Ser Andar Royce's corpse lay not far away, blood still gurgling from the wound in his neck, dyeing the pebbles beneath his feet an ominous bright red.
Those eyes, unwilling to close in death, were staring straight at the sky.
As if silently questioning the Seven.
Why was the end of honor such a despicable death?
Edmure trembled all over, teeth chattering uncontrollably, making "cluck-cluck" sounds.
He wanted to beg for mercy, wanted to say he was willing to obey arrangements, as long as he could survive.
But just then, the handwriting on his father's letter seemed to burn in his mind.
[Edmure, remember our words.]
[Family, Duty, Honor.]
[Do not let the banner of House Tully be stained with the blood of the innocent.]
Edmure's gaze moved slowly from Andar Royce's young but lifeless face to his sister's face twisted by madness.
Family?
For a dead man, she didn't hesitate to put her own brother to death, forcing the entire family to be buried with her madness.
Duty?
As the Lady of the Vale, she personally murdered a bannerman loyal to her, just to establish authority.
Honor?
She defiled House Tully and House Arryn with the most despicable sneak attack and betrayal, trampling honor under her dirty feet.
Edmure suddenly stopped trembling.
That chill from his bones was replaced by a hotter emotion.
Anger.
Anger of being deceived.
Anger of kin being harmed.
And even more, the anger of House Tully's dignity being trampled!
He, Edmure Tully.
From childhood, he had been a disappointing waste.
Couldn't shoot arrows accurately, no good at fighting, brain not sharp enough.
He always lived under his father's strictness and others' halos.
But now, he was the Lord of Riverrun.
The legitimate and rightful heir pinned with the last hope by his father in his will.
He couldn't let his father's last wish be dusted.
He couldn't let House Tully's trout banner be shamed in his hands!
"Kill me."
Edmure's voice wasn't loud, even carrying a trace of fear, but every word was incredibly clear.
Clearly, he had made up his mind at this moment.
Edmure met Lysa's astonished eyes.
"What do you think you are?"
"Shameless bitch!"
"Even if I die, Riverrun won't be yours to command!"
"Do you think everyone in House Tully is a fool like you?"
Edmure straightened his back.
At this moment, Lysa seemed to see the shadow of "Blackfish" Brynden in him.
"After I die, Brynden Tully will inherit Riverrun."
"He is a Tully after all, and also the bravest warrior in the Riverlands."
"He will avenge me, avenge Ser Andar Royce, avenge all innocents harmed by you!"
"He will lead House Tully's bannermen to drive you and your deceived Vale knights completely out of our land!"
"Lysa, you will face the wrath of the entire Riverlands! The full wrath of your uncle!"
"Just wait to die!"
Edmure almost roared out the last sentence.
He felt he had never been so full of strength.
The fear of death became less terrible before the determination to protect family honor.
He was ready.
Using his own death to ignite that fire of revenge.
Since Lysa arrived at Riverrun, Hoster died, and if he followed Hoster's footsteps closely, Lysa would definitely be suspected as a key target.
Tully words were everyone's first stereotype.
Family always comes first; this was something even a seven-year-old knew.
No matter how vicious a person was, how could they commit patricide?
How beastly one must be to do such an unconscionable thing!
Now even the Maester had sensed something wrong.
Just because Lysa was Hoster's youngest daughter, the Maester dared not consider that aspect.
Not only the Maester dared not think about this, but everyone hadn't thought about this aspect at all.
Even the dead Hoster himself didn't expect his own daughter would deliberately suffocate him to death!
As a father, who would deliberately guard against his own daughter?
If he had known Lysa would be so unconscionable, he wouldn't have given Lysa a chance to be alone with him.
Thinking Lysa had urgent matters to discuss with him, dismissing servants, a momentary oversight brought the result of his own death.
One could only say Hoster blindly believed his teachings to his children would work.
Edmure thought.
As long as he died, deepening everyone's suspicion of Lysa, then everyone would thoroughly see her true face.
Sacrificing himself to preserve the family.
This deal was simply too cost-effective.
However, contrary to Edmure's expectation, Lysa didn't fly into a rage as he imagined.
She just stared blankly at him, as if looking at some novel species.
A few seconds later.
"Heh..."
A chuckle overflowed from Lysa's lips.
Immediately after, as if hearing the funniest joke in the world, she began to laugh loudly.
That laughter was sharp, harsh, full of undisguised mockery and pity.
"Hahahaha... my foolish brother..."
"Didn't expect you to have such backbone."
