Chapter 16: Red Skies And A Coat Of Black

Walder

The Targaryen boy, the Starks, The Tullys and the might of the north and Riverlands were coming to the Twins for Lords Stark and Tully's weddings, and what weddings they would be. Yes, thought Walder, I'll give them a wedding to remember I will. The Targaryen boy married his cousin heh, typical Targaryen thinking they are better than all of us. News had reached the Twins of Jon Targaryen's marriage to Sansa Stark and oh how Walder had fumed, he had thought that the message was clear though he had not sent a request that the boy be betrothed to one of his girls like his cousin was, he thought that the principal would be quite clear, he wanted to have a grandson who would be king, and at the rate the Targaryen boy was winning his battles that was like to have happened. But of course the boy had to go and marry his cousin, and now Lord Walder Frey was left with the Lord of Winterfell and the heir to Riverrun to marry his brood off to.

Though it was not all doom and gloom, for Old Walder had received a raven from King's Landing write in the hand of Tywin Lannister himself. Old Lord Lannister promised to welcome the Twins back into King Joffrey's peace if they would play a small part in removing King Jon and Lords Stark and Tully from the war for good, though the murders would go against guest right, Tywin Lannister promised to give Walder Riverrun through any child that the girl Edmure married had, and Winterfell through any child that the girl Robb Stark married had. Walder being a practical man had agreed to the terms that Lord Tywin had set and had begun planning with the help of his son Lothar Frey, the perfect wedding tragedy that could remove the three men from the war and maintain House Frey for years to come.

The final preparations had been made when one of his bastard's, Walder he thought his name was came and told him that the King and his men had been spotted on the horizon. Walder was helped into his litter and was carried out into the courtyard to greet the king and his men, as he was carried Lothar walked beside him and Walder leaned over and whispered "Make sure that you give no hint to our true purpose today. Make sure everyone plays their part. I want the lords to be too drunk to do anything over than fall and die." Once he had heard Lothar murmur in agreement Walder dismissed him and put his game face on. It would be important not give them any reason to be suspicious; they were there for a wedding and a wedding they would get. Though how many of them would survive depended on how brutal his brood were feeling at night after a couple of drinks.

Walder felt his litter being put down onto the ground and squinted up at the sky, there was a black dot on the horizon that seemed to be coming closer and closer toward them he wondered what that could be. He heard one of his many children, or grandchildren ask "Is that a rock falling toward us?"

Walder squinted but could not quite make out what the black dot was, and found is attention being diverted back to the main gate as Lord Stark, Lord Tully and their assorted bannermen including Lord Bolton rode through the gates, and stopped their horses just in front of him. Seeing Lord Stark and Lord Tully standing next to one another it was like looking at two versions of the same man. Lord Stark had a big broad build the same as his uncle but whereas Lord Tully kept himself clean shaven and with short hair, Lord Stark had an auburn beard and long auburn hair. King Jon, Walder noticed was missing, he felt himself begin to bristle at the Targaryen boy's arrogance, was House Frey not good enough for him now? Walder had lost good men fighting the boy's war and helping retake Winterfell. The least the boy could do was come to the wedding and share Walder's bread and wine even if it was to be the last meal he would ever have.

Walder voiced his complaints. "Ah if it isn't Lord Stark and Lord Tully the bridegrooms. I must say it is an honour to have two distinguished war heroes here in my humble home and marrying my daughters. Especially you Lord Stark the man who led the assault that took Casterly Rock." Walder made a show of looking around for the Targaryen boy before asking. "And where is his grace. Could he not make it?"

The Stark boy had the indecency to laugh at that as if Walder had made some sort of jest, and said. "Lord Walder if you look up you shall see a black mass fast approaching your castle, his grace is on that black mass."

Lord Walder looked up and wondered if the boy had lost his senses but sure enough where before there had only been a black dot, now was a huge black thing that blocked out the sun with- were those wings?- Yes those were wings, Walder felt his heart begin to hammer frantically against his chest. The boy was riding a... "Dragon, that's a dragon." Walder heard one of his brood say. It was a dragon alright, as it straightened out in the air readying itself for landing, Walder saw that the dragon had scales that were as black as night, and its wings had to be at least forty feet wide, it was as big as fifty mammoths piled atop of each other and as muscular as thirty aurochs. The plan would definitely not work with a dragon in the castle grounds, and Walder doubted that he would be able to ask that it be caged like he was planning on having the direwolves caged.

