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| “ | We Stand Together! | „ |
| ~ House Frey's motto in the television series. |
| “ | The Freys fought bravely in the Whispering Wood, and old Ser Stevron died at Oxcross, we hear. Ser Ryman and Black Walder and the rest are with Robb in the west, Martyn has been of great service scouting, and Ser Perwyn helped see you safe to Renly. Gods be good, how much more can we ask of them? | „ |
| ~ Ser Edmure Tully to his sister Catelyn, before the alliance with House Frey fell apart. |
| “ | I say what I mean straight out, like an honest man. But what would you know of the ways of honest men? You're a treacherous lying weasel, like all your kin. I'd sooner drink a pint of piss than take the word of any Frey. | „ |
| ~ Lord Clement Piper during the siege of Riverrun. |
House Frey of the Crossing are some of the secondary antagonists of the A Song of Ice and Fire novel series and its television adaptation Game of Thrones.
It is the wealthiest noble house of the Riverlands, and the second-most powerful after the Tullys of Riverrun. They also have the largest army in the Riverlands. Their main seat is the Twins, also known as the Crossing, which are a pair of castles located on each bank of the northern Green Fork of the Trident, with the Water Tower in the middle of their bridge. Their bridge is a major and vital strategical location, necessary to cross the river, which allowed the Freys to grow very wealthy and important. The ruler of the house is styled Lord of the Crossing. The words of House Frey have never been mentioned so far in the novels, although in the show their words are, "We Stand Together."
The domains of the Freys are wide, with large tracts of land marking their region. They can assemble a lot more soldiers than their liege lords, House Tully of Riverrun. They have the wealth to muster armies of sellswords and freeriders as well. Under the ancient Lord Walder Frey, House Frey has grown even more in both size and power, now having become the most powerful bannermen of the Tullys. Known vassal houses sworn to House Frey are House Charlton, House Erenford, and House Haigh.
After the Red Wedding in the late 299 AC, a new cadet branch of House Frey has been formed; House Frey of Riverrun, currently ruled by Emmon Frey, the new Lord of Riverrun and great-uncle of King Joffrey I Baratheon. The Freys and all the riverlords are currently sworn to House Baelish of Harrenhal.
The Freys dislike their northern neighbors, the crannogmen of the Neck, reclusive people living in wetlands, ruled by House Reed of Greywater Watch, where there are no maesters and no knights. The Freys look down on them and call them pejorative names such as "frogeaters" or "mudmen". Historically, Frey warriors tried and failed to conquer Greywater Watch multiple times. The Freys have also been looked down upon by many other noble families of the Riverlands, who viewed them as upstarts and toll collectors.
After the the Red Wedding, of which the Freys were the main perpetrators, their reputation was destroyed completely and irrevocably quickly due to it being one of the most reviled atrocities in Westerosi history, due to the violation and staining of the sacred guest right. After that, smallfolk and nobility to no longer trust guests and guest right is no longer considered guaranteed. House Frey's actions were also met with immense disgust and outrage by war refugees known as the "sparrows" (most of them currently reformed as Poor Fellows).
Despite their reputations, there are numerous neutral and non-villainous Freys as well, some of them being considered likable, such as Roslin, Stevron, Perwyn, Amerei, Arwood, Olyvar, Alesander, and many others, mostly being women, children, and teenagers, with some grown up men as well. House Frey's recently-gained ill reputation comes from its current and more prominent leaders and members, including Lord Walder Frey, Ser Walder Rivers, Ser Ryman, Edwyn, Black Walder and Lame Lothar.
According to Merrett Frey, it will not be long until Lord Walder dies, and when it will happen it will be every other Frey for himself. Walder, though a tyrant, has a strong belief in family loyalty and in taking care of his own, even the ones who disappoint him and have no use to him. When Ser Stevron Frey was heir the situation was different, as he was raised by Walder to believe that blood was blood, and he was even decent and a better person than his father and other Freys, but Stevron's eldest son, Ser Ryman, his grandsons Edwyn and Black Walder, now the new heirs, and many other Freys do not feel the same way. Merrett expects the next Lord Frey will banish many family members from the Twins, those deemed useless or despised by him.
In the continuity of the television series, House Frey were briefly a Great House of Westeros after the Red Wedding, but in the end of the conflicts a large portion, if not all, of male Freys were massacred by Arya Stark and the title of Lord of Riverrun (and presumably Lord Paramount of the Trident) was restored to Lord Edmure Tully. The Freys were presumably subdued once more.
Biography[]
Backstory[]
The Freys were founded about 600 years before the series began, when a petty Lord built a bridge over the Green Fork. Eventually the crossing was expanded into twin castles, one on either side of the river, plus a tower in the middle, hence the Frey's seat of power is known as the Twins. The Freys use the title Lord of the Crossing.
The current Head of House Frey is Walder Frey who at the beginning of the series is 89, and has been married seven times. He has over a hundred descendants, trueborn and bastard-born. For his 90th nameday Walder Frey takes his eighth wife, Joyeuse Erenford, who is over 70 years younger then him. Many of the Freys share the weaselly appearance of their common ancestor Walder Frey.
War of the Five Kings[]
When Tywin Lannister attacks the Riverlands Walder Frey doesn't answer his liege lord Hoster Tully's calling the banners. After the death of Robert Baratheon the Lannisters usurp the throne through Joffrey Baratheon. When Robb Stark marches south Walder Frey refuses to let his army across. He claims he would be breaking oaths to the crown by fighting the Lannisters, even though when the Tullys first called him Robert wasn't dead so Walder wouldn't have been breaking his oaths. Robb is forced to make terms with him, agreeing to marry a Frey and betrothing his younger sister Arya Stark to one of Walder Frey's sons, Elmar. Two of Walder Frey's grandsons, Big Walder Frey and Little Walder Frey, are sent to be fostered at Winterfell, and Walder Frey's 18th son Olyvar Frey becomes Robb's squire. The Freys join Robb Stark and later proclaim him King in the North with the other Northern and Riverlands nobility.
When Robb attacks the Westerlands Ser Stevron Frey, Walder Frey's eldest child and heir to the Twins, is wounded and later dies in his tent. This means Stevron's eldest son, Ryman Frey, becomes heir.
When Stannis Baratheon is defeated at the Blackwater by Tywin Lannister and Mace Tyrell, the Freys at Harrenhal with Roose Bolton fear Robb will lose the war and try to find a way out. Later they receive news that Robb has broken the marriage pact, marrying Jeyne Westerling to protect her honor after taking her virginity. The Freys leave Robb's cause. Olyvar Frey wishes to remain with Robb, but is forced to leave by his kin.
The Red Wedding[]
The Freys agree to renew their alliance with Robb again if his uncle Edmure Tully, the Lord of Riverrun, marries Roslin Frey, Walder Frey's daughter by his sixth wife. However the wedding proved to be nothing but a part of a plot for revenge. At what becomes known as the Red Wedding, shortly after Edmure and Roslin left, the musicians began playing The Rains of Castamere, the song that associates with Tywin Lannister, Robb's enemy. This signals the Freys to immediately betray and murder Robb Stark, his mother Catelyn Stark, and most of their men while Edmure Tully and many other nobles are taken captive. Mail-wearing northmen - possibly the Boltons and the Karstarks - also joined in the slaughter. Most of all of Robb's personal guard where also killed, with Smalljon Umber, Dacey, and Ser Wendel Manderly amongst them.
During the ensuing slaughter in the hall, the Freys also killed Robb's direwolf Grey Wind. When The Rains of Castamere played in both of the castles in the Twins, the three feast tents, which had been coated in oil earlier, at the camp outside collapsed and were set ablaze by fire arrows. While most of the northmen burned in their tents while drunk, Walder Rivers, a bastard son of Lord Walder, leads an army of armored Freys in cutting down Robb's men outside the tents while also burning their pavilions.
