The twin towers representing the Frey Family and Jon's black flag with a white wolf stood side by side in the Riverrun lobby, signifying the highest level of welcome.
In the hall, singers and harpists sang loudly, and the tinkling music accompanied the men and women in the center of the dance floor.
Even if there's no dancing, it doesn't matter. The Frey Family prepared a sumptuous dinner, with over twenty roast suckling pigs eaten in one go.
The calories and aroma of the food raised the temperature in the hall by several degrees, and many people were sweating profusely while eating.
Sandor looked at the scholar, Qyburn, who was wearing a gray robe, with some disdain.
He joined Jon's team halfway through, claiming he wanted to serve Jon. Jon accepted him and brought him along to Riverrun.
However, Sandor knew why Dao did this; Jon was going to fight in the West soon, and this guy wanted to get some more fresh corpses.
Although Sandor had a fierce appearance and was quite violent, compared to this guy who was only interested in corpses, he felt that he was incredibly kind and normal.
He didn't understand why Jon would accept this infamous guy. He had no right to interfere with Feng Jun's choice, so he silently distanced himself from Qyburn and turned his gaze to the center of the dance floor.
Sansa was dancing not far from him with a Frey Family kid. However, Sansa had been exhausted by Arya along the way, and her whole body ached. In addition, the Frey Family kid's appearance was really disappointing. Although Sansa tried her best to maintain the proper etiquette and composure, the disgust in her eyes was almost overflowing.
The muscle soreness, in particular, made her grimace from time to time, which further increased the difficulty of maintaining her ladylike demeanor.
The Frey Family kid, however, seemed completely oblivious to being disliked. He just stared blankly at Sansa, practically drooling.
And Arya, the mastermind behind all this, was sitting in the front seat, munching on an apple and watching with a grin.
Then, Sandor spotted Davos in the crowd. Old Walder had a keen eye; he knew Davos... Davos's story led to a warm invitation for him to join in the dancing.
Davos, however, clearly lacked training in this area and appeared somewhat clumsy, nearly stepping on his female companion's shoes.
Finally, Sandor saw Jon in the very center of the dance floor, and dancing with Jon was none other than Old Walder's most beautiful daughter, Roslin Frey.
Even from a distance, Sandor could sense that something was off between the two. Their every movement seemed unusually stiff.
Jon, who was in the middle of it, was naturally a little embarrassed.
He hadn't originally planned to dance, but he couldn't refuse Old Walder's invitation. What surprised him even more was that Roslin had actually invited him, but after inviting him, her dancing movements and expressions were so stiff. Jon knew there must be some hidden reason behind it.
Fortunately, this awkward dance ended soon afterward.
Everyone returned to their respective positions, and Jon walked towards his platform and Arya. Sansa dined with them.
Old Walder tapped his wine glass with his silver fork, gesturing for everyone to look at him.
The music of the musicians, the footsteps of the maids, and the whispers of the nobles all ceased, leaving only the occasional clinking of plates, the creaking of chairs being moved, and the soft coughs as the final sounds.
The entire hall quickly fell silent, and everyone looked at Old Walder.
Old Walder raised his glass high and then shouted, "Let us congratulate Duke Jon on his long life!"
Led by Old Walder, the members of the Frey Family and the nobles from the Riverrun all raised their glasses in celebration for Jon.
"Long live the White Wolf Knight!"
"Long live the Duke!"
" Long live Jon Stark!"
The celebratory sounds were so loud that even the wine in the glasses rippled slightly.
Jon, the one being congratulated, stood up, raised his glass, and drank the wine in one gulp as a thank you for the applause.
After that, Stevron Frey and his old buddies all stood up to praise and congratulate Jon.
However, after the pleasantries were over, the conversation had to return to the main topic.
While everyone else resumed eating, drinking, chatting, and boasting, Old Walder asked Jon, " Jon, you and Ser Davos are going to Riverrun to persuade Robb to give up independence. I wonder how confident you are, and do you need any manpower?"
" Duke Walder, since Your Majesty has entrusted this matter to me, whether it succeeds or not depends mainly on me. Sending more people won't make much difference, but thank you for your kindness nonetheless."
Rhaegar Frey, who was standing nearby, thought that perhaps Old Walder had been too vague, so he continued to speak for him.
