Only A Northern Song ~ Game of Thrones / Willas Tyrell ~

Chapter Forty Six: The Twins

The great hall of the Twins was cold. Not just physically, as Eddmina was more than used to that. She was a northerner, feeling cold was like being with a friend, but the air within the keep bit at her as though it was hungry for warmth, and the atmosphere was more uncomfortable than being buried in a mound of snow. She tried to pull her cloak closer to herself without drawing any attention, but that was impossible. They were surrounded by so many of Lord Frey's children that there was no chance that any of them hadn't noted her discomfort.

They had reached the Twins that morning, and their party desperately needed to cross, except they all knew about Lord Frey's reputation. Lady Stark had often passed down the stories from her father of the Lord's take on loyalty to her children, and they knew his support could easily flit to the Lannisters, regardless of him being a sworn bannerman to the Tully's. The Norrhhern party had stopped on a hill overlooking the two keeps when a Frey riding party arrived at camp, offering Robb safe passage to the Twins so that he could negotiate an alliance with Lord Frey. Of course, none of his bannermen thought it a sensible decision.

Lady Catelyn had suggested that she be the one to go and negotiate for Robb's army to pass through the Twins, and Eddmina volunteered herself to accompany her. She was the daughter of Lord Frey's liege lord, she had known Lord Walder since being a child, there was no one more equipted to negotiate their cause than Lady Stark, and so there was no one better to learn skills of diplomacy from than her. The two rode to the keep with a guard of Lord Frey's sons, and though it was a little unnerving leaving everyone else behind and heading into the unknown, Eddmina kept her face stoic, and her head held high. It would have been easy to turn around and ride back to camp, back to Willas and the sanctuary of their tent where she could stick to her books and maps, but she didn't want to do things that were easy. She wanted to fight, and since she couldn't do that on the battlefield with a sword, she would have to do everything else in her power to help the cause.

'I am the daughter of Ned Stark, I am the descendant of the Kings in the North,' she thought to herself repeatedly, as they rode to the keep, as she got off her horse and handed Flint's reins to a stableboy, as she walked alongside her mother into the great hall. 'I'm the granddaughter of their liege lord, I have nothing to fear here, these men will do nothing to harm me.'

Still, even if she knew they wouldn't hurt her, they stared anyway. Eddmina was certain she'd never had so many people staring at her at one time, at least since her wedding. The worst to stare was Lord Frey himself, a shrivelled little man who sat hunched in his seat at the head of the great hall, a plain young woman stood meekly at his side. Eddmina felt her stomach twist in repulsion when she realised it was not one of his daughters as she initially thought, but his wife; she was younger than Eddmina. The children of Lord Frey lined the hall, the two Starks surrounded by men who carried the weaselly resemblance of their father. Lord Frey was easily one of the oldest men that Eddmina had ever met, since it was a rare thing for anyone to reach the age of ninety, but she expected his mind to have not withered along with his appearance, and so braced herself.

"It is a great pleasure to see you again, my lord, after so many years," Lady Stark addressed politely, nodding her head. Eddmina copied her. "This is my daughter, Eddmina."

"A pleasure to meet you, my lord," she curtsied, despite having no need to.

"Is it?" he stated bluntly, squinting at them as though trying to work out there intentions. "I doubt it. Save me your words, both of you, I'm too old. What are you doing here? Is your boy too proud to come before me himself, so he's sent a pair of girls to do his grovelling?"

Eddmina ensured she remained emotionless, straightening her posture to show she wasn't insulted. It was harder when his eldest son Stevron reminded him that the pair of them were there at his invitation, and when his younger son Ryger suggested he remember his own courtesies. Stevron was insulted for presuming to give his father instructions, and Ryger degraded for mentioning manners when he's a bastard. Eddmina felt her insides squirm but maintained her composure. Lord Frey clearly thought highly of himself, though so did most men of nobility, even if their personality was not worthy of their title. Eddmina was sure there were so many men out in the world like Walder Frey, and in her position she knew she woud have to meet many, so she kept her expression still and counted each time she took a breath, making sure she stayed composed.