A/N: GRRM still owns everything. I'm just writing for fun. Sorry this is getting up late and for not replying to the reviews. I've had awful writer's block. This is about the third complete rewrite I've done for this chapter. I'm still very not happy with it. But oh well, it doesn't seem to be getting better. Hopefully, the next chapter will be better and I hope everyone hates it less than I do. And I will respond to reviews this time, but for now I'll just say a huge thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter. All the response to the story really does keep me going.
Robb V
When they finally reached the Twins, Robb's fears were not alleviated. He had sent his mother's uncle Ser Brynden Tully with a hundred chosen men to scout ahead and screen their movements from the Lannisters, which they had done successfully, but the reports they brought back were troubling. While Lord Tywin's host was still south of them, Jaime Lannister had destroyed Edmure Tully's host and captured Edmure. Now the Kingslayer had Riverrun under siege and to help them, they must be able to cross the Green Fork, which would require Lord Walder Frey's assistance.
From what they had been able to ascertain, Lord Frey had gathered four thousand men and was holding them inside the walls of the Twins. They had had some skirmishes with the Lannisters, but had not ridden forth to assist Riverrun as they should have as they were bannermen to Hoster Tully. Robb knew that Lord Frey could not be hoping to fight the Lannisters alone, but no one could guess what his true intentions were, luckily Ser Brynden had been shooting down all the ravens that left the castle.
His mother knew old Lord Walder best, but she had not been the most useful in her information. When Robb had said that surely Lord Walder would want to join their cause, she had simply said that if you expect nothing of Lord Walder, you would never be surprised. The only other information she would offer was that they would extract a toll if he permitted them to cross, something that Robb was not happy about. The old man should have marched to help his liege lord, but as Dany pointed out, he seemed to be hedging his bets and he did have a son married to Lord Tywin's sister after all.
Looking at the Twins, he realized that there was no way to storm the castle and it would take too long to lay siege to it. His bannermen all seemed to agree with him and they agreed that it would take too long to go over the Green Fork any other way because of the recent rains. They needed to get to Riverrun as soon as possible.
When they finally rode in sight of the Twins, a sally port opened and a draw bridge was lowered and a dozen knights rode out to meet them, led by four Freys of the Crossing. As the Freys rode into sight, he heard Theon behind him whisper something to Dany about how they all resembled weasels, which Robb had to admit was true. The oldest, no doubt Lord Walder's heir Ser Stevron, rode in front and addressed Robb's company of men by saying, "My father has sent me to greet you, and inquire as to who leads this mighty host."
Robb spurred his horse forward with Grey Wind at his side and replied, "I do."
He could detect a look of amusement in Ser Stevron's eyes, no doubt thinking that he was too young to lead his men, but he said politely enough, "My lord Father would be most honored if you would share meat and mead with him in the castle and explain your intentions here." His beady eyes then spotted Dany and he added, "Your lady wife would be welcome as well."
Robb could hear the shock and anger go through his men at those words, they all roared their mistrust and disapproval. Finally it seemed there was something they all agreed on.
"You must not do this my lord. You or my lady," Galbart Glover pleaded. "Lord Walder cannot be trusted with either of you."
Roose Bolton nodded, "Go in there and you're his. You would both be valuable hostages to the Lannisters. He could sell you to the Lannisters, though he might just slit your throat, my lord."
The Manderly brothers agreed, insisting that Lord Walder could come out there to treat with him so that they might protect them. They said there was no reason for him to meet in secret inside the castle.
Robb agreed with everything they said, and he'd be damned before he let Dany walk into that castle with these treacherous Freys, but he could see that Ser Stevron was getting angry by what he was hearing. Robb had been about to ask his men to be quiet, when his mother suddenly volunteered to go in and speak with Lord Walder on her own.
"You, my lady?" The Greatjon asked in a concerned tone.
"Are you sure mother?" Robb asked. He was worried. It would be better than having he or Dany go in, and he could scarce ask one of his bannermen to do it, but he did not want his mother taken prisoner like his father.
"Never more certain," his mother answered smiling. "Lord Walder is my father's bannermen. I have known him since I was a girl. He would never harm me."
Robb could tell she was lying through her teeth, but it was the best option they had. Ser Strevon graciously agreed and offered to leave his brother Ser Perwyn with them as proof of their good intentions.
Robb could only say that he wanted his mother returned to them by sundown as they were eager to move on. He tried to infuse his words with as much sincerity as possible, but Robb could tell that Ser Stevron was less than impressed until he glanced at Ser Brynden, at which point he readily agreed.
As his mother rode off surrounded by the Freys, Robb turned to Ser Perwyn and told him that the Greatjon would make sure he was comfortable. He had to try not to laugh at Ser Perwyn's face once he glanced up at the Greatjon, but he held it in and instead went to Dany and helped her get down from the wagon.
"Are you sure you would not be more comfortable traveling in your litter, my love?" he asked her, not for the first time.
"Yes, I want to be able to see everything. I cannot see a thing enclosed in that litter," she said. "I would rather be on horseback, the maester you have travelling with us said I would be safe enough."
Robb had heard this argument many times as well and was in no mood to rehash it. It only had made him want to strangle their maester, he knew old Luwin would never had said such a thing to Daenerys. Still he only smiled and said, "You will have to forgive your husband for being concerned. How do you feel?"
