Chapter 18: CH 18 The New WorldChapter Text
Chapter 18 The New World
Jaime Lannister
The days weighed heavily on him. The bad weather didn't help as well. The ride to the Westerlands had been hard but thankfully, uneventful in the physical sense, no bandit attacks, no Lannister haters braying for his blood. Emotionally, was another case entirely. The heaviness had lessened when they entered the Westerlands and reached the Deep Den, Lord Lewys Lydden had welcomed them and wanted them to rest. He'd also given him the best news he'd had since they'd awoken in the past. Tyrion was the undisputed Lord of Casterly Rock now. He'd been tempted to relax and enjoy the lord's offer but instead he taken more men from the Lord and forced ahead to the Rock...though not before sending a raven to Tyrion.
And now here they were at Casterly Rock.
Home.
Too many emotions threatened to overwhelm his already tremulant psyche. The emotional strain had lessened after that first difficult conversation with Myrcella and Tommen.
Gods...when she was mad, Myrcella looked so much like Cersei it hurt.
It had gotten better, Myrcella had been talking to him again after the revelations about Cersei, Tommen had even become more animated, the sullenness abating a bit.
It hadn't lasted long though. Both Myrcella and Jaime had believed that Tommen knew the truth about his lineage.
He hadn't.
Tommen had heard the rumors, the accusations of Stannis and Ned Stark, but he hadn't believed them. They'd been lies, nothing but lies.
It had been a shock when that truth came out...to say the least.
The boy had exploded with a rage that had shocked Jaime and Myrcella. The boy had a spine...it just took a lot to reach it. He'd screamed and cursed Jaime. He rushed him and started to beat him with his hands...but he'd only succeeded in bruising his hands because Jaime had still been in his armour at the time.
Jaime had retreated, leaving Tommen to his sister. After a lot of time, Myrcella had calmed him down, but...ever since then, he could see it in Tommen's eyes...he despised him now.
The emotional stress hadn't bated as the ride to Casterly Rock went on...but at least Myrcella still loved him. He'd had too much time on his hands and despite the real threat that was probably brewing in King's Landing, his thoughts had invariably strayed to Brienne. She was alive again and he had no idea where she was...never mind if she remembered as well.
He sighed heavily.
He was home again, in the relative safety of Casterly Rock. Tommen and Myrcella were safe and alive...even if Tommen hated him now.
He and his men passed though the gates of Casterly Rock, there were men assembled in the courtyard. Standing at the head of the assembled men, stood his brother Tyrion Lannister, resplendent in Lannister red, golden lions covering his clothes. The Imp of Casterly Rock, no longer. Now he was the Lord of Casterly Rock, Warden and Lord Paramount of the Westerlands.
Jaime's horse approached and slowed to a halt in front of Tyrion.
Tyrion looked up at him and smiled happily, "Welcome home, brother."
Jaime smiled back, "It's good to be home."
xoxoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxoxoxox
Tyrion had taken over Father's solar. The talks started just like Jaime imagined, and much to his surprise Tyrion didn't have any answers as to why the plan had changed, he was still waiting for a reply from Winterfell.
Uncle Kevan was there giving him alternating disappointed and angry looks, cousin Daven looked a little tired but at least he had a smile on his face for him. Aunt Genna seemed conspicuously absent for some reason. He'd asked about her and the answer had forced him to pity his father. Apparently, she'd been spending a lot of time with father...talking with him or rather at him since the spell changed everything.
As for Tyrion...Tyrion was in his element. Lord of Casterly Rock in name and fact now, while the great Tywin Lannister was locked in his room to stew in his hate. Tyrion's takeover of Casterly Rock had been effortless and with both Uncle Kevan and Aunt Genna as well as Daven backing him the other houses of the Westerlands had not raised an issue.
Jaime was glad that Tyrion was in power now, even if a part of him was a little shocked to have father so easily overcome. It would take time for him to get used to all the changes. It was a new world in the Westerlands now.
At first, Tyrion had listened to Jaime's story of their mad scramble from King's Landing. He'd been overjoyed to hear of Baelish's fate as well as Joffrey's...though he'd tried to keep the latter reaction to himself out of respect to Jaime.
He'd been less happy to hear about Loras Tyrell and Jaime's role in that, Tyrion gulped his wine and remarked in a deadpan that he wished Sam the best of luck when that news reached Highgarden.
