Chapter 29

“So, Jeffary, I think that it’s high time to reward you for holding the fort during my brief absence. You’ve done a solid job of keeping this city and its malcontents in line. As a consequence, as the Lord of the Whispers, I ask that you kneel,” I instructed Jeffary, who quickly knelt for me.

“Yes, my lord,” Jeffary clearly grasped what was next.

“I dub thee knight. Arise, Ser Jeffary. Now, go find the King’s Justice and then release Lancel Lannister to go to the Wall. We have much work to do, wouldn’t you say? I want the High Sparrow’s head to adorn a spike by dawn, do you hear me?” I commanded my deputy.

“Naturally, my lord,” Jeffary continued to sound nobler of late, no doubt due to his exaltation.

I suddenly had a wild idea and I found my way to the dungeons of The Twins, where Lord Edmure Tully remained. I had no plans to kill Lord Walder Frey, of course, as that was Arya Stark’s job, but there was no reason to let Edmure languish in a dark cell. He could not reunite with his wife and child, whether he wished to or not, as that would risk his freedom and his life, but I could find a new place to put him where he would be safe.

Rushing past the guards with the aid of my vampire nest, I left a lot of bodies in my wake before I found the keys and Edmure’s cell. He looked rough, the Lord of Riverrun did, but that was to be expected after years of captivity, much as Ser Jamie Lannister fresh from imprisonment by the Starks. His eyes had trouble adjusting to the better light of the torches carried by my nest. His voice was weak and trembling, but he used it, anyway.

“Lord Edmure Tully, look at me. Come with us. Don’t question me. Just come with us,” I glamored Edmure and led him out of the cell before clicking the remote to escape before the Frey guards could sound an alarm.

I then immediately took Edmure with us to Winterfell, reuniting him with his niece, Sansa Stark, and his nephew, Rickon Stark. Sansa looked up with real shock and was so overcome with the news that she rushed to embrace her uncle. Rickon followed quickly once he was sure that his uncle was indeed a free man and present in the North. How did he get out of The Twins and to Winterfell so quickly?

“No, you’re not dreaming! Uncle Edmure is among you now. Get him a bath, keep him from murdering Theon and Walda, and keep Walda from telling her father where he is! Keep Myranda from spilling the beans, too. Send ravens to Ser Brynden, the Blackfish, if you can, to let him know that his uncle is from Frey custody now. He is likely in poor health, due to the conditions of imprisonment, but he’ll recover in time. Yes, I broke out with the aid of my nest here!

“Edmure, look at me. You, my lord, will quietly recover here and you will not attempt to contact your wife or anything of the sort. You do not know her true loyalties, after all. Let her worry and fret about the future of your marriage. Let her stew for a bit, eh? Let the Blackfish raise the banners of revolt for now. In time, things will get serious enough that Lord Frey will plead to the Crown for succor, and when he does, Ser Jamie Lannister will ride off to Riverrun and save his hide. Or try to, at any rate. The tea must brew first, must it not? It must steep. I want House Lannister to panic by the time that it knows what is up.