After Robb left, Catelyn remained uneasy. She sought out her uncle, Blackfish Brynden, to discuss how to prepare for the potential Red Wedding.
Blackfish had already seen the mysterious letter and was equally shocked. He found it hard to believe that Walder would use his nephew Edmure's wedding to murder nobles from both regions, but if he did, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Blackfish was aware of Catelyn's attempts to persuade Robb. His view was that even if they attended the wedding, they should remain vigilant. Better to face Walder's scrutiny afterward if nothing happened than to be slaughtered outright.
Fearing Robb might not follow her advice, Catelyn asked Blackfish to keep an eye on him, but without letting Roose know.
Though Robb didn't believe Walder would harm them, he knew necessary precautions were still required. He consulted with his trusted generals on how to counter a potential assassination attempt.
The Twins, a city spanning both banks of the Green Fork and connected by two castles and a bridge, served as the sole strategic passage from the North to the South. House Frey had grown wealthy by charging bridge tolls, though this practice earned them the disdain of other nobles and kept them excluded from the higher echelons of power. Still, they reveled in their prosperity.
Though Walder Frey was only a Marquis, his clan was vast and prolific. He himself had seven wives, each more fertile than the last, and the rest of his family was no less prolific. For this reason, House Frey was known among the nobility as the "army-birthing family."
As the day of Edmure's wedding approached and they neared The Twins, Catelyn's heart grew uneasy. She glanced at Robb beside her, signaling him to be cautious.
Derwin, Walder's son and the commander of The Twins' garrison, eyed Robb's entourage of a thousand soldiers warily. "Bringing so many soldiers to a wedding? Is this the North's sincerity?"
Robb felt awkward under Derwin's scrutiny, but he had been forced to accept this arrangement by his mother's threat of self-harm. He had prepared an excuse: "Tywin's armies are roaming the lands. I feared he might use the wedding as an opportunity to attack."
"Hmph! The Young Wolf is quite thorough in his concerns," Derwin sneered, allowing Robb and the other nobles to enter. The thousand soldiers, of course, were left to wait outside until the ceremony concluded.
Robb forced a wry smile to mask his embarrassment and entered The Twins, surrounded by his guards—far more than usual.
Seeing Robb's unusually large escort, Derwin couldn't help but curse under his breath.
As they entered the wedding hall, candelabra and exquisite dishes already adorned the tables, while musicians played beautiful music. Walder sat at the head of the table, welcoming Robb and his retinue.
Seeing the number of guards and nobles Robb had brought with him, Walder's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
Upon entering the hall, Catelyn's eyes scanned the layout and the Frey family members, finding nothing amiss.
Once the guests were seated, Robb stood first to apologize for breaking his betrothal. Walder then called Talisa forward, instructing her to step closer so he could get a good look at the woman who had replaced his daughter as Robb's bride.
"Truly beautiful," Walder said, his eyes narrowing as he appraised Talisa. "And a fine figure too. It's a shame the dress hides everything, but I'm sure the curves beneath are exquisite. No wonder such a lovely body would make King Robb abandon his vows."
Walder's gaze made Talisa squirm. She glanced nervously at Robb, who signaled her to endure it for now.
Ignoring Talisa, Walder continued, "I imagine our Duke Edmure is growing impatient. You'll meet your bride shortly."
With that, he rose from his seat and walked toward the main entrance of the hall. Leading his daughter to Edmure's place at the table, he presented her to the duke.
Having seen the other daughters of Walder in the hall, Edmure's confidence in his bride's appearance plummeted, and he stood there with a miserable expression.
Leading his daughter to the head table, Walder glanced at Edmure and lifted her veil, revealing a beauty with large, striking eyes. Edmure, who had been keeping his gaze lowered, slowly raised his head only after Walder removed the veil.
When Edmure saw the face of his new wife, his eyes widened instantly. He had never imagined Walder had such a beautiful daughter. Had he known this earlier, he wouldn't have so strongly opposed the marriage, but would have readily agreed to Robb's proposal.
