Excluding House Reed, who had been stationed at the Moat Cailin, the first batch of reinforcements to arrive here were from House Frey of the Riverlands.
After Black Walder took control of the House, they have received support from Edmure and some of the nobles from the Riverlands. Once they recovered, Black Walder decided to stick to the old ways. He relied on the fact that the Twins was the only bridge across the Greenfork, so he collected tolls from those passing through. However, the long and cold winter completely destroyed the Frey's livelihood.
If there were many goods, they could take the western route, using ships from the Lannisters or the Mormonts. Alternatively, they could go east and take a ship straight to White Harbor, without wasting time on the King's Road. Only the horse-drawn carriages still traveled by land, but the entire Trident was frozen over, and the river could now be crossed from anywhere. In fact, carriages ran faster on the smooth ice, and the lamps lit at Twin Rivers City became the guides for drivers at night.
Though half of the Frey family had perished, there were still hundreds relying on Black Walder for survival. Wealth could cover up conflicts, but when poverty struck, even the smallest issues could lead to quarrels. As the family head, Black Walder didn't have many skills beyond wielding a sword, so he turned his attention to alliances through marriage.
House Reed had two mages, Jojen and Mera. Since Jojen had already completed the Three-Eyed Raven's task and his marriage had been arranged by his father, Black Walder decided to have Wright Frey pursue Mera.
The young men moved about the camp, while Wright, inside the castle, was far from idle.
"Black Walder, we've known each other for a long time, but it's a pity that when I was riding a dragon to guard the Wall, I couldn't come to help the Twins," Wright said, slightly drunk, rambling nonsense.
"Our Frey knights fought valiantly, fearless of death, and managed to preserve the family's fortune," Black Walder replied, without mentioning that the traitors they fought were from the Frey family itself.
Black Walder invited Wright to drink in a small parlor in the fortress. The two sat on long wooden chairs, leaning sideways, with a variety of strong liquor from Black Walder spread across the coffee table. Black Walder kept pouring drinks, and Wright, wishing to relax his tense nerves, cradled Kana in one arm while clinking glasses with Black Walder with the other.
After another round, Black Walder got up, took the bottle, and while refilling Wright's cup, asked, "Lord Wright, Lady Kana, has Baemon been betrothed yet?"
"Ha ha, has Baemon been betrothed?" Wright turned around, drunkenly asking Kana.
Wright was thoroughly intoxicated, while Kana's glass, after being lifted out of politeness, had hardly moved. Black Walder had a reputation for bad rumors with several women in his family, so Kana didn't trust him. She followed Wright to keep an eye on things, and now, she could tell Black Walder had ill intentions.
Kana responded slowly, "Lord Black Walder, Baemon has good relations with many girls around his age from Volantis, and all those girls are pure-blooded Valyrians."
Black Walder stared at Kana, and in the dim light, her platinum-colored hair stood out: "Pure-blooded Valyrians? But Baemon's last name is Baratheon!"
"Only pure-blooded Valyrians can be betrothed to Baemon," Kana replied with a smile, her answer effectively shutting down Black Walder's thoughts.
Defeated, Black Walder watched Wright, who was inspecting the bottle labels, and quickly asked, "Lord Wright, then what about Sauron?"
"Sauron? Didn't you see Quaithe, who never leaves his side? She's already riding dragons with Sauron," Wright replied. He remained silent, knowing Black Walder was trying to make advances on both his son and Sauron. Kana silently wished Black Walder would drop these ideas—they didn't stand a chance.
Black Walder didn't give up. "Then what about Darkseid? I know there are a few noble houses that haven't yet found a suitable girl of his age, and we Frey girls have plenty!"
Wright, as a Lord, prioritized marriages for the children of other dukes, followed by the families of his vassals. Only if no suitable matches were found would he expand his search. Kana, considering the Frey's qualifications, asked, "Are you serious?"
Black Walder didn't answer. He stood up and walked to the door, opened it, and clapped his hands. He then stood at the entrance, waiting.
Not understanding Black Walder's intentions, Kana leaned against Wright and pulled his arm around her waist.
Before long, a dozen young women, all dressed in luxurious clothing and meticulously groomed, lined up and entered the parlor. They stood in a row facing Wright.
"These are the unmarried daughters of the Frey family. You should greet Lord Wright and Lady Kana properly!" Black Walder said.
