Lady of Winterfell

Chapter Forty: Frey Negotiations

Staring across the table at Lame Lothar Frey and Black Walder Rivers, Sanira couldn't help but feel a little uneasy about being in the same room as the two men; there was something about the two of them that unsettled her. 

However, Sanira did her best to ignore the feeling that she had about the two men since they were here with Lord Walder's demands for a new alliance between the Freys and the Starks. 

"Thank you for riding here so quickly, I know travel isn't easy in these times," Robb said getting the meeting underway, he leant forward knowing that this wasn't going to be easy and that the Freys would make some difficult requests. 

Sanira sat on his left while Edmure sat on his right, Robb knew that this wasn't going to be an easy meeting; he still didn't know what had made the Frey army leave like they had. 

"The roads are crawling with cut-throats and bandits, when the King in the North summons us we come," Lame Lothar said staring across the table at Robb, they were far from happy that their father had sent them to deal with this. 

Edmure scoffed under his breath, they were renowned for turning up late for everything and he was sure that they would drag this out in any way that they could. 

"Our father has instructed us to tell you that our alliance with the North can continue if his terms are met," Black Walder stated eyeing Sanira, he wasn't impressed by what he saw and he still didn't understand why the King would wish to stay married to a woman like that. 

One of his sisters would have given him a son by now and would have been pregnant with their second child; instead Robb was stuck with a woman that had given him a stillborn and no sign of an heir. 

"Lord Frey requires a formal apology for your disregard of his wishes for you to marry one of his daughters," Black Walder continued firmly, he had not been surprised when his father had insisted upon such a thing.

Sanira furrowed her brow wondering what he was talking about, she guessed that it referred to the time that Robb had thought that she was dead. 

"Of course," Robb replied gritting his teeth, they needed this alliance and if they wanted it to happen then they would have to agree to whatever terms the Freys offered to them if they wanted to take Casterly Rock. 

Robb wondered what Lord Walder expected him to do when his wife was very much alive, he loved Sanira and he wasn't going to murder her to secure some alliance with the Freys. 

"As repayment for this wrong... Lord Frey demands Harrenhall and all of its lands and incomes," Lame Lothar stated not showing much emotion, the lands would greatly benefit the Freys and would make them a force to be reckoned with. 

Edmure frowned at the idea, there was no way that they could allow such a thing; it would make them a problem to deal with in the future. 

"I don't think that..." Edmure said with a shake of his head, there was no way that they could allow this and the Freys had more than enough land from the Twins; it wasn't their fault Walder Frey had so many children and grandchildren. 

Robb shot his uncle a look knowing that they needed the Freys help if they were going to move against the Lannisters and take away their home. 

"We are fighting for the North... Harrenhall is not in the North, it is his once the war is over and we have no further need of it," Robb agreed looking back towards the two Freys, he was sure that they wouldn't miss the hold once the war was over and he would be back in Winterfell anyway.

The two Freys seemed pleased with that and Robb hoped that they wouldn't be too many more wishes like that, he was only going to agree to so much to get back the Frey support that he had lost. 

"He has also graciously agreed to honour his last agreement with you... two of his daughters will serve the Queen as a sign of good-will," Lame Lothar stated nearly spitting the word, he was sure that it would be a fine position for his sisters and he had already heard which two would be sent to serve. 

Fat Walda and Kari Frey had been selected since they were around Sanira's age and with Fat Walda to marry Lord Bolton it would be a fine position for her to hold during the war. 

Robb frowned at how Lame Lothar said Queen, he had a feeling that it was still a sore spot that Sanira was alive and that a Frey would not sit on the throne; he was almost glad the Freys didn't know that Karlon was alive. 

"There is one more thing..." Black Walder stated as the negotiations slowly started to come to an end, there was one thing that their father wanted above all else. 

It was something that Lord Walder had been trying to obtain for years now and finally he could have what he wanted; of course it would be nothing like having a Frey become Queen. 

"We will do whatever we can to give Lord Frey what he needs," Robb insisted dreading to think what they wanted now, he was sure that Lord Frey would wish for him to honour having Arya marry one of his sons and other such things that had been agreed upon before. 

Sanira shifted in her seat, she had held her tongue so far since she did not wish to offend their guests and she had a feeling that they would not welcome her input. 

"Not what... whom," Lame Lothar stated turning to stare at Edmure, their father had been trying to marry into the Tully family for years but Hoster Tully had refused. 

Edmure stared at the two Freys and started to shake his head, there was no way that he would marry a Frey; none of the women were beautiful and all seemed to be rather plain or ugly.

"Our father requires Lord Edmure to wed one of his daughters," Lame Lothar mused knowing that it was a step up, their sister would be Lady of Riverrun and in a position to help the rest of them. 

Edmure looked far from pleased about the idea, he would rather stay single than marry some Frey that probably didn't even have all of her teeth anymore or looked like one of his hunting dogs. 

"Roslin," Black Walder said, the woman had already been picked out and she was waiting back at the Twins for her new husband; they all knew that the Starks needed them too much to refuse. 

Robb looked towards Edmure trying to gorge how his uncle was taking this news, he couldn't risk refusing when it would mean that the Freys would stand against them. 

"How old is she?" Edmure asked fearing that the Freys might try to marry him to some child, he wasn't going to agree to this when he had seen most of the Frey women. 

It was likely to end in disaster and Edmure had only recently become Lord of Riverrun; he wanted to enjoy that a bit before anything else. 

"Nineteen," Lame Lothar replied watching the three across from him, he was sure that this would work out and Robb was going to get what he wanted. 

Sanira was surprised that Lord Walder hadn't married Roslin off sooner, her own engagement to Robb had been planned out years before the two married and had Karlon. 

"We depart for the Twins in the morning, we need an answer before we leave and the wedding will take place in a fortnight here after or the alliance is permanently at an end," Lame Lothar stated knowing that they weren't going to wait around, they would leave with the agreement from Robb and in two weeks their sister would become Lady of Riverrun.