As the dragon landed and King Jon dismounted, Walder lowered his head as the rest of his household bowed their heads to the King, though Walder could hear them all muttering about the dragon. He had heard rumours about the dragon but he had not truly believed them, after all the dragons had been dead for hundreds of years. As he heard King Jon speak and ask the household to rise, Walder raised his head and had to do a double take, the King looked like the spitting image of a young Eddard Stark. In fact he had the same weary looking grey eyes, and brown beard that Eddard Stark had had all those years ago during the Rebellion that had put Robert Baratheon on the throne. The only thing that broke the resemblance apart from the red and black instead grey and the dragon was that whereas Eddard Stark had been broad of shoulder and thick of build, King Jon was thinner at the shoulders and lither.

Walder remembered his courtesies and said "Your Grace it is an honour for my house that you have graced us with your presence. I must also say that your dragon is the most wondrous creature that I have ever seen."

"You are kind to say so Lord Walder, I hope that our men will be able to camp around your castle if not within it. I also hope that we may have some bread and wine for we have travelled long and far and are weary and tired." King Jon said.

Ooh very clever boy, Walder thought. Aloud he only said, "Of course Your Grace. If you would follow me." With that he gestured for his litter to be lifted and made his way back to the great hall, with King Jon, Lord Stark, Lord Tully and their bannermen following him. His heart was still hammering in his chest, how on earth was he meant to pull of the plan now, with that accursed dragon in the castle, as well as with so many men there, his boys would be butchered if they tried to do anything to the King or to Lords Stark and Tully. He tried to put all those thoughts aside though as he entered the great hall, and gestured for his daughters to come forward to be presented before Lords Stark and Tully. He took his seat in the high chair of the Twins and watched as King Jon remained standing though he ate his bread and drank his wine with his lords, Walder spotted two white cloaks behind him and cursed, how could he have forgotten about the damned Kingsguard! They would never let the king out of their sites.

Trying to keep his face as expressionless as possible he dared not look for Lord Bolton in case King Jon became curious but he knew that his part in ridding Tywin Lannister of King Jon would not happen, he would not risk his family for that man. Instead he watched as Lords Stark and Tully walked around inspecting his daughters and granddaughters and spoke with them. It was a good thing that he was a patient man still otherwise he might have said more than he needed to. Instead all he said was "Found a cherry to your liking my lords."

Surprisingly it was Lord Stark who was the first to stop walking around; he had stopped in front of Roslin, Walder's daughter from some Rosby or the other. Walder had expected that Stark would not know one end of a woman from the other considering whom his father had been, and had thought that perhaps Lord Edmure with his rather big appetite would have chosen first, but he was not one to complain. Lord Stark was all formal when he spoke."Lord Frey, I have looked and spoken to your daughters and granddaughters and must say I have never met such a fine group of ladies ever before. But as I can only take one wife, I would ask for the hand of your daughter Roslin."

Walder grunted and said "Very well."

It took some more time before Lord Tully had finally chosen his own bride. As Walder looked around the room to see whom Lord Tully had chosen he found himself looking at Alyx. She had spirit that one did daughter of his son Symond, she had dark brown hair and brown eyes, and a big bosom. Yes he was not surprised Lord Tully had gone for her, not at all. He nodded his approval when Lord Tully asked for her hand, then clapped his hands together and said."Your Grace, my lords I know you have travelled far from Riverrun. You must be tired I shall have my servants show you to your quarters, though I think we should give the new couples time to get to know one another what say you?"

King Jon looked at him through his curls and said "I agree Lord Walder. We shall give them time to get to know each other, and then we shall have the wedding in the evening." And with that King Jon and his retinue left the hall to their chambers, Lord Walder's brood remained in the hall except for Roslin and Alyx. Walder breathed a heavy sigh of relief when the doors closed behind the Lord Tully and Alyx. He summoned Lothar forward and said to him, "Tell the rest of these idiots that the plan is off."

