No — it would be more accurate to say the North had been defeated.
On a rainy night, Tywin launched a surprise attack on the Northern camp.
At that ti, Robb Stark was leading many nobles and over three thousand elite cavalry to the Twins to attend Edmure Tully's wedding.
He had not hidden his movents.
This was deliberate. He wanted Tywin to know that he and many nobles had left the main camp. It was a trap: he hoped Tywin would see it as an opportunity and launch a raid out of the city.
The Northern army had withdrawn eighty miles from Harrenhal, setting traps and waiting in full readiness.
Robb had placed many scouts and hidden agents along the route.
If Tywin left the city, he would rush back from the Twins with his n and catch the Lannisters in a pincer attack.
It was a bold and seemingly perfect plan.
However, Robb Stark never expected that he would not be able to return!
The nobles and elite soldiers who attended the wedding at the Twins were all dood by his foolishness, arrogance, and broken promises.
Roose Bolton had long been secretly colluding with the Lannisters.
He was an extrely complex and chilling figure. Outwardly gentle and soft-spoken, inwardly he was ruthless and calculating. He and House Bolton were like poisonous snakes that had lurked in the shadows of the North for a thousand years.
They had never truly submitted to Winterfell.
Historically, House Bolton had launched many rebellions against the Starks, though they were always suppressed by successive generations of Starks.
Ironically, those Starks were also "abstract" — they had allowed a venomous house like the Boltons to survive until now.
In the end, at the "Red Wedding," this poisonous snake bared its deadly fangs.
Northern Army Camp.
Before dawn, while the rain was still falling.
The soldiers left behind were still asleep. The camp was quiet, with only the sound of rain hitting the tents.
They had received no reports from any scouts.
Not a single one.
When the sky began to lighten, the sound of hoofbeats suddenly shook the earth.
The Kingslayer Jai Lannister led the cavalry in a charge into the Northern camp.
"Kill!"
Battle cries tore through the dawn.
Then Lannister forces attacked from all directions.
The nobles left behind woke from their sleep and hastily tried to organize resistance. Then, they were shocked to discover:
The n of House Bolton from the Dreadfort were nowhere to be seen!
Among all the Northern nobles, aside from Winterfell itself, House Bolton had brought the largest force — over three thousand infantry and several hundred cavalry.
Now they had all vanished!
"Where is Bolton? Where are Bolton's n?!"
No one answered.
Amid the shouting and killing, a maester stumbled in, clutching a letter, his face as white as paper.
"My lord! The Twins… House Frey has betrayed us at the Twins! The King in the North, Robb Stark… has been killed!"
The youngest son of Lord Rickard Karstark stared blankly at the letter, his lips trembling.
"The North… is finished."
At this mont, only ten thousand n remained in the Northern camp, completely unprepared. The full Lannister army had struck with a surprise cavalry assault.
The army collapsed like a mountain crumbling.
However, just as the Northern forces were about to be completely routed, a force suddenly attacked from the flank.
The banners of House Bolton fluttered in the rain.
"It's Bolton!"
"Bolton's n have co!"
"Fight back!"
The tide of battle instantly turned. House Bolton's soldiers slamd into the Lannister forces from the side, catching them off guard.
The battle lasted more than three hours.
Despite being ambushed, the Northern army temporarily fought off the Lannisters.
But the cost was devastating.
In this battle, the North suffered over six thousand casualties.
Blood flowed like rivers.
After the battle, Roose Bolton began reorganizing all the remaining Northern forces.
His actions were swift, decisive, and unquestionable.
Then he gave the order: retreat north, withdraw to the North.
The army began to move. Exhausted, fearful, and despairing soldiers trudged northward with heavy steps.
However, when they reached the Twins, they stopped.
They could not cross the river.
House Frey had sealed the crossing. On the opposite bank, the Westerlands army watched nacingly.
They were caught in a pincer.
The Northerners were trapped in an unprecedented desperate situation.
Their liege lord, the King in the North Robb Stark, was dead. Many noble lords from various houses were also dead.
What remained were the young, inexperienced, and leaderless heirs of marquesses, counts, viscounts, and barons.
They gathered together, looking at each other, not knowing what to do.
Then they turned to Roose Bolton.
That always gentle and soft-spoken man now stood before them with the sa calm expression.
He had beco the new pillar for the Northerners!
The clever ones realized this was a conspiracy between Roose Bolton and the Lannisters, but they were powerless to resist!
Roose Bolton represented the Northerners in negotiations with Tywin Lannister.
The negotiations took place in a side hall of the Twins. The Freys did not participate — only Bolton and Tywin sat face to face.
"The North declares its surrender," Roose's voice was calm, as if discussing the weather. "We submit to the Iron Throne and to King Joffrey."
Tywin looked at him, a flash of satisfaction in his eyes.
"Acceptable."
He stood up, walked to the window, and turned his back to Bolton.
"From today onward, you are the Warden of the North."
Roose slightly lowered his head.
"Thank you, King Joffrey."
Of course, this was only on the surface.
In secret, House Lannister promised military support to help him suppress any open rebellion in the North.
At the sa ti, to thank him for his "sacrifice" and to make the Twins allow passage, Roose Bolton agreed to marry Walda Frey… another daughter of Walder Frey.
He ford a solid military alliance with the Twins.
When the news reached the remaining Northern army, no one dared to object.
They had no choice.
Those young heirs looked at Roose Bolton with fear, unwillingness, and anger in their eyes — but mostly despair.
"We… we should go back," soone murmured.
"Yes, let's return to the North first."
"Once we're back in the North… we can think of sothing."
They reached a consensus.
But no one knew what awaited them once they returned to the North.
Roose Bolton rode at the front of the column.
The corners of his mouth curved upward slightly.
Draco.
Luke stood on a high point of the lord's residence, holding a secret report that had just arrived from the Web.
After reading the letter, he remained silent for a long ti.
Then he raised his head and looked north.
"The Red Wedding… still happened."
He murmured.
"Robb is dead. Catelyn is dead. The North is finished."
Behind him, Sansa Stark had just walked in.
"Your Majesty, I…"
She saw the expression on Luke's face and froze.
"What's wrong?"
Luke turned around and looked at her.
Those blue eyes were filled with a maiden's expectation and unease.
He didn't know how to tell her.
Her brother was dead.
Her mother was dead.
Her family had been almost completely uprooted.
Luke was silent for a mont, then spoke slowly.
"Sansa, there is sothing I must tell you."
Sansa's face gradually turned pale.
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