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Theon did not take Tywin's letter seriously, but his mind was occupied with other concerns.
After returning to the North, Roose Bolton quickly gathered a small group of loyal nobles. Once Tywin's letter of appointment reached their ears, many lords rallied together and swore eternal loyalty to Bran Stark.
Yet it remained uncertain how many houses were truly faithful to the Stark family.
One thing, however, was undeniable: while Bran was not as skilled in combat as his brother, his political insight was far from weak. Combined with his extraordinary psychic powers, he swiftly established control over Winterfell.
For a time, the North fell into a strange balance. Roose Bolton was not recognized by the northern nobility, while those who declared loyalty to the Starks harbored their own hidden motives.
Unfortunately, House Bolton's military strength was formidable, leaving both sides hesitant to make the first move.
But Roose could not afford to wait. The longer the stalemate continued, the worse it would be for him. Within a few years, once the North recovered, the Stark faction's power would far surpass that of the Boltons.
Its lands, population, and wealth would multiply many times beyond what House Bolton could ever muster.
Thus, Roose dispatched envoys to House Frey, seeking their aid in raising troops to crush the Stark loyalists by force. In return, House Bolton promised a generous reward, gold dragons, gemstones, and other riches.
But Walder Frey was cunning as a fox. Theon had already seized two thousand of his men, and even if he had not, Frey had no intention of sending soldiers to the North.
Instead, he promptly forwarded Roose's letter to Theon.
Upon reading its contents, Theon's thoughts turned dark. House Bolton was treacherous to its core. If the chance arose to seize Moat Cailin and White Harbor, the North would be as helpless as a fragile maiden, ripe for Theon's control.
At present, twenty thousand soldiers stood ready in the Riverlands. Within months, Pyke would be producing weapons and armor on a massive scale. And when the old lion finally died, the three southern powers, Highgarden, the High Sparrow, and Cersei, would inevitably fall into bloody conflict.
Theon would raise his own army, in part to avenge Robb Stark, the brother he had once betrayed but still considered as kin.
So Theon drafted a letter and ordered Lucifor to personally lead a company under the cover of night, riding swiftly toward the Twins.
The next day, Theon summoned the commander of the Frey host and gifted him a thousand suits of armor as a token of gratitude.
Armor was a priceless strategic resource in Westeros, far more valuable than lances or swords, and its cost was immense. Full plate was rare even among knights; most soldiers wore little more than padded cloth or leather. Even the famed Unsullied of Essos marched in simple leather armor, though their unmatched discipline made them formidable.
Theon's forces, much like the armies of his homeland, were renowned for strict discipline. His two thousand men at the Twins were hardened veterans whose mere presence carried the aura of a seasoned host. Their battlefield experience made their ferocity impossible to ignore.
Yet Daniel regretted the order he had received. He did not wish to return. Life had been good, the food plentiful, and the treatment fair.
But Daniel had long since learned the meaning of the words obey orders. He asked no questions and immediately began preparing his men to march back to the Twins.
…
King's Landing
In his dark cell, Tyrion leaned against the pillar, lost in thought.
His trial was only two weeks away, yet he had no idea who had poisoned Joffrey. He had not even a single suspect, too many had wished the boy dead.
One thing, however, he knew with certainty: he had not killed Joffrey. He was merely the scapegoat.
Tywin and Cersei despised him, and neither would waste the opportunity to see him destroyed. Cersei most of all, she longed to watch her brother tortured to death before her very eyes.
Indeed, Tyrion's suspicions were correct. At that very moment in the Red Keep, Cersei was plotting his end, feeding her venomous whispers into young Tommen's ear.
"He is the murderer who killed your brother. If you do not sentence him to death, your reign will lose all honor."
But Tommen had no honor to lose. His authority existed only because of the old lion behind him.
As Tywin had already instructed, a good king must learn humbly from his elders until he came of age, and even after he wore the crown, he must continue to seek their counsel. Otherwise, he would end up like his brother: a poor king, and a dead one.
Thus Tommen became the perfect king, obedient to Tywin in all things. Even in matters concerning Tyrion.
"Mother, the Hand Tywin will judge him. I trust that the Hand will see justice done and punish the wicked man who murdered my brother," Tommen declared firmly.
A flicker of sorrow crossed Cersei's eyes. The thought of marrying that sword-swallower Loras filled her with loathing, and for the first time, she resented her father.