If Lothar was surprised by the sudden change in his father's plan he gave no indication of it, instead he merely asked "Are you sure? You do not wish to tell Lord Bolton?"

Walder snorted and said "Yes I am sure, and no don't tell Bolton let him face dragon fire on his own. I will not have our house suffer the wrath of the north nor that bloody big dragon of King Jon's simply to benefit Tywin Lannister."

Lothar limed down the steps and began shouting the change of plan, the wedding would go ahead without incident and if Lord Bolton felt the need to do something rash then it would be on his head.

The weddings themselves passed by without incident in the sept of the Twins, Walder felt relieved when he saw Lords Stark and Tully drape two of his girls in their respective family cloaks and then as they made their way to the great hall for the wedding feast he saw his son Perwyn draped in white, and felt relieved that he had called off the massacre. He did not wish to cause harm to any of his children, especially not Perwyn now that he had made a name for himself, Walder felt oddly proud seeing his son draped in Kingsguard white for a king who would more than likely be sitting the Iron Throne at the end of this war.

The feast also passed by without incident, and when it came time for the beddings, Walder encouraged the revelry though he noted that Lord Bolton seemed to have disappeared from the feast half way through, he wondered at that what that man could be plotting now. When all the men and women apart from himself, King Jon and Ser Barristan had left the hall either to help with the bedding or back to their own rooms, Walder gave a sigh of relief.

He turned to look at King Jon and said "Well that's out of the way then eh. When will you be marching north then Your Grace?"

King Jon was silent for a moment before he said "In two days time, we must needs take Moat Cailin from the Ironborn before we can march on Winterfell."

Walder could hear the sadness in the King's voice and for one odd moment remembered what it was like being a young man though he could not imagine what it must be like to be a young man with the weight of the kingdoms on your shoulders. So he found himself giving King Jon some advice as well as words of caution. "Your Grace, I am surprised that you have not heard but Moat Cailin no longer has any Ironborn residents. Your Ser Rodrik took it back from them two moons ago."

King Jon looked at him then and asked "How is that you know this and I do not?"

Walder chuckled and said "Because I sent men to help your Ser Rodrik, and one of them sent word to me. I had thought one of your lords would have told you by now. I did send word to Riverrun when I heard."

King Jon was silent for a moment; though Walder knew why King Jon had not seen the raven he wanted to see if the King could figure it out for himself. Walder was not disappointed as next the king said, "There is a traitor in my ranks is there not Lord Walder. Someone who was not in this feast for very long."

Walder nodded his head and laughed and said "Very good you grace. Now I also know that it was not the Ironborn who neither sacked Winterfell nor killed your cousins, it was Bolton's Bastard."

He heard King Jon breathe deeply and continued, "I had men fighting to relieve Winterfell, and one of them came back a few days before you arrived and told me of how Ser Cassel slew Balon Greyjoy and was winning the battle at the Hunter's Gate but of how Ramsay Snow attacked him from the rear and captured him and then broke the gates of Winterfell open and put it to the torch."

He heard King Jon inhale deeply, and then heard him ask the question that Walder Frey had been dying for since he'd seen King Jon arrive on the back off the massive dragon. "Does Lord Bolton know of this?"

Walder laughed and said "Oh to be sure Your Grace. Why he orchestrated the whole thing himself, with the help of Lord Ryswell. You see your grace, Lord Bolton is as much a snake as a leech and snakes tend to do others favours for them."

King Jon looked at him then and said "Thank you for telling me this Lord Walder; I shall not forget when King's Landing is mine."

Sansa

Jon and Robb had been gone for two weeks now, they had marched north with her uncle Edmure, first to see Robb and Edmure married and then onto take back the north from the Ironborn and to avenged Bran and Rickon. She still found it hard to believe that anyone would want to kill innocent children which Bran and Rickon were, when Jon had told her of their deaths she had cried herself silly and Jon had held onto her so tightly not saying anything but simply holding her. She had felt something in her heart tear when he had told her and then seeing him off as he rode away on Serrax made her feel like a part of her was missing. She missed Jon dearly; she missed his laugh and his ever so rare smiles, that were only for her. He had told her to wait for him and that once the North was rid of the Ironborn it would be onto King's Landing and then there would be no more fighting, he promised her that and Sansa had sent him away with a promise that when he returned she would be there for him.