The meeting progressed to the state of the Westerlands. Daven was giving Tyrion his report.
"My men arrested Ser Amory Lorch, he's down in the dungeons now." Daven reported.
"Excellent, he can be a gift, though whether to Daenerys or Jon or the Martells, I'll decide later," Tyrion stated evenly, "What about Gregor Clegane?"
Daven grimaced, "We can't find the Mountain. We lost him."
"How can you lose someone that size?" Jaime asked incredulous.
"He and his men were last seen riding east towards the Riverlands. Riding hard," Daven shook his head mournfully.
Tyrion drummed his fingers noisily on the table top as he frowned, "Why the Riverlands? Where is he going?" he held
up a hand forestalling answers, "It doesn't matter. Send out ravens to our bannermen and the nearest Riverland houses, name him a fugitive, I want his head. Anyone that brings me his head will get the Mountain's weight in gold! And my goodwill!"
Daven nodded and left to obey. The meeting continued with news from the Riverlands, an angry raven from Hoster Tully had arrived. It warning them not to try anything as well as confirming the Tully's new allegiance to Jon Targaryen...and Edmure Tully was on his way to deal with the Freys.
Jaime winced, hopefully Edmure would have some good commanders to aid him there. He hadn't been as much of an idiot in the end as before but he was still the same foppish and incompetent Edmure as far as Jaime was concerned.
Uncle Kevan had been upset to learn that Lancel wasn't with them but Tyrion had assured him that he'd find out what happened despite the current turmoil. He'd also asked what Jaime intended to do now that Tyrion had pledged the Westerlands to the Targaryens. He took a gulp of wine as he waited for the answer.
Jaime gave him his answer.
Wine spewed from Kevan's mouth as he turned to stare at Jaime. "House Targaryen? You will pledge yourself to them?"
Jaime shrugged nonchalantly, "Daenerys gave me a full pardon after I explained everything."
"The mad king's daughter pardoned you?" Kevan gaped, giving Jaime a searching gaze.
"I told her why I killed him," Jaime squirmed under Kevan's intense gaze.
"What possible reason could you give her to forgive murdering her father?" Kevan exclaimed incredulous.
Tyrion gave Jaime a long look, "I think this is where you spill that secret. I never could understand why you never shouted it out to everyone you met."
Jaime didn't like being put on the spot but he knew it wasn't a secret anymore. Daenerys knew, Jon knew, Edmure knew, Sansa knew, Arya knew, Bran knew...though Bran knew practically everyone's secrets. He met Kevan's waiting gaze before answering.
"Aerys..." he paused sighing heavily, "Aerys had his Pyromancers place Wildfire under all of King's Landing. He commanded me to bring him father's head...and then he commanded the head Pyromancer to light the Wildfire...to kill everyone and everything in King's Landing." Jaime paused and clenched his jaw angrily as he remembered that terrible day. "It was...too much. I killed the Pyromancer first. Then I killed Aerys."
Kevan's face went white with shock.
"Uncle, you and father were in the city at that time. The whole of the Westerlands army was in the city. The Northern army and all the Lords had entered as well. Hells, Aerys's body was still warm when Ned Stark found me," Jaime explained, putting into words just how bad things could have been.
Kevan turned progressively paler with each of Jaime's words trying to imagine the sheer catastrophe that Jaime had averted by breaking his vow.
Jaime suddenly cocked his head and smirked, "So that day I even saved the life of the indomitable and boring Ned Stark. I'm looking forward to rubbing that in Stark's face when I see him."
Tyrion winced, "Please don't. Things will be tense enough when you met again without adding that." He gave Jaime a dark look.
Jaime smirk only became smugger, "I make no promises."
xoxoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
Brynden Tully
He'd left the Eyrie in disgrace, all Lysa had done under his nose burning in his heart and with Lord Royce's promises ringing in his ears. Royce would care for Robert Arryn as his own son. Free from Lysa's poison...both literally and mentally. The Royces' maester had confirmed the presence of actual poison, afterwards, Lysa's pet maester had been hung as his duplicity was revealed to all. The poison had made Robert Arryn feeble and weak minded and dependent on Lysa and then Baelish. And they had controlled the Vale through him. Without the poison Robert Arryn would grow up to be a true heir of the Vale, worthy of Jon Arryn's legacy.