With the wedding vows complete, the feast began in earnest. Robb's party and House Frey sat opposite each other, clinking cups and exchanging toasts in a lively atmosphere. No anomalies were apparent.
"I'm going out for a piss before I have another drink!" Catelyn's uncle, the Blackfish, gulped down a few more mouthfuls of wine and left his seat, heading for the exit.
As he passed Roose, he stumbled on a stool and nearly fell toward him. Roose caught him with a quick hand. The Blackfish nodded at him, cast an intentional glance at Catelyn, and continued outside.
After the Blackfish had left the hall, Catelyn raised her goblet and took a long swig of red wine, suppressing the shock in her heart.
Outside the hall, the feast was already underway. The Blackfish observed the surroundings, walked a short distance, and slipped into a nearby hayrick. After glancing around to ensure he was unobserved, he used his flint to ignite the dry hay and immediately retreated.
"Uncle!"
The Blackfish had barely emerged from the hayrick when a low shout reached his ears. He paused to listen, but heard nothing more and assumed he had misheard. He hurried toward the wedding hall.
Arya, who had been hiding behind a cart, was about to call out to the Blackfish again when a group of House Frey soldiers approached in the distance. Unsure if the distant fire was related to her uncle, she quickly fell silent.
Arya had witnessed the entire execution of her father, Eddard. Just as she was about to impulsively berate Joffrey, she was forcibly dragged away by the Night's Watch, saving her life.
Through various twists of fate, she learned that her uncle Edmure was marrying here, and that her mother and brother had also arrived. She wanted to find them.
As the Blackfish reached the hall entrance, he heard shouts of "Fire!" from outside. The hall erupted in chaos, the noise drowning out the outside alarm.
He grabbed a wine glass and a bottle from a nearby table and staggered upstairs. Shortly after he ascended, a burly noble who had been drinking casually rose from his seat, glanced around to ensure no one was watching, and followed him upstairs.
Blackfish Brynden moved upstairs and gently pushed on the doors of several rooms, all of which were closed.
He suddenly kicked open a door and burst inside. A startled cry came from the narrow, dark room. Blackfish drew his dagger and lunged toward the sound. He plunged the blade into flesh, withdrew it, and stabbed twice more before turning to lunge at another shadow beside him.
Hearing their companion's screams, the others in the room finally reacted, but it was too late. The sharp dagger had already slit one man's throat.
The remaining man, seeing his two companions slaughtered, scrambled toward the door, but Blackfish's dagger pierced his back as he reached the threshold.
As Blackfish emerged, he saw the burly noble he'd seen earlier slip into another room. Just as he was about to follow, the main hall door burst open, and a House Frey soldier rushed in shouting that the building was on fire.
Blackfish hurried to the band and hurled the bass drum into the center of the hall.
The sudden disruption brought the hall to a momentary hush, but the silence lasted less than a second. The Northmen nobles and their guards drew the daggers they'd concealed and lunged at the House Frey guests at their tables.
After a few were impaled, the Freys, a beat behind, drew their own weapons and retaliated.
-----------------------
Completed English PDF of this fan-fic on my Patreon shop if you want to support and own the full fan-fic in one go. Just grab the PDF and binge the entire story from start to finish!
Guys, I've uploaded some High Quality english translated fanfic on my Patreon shop! Feel free to check it out-if you're interested, you can grab a copy and support me there.
Here are a few titles of recently uploaded fanfics:
New Addition:
" Game of Thrones: The Battle Royale Game "
" Game of Thrones: Dance of the Blood Dragons — Prince Daemon (18+) "
" Three Kingdoms: I, Liu Bei, Am Also an Unrivaled Warrior "
" Game of Thrones: Xiang Yu Conquers the Seven Kingdoms "
" Game of Thrones: Xiang Yu Conquers the Seven Kingdoms "
" Game of Thrones: The Holy Flame Empress "
" Game of Thrones: Executed at the Start, I Awakened the Kill System "
" Game of Thrones: The Holy Flame King "
Your support means a lot-thanks in advance, legends!
many more are available 20+.
patreon.com/EminentWriter
(End of Chapter)