Life went on though, Riverrun needed to be run and in her uncle Edmure's absence, her mother and her great uncle Ser Brynden had taken to running the castle since her grandfather Lord Hoster was still so unwell. Since she was now Jon's wife and Queen she had attended most if not all of the meetings that her great uncle and mother held with the other Riverlords who were still in Riverrun and some of the Dornish Lords such as Lord Yronwood. She found that the meetings were often tedious and could be quite boring with the Lords often simply complaining of other Lord's suggestions simply to make themselves feel more important, she did not know how Jon managed to do this and not lose his mind.

She also spent more time with Arya than she had when they had lived in Winterfell. After hearing of Bran and Rickon's deaths, their mother had become very withdrawn and it had taken both Arya and Sansa to make her come out of her shell and be the person Sansa saw now. Arya of course was very angry and Sansa was relieved to some extent that Lady Brienne was on hand to spar with Arya now that Robb and Jon were gone, Arya seemed to have become quite the fighter yet there was still an innocence to her and innocence to herself also Sansa thought that she knew Jon hoped to keep.

Sansa was trying her best to be a good queen, though it was hard not to snap when all she could think about was Jon and Robb and how they were away fighting yet another battle, and the fact that she might never see them again. She found that she increasingly spent time in Riverrun's godswood praying to the old gods her father and Jon's gods to keep Robb and Jon safe, to keep the rest of her family safe, and praying for Joffrey's defeat. She almost felt sorry for Margaery Tyrell, the poor girl would have to marry Joffrey soon and be subject to his moods and tantrums. She sincerely hoped that Ser Loras, Margaery's brother would be able to protect her as best as she could, though she wondered if Cersei Lannister would let her son be as abusive to her as he had been to Sansa, considering that Joffrey's crown depended on the Tyrell alliance. She still remembered how angry Jon had gotten when he had seen the scars on her back from all the times Joffrey had had her beaten. She had been scared that he would not wish to touch her with all her scars, but he had yet again proved himself to be twice the man Joffrey was, when instead of being repulsed by them he had kissed them each softly and slowly. He was so good to her, Sansa hoped that she could as good to him, and she knew that having missed her moon's blood that perhaps, she hoped she could give Jon a child when he returned to her and the fighting was over.

Sansa was brought out of her day dreaming when she saw Ser Brynden walking towards her with two people trailing close behind her. She gave a gasp of surprise as she saw who the man was. Theon had changed remarkably since she had last seen him, his dark hair had withered to grey, and his lean figure was skin and bones now clearly his injuries had been more severe than first thought. Sansa did not recognise the woman who was with him though she did seem quite pretty, with her chestnut curls and heart shaped face. She wondered who she could be and why she was with Theon. It seemed she was about to get her answers for Ser Brynden stopped in front of her and bowed and then said "Your Grace, I present to you Theon Greyjoy and Lady Jeyne Westerling. They have come to seek an audience with you."

Sansa smiled and said "It is good to see you again Theon. We had received word of your valiant fighting at the Crag and of your subsequent injuries it is good to see you better. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Theon stepped forward and spoke, "Your Grace I have come to Riverrun to repledge my sword to his grace King Jon and to serve him as best as I can, in his fight to win the Iron Throne."

Sansa nodded and then turned to look at Lady Jeyne who up until that point had been quiet. "And what brings you to Riverrun Lady Jeyne. I would have thought you would stay with your family in the Crag after my husband and brother left. Unless you have married Theon?"

That drew some chuckles from the assembled lords and made Theon and Jeyne both blush fiercely. Though Jeyne spoke confidently "I have come not because I am married to Theon your grace, but because I wish to speak with Lord Stark."

The whole room began muttering at her words, and Sansa felt something akin to dread begin to pool up in her stomach. Why would this girl wish to speak to Robb? What had Robb done to her that deserved her coming all the way from the Westerlands? Trying to fight down the nerves she felt Sansa spoke in a clear voice. "Unfortunately my brother and his grace King Jon have had to ride north to deal with the Ironborn threat. My brother will have also married a Frey of the Crossing by now. But I can still hear what you have to say on behalf of my brother if you like?"

