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 Merrett by Lopata Four | ||||
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| Alias | Merrett Muttonhead[1] | |||
| Allegiance | House Frey | |||
| Culture | Rivermen | |||
| Born |
262 AC[2] the Twins[3] | |||
| Died |
300 AC (aged 37) near Oldstones[1] | |||
| Father | Lord Walder Frey | |||
| Mother | Lady Amarei Crakehall | |||
| Spouse | Mariya Darry | |||
| Issue |
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| Books |
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Merrett Frey is a member of House Frey and a POV character in the epilogue of A Storm of Swords. Merrett is the ninth son of Lord Walder Frey[1] and the fourth son born of Walder's marriage to Amarei Crakehall.
Appearance and Character
[edit]Merrett is a big, broad man of middle height. In his youth, he was almost as robust as his older brother Hosteen, the strongest son of Lord Walder Frey, but in later years Merrett became soft and fleshy.[1] Ser Jaime Lannister remembers Merrett as slow, clumsy, and stupid in his youth, with strength being his only positive quality.[5]
Merrett is unable to become a knight because of persistent headaches caused by a head wound in his youth. Merrett tries to prevent the headaches, which can bring blinding pain and reduce him to tears, by drinking alcohol throughout the day. When his headaches become too severe, Merrett rests in a dark room with a damp cloth over his eyes. Fond of ale and red wine, he has gained the dubious distinction of being the biggest drunk in the Twins.[1]
Merrett is despised by his wife, Mariya Darry, and treated with disdain by his father, Lord Walder Frey.[1] Merrett considers his wife a shrew and his children worthless. He hates woods and especially outlaws, whom he often drunkenly blames for having ruined his life.[1] He is familiar with Jenny's song.[1]
Merrett carries a sword but does not own a horse.[1]
History
[edit]Youth
[edit]
Merrett desired to be a great knight in his youth. He served with his mother Amarei's relative, Lord Sumner Crakehall, as a page and later a squire. Like many Crakehall descendants, he was known for his strength and robustness. During this time, he knew Jaime Lannister, also a squire at Crakehall Castle, although the two were not close because of Merrett's habit of bullying others, which was not to Jaime's liking. Jaime is implied to have turned the tables on Merrett when the Frey boy tried to bully him.[5]
Kingswood Brotherhood
[edit]The downfall in Merrett's life began with the expedition against the Kingswood Brotherhood. First he caught a pox from a camp follower, and later he was captured by Wenda the White Fawn and was branded on his arse with her mark, a fawn. Merrett was freed after Lord Sumner paid a ransom, but he was unable to sit for a fortnight and became the target of cruel jokes by the other squires. In his next fight in the kingswood, Merrett was hit with a mace that broke his helm, leaving him insensible for a fortnight. As a result, Merrett began suffering immense pain whenever his head was touched.[1]
Lord Crakehall gently explained he would never be able to grant knighthood to Merrett because of his injuries, and he sent the young man back to the Twins. Lord Walder Frey treated his son with disdain,[1][5] and Merrett began drinking excessively to numb the pain of his headaches.[1]
Family
[edit]Merrett married Mariya Darry around 282 AC, and this was considered an excellent match at the time. However, soon after the wedding, House Darry lost most of their influence and power due to Robert's Rebellion, in which they declared for King Aerys II Targaryen. Merrett fathered five daughters before the marriage produced a son, Little Walder. One daughter died when she was still a child, one was stillborn, and two other daughters shame their parents with promiscuity (Gatehouse Ami) and gluttony (Fat Walda). Merrett arranged for Ami to marry Ser Pate of the Blue Fork after the girl was caught having sex with stablehands, and Tom of Sevenstreams performed at their wedding.[1]
Recent Events
[edit]A Game of Thrones
[edit]Lord Walder Frey's kin are present at the Twins when Lady Catelyn Stark comes to treat with the Lord of the Crossing on behalf of her son, Robb Stark. As part of the terms allowing Robb to cross at the Twins, Robb agrees to eventually marry one of Walder's daughters, and Merrett's son, Little Walder, is to be fostered at Winterfell.[6]
A Clash of Kings
[edit]Merrett's daughter Walda marries Lord Roose Bolton in a wedding at the Twins.[7][8]
A Storm of Swords
[edit]Merrett is pleased at Walda's marriage, believing his luck is changing and that her wedding will gain him favor because of House Frey's alliance with House Bolton.[1] However, Merrett learns that Lord Walder had offered Roose the choice of a daughter or a granddaughter with her weight in silver as dowry.[9] Merrett is once more disappointed when Walder says he is not going to thank his son for fathering a daughter who made him pay a larger dowry than necessary because of her gluttony.[1]
During the planning of the Red Wedding, Merrett is humiliated when Lothar Frey assigns him to get Lord Jon Umber too drunk to fight.[1] Merrett matches the Greatjon cup for cup during much of the feast, and Ser Whalen Frey and Petyr Frey pass out trying to keep pace with their wine drinking.[10] When the Freys try to capture Lord Umber, however, the Greatjon is still sober enough to kill two men, break another's arm, and take part of Ser Leslyn Haigh's ear off before being subdued.[1] Robb Stark, now King in the North and King of the Trident, is killed by Lord Bolton during the Red Wedding.[10] Catelyn Stark's throat is slit by Merrett's brother, Ser Raymund Frey, and her body is tossed into the Green Fork.[1]
The brotherhood without banners, the outlaw band led by Lord Beric Dondarrion, kidnaps Petyr in the aftermath of the Red Wedding. Merrett volunteers to deliver the ransom of a hundred golden dragons for his great-nephew, hoping to gain favor within House Frey as he has no prospect of maintaining an existence on his own once Lord Walder dies. Walder laughs at the suggestion of Merrett dealing with outlaws, but eventually gives his consent.[1]