Jon Arryn. Yet another thing that happened under his nose. Yet again, Lysa and Baelish. Brynden grimaced, he knew that Lysa had always been fragile...but this was madness...she was mad. Family, Duty, Honor...and he'd failed her so completely and utterly.
And the next time he saw Petyr Baelish there would be a reckoning!
He could never make up for his mistakes in the Vale...but maybe he could help Edmure. His nephew had always been and weak and foppish...though with this remembering business and his plea for help, maybe the boy was finally waking up to his mistakes. He could help make a proper man of him.
So here he was riding for the Twins, answering his nephew's plea for help.
Brynden's thoughts turned darker, The Twins, more revelations that Royce gave him. The Red Wedding made his blood boil every single time it crossed his mind! Those godsdamned bloody Freys! Edmure captured, Robb and Cat murdered! He gripped the handle of his sword, his knuckles turning white as he imagined what he would do to Walder when he go to the Twins.
And finally after so many days of riding, he was finally here. He was on the northern shore of the Green Fork, with the Twins finally in sight. He could see men camped around the northern castle. As he approached he could see the flying banners. Manderly and Reed were the northern banners. He could see Arryn and Tollett banners, as well as a couple of Riverland banners belonging to a couple of the lesser houses.
The outriders and sentinels of the camp could see him. The outriders rode up to him. Many of the men looking grim and determined...with an underlying sense of satisfaction.
The meeting went as expected, as soon as he was recognized, calls of the Blackfish, echoed through the camp. And in next to no time, he found himself with an escort through the lines and across the bridge and on his way to Edmure.
The fact that he was crossing the bridge unharassed told him that Edmure, somehow, already had control of the Twins. When the men had told him that the Freys had already surrendered to Edmure that had been a surprise, from Lord Royce's words he'd expected to have to come here and have to help his green nephew lay a proper siege and take the two castles.
He stopped at the beginning of the bridge looking down the length of it. Whatever he had been expecting Edmure to do at the Twins...this macabre display wasn't it.
He spurned his horse, Longshanks, onwards and they rode across the bridge slowly. The bridge of the Twins was decorated with hanging corpses along the length of it. And Brynden recognized enough of the weaselly faces to know that the dead men were all Freys. The corpses were hung at regular intervals, each man still wearing Frey colours in death, with the occasion sigil of the Twins sown into their clothes.
The fact that the corpses were arranged on both sides of the bridge lay as a testament to just how many Freys had been executed. His horse neighed nervously, the smell of death hung upon the bridge. He spurred Longshanks onwards.
He frowned as he neared the middle of the bridge, he had been unsure at first because of the distance, but as he neared his initial assessment was correct. All the bodies were hung from the neck...except one. Nearly in the center, was one corpse that was hung from its feet.
He slowed down as he neared, it was readily apparent why this one was hung by its feet, it had a neck, but...there wasn't much of a head left on the body to support being hung like the others. It looked like someone had taken a warhammer to this Frey's head. Repeatedly.
"It's Black Walder," spoke up one of his escorts, wearing Tollett colours.
Brynden nodded wordlessly, even in the Vale, Black Walder's infamy was know. A disgrace to all knights everywhere, a knighthood bought with his father's silver, and a nasty disposition to boot, he had been his father's son.
Good riddance.
Brynden spurred Longshanks onwards again, Edmure was waiting and he needed explanations, Lord Royce had spoken much but there was more he needed to ask. Questions only his sane kin could answer, Lysa was still raving.
The rest of the distance passed quickly as his escorts led him to what was Edmure's tent. He was led in, into what looked to be a planning session.
He recognized Edmure's good friend, Patrek Mallister, though the heir to Seagard looked to be strained and a little wild eyed, with dark bags under his eyes.
Though if Patrek looked strained, Ser Stevron looked like he'd been talking with the Stranger. It didn't take a genius to realise why the least offensive of the Frey's looked like that.
With them sat Jonos Bracken and Tytos Blackwood. Both Lords looked grim and satisfied. Brynden mentally grimaced, he expected to have to deal with the usual Frey unpleasantness not those two prickly lords and their never-ending feud.
They were all clustered around a table looking at a map with Edmure sitting in their middle.