In an act of mockery on Robb's relationship with his direwolf, his body was then mutilated, with his head being decapitated and then head of Grey Wind is sewed in place before a crown is nailed on the head while Robb's crown is in possession of Ryman Frey. Robb's body was then paraded. Catelyn's body was then stripped naked and thrown into the river in a mockery of the funeral customs of House Tully.
As House Frey had betrayed House Stark, this brought a complete end to the North's rebellion against the Iron Throne. Because of the Red Wedding, this allowed the Iron Throne to take in a number of valuable hostages. Walder Frey's second son Emmon Frey is made Lord of Riverrun while one of his granddaughters Amerei Frey is to marry Lancel Lannister and another Frey girl marry Ser Daven Lannister. Roose Bolton, who has been made Warden of the North for his part in the Red Wedding, which is personally murdering Robb Stark, has married another of Walder Frey's granddaughters, "Fat" Walda Frey, one of Amerei's sisters, after Walder offered him the weight in silver of a Frey girl as their dowry. Roose takes a Frey force under two of Walder Frey's sons, Ser Aenys Frey and Ser Hosteen Frey, to the north to help him take control.
Ryman's second son Black Walder Frey besiges Seagard, forcing Lord Jason Mallister to surrender by threatening to hang their heir Patrek.
After being submerged for days, Catelyn's corpse, is founded by Nymeria, the direwolf of Arya Stark, who went into depression after learning of her mother's death. When Catelyn's body is founded by the Brotherhood without Banners, the Red Priest, Thoros of Myr was asked to bring her back to life in the same way he did with Beric Dondarrion, the leader of the Brotherhood. However, Thoros refused as he knew that Catelyn has been dead for too long. As a result, Beric uses the kiss of life to give life to the corpse, but at the cost of his own life. With Beric's sacrifice, Catelyn was revived as Lady Stoneheart.
However, unlike in her previous life, Stonheart is ruthless and unforgiving, with a strong hunger for revenge. Taking control of the Brotherhood without Banners, she begins a vendetta on all those she holds responsible for betraying her and for murdering her son Robb. The Brotherhood begin by capturing one of Walder Frey's great-grandsons Petyr Frey, and demanding a hundred dragons for him. When Walder's ninth son Merrett Frey delivers the ransom, hoping to win the favor of the main Frey branch as Petyr is the youngest son of the current heir to the Twins, he finds Petyr has already been hanged. Merrett tries to justify the Red Wedding and excuse his role. However Stoneheart judges him guilty and has him hanged on her orders.
Second Siege of Riverrun[]
Ryman Frey besieges Riverrun aided by the reluctant Riverlands' nobility and the Lannisters under Ser Daven Lannister, who has been made Warden of the West by his cousin Cersei Lannister. The second siege on Riverrun was poorly handled; Ryman spends most of his time drinking and whoring, and each day places Edmure on a gallows, trying to make their uncle Ser Brynden Tully, "the Blackfish", Castellan of Riverrun, surrender the castle. However Brynden stubbornly refuses and Ryman doesn't hang Edmure, not wanting to lose a hostage. Roslin truly loves Edmure and she is pregnant by him but she prays on having a baby daughter, as she feared if she produces a male heir to House Tully, her family will kill Edmure. Men from their force frequently go missing, possibly hanged by the Brotherhood without Banners on Lady Stoneheart's orders.
Jaime Lannister eventually arrives to lift the siege. Seeing Ryman's incompetence, he sends him back to the Twins, giving command to Ryman's eldest son Edwyn Frey. He then persuades Edmure to make Brynden surrender Riverrun, threatening to destroy the castle and Edmure's unborn child. However Brynden escapes by swimming under a gate, infuriating Emmon, the new Lord of Riverrun. Jaime then hears from Edwyn that Ryman was hanged within a day's ride of the Twins along with the three Knights and 12 men-at-arms accompanying him. Edwyn suspects his brother to be responsible, though his bastard uncle Walder Rivers says Black Walder is at Seagard. Edwyn reveals they have spies on the camp.
The North[]
As House Frey had killed Robb and his men while they were under Guest Right, this earned the Freys the enmity of the north and most of Westeros, including from their own allies. Many Westerosi, including Jaime Lannister, King Tommen Baratheon's small council, and Lord Yohn Royce, condemned the horrific massacre with antipathy and disgust, and House Frey became an example of those who would violate Guest Right. The Sparrows, who are pilgrims and war refugees from the war-torn Riverlands and Crownlands, are especially furious with the Red Wedding and the Freys' violation of Guest Right.
Lord Walder gave Roose Bolton a contigent of about 2,000 Frey men led by Ser Aenys Frey, along with Ser Hosteen Frey, to help the new Warden of the North to restore order in the North and end the invasions of the Ironborn and Stannis Baratheon, the latter letting thousands of wildlings south of the Wall. The Frey army joined other armies of the North after the end of the Siege of Moat Cailin. Walda Frey, Roose's wife, took residence in Winterfell, along with her brother Little Walder Frey and her half-cousin Big Walder Frey, both boys serving as Ramsay Bolton's squires.
Jared Frey, Symond Frey, and Rhaegar Frey, envoys of the Iron Throne, delivered the bones of Ser Wendel Manderly, who was murdered during the Red Wedding, to his father Lord Wyman Manderly, the Lord of White Harbor and the wealthiest man in the North. Wyman agrees to marry his grandaughters to Rhaegar Frey and another of Walder Frey's grandsons, Little Walder Frey. Though Jared Frey made up a lie that the Red Wedding is Robb Stark's work and even told a false version of the Red Wedding, Wyman Manderly, despite publicly supporting House Bolton and House Frey, Wyman actually disbelieved the lie. In addition, he secretly seeks revenge for Wendel's death
Lord Wyman Manderly is theorized to have killed the Three Freys (Jared, Symond, and Rhaegar) before baking them into three meat pies
When Davos Seaworth comes to White Harbor to try and gain support for Stannis, Wyman apparently has him executed. However Lord Manderly actually executed a criminal of similar appearance in Davos' place, delivering his head to Cersei Lannister, to prove White Harbor's loyalty to King Tommen I Baratheon. Wyman's eldest son, Ser Wylis Manderly, is subsequently released and returned to him and at the feast to celebrate his return, Wyman reveals to Davos that he plans to restore House Stark.
Lord Manderly explains that he will give guest gifts to Jared, Symond, and Rhaegar Frey, which, under the rules of guest right, means they will no longer be under his protection. After they departed, the three Freys suddenly disappeared en route to Barrowton for Ramsay Bolton's wedding to "Arya Stark" (Jeyne Poole). It is theorized by the Frey Pies Theory that Wyman Manderly, as a possible part of his plot for revenge, had Jared, Symond, and Rhaegar killed before having them baked into three huge meat pies, which he brings to the wedding, where he served pieces of the pies to the Freys and Boltons while eating some himself.
Facing the threat of Stannis's forces marching from Deepwood Motte, the northmen and the Freys in Roose's host moved Ramsay's wedding to Winterfell, where they remained to await an incoming siege from Stannis, after learning he did not march to besiege the Dreadfort. After a long series of murders at Winterfell, Little Walder Frey is found murdered. His uncle Hosteen attacks Lord Wyman, leading to a skirmish in which Frey and White Harbor men are killed. Roose sends the Frey and Manderly men out with a cavalry host to engage Stannis, who is camped at a crofter's village three days away from Winterfell. When the Freys ride out of Winterfell Aenys Frey falls into a pit trap dug by Mors Umber's boys, breaking his neck in the process. Because of this horrible incident, command soon falls to his half-brother Hosteen, a fierce fighter but not particularly clever.
