Twins

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The Twins
Castle, river crossing
MKomarck TheTwinsFrey.jpg
Robb Stark and his men enter the Twins- by Michael Komarck ©
Location Westeros, Riverlands
Government House Frey, Feudal lord
Religion Faith of the Seven
Founded six hundred years ago
Named for its twin castles
The riverlands and the location of the the Twins
The riverlands and the location of the the Twins
The Twins
The riverlands and the location of the Twins
The Twins in Game of Thrones

The Twins, sometimes known as the Crossing, is the seat of House Frey in the northern riverlands. It is a fortified crossing of the Green Fork of the Trident and consists of two identical castles and a tower in the middle of their bridge.[1] It is one of the most formidable strongholds of the Seven Kingdoms.[2]

Layout

The Twins consist of two identical stone castles standing on a margin of the Green Fork of the Trident. They have high curtain walls, deep moats and a barbican and portcullis in each. A stone bridge arches between them, with the bridge footings rising from within the inner keeps. This bridge is wide enough for two wagons to cross abreast, and is guarded by a tower in the middle known as the Water Tower. It is the only crossing point over the Green Fork for hundreds of miles in either direction, from the North to the western riverlands. It lies directly athwart the main route from Winterfell to Riverrun.[1]

The seat of the Lord of the Crossing is a massive chair of black oak. Its back is carved in the shape of two towers joined by an arched bridge.[3]

History

The Freys have held the crossing of the Green Fork for six hundred years, beginning when a petty lord built a rickety wooden bridge over the narrowest portion of the river.[2] It took the family three generations to complete the bridge in stone, after which they built timber keeps on each bank of the river.[1] Since then, the Freys have grown wealthy by charging a heavy toll on all those who need to cross - a fact which irks many older or more powerful houses. The timber keeps have since been replaced by stone. These castles are what give the stronghold its name, for they are identical.[1] Given their strong castle, strategic location, wealth, and numbers, the Freys are one of the most powerful bannerhouses sworn to House Tully, now able to raise about four thousand men.[4]

In the story of the Knight of the Laughing Tree, a crannogman passed the Twins by night to avoid being attacked by the Freys.[5]

Walder Frey, Lord of the Crossing, claims to have hosted three kings during his life.[1]

Recent Events

A Game of Thrones

The northern army of Robb Stark marches to the Twins, where Lord Walder Frey has gathered nearly four thousand soldiers. Catelyn Tully negotiates an alliance between House Stark and House Frey, with Robb promising to marry one of Walder's daughters.[1] The Freys contribute one thousand mounted knights and near three thousand foot to Robb's cause.[4]

The army splits at the Twins, with Robb taking the horse to Riverrun and Lord Roose Bolton taking the foot to distract Lord Tywin Lannister on the east bank of the Green Fork. Ser Helman Tallhart remains with four hundred archers and swordsmen to bolster and ensure the loyalty of Walder's garrison.[1] After being defeated by Tywin in the battle on the Green Fork, Roose reforms the survivors at the mouth of the causeway.[6]

A Clash of Kings

Having gathered his host to the Twins,[7][8] Roose Bolton marries Walda Frey, one of Lord Walder's daughters.[9][10] Roose marches south and takes the ruby ford and the crossroads, after which Edmure Tully orders Helman Tallhart to leave the Twins and assist Roose with capturing Harrenhal.[9]

A Storm of Swords

After learning that Robb Stark, King of the Trident, has married Jeyne Westerling instead of a Frey, Ser Ryman Frey leads the Frey soldiers in Robb's army back to the Twins.[4] In order to regain the Freys for Robb's cause, Edmure Tully agrees to marry Roslin Frey.[11]

The Twins host the wedding of Edmure and Roslin. During the wedding feast, however, the Freys and Boltons betray the Starks in the massacre known as the Red Wedding.[12]

As a reward from the Iron Throne for the Red Wedding, the Freys are to receive Riverrun.[13] Ryman leads two thousand spears from the Twins to aid in the capture of the castle.[14]

A Feast for Crows

While riding back to the Twins from Riverrun, Ryman and his party of three knights and twelve men-at-arms are ambushed by the brotherhood without banners. Ser Jaime Lannister tells Edwyn Frey and Ser Walder Rivers that all captives from the Red Wedding held at the Twins are to be sent to King Tommen I Baratheon in King's Landing.[15]

A Dance with Dragons

Roose Bolton marches from the Twins to Moat Cailin via the causeway. His vanguard consists of four hundred mounted Freys led by Ser Aenys Frey and Ser Hosteen Frey, while the rearguard consists of at least another thousand Frey troops.[16]

The pregnant Roslin Frey is to remain at the Twins until she gives birth, after which she and the newborn may join the captive Edmure at Casterly Rock.[17]

Chapters that take place at the Twins

Quotes

The Twins—two squat, ugly, formidable castles, identical in every respect, with the bridge arching between—had guarded the crossing for centuries.[1]

- thoughts of Catelyn Tully


In the Twins, you learned early that only full blood siblings could be trusted, and them not very far.[18]

- thoughts of Merrett Frey


Walder Frey's fourth wife was a Blackwood, but kinship counts for no more than guest right at the Twins.[17]

- Tytos Blackwood to Jaime Lannister

References and Notes

This page uses content from the English Wikipedia. The original content was at Strongholds of A Song of Ice and Fire. The list of authors can be seen in the page history of Strongholds of A Song of Ice and Fire. As with A Wiki of Ice and Fire, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.