Kana raised her hand, pinched Wright's chin, and turned his head to face the girls.
"Good evening, Lord Wright," the girls greeted in unison.
"I'm Lily Frey."
"I'm..."
The girls began introducing themselves, filling the room with lively chatter.
The girls were of various heights, none were overweight, and each girl appeared well-prepared, none of them were nervous.
"Hey, not bad!"
After speaking, Wright raised his left hand and pointed from left to right at the row of girls. With just a gentle wave of his finger, the girl would come to his side. Wright couldn't help but feel that this scene was familiar, as if he had been here before.
At this moment, Kona pinched a piece of Wright's flesh on his waist and twisted it one and a half times.
"Hey, I forgot! Sauron is already engaged to a noble from Dorne," Wright said, lowering his arm, speaking to Black Walder.
"You all go out first. I'll talk to Lord Wright for a while."
The girls left the room, and Black Walder stopped mentioning the engagement. After chatting briefly with Wright, he too left.
As soon as the door closed, Wright immediately sat up straight, and the drunken haze in his eyes cleared up.
Kona held Wright's face with both hands and shook it left and right. "You're not drunk?"
"A mage skilled in alchemy would never get drunk unless they want to. There are plenty of ways to sober up," Wright said, picking up a wine bottle. "Besides, these are all watered-down fake wines. Drinking this stuff is like rinsing your mouth!"
Kona asked, "What about Black Walder?"
"Many nobles are coming to Moat Cailin this time. For the soldiers at the bottom, war is a life-and-death struggle, but for the nobles, it's just a social event. Black Walder is acting normally. He invited me here just to try his luck, and he will continue to take girls around to look for other people."
Wright furrowed his brows as he continued, "I suspect other nobles are the same. They don't care about this war at all."
The next morning, Baemon mounted his golden dragon and took his mother, Kona, back to Tyrosh. As more nobles arrived at Moat Cailin, it turned out that most of them had come for socializing, as Wright had said. Only a small number of nobles, who had experienced the first vampire war, were preparing for the brutal conflict.
To the south of the Moat Cailin fortress, the plains were filled with makeshift tents for soldiers. The empty inner city now had luxurious tents and colorful family banners, and the forces from the Riverlands had all arrived.
The knights and soldiers from various families, mixed together, were clearly divided into two groups. One group of blacksmiths was constantly repairing armor and sharpening weapons, while knights led their soldiers in constant drills. The other group, eating roasted alligator meat, wandered around idly, even recruiting a large number of craftswomen to trade outside the camp, as though they were on a group tour.
Particularly, the Red Warhorse and Black Crow banners were deliberately stationed at the furthest ends of the inner city. Edmure worried about the houses Bracken and Blackwood, fearing that they would start reducing their forces even before the war began. This was a battle led by Edmure's Riverlands alliance, and losing it would be a blow to Edmure's reputation.
The deaths of five daughters had drained the strength of Lord Jonos Bracken, who had once been full of vigor. After a few serious illnesses, his figure had become stooped, and he could no longer wear armor and wield a longsword to challenge the old Tytos Blackwood in battle.
His son, Harry, was now the rightful heir to House Bracken, having gone from a lazy and gluttonous bastard to a knight who had earned multiple honors. He was now called the "Straw Knight" by the people of the Riverlands.
Several young members of House Blackwood arrived at the camp. Every time Harry made a move, they would mock him, but Harry paid them no mind and continued to lead his men in training.
Lord Jonos, dressed in his noble robes and leaning on a folded umbrella as a cane, stood at the edge of the training grounds, watching his son Harry lead the family knights in drills. Staring at the Blackwood members, Lord Jonos knew that the nickname "Straw Knight" had come from the Blackwoods because Harry's mother had given birth to him in a straw pile at a mill.
Silently watching Harry, Jonos thought to himself that he must use this war to wipe out the Blackwood, even if it cost him his life. And the Blackwoods were undoubtedly thinking the same.
Time flew by.
To the southeast of the fortress, there was a large mound of earth that Wright had reserved for the dragons to rest. Four dragons were already resting there today. King Renly's stag banner had been placed at the highest point of the castle.
In the castle hall, Renly sat high in a large wooden seat that had been hastily made, while Wright and Edmure sat at his sides.
"How long until the Northmen arrive at Moat Cailin?"
Robb, leading a small vanguard, had already arrived at Moat Cailin for an important meeting.