TV Show[]
In the TV show, House Frey still gains control of the Riverlands in the aftermath of the Red Wedding, but eventually Brynden Tully manages to regain Riverrun. Many houses of the riverlands, such as Blackwood and Mallister, rise in rebellion against the Freys. Since Ryman Frey has been removed from the show, Walder sends Lothar Frey and Black Walder Rivers (a combo character of Black Walder and Walder Rivers, but far less competent) to besiege Riverrun. Like in the books, they use Edmure as a hostage and threaten to kill him of Brynden does not surrender, but they ultimatly don't for the same reasons in the books. The Lannister army is sent to assist the Freys and Jaime arrives to take command and lift the siege. He learns that Roslyn has given birth to a son, whom Jamie threatens to kill if Edmure does not order the Riverrun men to surrender. Edmure, in order to save his son does as Jaime tells him to do and Riverrun is soon under Frey control and a Lannister captain reports that Brynden died fighting, whether or not he is telling the truth or lying is yet to be seen.
However at the celebration feast at the Twins, Jaime reminds Walder that Brynden's capture of Riverrun shows that Walder so far, is not doing his job well in keeping the Riverlands under control. Later, while dining on pie, Walder asks a servant girl where Lothar and Black Walder are. The servant girl replies "They are here, my lord." Walder soon finds a toenail in the pie. The servant says that Walder's sons were not easy to carve and cook, then reveals that she is really Arya Stark. Walder tries to run but Arya grabs Walder and slits his throat, killing him.
Later, Arya disguises herself as Walder and summons all of Walder's adult sons present at the Twins for a feast. During the toast, she sarcastically mocks them for violating guest rights and tells them that not all Starks were killed. As she tells them this, Walder's sons start clutching their throats, Arya reveals that the wine has been poisoned. As Frey's sons drop dead, Arya removes Walder's disguise and tells the Frey women and servants that if anyone asks them what happened, they should tell them "The North Remembers" and "Winter Came For House Frey".
Theories and TV series[]
In the TV series' Game of Thrones sixth and seventh seasons, Arya Stark somehow entered the Twins without being noticed and managed to kill Lord Walder, Black Walder, and Lame Lothar. Later she killed all male family members of House Frey during a great feast at the Twins, though no male children are seen during the event and it is unknown if Freys who live out of the Twins (Frey squires and knights under other lords, septons, and maesters) were invited as well. This differs from the book version where Arya actually wants only the names of the guilty Frey members, because she doesn't want to kill innocents for the sins of the other relatives (though in the TV version, all those poisoned Freys seem to be the guilty ones).
She also personally knew the boy and her former betrothed Elmar Frey. Arya's storyline in the novels is not a revenge plot, but focuses on the drama of her losing her identity, past, and family because she hoped to get revenge, but instead found herself in the trap of the religion of the Faceless Men. In the books, Arya is afraid to become heartless due to her temper or just a tool without any identity and many faces, but she looks at Needle and she remembers who she really is.
In A Song of Ice and Fire, Lady Stoneheart is in open conflict against the Freys and the Lannisters in the riverlands, thus if something bad happens at the Twins, the Brotherhood without Banners would be more likely the cause. Stoneheart is a corpse full of hatred and lust for vengeance without any worries about consequences and future. She is perfectly capable of killing every Frey she can find without listening to reason. It doesn't matter how old the person is, or if they were even involved with the Red Wedding: being called "Frey", "Lannister", or "Bolton" is the only reason she needs to kill everyone. A part from that, Lady Stoneheart kills everyone who just happens to work for the Freys and the Lannisters: from knights and squires, to mere men-at-arms and smallfolk workers with their families.
In the upcoming novel The Winds of Winter, something terrible and chaotic might happen at the Twins: with the presence of outlaw Tom of Sevenstrings infiltrated with the Lannisters and Freys during the second Siege of Riverrun, the Brotherhood without Banners might murder Lord Walder, resulting with chaos and war of succession between male Freys, with Black Walder and Lame Lothar being the most dangerous. Lady Stoneheart might use such chaos to attack the Crossing and kill more Freys indiscriminately, resulting with a massacre worse than the Red Wedding as an act of retaliation. Stoneheart is more concerned with the main responsible for her family loss, the Freys and Lannisters, rather than House Bolton, who are also facing impending doom at the hands of Stannis Baratheon and the rebelling northmen.
Known members during the end of the third century[]
| Lord and Ladies Frey |
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Head of the House and Lord of the Crossing[]
Lord Walder's Lady Consorts[]
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| Descendants of Walder Frey |
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Descendants of Walder Frey by Perra Royce[]
Descendants of Walder Frey by Cyrenna Swann[]
Descendants of Walder Frey by Amarei Crakehall[]
Descendants of Walder Frey by Alyssa Blackwood[]
Descendants of Walder Frey by Bethany Rosby[]
Descendants of Walder Frey by Annara Farring[]There are rumors around the Twins holding that Lady Annara Frey was sleeping with Lord Walder's great-grandson, Black Walder Frey, casting doubts on her children's parentage.
Descendants of Walder Frey by Joyeuse Erenford[]Lady Frey is currently pregnant. |
| Descendants of Walder Frey by unknown women |
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Lord Walder has numerous bastard sons and daughters. It is not specified which one is older and which one younger, other than the fact that Ser Walder Rivers is the eldest known bastard son. Many of them are married and with many children of their own. The older bastards of Lord Walder have grandchildren as well, and many of their own children are married too. During 298 AC, a couple of Lord Walder's bastards participated in the mêlée of the tourney on Prince Joffrey's name day in King's Landing. As part of the pact between Lord Walder and Lord Tywin Lannister, Hand of the King and Regent of King Joffrey I Baratheon, concerning the reconciliation between House Frey and the Crown after the Red Wedding, Joy Hill, the natural daughter of the late Ser Gerion Lannister, is to wed one of Walder's natural sons once she is older.
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| With unspecified familiar relationship to the main branch |
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| Members of House Frey of Riverrun |
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From the newly founded cadet branch, born in 300 AC, due to House Tully being attainted of all its lands, titles, and wealth for rebellion against the Iron Throne. Granted to Ser Emmon Frey by his brother-in-law, Hand of the King and Regent of the Seven Kingdoms, Lord Tywin Lannister, in the name of King Joffrey I Baratheon. The Tullys, however, are still alive and thus remain a threat to the new owners. While Lord Edmure Tully is a captive and being taken to Casterly Rock, Ser Brynden Tully remains on the run, and the Brotherhood without Banners is believed to be targeting the Freys of Riverrun, by the will of their new undead leader Catelyn Tully, resurrected through an occultic eastern ritual.
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Historical Members[]
- Lord Frey; who lived during Aegon's Conquest. Summoned his levies and joined Lord Edmyn Tully at Harrenhal in supporting Aegon the Conqueror against King Harren Hoare and the ironborn, who damaged and ruled the Riverlands for three generations.
- Lord Frey ruling in 43 AC.
- At least one or more older brothers of Forrest Frey.
- Lord Forrest Frey; ruling the Twins during the Dance of the Dragons. Called Fool Frey. A gallant and powerful knight. Married to Sabitha Vypren. Member of the Blacks, who supported Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen, and had once been a suitor for her, earning his nickname for outright proposing to her. Fought in Prince Daemon Targaryen's army and participated in capturing Stone Hedge from Lord Humfrey Bracken. Led 200 knights and 600 infantry, as part of the army of the Blacks by the Gods Eye in the Riverlands. Died fighting the remains of the army of the Greens from the Westerlands, led by House Lannister, in the Battle by the Lakeshore.
