Old Walder Proposes a Marriage Alliance

The Twins, situated on the Green Fork, looked like a giant button.

Thanks to the convenience of the waterway, House Frey had become a wealthy and powerful lordly house known far and wide in a short time.

To flaunt his status, Old Walder called himself a "marquis."

But no one cared. A nouveau riche was still a nouveau riche; even pretending to be refined only made him a laughingstock.

Inside the main keep of the Twins, a stooped old man sat upon a lofty high seat.

From where he sat, he could take in everything below at a glance.

Unlike other houses, House Frey was excessively prolific.

Old Walder had married eight wives in succession, and his children alone numbered more than twenty.

At nearly ninety years old, he had recently taken another wife, who was said to be pregnant.

As for whether someone else had fired the shot, no one knew.

Or perhaps some people were simply extraordinarily gifted.

With Marquis Walder setting such an example, he had grandchildren too numerous to count.

In House Frey's army, if someone called out "Walder," five out of every ten men would turn around.

Old Walder looked down at his sons and grandsons and spoke.

"Where has Stark's army reached?"

At that, an equally aged noble rose and answered.

"Father, they are less than thirty leagues from the Twins. They will arrive soon."

The speaker was his son, Stevron.

Though he was Old Walder's son, anyone seeing them together might have taken them for brothers.

It could not be helped. One was seventy and the other ninety. In an era where the average lifespan was thirty, there was not much difference.

Still, one could tell them apart on closer inspection. Before Old Walder, the sparse ends of Stevron's brows always drooped, like the tail of an obedient house dog.

At that moment, a shrewd-looking noble suddenly spoke.

"Grandfather, I heard Robb's bastard brother returned from the Wall, and that he is especially good at fighting."

Old Walder was capable indeed. He commanded such an enormous family, yet made every member compete to flatter him.

Those with talent put on a show; those without it shared fresh gossip to amuse the old man.

Clearly, Jon was that fresh bit of gossip.

But Old Walder merely took a disdainful sip of wine. "Good at fighting? How good? Better than Arthur Dayne?

"Rhaegar was supposed to be good at fighting too. And what happened? They are all just exaggerated boasts."

In Old Walder's eyes, Jon's reputation for fighting was probably heavily inflated.

Besides, he did not care whether someone could fight or not. From his life experience, being able to live and breed mattered more than being able to fight.

Take himself, for instance. His bloodline could be found not only in the Riverlands, but in the Westerlands, the Crownlands, and the North as well.

Of course, Old Walder also had a thorn in his heart.

During Robert's Rebellion, because he had arrived last, people called him the "Late Marquis."

Yet Tywin of Casterly Rock had only decided to enter the conflict after the outcome at the Trident River was clear.

No one dared call Tywin the "Late Duke."

The reason he was willing to ally with the North this time was not merely to gain benefits for his house. He also wanted to clear his own name.

Thinking of how the North's letter had mentioned this point, Old Walder decided there must be a "wise man" in Winterfell.

Old Walder was not interested in how well Jon could fight. What interested him was this "Winterfell wise man" who had hit the nail on the head.

He believed that with his own discerning eye, he would surely recognize that person if he appeared.

Suddenly, someone hurried in from outside to report.

"My lord, Robb Stark's vanguard has arrived five leagues outside the city."

"Is that so? Then prepare to meet him."

Robb led his guards and several North nobles, with Jon and Theon at his side, and arrived at the Twins ahead of the main force.

From afar, Jon saw a bridge stretching across the broad waters of the Green Fork.

It was like a guillotine blade capable of cutting off the river's flow.

On both banks of the Green Fork stood two castles of similar design.

The Twins could also be called the "Twin Castles."

Fortunately, there were no airplanes in this era.

When they arrived, Old Walder had already sent someone to receive them.

Leading the party was a short, stocky, solidly built man with a fierce-looking face covered in a black beard.

He gave the impression of a shield.

Over his armor, he wore a white surcoat embroidered with the blue emblem of the Twins.

The short, stocky man came before Robb, bowed, and said.

"Honorable Lord Robb, my name is Walder Frey. I am Marquis Walder's great-grandson. You may call me Black Walder. The marquis is waiting for you. Please follow me."

Hearing his introduction, Jon remembered who this man was.

Part of House Frey's army would likely be led by him afterward.

Soon, the group rode beneath the walls of the Twins.

Though the sky had not yet darkened, the castle was already brightly lit.

Soldiers had long filled both sides of the road, with a brazier for illumination placed between every two men.

All the soldiers stood with their chests out and heads high. At least they looked the part of soldiers.

Jon looked up and found the banners of the direwolf and the Twins hung in alternating rows along the walls.

It seemed Old Walder had put some thought into it.