"It's like this, Your Grace. Although Riverrun is a fortified city, Robb currently has an army of twenty to thirty thousand. We naturally hope you will succeed, but what if Robb is still determined to become independent? The Northern army will definitely return to the North, and the Riverlands ' army certainly won't stand by and watch us cut off the connection between the North and the Riverlands— " Rhaegar Frey didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was already clear: What if you fail to persuade Robb, and Robb comes to attack us?
After all, Stannis doesn't seem to be able to muster many troops right now.
How is Riverrun's safety guaranteed?
As Rhaegar Frey asked the question, Jon noticed that the conversation in the hall had quieted down, and many people were looking in his direction.
No wonder Old Walder wanted to discuss this in public; he probably wanted a promise and assurance.
Davos also put down his knife and fork and looked at Jon.
In fact, Rhaegar Frey's problem hit Stannis' biggest weakness: their forces were severely stretched thin and would take at least six months to replenish.
Before arriving, Stannis didn't have any good ideas, so he could only tell the two to play it by ear and try to get by.
But Old Walder was clearly not so easily fooled. Roslin, who was nearby, pricked up his ears, eager to know... What should Jon do?
Jon lowered his eyes to look at the table, then stood up solemnly and said loudly, " Duke Walder, you can rest assured that if Robb chooses to retain his crown and remain an enemy of His Majesty Stannis, then Riverrun will be the first to suffer. However, please rest assured, Duke Walder, that I will naturally bring troops to support you. If fate forces me to kill Robb, then I will follow him in death. I ask that Your Excellency Walder properly collect the remains of my brother and send them back to Winterfell." Jon's impassioned and tragic words plunged the entire hall into silence.
Sansa, who was closest to him, stood there, her hand holding a piece of pudding hanging in mid-air. Arya, who was next to her, asked Dao anxiously, " Sansa, Jon, what is Jon saying? Why did he kill Robb? What do you mean he's going to follow Robb? Sansa, Sansa, say something!"
Arya, who had been laughing and joking all the way, now had a sob in her voice. The two sisters seemed to be pulled back to the execution ground where Eddard Stark was executed, and the excruciating pain of losing a loved one seemed to have returned to reality from their memories and nightmares.
Rhaegar who just asked the question After Jon's statement, Walder was speechless for a moment. He opened and closed his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.
Davos unconsciously sat up straight, feeling that fate was far too cruel to Jon. He had finally managed to escape the lowly status of a bastard, and now he had to face such a difficult predicament as Dao.
He wanted to persuade Jon why things had come to this, but he also didn't know where to begin with Dao.
Roslin, who was a little further away, also forgot all her manners and reserve and stared straight at Jon, her brown eyes almost brimming with tears.
She had initially harbored some resentment towards the breakup letter, but now she realized that Jon's choice was a hundred times more difficult and painful than her own.
It was then that she realized that, in terms of age, she was actually a year or two older than Jon.
A complex mix of emotions—resentment, pity, and love—made Roslin feel as if she were seeing the boy before her for the first time.
Even Sandor, who was furthest away, heard Jon's words through others. He had only one feeling—
That's so tough, so incredibly tough.
Someone like Jon, who's both a skilled fighter and reckless, is really hard for Dao to handle. It's probably best for Dao to just stick with him.
However, Jon also knew that once he had a real fiefdom and children, no one would believe his threats of killing and dying together with others.
After all, even Eddard, a universally acknowledged paragon of virtue in the Seven Kingdoms, would choose to redeem himself by acknowledging a fabricated charge of treason when threatened by Cersei with his daughter.
Finally, after a long pause, Old Walder spoke up to smooth things over: "Oh, Jon, it's far from that point yet. I'm over ninety years old, and the only lesson I've learned over the years is that as long as you live, problems will disappear on their own, even if they aren't solved. A heroic young man like you should live well, because only when the family lives can it prosper."
"Yes, Jon —Your Grace, we are relieved to hear you say that. But I believe the gods are merciful and will never allow such a tragedy to happen," Stevron reassured Dao.
After the banquet, Old Walder promised Jon that he would transfer the Mountain Clan Tribes in the future. He even said that when Jon attacked the West, he would eliminate all the knights of the Frey Family.
Afterwards, they earnestly invited Jon to stay at Riverrun for as long as possible, and after repeated invitations...