- Lady Sabitha Frey; born Sabitha Vypren. Wife of Lord Forrest. Described as a "sharp-featured, sharp-tongued harridan", who preferred to ride than dance, wear mail armor instead of silk dresses, and was fond of killing. Was considered merciless and grasping. Said to have preferred women over men. Became the head of House Frey after her husband's death in the Battle by the Lakeshore, under the title of Lady of the Twins. Took command of the Frey army and seized Harrenhal three days after it had been abandoned by Ser Criston Cole and Prince Aemond Targaryen. When Aemond unexpectedly returned, Sabitha hid in a privy to escape Vhagar's dragonflame, and retreated back to the Twins afterwards. Along with her kin from House Vypren, she joined Ser Addam Velaryon for the Second Battle of Tumbleton, and she participated in the Battle of the Kingsroad. During the campaign, she was rumored to have been a lover to Alysanne Blackwood, having shared tents with her. Marched to King's Landing with the Lads (the young trio Lord Kermit Tully, his brother Ser Oscar Tully, and Lord Benjicot Blackwood), where they defeated Lord Borros Baratheon's army and were welcomed by the capital's surrendering garrison. Was notably omitted from being part of the small council of the regents of the young King Aegon III Targaryen. She held Widow Fairs at the Twins, with the support of Alysanne and her new betrothed, Lord Cregan Stark, with over 1,000 northmen who lost everything to the war returning to the Riverlands. Sabitha helped matching countless landless northmen with hundreds of widows who lost their husbands in the war, resulting in the faith of the Old Gods being revived in some parts of the Riverlands. In 134 AC, she lent six hundred Freys to the host of Ser Robert Rowan when he marched on the Vale of Arryn to intervene in the civil war known as the Arryn Succession Conflict.
- At least one child and heir of Lord Forrest Frey and Lady Sabitha Frey.
- Lady Sabitha Frey; born Sabitha Vypren. Wife of Lord Forrest. Described as a "sharp-featured, sharp-tongued harridan", who preferred to ride than dance, wear mail armor instead of silk dresses, and was fond of killing. Was considered merciless and grasping. Said to have preferred women over men. Became the head of House Frey after her husband's death in the Battle by the Lakeshore, under the title of Lady of the Twins. Took command of the Frey army and seized Harrenhal three days after it had been abandoned by Ser Criston Cole and Prince Aemond Targaryen. When Aemond unexpectedly returned, Sabitha hid in a privy to escape Vhagar's dragonflame, and retreated back to the Twins afterwards. Along with her kin from House Vypren, she joined Ser Addam Velaryon for the Second Battle of Tumbleton, and she participated in the Battle of the Kingsroad. During the campaign, she was rumored to have been a lover to Alysanne Blackwood, having shared tents with her. Marched to King's Landing with the Lads (the young trio Lord Kermit Tully, his brother Ser Oscar Tully, and Lord Benjicot Blackwood), where they defeated Lord Borros Baratheon's army and were welcomed by the capital's surrendering garrison. Was notably omitted from being part of the small council of the regents of the young King Aegon III Targaryen. She held Widow Fairs at the Twins, with the support of Alysanne and her new betrothed, Lord Cregan Stark, with over 1,000 northmen who lost everything to the war returning to the Riverlands. Sabitha helped matching countless landless northmen with hundreds of widows who lost their husbands in the war, resulting in the faith of the Old Gods being revived in some parts of the Riverlands. In 134 AC, she lent six hundred Freys to the host of Ser Robert Rowan when he marched on the Vale of Arryn to intervene in the civil war known as the Arryn Succession Conflict.
- Lord Frey; ruling during 212 AC. A lean and elegant man. During 212 AC, he traveled along with his son Walder Frey, his married daughters and their respective husbands, his brother Ser Franklyn Frey, his nephew, and the rest of his retinue to Whitewalls to attend the wedding of Lord Ambrose Butterwell to Lord Frey's 15 year old daughter. The event, which hosted a tourney as well, was used by House Blackfyre sympathizers as an opportunity to gather those who had fought for Daemon the Black Dragon during the First Blackfyre Rebellion and the "malcontents" who were dissatisfied with King Aerys I Targaryen, and resented the rule of his Hand and uncle, Ser Brynden Rivers "Bloodraven" (currently an extremely old and mutated greenseer known as the "three-eyed-crow"). The conspirators had a plan with Daemon II Blackfyre (posing as "Ser John the Fiddler," which involved hatching a dragon egg and use Lord Butterwell's wealth and the military strength of House Frey to start the Second Blackfyre Rebellion, also hoping to gain the support of the Lothstons of Harrenhal and the Brackens of Stone Hedge. Both Lord Frey and Lord Butterwell were aware of this plan and let it proceed. When Egg, the squire of Ser Duncan the Tall, revealed himself as Prince Aegon Targaryen, and frightened Lords Frey and Butterwell by bluffing about an army led by his father, Prince Maekar Targaryen, marching on Whitewalls, Lord Frey fled the castle with his family, before the arrival of a real army led by Ser Brynden Rivers at the castle. Lord Frey was presumably taken captive by the army, and Lord Bloodraven allowed him to go home at the Twins, but warned him they would speak again. It is unknown what punishment Lord Frey received for his part in the rebellion.
- At least two elder daughters, or more, all married.
- His unnamed youngest daughter; became Lady Butterwell after being taken by Lord Ambrose Butterwell as his second wife at the age of 15. It was rumored that Lord Frey married off his daughter after her little brother, Walder Frey, caught her having intimate relations with a scullion at the Twins. They were allegedly found in the kitchens on the marble slab for rolling dough, both naked and covered in flour. The night of her wedding, her cheerful father told her he wanted a grandson, twins even better. The day after consummating her marriage in the bedding night, she attended the tourney to celebrate the marriage, during which she fainted when her cousin, Ser Addam Frey, was unhorsed by Ser Uthor Underleaf.
- Walder Frey; a 4 year old boy during 212 AC, current Lord of the Crossing. Allegedly caused his youngest sister's marriage when he discovered her having intimate relations with a servant in the kitchens of the Twins. Ser Duncan the Tall found him to be an extremely annoying child, to the point of being seriously tempted to throw him down a well. Many years later, the then-Lord Walder, successfully proposed to the meek Lord Tytos Lannister to marry Walder's second son, 14 year old Emmon, to Tytos's boisterous 7 year old daughter Genna Lannister, causing outrage of many vassals that were present at Casterly Rock during the announcement, and with Tywin Lannister speaking out against the match, as it was found unfit. Walder developed a bad relationship and bitter rivalry against Hoster Tully, the Lord Paramount of the Trident and Lord of Riverrun. During Robert's Rebellion, Walder and his levies arrived at the Battle of the Trident after the rebels had already won, causing suspicions about whether it was deliberate or not. Lord Hoster had since called his bannerman "the Late Lord Frey", a name Walder despises. Lord Hoster refused a Frey bride for his son and heir, Ser Edmure Tully, and did not attend Walder's wedding to his seventh wife, Annara Farring. Walder attended the tourney on Prince Joffrey Baratheon's 12th name day in King's Landing during early 298 AC, where his sons Ser Hosteen, Ser Danwell, and Ser Perwyn participated in the joust, and a couple of his bastards in the melee. Walder offered Lord Jon Arryn and Lady Lysa Arryn to foster two of Walder's grandsons at court in King's Landing and the couple's own son and heir, Robert Arryn, at the Twins, but Jon politely declined and informed Walder that it was already decided to have Robert become Lord Stannis Baratheon's ward and have him fostered at Dragonstone, much to Lysa's fury.
