While Benjen was telling Jon about Lord Eddard's fate in King's Landing, Jon's brother Robb Stark had already led the Northern Allied Forces to the vicinity of The Twins.
By this time, Catelyn Tully had already left the Vale, and after learning of Robb's movements, she rushed over and met the Northern Allied Forces near The Twins.
Originally, the Northern Allied Forces should have already reached The Twins, but because the weather was bad when they passed through the Neck, it rained heavily several times, which not only made the roads incredibly muddy but also directly raised the water level of the swamp by more than a meter, submerging the roads. This forced the Northern Allied Forces to rest for a few days in the castle of Moat Cailin before continuing their journey.
At this time, bad news also came from the south: Lord Tywin had completely occupied Harrenhal and its surrounding areas. It was impossible for the Northern Allied Forces to cross the Trident River via the southern bridges and take the Riverlands Road to support Riverrun.
"We can cross the Green Fork River, go through Seagard and Stony Sept, and follow the coastline to cross the Trident River and directly reach Riverrun," Daisy said, pointing to a crude map on the table and drawing an arc on it. "Prince Linde took this route when he put down the Iron Islands rebellion back then."
"How do we cross the Green Fork River?" Rickard asked in a deep voice.
"Naturally, we go through The Twins," Daisy said.
"The Freys of The Twins won't just let us pass. We are not Prince Linde Terra," Roose Bolton shook his head slightly and said, "After Prince Linde forcefully passed through The Twins back then, Old Walder has continuously reinforced and heightened the city walls over the years, and also deployed a large number of defensive weapons on them. Although we have tens of thousands of troops, it's impossible for us to forcibly break through The Twins. Moreover, if we attack The Twins, the Westerlands army would come north along the Kings Road and sandwich us with The Twins, putting us at risk of annihilation." He then looked at Daisy and said, "Perhaps Lady Daisy, you could use your past connection with Prince Linde..."
"No," Daisy unhesitatingly refused Roose Bolton's suggestion, saying, "I am now Daisy Mormont, Countess of Bear Island in the North, not the army commander of Summerhall. I cannot act under any name of Prince Linde again."
Everyone in the tent looked at the resolute Daisy, saying nothing, but it was clear they were dissatisfied with her decision.
Catelyn suggested, "Let me go talk to Old Walder. Perhaps I can get him to open a path for us."
Robb looked at his mother, considered it for a moment, and finally nodded. However, he did not let Catelyn go to The Twins alone, but instead had Daisy accompany her.
Catelyn and Daisy arrived below The Twins, and the guards immediately reported to Old Walder.
"To send Daisy Mormont along, is this an attempt to pressure me using Linde Terra?" Old Walder's face showed an angry expression. The scene of being suppressed by Lynd back then resurfaced in his mind, making him feel deeply humiliated.
Stivren Frey, who was beside him, said softly, "I don't think the North has that intention. After all, Daisy has already separated from Summerhall."
Unlike Old Walder, who felt deeply humiliated by that experience, Stivren Frey, on the other hand, considered the memory of the campaign against the Iron Islands rebellion to be one of his proudest memories.
Although he was also coerced by Lynd into joining the expedition back then, this made him a part of that legendary battle. To this day, he still remembers how Lynd decisively annihilated those Iron Islands rebels, and that campaign was written into songs by bards, sung endlessly in various taverns. His name was also repeatedly mentioned in the songs, which made him more prestigious than Old Walder.
"Has your brain dried up like your hair? To actually think that Daisy Mormont has separated from Summerhall," Old Walder glared fiercely at his son and said, "Saying he won't interfere in the Seven Kingdoms' struggle, but in reality, secretly manipulating a pawn like Daisy Mormont to participate in this war. Our Prince Linde is very cunning indeed!"
"So what do we do now?" Stivren's grandson, Edwyn Frey, couldn't help but ask.
"Since Linde Terra pretends not to get involved, we naturally have to go along with his wishes. We don't need to pay attention to Daisy Mormont; we can just focus on dealing with Stark," Old Walder thought for a moment and said in a deep voice, "Go! Go welcome our guests in. We will have a good talk with them."
A negotiation critical to the outcome of the North and the Westerlands unfolded within The Twins. The confident Frey family consistently held the upper hand in the negotiations. Lady Catelyn's only bargaining chips, apart from her own identity, were Daisy Mormont. However, Daisy did not participate, nor did she use her past identity in Summerhall to pressure the Frey family. Instead, she stood silently on the side like a true guard.
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