The Wolf Princess

Chapter 18

The Twins.

A castle which Lilia had seen once at the distance as she crossed the bridge when going to King's Landing with King Robert and his party. She had never stayed there but there was, after all, a first time for everything.

She had heard that Lord Frey was a man who appreciated beauty and for that reason, she had done her hair differently, away from her face so that it would show her best features. Should anything go wrong, at least he would hesitate before ruining a beauty, would he not?

She sounded like Cersei and she was aware of that, but she had learnt the hard way that she had been given her weapons and that the only way she could protect herself and those she loved was by using them wisely.

The banners of House Stark flew proudly in the air and as she got there, she looked at her brother who looked pleased enough to be arriving. She put her hand in his arm, catching his attention.

"Make sure that as soon as we get in, you eat and drink. That way he won't dare to hurt us" Robb nodded upon his sister's apprehensive request. He was no fool, surely he knew Walder Frey could not be trusted but at the same time, she was aware that she sounded like a paranoid, mad woman.

As they stepped inside the yard, Lilia climbed down her horse with the aid of a stable boy. It was not that she needed his help but truth be told, it was best to conceal her nature. Then, the castle's steward guided them to the main hall, where Old Walder Frey and his family would be waiting for them.

She followed her mother, given that protocol dictated that the King and the Queen should walk in the front, followed by the Queen Mother and only then the other relatives. Once they got inside the room, Lilia noticed how much smaller it was than Winterfell's or Riverrun's. Then again, House Frey was a recent House, and their castle was small.

Walder Frey sat in front of them and his servants offered them bread and rice. Lilia stood now next to her brother, proudly, as both of them proceeded to eat a slice of bread.

"My honoured guests, be welcomed within my wools and at my table. I send to you my hospitality and protection in the light of the Seven"

For a moment, Lilia had forgotten that House Frey did not follow the Old Gods. It was custom for her to say that she vowed it for the Old Gods and the New to see.

"I have come to make my apologies, My Lord," Robb started as he stepped forward. " I beg your forgiveness"

"Don't beg my forgiveness," he replied, looking at all of his daughters whom Lilia had noticed were sorrowful, bland, little things. She couldn't blame them for it. Being repudiated by someone after he had given them the hopes of becoming Queen was not easy, especially when they weren't particularly beautiful either. Walder Frey opened his arms and his girls climbed down the stairs where they stood, approaching all of us and stopping in a row, on the sides on the corners of the halls. "It wasn't me you spurned, it was my girls. One of them was supposed to be Queen, now none of them are"

Lilia noticed a young, little girl standing closer to her and smiled at her gently. By looking at her, Lilia figured she hadn't flowered yet and therefore, she wasn't suitable to become Queen.

As Walder Frey started to introduce all of the girls, Lilia couldn't help but cringe when the offence she knew he had taken was shown through minor comments during their introductions. Worse than everything though was the fact that Frey didn't even know the name of one of them and kept getting it wrong, which would have made her laugh if she was in a place to.

The youngest of them all, the one who really hadn't flowered, was the prettiest out of all of them, though some of the others could not be considered incredibly ugly. In fact, as far as Lilia was concerned, some of them were beautiful.