- Ser Franklyn Frey; Lord Frey's younger brother. Participated in both the tourney at Ashford in 209 AC and the tourney at Whitewalls in 212 AC, where he was eventually unhorsed by Ser John the Fiddler during the joust.
- Ser Addam Frey; a cousin of Walder and his sisters, who participated in the tourney at Whitewalls, where he was unhorsed by Ser Uthor Underleaf in his second joust.
- Unidentified nephew of Lord Frey, possibly just Addam.
Known household members[]
Known Retainers of House Frey of the Crossing[]
- Maester Brenett; the current maester of the Twins. An amiable man.
- Ser {Pate of the Blue Fork}; a hedge knight from Sevenstreams. Cousin to the singer Tom of Sevenstreams, who is an outlaw of the Brotherhood without Banners. First husband of Amerei Frey, the eldest daughter of Merrett Frey. His marriage was negotiated by Lord Walder, after Ami was caught in the stables having sex with three grooms at the same time. Fought for Robb Stark during the War of the Five Kings. He had sworn to kill Ser Gregor Clegane for his atrocities, but was slain by him in the attempt in 299 AC, during the War of the Five Kings.
- Sedgekins; a servant at the Twins.
- The queen o' whores; a prostitute and camp follower accompanying Ser Ryman Frey during the second siege of Riverrun in 300 AC. Her true name is unknown. Crude-mannered, loud, with large heavy breasts, ample hips, and blond hair. Was crowned "queen of all whores" with the crown of King Robb Stark, taken by House Frey after the Red Wedding. Along with Ryman, they met Ser Jaime Lannister when he joined the siege with an additional host from King's Landing, both drunk. While dismissing Ryman from the siege, Jaime told him to take back the crown from the prostitute and leave it behind. They presumably did not follow the order and the prostitute was still wearing the crown, when Ryman departed, only to be captured and hanged by outlaws of the Brotherhood Without Banners near Fairmarket, on the way back to the Twins. The crown is currently in possession of Lady Stoneheart, Robb's undead mother and current leader of the outlaws. The fate of Ryman's prostitute is unknown, and she either fled or was also captured and hanged by the outlaws, as Stoneheart hunts down even people who had nothing to do with the Red Wedding, but simply owe their allegiance to the Freys, the Lannisters, the Tarlys, and the Iron Throne.
Known Retainers of House Frey of Riverrun[]
After the Siege of Riverrun was resolved in 300 AC without violence through negotiations with Edmure Tully, the castle's garrison in service of House Tully was dismissed and allowed to leave alive wherever they wanted unharmed. Ser Forley Prester is escorting the Westerlings back to the Crag in the Westerlands, as well as the captive Edmure to Casterly Rock. To avoid tales that her dead husband Robb had given her a child and thus an heir to the North, Jeyne Westerling, the former queen consort of the King in the North, is to remain unmarried for two years, and has been given a strong escort of soldiers, who have been given secret instructions to kill her and Edmure if there would be any attempt at escape during the journey. Lady Sybell Westerling (née Spicer), one of the conspirators of the Red Wedding, took away her daughter Jeyne's crown that Robb gave her. Ser Desmond Grell, master-at-arms at Riverrun, and Ser Robin Ryger, captain of the guard at Riverrun, both close to the Tullys for many years, volunteered to join the Night's Watch, as they are too old to change lifestyle and adapt to the change, and they are currently on their way to Eastwatch-by-the-Sea. The current known retainers of Riverrun's new owners are:
- Maester Vyman; the elderly maester of Riverrun, who succeeded the late {Maester Kym} at some point prior the War of the Five Kings. He took care of Lord Hoster Tully, who was dying of a serious illness (implied to be stomach cancer), giving him dreamwine and milk of the poppy. Prepared the map depicting the borders of the Kingdom of the Riverlands, claimed by King Robb Stark. During the war, he received multiple ravens related to King Stannis Baratheon's campaign; one from Dragonstone by Stannis (through Maester Pylos), denouncing Queen Cersei Lannister's children as bastards of her own twin brother and captive at Riverrun, Ser Jaime Lannister, and later another one from Storm's End by Ser Cortnay Penrose, reporting the death of King Renly Baratheon, that Stannis was besieging the Baratheon castle, and begging for House Tully's aid against House Baratheon of Dragonstone in order to "save" Edric Storm from Stannis. When Vyman showed Cortnay's letter to Lady Catelyn Stark, who had returned from the siege of Storm's End, Brienne of Tarth, who personally knew Cortnay, unsuccessfully attempted to convince Ser Edmure Tully to answer the plea and fight against Stannis, but was rebuffed, as Edmure had nothing against Stannis and saw him as a potential ally. Catelyn, who witnessed what killed Renly, declared that Stannis was a friend of Robb as much as Tywin Lannister was. Vyman received another raven from Storm's End by Lord Elwood Meadows, informing them that the castle surrendered to King Stannis. Dreading Stannis's vengeance, Catelyn had Vyman send a raven to her son at Ashemark, to warn him about Stannis's threat and promise that he was going to "come for him" too and judge him. The maester received a raven from Torrhen's Square, and delivered to Catelyn the dark news about Winterfell's fall to King Balon IX Greyjoy at the hands of the turncloak Prince Theon Greyjoy, and the murder of Catelyn's sons, Bran and Rickon Stark. He kept updating Catelyn about the movements of her son in the Westerlands and Tywin's in the Riverlands, and was unable to save her father Hoster from his fatal illness. He kept serving under the castellan Ser Brynden Tully after Lord Edmure's departure to the Twins, until the castle was passed to House Frey of Riverrun, and Vyman now remains in service to Lord Emmon Frey. When a message came to Riverrun from King's Landing, Vyman accidentally read its contents, which include Queen Cersei declaring her love for her brother, Jaime and begged him to come rescue her from the Faith and their military forces. Jaime and Vyman pretended the incestous parts of the letter were not present, and Jaime simply told him not to write any answer to her and only burn her letter. Vyman delivered to Jaime news that the Citadel at Oldtown has declared that autumn is now over and winter has come, and it is currently snowing in the Riverlands and the Crownlands.
