The Rains of Castamere
That once cheerful tune was now requested by Walder Frey to be this one.
The melody was deep and oppressive, as if foreshadowing an approaching storm.
The air in the Great Hall became thick, each note like a cold raindrop tapping on everyone's hearts.
Edmure Tully looked at Walder Frey's old face, creased with excitement, and the perverted smile that flickered deep within his cloudy old eyes.
He felt his stomach churn, as if he had swallowed something foul.
He knew what this song meant.
It was the Lannister family's elegy for the annihilation of House Reyne.
It was a warning and a bloody declaration.
Walder Frey choosing to play it now was undoubtedly the most direct and malicious provocation to House Tully and all the Northern guests present.
"Walder! What is the meaning of this?!"
In the Great Hall, a rough voice broke the deadly silence.
It was Brynden Tully, the Blackfish.
His eyes were wide, and his hair stood on end with fury.
He shoved aside the attendant beside him, strode to Walder Frey's table, and slammed his hands down with a loud bang.
"What do you think this place is?!"
"Is it your brothel, where you can do whatever you want?!"
Brynden Tully pointed at Walder Frey's nose, his voice like thunder.
He ignored Lysa Arryn's grim face and did not look at Ned Stark or Catelyn Tully.
All his anger was now focused on Walder Frey.
He had already learned about the destruction of The Bloody Gate.
As the main person in charge, he was in a very foul mood.
"This is Riverrun! It's House Tully's castle! It's not for your House Frey to trample on as you please!"
Walder Frey was startled by Brynden's roar and instinctively recoiled.
But he quickly regained his smug expression and chuckled.
"Ser Blackfish, you're not young anymore, why is your temper still so volatile?"
Walder Frey's cloudy old eyes swept over Brynden Tully, then Ned and Catelyn, finally settling on Lysa Arryn.
"However, I'm happy today, so I won't bother with you."
"You're happy?!"
Brynden Tully trembled with rage.
He looked around at the various expressions on the faces of the Frey family descendants in the hall, then at Lysa Arryn.
"What are you happy about?!"
"Happy about colluding with this vixen and dragging the entire Riverlands into war?!"
"Everyone here, you all know what Lysa Arryn has done!"
Brynden Tully's voice echoed through the Great Hall.
"Lysa poisoned her husband!"
"She framed the Lannisters, trying to incite the War of the Five Kings!"
"She betrayed the honor of House Arryn, betrayed the honor of House Tully, betrayed all of Westeros!"
"Now, she wants to drag our Riverlands, our House Tully, into her dirty schemes!"
"Don't think I don't know what you're thinking!"
"Do you think following her to oppose the North will lead to a good end?!"
Brynden Tully's words made all the Tully family vassals in the Great Hall look grim.
They were not like the isolated nobles of the Vale.
They were in the heart of Westeros, where news traveled faster.
They had heard more or less about everything Lysa Arryn had done.
They were already dissatisfied with Lysa's arrival.
Now that Brynden Tully had laid everything bare, it further ignited the indignation deep within them.
"The Ser is right!"
A Tully family vassal stood up.
His face was filled with anger.
"Our House Tully must never associate with such a vixen!"
"We will never be enemies with the North!"
Another vassal echoed him.
"The honor of House Tully must not be defiled by this woman!"
For a moment, the Great Hall was filled with righteous indignation.
House Tully and its various vassals rose one after another, expressing their dissatisfaction and anger.
They could accept Lord Edmure's marriage to House Frey; it was for the stability of The Riverlands.
But they absolutely could not accept becoming enemies with the North, with Ned Stark, for the sake of Lysa Arryn, this poisonous woman.
That would be a disgrace House Tully could never wash away!
Lysa Arryn's face turned ashen.
She hadn't expected Brynden Tully to expose her crimes so directly, nor had she expected the Tully family vassals to oppose her so fiercely.
She turned to Walder Frey, her eyes filled with urgency.
Walder Frey's smile also froze on his face.
He had thought he could use Lysa's madness, House Tully's weakness, and the controlled Edmure to firmly grasp The Riverlands in his hands.
But now it seemed that these old stubborn members of House Tully were not as easy to manipulate as he had imagined.
His original plan was to have The Eyrie stall Lynn for a while, and by the time he had full control of The Riverlands, Lysa and Lynn would have torn each other apart enough.
At that time, it would be his chance to regain his prestige and wash away the shame of being called 'Old Frey the Late'.
But Walder never dreamed.
Only a few days had passed!
Lynn could take The Eyrie in such a short time!
However, his previous actions of kidnapping and manipulating Lord Edmure with Lysa were established facts.
Lysa failed, and Edmure personally testified. Even if this madwoman didn't drag him down, he couldn't escape death.
Since things had come to this, he could only stand firmly by Lysa's side.
And go completely mad with her!
"Alright! Alright!"
Walder Frey clapped the table, trying to quell the uproar.
But his voice was quickly drowned out by the angry shouts.
"Old Frey the Late, go back to your castle!"
"Well said, go back!"
Just then.
Catelyn Tully's voice rang out in the Great Hall.
Her voice was not loud, but it instantly silenced all the noise.
"Lysa,"
Catelyn's gaze was fixed on Lysa Arryn, without a trace of emotion.
"Do you see?"
"This is the consequence of everything you've done."
Lysa's body trembled slightly.
She looked at Catelyn's cold blue eyes, as if seeing her own past reflection.
But soon, the panic in her eyes was replaced by deeper venom.
"Consequence?"
Lysa shrieked, her voice harsh and hysterical.
"Everything I've done is for the honor of House Arryn! For the future of the Vale!"
"You short-sighted fools understand nothing at all!"
