"And what do I owe the oner?" Walder Fray says to the Players who entered his lands uninvited, while he sits on his throne surrounded by his guards who are ready to defend him if the Players look threatening in any way.
"To be honest with you sir, we were hoping to open trade with you." Heathcliff says to lord Frey who chuckles when he hears Heathcliff's words.
"Lord Heathcliff you know that you are putting me in a problematic situation. Not only have you entered the Riverlands again, but you did so uninvited and further wish to break the treaty, by asking me to do the same." Lord Frey says to Heathcliff.
Heathcliff just looks at the old man who is sitting on his throne and hasn't bothered to stand up or greet him in any proper way, but Heathcliff never expected the man to do so.
"If there's anything that we can do, to show that we don't mean any harm, that doesn't involve marriages or people entering Aincrad, feel free to tell me and you may have it." Heathcliff says to the old Lord who frowns.
'You enter my lands without care and I cannot do the same with yours." Walder says to Heathcliff with a frown and anger in his voice.
"I think there is a misunderstanding, Lord Frey. We don't allow people to enter Aincrad, because we consider the people outside to be a threat, but because of the creatures inside the mountain." Heathcliff says to the old Lord.
Walder doesn't say anything for a long moment before signaling to the men who had arrived with Heathcliff.
All of the men wore the same bone-white armor even though all of them were being used as nothing more than mules to carry the merchandise.
The men carried in dresses and shoes of high quality with them, not only that but they brought in meats, fruits, and even tools of all kinds.
Walder frowned, his lands already had these things and while they were all high quality, he didn't need any more competition for his merchants than what he already had.
Still, what was he if not a man who knew how to handle money, in front of him was an opportunity, so he chose to take it.
"I can only agree to allow you to enter these lands if you agree to pay two tolls one for entering and being allowed to sell your goods in my lands.
The other to pay the crown when it demands compensation from me for letting you do so." he says to Heathcliff.
'Agreed." Heathcliff says to Lord Frey.
"There is one more condition Lord Heathcliff." Walder says to the Lord of the Blood Oath.
"If there is ever a war, your people will have to fight on our behalf. I don't ask you to fight for the crown but to help defend these lands and my family if they were ever attacked. We will do the same for you and your mountain." Walder says to Heathcliff, who with a stiff yet friendly smile agrees to his terms.
Yet before either man can shake hands they find themselves surrounded by knights who all have their spears and swords pointed at them.
"First I hear that you broke our agreement and now I find you committing treason." King Robert Baratheon says to Walder as he walks past Heathcliff and the Players that came with him.
Walder immediately stands and walks away from his throne allowing Robert to sit on it, Robert doesn't say anything he simply looks at Walder from the corner of his eyes.
'My king, for what do I owe the honor?" Walder says to Robert who doesn't answer him, instead he keeps his eyes focused on Heathcliff.
"I heard your conversation, It's good that you thought of the crown and prepared our share, so I won't deal with you." Robert says to Walder but his eyes harden as he looks at Heathcliff.
"We had a deal, you stay on your mountain we keep everything else and now you broke that deal not once but twice. I ignored the first time because of this weasel, I won't ignore this time." Robert says to Heathcliff who doesn't react to the man's harsh words.
'We just want to form a good relationship with the people close to us, neither of us wishes to constantly feel as if we could attack each other at any moment." Heathcliff says to Robert.
"Is that so, then why didn't you send messengers to the Grey Watch or Cape of Eagles?" Robert asks Heathcliff.
"The Freys are our closest neighbors, we would always contact them first, and if they said no then what point was there in asking everyone else." Heathcliff answers Robert.
"Alright, I'll allow it, under two conditions. The first is that you will have to pay guards who are sworn to me, to guide you when you leave and return to your castle. It will be up to you to feed and care for them." Robert says to Heathcliff before smirking as he glares at the man.
'The second is that you have to take a Harremhal Castle, which means that you have to use our resources to fix and maintain it. The castle has five towers and two of them must always be held by people loyal to the crown." Robert says to Heathcliff.
Under any other circumstances, this would be a reward, but Robert knew that by doing this, he was not only keeping the Players occupied for years, but he was permanently splitting their forces in half.
Not only that but Harremhal was surrounded by houses loyal to him, so if the Plyers ever tried anything then they would have to fight those houses before help arrived.
Then there was going from the mountain to Harremhal and that was a problem on its own, having to carry everything to fix the castle would cause the players no small amount of problems.
'We can't accept that, we just want to not have to worry about any problems that might show up." Heathcliff says to Robert who grows at his answer.
"This is to settle any problems that might happen, you hide behind that wall of yours in a mountain filled with all sorts of resources, resources that only the Frey's will have access to." Robert pauses to let his words sink before he starts to talk again.
"Think of all of the other merchants and houses who will turn with envy, a dead house can help no one.
You may trade with the people as you travel and trade with whoever wants to trade with you while you are in the castle, but the crown will have half of your earnings, just as we take half from the Frey's." he says to Heathcliff.
"Okay but if there's ever a war, we will not fight in it, we will just defend the castle and the mountain." Heathcliff says to Robert who nods.
"Lord of the Blood Oath, you have ownership of the castle and the area that you need to repair the outside but not the lands surrounding it. Harremhal will be another mountain for you." Robert adds before he signals to his men to throw Heathcliff and his men out.
