Chapter Thirty-One (Cregan)

                                    

                                          
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Cregan
One Month Later
The Crossing at the Twins of Frey
            "And why should I grant you access to my crossing?" Lord Frey said with his arms hanging by his side while his wife stood next to him with her hands folded in front of her. The wind was cool but not as cold as the winds of winter that were in the north right now. 
            I sighed and pressed my fingers to the bridge of my nose. Irritation flooding through me as I try not to smack this man off this damn crossing as he blocks me and my troops. Our banners blowing in the wind above us.
            "Lord Frey you swore to Jacerys Velaryon, Prince of Dragonstone and Westeros, that you'd allow us access. I cannot get through the Riverlands without your cooperation. Now either you let us through or I tear you bit by bit and throw you into the damn river. You are stopping the Lord of Winterfell from saving his damn wife!"
            "What do you plan to give me in return?" Lord Frey asked and I could see the smirk on Lady Frey's face. 
            Greedy fucks.
            "Jacerys already made terms you lot, what more could you possibly want?" I rolled my eyes. "I will give you one chance... Move out of our way or this will no longer be Land of House Frey."
            "Are you threatening me, boy?" 
            "Time is a precious thing." I retort. "Tell me what it is you want and I'll consider it."
            Lord Frey sighed and looked at my army behind me before looking back at me. "Your first-born son is to wed our granddaughter."
            "How about I let you live and we call it even." I tighten the grip on my sword. 
            This doesn't please Lord Frey. "Bind our houses."
            "Bind my ass."
            Lord Umber comes up behind me and places a hand on my shoulder before telling Lord and Lady Frey that he has a young Grandson who would be honored to wed their granddaughter. It isn't what they really wanted but it's enough to get them to open the damn crossing. 
            As we march through I can't stop grumbling about it under my breath. Surely, I sound like a madman at this point but I don't care. 
            "Remind me to put in my will that no one from House Stark is to ever wed House Frey." 
            Lord Umber chuckles and shakes his head. "You can't save our Lady if you get yourself killed, Lord Cregan. Plus... We gladly would have sat there and waited for Jacerys to fly in on his beast. He'd have set flame to Old Lord Frey."
            He's not wrong... I need to get to Alana. I need to save her from this endless hell she's been living in while being held by the Greens. And the worst part? She sent me a secret raven that was a tad cryptic but I knew exactly what she was telling me. 
            I give Lord Umber a nod as we trek through and I can feel myself getting more restless as the distance behind me grows further away and the space between myself and the Red Keep grows closer. Even though I cannot see it, I can feel it.
            "Daemon has been kept quietly in Harrenhal but Harwin has been starting to march with his men. They've already had a battle with some Green supporters. I hear Jacerys will be waiting for us at Harrenhal as well." Umber says. 
            "You are correct." I reply. "I wonder if the Greens told Alana of what happened to Rhaenys. She is her grandmother after all... Certainly they'd have loved to brag of their victory."