Chapter 292: The Flayed Wedding

Chapter 292: Chapter 277: The Flayed Wedding

The silhouette of The Twins gradually became clear in the field of vision.

The towering twin towers stood on both banks of the Green Fork, connected by that famous arched bridge.

On the city walls, flags fluttered in the cooling wind.

The Frey twin towers banner, the Bolton flayed man banner, and…

Robb’s gaze froze.

At the highest point, a direwolf banner was struggling to fly under the lead-gray sky.

It was true.

Roose Bolton was indeed here, having raised the banner of the North.

This was the only piece of good news Robb had heard since the disastrous defeat in The Riverlands and his reunion with Arya.

With this banner raised, The Twins became a beacon for the scattered remnants of the North and The Riverlands.

Along the way, he had gathered many scattered Soldiers, growing from the few hundred loyalists he started with to nearly a thousand men now by his side.

However, this hope was quickly shattered.

On the riverbank outside The Twins, two groups of men were standing in a tense standoff.

One side flew black and white banners; they were the House Vance of Wayfarer’s Rest.

The other side was House Dustin of Barrowton in the North. The leader, whom Robb vaguely recognized, was none other than Lady Barbrey Dustin, known for her fierce temperament.

Together, the two sides likely numbered over two thousand, and a conflict was on the verge of breaking out.

Robb frowned and spurred his horse to speed up.

As he drew closer, the content of the argument became clearly audible.

“…Who was it that mocked us Riverlanders for being weak and needing you Northern warriors to save us?”

“And now? Aren’t you also fleeing like rabbits under the iron hooves of the Targaryen?”

“Bullshit!” Barbrey’s voice was as sharp as a blade. “If it weren’t for you soft Riverlanders, would we have ended up like this?”

“We marched south to avenge Lord Eddard! It was your pleading that kept us trapped in this damn quagmire!”

“We pleaded? What good deeds have you Northmen done here? Once the army scattered, you pillaged villages everywhere. How are you any different from bandits?”

“Our supplies were cut off. If we don’t rob, are we supposed to starve to death?”

Seeing the war of words escalating, the Soldiers on both sides placed their hands on their weapons.

Robb’s men arrived, breaking up the tense standoff line.

“What is going on?” Robb reined in his horse, his voice weary but carrying unquestionable authority.

Upon seeing that it was actually Robb, Lord Vance spoke up first in accusation, pointing at Barbrey and the Northern Soldiers behind her.

“Your Grace, since the army scattered, the villages and civilians of The Riverlands have been repeatedly pillaged by stragglers.”

“To protect the civilians, we lords of The Riverlands came forward to reason with Lady Dustin, but Lady Barbrey not only refused to punish those stragglers but instead shielded them and brought troops to confront us.”

Barbrey immediately retorted, her face filled with the anger of being humiliated:

“The war here never belonged to us Northmen. We have bled, sweated, and suffered heavy casualties here for the interests of you Riverland softies.”

“Now, we are merely collecting some supplies, yet these Riverlanders call us bandits!”

Listening to this, a great sense of powerlessness welled up in Robb’s heart.

He looked at Barbrey: “Regardless of the circumstances, attacking civilians and pillaging villages is certainly not what Northern warriors should do. Restrain your men immediately.”

Barbrey’s expression darkened, a flash of reluctance in her eyes, but she finally lowered her head: “…Yes, Your Grace.”

He turned to Lord Vance, his tone softening slightly: “Lord Vance, the situation is difficult, and all sides have their hardships. Now that I am here, I will naturally restore military discipline.”

“The North and The Riverlands need to stand together now more than ever.”

Neither side was particularly satisfied with this compromise, but Robb’s authority remained, and the atmosphere was finally suppressed for the time being.

Just then, the gates of The Twins opened again, and a troop of cavalry galloped out.

The leader was none other than Roose Bolton.

