Ever since the Battle of the Camps where the northern force routed the Kingslayer's army, the men of the Riverlands had been trickling into Riverrun by the hundreds. Robb's council had also expanded as well, including seasoned veterans such as Jason Mallister, Tytos Blackwood, and Jonos Bracken. Roose Bolton had also returned from his lost battle at the Green Fork with what remained of his two thousand men.
Robb's first stop after relieving the castle was his grandfather's chambers. Hoster Tully, Lord of Riverrun, would have been a great addition to Robb's war council. A man with just as much experience as the great Tywin Lannister. Unfortunately, Hoster's health had been slowly declining over the last few years, and he had been bedridden ever since the beginning of the siege. A shell of the man he once was.
It was a terrible sight to see, especially for Robb's mother who had taken to staying by her father's side ever since she arrived at the castle.
Robb had spoken briefly to his grandfather but didn't have much time for his grandfather as he was currently in the middle of a heated war council. With the combined might of the Riverlands and the North, some thirty-seven thousand men, the lords were at odds with what to do. Some, mainly the Northmen, wanted to continue south and bring the fight to Tywin Lannister on their way to save Robb's father. The riverlords, especially the younger lords led by Edmure Tully, wanted to head into the Westerlands and take revenge on the lands and people of Tywin Lannister.
Robb's uncle was who Robb expected him to be. For a man nearly a decade older than his nephew, he didn't seem to be taking the war all that seriously. He had been very vocal about his want to raid the Westerlands, but Robb suspected it was more so to gain glory and gold rather than any want for revenge.
"Ned is still a prisoner in King's Landing," the Greatjon growled. "We go south!"
That was the clinching point for the argument. No one wanted to say that rescuing Eddard Stark wasn't the aim of the entire campaign. A man respected by both parties, both as a man and a warrior. He was also the good-son of Hoster Tully. There were arguments to be made for attacking the Westerlands and bringing the fight to Tywin at Harrenhal, but there was no counter-point whenever the debate fell back to saving Robb's father.
Robb scratched his beard, a scruffy thing that the young lord had been growing since he had left Winterfell months ago. It was nothing compared to beards Rickard Karstark or the Greatjon sported, but Robb liked his. He felt it made him look older than he was.
"Who else are we waiting for?" He asked his council.
"The Frey's have finally assembled their force and are a few days away." Ser Brynden grunted. "four thousand men under the command of Stevron Frey."
"Took their fucking time," Ser Marq Piper grunted from down the table.
The fact that the Frey's were answering the Tullys call to arms was surprising for all present, but the good feeling was quickly dissipating with how long it was taking for their force to arrive. Robb had heard a few of the old jokes about House Frey resurfacing amongst his allies and hoped that they would stop before Stevron and his men arrived. He would be greatly annoyed if he lost thousands of important men because of a thoughtless word.
Robb ignored the comment. "We'll wait for them to arrive, then we'll head south and deal with Tywin."
"Surely nephew, we can still attack them on two fronts. We have more than enough men to attack the Westerlands and rescue Ned." Edmure pointed out.
Robb nodded. "True, but our goal is not to cause further death and carnage, Uncle. We currently have the advantage of numbers over the Old Lion and we can not waste it."
Edmure nodded, falling silent once more. Robb looked over his council, making sure that all the others understood him as well. He looked at his great uncle, who was looking at Robb with a mixture of approval and respect.
"What happened to the Lannister men that fled during the battle?" He asked.
"They've buggered off back to the Golden Tooth," the Blackfish answered. Robb had placed the wily veteran in charge of scouts, and so far, it had proven to be a good idea.
Robb nodded. "While we wait for the Frey's to arrive, I want riders sent out to clear the way. I don't want Lannister deserters hindering us."
"A sound move, my lord." Lord Jonos Bracken praised. "I will personally see it done."
"Go no further than High Heart, and regroup with us as we pass," Robb ordered. "After that, we'll strengthen the forward scouts and clear the way ourselves."
All the lords nodded. When dealing with a commander like Tywin Lannister, who is highly intelligent and has decades of experience under his belt, Robb couldn't afford to be thinking about nuisance raids. Better to deal with them before they could happen.
"Is there anything else I should know?" Robb asked.
"Both Renly and Stannis Baratheon had proclaimed themselves kings." Lord Blackwood said, leaning forward. "Stannis has also sent out messages across the realm revealing the true parentage of Joffrey."
Robb smiled grimly. He had learned of the message when he first arrived in Riverrun and had a good laugh over it. Joffrey's parents were in fact Jaime Lannister and his sister Cersei, the two following the old, and illegal, Targaryen tradition of incest between siblings. It all made sense now. There was always something off about Joffrey, the boy was a little unhinged. It also made sense as to why none of Cersei's children looked like their supposed father. They all had blonde hair and green eyes, while Robert had black hair and blue eyes.
"There's been worrying reports about Stannis." Lord Bracken added, eager to add his own opinion. "He's turned to a foreign religion and now has a red priestess as an advisor."
A few of the northerners muttered darkly. They were followers of the Old Gods, while the riverlords were followers of the Seven, the main religion of Westeros. Besides the religion of the Drowned God in the Iron Islands, all other religions were usually rebuked and quickly died out in Westeros. Robb knew that red priestesses were usually associated with R'hllor, one of the many deities that existed in Essos.
Robb frowned. He knew his father would tell him to support Stannis since he was technically Robert Baratheon's heir. But the fact that the man has turned to a new religion bothered him.
