The Twins was filled with joy at this time.
The twin towers spanning the Green Fork were cleaned inside and out. Old Walder, no, Duke Walder, was so pleased that he even rewarded each guard with a silver stag and each maid with a new ribbon.
After six hundred years, the Frey Family finally tasted what it was like to be a Duke. From now on, they would no longer need to pay taxes to Riverrun, nor would they have to answer Riverrun's call in times of war. They would report directly to the iron throne!
Having become a close Family to the King, Stannis announced that the future City Watch would heavily recruit members of the Frey Family, and even a seat on the Small Council was not an unattainable goal.
This taste of power was like a rich red wine, bringing a long-lost flush to the face of ninety-something Old Walder.
In the study, the incense couldn't quite mask the old man's stale scent. Rhaegar Frey stood respectfully before his father, reporting the final news from King's Landing.
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"————In short, His Majesty has decreed a marriage alliance: Jon Snow will be betrothed to Young Miss Margaery Tyrell."
"Tyrell————" Old Walder stroked the newly carved ducal crest with his withered fingers, his cloudy eyes showing no emotion.
"I can still remember the first time that boy came to Riverrun, sitting behind Robb, it was as if he had just arrived that morning. I was going to marry him to any of my bastard daughters, thirty, forty, widowed, fat, ugly. If he dared to refuse, hmphh————" Old Walder's eyes glazed over, as if returning to the day Robb led his army south.
"This boy has risen too quickly; in the blink of an eye, he's my equal." Thinking of this, Old Walder felt that his newly carved seal was
With a clang, he casually tossed the seal onto the table, where it rolled halfway before coming to a stop.
Old Walder looked at the seal, eventually picking it up. He paused, his tone as calm as if discussing tomorrow's weather: "What about Roslin? Does she know?"
"She should have————received the letter a few days ago." Rhaegar Frey's voice lowered. He had heard people say that Roslin had been almost a recluse these past few days, and the meals sent to her often went untouched. He was an experienced man and could guess the situation with fair accuracy.
"Call her in." Old Walder's command was simple and direct.
When Roslin entered, she was like a leaf blown in by the autumn wind.
She had lost a lot of weight, her once well-fitting dress now seemed loose, and her eyelids were slightly swollen, but she still forced herself to bow and softly called out, "Father, Brother."
After all, she was a sister nearly forty years his junior, whom he had seen since childhood, so Rhaegar Frey couldn't help but feel a pang of pity. Old Walder, too, was uncharacteristically amiable: "Did you receive that boy's letter?"
Roslin abruptly pressed her lips together, as if to stifle the sob that threatened to escape. She nodded hard, her delicate chin trembling slightly.
Under normal circumstances, this would be an utterly rude gesture, but now, neither Rhaegar Frey nor Old Walder found fault with her.
"He said————he was very sorry." She spoke almost in a whisper, and tears finally rolled down silently.
She immediately wiped them away with the back of her hand, as if it were an impropriety.
Old Walder looked at her, as if evaluating the last remaining value of an item. After a long while, he sighed, a sigh with little warmth, more a decision made after careful consideration.
"Child," he used a rare gentle word, which sent a chill down Roslin's spine, "How has the Family treated you?"
Roslin was stunned, subconsciously replying, "————Riverrun gave me life and raised me."
"Then, now the Family needs you to make a small————sacrifice." Old Walder's tone made it sound as if he were asking her to give up a dessert.
"You are my most beautiful daughter. I originally intended to marry you to Robb, but that fellow broke his word. I also promised to marry you to Jon, and I believe he would have been willing; it would have been a beautiful match, but alas, the gods did not favor the Frey Family."
Roslin lowered her head. She understood these reasons Old Walder spoke of, so her head dropped even lower.
"As for the Florents? They would only feel humiliated. Other families? They wouldn't dare, nor would they look favorably upon it. And the Tully Family is even more out of the question." Old Walder's analysis was cold and precise. "Marrying you far away would be of no benefit to the Family, especially at this time."