Edmure rose and smiled as he caught sight of Brynden, "Uncle! Join us! I could use your sage advice." He greeted Brynden warmly but there was something in his eyes that he couldn't recognize.
Brynden nodded in greeting before looking to the others, "Lord Bracken, Lord Blackwood, Ser Patrek, Ser Stevron," he nodded at each as he spoke their names. They nodded back in greeting.
"It's Lord Stevron now, the Late Lord Walder Frey is truly late now," Edmure corrected with a mirthful laugh as he sat back down. Bracken and Blackwood joined in with their own laughs. Stevron looked pained and the strain on Patrek's face only increased.
A smile spread across his face at the welcome news, Hoster's going to overjoyed when he hears this, "What a damn shame. Lord Walder will truly be missed." Yes, now that Stevron was Lord of the Twins, perhaps honor could return to the Freys.
"Of course he will be," Lord Jonos said an amused tone.
"Aye, it was good of Ser Aenys and Ser Raymund to kill him for us," Lord Tytos japed darkly. The two lords shared a look and then laughed together. Edmure joined them, laughing as if there was some sort of joke being shared between them.
The smile disappeared from his face, Kinslaying? The Freys were always low, but I didn't think they were capable of sinking that low! At least...not until I heard about the Red Wedding...
Then he registered that Tytos and Jonos seemed to be bantering with one another and his surprise deepened. Since when did those two talk that amicably with each other?
Stevron's face was red now, "It was a deed evilly done...despite everything, he was still our father."
Lord Tytos's laughter stopped and he smirked, "A better second death than he deserved, but at least he remembered the pies!" he laughed hard again and setting off Edmure and Jonos, they were laughing again, mirth in their eyes.
"Pies?" Why Pies? What's so important about pies? Brynden looked between the laughing trio and then looked to Stevron and Patrek, both looked equally mystified.
"Father was raving and ranting about pies, before..." Stevron began cautiously before trailing off.
"Old Walder had a good reason to be raving about pies," Edmure remarked with a smirk, nodding as he took a gulp of his wine.
Brynden frowned as Stevron leaned forward to listen and Patrek turned to stare at Edmure with a nervous look. Patrek didn't look very well now.
"...when Arya killed him-" Edmure continued.
"Arya?" Brynden interrupted him sharply, giving him a surprised look. He only knew one Arya and he didn't think that Edmure was talking about her. It couldn't possibly be Cat's little girl!
Edmure floundered for a moment, before a look of understanding crossed his face, "Ah yes, forgive me Uncle, Lord Royce's raven did mention that you didn't remember, and I doubt he would have told you about her. Cat's youngest, Arya Stark. After all that she went through over the years, she survived, and returned to claim bloody vengeance against the Freys. She poisoned all of the Freys in a single night....she wiped out House Frey in a single night." Edmure paused and laughed nastily, as Stevron turned several different shades of colours. "...I think only Emmon and his children survived? And only because they were hiding behind Lady Genna's skirts!" he laughed hard at the jape as Stevron's face turned even more colorful.
The laughter stopped and Edmure stilled, his face turning dark and angry, he smiled a cruel smile, "She paid back Walder Frey for every foul, black action he ever committed. She killed Black Walder and Lothar first....and then carved up their flesh and made a pie from it. I think you can guess who she fed the pie to...." he snorted snidely, "She was even kind enough to tell him what he ate after he finished before she introducing herself and slitting his throat," he let out an amused laugh.
It was like something...as something...from the darkest and foulest tales of the North...and Edmure was laughing, amused and happy as if Cat's daughter had done something innocent and precious. He'd heard from Cat that Arya was a wild child, but this...this was...Brynden shook his head in disbelief. He looked around him quickly.
Stevron had the back of his hand pressed up against his mouth, his eyes wide, his face paler than ever now....but Patrek was green now. The heir of Seagard leaned forward suddenly and vomit spewed out from his mouth, he lost his battle against revulsion as well as his lunch. The spray thankfully missed everyone, but the smell of it hung in the tent now.
Tytos and Jonos gave Patrek a disapproving look before joining their laughter with Edmure's. They were chuckling together again, while Edmure...Edmure was sitting back in his chair with a goblet of wine in one hand while smiling maliciously.
Who was this man with Edmure's face? Where had his foppish nephew gone? Everything he was seeing, everything that Edmure was doing seemed to be something he would expect from Tywin Lannister, not his foppish green nephew! The new hardness, the sheer malign intent Edmure could put in his words was jarring and disorienting.
