Edmure, as the heir to Riverrun, was usually mindful of his demeanor, but after hearing his Uncle's proposal, he nearly leaped up on the spot.
His voice was filled with disbelief: "What? You want me to marry a Frey ugly girl?!"
Seeing his Uncle's serious expression, Edmure shook his head resolutely, refusing: "No, the Frey blood will turn my children into crooked gourds and cracked dates."
He looked at Brynden, complaining: "Uncle, if the Tully ladies start to look like Frey weasels from my children onwards... Oh, my poor child, she will be mocked from a young age, and even if she is my daughter, she won't be able to shut everyone's mouths. She will blame me! Oh, generation after generation of Tully ladies will blame me, Gods... please forgive me."
Brynden: "..."
Robb: "..."
Edmure's voice was a little agitated: "Uncle, why are you looking at me like that? Are my worries unreasonable? This is very important!"
Ser Brynden looked at his nephew with a complex gaze: "...Your concerns are not unreasonable, but... if we lose to Lannister, Tully will have no future. Edmure, we must appease The Twins, this concerns the outcome of the next war."
Edmure, of course, understood the importance of The Twins, but... just thinking of the Frey weasel faces, he really... couldn't accept it.
After thinking for a moment, Edmure felt he had a good idea: "Uncle, perhaps I can marry the Princess of Dorne. The Martell Prince of Dorne hates Lannister immensely!"
The more he spoke, the more he felt he had come up with an excellent plan: "If we can form an alliance with the Dornish, what is a small Frey?"
Ser Brynden's gaze shifted slightly, and he said: "Edmure, Dorne is very far away, but for now... the'small Frey' you speak of can cut off the Riverlands from the North, dividing our kingdom in two."
After listening to his Uncle's words, Edmure was silent for a while. He sincerely advised Robb: "King, I think you should still..."
King Robb raised his hand to stop Edmure's words. After a moment of contemplation, he said: "Edmure, if you are willing to marry a Frey lady... I promise that my son with Jeyne, my heir, will marry your daughter with the Frey lady."
He paused, then continued: "To defeat Lannister, we must win back The Twins. Uncle, as long as it's your child with the Frey lady... whether it's marrying off or marrying in, I promise you the first right of choice."
Finally, he solemnly said: "the new gods and Old Gods bear witness."
Edmure was startled. He thought for a while, then leaned back in his chair.
He tilted his head slightly and said weakly to Ser Brynden: "Uncle, can my father agree to this?"
Ser Brynden's large hand patted his nephew's arm, saying: "Leave the rest to me. The Duke of Riverrun will surely make a wise choice."
Seeing Edmure look up with a look of utter despair, he added: "I think not all Frey ladies will be in the 'condition' you're worried about... I'll personally talk to Lord Frey then. Don't worry too much."
Edmure finally regained some composure: "Uncle, my demands are really not high now. As long as she's not too ugly, I'll be satisfied."
He paused, then couldn't help but add: "Of course, the prettier the better, this is not just for me, this is for the future of Tully."
Ser Brynden smiled kindly and joked: "Don't worry, I don't want to be complained about by your daughter either."
Edmure grinned at his Uncle like he used to when he was young, and then... immediately sobered his smile a bit. He needed to maintain a steady image in front of his King nephew, after all, he was a reliable Uncle.
Edmure cleared his throat and said seriously: "King Robb, I await your command."
King Robb's voice held gratitude: "Uncle, thank you. The North will never forget."
Hearing his nephew's thanks, Edmure's lips couldn't help but curve upwards. He waved his hand as if unconcerned, saying: "Trout and Direwolf are one family. My sister will surely be happy to hear about this too. I think she'll spend a whole day in the sept thanking the Gods."
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