m_findlow

Title: Marriage of convenience
Fandom: Game of Thrones
Characters/Pairings: Roose Bolton, Walder Frey
Word Count: 500 words
Rating: PG
Notes: Written for Challenge 83 - Crafty at anythingdrabble
Summary: Roose Bolton has a proposal for Walder Frey.

Roose Bolton pursed his lips, attempting at a smile, though he didn't bow. The Boltons had not bowed to any lord or king in living memory. 'Lord Walder,' he greeted, keeping his tone oily. 'Thank you for accepting my request.'

Walder Frey gripped a horn of ale in his gnarled hand and snorted. 'Don't pretend you're grateful. The only thing I trust less than a Riverlander is a Northerner. And I trust a Flayed Man least of all the damned Northerners. What do you want?'

Roose poured himself a horn of ale before sitting on the opposite side of the table. 'I have a proposal that would serve both of us.'

Walder Frey narrowed his eyes. 'What makes you think I need you? Look at me. I've been lord here longer than you've been alive. It's your king in the north that comes groveling for my generosity.'

Roose sipped his ale. 'And which king does House Frey serve? The one in the north or the one that sits the Iron Throne?'

'I'm not stupid. The one who will win, of course.'

Roose gave another placid smile. 'As do I.'

'Well, go on then. Spit it out, whatever it is you're offering. Just don't expect me to bow to some Stark boy.'

'The Starks are fools. Robb Stark knows nothing about war. He cut off the heads of the Karstarks and lost half his army in the process. He denied your house a place of honour by marrying that wench from Essos. If Robb Stark crosses the Twins, what's left of his forces will be crushed by the Lannisters.'

Walder smirked. 'Sounds like you're having a change of heart.'

'Who will rule the North when the Stark army fails? Would you prefer to be hemmed in by Lannisters in the north and in the south?'

'Tywin Lannister is a pig, but he's a crafty pig. I've seen those letters from Stannis Baratheon claiming Joffrey is a bastard of incest. I'd believe it, too. A man's children look like him. Why do you think my daughters are all so ugly? Small wonder Robb Stark didn't want to marry one.' He barked out a laugh and drank.

'The Lannisters have the strength to hold onto power... with a little help to eliminate those houses that oppose them.'

'You want me to hitch my wagon to their horse?'

'More subtle than that,' Roose oozed. 'After all, a war is only a war if an army has someone to lead it.'

'You want me to kill Robb Stark.' He said it as a statement rather than a question.

Roose Bolton eased back in his own chair. 'I should think given that you're about to host a wedding feast, we should have something worth celebrating.'

Walder Frey's face broke into a rictus grin. 'All his bannermen under my roof,' he mused. 'And I expect you'll be wanting the North in exchange?'

'A fair price, don't you think?'

Walder grinned again. 'I do love a good wedding.'