Chapter 7. Justin's Council

Riverrun

Robb Stark the King in the North had won three major battles against the Lannisters. But he hasn't faced them since his third victory as Tywin Lannister's power is growing with the Tyrells and Martells supporting him. Robb's forces were reduced to half when the Karstarks left. He could have trapped Gregor Clegane in the River lands, but Edmure Tully foolishly attacked Mill Stone. To draw out the Lannister forces and boost the morale of his men Robb needed a victory. So he decided that he should attack Casterly Rock. But he didn't have the forces he needed for the job. His only choice was to beg forgiveness from Walder Frey.

Robb had sent a raven to the Twins as his cousin Edmure Tully Lord of Riverrun agreed to marry one of Walder's daughters. Though Edmure secretly wished he would say no. Robb sits at breakfast with his wife Talisa, his mother Catelyn, Brynden Blackfish Tully his uncle, Lord Umber, and Edmure.

"We should have heard back from Walder Frey by now…" Robb impatiently says, causing Talisa to grab his hand.

"What if he says no?" Bryden asks.

Robb sighs and before he can answer a Tully soldier enters and bows, "Your grace…There is an army bearing your sigil approaching the castle…" They all exchange glances and exit the dining hall. When they enter the courtyard Richard Karstark is riding in with a familiar young man. "It can't be!" Robb says recognizing him immediately.

Justin dismounts his horse and drops to one, "Hail the King in the North…Your humble servant Justin Stark comes to fight at your side…"

Both Catelyn and Robb walk up to him, "Get up you idiot!" He obeys smiling and they embrace each other in a bear hug, "Where in the name of the seven have you been?"

"We thought you were dead…" Catelyn says chiming in.

Justin releases Robb and kisses his aunt Catelyn on both cheeks, "It is a long story…Auntie and I will tell you all…"

Robb waves Talisa to come forward and Catelyn waves for Edmure and Brynden, "This is my wife Queen Talisa…"

Justin smiles and kisses her hand, "My Queen it is honor you're beauty is second to none…"

Catelyn places her hands on her hips, "I beg your pardon…"

He smiles at her, "You are both equals in my eyes Auntie…" Robb introduces their uncle the Blackfish Brynden Tully and their cousin Lord Edmure Tully. "I have brought you all a present…" With a wave of his hand the six men behind Justin part left and right to reveal a hooded young woman. When she removes her hood Catelyn roars in delight.

"SANSA!" She runs past Justin almost knocking him down and grabs her daughter in a big hug. Robb joins her as Catelyn bombards her with many questions.

"It was Justin he rescued me…"

She looks at her nephew, "Thank you…so much. I am in your debt…"

"How did you even know she was a prisoner?" Robb asked.

"I didn't until I was halfway to King's Landing…Lord Karstark here has agreed to fight for me…and he will renew his oath to you if you are willing to allow Sansa to marry him…"

Richard stepped forward, "Great King of the North…I was angry when you beheaded my mentor Rickard Karstark…You could have exiled him or stripped his title…" He pauses, "But I am willing to let that go…I love your sister from the moment I saw her…This is not a power play on my part…If you say no I will fight under my cousin Justin…But if you say yes I will renew the Karstark's oath to House Stark and the King in the North…"

"Say yes…" Justin says speaking up, "I have bought 60,000 swords with me…20,000 are fighting to free the North from the Iron Born…and I convinced the Karstarks to fight with us…That is seventy-two thousand men…"

Robb looks at Catelyn, "What do you say mother?"

Before she can speak Sansa clears her throat, "Mother…My King!" She says in a lady like grown up voice, "I have endured many hardships at the hands of the Lannisters…My cousin Justin has returned and saved me from a marriage to Tyrion Lannister…"

"Those bastards!" Catelyn says.

"Yes mother! In my short time with Lord Richard Karstark…I have come to love him…He is a real man and an honorable one…I would consider it an honor to be his wife…"

Catelyn smiles and kisses her daughter on the cheek. Then she takes Sansa's hand and places it in Richard's. "I have no objection my King…but the final word is yours…"

Robb sighs looking at Talisa who shakes her head yes, "To get my sister back only to lose her again…Lord Richard I acted irrationally with your Uncle and I cry your pardon…You have my blessing to marry my sister…"

Richard draws his sword and stabs it in the ground taking a knee, "I Richard Karstark Lord of Karhold do renew my oath to House Stark and pledge my life and all I have to the King in the North…"

"I accept your oath…Arise Lord Karstark…" The men cheered as they interlocked arms.

