The Twins, situated on the Green Fork, resembled a giant button.
The Frey Family, leveraging the convenience of the waterway, quickly became a well-known, wealthy, and powerful lord.
Old Walder, to display his status, called himself a 'Marquis'.
But no one cared; a parvenu was a parvenu, and even feigning elegance would only invite ridicule.
Inside the main castle of The Twins, a hunched old man sat on the high main seat.
From his position, he could see everything below.
Unlike other families, the Frey Family was excessively prolific.
Old Walder had married eight wives in total, and the number of his children alone exceeded twenty.
Not long ago, at the ripe old age of nearly ninety, he married another wife, who was reportedly pregnant.
As for whether someone else was responsible, it was unknown.
Or perhaps some people truly are exceptionally gifted.
With this example set by Marquis Walder, the number of his grandchildren was even more countless.
In the Frey Family's army, if you called out 'Walder', five out of ten people would turn their heads.
Old Walder looked at his sons and grandsons below and asked:
"Where is Robb Stark's army?"
At this moment, an equally aged noble stood up and replied:
"Father, they are less than thirty leagues from The Twins and will arrive soon."
The speaker was his son, named Stevron.
Although he was Old Walder's son, if they stood together, people would think they were brothers.
There was no helping it; one was seventy and the other ninety, and in this era where the average lifespan was thirty, there was truly not much difference.
However, if one looked closely, the difference could still be seen; in front of Old Walder, his somewhat sparse eyebrows were always lowered, like the tail of a submissive house dog.
At this moment, a somewhat shrewd noble suddenly spoke:
"Grandfather, I heard that Robb Stark's bastard brother has returned from the Wall, and he's especially good at fighting."
Old Walder was capable; he managed such a large family, yet he could make everyone vie to curry favor with him.
If there was work, they did it; if not, they shared some fresh news to amuse the old man.
Clearly, Jon was that fresh news.
However, Old Walder disdainfully took a sip of wine and said, "Good at fighting? How good? As good as Arthur Dayne?
Rhaegar was also very good at fighting back then, and what was the result? These people are all just hyped up."
In Old Walder's opinion, Jon's fighting ability was likely exaggerated.
Moreover, he didn't care about being good at fighting or not; according to his own life experience, being good at fighting was not as good as being able to survive and procreate.
Take him for example: not only the Riverlands, but also the Westerlands, the Crownlands, and the North all had his bloodline.
Of course, Old Walder also had a thorn in his heart.
When Robert's Rebellion broke out, he was called the 'Late Lord' because he arrived the latest.
But Tywin of Casterly Rock also only decided to join after the Battle of the Trident became clear.
Yet no one dared to call Tywin the 'Late Lord'.
The reason he was willing to ally with the North this time, besides gaining benefits for his family, was also to clear his name.
Thinking of this point mentioned in the letter from the North, Old Walder believed there must be a 'mastermind' in Winterfell.
Old Walder was not interested in how good Jon was at fighting; he was interested in this 'Winterfell mastermind' who hit the nail on the head.
He believed that with his discerning eye, if that person appeared, he would surely be able to spot them.
Suddenly, someone ran in from outside to report:
"My Lord, Robb Stark's vanguard has already reached five leagues outside the city."
"Is that so? Then prepare to meet him."
... Robb Stark, accompanied by his guards and some Northern lords, arrived at The Twins ahead of the main army, with Jon and Theon by his side.
From afar, Jon saw a bridge spanning the wide Green Fork.
It was like a sluice gate capable of cutting off the flow of water.
And on both banks of the Green Fork were two castles of similar design.
The Twins could also be called 'Twin Castles'.
Fortunately, there were no airplanes in this era.
When they arrived, Old Walder had already sent people to greet them.
Leading them was a short, stout, burly man with a full black beard, who looked very fierce.
He gave the impression of a shield.
He wore a white surcoat over his armor, with the blue emblem of The Twins depicted on it.
The stout man came before Robb Stark, bowed, and said:
"Respected Lord Robb Stark, my name is Walder Frey, the great-grandson of Marquis Walder. You may call me Black Walder. Marquis Walder is waiting for you, please follow me."
Hearing his introduction, Jon remembered who this person was.
A portion of the Frey Family's army would likely be led by him.
Soon, everyone rode their horses to the foot of The Twins.
Although it was not yet dark, the castle was already brightly lit.
Soldiers already lined both sides of the road, with a brazier for illumination between every two soldiers.
These soldiers all stood tall and proud, at least looking very much like soldiers.
Jon looked up and saw the banners of the Direwolf and The Twins intertwined on the city walls.
It seemed Old Walder had put some thought into it.
Jon activated his [Gods Perspective], which could probably provide him with information about the defenders on a large section of the city wall.
The archers and spearmen on the city wall stood perfectly straight.