"It seems my words just now didn't scare you."
"I underestimated you; you've grown; compared to childhood, you've changed a lot."
Lysa laughed until she bent over, tears flowing.
"Uncle? Brynden Tully?"
"Do you think I would really be afraid of that stubborn old man?"
"Do you think if you die, he can inherit Riverrun smoothly, then bring those 'loyal' bannermen you speak of to seek revenge on me?"
Lysa straightened up, looking at Edmure with a look for an idiot.
"Edmure, when will you grow up a bit?"
"Do you still think this is listening to bards singing heroic epics?"
"Righteous knights finally defeating evil wizards?"
"Too naive."
The smile on Lysa's face slowly retracted.
Replaced by a strange expression that chilled Edmure to the bone.
"Do you think I rushed all the way to Riverrun without preparing anything?"
"Edmure, my good brother."
"If you were afraid of death just now and agreed to my request, you might have avoided the suffering that follows."
"After all, you are my brother; if you were obedient, I would save some trouble."
"But you insist on being tough."
"Since that's the case, don't blame your sister for being ruthless."
"You brought this all on yourself."
Lysa raised her hand, clapping lightly twice.
Clap. Clap.
Crisp applause seemed particularly abrupt on the silent river beach.
Rustling sounds came from the forest behind them.
Edmure looked instinctively; his heart sank abruptly.
A dozen knights escorted an old man walking slowly out of the forest.
The old man was thin, back hunched, wearing a luxurious robe embroidered with the Twin Towers sigil.
On his face like dried orange peel, a pair of small eyes shone with shrewdness and greed.
Even from a distance, Edmure seemed to smell the rotten scent mixed with old age and conspiracy on him.
Walder Frey.
Lord of the Crossing.
The richest, largest family, and most looked-down-upon lord in the Riverlands.
Why looked down upon by everyone?
Because during the War of the Usurper, Walder Frey's army was like Tywin Lannister's.
Until the decisive Battle of the Trident, he arrived late at the battlefield only after the rebel army won.
His liege lord, Hoster Tully, thus called him "the Late Lord Frey."
This nickname with obvious mockery and humiliation spread, making Walder hold a grudge to this day.
Even now that Hoster was dead, he hadn't forgotten Hoster's humiliation of him.
If Lynn were present, he would definitely know.
Even in the early stages of the War of the Five Kings.
Edmure Tully had summoned bannermen to fully support Robb Stark marching south to attack King's Landing, but only Lord Walder didn't move; like before, he refused to respond to the summons late.
Since the Twins held a key strategic position and the army marching south had to pass through there for supplies, Robb had to negotiate with Walder, promising marriage in exchange for support.
Old Walder was calculative and vindictive, a true villain!
Unfortunately, Robb was blinded by love and broke his oath.
This also made the already petty Walder Frey defect directly to the enemy.
Finally leading to the Red Wedding, the node where House Stark thoroughly declined.
Walder Frey?
Why was he here?!
Edmure's brain went blank instantly.
A thought more terrifying than Lysa emerged abruptly in his mind.
Old Frey ignored the corpses on the river beach and the tense atmosphere.
He just walked slowly to Lysa's side.
Those cloudy old eyes swept unscrupulously over Lysa's still charming body, and the corner of his mouth grinned in a disgusting smile.
"Hehe, my good Lady, looks like you've got things done?"
His voice was old and astringent.
"Of course."
Lysa seemed not to care about his rudeness, even casting a charming glance at him.
"Now, it's your turn to fulfill your promise, Lord Frey."
"Promise?"
Old Frey let out a shrill laugh.
"Freys never owe anything, and never let go of anything belonging to us."
His gaze finally landed on the dumbfounded Edmure.
That look wasn't like looking at a lord, more like examining a livestock waiting to be slaughtered.
"This waste inheriting Riverrun?"
"He's far worse than his dad."
Old Frey smacked his lips, not hiding his disdain.
"But it doesn't matter; as long as he's obedient, Riverrun is still his, at least on the surface."
Edmure was completely confused.
Lysa... she actually colluded with Walder Frey!
What on earth did she promise this old thing?
Could it be...
"You... you sold Riverrun to him?!"
Edmure screamed in disbelief.
"Sold?"
Lysa sneered.
"Don't put it so ugly, Brother."
"We call this cooperation."
"Lord Frey will fully support me."
"And I,"
Greed flashed in Lysa's eyes.
"Will let my son, the rightful heir of the Vale, Robert Arryn, marry one of Lord Frey's granddaughters."
