Upper reaches of the Green Fork, outside the Twins.
Robb had already led his team to this location, where he was discussing how to support Riverrun with his mother, Catelyn, and numerous generals.
There were now two choices.
One, pass through the Twins and head west directly to Riverrun; this method was fast and convenient but required the permission of House Frey.
Two, cross the river along the Kings Road to enter the Riverlands, then fight westward to Riverrun; this method was steady and safe, as Roman had already brought the Riverlands and northern The Crownlands under control, making travel there very secure, though it would take longer.
However, the messenger Robb sent to the Twins had already returned with a reply: Old Frey did not intend to let the Northern army pass through his Twins.
Old Frey said, "Yes, I did indeed swear fealty to Duke Hoster, but I also swore fealty to the King. Now that my liege lord and the King are at war, how do you expect me to choose?"
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Catelyn listened to the messenger's report and gave a cold snort. "Old Frey is bargaining with us. He knows we can't afford to delay, which is why he dares to hike up the price."
Robb was anxious. "Uncle Edmure has been captured, and Riverrun is surrounded. We need to provide support quickly!"
Catelyn said, "Be at ease, Robb. Your grandfather has already replied. Riverrun is as solid as a rock in his hands. Ser Roman is pinning down and striking the Lannister logistics in the Riverlands. Tywin is also a sensible man; he won't make things difficult for Edmure."
But at that moment, Jon Umber raised a question. "It's said that Edmure is currently being guarded by Jaime Lannister. That kingslayer dared to break his oath and kill his own king; how can we be sure he won't kill Edmure?"
Greatjon's words heated up the atmosphere again. The Northern vassals discussed animatedly, with most agreeing with Greatjon's sentiment.
To the people of the North, if a man has forsaken an oath once, he is highly likely to do so again. They did not dare believe that the "kingslayer" Jaime would abide by the rules of the nobility.
"Exactly! My Lord, we cannot place our hopes on the enemy's mercy. Such weak behavior will only make the Lannisters think we can be pushed around at will!"
Listening to the vassals' speeches, Robb also gradually confirmed his own thoughts. He did not want the Lannisters to feel he would be constrained by such a threat.
Finally, he asked Catelyn, "Mother, can we have Harrenhal send troops to attack the Lannister army besieging Riverrun?"
Catelyn shook her head. "Ser Roman has a total of eight thousand soldiers. He must both guard against harassment from King's Landing and hold off the offensive of Tywin's ten thousand-plus men to the west. Asking him to send troops to Riverrun would be equivalent to asking Harrenhal to abandon its own territory. Lady Helaena and Ser Roman would never agree to that."
"Furthermore," Catelyn continued to supplement, "we of the North already owe Ser Roman too many favors. If we have to ask for his help again this time, all of Westeros will be laughing at us."
After hearing this, the Young Wolf Robb knew that a trip to the Twins was necessary. This time, he intended to go and negotiate in person.
On the walls of the Twins, Old Frey nervously watched the aggressive Northern army. The situation in the Riverlands had already tilted toward Harrenhal; the Lannisters had gained nothing except for capturing Edmure.
Roman had already proven with his battle record that even if all the other nobles of the Riverlands were wiped out, the Hean Family could still take on the entire Westerlands alone.
The Young Wolf knew this as well, which was why he dared to negotiate terms with House Frey. These Northern troops were his statement of intent.
"Lord Robb, what is it you wish to discuss with me by coming here?"
"Marquis Frey, let's not waste time with pleasantries. Tell me straight: what do you want in exchange for letting us cross the river?"
Old Frey hadn't expected Robb to be so blunt, but from his tone, Old Frey felt he could profit from this.
"Lord Robb, you know that we Freys owe loyalty to both Duke Hoster and the iron throne. This situation makes things very difficult for us."
"House Frey needs a guarantee so that we can be assured of not being liquidated by the iron throne in the future."
Robb suppressed his anger as he listened to Old Frey's nonsense. He tapped his finger on the table and spoke in an unfriendly tone:
"Marquis Frey, you swore fealty to Duke Hoster, and now your own territory is being pillaged by Tywin's army, yet you actually have the leisure to haggle?"
"If you still have the strength, why don't you climb the walls yourself and look at my army—look at my force of a full twenty thousand men? Then you will know what will happen."
Old Frey also got angry upon hearing this. He couldn't help but sneer, "Twenty thousand? Without my permission, not a single one of you can cross the river. By the time Tywin arrives, they'll all turn into twenty thousand corpses!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the Northerners all gripped their sword hilts. They were only waiting for Robb's command to fight the Freys to the death.
But Catelyn stopped them. The mother of the Young Wolf looked calmly at Old Frey and asked:
"We mere mortals naturally cannot force our way through the Twins, but what about Ser Roman?"
The Freys' expressions changed drastically upon hearing this. Catelyn, unconcerned by their reaction, continued:
"I can apply to my father to strip you of your lands on grounds of disloyalty after the war and transfer them to the Hean Family. Harrenhal's magic dragon could rescue my husband from the dungeons of The Red Keep; it can also snatch you away from within the Twins."
"After all, you were late during Robert's Rebellion, and now you want to repeat that act of helping whoever wins. My father would gladly consider this proposal."
Not just Old Frey, but everyone in House Frey was startled by these words.
Everyone knew that Roman cared deeply about his reputation and the happiness of his subjects, a trait for which he was often mocked by the nobles of Westeros.
But no one dared to underestimate the combat power of Harrenhal and Roman. Countless people had already seen Roman soaring in the sky; it was only because Roman hadn't struck them in the face that everyone pretended his dragon didn't exist.
Therefore, Hoster also ignored Roman's expansionist behavior; the two maintained a tacit silence.
Roman paid taxes as usual, and Hoster continued to be the Lord Paramount of the Riverlands.
But if House Tully were willing to give Roman a legitimate opportunity for expansion, Old Frey believed that the gluttonous giant dragon of Harrenhal would definitely rush forward to bite without hesitation.
Fine beads of sweat now covered Old Frey's forehead. He knew he could no longer negotiate.
Ultimately, Old Frey gave up his struggle, and Catelyn also gave him a certain amount of respect.
House Stark allowed Old Frey's heirs to join the war, several of his grandsons would go north to Winterfell as wards, and Robb was to knight House Frey's numerous sons after the war.
As for a marriage alliance? Don't even think about it. Old Frey had once let that thought flash through his mind, but he was even more afraid of Roman flying into his bedroom at night to breathe fire.
The Northern forces eventually crossed the river smoothly. Robb left a group of men behind to build ferries and monitor House Frey to prevent them from launching a sneak attack or sending word to Tywin.
The Stark vassals were all gleefully discussing Old Frey's expression, which looked as if he had swallowed a fly, but Robb approached Catelyn with a solemn face.
"Mother, the gap between me and Ser Roman is growing wider and wider! No matter how hard I try, he always manages to do better than me!"
Robb was somewhat dejected. Even if Roman of Harrenhal was far away, simply bringing him up was enough to intimidate a crowd of petty people.
House Stark had already received an unknown amount of help from Roman, which was a heavy blow to the young and vigorous Robb.
Catelyn hugged her son. "It's all right, child. Ser Roman has achieved his great successes due to his physical advantages. For you to have reached this point as a mere mortal, it is not impossible to surpass Ser Roman in the future!"
Robb, however, had great doubts about his mother's words.
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