Lord Walder Frey

From A Wiki of Ice and Fire

Walder Frey

Alias	The Late Lord Frey
Title	Lord of the Twins Lord of the Crossing
Allegiance	House Frey
Born	In 207AL
Spouse	Perra Royce 1st Cyrenna Swann 2nd Amarei Crakehall 3rd Alyssa Blackwood 4th Sarya Whent 5th Bethany Rosby 6th Annara Farring 7th Joyeuse Erenford 8th
Book(s)	The Mystery Knight (Appears) A Game of Thrones (Appears) A Clash of Kings (Mentioned) A Storm of Swords (Appears) A Feast for Crows (Mentioned) A Dance with Dragons (Mentioned)
Played by	David Bradley
TV series	Season 1 | Season 3

Walder Frey rules the Twins as the head of House Frey and Lord of the Crossing. Though past ninety years old and infirm, he still maintains an active hand in the running of his house.^[1] He is a vain, prickly, ambitious, and untrustworthy man.

Walder has become famous for siring many children and surviving many wives. He is currently married to his eighth wife and has over a hundred descendants, base and trueborn. He has had twenty-two trueborn sons and seven trueborn daughters from his marriages, with an unknown number of bastard sons and daughters. He places a great emphasis on family loyalty, though his descendants jockey ruthlessly for his favor. Many Freys name their sons Walder and daughters Walda in hopes of honoring him. In the TV series, he is played by David Bradley.

Contents 1 Appearance 2 History 3 Recent Events 3.1 A Game of Thrones 3.2 A Clash of Kings 3.3 A Storm of Swords 3.4 A Feast for Crows 3.5 A Dance with Dragons 4 References and Notes

Appearance

Walder is brittle, suffers from gout and is confined to a chair, although he brags that he still can produce progeny.^[2] Age has made him bald and toothless and his skin hangs loose. See also this collection of images. Walder has passed his weasely appearance and weak chin down to many of his descendants.^[3]

History

As a toddler Walder was present at the marriage of his sister.^[4]. It is said he caused the marriage when he discovered his sister having intimate relations with a servant.^[5]

During Robert's Rebellion, Walder delayed arriving at the Battle of the Trident until the rebels had already won. For this his liege lord, Hoster Tully, called him "The Late Lord Frey."^[6][7][8]

Recent Events

A Game of Thrones

During the War of the Five Kings, Walder again delays coming to House Tully's summons when Edmure calls his banners in support of Robb Stark. Because the use of the Twins becomes a strategic necessity for Robb's host, Walder is able to negotiate marriage contracts for his children to Robb and Arya Stark. In addition, two of his grandsons Little Walder Frey and Big Walder Frey are sent to Winterfell as wards and one of his sons Olyvar Frey is made squire to Robb Stark.^[9]

A Clash of Kings

Walder's son and heir Stevron Frey dies while fighting bravely for Robb Stark. Lord Roose Bolton marries one of Walder's granddaughters, Walda Frey.

A Storm of Swords

Word eventually reaches the Twins of Robb Stark's marriage to Jeyne Westerling instead of a Frey as promised. Ryman Frey, Lord Walder's new heir, withdraws House Frey's support from the King of the North in outrage.

Walder secretly colludes with Tywin Lannister and Roose Bolton to betray the Starks and Tullys. Through Lothar Frey, Walder lures Robb and many of his key bannermen back to the Twins under the guise of making amends and marrying Edmure Tully to his daughter Roslin. During the wedding feast, Walder's men ambush Robb and his entire host (despite the fact they were under the protection of guest right), slaughtering Robb, Catelyn Stark, many of their bannermen, and a significant portion of the northern army.^[10] This betrayal becomes known as the Red Wedding. Walder then openly swears loyalty to House Lannister, his second son (Emmon Frey) receiving Riverrun and its lands as reward.^[11]

According to Merrett Frey, Lord Walder is not long for the world and when he dies it will be every other Frey for himself. Walder Frey, though a tyrant, believes in taking care of his own, even the ones who disappoint him. When Stevron Frey was heir it was different, as he was raised by Walder Frey to believe that blood was blood, but his sons and grandsons (now the new heirs) do not feel the same way.

A Feast for Crows

The Elder Brother at the Quiet Isle says that Lord Frey is hunting outlaws from the Twins. Lord Frey sends a raven to King's Landing putting forth several claims to land. This is discussed in the small council until Qyburn points out many of the population of the city (and all of Westeros) feel the Red Wedding was a great crime by all the laws of gods and men. Qyburn then states that it would not be good if the crown is believed to share in Walder Frey's crime and it would be useful if someone is punished for the Red Wedding. Pycelle says Lord Walder will never kill his own but Cersei Lannister states that whoever inherits the Twins after Walder Frey will not be as squeamish, and what better way to rid himself of inconvenient relatives than by naming them the culprits and executing them?

A Dance with Dragons

Several dozen of Walder Frey's kin have been killed either by the Brotherhood Without Banners or by Northmen (such as Wyman Manderly or the "Ghost of Winterfell") in retaliation for the Red Wedding. Ironically, more Freys have died due to the repercussions of the Red Wedding than during the War of the Five Kings.

References and Notes