"We'll deal with the Baratheon brothers later," he said finally, shaking his head. "We do not declare for anyone. Our only enemies are the Lannisters. Anything else?" When no one spoke, Robb dismissed them. "Lord Bracken, take a few hundred riders and clear the way forward. That will be all for today. We will meet again when the Freys decide to join us."
The lords chuckled as they filed out of the room. It had not taken long for Robb to take command of the mixed group of lords. The Riverland lords had all heard of how Robb had dealt with the Kingslayer and his men, and it was an understatement to say they were all impressed. They had smartly fallen in line alongside their northern counterparts, who were now firmly devoted to the Young Wolf.
Robb was about to leave as well when he noticed Ser Brynden still sitting at the table. He looked more grim than usual.
"Is everything alright?" He asked, frowning.
"Two men arrived earlier today," he said. "They wanted to meet you."
Robb's frown deepened. "Why is this the first time I'm hearing of this?"
"Your mother recognized one of them and had the young man thrown in the dungeon while the other was detained to a room," the old knight explained. "It was your half-brother Jon, and his friend Samwell Tarly."
Robb shot to his feet. "Jon's here?" He asked angrily. "Why wasn't I told?"
"Your mother thought he was a deserter of the Night's Watch and had him arrested. I took his companion to his room. He told me that Jon and he hadn't taken the Black when they left." Ser Byrnden went on. "Your mother didn't feel like you should be told, stating that you were too busy. I feel differently, hence why I am telling you now."
Robb sighed, leaning over the table. He usually trusted his mother's judgment, and he had proven that when he had her treat with the Freys. But she tended to be overdramatic when it came to Robb's brother. She never could get over his birth, and Robb never figured out why.
"Jon's in the dungeon?" He asked quietly.
"He is." Was the answer.
"I'll get him myself. Can you have his companion brought to my grandfather's solar? I want to speak with them both privately," Robb said. "Don't tell my mother about this. She won't understand."
Ser Brynden raised an eyebrow but nodded. "She's sitting with Hoster currently, but I'll make sure you aren't disturbed."
"Thank you, Uncle," Robb said before walking off to retrieve his brother from the cells.
"Robb," Ser Brynden called after his great-nephew, causing the young man to turn around. "Jon's companion mentioned a message. Did you receive one?"
Robb cursed silently before nodding. "I got it the night before my mother met with Lord Frey."
"Why did you not tell anyone?" Ser Brynden asked curiously.
"You were there when Jon arrived. You saw how she reacted."
"I was."
"That's why."
"You're sure that he's not a deserter?"
"I'm certain of it," Robb answered firmly.
"Why?"
"Because the same man raised us."
With that, Robb turned and left. Once he rescued Jon and spoke with him, he would then have a long talk with his mother about who was in control of the army. This was her home, but if someone came looking for Robb, it was not her place to interfere.
But, one problem at a time.
Line Break
Robb, accompanied by Greywind, descended into the dungeons. It was a large, damp, dark room under the castle. The cells were three thick walls of slimy river rock with the fourth wall being a set of iron bars set so close together that only a beggar's arm could fit through. The room smelt of unwashed bodies and fish guts, reminding the young lordling of his visit to White Harbor.
When Robb entered, there was some movement in the cell to his right. Robb recognized the person instantly, a slight smile coming across his face. He walked up to the cell, facing his brother for the first time since he had left for the Wall.
He had changed in some ways, and in others, he hadn't. His hair was pulled back in a knot, and he had the beginnings of a beard like Robb. Besides that, he still looked like Jon. He still insisted on wearing black and had a slightly confused, but resolute look on his face.
"Got yourself into a bit of trouble it seems." Robb joked.
Jon grinned. "Just a bit," he agreed, laughing slightly.
Robb looked around the cell. "Where's Ghost?"
"He's with Sam," Jon answered before adding. "Sam is my friend who came with me. I don't know where he is."
Robb shook his head. "He'll be waiting for us. I sent men to get him," he said, unlocking the door. "Now come on, we need to talk. I'm sorry for the way my mother acted."
Jon shrugged, leaning down to rub Greywind's head. "It's alright. She did what she thought was right."
Robb shook his head. "I am in control here. Anyone who comes looking for me should be brought to me. There's no room for excuses."
Jon raised an eyebrow. He had never heard his brother like this before. It was still Robb, but there was a tone of command in his voice that reminded Jon of their father. A tone that made others know: Robb was in command and his orders were to be followed to the letter.
"If you're in the mood for mercy, I would very much like it if you let me out too," the Kingslayer quipped from where he was sitting against the wall.
Robb frowned. "You're staying in there for a long while, Kingslayer," Robb answered. "I'm half tempted to take your head for incest."
Something flickered in the knight's emerald eyes. "What are you talking about boy?"
Robb smirked. "Stannis Baratheon revealed your dirty secret to the realm. You fucked your sister and sired children with her," he snarled. "Besides killing Targaryens, it seems you prefer fucking like them too."
"You have no proof besides the word of Stannis Baratheon. A bitter man who hated his brother," Ser Jaime argued.
Robb raised an eyebrow. "So the fact that all three of the royal children look like you and that Joffrey seems to be a sadistic prick means nothing? The man you killed, you recreated with your sister."
Ser Jaime glared at the two but said nothing. His anger was palpable in the room. Robb shook his head, a disgusted look on his face.
"You could've been great, but all you can do now is watch as your already tarnished reputation falls even further." Robb snarled before he strode out of the room, Jon right behind him, the two young men leaving the disgraced knight to fester in his thoughts.