Brynden gathered his scattered wits, "Forgive me, my lords, Ser Patrek, I believe I need a word alone my nephew, if you please," he gave each a pointed look, his face turning stern, brooking no argument.
Stevron rose quickly bowing and begging Edmure's pardon as he left, still very pale while Patrek just fled the tent without a backward word or gesture. Jonos and Tytos rose as well more sedately, saying they had men to see to, with Edmure's permission of course.
Soon enough, Brynden was alone with his nephew.
Edmure was staring after the fleeing Mallister heir, the smile was gone and replaced with an upset look. He turned to face Brynden and a guilty expression now crossed his face.
Guilty? Why guilty? Brynden wondered. Of all the things he expected guilt was not one of them. Edmure seemed to be malicious and mean now, but he at least had the decency to be upset at how he had disturbed his friend, the Mallister heir...but why the guilt?
"Uncle," he said gravely. He met Brynden's hard gaze without flinching.
The guilty look of Edmure's made Brynden unsure for a moment, the unflinching gaze didn't help as well. For a moment he didn't know how to begin, he knew what had happened in that other life, Lord Royce had explained the broad strokes of all the calamities, but there had been other things Royce had focused on...like the Others and the Dragons.
He decided to focus on the more impossible of things, namely Cat's daughter while he tried to figure out the right words to ask Edmure what he needed to ask, "What you said about Arya? That was true? She did all those things?" Brynden asked urgently, still unwilling to believe his nephew. Unwilling to believe Cat's daughter could do such a horrific thing.
The guilt disappeared and a thoughtful look came to Edmure's face, "Arya...is capable of all that and much, much more. Uncle...she became a Faceless Man," he announced with none of the warning he should have added to this revelation.
His skin tried to crawl off his bones as Edmure's last words filtered though his mind. The Faceless Men of Braavos were a group not to be trifled with- for good reason. And they were feared everywhere. And now Arya was one of them?!
He gaped for a moment before finding a seat and sitting down heavily in one of the chairs and Edmure poured him a goblet of wine and gave it to him. He drank gratefully, the alcohol numbing him a bit.
Gods Cat! Arya...a Faceless Man? Madness! It was all madness!
After a moment, he turned to Edmure, "What happened to you, boy?" he asked eventually regaining his voice. He still didn't think he had the right words, but they were all his stunned mind could come up with now.
Edmure's face darkened as he took the seat next to him, the guilty look returned as well. Bitterness filled his eyes and his mouth twisted into a near snarl.
"I served Robb when he was named King in the North...but I was a complete and utter fool. I made mistakes. You were all mad at me. You called me a fool and an idiot...but I was the King's uncle and could not be cast aside for someone more competent. More mistakes were made...mine, Cat's and Robb's. Then the Red Wedding happened," Edmure spat the infamous name and Brynden almost recoiled at the sheer venom in his words...not that he blamed him, he agreed wholeheartedly with the sentiment.
"...After the Red Wedding...I was the Frey's hostage. They held the Riverlands for Joffrey, you had escaped and I didn't. Cat didn't. Robb didn't. They held me and my new wife," he paused and his face twisted again with emotion, "The Freys are a fertile bunch and soon they realised that Roslin was pregnant. After that I was just a plaything for them, something to be laughed at. My son was born and still they kept me caged, they could have killed me then but they didn't...they kept me to scorn mine and Father's legacy." He bared his teeth and growled angrily, rage filling his eyes, "I was nothing but an court jester to them!" he took a deep gulp from his goblet.
Brynden could feel his blood boiling with all of Edmure's words. He couldn't keep the deep angry scowl from his face. Truly Arya's actions had been well done indeed. Walder's second death had been much too quick for his liking now.
"Where was I in all this?" he asked urgently, "Didn't I come for you?"
The guilt was back and he was gazing at Brynden, his eyes filled with shame, "You were free. A thorn in the side of the Frey's and the Lannisters. In the end, you even managed to gather enough men to take back Riverrun back from the Freys."
Brynden humphed, "Good to know I still have some fight left in me."
Edmure looked down, unwilling to met his gaze now, "You made such a nuisance of yourself that Jaime Lannister himself, came to take back the castle."