Jon activated his [Gods' Eye], which would probably provide information on the defenders across a long stretch of wall.

The archers, crossbowmen, and spearmen on the walls all stood ramrod straight.

Unfortunately, Jon's Gods' Eye could not see through the walls like a CT scan.

Needless to say, there had to be hidden troop passages inside the walls.

The group entered the castle, which looked as though it had just been cleaned, then followed the neat flagstone path into the great hall of the Twins.

The moment they entered, they saw Old Walder sitting high at the very end of the hall.

Before anyone else could speak, Old Walder burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha! From far away, I could already smell the North wind and the direwolf."

Old Walder laughed heartily as he looked at the tall, handsome Robb.

Though his body was stooped and frail, his eyes shone with sharp light.

His gaze upon Robb held not only appreciation, but a trace of greed.

"Robb Stark, son of Eddard Stark, Duke of Winterfell and Warden of the North, greets the marquis."

Robb bowed to Old Walder, and those behind him offered their greetings as well.

After paying his respects, Robb spoke.

"Since you have agreed to ally with the North, Marquis, how many soldiers has the Twins prepared?"

Robb's question made Old Walder somewhat unhappy, and he set down the wine cup he had just raised.

Jon had previously hinted that Old Walder cared deeply about appearances and should be flattered more.

But clearly, the Young Wolf had not grasped it.

"Robb Stark." Old Walder called Robb by his full name, and everyone pricked up their ears.

"To be honest, I truly like you. You are indeed Eddard's son. I want nothing more than to send you into the bridal chamber with my granddaughter right now. But the war is urgent. House Frey's two thousand soldiers have already assembled.

"Eight hundred are cavalry, three hundred are longbowmen, and one thousand are infantry. They are all excellently equipped!"

Old Walder deliberately emphasized the key phrase: excellently equipped.

Jon found his words rather interesting.

He first reminded Robb of their agreement, then displayed his own sincerity.

One had to admit, those who lived long were not fools.

If not for Arya, House Frey might really have taken control of the Riverlands.

House Frey's troop numbers were indeed not bad.

Even among the North's lords, they could rank in the top three.

Their fighting strength had also been acknowledged by the original Young Wolf.

After a brief exchange, everyone took their seats.

Next, they should have discussed the march and their military objectives.

But Old Walder once again said something startling.

Pointing in Jon's direction, he spoke.

"Hey, you. You should be Eddard's bastard, right?"

Jon found it strange. He did not understand why an old fox like this would pay attention to a bastard like him.

But considering the gap in their status, he still rose from his seat and bowed to Old Walder.

Even if the man meant to humiliate Robb by telling him to get out or something, he could leave quickly enough.

Face could always be recovered later.

Yet unexpectedly, Old Walder did not make things difficult for Jon. Instead, he asked a surprising question.

"You lad must be wanting a woman, right? Otherwise, you would not have run back from the Wall. Tell me, what kind do you like? Perhaps I can pick one for you from here."

For a moment, Jon became the center of attention in the hall.

Everyone inwardly marveled. This old man truly had no reservations.

Jon was a bastard.

No matter how desperate House Frey was, they should not be this desperate.

"I bet he will agree. For a bastard to marry a Frey daughter would already be incredibly lucky."

"Exactly. What more could he want?"

The North lords behind him began whispering among themselves. Then Robb spoke.

"Marquis, Jon left the Wall to rescue our father, and he has not formally joined the Night's Watch yet, so he is not a deserter."

All right. I did not spoil you for nothing, Jon thought, but he still declined Old Walder's offer.

"Marquis, I am merely a bastard. I do not believe myself worthy of a daughter of House Frey."

"Hmph! Cunning boy." Old Walder snorted, and the hall immediately fell silent. Even the sound of someone's sword striking a table leg could be heard clearly.

"You must choose one, or House Frey will withdraw from the alliance."

"What did I do to deserve this?! I'm just a fucking bastard!"

Jon was utterly baffled. Could Old Walder be a transmigrator too? Did he know Jon's true identity?

The others looked toward Jon as well, silently pressuring him with their eyes.

It seemed they wanted him not to be so ungrateful.

Jon forced himself to calm down and quickly analyzed Old Walder's character.

First, it was possible that he was using Jon to pressure Robb and express his dissatisfaction.

Second, there was his personality of never giving up until he got what he wanted. Otherwise, he would not have dared to launch the Red Wedding despite universal condemnation.

Jon cleared his throat and spoke.

"Honorable Marquis, a marriage between your legitimate son and Lord Eddard's eldest son would be a sacred and noble matter.

"If you added a bastard like me, it would be like adding a cowbell to the end of a musical piece—an eyesore.

"I believe the sword in my hand is more useful than the one beneath me. How about this: if the Twins ever need me someday, I will surely serve you."