Robb chuckled lightly. "Looks like Aunt Lysa dotes on my Uncle Robin Arryn quite a bit."
Catelyn hadn't expected her son to still be in the mood for jokes. "Be serious. She is your aunt, after all! Even if she didn't come herself, your Uncle Blackfish came with me."
What they were talking about concerned the marriage alliances between noble houses. During the reign of the Mad King, the lord of House Stark and his heir had once gone to King's Landing to demand justice, only for both of them to be executed by the Mad King on the spot.
With the sudden deaths of the lord and his eldest son, the second son, Eddard Stark, inherited the title of Duke of the North. The rebellion soon followed.
At that time, the lord of the Vale—the eagle banner—had taken Eddard in. That man was Jon Arryn, the former Hand of the King who later died suddenly.
One could say Jon Arryn was like Eddard's foster father. Yet this same duke had married Catelyn's younger sister—Lysa Tully—who was Robb's aunt.
So now, for Robb, the current Lord of the Vale, Robin Arryn, was both his uncle and his cousin. The relationship could only be described as… complicated.
Robb stopped joking and turned serious. "I was already prepared for Aunt Lysa not coming. Your relationship with her was never very good to begin with."
Catelyn looked hurt. "I never thought she would be so heartless. No matter what, Ned was still her family."
Robb comforted her gently. "It's fine. As long as Grandfather and Uncle are willing to help us, that's enough."
Then Robb explained the recent battle situation in full.
Catelyn hadn't yet learned about the situation of House Tully, so when she heard her son say that the Tully forces were being driven back step by step, her face turned pale. And that was without even mentioning the grim news that Tywin was rampaging through the Riverlands with his army.
Her voice trembled as she asked, "You… what do you plan to do?"
Robb met his mother's gaze. "I've told my men that we will gather all our forces to confront Tywin's army and prepare for a decisive battle on the King's Road."
"And your grandfather and Uncle Edmure?" Catelyn asked anxiously.
For the first time, Robb revealed his true intentions to someone else. "That's another plan. I haven't told anyone. Everyone will think we're heading for a decisive battle with Tywin—but I'll personally lead three hundred cavalry to Riverrun to support them. I want to capture the Kingslayer."
As he spoke, Robb took out a map and pointed at it. "After crossing the Neck, the main army will continue along the King's Road to face Tywin. I'll cross the Green Fork and head to Riverrun."
"Three hundred cavalry?!" Catelyn was stunned. "With only three hundred riders, how could you possibly defeat the Kingslayer, Jaime? He's a veteran knight, seasoned by countless battles!"
Robb's expression was resolute. "If I don't fight, how will I know whether I can win? Besides, this is my command. I won't change my mind."
Seeing Robb's firm tone and confident expression, Catelyn finally understood why the lords treated her son with such respect.
Without her even realizing it, her son had already grown into a strong, unyielding man.
She continued to ask, "If you leave the army, who will command the main force? Tywin isn't some harmless kitten. He's an old and cunning lion. He has more soldiers than you, and far more cavalry. Your main force could be swallowed whole at any time."
Robb answered patiently. "There's only one choice—Old Flayer. I don't like him, but Greatjon and Rickard Karstark are both too reckless. I need someone to hold Tywin back, not a fool who'll rush headlong into a decisive battle."
"However, I also plan to appoint Maege Mormont as deputy commander. She doesn't have outstanding military talent, but she's cautious by nature. She won't pursue aggressive tactics or clash with Old Flayer. More importantly, she can help me keep an eye on him."
Catelyn knew these lords well. Her own ideal choice had also been Roose Bolton. She was pleased that her son was not only strong-willed, but also capable of recognizing and using the right people.
Catelyn glanced at the map and immediately spotted the key obstacle to Robb's plan. "There's still one problem. If you want to cross the Green Fork, you must pass through the only crossing—The Twins. That's the territory of Lord Frey. The late Lord Frey. Although he swore loyalty to your grandfather, your grandfather never truly trusted him."
Neither of them discussed the option of attacking the Twins. The castle was easy to defend and hard to take, and with Riverrun in crisis, there was no time to waste on such a hard nut to crack.
After thinking for a moment, Catelyn said, "Let me go talk to him. No matter what conditions he proposes, we can negotiate."
Robb smiled. "No need. When I meet Lord Frey, I'll give him an offer he simply can't refuse. You should go to—"
In Robb's view, Catelyn's political and diplomatic abilities were actually outstanding. Sending her to deal with a mere Lord Frey would be a waste of talent, so he revealed the plan he had already prepared.
But Catelyn misunderstood him, thinking he meant to send her back to Winterfell.
"I'm not going back to Winterfell," she heard herself say, surprised to find tears suddenly flooding her eyes and blurring her vision. "Your grandfather is lying on his deathbed in Riverrun, and your uncle is surrounded by enemies."
Robb hurriedly took out a handkerchief to wipe his mother's tears. "Of course not. I have something very important for you to do. I need you to go to Highgarden and negotiate with the Rose family."
"Highgarden?" Catelyn was puzzled. Although House Stark and House Tyrell were both great houses, they rarely had any dealings.
Robb's expression didn't change. "I've heard that the Rose of Highgarden has reached marriageable age. I think it's time for us to form a marriage alliance and strengthen our relationship."
"Our ties with Highgarden aren't deep. This matter…" Catelyn hesitated.
Robb spread his hands slightly. "House Tyrell controls fertile Highgarden, and our army is running out of food. A marriage alliance with them would greatly ease our supply problems.
"I've also heard they're interested in marrying into the family of King Robert's third brother. As long as they're not supporting House Lannister, we can compete for them. But Robert's third brother prefers men—I doubt that marriage will succeed.
"I know our houses aren't close, which is why I need you to go in person. By the time you arrive, I'll also have fought a perfect battle to raise my prestige.
"House Tyrell has no ambition to dominate the continent. All they want is to make their daughter queen. When they see that we have a real chance to replace Joffrey, they'll naturally agree to the alliance."
Robb spoke at length. Catelyn felt his reasoning made sense. At a time like this, gaining another ally could only be a good thing, so she agreed.
From the beginning, Robb had wanted to solve two problems: first, securing the obedience of the northern lords; second, obtaining the supplies needed to wage war.
Now the first problem had been resolved, and the second could be addressed through a marriage alliance with House Tyrell.
Of course, just as Robb had said, House Tyrell would only place their bet on him if they could see House Stark winning—and continuing to win—until they stood atop the Iron Throne.
Which meant that the upcoming campaign to relieve Riverrun was absolutely crucial.
(End of Chapter)