who: @freysofthecrossing
when and where: kings landing, an audience is scheduled between lord brandon karstark and lord declan of hosue frey. this is set following the decision of brandon to appoint his brother, aleksander, as the new ruling lord of greywater watch.
context: the freys and the reeds/crannogmen of greywater watch have been entangled in conflict and border disputes for hundreds of years. the karstarks, via brandon's marriage to lady meera reed, have now taken influence of the region.
declan frey, was a name that was not the most known to brandon karstark - and for good reason, considering it had never been the karstarks which held the border of the north with the land of the rivers. the rivermen, who were known to hold hardened warriors, and yet, had a reputation of ripping themselves apart before any other did. it was the responsibility of house reed to oversee such things, and as much as the thought haunted him and forced him to lay awake in his bed looking at the canopy, house reed was dead.
no matter how much he saw her in glimpses in the mirror, or thought he could hear her voice as he awakened from another awful sleep, house reed was dead. but greywater watch, and their people, were not dead.
the vows he had taken beneath the god's tree were vows he took in entire solemn severity, and so, what was hers was his own to protect. in the name of her legacy, and her honour; all knew there was pragmatic reasoning to strengthen the keep on the border, but this was beyond pragmatism. this was the very essence of what was important to brandon - keeping his vow.
"the reeds be dead." brandon spoke to the man sat across from him, with a tone that was not as easy as it should have come out sounding; some would say it should not be brandon having this conversation, because of how wrapped up emotively he is in the matter. that advice, he ignored wholeheartedly. who was this declan frey? what was the man like? the freys had a certain reputation, to feast on coin; some of the newest of the houses of the riverlands. did that matter in any true way? he doubted it. he knew it did not.
"frogmen and mudmen though? very much alive." the words the freys used to refer to the people of house reed, the defenders of the border to the vast ancient land that was the north: and it became all too apparent that this was not necessarily diplomacy. it was a warning. "with the support of house karstark. you will find me kin to be to the north of you, lord frey." he informed words which could be seen as baseless - some would claim the karstarks still had no claim to greywater watch.
"my brother aleksander is to be the new ruling lord. it'll be him yer men are choosin' to cross, should they think wit anything but their heads. and me."
