The Wolf Princess

Chapter 16

"Let us not forget that Emmon Frey is married to Tywin Lannister's sister"

Currently, the King in the North and his council were holding an informal meeting to discuss the rain that would delay their journey to the Twins a day more.

They had been riding for a day when the rain started to pour so hard that the ground became slippery and the horses were not able to keep going. Edmure was annoyed and Lilia didn't blame him, especially since he was to marry a stranger of whom he had heard nothing whatsoever and only to make up for Robb's mistakes.

Lilia had just pointed out the crucial information that her uncle was quite glad for. "I'm not saying he won't side with us, I'm saying that if the Lannisters give them something they crave more than this... they have leverage and Tywin and Tyrion Lannister will use it, make no mistake" she warned them.

"And Tywin Lannister would risk his own sister's life? And do you think Frey wouldn't sacrifice his own son? He has dozens of them and Emmon Frey is a fool!" her uncle reasoned, scratching his ginger beard. Her mother's eyes met hers and in them, Lilia could only see worry. Certainly, she too could see the dangerous position they were in. It was enough to make one wonder whether they were walking into a trap or not. Her mother was eager to believe that the man she had known ever since she was a girl would not harm them but could she know for sure?

"I know that if a member of their House is dishonoured and House Lannister does nothing, then they are no longer a House to be respected and everybody can mock them all they want. Tywin Lannister would never allow his sister to fall in disgrace, so we might want to count every possibility because nothing tells us that once we walk inside their home, they won't stab us in the back as we pass them by" Lilia told them.

The room went silent as all of them thought about the words that had come out of the girl's mouth. All seemed to have taken her words seriously enough and even thought that her theory made sense.

Frey was a cunning man, the oldest he got, the worst he grew. She did not trust him and she hoped her brother would not either because as much as she understood little to nothing about warfare, she had learnt enough from life in general that in a war, one must watch out every front as men betraying their leader was not something unheard of. There had been times in which Kings were betrayed by those who had sided with them. Tywin Lannister himself had done it to the Mad King before his own son stabbed the old fool in the back. It would not surprise her if the Lannisters had convinced the Freys to make a similar approach.

"Thank you, sister. You made your point, we shall take care"

A part of her was surprised and felt appreciated for the first time ever since they had reunited. It had been the first time he had listened to a word she had said. He would hear all the others but never truly listen. The fact that he had valued her advice was striking not only for her but for all of those present, including their mother, who felt relieved that her children were finally back in good terms with each other.

"Well, it's getting late, perhaps we should go to sleep. We have a long road ahead," the Dowager Lady of Winterfell suggested, standing from her chair and dismissing herself.

"Indeed" Lilia agreed, leaving the tent.

She headed towards her tent, changing into her nightgown and putting a cloak on top of it to warm her up. Then, someone walked inside the tent, making her cover herself straight away. She relaxed as soon as she found her mother there.

She was still in her clothes at that point. Lilia quickly got her a cloth so that her mother could dry herself a little.

"Thank you," the woman said in gratitude and using it to dry her hair. Lilia sat in her makeshift bed as her mother took a seat on a chair which was inside Lilia's tent. It was the second-largest tent, only losing in size to the King's. Robb had insisted that his sister should be the most comfortable possible, and despite thinking that perhaps he was doing more than he should for her, Lilia didn't refuse his offer. "I noticed your uneasiness back there, is there something wrong?"