He stood up and answered, "Your Majesty, the White Knife is frozen, and the Northmen are taking the land route. Because there are too many civilians and livestock in the army, their pace is slow. The infantry must protect them, and the cavalry dare not venture far. The main force is expected to arrive in three days."
Renly asked, "What about the Others?"
"Most of the skinchangers have returned to the army. The ones with eagles have been keeping watch, and they've spotted the Others' tracks one day's journey behind the army. That's why I've come, to request Moat Cailin send reinforcements to the north," Robb said. As soon as he finished, the hall erupted in chatter.
"It's a day's journey away, so when the Northmen arrive at Moat Cailin in three days, they won't be able to catch up. There's no need to rescue them."
"You're talking about the wights that walk on two legs. The Others don't walk; they have ice spiders that run fast in the snow."
"Those ice spiders? I can burn a whole bunch with one fire!"
"I'm afraid when you actually see them, you won't light the fire, but your pants will end up soaked with urine!"
"Quiet!"
This was always the case, an old tradition in Westeros. Whenever there's an issue, the nobles feel like they'll be ignored unless they speak up.
The king is the highest military commander here, and it was time for him to make a decision. All the Riverlands nobles turned their eyes to King Renly sitting on the high seat. Having been king for many years, Renly wasn't bothered by such a problem.
He quietly cast an illusion to maintain the image of himself sitting upright, visible to everyone, while his true self hid behind a curtain-like illusion. He turned sideways and asked Wright, "What should we do? Should we send troops?"
"Don't look at me!"
Wright was skilled in solo combat and logistical support but didn't make comments on military strategy. His many victories came after providing ample supplies to the army and then leaving, with him acting as a nominal commander. Renly's situation was similar. He could talk business well enough to make you buy his goods without hesitation, but when it came to leading a war, he wasn't much different.
"Quick, think of something! So many people are watching me!"
Wright pretended to cough, raised his hand to cover his mouth, and said, "First, ask when the reinforcements will arrive, then ask Robb to give his opinion. After that, just nod and agree."
After dispelling the illusion, Renly and the image of himself merged seamlessly. This wasn't the first time he'd done such a thing.
"Where are the armies of the other Lord right now?"
Renly asked, and the current Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, the handsome Loras Tyrell, walked up to him from the side.
"Your Majesty, based on the letters we've received, Stannis's royal fleet has already gathered in Bitterbridge. The Westerlands troops, except for those left to defend the coast, are led by Willen Lannister. The support troops have passed Riverrun six days ago. The forces from King's Landing and the Westerlands nobles will arrive in one day."
The golden-robed General Jon Snow raised his hand, wanting to speak, but Robb quickly pressed his hand down.
Robb felt it inappropriate for Jon to speak like that in an official meeting. Jon and Renly had a very good private relationship, often helping him with things that were not to be discussed openly. In the meetings held by Renly in the Red Keep, this was the way things were said. The two brothers had grown up and learned together, and now that they had families of their own, their personalities and work styles were very similar, though their paths had diverged.
Loras continued: "The knights of the Vale, due to the difficult terrain, took some time to gather. Lord Denys Arryn's cavalry crossed Bloodgate three days ago. The forces from the Reach and Stormlands have just arrived in King's Landing, camping outside the city to rest. After resupplying for a few days, they will continue their march north. The Reach fleet has arrived in Lannisport, and the fleets from both families will march north together."
"What about the Iron Islands?" Moat Cailin was near the Neck, and Renly hadn't heard any recent news about them, so he quickly asked.
Loras replied, "They have already landed at the farthest western point of the Moat Cailin 'Wall'. They claim to be specialists in naval battles, so this time they're only responsible for defending the western side."
"These pirates won't amount to much if they don't help the Others!" As long as the Iron Islands didn't assist the Others, Renly wasn't interested in getting involved. His current policy was to let the Iron Islanders fend for themselves.
Loras added, "As for Dorne, Nymeria has sent word that their forces are shifting east."
At this point, Wright had to intervene, "Although Dorne has officially joined the Seven Kingdoms, many of their nobles will probably object to coming overland. Nymeria hired merchant ships to transport the troops; they're coming from the eastern sea."
"As for Tyrosh…" Wright waved his hand, signaling Loras to step aside, "My fleet has already arrived in Bitterbridge and is dealing with the families on the Three Sisters trying to take advantage of the chaos!"