Tyrion and the Freys were actually related.
The dwarf had a paternal aunt named Jenna, who married Aemon Frey when she was seven and he was fourteen.
Aemon was Old Walder's second son.
Jenna was Tywin's younger sister, and she and Aemon had always lived at Casterly Rock—not as a matrilocal marriage, since their children still bore the Frey name.
They lived at Casterly Rock simply because Tywin's father had left Jenna a large inheritance, and Aemon, as a second son, had no claim to Riverrun.
By all accounts, the relationship between Walder Frey and the Lannisters should have been close enough.Yet at the beginning of the War of the Four Kings, Old Walder firmly sided with Robb, even sending large numbers of his legitimate sons and grandsons to fight for the Young Wolf.
Meanwhile, Jenna and Aemon had four sons, all serving the Lannisters.
This meant that, on the battlefield, two Freys might end up fighting each other for opposing masters. In fact, Jenna's eldest son fought under Jaime and was later captured by his own cousins.
Walder Frey did not support his in-laws and instead sided with Robb, not because of some worthless "Frey–Tully" liege-vassal bond, but because of the sacred oath that Catelyn, representing House Stark, had forged with him—an oath that promised benefits to House Frey.
Blood ties only mattered when interests aligned.
Because the price they paid was so great, when Robb completely broke his vow, the Freys felt all the more humiliated and enraged.
Very well, Robb certainly deserved his fate; that part is already settled.
Now, after the war ended, the Lannisters began dividing the spoils.Many Riverlands fiefs that had lost their lords were granted to the Lannisters or those who supported them—for example, the one-armed knight Lancel became Lord of Darry, the ancestral home of Willam Darry, one of the most loyal Dragon supporters. It was said that during Robert's reign, House Darry had secretly hung the red dragon banner in their castle.
The largest prize of all, Riverrun, was given to Aemon Frey.
The Tully family's ancestral seat had become a Frey offshoot.
When word spread that Aegon and Sansa intended to attack Riverrun, Walder Frey immediately began relocating his family, moving most of his sons and grandsons into Riverrun. He even fled there himself.
Of course, he would say it was not fleeing, but a "strategic withdrawal."
So after they captured Riverrun, Sansa, just as Tyrion had feared, began considering a westward march toward Riverrun.
Aegon hesitated.
"Look—look carefully. Here is Harrenhal, here is the Bloody Gate, here is Riverrun, and here is King's Landing."
Tyrion slapped the map irritably, his mismatched eyes widening as he growled at the queen, "I know you want revenge, but please be reasonable!
"The Trident's territory is larger than Slaver's Bay. If we divide our forces into four, we will achieve nothing. We might even be defeated piecemeal."
A cool, silvery light flashed in Sansa's beautiful eyes as she replied confidently, "We have dragons. They can support us quickly.
"Even with my limited experience, I could see how effective they were when we took Harrenhal."
Her Moon-Singer meditation had already reached the introductory stage, making her a transcendent as well.
A trace of hesitation crossed the weathered face of the Blackfish. His hoarse voice followed: "If we capture Riverrun and allow me to temporarily serve as Duke of Riverrun and Protector of the Riverlands, we can win the support of many Riverlords.
"If given enough time, I may even make the entire Riverlands loyal to His Majesty."
As one of the greatest commanders in the Seven Kingdoms, he understood perfectly how correct Tyrion's advice was.
But he was not only a commander under Aegon. He was also a man seeking vengeance, the final hope of the now-extinct House Tully.
Tyrion wanted to preserve his own family, and House Tully's words were "Family, Duty, Honor."The Blackfish's longing was even more urgent, and far more intense.
Tyrion shook his head with a bitter smile. "Right now we have enough strength to take King's Landing. More Riverlords will only be redundant.
"Besides, from the Vale to Riverrun is more than a thousand kilometers of mountains and rivers. The route passes through many lands loyal to the Lannisters.
"Do you intend to fight through every one of them?
"How many men would that require?"By the time tens of thousands of troops reach Riverrun, two or three months will have passed. Are we not attacking King's Landing?"
"Let the army divide its forces. The dragons can carry us quickly between fronts," Sansa insisted.
"Sigh… how many times must I say this? In Westeros, dragons are not invincible. They cannot fly around carelessly.
"In fact, I suggest that from now on, except during sieges, dragons should stay hidden inside caves carved into proper dragon lairs," Tyrion replied helplessly.
Soon, they no longer had to argue—although in truth, things only became more complicated.
Before he died, Robb had named two "regents" to guide the North: Galbart Glover of Deepwood Motte and Maege Mormont of Bear Island. Upon hearing of Aegon's northern campaign, the two raced south to Harrenhal.
When Sansa saw these two old loyalists of House Stark, her eyes immediately reddened with emotion.
After paying their respects, the two Northern lords praised Sansa's acts of vengeance with great fervor, and even looked at Aegon with newfound gratitude and approval.
Then Sansa led them outside to circle the dragons twice.
When they saw the dragons gnawing on Frey corpses, Lady Maege clapped her hands and burst into laughter, tears streaming down her cheeks.
She was thinking of her eldest daughter, Dacey Mormont, who had been treacherously murdered by the Freys.
After exchanging old stories, the two Northern lords finally explained why they had come:First, King Robb's designated heir was not you, but Jon Stark.
Second, Rickon Stark is not dead. Jon has already brought him back from Skagos.
Finally, Jon and Rickon have now landed at Widow's Watch. They are leading an army of six thousand wildlings and clansmen, marching straight toward Winterfell.