Edmure felt like he was struck by lightning on the crown of his head.
He understood.
He understood everything.
This wasn't some simple revenge.
This was a thorough conspiracy!
A huge conspiracy aimed at subverting the entire Riverlands, including the rule of House Tully!
Through marriage, Lysa gained the support of House Frey.
House Frey was the most powerful bannerman in the Riverlands.
Their defection was enough to plunge the entire Riverlands into division and civil war.
And House Frey, through this marriage, extended their tentacles into the isolated Vale!
Their descendants would possess "blood of House Arryn" and also the right of inheritance to the Eyrie!
This way, from now on, on the surface, it was still the Riverlands and the Vale.
But secretly, the two forces were one entity!
Madmen!
These two were out-and-out madmen!
If Edmure knew there was no blood of Jon Arryn in Robert Arryn's veins at all, he would be even more shocked!
Now, the uncle Brynden he relied on, the Tully bannermen he trusted... appeared so fragile before the behemoth House Frey.
This was all because Hoster was seriously ill, and power constantly fell aside.
The current House Tully was just a flashy empty shell.
Once war started, the Riverlands would bleed rivers.
And the final winners would only be these two devils before him!
"Now, my foolish brother,"
Lysa walked up to him, looking down at him, wearing a victor's smile.
"Do you still think your death can exchange for anything?"
"Do you still think I would let you die so easily?"
"If you die, my good uncle will logically inherit Riverrun."
"But, as long as you live, he has no inheritance qualification, and will never be the rightful heir!"
"Did you really think I'm stupid enough to let you die so easily?"
Lysa reached out, like when they were little, gently stroking Edmure's cheek.
"You will live; I will let you live well."
"I want you to see my final victory."
"Lord Walder has prepared an ambush."
"If you don't cooperate, with one command, House Tully, unprepared, even sleeping naked, will be chopped into eight pieces by armored, fully armed Frey soldiers."
"Please don't question his military strength; you know this very clearly."
"So, you will submit."
"You will announce an alliance with me as the Lord of Riverrun."
"You will call on all bannermen to join our coalition forces."
"And then..."
Lysa's smile became sweeter, but her words more vicious.
"You will also welcome a grand wedding."
She turned sideways, glancing at the lecherously smiling Old Frey behind her.
"Lord Frey has so many cute and beautiful daughters and granddaughters; there's always one worthy of you, my good brother."
"You will become House Frey's most glorious son-in-law, dedicating everything you have for the alliance of our two houses."
"I didn't want to do this."
"Tully is my home after all; as long as you cooperate with me, not only will Tully knights fight for me, but calling other bannermen will also be more convenient."
"Killing you all does me no good."
"So, Brother, you have to be obedient, cooperate with me, let House Tully fight for me."
"By the Seven, I promise I will forgive you after victory."
Edmure Tully seemed to hear the sound of his own heart shattering.
Killing the person, and destroying the heart too?
Lysa conspiring with House Frey to rebel was probably already fully prepared.
While House Tully was completely unprepared now!
As long as he refused to cooperate, Lysa would smash the pot and directly slaughter House Tully completely!
But as long as he cooperated with Lysa, Tully could still survive.
He knew Lysa had no credibility, but with his life in the other's hands, did he have a choice?
He knew, at this point, Tully existed in name only.
Whether cooperating or not, House Tully was finished!
By then, he would be controlled by Lysa and Walder, smeared and rumored at will.
In the future, he would even bear the infamy of patricide, betraying the family, or inviting wolves into the house.
Becoming the eternal shame of House Tully.
He would watch helplessly as his home was carved up by these two devils, watch his people wailing in war, powerless.
Although Edmure was stupid, he still cherished his subjects very much.
"No... No!!"
Edmure let out a desperate hiss.
A resolute look flashed in his eyes.
There was still a chance!
As long as Lysa died, all conspiracies would disintegrate!
Like a beast driven to a dead end, Edmure broke free from the restraints while Ser Vardis wasn't paying attention, pouncing fiercely at Lysa.
He wanted to kill this monster!
Even if he died, he would drag her to hell with him!
However, before he could get close to Lysa, a sword pommel smashed heavily on the back of his head.
Thump!
The world instantly plunged into darkness.
At the last moment before losing consciousness, he heard Walder Frey's gloating shrill laugh.
"Hehe, looks like our new Lord needs to learn the rules properly..."
"Don't worry, Lysa, I'll let him adapt to his new identity well."