Brynden scowled again at the mention of the Kingslayer.
"During the siege of Riverrun, each and every day the Freys brought me out and paraded me in front of you, they threatened to kill me with a noose around my neck and a knife at my throat...and you did nothing." Edmure took a deep shuddering breath. "I was angry...so angry at the time. You did nothing! They were going to kill me and you did nothing!"
Brynden frowned, "It was an empty threat, they couldn't have killed you without threatening their own legitimacy if they wanted your son to rule after you."
Edmure snorted in derision, "I know that now! But then all I could feel was anger. I had been a prisoner for so long and you were free. Cat was dead. I thought that all of Cat's sons were all dead. That Arya was dead as well. Only Sansa was left and she was the Lannister's hostage. And Lysa was hiding in the Vale! Doing nothing!"
Brynden ground his teeth at the words, "What happened when the Kingslayer came?"
"His threats were much more effective...he threatened to kill my son then released me to surrender Riverrun. I was its rightful Lord not you. I didn't speak with you. I didn't explain anything and I just surrendered the castle....but you didn't surrender. You fought to the last and they killed you. I just stood by and let them kill you uncle!" Edmure finished, ashamed of his admission and his weakness.
"Gods boy." Brynden shook his head, he raised a hand and rubbed his face in pain. Idiot! That sounded like the Edmure he knew. Now the guilt on Edmure's face made sense.
"I was so angry with you...if I'd just spoken to you I could have saved you. You could have escaped! I didn't know it at the time but Sansa had escaped, she was in the North and begging for your help. If you had gone to her you would have survived!" Edmure lamented angrily. He shook his head mournfully, "Even after Arya killed the Freys I was prisoner! She didn't even realise I was in the dungeons! I was forgotten and alone till Jon and Daenerys's forces found me! They restored me to Riverrun and I kept faith with them till the Others came and took it from me!"
Thoughts whorled in Brynden's mind as he watched the turmoil in Edmure escape. The bitterness and rage in him made so much more sense now...and the hate Brynden had for the Freys and Lannisters burned like a fire in his belly now.
"Don't worry, I'll knock some sense into you and we'll make the Lannisters pay for all they've done. The damned Kingslayer will pay for all his sins," he swore vehemently, silently promising to stand by his nephew and teach him how to be a better man.
Edmure winced, "The Freys have paid in blood now, but the Lannister's aren't the problem now, the Others are. The army of the dead and the coming Winter are the true enemy now."
"Aye, but we'll make them both pay, we still have time before Winter comes," he nodded gruffly, "They'll know not to cross us Tullys ever again!"
Edmure gave him an unreadable look before sighing deeply, "Jaime Lannister and I shall never be friends...but we cannot be enemies now. Too much is at stake. Tyrion Lannister is now the new Warden of the West and he's Daenerys Targaryen's Hand. As for Father, he's already bent the knee to Jon Targaryen. If Jaime remembers...he's an ally now."
Surprise blossomed on Brynden's face, it turned into anger in a second, "The Kingslayer?!" he decried angrily.
"We cannot afford any great battles here we must conserve our strength and prepare for the coming Winter," Edmure shook his head, "No matter how much we despise some or our new allies."
"He's an oathbreaker of the worst kind! He's the Kingslayer!" he retorted gruffly.
"And he had a good reason for breaking that oath!" Edmure snorted in disgust.
With quick words Edmure explained everything about the Mad King's final plan. Brynden blanched as the scale of the calamity that Jaime prevented was revealed to him. He sat back in his chair, suddenly seeing the Kingslayer in a whole different light. He shook his head, every time he thought he had a grasp at how Westeros had changed something else was thrown at him. He drank from his forgotten goblet and as his thoughts threatened to overwhelm him. He decided to push forward, best to focus on manners at hand and then come back to the Lannister issue.
He asked about the fate of the Freys and Edmure promptly explained...
Well that explained Stevron's current disposition. And he was glad to see Edmure being so firm and relentless...it was a good example for him to set for any River Lord that thought to cross House Tully. Though one thing did bother him little.
"But I have to ask what happened with that cunt, Black Walder? Did a cart roll over his head or something?" he asked inquisitively.
Edmure seemed to shrink into his seat before speaking, "I did that to Black Walder."
Brynden's eyes widened in surprise. He remembered the shattered empty head of Black Walder.
