5) Catelyn shouldn't have given two of her children to Walder Frey.

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"Lady Stark, what brings you to my neck of the woods? It's not often that we host a Tully in our halls. It surely must be because of the weather" Walder Frey snorted from his high seat.

"Lord Frey, it is a pleasure to be here" Catelyn replied ignoring the snide comment. She extended her hand towards the old man for him to give the perfunctory courteous kiss.

"Yes, yes, so now we've kissed hands and offered bread and salt" he said dismissively, twisting his lips and moving his hands from side to side. "Let's get down to business. What do you want?"

"Father, please show more courtesy. She's a Lady" one of his sons admonished him quietly.

"Yes, she's a lady and I'm a Lord. I am your lord so long as I draw breath and you'd be well to remember that."

"Yes, father."

"Lord Walder," Catelyn tried to start, "I'm here on behalf of my son."

"And why didn't he come here himself?"

"Given our friendship I offered to come and talk to you. I saw it as an opportunity to visit a friend of my father's"

"Pff. Friend" Lord Frey snorted.

"I wanted to ask you for your help."

"Continue … "

Catelyn took a deep breath and pondered what to say next.

"As you well know, my husband has been wrongfully imprisoned."

"Wrongfully? That's not what I heard, but continue …"

"He has been accused of a crime he didn't commit. The King, King Joffrey, has ordered my son to go to the capital to swear featly. We mean to rescue my husband."

"And you want my help. How?"

"We need to cross the river, my Lord. That's all I'm asking. Safe passage."

"You're asking me to go behind my king, open my doors to the son of a traitor so they can go and attack the King and free a criminal."

"My Lord, my husband is neither a traitor nor a criminal."

"That's not how the king sees it."

"My Lord, you are bound to me by oath. My father is your Liege Lord. I am a Tully of Riverrun."

"But you didn't come here as a Tully. You came on behalf of your son, Lady Stark" he countered emphasizing her last name.

"I will say this once. Look out the window and tell me what you see."

"Argh, will you really make me get up? Save me trouble. What am I supposed to see?"

"Twenty thousand men waiting to either cross the river peacefully or storm your halls."

"Oh, a threat. Interesting. Does your father know you are threatening his vassals, blackmailing them and forcing them to become traitors to the crown? … Ha! Twenty thousand men led by a green boy who can't even negotiate his own deals. Twenty thousand corpses by the time Lord Tywin hears of this"

"Why would he hear of this?"

"Lord Tywin is a smart man. When he wants something, he will pay accordingly. He will want to know the North is planning an attack on the king."

"You wouldn't!"

"Wouldn't I? While your son and his men are trapped on the north side of the river, your brother suffering his wounds and your father warming his death bed in Riverrun, I can send many a messenger to the south and to the west. Ha! I'll be the man who warned Tywin Lannister and saved the king."

"What will he give you that we can't?"

"Oh, so now you are willing to negotiate" he smiled cunningly and rubbed his hands. "I'll say this once, look around the hall and tell me what you see" he said echoing her own words.

"Hmm, I see a very beautifully decorated hall and all your sons and grandsons looking at you with respect."

"Ha! Very carefully chosen words. False flattery and cheap compliments. Your father taught you well. Let me tell you what I see. I see sons and grandsons that need wives, that need castles, that need titles. I have daughters and granddaughters too. Take you pick. Tall or short. Young or old. Trueborn or bastard born. A boy for your girls, a girl for your boys, or a boy for your boys, a girl for your girls. Take your pick."

"My Lord, I can't just betroth my children to you."

"Oh, so you can't? You have three sons. Four if you count your husband's bastard. And two girls. Give me two and I'll give you passage."

"My Lord, I - I can't. My oldest son is fighting a war."

"A war for which he needs my help."

"My oldest daughter is betrothed to the king"

"A king you mean to fight. Do you think he will still marry the daughter of a traitor and the sister of a renegade?"

"My youngest daughter has been missing and I haven't heard form her."

"She can be found."

"My middle son has suffered a grievous injury, my Lord, he's bed ridden."

"Well, so long as his cock is working, a bed is all he needs to start pumping heirs into my girls."

