Walder Frey


 * This article is about the Lord of the Crossing, for his great-grandson see Walder Frey (Black Walder).

"Stark, Tully, Lannister, Baratheon... Give me one good reason why I should waste a single thought on any of you."

- Lord Walder Frey

Walder Frey is a recurring character in the first and third seasons. He is played by guest star David Bradley and only appears in "Baelor." Walder Frey is the Lord of the Crossing and the head of House Frey. He has allied himself with King Robb Stark in the War of the Five Kings in exchange for a marriage contract.

Background
Walder Frey is the Lord of the Crossing and the head of House Frey, a vassal family of House Tully of the Riverlands. His house is noted for its overwhelming fertility and he has over one hundred descendents. He rules the The Twins and its surrounding lands, controlling the strategically important crossing of the River Trident. Over the years this great stone bridge and the castles that control it have made House Frey a fortune in crossing fees. He has been married seven times and is almost ninety years old when the series begins.

He is known to his liege lord, Hoster Tully, as the "Late Lord Frey" after delaying his arrival to assist Robert's Rebellion until the outcome had already been determined.

Season 1
Catelyn Stark meets a knight with a group of men at arms of House Frey at the Crossroads Inn and asks after Lord Walder's health. The knight replies that Lord Walder is well and is planning to celebrate his 90th birthday by taking a new wife. Tyrion Lannister laughs derisively at the news, making enemies of this group.

Robb Stark's army arrives at the Twins. Robb needs to cross the river to gain a tactical advantage over the Lannister forces. As a Tully bannerman, Walder Frey had been called up, but he had delayed going until he saw which side had the advantage. Now that Riverrun is besieged by the Lannisters, Frey wonders why he should risk their fury. Catelyn tells Robb that Walder Frey is slippery and not to be trusted, despite his allegiance to her father. Fearing that Walder would attempt to imprison Robb and sell him to the Lannisters, Catelyn volunteers to negotiate with him.

On entering the Twins Catelyn finds Walder and his vast brood of sons, grandsons and bastards incessantly bickering. Fed up with their whining, Walder agrees to Catelyn's request to dismiss them - including his new fifteen year old wife, Joyeuse Erenford - while they negotiate. An alliance is formed; in return for permission to cross and the service of Walder's troops, Robb will marry one of Walder's daughters or granddaughters. Additionally Arya, when recovered, will marry Walder's son Waldron. Robb must also take another son, Olyvar Frey, as a squire. Robb consents to the match, even after his mother indicates that Walder's daughters are not particularly attractive.

Season 3
Lord Walder sends his son Lothar and his great-grandson "Black Walder" to Riverrun to discuss the terms of a new alliance with Robb Stark. Lord Walder demands Harrenhal, as well as the marriage between Edmure Tully and his daughter Roslin.

Quotes
""The late Lord Frey" my father calls him. At the Trident, he didn't appear until the battle was done. Some men take their oaths more seriously than others."

- Catelyn Stark

"Expect nothing of Walder Frey and you'll never be surprised."

- Greatjon Umber

"Walder Frey is a dangerous man to cross."

- Catelyn Stark

In the books
In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, Walder Frey, the Lord of the Crossing, is an ancient (over 90), irascible and cranky old lord who rules over a vast brood of children, grandchildren, bastards, nieces and nephews. His house has grown rich by building and maintaining the Twins, two castles that control the only crossing over the Green Fork of the River Trident for hundreds of miles. He is proud and haughty, but also crafty. He is also bald and too gouty to move by himself.

Walder Frey is notable for appearing - as a toddler - in The Mystery Knight, the third of George R.R. Martin's Tales of Dunk and Egg short stories set almost ninety years before the events of the main series, making him the only character to appear in both the prequels and the main saga (Maester Aemon may appear in later installments of the prequels, as he is even older than Walder, and the younger brother of Aegon "Egg" Targaryen, one of the two main characters).