"You are wrong."
Ned Stark's voice was deep and firm.
He stepped forward, standing beside Catelyn, unmoving like the mountains of the North.
"The future of the Vale is not in your hands."
"The honor of House Arryn is not maintained by your despicable methods."
"Lynn has taken The Eyrie without bloodshed."
Ned's voice struck hard at Lysa's heart.
"All the nobles of the Vale have sworn allegiance to Robert Arryn."
"Your son, Robert Arryn, is now in The Eyrie, waiting for you to return."
"You are now abandoned by all, and have nothing."
Ned's gaze swept over everyone in the Great Hall.
"Your only choice now is to surrender immediately and beg Lynn for forgiveness."
"Otherwise, you will face the wrath of the entire North, the entire Vale, and all the righteous nobles of The Riverlands!"
Lysa Arryn's body trembled violently.
She looked at Ned's majestic grey eyes, then at the various expressions on the faces of the Frey family descendants around her, and the Tully family vassals who had completely sided with the North.
She knew she was at a dead end.
Her previous plan had completely failed.
She had originally thought she could use the strength of House Frey to block the Northern army outside the Kingsroad.
Then, using the forces of The Riverlands, she would create a standoff with the North and starve these impoverished Northerners to death!
But now, not only had The Bloody Gate been breached and the Vale changed hands, her son was in Lynn's grasp, and even The Riverlands were unstable.
She had no leverage left.
"Surrender?"
Lysa's face showed a smile uglier than a cry.
She knew that if she surrendered, endless humiliation and death awaited her.
But if she didn't surrender, she would be torn apart by these angry nobles right now.
Her mind raced, trying to find a glimmer of hope.
"Good!"
Lysa slammed the table, her voice tinged with hysteria.
"I surrender! I can beg Lord Lynn for forgiveness!"
At her words, everyone in the Great Hall was stunned.
"But!"
Lysa's gaze was fixed on Ned and Catelyn, a flicker of undetectable malice in her eyes.
"I have one condition!"
"What condition?" Ned's brows furrowed slightly.
"I demand that everyone present."
"Including you of House Stark, including Edmure and Brynden, all of House Tully, and all of House Frey, we all drink this cup of wine together!"
Lysa pointed at the wine-filled cups on the table, a strange smile on her face.
"As a witness to our reconciliation!"
She paused, her gaze sweeping over Edmure and Brynden.
"If you don't drink, it means you don't trust me and have malicious intentions to kill me!"
"Then I would rather die than surrender!"
"Let's just fight to the death!"
"I will hire assassins and make sure no one here has an easy time!"
Edmure Tully and Brynden Tully exchanged glances, both seeing confusion in the other's eyes.
Lysa's words sounded reasonable, intended to stabilize morale and mend divisions.
But they always felt that this woman wouldn't comply so easily.
Ned Stark's lips curved upwards.
He knew Lysa's character.
This woman was cunning and would never do anything without a purpose.
Guest right was already in effect; they couldn't act against her now.
If she truly intended to surrender and made this a condition, there seemed to be no reason to refuse.
However, if Lysa truly intended to cause trouble.
Then that would be the reason for her death!
"Good!"
Ned finally nodded.
He picked up a cup of wine from the table, his gaze firmly on Lysa.
"I'll drink!"
Catelyn also picked up a cup of wine, glanced at Lysa with complex emotions, then drank it.
Although Edmure and Brynden the Blackfish had doubts.
Since Ned and Catelyn had both drunk, they had no reason to refuse.
They both picked up their wine cups and drained them.
The Tully family vassals also picked up their wine cups and drank the wine, which symbolized reconciliation and vows.
After drinking the wine, everyone's expressions improved considerably.
Given Lysa's identity as a Tully daughter, they would definitely intercede for her with Lynn.
Furthermore, Lysa and Lynn's mother-in-law were relatives.
Just for that reason, they could guarantee that Lynn would never kill Lysa.
In their opinion.
By actively admitting her mistakes and promising never to participate in politics again, Lysa would surely live!
This was Lysa's best option.
After all, Robert was dead, and no one would remember Lysa's actions for a Baelish anymore.
Now, they were all relieved that Lysa could give up her power and status.
Walder Frey's old face was now covered in wrinkles.
He watched Ned, Catelyn, and all the Tully family members drink the wine, a perverse, chilling smile flickering in his eyes.
He raised his own wine cup, took a small sip, then turned his gaze to Lysa Arryn.
Lysa Arryn looked back at him, a flicker of undetectable triumph in her eyes.
She also picked up her wine cup and took a small sip.
The melody of "The Rains of Castamere" echoed in the Great Hall, growing deeper and more oppressive.
As if playing a prelude to an impending bloody feast.
Walder Frey's old face twisted into an even more distorted smile.
He raised his wine cup and let out a sharp, piercing laugh to all the guests in the Great Hall.
"Alright! Now!"
Walder Frey's voice, amidst the melody of "The Rains of Castamere," sounded especially sinister.
"Everyone has drunk the wine! Now, we can—"
He paused, his gaze coldly sweeping over Ned, Catelyn, and all the Tully family members, his smile becoming even more ferocious.
"—show them out!"
As soon as his words fell, all the Frey soldiers in the Great Hall suddenly drew their longswords!
The gleaming blades, illuminated by the firelight, shimmered with a bloodthirsty glow!
The melody of "The Rains of Castamere" at this moment became more urgent, more frantic, as if countless aggrieved souls were wailing in the Great Hall!
All the Tully family members' faces changed drastically.
Only then did they realize they had been tricked!
That cup of wine was not a witness to reconciliation, but... an invitation to death!
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