After some pushing and pulling, Jon and Davos decided to stay here for three days.
Of course, Old Walder was actually creating an opportunity for Roslin.
Rhaegar Frey even revealed a fantastic fishing spot to Jon, saying that fishing has become more exciting than hunting since he got older.
Jon went fishing with Rhaegar Frey that day, but after waiting and waiting, Rhaegar Frey didn't show up. After a long time, Roslin arrived instead.
Although he was spotted before he got close to Jon, it still surprised Jon.
"Your Grace." Roslin knew her mission, but her long-held reserve made her hesitant to speak.
Roslin Young Miss, how have you been? "How to get along with a woman you've already rejected is a problem that has been around for ages."
But Jon knew that Dao must have come here with some kind of mission. Sure enough, Jon noticed that Roslin's outfit today seemed to reflect a lot of thought. Her chestnut hair, tied in a braid at the back of her head, was decorated with a few plain-colored flowers.
The waist is outlined with a thin silk ribbon to accentuate the curves of the body, and some of the forcefully straightened backs seem to be designed to increase the undulations of the chest.
Her fair, exposed arm resembled a lotus root, and her delicate, slender fingers were slightly red from gripping the handkerchief too tightly. She looked like a rosebud waiting to be picked.
" Jon, I, I heard you got engaged? I, I mean you're with Miss Margaery ————" Roslin said somewhat incoherently.
"Yes," Jon replied, noticing Roslin slowly approaching him.
"I still remember the song you sang for me that day. I, I don't really care, I don't care. I will always—" As she spoke, Roslin reached out her slightly trembling hand to hook Jon's sleeve.
But Jon instinctively dodged backward, preventing her from touching him.
Roslin froze for a second, then tears streamed down her face uncontrollably. A bitter mix of humiliation, relief, and helplessness tore at her heart.
Jon, realizing something might have happened, asked Dao, " Roslin... " Young Miss, can you tell me what happened? This isn't you, I believe this isn't you.
Hearing Jon's question, Roslin could no longer hold back and burst into tears, but no matter how Jon asked, she just couldn't bring herself to say it.
"Okay Roslin" Young Miss, let me guess, is it your father?
Roslin nodded, but then shook his head dismissively.
"He wants to solidify the relationship between The Twins and me through you, right?"
This time, Roslin neither nodded nor shook his head.
Jon looked at the girl in front of him who liked to cry, sighed softly, and sat down on his own, saying, " Roslin... " Young Miss, our relationship began with deception. I saw through your father's intentions back then; he wanted to use you to sow seeds of suspicion between Robb and me. Even earlier, he singled me out from among many to establish his authority. I was actually resentful of him.
Seeing Jon's candor, Roslin felt that things were spiraling out of control and didn't know what to do with Dao, so he just stood there blankly.
"After that, I wanted to retaliate against the half of the song you sang. I was thinking that through my raven, maybe you could become my informant in The Twins."
Roslin froze, feeling like a small boat caught in a whirlpool. The exchange between Jon and her father sent chills down her spine.
But Roslin didn't understand why Jon was telling her all this.
"But I did consider marrying you." Jon met her brown eyes. "You have a pure heart, and I know that Dao would be very peaceful if he spent the rest of his life with you—especially after I took King's Landing and defeated Tyrell and Lannister."
Roslin pursed her lips, pressed her hands to her chest, and clenched them tightly, as if trying to grasp at a fleeting dream.
"It's a pity Tywin escaped. If he had died in the trap I set for him, I could have taken Casterly Rock and the West without anyone's help. But that's fate; it doesn't care about our thoughts."
" Jon." Roslin's lips trembled slightly. She wasn't wearing any makeup, but her slightly moist lips still looked soft in the light.
"Your father's offer is very tempting. I do need a lot of troops to attack the Western Frontier, and if I can gain such an ally, my position will be more secure. Plus, with such a beautiful lover as you, I'm guaranteed to make a profit. Rejecting you would do me no good at all." Jon looked at Roslin, his words still sincere.
Roslin, on the other hand, seemed somewhat at a loss.
"However, I can make you a promise. Although I cannot give you a wedding, our children will inherit the Stark surname, but their inheritance rights will be after those of my children with Margaery. And one day, I will openly and legitimately bring you by my side, just like Aegon the Conqueror and his two wives."