It was just a pity that Jon's Gods Perspective couldn't see the interior of the city wall like a CT scan.
Needless to say, there must be hidden troop chambers inside the city wall.
Everyone stepped into the castle, which seemed to have just been cleaned, and walked along the tidy flagstone path to the Great Hall of The Twins.
As soon as they entered, they saw Old Walder sitting high at the head of the hall.
Before anyone else could speak, Old Walder burst out laughing:
"Hahahahaha, I smelled the scent of the north wind and the Direwolf from afar."
Old Walder laughed loudly as he looked at the tall and handsome Robb Stark.
Although his body was hunched and frail, his eyes sparkled with vigor.
His gaze towards Robb Stark held a hint of greed in addition to admiration.
"Robb Stark, Warden of the North, son of Lord Eddard Stark, Duke of Winterfell, greets the Marquis."
Robb Stark bowed to Old Walder, and everyone behind him also offered their greetings.
After bowing, Robb Stark said:
"Since the Marquis has agreed to ally with the North, I wonder how many troops The Twins has prepared."
Robb Stark's question displeased Old Walder, and he put down the wine cup he had just picked up.
Jon had hinted earlier that Old Walder was very fond of his reputation and should be flattered more.
But clearly, the Young Wolf had not understood.
"Robb Stark," Old Walder called Robb Stark by his full name, and everyone pricked up their ears to listen.
"To be honest, I truly like you very much. You are indeed Eddard Stark's son. I really want to have you and my granddaughter marry right now, but the war is urgent. The Frey Family's two thousand troops have already assembled.
Among them are eight hundred cavalry, three hundred longbowmen, and one thousand infantry, all well-equipped!"
Old Walder specifically emphasized the crucial point of being well-equipped.
Jon also found his words very interesting.
He first reminded Robb Stark of their agreement, and then presented his sincerity.
It must be said that those who live long are not fools.
If it weren't for Arya, the Frey Family might have truly taken over the Riverlands.
The Frey Family's army size was indeed not bad.
Even among the Northern lords, they could rank in the top three.
At the same time, their combat power was affirmed by the original Young Wolf.
After a brief exchange, everyone took their seats.
Next, it was time to discuss the march and battle objectives.
But Old Walder once again spoke surprisingly.
He pointed in Jon's direction and said:
"Hey, you, you must be Eddard Stark's bastard, right?"
Jon felt a bit strange, not understanding why he, a bastard, would be noticed by this old fox.
But considering the difference in their statuses, he still stood up from his seat and bowed to Old Walder.
Even if the other party wanted to give Robb Stark a show of authority and tell him to get out, he would readily comply.
Reputation, that was something he could reclaim later.
However, to everyone's surprise, Old Walder did not make things difficult for Jon, but instead asked a surprising question.
"You boy must be longing for a woman, aren't you? Otherwise, you wouldn't have run back from the Wall. Tell me, what kind do you like? Perhaps I can pick one for you from here."
For a moment, Jon became the focus of the hall.
Everyone silently sighed in their hearts, thinking this old man was truly uninhibited.
Jon was a bastard.
No matter how hungry the Frey Family was, they couldn't be this desperate.
"I bet he'll agree. A bastard being able to marry a Frey daughter is already very lucky."
"Who's to say? What more does he want?"
The Northern lords behind them whispered amongst themselves, and then Robb Stark spoke:
"Marquis, Jon left the Wall to rescue our father, and he hasn't officially joined the Nights Watch, so he's not a deserter."
Alright, I didn't dote on you for nothing.
Jon thought to himself, but still politely refused Old Walder:
"Marquis, I am merely a bastard, and I believe I am not worthy of a Frey daughter."
"Hmph! Sly boy." Old Walder snorted, and the hall immediately fell silent; the sound of someone's sword clanking against a table leg was clearly audible.
"You must choose one, otherwise the Frey Family will withdraw from the alliance."
'No, why me?! I'm just a bastard!'
Jon was a bit confused. Could it be that Old Walder was also a transmigrator? Did he know his true identity?
At this moment, the others also looked at Jon, silently exerting pressure with their eyes.
They seemed to want him not to be ungrateful.
Jon calmed himself down and quickly analyzed Old Walder's personality.
First, he didn't rule out that Old Walder was using him to pressure Robb Stark and express his dissatisfaction.
Secondly, it was his nature to never give up until he got what he wanted, otherwise he wouldn't have dared to provoke the entire realm by orchestrating the Red Wedding.
Jon cleared his throat and said:
"Respected Marquis, the marriage between your legitimate son and Lord Eddard Stark's eldest son is a sacred and noble matter.
If you add me, a bastard, it would be as jarring as adding a cowbell to the end of a symphony.
I think the sword in my hand is more useful than the one at my side. How about this: if The Twins ever needs me in the future, I will certainly serve you."
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