But resentment was useless. No one defied Tywin Lannister. In King's Landing, his will was absolute.
…
While Tyrion awaited his trial in King's Landing, Walder Frey accepted Roose Bolton's request for aid.
He demanded no less than 800,000 gold coins before agreeing to send troops.
House Bolton, desperate for Frey's support, paid a deposit of 200,000, and Walder kept his word, at least for the moment, sending soldiers northward.
But Walder claimed he lacked ships and insisted on marching to Moat Cailin instead. Roose Bolton, not thinking too deeply, agreed.
Since Robb's death, Moat Cailin had been in Roose's hands, serving as the North's natural stronghold.
Walder Frey studied Roose's letter with a sly smile.
"Perhaps I should be grateful I never crossed that sea-monster whelp over the Riverlands. Filthy creature," he muttered to himself.
Days earlier, he had received a secret letter from Theon, suggesting that Walder had acted "privately," sending troops under the guise of aiding Bolton, only to betray him and seize Moat Cailin.
But this was hardly the first time Walder Frey had broken an oath.
Walder understood his position well. Ambitious, yes, but not a fool. He knew he could not stand against Theon, and he recognized the Ironborn's centralizing ambition.
Though the Twins had not yet undergone their "transformation," Walder knew it was inevitable. When it came, his house would be powerless to resist.
When the two thousand men who had once served under Theon returned, even Walder struggled to recognize them.
Thus Walder decided it was safer to earn Theon's favor, if only to secure a higher station for Selena on Pyke.
The old Frey, treacherous as ever, marched to Moat Cailin and slaughtered its defenders without hesitation.
House Bolton had preserved much of its strength in the wars of the South. Roose still commanded six thousand seasoned men.
Moat Cailin was famed as the North's shield. Though Roose made a few hurried changes to its defenses, he did not panic. He gathered his army, intent on holding the fortress before the Starks could seize it.
But someone else learned of the situation even sooner. Theon, far away at Seagard, received a raven from the Twins almost at once.
Furious, he gathered his council and denounced Walder Frey for breaking his word, declaring it a grievous blow to his honor.
Without delay, Theon ordered ten thousand Riverland elites north to capture Walder and retake Moat Cailin.
Even before the order had fully spread from Pyke, the soldiers were already at Moat Cailin, well supplied with food and provisions.
Amice led the host, storming Moat Cailin with brutal efficiency. Walder's men were routed, and the old lord fled in panic toward White Harbor with only a few followers.
To secure Frey's capture, Amice commanded Rubeus Segovia to lead six thousand men in pursuit, while he himself held Moat Cailin with eight thousand.
And the extra four thousand? They were Frey's own men, who had surrendered in fear of King Theon's wrath.
When Rubeus later took White Harbor, the northern lords cursed Theon as a villain.
"We are not fools! Your father-in-law betrayed you first, and you struck faster than any of us. You sent ten thousand men north only to seize him for yourself!"
In less than two weeks, Theon held both of the North's critical strongholds. Dozens of longships from the Iron Islands soon filled White Harbor's docks.
Everywhere, men railed against Theon's cunning and treachery. But he paid them no mind.
The North, bled dry from war, could barely muster ten thousand fighting men. Both Stark and Bolton feared that any misstep would allow the other to devour them.
So when word spread that Theon's ten thousand had marched north, neither dared risk an assault on Moat Cailin or White Harbor.
Theon seized the moment to fortify his holdings, paying special attention to White Harbor, which he transformed into his cornerstone in the North.
What had been a fragile balance of power between Stark and Bolton was now a dangerous triangle. Hatred between the Starks and Boltons had grown so bitter that no alliance between them was possible.
Meanwhile, Rubeus Segovia confronted Walder Frey in White Harbor.
"I have completed the task His Majesty entrusted to me. Now, I will return to the Twins," Walder said, preparing to depart with his men.
Rubeus stepped forward. "Lord Frey, His Majesty expects you to present yourself before him and explain your actions."
"Didn't His Majesty tell you?" Walder smirked. But then he paused, realizing, if Rubeus was Theon's confidant, how could he not already know?
Walder's expression darkened.
"His Majesty always seizes opportunity," Rubeus replied coldly. "That is why he now rules the northern strongholds of Westeros. You should consider yourself fortunate, Theon intends to bring you to Pyke, where you may enjoy comfort under his watchful eye. Do not be ungrateful."
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