of him and he looked down before blanching and feeling the blood draining out of his face.
In front of him sat a pie.
From the smell of it, it was a meat pie.
He broke out in a cold sweat. He cast furtive glances around him. The other guests hadn't been served pies, they had what looked like a venison steak placed before them. He looked to be the only one given a pie.
He saw Patrek glace towards him and then freeze, his eyes going wide as his face turned green. The young man suddenly pushed his own plate away from him.
Looking to the other side, he saw Roslin's smile frozen on her pale face as she stared at the pie. Edmure was blinking in surprise next to her.
"Aren't you hungry, Lord Frey?" Hoster asked interrupting his thoughts.
He turned to face his liege lord and saw Hoster sitting there with a wide and malicious smile on his face.
Hoster didn't give him the chance to answer, "Surly, you won't insult my hospitality by not eating?" he asked menacingly.
He swallowed, his throat dry as his stomach dropped down to his ankles. He made himself smile back at Lord Hoster, "O-of course not, my Lord."
He turned back to his plate and slowly, he sliced himself a piece of the pie. He speared it with his fork, and with agonizing slowness, he brought the slice of his meat pie to his mouth, as he suddenly felt every eye in the great hall on him. The sweat that was beading on his forehead was starting to drip down his face. He could feel his heart beating against his ribs like a rapid drum.
The pie burned in his mouth, but not as much as the acid in his stomach. He chewed, pushing past the pain, trying with every shred of his being not to imagine who might be in the pie.
"Hmm..." he swallowed the piece down and managed to keep the contents of his stomach down, "it is delicious, my Lord," he manged to say, as he set his fork down.
Hoster sat back in seat and smiled nastily, "Good...good," he gestured towards the pie, "Then Eat."
At least I'm not dead...he reminded himself as he picked up his fork again and swallowed back his revulsion.
At least I'm not dead...
Author's Notes: So yeah,Hoster's seems to be channeling Palpatine here, but I swear to God I thought that the pie jokes were finished...but then this came to me. I wanted an ending for this POV and I realised that Hoster would be nasty enough to do this. Anyway, don't forget to review! :D