She saw Jeyne flush with embarrassment and heard her stutter "I am afraid I must refuse Your Grace. What I have come to say to Lord Stark is for his ears only."

That drew more muttering from the room, and it took Ser Brynden shouting for quiet before the room became quiet. Sansa tried to keep her face as expressionless as possible as she said "Very well then my lady. You may stay here for as long as you wish. Utheredes will show to your room."

As Lady Jeyne thanked her and was shown to her room, Sansa looked at Theon and sighed. Technically because his father had invaded the north and had broken the terms of the treaty he had agreed to with her father and King Robert, Theon's life was forfeit. But Balon Greyjoy was dead, and Robb and Jon were off north, and Theon had fought back from the brink of death to come to Riverrun. She knew not what to do and said, "What am I to do with you Theon? Your father invaded my home, and sacked it. But he is dead now, and so by rights you are Lord of the Iron Islands, and Robb and Jon's friend to boot."

Theon said nothing for a moment and then spoke "Whatever you wish for me to do your grace I shall do it. "

Sansa sighed that was the problem what was she to have Theon do. She said "Until his grace and Lord Stark return you shall stay in Riverrun and help around the castle."

Theon bowed and said "Thank you your grace, you shall not regret your decision."

Sansa nodded then called an end to the meeting, as she watched the lords and Theon walk out the room she could only hope that she would not regret what she had just done.

Varys

King's Landing was a city filled to the brim with people fleeing from the war torn Riverlands. People seeking refuge in the capital, which did not yet realised that the more they flocked to the capital the more people there were for the Lannisters to kill when King Jon eventually took the city. Varys knew that King Jon was moving north to deal with the Ironborn that still held some of the castles there, he also knew that Lord Bolton had been in contact with Tywin Lannister about possibly betraying King Jon at Lord Stark's wedding, though from what his sources in King Jon's army reported, no such betrayal had happened, apparently Lord Walder had gotten cold feet after seeing King Jon arrive in the Twins on the back of his dragon Serrax.

Of course there was not all good news for Varys, his little birds in the Eyrie reported that Littlefinger had arrived there some three days ago and had subsequently proposed to Lysa Arryn, their wedding was set to be in a few days time, though much to the chagrin of her bannermen particularly Lord Royce and a new group of dissidents calling themselves the Lords Declarant of the Vale who wished for Littlefinger to be gone. Varys did allow himself a small chuckle when he heard of that, Littlefinger did always have a habit of making people hate him. Though the one thing that did worry Varys was that Littlefinger would more than likely ask Lysa Arryn to write to Lord Royce at Harrenhal and demand that he bend the knee to Joffrey and surrender up Harrenhal. If Lord Royce did do that, then King Jon's cause was as good as lost, for the Valemen were the only thing preventing Mace Tyrell and Mathis Rowan from marching their combined forces onto Riverrun and laying siege to it.

It was with these thoughts going through his head that Varys entered the small council chamber and listened as Lord Tywin once again spoke about possible marriages for his children Queen Cersei and Lord Tyrion. Varys knew and always felt like saying to Lord Tywin that it was no good in trying to cajole Cersei into marrying anyone else as the only person she wished to marry was currently rotting in a cell in Riverrun. Lord Tyrion on the other hand it seemed wished to marry someone though Varys knew that that someone was actually a whore, who was in Varys' pay. Varys also knew that the passageway that led to Chataya's the brothel, underneath the Tower of the Hand had been built at roughly the same time as Lord Tywin had been Hand and had lost his wife, so he did wonder if Lord Tywin used the passage or not.