Rhaegar stood nearby, head bowed, not daring to look at his sister. His lips moved, but in the end, he swallowed his words.
In this house, Old Walder's will was law. Most importantly, in Riverrun, Old Walder had no shortage of sons. If he wanted to become Duke of Riverrun or secure greater benefits for himself, he needed to please Old Walder.
"Then————what should I do?" Roslin's voice trembled with despair, yet also held a flicker of hope. She looked at Old Walder, even though her intuition told her that this cold father would not offer her any warmth, but he was, after all, her only direct blood relative.
Old Walder leaned forward, lowering his voice, and uttered the decision he had already made: "Follow him."
Roslin suddenly looked up, her eyes filled with confusion.
"Be his mistress." Old Walder calmly spoke these words, as if saying, "The weather is quite nice today."
The study fell into a deathly silence. Roslin could clearly hear her own heartbeat. She felt frozen, even her tears seemed to halt on her cheeks.
"He is about to become warden of the west. Casterly Rock might not be taken, but this boy is practically invincible in battle; conquering half of the Westerlands will be no problem then. The Westerlands have so many gold and silver mines. If you follow him, you can at least enjoy wealth and live in the warm South, instead of wasting away your life in this gloomy Riverrun." Old Walder painted a 'beautiful' future for her. "If you can bear his child————that child will have Stark and Frey blood flowing through them. Even a bastard might secure a territory in the future. This is a thousand times better than marrying some country knight."
Old Walder packaged the cruelest arrangement with the most realistic benefits.
"Is this————an order, Father?" Roslin's voice was as light as a feather.
"This is for the Family, and it's your best way out." Old Walder didn't answer directly, but the meaning was clear.
At this moment, Rhaegar Frey spoke again: "Little sister, you don't have to be so pessimistic. Jon's conquest of the Westerlands can make him our future ally. The Frey Family will also send troops to help. Moreover, our Riverrun is located between Winterfell and Riverrun, making us an indispensable ally for Stannis and Jon. Although you won't gain the status of a legitimate wife, your treatment won't be much lower than Margaery's. Besides, men, they get tired of looking at the same face all day. On the contrary, if you don't see him often, he'll always miss you." Rhaegar Frey comforted her. While Old Walder started from cold self-interest, Rhaegar Frey offered comfort from a relatively gentler emotional perspective.
After hearing her brother's 'comfort,' Roslin stood motionless. She didn't cry or argue; she simply lowered her head again, gazing at the delicate embroidery on her skirt, allowing shame, secret delight, bitterness, and various other emotions to tear at her heart.
After what felt like an eternity, she finally lifted her head, her face devoid of expression, like an exquisite porcelain doll.
"I understand, Father." She said softly, her voice heartbreakingly docile. "I will————try to approach him and win his favor."
She even curtsied slightly, performing a perfect bow. "If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."
Voluntarily asking to leave was her last small act of defiance.
Old Walder didn't find fault with her either, nodding gently.
Roslin turned and walked out of the study step by step, her back straight, yet exuding a sense of dead silence.
Back in the cold, empty corridor, she leaned against the stone wall, barely able to stand. A tremendous sense of humiliation and the powerlessness of fate washed over her like a tide. She felt no anger, only deep exhaustion and resignation.
"He won dignity and status with his sword," she thought blankly. Roslin wasn't stupid; she knew what Old Walder's intention was when he first introduced her, the most beautiful girl in the Frey Family, alongside her other sisters.
At that time, she was merely carrying out Old Walder's orders; she didn't think there was any possibility between her and Jon.
No one could have imagined that in just over half a year, a bastard who could be manipulated at will had risen to become a Duke! This was simply a mythical tale.
The song Jon sang to her back then was still relevant now, except their positions had reversed.
Now she was the one who had to face the disparity.
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