- Tom of Sevenstreams, also known as Tom o' Sevens or Tom Sevenstrings; a minstrel and singer, and secretely an outlaw member of the Brotherhood without Banners. Around 50 years old. Father of several bastards. Plays a woodharp. Has as a dubious reputation and knows a lot of bawdy songs. Claims to have fathered at least seven sons long ago. Has always been on bad terms with House Tully, mainly with Edmure Tully and Lysa Arryn. Attended the wedding of his cousin, Ser Pate of the Blue Fork, to Amerei Frey, where he sang to the bride, although Pate refused to pay him. Kidnapped "Nymeria", Gendry, Hot Pie, with the help of other fellow outlaws during the War of the Five Kings. After Nymeria's true identity as Arya Stark was exposed by the outlaw Harwin of Winterfell at the Inn of the Kneeling Man, the outlaws made plans of ransoming Arya to the Tullys at Riverrun. Tom and his company of the Brotherhood Without Banners traveled with her in several places in the Riverlands, including High Heart, Acorn Hall (House Smallwood's castle), and the town Stoney Sept, where the outlaw known as the Mad Huntsman captured the vagabond broken man Sandor Clegane, the Hound. Attended Sandor's judgement by Lord Beric Dondarrion at the hollow hill, witnessing Beric's sixth death. Participated in the battle at the burning septry against King Robb Stark's combatants, a group of Brave Companions led by Septon Utt. After Arya was kidnapped by Sandor near a ruined town in House Goodbrook's lands, Tom was among the outlaws led by Beric and Thoros of Myr in pursuing the Hound in the attempt to retrieve her, only to be stopped by heavy rainfalls and the overflowing raging river Trident at the flooded Lord Harroway's Town. Continued their pursuit and reaching Frey lands, discovering the events of the Red Wedding and retrieving Catelyn Stark's corpse near the river a few days later (dragged from the waters by the direwolf Nymeria). After Beric's death and Catelyn's resurrection as Lady Stoneheart, Tom remained a member of her band and continued the search for Sandor and Arya, who vanished around Saltpans. Was involved with the abduction of Petyr Frey, leading to Lord Walder paying a ransom to the outlaws. Was present when Petyr was hanged on Stoneheart's orders, and along with Lem Lemoncloak led Merrett Frey to Petyr's tree when the man arrived at Oldstones to deliver Lord Walder's gold. Captured Merrett after showing him Petyr's body and offered to release him in return for the whereabouts of Sandor and Arya, receiving no information. Witnessed the hanging of Merrett by Stoneheart's order, after she told them he was part of the Red Wedding. While most of the Brotherhood focused on fighting against the Iron Throne forces of Reachmen and stormlanders led by Lord Randyll Tarly, and hunting down the Hound to kill him for the Raid on Saltpans and retrieve Arya, Tom entered into service of House Frey. He became a musician of Ser Ryman Frey's company during the Siege of Riverrun, serving for a fortnight. Followed Ser Jaime Lannister during the the attempt to force Lord Edmure Tully to yield the Tully castle to the Freys. Sang "The Rains of Castamere" to Edmure, also irritating him with his presence, until he caved in to Jaime's demands. It is almost confirmed that it was Tom who informed the Brotherhood of Ryman's dismissal, allowing the outlaws to ambush and hang Ryman near Fairmarket. Currently remained at Riverrun, where he entered into service of House Frey of Riverrun, and is presumably serving as Stoneheart's agent and spy, reporting from her family's lost home.
Gallery[]
The Twins of the Crossing, the seat of House Frey, located on the northern Riverlands, south of the northern region of the Neck.
Robb Stark, Edmure Tully, Catelyn Stark, Raynald Westerling, and Grey Wind arrive at the Twins during a period of non-stop heavy rainfalls, receiving a cold welcome by Ser Ryman Frey and his sons Edwyn and Black Walder.
The three Freys direct their guests to the Water Tower between the two castles.
The Twins in the television series Game of Thrones. This version does not have the Water Tower in the middle.
Riverrun, the new seat of House Frey of Riverrun.
Riverrun in the television series Game of Thrones.
Trivia[]
- House Frey and House Targaryen have the largest and most extended family trees known in A Song of Ice and Fire. In present story time, House Frey is the largest family known to the readers.
- Several Freys have Valyrian names, being named after members of House Targaryen. Several other Freys are named after current Lannisters.
- Various Freys live scattered in several places across the realm and they don't all live at the Twins. Male members who are too far behind in the line of succession go to make a name for themselves elsewhere, or pursue a career in the Faith of the Seven or the Citadel at Oldtown. Furthermore, even the Freys that live at the Twins are often off somewhere else for duty or pleasure.
- Like the majority of the Riverlands, House Frey sided with Aegon the Conqueror during his conquest of the Seven Kingdoms, in order to overthrow Ironborn and House Hoare's rule of the Riverlands.
- House Frey supported the claim of Prince Aegon Targaryen the Uncrowned, son and heir of King Aenys I Targaryen, against the usurpation of King Maegor the Cruel. They notably fought with Aegon and his dragon Quicksilver in the Battle Beneath the Gods Eye, where Aegon was defeated and slain by Maegor and Balerion the Black Dread.
- During the Dance of the Dragons, House Frey were members of the Blacks and supported Rhaenyra Targaryen's claim. Lord Forrest Frey is killed in battle by the Greens, and Lady Sabitha Frey manages to survive Prince Aemond Targaryen and the dragon Vhagar. Lady Frey was a friend and ally to the Blackwoods and the Starks. The Freys helped to repair the broken families of the Riverlands and the North. They also helped to restore peace in the Vale of Arryn during a civil war of succession after the end of the Dance.
- Lord Walder Frey's father, Lord Frey, supported Daemon II Blackfyre in the latter's attempt to seize the Iron Throne from the Targaryens.
- In the television series Game of Thrones, House Frey was portrayed as an overall unambiguously evil faction, with the exception of all the female members, and its wealth, power, and resources were downplayed, or at least are meant to look downplayed. They are all poorly dressed, unlike in novels, where male and females are all richly dressed as highborn and wear proper armors and coat of arms, and dress their horses. The male Freys that appeared living at the Twins in the TV series, were overly simplified as villains, to be poisoned by Arya Stark. The female Freys are portrayed as rather miserable and terrified of Lord Frey and their male relatives and husbands, whilst in the novels, they are happy and perfectly comfortable around them and their lord, and they joke around. However, in the TV show the Frey women are seen being happy during Lord Edmure Tully's wedding and the feast. The identity of the current head of House Frey and Lord of the Crossing, their age, and whether they are a man or woman in the TV version has not been revealed by the eighth and final season.
- Since the sixth season of Game of Thrones, House Frey has been portrayed as incompetent and unimpressive as a whole, and its members not remotely as dangerous or threatening as they are in the novels, including Lothar Frey, who in the sixth season he is portrayed as rather meek and cowardly, in contrast to how he was more similar to his book counterpart in the third season.
- This contraddicts the fact that the Freys are supposed to be a major threat and a strong family, to the point that their lieges Robb Stark and House Tully always had to grovel to them. The Freys have money to hire additional armies as well, and they have one of the strongest castles of the Seven Kingdoms. They are so many and living everywhere in the Seven Kingdoms and even in Essos, including illegitimate relatives with their own families, that they are unlikely to go extinct.
- This also led many newer readers who watched the television series first to misread House Frey as being "pathetic" and always universally hated in novel universe, when it was never the case. House Frey is actually competent and a powerful threat, and the only problem the nobility expressed with them on occasions (similar to the Tyrells being upjumped stewards), is the fact that they are seen as upstarts who gained what they have by gaining wealth for tolls. That never made them "hated", and a lot of major houses married into the Freys without issues. The overall contempt and distrust for the Freys started with the Red Wedding. Prior that, people behaved friendly as respectful toward them. Even so, most of the nobility do not mistreat the Freys that had no involvement with the Red Wedding. For example, Ser Perwyn Frey is still liked and respected.
- In the novels, the Freys never "lose" Riverrun, as it simply stays under siege since after the Red Wedding, as the Tully garrison never yielded, until it is resolved by Ser Jaime Lannister. In the novels, Riverrun is besieged by an Iron Throne host made of the armies of the riverlords and the armies of the westerlords. The commanders are Ser Ryman Frey and Ser Daven Lannister. Emmon Frey is the current Lord of Riverrun, whilst Petyr Baelish is the current Lord Paramount of the Trident and Lord of Harrenhal.
- In Game of Thrones, there is no Water Tower on the Crossing, between the two castles.
- In the novels, the Freys are all properly armed and equipped and wear proper knight armors. In the TV show, the Freys are always seen wearing simple leather armors and very simple helmets, or just dressed in black clothes being more resemblant of farmers or lowborn cutthroats.
- Unlike in A Song of Ice and Fire, in Game of Thrones House Frey does not assist House Bolton in consolidating its position in the North, and fight against the southron rebel enemy forces and the northern rebels. In the novels, the Freys have an army in the north, fighting with House Bolton to restore order in the North. They are helping Lord Bolton to defeat the southron forces of King Stannis Baratheon, the rebels of the North, the free folk, and the ironmen invaders, and they helped to make "peace" with Lord Wyman Manderly, to bring the city of White Harbor back to the Iron Throne's side and reopen its port to the world for trade. Currently, the cavalry of the Freys (and the Manderlys) is about to clash against Stannis's army in a crofter's village with a frozen lake. Queen Regent Cersei Lannister said that restoring the King's peace in the North will prove House Bolton's ability to rule those lands as the Wardens of the North.