And Moat Cailin is right beside the Neck. Once they cross the Neck, they will be able to join forces with Jon.
Therefore, they hope Sansa can cooperate with Jon in retaking Winterfell and restoring the Stark family's honor as "Kings in the North."
"Because they came by sea, the ships could not carry many people or supplies. Lord Jon took only two thousand elite warriors from the wildlings at the Wall.
The remaining four thousand clansmen all come from Skagos. They are fearless and fierce, and they have five hundred powerful unicorn riders, but none of them have ever fought in a large-scale war, let alone a siege.
Meanwhile, the Bolton–Frey alliance has more than fifteen thousand men. They are well-rested and firmly entrenched behind the tall walls and deep defenses of Winterfell."
Northerners really are straightforward. They say whatever comes to mind. If Jon Stark is King in the North, then what does that make Aegon who married her?At that moment, both Aegon and Tyrion's expressions changed.
Sansa's small face went pale, then red. Embarrassed, she snuck a glance at her husband. Her pitiful look was truly heartbreaking, and Aegon could not help but…
"Sigh!" King Aegon's heart softened. He let out a helpless sigh and asked, "Is Duke Jon willing to swear fealty to me?"
The North was poorly connected, and even his own queen had been kept in the dark. He did not blame her.
That was what he thought.
But he was mistaken. News may travel slowly in the North, and many south of the Neck do not know the current situation there. But Lady Stoneheart has always been in contact with Lord Eel, so how could she not know about Jon Stark?
If Lady Stoneheart knew, then Sansa also knew.
Facing Sansa, the She-Bear did not hide anything and said, "Lord Jon has allied with Stannis, and Stannis has gained the support of the Iron Bank. He is arranging for men in Braavos to recruit mercenaries. I heard there will be no fewer than twenty thousand."
Maggie, being a countess after all and not entirely politically ignorant, became embarrassed at this point.
The atmosphere in the room turned awkward.
"Stannis… how is he still…"
Aegon felt as miserable as if someone had forced filth down his throat. He turned to the Imp and asked, "Should we go to the North, strike first, and eliminate Stannis before the mercenaries arrive?"
The dwarf's expression was also full of disgust.
After the Battle of the Blackwater, he thought Stannis would never recover and would fade into history. He never expected to encounter him again years later.
"It really is strange. Over these years, kings have appeared one after another, only to fall one after another. Yet Stannis, who lost everything at the Blackwater—including his pride—has survived and even seems to have a chance to turn things around," Tyrion muttered.
The War of the Five Kings actually produced five kings: the two Baratheons, Renly, Joffrey, Robb, and Balon.
Renly was struck down by a shadow before he could even set out, so he does not count. But among the remaining four, the first to fall was Stannis.
When Stannis suffered his crushing defeat at the Blackwater, Joffrey was still an emperor, Robb was still the war god, and Balon the King ruled proudly over the Sunset Sea. Each of them was at the height of their power, flourishing like flowers in full bloom.Wait—no, Stannis was not simply unlucky. Before leaving Dragonstone, he served Joffrey, Robb, and Balon each a grilled leech—leeches that had drunk the blood of a king, using them to curse the other three.
Sansa stretched out her soft hand and clasped Aegon's right hand gently, soothing him with a tender voice. "My love, I can convince Jon. The North will swear fealty to you. I swear it."
"What about Stannis?" Aegon asked with a frown.
A cold gleam flashed in Sansa's eyes as she said softly, "Do as you said. Before the Braavosi mercenaries arrive, he has barely a thousand crippled soldiers left. He has an alliance with Jon, but none with us."
Maggie and Gerbert exchanged shocked looks. Was this still the once naive and innocent princess of Winterfell?Aegon turned to the dwarf for his opinion.
"This matter should be considered carefully," the Little Lion said cautiously.
By "considered carefully," he meant discussing it with the Dragon Queen first.
"Stannis is not the real problem. The issue is the Red Priestess at his side. You heard what the Dragon Queen said about her—she is half-divine."
After Maggie, Gerbert, the Blackfish, and the others left, Tyrion spoke gravely to Aegon.
"What can someone half-divine actually do?" Sansa asked nervously.
"My aunt is not even half-divine, yet she already…" Aegon's face went pale, a hint of dread flickering in his eyes.
"The Dragon Queen's power in battle drives mortals to despair. I certainly despaired," the dwarf said dejectedly.
"Maybe Melisandre is not as strong as my aunt. Their magical specialties differ. My aunt excels in fire sorcery, while the Red Priestess's strength lies in curses."
Aegon grew even paler, his voice growing softer.
"Tell me… could she have already cursed me?" he asked the dwarf, his voice shaking.
"She has never even seen you. How could she curse you?" Sansa said, finding the idea absurd.
Aegon thought for a moment, looking conflicted. "My aunt once told me that the deaths of Balon, Joffrey, and your brother Robb were all connected to the Red Priestess."
"That cannot be. They…" Sansa glanced at Tyrion's impassive face and said firmly, "At least my brother and Joffrey did not die from a curse."
"I am not entirely sure. We should ask my aunt," Aegon said helplessly.
Sansa's talent was truly exceptional. She had been practicing magic for just over a month, yet she already possessed one-third of Marwyn's power. It made the bull-necked maester blush with shame, and then fall into gloomy silence, sighing that fate treats people differently.
When Daenerys first met Sansa in person, she found that she truly was an elegant and stunning young beauty.
(End of chapter)
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