"My youngest son is too young, we would have to wait years in order to implement the betrothal."

"The war could last years for all we know."

"My husband's bastard has sworn his vows to the Watch,. He's out of our hands."

"But you would gladly sell him. Ha! I would do the same."

"My Lord, I can't negotiate any betrothals without my husband's approval."

"A husband you need my help to free, isn't that right? Well, that's my price: your oldest son and your youngest daughter. Choose you future good-son and good-daughter from this lot. Take a look around and examine the merchandise, so to speak."

"I'm sorry my Lord, I can't do that. I will not use my children."

"Then what do you expect? Do you mean for me to become a traitor and join a treasonous rebellion to free a proven criminal for free, out of the kindness of my heart? Do you want me to betray my king for a family in the north that means nothing to me? Do you mean to risk my family and my house in exchange for what? A tapestry and a pony? What you are asking is huge, Lady Stark, the price you pay must be equally high. Agree or walk away."

"My Lord, please …"

"I gave you bread and salt. I know that means a lot to you, what with your honour and things, so I won't stop you. You shall not be harmed this time. I may not be so gracious next time."

Catelyn walked out of The Twins with a heavy heart. She had failed.

"I couldn't get his support, Robb. He wanted your hand and Arya's in marriage. I couldn't do that."

"It's alright mother. We knew the price was going to be high. I have better things to do now than look for a wife. And Arya would hate it if you promised her to a boy at this age. Don't worry, mother, we'll find another way."

Of course we will, we have to.

Robb's army was stranded on the north side of the river and their options were limited. The could continue by land to the west until the river narrowed and made it possible for it to be crossed. But that would mean a lot of marching and then crossing the Green, the Blue and the Red Fork. Too much precious time wasted. They could cross at Darry, but that was deep inside enemy territory. That would mean out right battle before they could reach the capital. And meanwhile, what was stopping Walder Frey from sending a message to Tywin Lannister? Ned's freedom seemed further and further away …

This is nought but a temporary obstacle. We will succeed. We'll find another way. We have to. Somehow.

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MY OPINION: Catelyn's deal with the Freys was a good one – and her only choice.

What they were asking Frey to do was huge. They were asking him to become a traitor to a King who had not done anything to him. They were asking him to support a rebellion in which he had a lot to lose and nothing to gain. They were asking him to commit his house to free a proven criminal from another territory. It's like Olenna Tyrell asking Ned to commit his men to free a man from Highgarden who had taken liberties with Myrcella and had been sentenced to death. If they really wanted his help, then they needed to pay accordingly. If you want to buy a Ferrari you need to pay for it, not offer your old bicycle in exchange for it. What's the usual currency in that society? Marriages and wards. That was what noble children were used for (both boys and girls): to be betrothed to make alliances. So Catelyn merely agreed to pay the usual price – not more. With our 21st century morals we may not like it, but that's the way things were done.

If there had been no war, both Arya and Robb would have been betrothed eventually. All she did was hasten the decision and for something they really needed at the time.

Yes, perhaps they could have stormed the Twins and forced Frey to give Robb the men. But could they afford a battle so early on. Would it be worth all the fuss and all the deaths?

Many people think that Arya would have been enraged if she had found out. I know people like for her be painted as this cool, rebellious, sassy, cheeky free spirit, with the "wolfbloood" and "Lyanna come again". But, in the books, she was just a scared little girl who was desperately trying to get back to her family. She saw her father's head roll and after that all she wanted was to get back to his mother and siblings. I honestly think that if somebody had told Arya: "Look, we can save your father and get you back to your family all together safe and sound back home. All you need to do is marry a toothless smelly ugly man", she would have agreed without a second thought. She would have even offered to knit the cloak herself (however ugly it may end up looking in the end).

What do you think? What do you think could have been a better offer that Walder Frey would accept? If not by negotiation, how else do you think they could have got Frey's support?

And do you think there was another way to cross the river which did not involve the Freys?

I would love to hear your thoughts.

Again, please remember to keep it civil. No bashing and no insulting.

This is all I have for now ... I'll try to think of others. Is there any other action that fandom tends to criticise but that you think was not that bad or that it made sense from the character's point of view.

Thanks.