- In the television series Game of Thrones, Black Walder Frey and Ser Walder Rivers were merged into one character named Black Walder Rivers, who is a son of Lord Walder. In the novels, Ser Walder Rivers, nicknamed Bastard Walder, is one of Lord Walder's eldest sons, whilst Black Walder Frey is a great-grandson of Lord Walder.
- Since the sixth season of Game of Thrones, the characters Black Walder Rivers and Lothar Frey are portrayed as not remotely dangerous as their novel counterparts. In the show, the Freys are portrayed as complete pushovers, and Black Walder and Lothar are incompetent in military matters, cowardly, and incapable of strategy, differing from how Lothar is cunning and smart in the novels, and Black Walder is a successful fearsome and respected fighter, and can make good of his threats to hang captives. Lothar in the sixth season is especially portrayed as a weak coward.
- During the early seasons of the show instead, the Freys were portrayed as an actual threat, although the show still portrayed them as rather miserable and unimpressive, with almost all the women described as homely. In the novels, the daughters of House Frey and are many and diverse in appearance, some regarded as beautiful, some as homely, and some as either in the middle or still to young for a proper judgement. According to some characters, half of the Frey girls are attractive and comely, while half are regarded as homely or not special. Fair Walda and Roslin are regarded as the current most beautiful Freys. Many of Lord Walder's own children have inherited the appearance of weasels. Not a single one of the Frey-Rosby children inherited Walder's looks.
- Some of the attractive Frey girls are regarded by some characters as wantons and Ser Daven Lannister believes none of them are virgins, which is why he considers marrying one of the unattractive ones.
- House Frey's incompetence and poor equipment in Game of Thrones makes their success in the Red Wedding even stranger and unrealistic, especially when in this version Robb's vassals get easily killed without a proper fight. In A Song of Ice and Fire, House Frey is the most powerful faction in the Riverlands and very strategic and dangerous, and they still had to fight and suffer certain losses during the Red Wedding, in which they had to fight the remaining northern army and contingents of rivermen who attended their liege Edmure's wedding. Not only the Freys fought against them in the massacre, but the Boltons and many Karstarks as well. In the novels, the northern and rivermen supporters of Robb fought back.
- During the early seasons of the show instead, the Freys were portrayed as an actual threat, although the show still portrayed them as rather miserable and unimpressive, with almost all the women described as homely. In the novels, the daughters of House Frey and are many and diverse in appearance, some regarded as beautiful, some as homely, and some as either in the middle or still to young for a proper judgement. According to some characters, half of the Frey girls are attractive and comely, while half are regarded as homely or not special. Fair Walda and Roslin are regarded as the current most beautiful Freys. Many of Lord Walder's own children have inherited the appearance of weasels. Not a single one of the Frey-Rosby children inherited Walder's looks.
- In the third novel, one of the Frey family members stationed at Harrenhal, whom Jaime Lannister does not recognize, is apparently still loyal to the Stark, or at least sympathetic toward Eddard Stark, even after learning of Robb Stark's betrayal and oathbreaking. When the Brave Companions bring Jaime and Brienne of Tarth to Roose Bolton, Ser Danwell wants to ransom Jaime to Riverrun, as at that point the Freys were no longer even following their lieges of House Tully, whilst another Frey urged Roose to ransom Jaime to Casterly Rock. One Frey instead simply wants to behead Jaime in revenge for the beheading of Ned Stark.
- In the novels, Robb's direwolf Grey Wind actually fights back against the Freys led by Ser Whalen Frey, as he is released by Ser Raynald Westerling. In the television series, he is quickly killed by crossbow quarrels whilst still caged.
- In the novels, it is not the whole House Frey that is portrayed as almost comically incompetent (likely to be made more hateable in the TV version). Only Ser Ryman Frey is blamed for poor management of the siege of Riverrun because how he poorly handled his empty threats to hang Lord Edmure Tully and force the Blackfish to surrender. Ryman let Edmure suffer on a gallow every day, lazily threatening to hang him, while spending the whole siege drinking and whoring, failing to attend any war meeting, and refusing to hand Edmure over to his fellow commander, Ser Daven Lannister. This upset Ryman's fellow leaders of the siege, as Ryman made them lost all credibility in the eyes of the Blackfish, and the frustrated new rulers of Riverrun, Lord Emmon Frey and his wife Lady Genna Lannister, constantly urged to hang Edmure for real. The other Frey commanders of the siege, Edwyn Frey and Ser Walder Rivers, are by no means blamed for the siege's neglectful management, and Jaime judges the latter to be the most dangerous of Lord Walder's sons. In fact, the other Freys were forced to cover the shame for the sake and public image of Ryman, as he was the heir to the Twins.
- In the TV show, Jaime Lannister slaps Black Walder Rivers, receiving no consequences for it (presumably because in the show, Walder Frey sees his family members as expendable). In the novels, it Ser Ryman Frey whom Jaime criticizes and hits, after the former is exposed as a bad commander. Jaime chides Ryman for how he made poor use of the captive Edmure, telling him "Only a fool makes threats he’s not prepared to carry out. If I were to threaten to hit you unless you shut your mouth, and you presumed to speak, what do you think I'd do?" Then as soon as Ryman starts speaking, Jaime slaps him with his golden hand, before dismissing him from the siege and commanding him to leave before dawn, due to Jaime being upset about Ryman's unprofessional behavior and how he was even too drunk to attend the war meeting upon the former's arrival. In the TV series, Black Walder Rivers and Lothar receive a similar chiding from Jaime.
- Jaime does not chide nor slap Ser Walder Rivers during the Siege of Riverrun, as he is not to blame for the poor leadership and is a renown battle commander with a positive background. Also, Jaime would never go physical against the dangerous Freys and knows better than to start a physical confrontation against Ser Walder Rivers and Black Walder Frey, who are both accomplished and dangerous warriors and military commanders, and the two would not simply allow someone to strike them, especially the foul-tempered Black Walder, who would not even care if Jaime is a Lannister. In the novels, Black Walder was one of Robb Stark's primary commanders. With Jaime now crippled and being a poor fighter with his left hand, both Bastard Walder and Black Walder, as well as Ser Hosteen Frey, are much deadlier fighters than Jaime.
- In the novel series, in addition to Ser Ryman, Jaime also slapped the stormlander Ser Ronnet Connington with his golden hand, while in Harrenhal and before joining the siege of Riverrun, after Ronnet disrespects and makes fun of Brienne of Tarth for her appearance. Ronnet is serving in the Iron Throne military forces since he was captured in the Battle of the Blackwater, in which he fought for Stannis Baratheon.
- Unlike the show, the books make no mention of House Frey failing to guard their backs from their siege camp, and there is no such issue in that version. Ironically, while the show has Jaime criticizing and mocking the Freys for the way they made their camp is actually Jaime's own folly, poor strategy, and mistake in the novels, during the first siege of Riverrun in the early War of the Five Kings, where Jaime's camps around Riverrun were taken from the rear by Robb Stark's forces.
- While in the TV show Jaime is accompanied by Ser Bronn as he criticizes Black Walder and Lothar, in the novels he is accompanied by Ser Ilyn Payne and other chief knights as he criticizes Ryman, as he is drunk and accompanied by his whore camp follower wearing Robb's crown. In the novels, Jaime and Bronn are not affiliated to each other in any way.