"I'm well, Robb," she said smiling. "Your son has been kicking me something fierce though, I do not think he likes these weasels any more than I do." With that she took his hand and placed it on her ever growing stomach to let him feel that babe moving around. It was still a strange experience, knowing that they had created a child that was stirring in her womb now. He had asked her how she was sure it was a boy, but she had just smiled and said she just knew. The midwife they had brought south with them agreed that it was likely because she was carrying so low, but Dany sounded far more certain.
He could feel himself smile his infatuated smile, or as Theon was want to call it, his gormless smile. "You look beautiful, my lady. Would you care to walk with me?"
Dany laughed. "I look awful. I've been riding in a wagon all day and I'm fat. Only you would call me beautiful. But if you don't mind your men seeing your fat and dirty wife, I would like to stretch my legs."
Robb took her arm and began to walk with her amongst his men with Grey Wind following them. His father had imparted the importance of getting to know his own men because, as he said, if they did not know you, why would they follow you into battle. And while Dany might think she was fat and dirty, he knew his men did not think that was the case. The most hardened men at arms blushed when his lady wife addressed them. She spoke gently to all of them while Robb asked how they were all getting along on the march south and promised that soon they would defeat the Lannisters in battle.
While they walked around and spoke to his men, Robb felt a familiar terror well up in him. He felt too young to be leading his men to battle, but how else would he free his family. He fought it down and concentrated on just enjoying time with his wife. He just wished with all his heart that they were back at Winterfell with his father and the girls. But he elaborated his fantasy in his head and imagined a Winterfell where Bran had never fallen and Jon had never gone to the Wall. It was bittersweet. He turned his thoughts once again to the task at hand.
As the day began to creep closer to sunset, they began to walk back and Robb's thoughts once again turned to his brother on the Wall. He wished that Jon was marching south to free father with them. He turned to Dany and asked if she had written her Uncle Aemon recently.
"I wrote about our march south before we left," she said. "I also told him about the dragon's eggs and Viserys. I have not heard back from yet. I imagine it would be hard for a raven to find us on the march. I can write to him again when we reach Riverrun, would you like me to ask about Jon?"
He smiled, "Yes. I wish he was marching with us, but I know he cannot. Just ask him how Jon is doing and tell him that we miss him."
"I dreamed about Jon the other night," she said in an odd tone. Robb had been about to tease her but Dany had a strange far away expression on her face. "He and I were looking at my dragon's eggs and talking about what we should name them when they hatched. In the dream, one egg was mine, one was his, and someone else claimed the third."
Robb had had his own fair share of strange dreams lately, he just been too embarrassed to mention them until now. He was about to tell her about the dreams he had recently about Grey Wind when he saw that the plank bridge had been lowered across the moat at the Twins again and his lady mother was returning. Vowing to tell Dany about his dreams later, he entrusted his wife to Theon, mounted up, and rode out to meet his mother to see what toll Lord Frey wanted for them to cross.
He felt glad but nervous when his mother told him that Lord Walder would grant the crossing and would add his men to their own. He agreed with his mother to supplement the troops Lord Walder was leaving to hold the Twins and suggested that Ser Helman Tallhart stay behind to make sure Lord Walder kept his word. When his mother had agreed with his suggestion, he asked hesitantly, "What… what did he want of us?"
"If you can spare some men, I need an escort for two of Lord Walder's grandsons to Winterfell. I've agreed to take them on as wards. They are seven and eight and are both oddly called Walder. Your brother Bran will be happy for the company I think."
"Is that all? Two fosterlings? That's a small enough price to pay-"
"Lord Frey's son Olyvar will be coming with us," she continued. "He is to serve as your personal squire. His father would like to see him knighted, in good time."
"A squire," Robb said easily, still relieved. "That's fine, if he's-"
His mother interrupted once again, "Also, if your sister Arya is returned to us safely, it is agreed that she will marry Lord Walder's youngest son, Elmar, when the two of them come of age."
Robb thought of Arya who all the guards in Winterfell called Arya Underfoot and imagined her being forced to marry a Frey. All he could say was, "Arya won't like that one bit." He could only hope that she and Elmar Frey got along as well as he did with Dany. "Did he ask for anything else?"
"Yes," his mother said hesitantly. "He initially asked that you agree to marry your first born son to one of his daughters or granddaughters. He has apparently heard that Daenerys is with child."
"That's out of the question. No one can make a marriage contract for a child that has not been born yet," Robb said instantly feeling a desire to storm the Twins after all. He knew that Dany would feel the same way.
"I told him as much," his mother said calmly. "He has instead agreed that Rickon will marry Ser Stevron's granddaughter Perra when they come of age. He also insists that you give Rickon lands and see to it that he is knighted so that it is a worthy match."
"I would have done that for Rickon anyway," Robb said still shocked at Lord Walder's gall. "I take it you agreed to his bargains?"
"Yes," his mother replied sounding none too happy. "What else was there to do? We must have the crossing."
He realized that she was right, but Robb was not happy with Lord Walder for extracting this toll. He hoped he had not condemned his sibling to marrying into a horrible family, but it was time to move on and begin the real war.
They crossed the Green Fork at evening fall and split the troops once they had done so. Robb felt assured that Roose Bolton could distract Lord Tywin while they advanced to Riverrun. He took the majority of the horsed troops with him south. Now the real fighting could begin.
A/N: Well there it is. I hope it wasn't too awful, I just felt like I was making it worse with my rewrites. I'll try to update again soon, but it might not be until Monday depending on how work goes on my knee. Thank you again to everyone who reviewed and I promise to do better about responding to reviews. And another thanks to everyone who read the story and especially to those who subscribed and favorited it. You guys rock!