He wore deep gray chainmail and a cloak, his complexion the usual pale, his expression calm, carrying a hint of just the right amount of relief.

“Your Grace!” He reined in his horse in front of Robb and bowed slightly. “It is a great fortune that you are safe and sound. Please, Your Grace, enter the city first, and we can discuss further.”

Robb nodded. Everyone turned their horses and headed toward The Twins. The troops were clearly divided, with the Northern men and the Riverland men following far behind, an invisible barrier permeating between them.

Roose Bolton rode alongside Robb, speaking in that flat, emotionless voice: “Your Grace has arrived at just the right time. In the past few days, as more troops have gathered in the city, several such conflicts have already occurred.”

“I was truly at a loss, fearing that improper handling would lead to infighting, so I had to keep the gates closed and wait. It is fortunate that Your Grace arrived in time.”

Robb gave an “mm,” his gaze casting once again toward the direwolf banner on the city wall.

He suddenly spoke: “Walder Frey is quite generous. Previously, he blocked the crossing and demanded a high price, but now that the North has just been defeated, he has instead opened the gates and raised the Stark banner… This change is a bit sudden.”

Roose Bolton showed a bitter smile.

“Your Grace is perceptive. This matter… it is a matter of helplessness.” He lowered his voice. “At that time, my detachment was surrounded in the heart of the Targaryen territory, cut off from outside news, and only managed to escape after a bitter fight.”

“When we broke out, we learned the main force had been defeated. I led the remnants back to The Twins, intending to gather the stragglers and inquire about Your Grace’s whereabouts.”

“But that Walder Frey, he closed the crossing and demanded an exorbitant price. My nearly eight thousand Soldiers were running out of provisions, with the fear of pursuers behind us and a natural barrier ahead…”

He looked at Robb, his pale eyes seemingly holding a hint of humiliation: “To secure a chance of survival for the army and to be able to raise the banner here to wait for Your Grace, I had to bow to Walder Frey and agree to his request for marriage. Now, I am his grandson-in-law.”

He twitched his mouth self-deprecatingly: “To think that in my middle age, I have become someone’s grandson-in-law… It is truly undignified. But for the greater good, for the North, I had no choice.”

Listening to this, the doubts in Robb’s heart gradually melted away.

So that was it. To preserve this army and to raise the banner to wait for him, Bolton had to endure such “humiliation.”

He even felt a bit guilty for having doubted Bolton’s loyalty just moments ago.

“Lord Roose.” Robb’s voice softened. “You have preserved this force for the North; this is no small achievement. The matter of the marriage… I have wronged you.”

“For Your Grace, a little personal humiliation is nothing.”

Roose shook his head slightly and changed the subject. “However, taking advantage of this marriage, I have discussed a matter with Lord Walder. My wedding to House Frey will be held in a few days.”

“At that time, in the name of the wedding, I will invite all the lords and generals of the North and The Riverlands gathered near The Twins to attend the feast.”

He looked at Robb, a shrewd light flashing in his eyes: “During the wedding, The Twins will be open to all attendees, and the restrictions on the crossing will be temporarily lifted.”

“Your Grace, this is an opportunity. When the wedding ends, the various troops can safely return to the North from the other side of the crossing under the guise of congratulating and leaving.”

“This… can be considered the path to survival I have traded for our Northern people with this marriage.”

A path to survival.

Robb’s heart shook.

So behind Bolton’s submission lay such a far-reaching plan. He had not only preserved the army and raised the banner but also used the marriage to pry open a path home for all the Northern remnants trapped in The Riverlands.

“Lord Roose… I do not know how to thank you.” Robb’s voice was a bit dry.

“Your Grace is too kind; this is my duty.” Roose Bolton lowered his head humbly.

During the conversation, they had passed through the gate and entered The Twins.

Robb looked up and saw the shadow of the main keep looming over them, and at the highest point of the main keep, the direwolf banner was fluttering lonely beside the twin towers banner of House Frey.

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