- In Game of Thrones, Lord Walder's eighth wife, Lady Joyeuse Frey, is murdered by Catelyn instead of his mentally handicapped grandson, Aegon Frey. In the novels, Joyeuse is sent away before the Red Wedding massacre is commenced, along with all Frey girls and uninvolved male members. Thus, in the TV series, a new ninth wife named Kitty Frey appeared in the sixth season to replace Joyeuse, who is currently alive and pregnant in the novels.
- For unknown reasons, Elmar Frey was renamed Waldron Frey in the television series Game of Thrones. He never made an appearance and never interacted with Arya like in the novels.
- In the TV series, Merry Frey is portrayed as a young woman, while in the novels she is around 11 years old.
- In A Song of Ice and Fire, the Freys were meant to join Robb's campaign against the Iron Islands to reclaim the North, avenge the "deaths" of Bran and Rickon Stark, and avenge Winterfell and all the northern houses attacked by the ironborn. While in the third season of Game of Thrones, the threat of the ironborn was reduced to something Robb barely concerned himself with, in the novels the primary targets of the northmen and Robb was changed from the Lannisters to the Greyjoys. By A Storm of Swords, Robb's primary enemy king is no longer Joffrey Baratheon, but Balon Greyjoy. Robb entrusted the defeat of the Lannisters to Stannis Baratheon, before he lost in the Battle of the Blackwater, although Catelyn insisted Stannis was to Robb the same as Tywin Lannister (Stannis wanted to execute Robb as well).
- In the novels, Robb was not just returning to the Crossing to make amends with the Freys, but also to march back to the Neck with the Freys and his host, to fight Victarion Greyjoy and the Iron Fleet at Moat Cailin, and was preparing battle plans to fight with his vassal crannogmen, who are ruled by Howland Reed.
- In the novels, the Red Wedding occurs several days after the death of Balon Greyjoy. By the time of the massacre, Euron Greyjoy has already returned to Westeros and taken residence at Pyke and is declaring himself king, causing chaos and opposition between multiple factions in the Iron Islands. When a merchant sailor from the Iron Islands delivers the news to Robb Stark and his army, the Iron Islands are on the brink of civil war. Aeron Greyjoy's first POV chapter in A Feast for Crows chronologically takes place before the Red Wedding, right after Balon's death. Robb expresses concern over having to fight Euron instead of Balon, knowing a lot of disturbing stories about him.
- In the novel version, Robb never planned an attack on Casterly Rock like in the TV series, and took Arya for dead and Sansa as impossible to rescue after Stannis's defeat. Both he and his mother agreed to focus on the protection of the Riverlands and Robb's campaign completely changed to a war campaign against the ironborn to reclaim the North. The fighting against the Lannisters and House Baratheon of King's Landing was left to the Tullys and the riverlords, under command of Brynden Tully the Blackfish, in self-defense. Robb was traveling to the Twins for his uncle Edmure's wedding, while on his way back to the Neck. Edmure Tully was also meant to join the fighting agains the ironborn in the North. Robb arranged for Catelyn to choose between stay at the Twins or go with Lord Jason Mallister to the town of Seagard in the Riverlands.
- In the television show, Lothar Frey kills Robb's pregnant wife and queen consort, the highborn Talisa Maegyr of Volantis, by stabbing her multiple times. In the novels, Lothar is one of the main architets of the Red Wedding, but does not directly participate in the massacre due to the fact he is no fighter and has a twisted leg. In the novels, Talisa's family, the Maegyrs, are also powerful nobles of Volantis, and are in opposition against Daenerys Targaryen. There is no character named Talisa Maegyr in the novels.
- In the novels, Ser Raymund Frey kills Catelyn Stark, while in the TV show it is Black Walder who kills her.
- Always in the novels, Beric Dondarrion gives his life for Catelyn Stark, although the resurrection turned out to be a folly and a mistake, as Catelyn was already dead for too long and the ritual only brought back her vengeful undead wight. In the TV show, Catelyn stays deceased after the Red Wedding.
- In the novels, Robb's wife and queen consort, Jeyne Westerling, is never involved with the Red Wedding, as she was left to Riverrun and never brought to the Twins to avoid insulting the Freys. Jeyne and her family are caught in the Siege of Riverrun, until they are allowed to return home at the Crag after the siege is lifted, and House Westerling is welcomed back to the king's peace. One of Jeyne's brothers, Raynald Westerling, was (presumably) killed in the chaotic Red Wedding, for his attempt to save Grey Wind, despite the fact that Robb's mother-in-law, Sybell Westerling (née Spicer) was part of the Red Wedding conspiracy in order to gain a pardon from Tywin Lannister. For the Red Wedding, Jeyne's uncle, Rolph Spicer, is named Lord of Castamere by the Lannisters. Robb's siblings-in-law and his father-in-law Gawen Westerling were not part of the Red Wedding plans, as only the two Spicers were. Raynald's presumed death was an accidental death in the chaos, as Freys shot him with crossbows.
- In the novels, Balon is the second of the five kings to actually die, followed by Robb and Joffrey. Unlike in the TV series, in which the Red Wedding and one leech are enough to convince Stannis to believe in the allegedly magical power of king's blood, in the novels Stannis remains skeptical and refuses to sacrifice his nephew Edric Storm even after knowing Balon and Robb both died in a short length of time between each other, showing more evidence of divine intervention than in the show. In the novels, Stannis names the Red Wedding the work of Walder Frey, not R'hllor, whilst Melisandre and her followers claim the Freys were simply the instruments the god R'hllor used to kill Robb. Stannis only accepts to sacrifice his nephew after all the rival kings died, after the fan-named "Purple Wedding".
- In both the novels and TV series, when Tyrion Lannister threatens his nephew Joffrey he warns him that "kings are dying like flies" recently. The phrase is less powerful and threatening in the show, as in the novels, Tyrion was mainly referring the deaths of Balon and Robb, both occured during a long period of heavy rainfalls and storms in the west. Both Balon and Robb fell from grace, and the latter died only multiple days (or weeks) after the former, quickly putting the Iron Island into a succession crisis and nearly-ending the rebellion of the North and the Riverlands.
- It is theorized by some readers that Black Walder may be responsible for the death of his grandfather Ser Stevron Frey, heir to the Twins and one of the few decent Freys, due to Walder raising him to be a good heir. Stevron was wounded at Oxcross and though apparently fine, died in his tent a few days later. Stevron was over 60 at the time, so he may have simply succumbed to his wounds. However Edwyn's belief that Black Walder was willing to kill his father to move a step closer to inheriting the Twins and Black Walder's presence at Oxcross helps this theory.
- It is widely believed that Little Walder was murdered by his cousin Big Walder. Even though it was snowing outside and Little Walder's blood had frozen, Big Walder was covered in blood. Early on Big Walder makes it clear he intends to become Lord of the Crossing despite being low in the line of succession. He may have also acted in horror at his cousin's cruelties.
- Many readers believe Stannis plans to trick the Frey army into charging onto a frozen lake next to the crofter's village his army is camped in. The incoming battle is known as the Battle in the Ice, commonly referred to as the Battle of Ice in the fanbase.
- Another theory is that the Brotherhood without Banners is planning an attack on the Freys. One of their members, Tom Sevenstrings, is stationed in Riverrun currently and is serving as a singer to the Frey cadet branch.
- It is currently unknown if Walder Frey in the books, will meet the same fate as his television counterpart. And if the guilty members of House Frey in the books, will also meet the same fate as the guilty members of House Frey in the TV show.
- In the TV show's continuity, if the male Freys killed by Arya didn't have sons of their own, or if House Frey doesn't have other male living members (unlike the books' much larger and sparse number of Freys), then this version's current head of House Frey could be Janeya Frey, who is Lord Walder's eldest granddaughter.
