A brutal struggle unfolded in the stairwell. Ser Marq, being younger, quickly defeated Ser Stefflon, who was around sixty. The Old Knight retreated, feeling somewhat strained.
But due to the narrow space of the spiral staircase, the Frey Family guards covered Marquess Walder and the heir, Stefflon, as they retreated.
Then, the main gates of the West River castle were all opened. The orderly Gold Cloaks rushed in, bringing with them Frey Family captives, and even heads on Longspear tips. Most strikingly, there was Hosdton and half of Black Walder's body.
The tall Golden Knight and the White Knight stood together, awe-inspiring. Gendry and his iron guard, Ser Barristan, the Old Knight.
"My grandsons!" Ser Stefflon, seeing the tragic deaths of Black Walder and Hosdton, immediately turned red-eyed, burst into wailing, and collapsed to the ground. Black Walder commanded Frey's elite soldiers; with his tragic death, Frey was truly finished.
The Gold Cloak soldiers surged forward, and the main castle completely fell.
"You liars, thieves!" Old Walder looked at the enemies below and cursed angrily.
"Marquess Walder, I'm sorry, but you are already a traitor to the Riverlands. Since you are always late, I had to meet you at the River Crossing," Gendry laughed. The death knell tolled for Frey.
"You Bastard, butcher blacksmith! Black-hearted thief, ambitious man, wild deer Gendry!" Old Walder cursed vehemently. Years had worn away his hair, his teeth, and loosened his skin, but his temper was as fiery as ever. To outsiders, Old Walder looked as cunning as a weasel.
"Enough, Frey. Perhaps you should call me Heir Gendry. Did anyone escort this old man?"
Marquess Walder's cursing didn't last too long. Ser Marq rushed directly to the end of the spiral staircase. Seeing that the tide had turned, those Frey Family taxi soldiers surrendered one after another. Marq's longsword was placed on Old Walder's neck, forcing the old man back into his bedroom. With doors and windows locked, Old Walder and his young wife could only look at each other, tears streaming down their faces.
"Lord Yohn," Gendry commanded.
"I am here, Your Highness," Yohn replied, clad in a blood-orange robe and silver armor engraved with runes.
"You are to first take charge of all the weasels. Do not let a single one escape, and do not plunder the women. Once the battle at East Keep is over, I will have Earl Jason take over." Gendry approved of Yohn; he, like Ser Barristan, was loyal to the knightly code. If a knight had no principles, he was no different from a killer.
"Yes."
"Follow me," Gendry called again. The West River castle was now in his grasp; his only concern was controlling the East Keep and reinforcing the Seaguard soldiers.
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
Gendry led the main force out of the castle, detouring around the square, passing through the inner city, and onto the arch bridge, like a long steel dragon. There were also Seaguard soldiers visible at the inner city gate.
"Reinforcements are here! Reinforcements are here!" The Seaguard taxi soldiers on the arch bridge shouted, their morale greatly boosted.
A large contingent of infantry rushed to the battlefield. The Seaguard taxi soldiers had secured the western arch bridge and the inner gate, and controlled the River Gate Tower. Now, a bloody tug-of-war was unfolding only at the inner gate of the East Keep arch bridge.
The long arch bridge seemed to have become a meat grinder, especially on the eastern side of the arch bridge and at the inner gate, because the Frey Family of East Keep had been stubbornly defending, causing considerable damage to Seaguard.
"Hold! Hold!" Earl Jason personally went to the inner gate of the East Keep arch bridge. This was the moment that would decide the family's fate, to drive away their biggest competitor.
"Display the heads of Black Walder and Hosdton," Gendry said.
"Yes," Ser Barristan had two tall Gold Cloak soldiers raise Longspears, the heads and flesh like silent trophies, for all to see.
"Black Walder is dead, Hosdton Frey is dead! Surrender quickly!"
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