"Your grace if it is not to presumptuous I would like to marry your sister immediately…"

"Yes…" Robb looks at his mother, "Will you make all the arrangements…"

"It will be my pleasure…"

"Come lets go indoors we have much to discuss…"

They gathered in the main hall around the table with maps and battle markers. First Sansa told her family all she endured at the hands of the cruel Lannisters. Then Justin regaled them of his adventures in the east and how he learned of Sansa's plight. "My friend and ally Victor leads the forces in the North…They have captured Yara Greyjoy and sent the Iron Born back to their Islands…" Justin said placing wolf heads over Stony shore, Flint's Finger, Deepwood Moat, and Moat Cailin.

"Can you send some men to the wall…" Robb asked, "We have been receiving requests for reinforcements for months…"

"I will send a Raven to Victor to send 2,000 men to the wall…"

"Good now we can focus on taking Casterly Rock…"

"And if Walder Frey agrees to fight with us we will have the numbers to march on King's Landing…" Brynden says, "I just hope he cooperates…"

Justin sneers at the mention of Walder Frey, "Fuck Walder Frey!" Everyone looks at him. Sansa gasps at his language.

"Justin!" Catelyn says.

"We need Walder Frey…" Robb says speaking up.

Justin shakes his head, "No you don't…I just brought 60,000 men and convinced the Karstarks to fight with us again…You don't need him…"

"But we do need numbers!" Robb replies.

"Listen to me cousin…All my life I have been hearing tales of the Late Walder Frey…" He looks at Catelyn, "Isn't that what your father called him Auntie?"

"Yes…but we don't want him as an enemy…"

Justin returns his attention to Robb, "Cousin…Robb…My King! When you called all your Banners answered…Did any of them make a deal to honor an oath they made…"

"No…"

He looks at Edmure and Brynden, "When the Lannisters invaded the Riverlands did Walder Frey answer your call to arms or did he hide in castle…Hoping someone would need him enough to marry into his horrid family…" Justin spits on the floor, "I say fuck him! A liege lord should not have to make deals with his bannermen…If Walder Frey had fought beside you I could see him asking for favors…You owe him nothing…"

"Actually…" Robb said speaking up, "I sent mother to Walder Frey and I agreed to a deal that in exchange for passage across the Twins I would marry one of his daughters…" He looks at Talisa, "Then I met and fell in love with the Mother of my unborn child…To my shame I broke my word, but it was for love…"

"An honorable reason to break a vow…" Brynden said speaking up.

Justin walks past Robb to Brynden, "You are the Lord of Riverrun strip him of his Titles and send him and his sons to the wall…"

Catelyn had been sitting by her daughter Sansa and stands up looking at Brynden." He has a point you know…" Edmure says.

"You just want out of the marriage contract…" Brynden says.

"We are in negotiations lets at least see how they turn out…" Catelyn says.

Justin shakes his head, "A waste of time…" He looks at Robb, "Give me the command…I will take 15,000 men and sack the Twins…Lord Edmure can accompany me and strip that old shit and exile him and his sons to the wall…"

Robb starts pacing, "And if you fail Walder Frey will turn on us or worse join our enemies…" Catelyn says.

"I can do it!" Justin confidently replies.

Robb looks at Umber, "What do you say to all this Lord Umber…"

He sighs, "It has been a long time in coming…Someone needs to put that shit Walder Frey in his place…"

Robb looks at Brynden, "Uncle?"

"Its too risky…Lets wait and see if how he responds to your letter…"

Then Robb looks to Talisa, "My Queen what do you think?"

"You broke your word once my King…for me and I am happy we found each other, but how will it look if you attack the Twins after asking for forgiveness and a new alliance…"

Robb nods in agreement as he looks at Catelyn, "Mother?"

She sighs and walks up to Justin, "Are you sure nephew? Because if you lose Walder Frey will not stop until he has had his revenge…"

He kisses her on the cheek, "Auntie…I have faced the Dothraki in open combat…I have never lost a battle in the east and I don't intend to now…I swear on my life and my dead mother…It can be done…Walder Frey will fall…"

She nods and looks at Robb, "Like your cousin said…Fuck Walder Frey!"

Robb goes to the map table and picks up a marker. He hesitates and finally places it by the twins. He looks at Justin, "Do it!"