"You...did that?" he repeated in disbelief, "What did you use? A bloody warhammer? I don't remember you being any good with a warhammer."
Edmure looked abashed and looked down into his wine goblet, "A rock." He pointed to the end of the table, a large rock, larger than his fist was sat at the edge. Looking closely he noticed that the rock was stained red on one side.
Brynden blinked several times, it was yet another thing that had changed in Edmure...it also looked he was using it as a silent reminder for the Freys not to cross the Tullys.
Brynden pointed at the rock, "You used that to beat a man to death?" his tone dripping with disbelief.
Edmure looked at his uncle before nodding slowly.
Well fuck...who are you now boy? Where's the little boy that used to hide behind Cat's skirts from strangers? "Is there anything else you want to admit?" Brynden asked slowly.
Edmure started to squirm, "I am to marry the Lady, Roslin Frey," he admitted slowly.
Surprise blossomed on his face, Edmure was getting married? And to a Frey? After everything he had done to them?
"Why in blazes are you doing that?!" thundered Brynden in surprise. "Lord Royce said you weren't going to marry a Frey this time."
Edmure scratched his head sheepishly, "That was the original plan. Things changed. I blame Patrek....if not for his interference, I would have slain all of house Frey. All of them would have died." he admitted, "But he reminded me of our House's words. Family, Duty, Honor," he began, his voice filled with emotion and pride, "I avenged our Family, I secured our House's position in the Riverlands. I did my Duty bringing traitors to justice, and I am Honoring those that honored us. Lord Stevron and others here did give the ultimate sacrifice for Robb. I had to Honor them."
Brynden stared at his nephew in surprise, apparently he'd put quite a bit of thought into his actions this time. This was a very good beginning, "I think there's less for me to teach you than you think," he admitted with respect.
Edmure ducked his head humbly, a small smile now on his lips, "I hope not to disappoint you this time, Uncle."
The moment between Uncle and nephew was cut short when a guard called out from outside the tent
"My Lord!"
"Come!" commanded Edmure quickly.
A guard in Tully colours entered, he bowed deeply and spoke, "Lady Roslin is here and begs an audience."
Brynden kept his face blank as Edmure's face seemed to relax and his lips twitched, his smile becoming bigger.
"Let her come," Edmure nodded as he rose to stand.
The guard nodded and turned to hold open the tent flap as a small lithe woman walked in.
Brynden failed to keep his face blank as he got his first good look at Edmure's betrothed. He cast a look to Edmure and his nephew was beaming now.
He looked back at Roslin, giving her a closer look. The slight girl stood nervously in front of them. She had a small weak chin, that was the only feature she seemed to have inherited from Old Walder. She was a comely girl with delicate features and the weak chin actually complimented her features.
She curtsied, "Lord Edmure," she turned her nervous brown eyes towards him, "Ser Brynden."
Edmure nodded, "Lady Roslin."
Brynden gave her a long look before turning back to Edmure, "Are you sure she's a Frey? She looks too pretty to be one of Old Walder's get," he asked gruffly.
Edmure chuckled, and gave his Uncle an amused smile, "You asked that the first time as well Uncle...it's the Rosby in her."
Turning back to the Lady, Brynden noticed the red flush in her cheeks now. She bobbed her head at him and gave him an embarrassed look.
"Yes my lady, what is the matter?" Edmure asked when Roslin didn't immediately speak.
She curtsied again, he voice tremble as she spoke her mind, "Forgive me lord, I wished to speak in defense of my brother again..."
Edmure's face darkened and the smile disappeared from his face, "Olyvar's fate will be decided by Robb. He was Robb's squire and it is my nephew's right to judge him," he retorted adamantly. "If he believes him to be innocent then no harm will come to him, if not...." he trailed off, he didn't need to elaborate further.
Brynden grimaced at Edmure's words as Roslin paled and shifted uncomfortably, but she didn't get the chance to say more.
"...We have spoken of this before and I will not speak again on the matter. We have more pressing matters, now that my uncle is here we will be departing to Riverrun. The Riverlands are secure now, but there is much more that must be done. The Others are coming and we still must see what will happen further south."
Brynden couldn't disagree with Edmure, with everything he knew now, there was still much more that had to be done...though he wasn't looking forward to his reunion with Hoster.