Of course he kept these thoughts to himself as he spoke about what his little birds had told him. He always felt a delicious sense of triumph whenever he spoke in these small council meetings for ever since Robert Baratheon had become king he had spoke in half truths, giving enough to the other small council members to make them feel as if he was on their side whilst all the while working against them to ensure the full truth came to fruition. Today was one such instance as he talked about how Danaerys Targaryen had been seen in Pentos by one of his little birds and how she was apparently trying to buy a fleet to take her back to Westeros. This was met by much deriding by Lord Tywin, Lord Tyrion, Cersei and Grand Maester Pycelle all of whom were of the opinion that the girl with no army and nothing to offer any potential sailors was not like to be approaching Westeros anytime soon, but what they did not know nor did Varys care to enlighten them was that Danaerys Targaryen had with her two dragons who if what his sources said were true, were almost as big as Vhagar and Meraxes had been during the conquest. Sufficient enough to warrant allegiance from many sellsword companies and captains of ships, and if she allied with King Jon then there would be three dragons in the field and another field of fire. The House Lannister would crumble and the Targaryens would be back on the Iron Throne.

When talked turned to King Jon and his movements, Varys noted that Lord Tywin seemed to be trying to hide a smug little smile for of course he thought that Lord Walder and Lord Bolton would have ridden him of King Jon and Lords Stark and Tully in one night. What Varys did not tell him though was that Lord Walder had not been the one to tell King Jon of the plot that Lord Tywin had concocted, nor did he tell him that Lord Bolton would more than likely be burning to ash as he spoke. When he spoke of King Jon's marriage to the Lady Sansa that was when things began to turn interesting. Cersei began to throw around various suggestions as to what to do with her all of them included her dying. Lord Tywin Varys noted remained calm an unreadable expression on his face throughout, until finally he said, "Contact a sorrowful man, and have them attack Sansa Stark. We kill her, we kill King Jon's hopes of an heir."

Varys made all the noises to suggest he would do as commanded but secretly he planned on sending a warning to Queen Sansa in Riverrun warning her to be careful of whom she talked to and trusted and to be careful of Lady Jeyne Westerling and her motives. For he knew that the Westerlings were plotting with Lord Tywin to try and ensnare Lord Stark, to incite the Starks downfall, and Varys was determined not to let that happen.

Varys gave one last piece of news that seemed to make the whole council chamber happy. "My lords, Your Grace, my sources on Dragonstone confirm that Stannis Baratheon has finally left Dragonstone. He sails for Maidenpool. He means to attack King Jon."

Danaerys

Pentos was just as big and as grand as she remembered it. The last time she had been in the city had been before she had married Khal Drogo. Now she was back in the city to speak with Magister Illyrio about her nephew and to find ships that could take her home. Her dragons Viserion and Rhaegal had grown very quickly during her travels in the Red Waste and were big enough to ride now, but Dany wished to bring an army with her if she was to help her nephew reclaim what was rightfully theirs.

Magister Illyrio greeted her on the steps to her manse and gave her the usual courtesies about what a pleasure and honour it was to host her though she noticed that he did look at her dragons with a mixture of awe and fear. Good let him feat them, he shall know what will happen to him if he does not speak the truth. Dany thought.

She spent the next few hours talking to him about her travels through the Red Waste as he updated her on news from Westeros telling her about the war between the Lannisters and he nephew. When he spoke of her nephew he called him His Grace and there was a slight look of awe and reverence whenever he spoke of him. Dany was curious as to what could have won her nephew this Jon Targaryen so much reverence from the cheesemonger and so when she asked him this he laughed and said that her nephew had yet to lose a battle and had with him a dragon called Serrax that was as black as night and as big if not bigger than Balerion the Black Dread.

He then asked after her plans, and when she told him that she meant to sail for Westeros, he introduced her to man called Harry Strickland commander of the Golden Company. She remembered when Viserys had feasted the captains of the Golden Company all those years ago and how they had shared meat and mead with him and laughed at him, how tides had changed she thought. If Viserys had her dragons then it would be him talking to Harry Strickland not her. But she listened as Harry Strickland told her that the Golden Company was ready to set sail at a moment's notice all 10,000 of them to wherever she wished them to go. As Dany thought about what he said, she asked Illyrio where her nephew was currently and he told her that he was in Riverrun the seat of House Tully. Danaerys made up her mind turning to Harry Strickland she said "Tell your men to be ready for two days time. We shall sail for Westeros then. For I have a nephew to meet and a kingdom to help win."