Justin walks up to Robb and they interlock arms, "I will not fail you…" Then he walks over to the map and places a marker on Golden Tooth, "While I am laying siege to the Twins you can lead the rest of the forces against Golden Tooth…By the time I am done you should have taken the castle…Then we can hit Clegane's Keep, Ashmark, and finally Casterly Rock…"

Brynden nods, "A sound plan…"

Justin noticed in White Harbor that the Knights of the Vale weren't on the map. He didn't say anything, but looking at Robb's war map again the Knights of the Vale were nowhere to be found, "Why aren't the Knights of the Vale fighting with us…"

"She refuses…" Robb says.

"She is concerned for the safety of her son…"

"Ridiculous!"

"Yes, but she refuses to fight…"

"There must be something we can offer her…or appeal to her since of family…"

"Ha!" Brynden says.

"The only family Lysa cares about is her son…" Catelyn says with venom.

"Then we need some type of leverage to make her fight or appeal to the Knights of the Vale…"

Sansa lowered her head then she smiled inside, "Petyr Baelish!" she blurted, causing everyone to look at her.

"What did you say my sweet?" Catelyn asks.

"Well…while I was in King's Landing Petyr offered to take me from King's Landing…I also heard whispers that he was to marry Aunt Lysa…He left the day before you arrived in King's Landing…"

Catelyn grabs Sansa's arms, "Are you sure?"

"Yes mother!"

"How can she marry that bastard after what he did to Ned…"

Justin narrows his eyes as the wheels in his head spin, "What did he do Aunt Catelyn…"

"When your Uncle learned the truth of Jaime and Cersei Lannister…That bastard betrayed my husband…Then he tries make a move on me in Renly's camp…And my own sister dares to marry him…"

"Maybe she doesn't know…" Talisa offered.

"It wouldn't matter…Lysa has always been in love with Petyr Baelish…" Bryden says. "And then there is that scandal between her and Baelish…"

"What sandal?" Justin asks with growing interest.

"She got pregnant by Petyr when she was younger…father made her kill the child as it grew in her womb…" When Catelyn says this Talisa rubs her stomach protectively. Robb notices and places his hand around her shoulders.

"Then someone must speak with the Lords of the Vale…I am sure they would not warm up to their new Lord if they knew he betrayed Eddard Stark a relative of their dead lord's and maybe we can convince them to fight with us…"

"I will go!" Brynden announces.

"I'm going with you…" Catelyn says.

"Its agreed then…" Robb declares.

With a course of action agreed upon, Talisa takes charge of the wedding plans while Catelyn spends the time with her daughter. The next day Sansa and Richard Karstark marry in the main hall of Riverrun castle. As they sit at the table Justin whispers in Robb's ear about making Jon a Stark in full. "I am surprised you haven't done it by now…"

Robb sighs, "My mother will not be pleased…"

"You are the King in the North…"

When the gifts were presented, Justin gave the newlywed couple a ship named Sansa's Dream. He also presented Robb with a valyrian steel sword. The cross guard was a wolf's head with the sword coming out of its mouth. The left and right bars had a small wolf head on each end. A bedding ceremony was held to which Talisa found to be a strange custom.

The next day Sansa was all smiles, "It was everything I dreamed mother…Richard was very gentle…"

"I am happy for you my daughter…soon you will be a mother…I just wish your father was here…"

"So do I…"
As the wedding festivities were settling down Stevron Frey and his brother Walden Frey approach Riverrun, "My King!" a man says in the courtyard of the castle. "Lords Stevron and Walden Frey are here to speak with you about their father's terms of alliance…"

Robb looks at Justin, "Bring them to the throne room…" When Stevron and Walden enter the throne room. Robb is on a makeshift throne with Talisa at his right. His mother Catelyn stands at Talisa's right. On his left Richard, Edmure, Brynden, and finally Justin stand.

"Your grace! Greetings from our father Lord Walder Frey of the Twins…"

"Seize them!' Edmure orders interrupting them.

"What is the meaning of this? We come in peace!"

Edmure walks up the men as they are forced to their knees, "My family has endured the arrogance of Walder Frey and his family for years…The Late Walder Frey my father called him…I will endure your father's self-important attitude anymore…Take them away…"

"Our father will not sit still for this!" They screamed as they were taken away.

The time had finally come for Justin and Edmure to leave for the Twins. They had a mixed army of Robb's men, Karstarks and Justin's troops. Meanwhile Catelyn and her uncle would go to the vale to speak with Lord Royce of Runestone about Peter Baelish's marriage to Jon Arryn's widow. Robb marched to Golden Tooth with a force of 43,000 men, Richard was at his side along with Lord Umber.