Merrett nervously drinks wine when traveling to Oldstones, and the outlaws claim the bag of gold from him once he arrives. Merrett finds Petyr Pimple hanged in the ruined castle's godswood for his involvement in the Red Wedding, and the brotherhood prepare to hang Merrett after taking his bag of gold. The outlaws ask Merrett for the whereabouts of Sandor Clegane and a young girl, but Merrett knows nothing about them. When the outlaws bring up Robb's death at the Red Wedding, Merrett insists it was not murder, but justified vengeance for Robb insulting House Frey by marrying Jeyne Westerling. Merrett protests that all he did was drink and instead blames Lord Walder, Lame Lothar, Ryman Frey, Walder Rivers, and Roose Bolton. When Merrett asks for proof of his involvement, the brotherhood reveals a revived Catelyn Stark. Asked whether Merrett was part of the Red Wedding, Catelyn just nods, as she cannot speak anymore. Merrett is then hanged by the brotherhood.[1]
A Feast for Crows
[edit]Hunting the murderers of Merrett and Petyr, Lord Lucias Vypren follows one band to Fairmarket but loses them there. Another group is pursued from Hag's Mire by hounds and hunters led by Black Walder Frey, but their trace is lost when they reach the Neck. Smallfolk who are questioned describe a hooded woman who is believed to be their leader, but nothing is heard of Beric or Thoros of Myr. This creates doubts whether the brotherhood is responsible.[5]
While traveling to Riverrun, Ser Jaime Lannister stops at Darry, the new seat of his cousin, Lord Lancel Lannister. Jaime meets Merrett's widow, Mariya Darry, and his eldest daughter, Amerei, who is now Lancel's wife. Remembering Merrett to have been a bully, Jaime only praises Merrett as having been strong. When Amerei brings up her father's stories of fighting the Kingswood Brotherhood, Jaime thinks of them as exaggerations and lies. Jaime raises a toast to Merrett, considering it easier to drink to the man than talk about him. Amerei later mentions that Ser Harwyn Plumm has promised her Beric's head and she tries to coax Jaime into finding the killers of her father as well, although without success.[5]
A Dance with Dragons
[edit]Merrett's son, Little Walder Frey, serves as a squire to Ramsay Bolton,[11] who is the stepson of Merrett's daughter, Walda.[12] However, Walder is later found murdered at Winterfell.[13]
Quotes by Merrett
[edit]I never did have any luck.[1]
— thoughts of Merrett
You needed some sort of distinction in the Twins, else they were liable to forget you were alive, but a reputation as the biggest drinker in the castle had done little to enhance his prospects, he'd found. I once hoped to be the greatest knight who ever couched a lance. The gods took that away from me. Why shouldn't I have a cup of wine from time to time? It helps my headaches. Besides, my wife is a shrew, my father despises me, my children are worthless. What do I have to stay sober for?[1]
— thoughts of Merrett
He wasn't clever enough to be a maester, pious enough to be a septon, or savage enough to be a sellsword. The gods gave me no gift but birth, and they stinted me there. What good was it to be the son of a rich and powerful House if you were the ninth son? When you took grandsons and great-grandsons into account, Merrett stood a better chance of being chosen High Septon than he did of inheriting the Twins.[1]
— thoughts of Merrett
Merrett: Please. I've done you no harm. I brought the gold, the way you said. I answered your question. I have children.
Jack: That Young Wolf never will.[1]— Merrett and Jack-Be-Lucky
Quotes about Merrett
[edit]He picked her because she's fat. You think Bolton gave a mummer's fart that she was your whelp? Think he sat about thinking, 'Heh, Merrett Muttonhead, that's the very man I need for a good-father'? Your Walda's a sow in silk, that's why he picked her, and I'm not like to thank you for it. We'd have had the same alliance at half the price if your little porkling put down her spoon from time to time.[1]
— Walder Frey to Merrett
We must each play our part, according to our gifts. You shall have one task and one task only, Merrett, but I believe you are well suited to it. I want you to see to it that Greatjon Umber is so bloody drunk that he can hardly stand, let alone fight.[1]
— Lothar Frey to Merrett
When Jaime had arrived, Merrett Frey had been the castle bully, lording it over all the younger boys. Then he tried to bully me.[5]
— thoughts of Jaime Lannister
Amerei: Outlaws killed him. Father had only gone out to ransom Petyr Pimple. He brought them the gold they asked for, but they hung him anyway.
Mariya: Hanged, Ami. Your father was not a tapestry.[5]— Amerei Frey and Mariya Darry
Family
[edit]
References
[edit]- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24 1.25 A Storm of Swords, Epilogue.
- ↑ See the Merrett Frey calculation.
- ↑ George R. R. Martin's A World of Ice and Fire, Merrett Frey.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 A Storm of Swords, Epilogue.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 30, Jaime IV.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 59, Catelyn IX.
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 39, Catelyn V.
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 64, Arya X.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 37, Jaime V.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 51, Catelyn VII.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 12, Reek I.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 20, Reek II.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 51, Theon I.
- House Frey
- 262 AC births
- 300 AC deaths
- House Crakehall wards
- Casualties of the War of the Five Kings
- Characters from the Riverlands
- Characters killed by Catelyn Stark
- Characters suffering from the pox
- Deaths by hanging
- Executions
- Nobles
- POV characters
- Pages
- Squires
- Supporters of Robb Stark in the War of the Five Kings
- Supporters of Joffrey Baratheon in the War of the Five Kings