Lady of Winterfell

Chapter Forty-Three: Arriving at the Twins

Frey servants handed around plates of bread and salt to the gathering that had arrived in their master's halls; preparations were being finalised for the wedding that would take place the next day. 

Sanira stood beside Robb as he took small bread and dipped it into the salt, they both weren't forgetting what Sanira had seen in her dream; they were a little wary about what was actually going on here. 

"My honoured guests, be welcome in my walls and at my table," Walder Frey begun from his seat before them, his cold eyes looking over the gathering of lords but his face didn't betray any emotion that he might be feeling in that moment. 

He had been waiting for this day and he knew that things would change once Roslin was married to Edmure Tully; nothing would ever be the same again after that moment. 

"I extend to you my hospitality and protection in the light of the Seven," Walder Frey continued in his speech, he took a piece of bread and dipped it into the salt once all his guests had been served; he popped it into his mouth while he looked around the room. 

It would certainly be a wedding to remember and Roslin was away preparing herself for tomorrow; everything had to be perfect and Walder doubted that anyone would ever forget this day. 

"We thank you for your hospitality, my Lord Frey," Robb replied knowing that it was going to be a busy couple of days while they were here for the wedding. 

It was going to be nice sleeping in a bed for the first time in a while, Robb had missed sleeping in his own even if the bed in his tent was a lot more comfortable than he had expected. 

"I have come to make my apologises, my Lord... and to beg for your forgiveness," Robb replied stepping forward, he knew that he had nothing to apologise for but he was doing this to stroke Walder Frey's ego in a hopes to appease him a little more.

Sanira held her tongue, she understood why he was doing this and she wished that he didn't have to; Robb had done nothing wrong by not taking a Frey wife when he had been falsely told that she was dead. 

He would have been condemned for taking two wives and Sanira knew that there was a high chance that he would have been forced to discard her if that had happened. 

"Don't beg for my forgiveness, Your Grace... it wasn't me you spurned it was my girls," Walder Frey corrected resting a hand on the back of his new wife, she couldn't hide the shiver at his touch and anyone could see how uncomfortable she was at being by his side.

Once Walder Frey had finished talking, several Freys women appeared and stood before him; he watched Robb for his reaction to the women that he had selected for him to meet. 

Edmure looked though the group fearing which one might have been selected for him to marry; he listened closely while Walder Frey introduced each of the women to Robb. 

"My ladies... I am sorry that I was unable to meet you before now and see what lovely women who were, I have honoured my marriage to Queen Sanira and in doing so I have dishonoured you," Robb said, he was quite pleased with his apology and he knew that it was the sincerest one that he could offer considering why he was apologising. 

The only reason that Robb was putting up with this was because he needed Walder Frey and his men; he was almost relieved that he had never even considered marrying one of the Frey girls. 

Walder Frey pursed his lips as he looked over at Sanira, he barely listened while Robb continued to apologise knowing that his girls were worth ten of her.

Robb slowly took a step back once he was finished, he was hopeful that would be enough to satisfy the man; he stood beside Sanira knowing that he had kept his part in all of this and the wedding would take place tomorrow. 

"Lord Edmure... Lady Roslin is joyously preparing for your wedding, she is looking forward to the moment that she can call herself your wife," Walder Frey explained knowing that there would be questions about where the bride was hiding away, he wanted to keep her out of sight until the wedding since he knew that everyone assumed that Freys were ugly. 

Edmure frowned at those words, he had hoped that he would get to see the woman that he was going to be married to; he was sure that she would be as ugly as the women stood before them right now. 

It worried him just what he might have been marrying and Edmure worried what his father might have thought about all of this; he had spent years avoiding this sort of thing and now he was to marry a Frey at his nephew's insistence. 

Walder Frey cleared his throat, his attention moving from his future son-in-law to the woman that was his Queen; a fact that he doubted he would ever get his head around. 

"My Queen... may I introduce you to Lady Walda Bolton, the new wife of Lord Roose Bolton and my granddaughter Lady Kari Frey," Walder Frey mused signalling for the two to come forward, they were part of the older agreement that had been set between the two houses. 

Walda and Kari moved forward and curtsied to their new mistress, both of them feeling a little nervous about being in front of royalty; it had been a surprise when they had heard that they would still service the Queen in the North. 

"It's is a pleasure to meet you both," Sanira greeted smiling at the two of them, she was a little surprised to see who Roose Bolton had married; she had heard that Walder Frey had offered the man the weight of the new bride as an incentive.

Kari Frey was a surprise just as much as the new Lady Bolton was, she didn't look anything like the women that had been presented to them a moment ago; she was a vast improvement than the other Freys. 

Kari's blonde hair was pulled carefully out of her blue eyes in a pretty braid, she couldn't help but stare at the woman that she would now have to serve; it scared her especially with the whispers that she had heard. 

"We have much to discuss Your Grace, and I am sure the Queen would like to rest after her long journey," Walder Frey announced sure that the King would wish to share his plans with him for his army; it had been hard to work out what Robb had wished to renew their alliance for. 

Robb nodded his head, he was tired from the journey himself but there was much for him to do and he was sure that Sanira would want to rest; the trip had been tough on her since Karlon had been born. 

"Lady Bolton... Kari... show the Queen to her rooms," Walder Frey ordered wanting to get down to business, there was much to be sorted out and with the wedding tomorrow it needed to be done now. 

Walda and Kari lead Sanira from the hall, they were surprised with the respect that the Northern lords gave to their Queen. 

They had only heard their father and brothers talk about her with distaste and they had been sure that the Queen would be ugly; they had even heard whispers that she was some sort of witch. 

Sanira couldn't help but feel nervous about being alone with the two Frey women, she was aware that Walder Frey did not like her and she could only imagine how the rest of them felt. 

Her dream had left her concerned about how this would play out and Sanira just hoped that things weren't going to happen like she had seen in her dream. 

The last thing she wanted to think about was leaving her son without a mother or a father at a young age.