Today is the wedding day of Catelyn Tully, the eldest daughter of Hoster Tully, and Eddard Stark, the second son of Rickard Stark. All of the Seven Kingdoms received the ravens, and many of the Tully vassals arrived bearing gifts. Thankfully, Hoster and Brynden took the brunt of the social obligations, allowing Edmure to slip away easily. He enjoys social occasions, but only when he can be the center of attention; someone else's wedding leaves little room for such social maneuvering.
So, our all-powerful protagonist used his stealth ability to find a place to crash at his own place. He moved with a quick pace, climbing across the ceilings to traverse the castle. His perks allowed him to be almost invisible in all but name, as if there were a filter around his body messing with everyone's perception signals. With nothing else to do, he decided to grind his stealth levels. When slipping by the wedding guests, he overheard an explosive news. To confirm it, he decided to verify the information at the source.
Edmure went to the quarters reserved for Princess Elia. Unlike the rest of the castle, the mood there was muted. Earlier, Edmure had assumed everyone was simply deferring to the Princess's temperament, but he had just learned that Princess Elia is not married to Rhaegar. The marriage was called off. His brain connected the dots: his praising of the Dornish light cavalry; Hoster promising to prevent Dorne from joining the rebellion on the Loyalist side; his uncle suddenly popping up in the south for a trade deal; and the fury in Princess Elia's gaze during their first meeting. Princess Elia had come to Riverrun despite all that. Edmure knows how the story goes: this is karma knocking—no, karma battering down the gate. His gate. He realized he had been set up by his father.
Edmure was about to confront Princess Elia directly when he saw other guests. Lysa was attempting to give something to Elaena, who was keeping Elia company. Edmure knocked and ushered himself in. He offered a bow to the girls. "Lysa, Elaena, Princess. I hope I'm not disturbing you." His actions, however, did not match his polite words; he casually found a place to sit. Since his father owns the place, such behavior felt entirely natural to him. Princess Elia noticed the lack of usual polite pretense and readied herself for a long-overdue conversation.
Elaena, sensing the tension, diverted their attention. "I hope Edmure can receive the gift on their behalf instead. He's known for... being shameless about such things." Elaena's joke eased Lysa's struggle; she watched her distant brother and passed the finely crafted armor. Edmure habitually checked it for poison and glanced at Elaena for her expert opinion on the matter. Elaena rolled her eyes, thinking that in the boy's mind, all Lyseni are master poisoners. She is one, technically, but this gift was benign; there was no need for such paranoia.
"I hope you can deliver this to Catelyn. It's from him," Lysa said. "I know my actions have hurt him, but he always keeps us in his heart. He had this delivered last week, but I couldn't bring myself to look at it. It brings back fond memories of the past and the pain of separation. Sorry, I lost my composure." Lysa displayed a manner as poised as Catelyn's. The sisters were a classic case of being born from the same mold, though different treatment by the world had caused them to grow apart.
"Not at all. Catelyn would be happy to receive it. And Lysa, don't forget, you are our family. I'm sure Petyr is working hard to prove himself and that, soon, you will be reunited. You will have your beautiful day, just like today. You shouldn't doubt your place in Father's heart." After listening, Lysa sobbed again but wiped her tears and showed a ladylike smile. She bid them farewell, leaving the trio inside. Elaena rolled her eyes at Edmure for his political answer.
"You never learn. Why don't you take matters of the heart seriously? She is your sister. Do you think emotions have no meaning in life? Is that why you were so careless in my case?" Princess Elia began shouting hysterically, leaving Edmure stunned. He couldn't tell if this was a negotiation tactic or a genuine outburst. He decided to play it safe and dragged Elaena into the fray. Seeing his eye gestures, Elaena shook her head while patting the crying Elia.
Edmure gave a genuine bow, saying, "Princess, I may be lacking in many things, but my pride won't let me harm the weak. I only just learned of this. At first, I thought to take an adult approach—to ignore the fact until it resolved itself. But no matter what, the Tullys are in the wrong here. I will make things right on my father's behalf."
Edmure's constant attempt to deflect infuriated Elia. She laughed in anger, but Elaena whispered something in her ear. Elia's anger subsided, replaced by a look of pity, as if Edmure were a child who had lost his way but stubbornly insisted he knew the path. "Fine, Lord Edmure Tully, the heir of Riverrun, beloved of the gods. Tell me, in your infinite wisdom, how can you heal a heart? Can you mend broken relations or wipe away tears from the past?"
"I can't do any of that. But Princess, we are nobles. We are afforded a higher view of life; should we really be living a life so attached to the mire? Shouldn't we live either in ignorant bliss or act with a detached mind?" Edmure asked genuinely. It felt like a chasm of fundamental worldviews separated them. He calmed his mind. "Very well, since it is my father's... my fault, then let me compensate. I can't heal your heart, but I can nurse your health. Earlier, I didn't bother as it crossed boundaries of propriety. But now, I'll make the sacrifice... the amends. So that even fifty years from now, you will be fit of mind and body to scold me in our married life."
"Who is going to marry you! You idiot, are you even listening?" Princess Elia jumped like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. Her face turned red, though whether from anger or a blush was uncertain. No matter what, she would never let a shabby proposal like that pass.
"Yes, yes. What do I know? I'm only eleven; we have plenty of time. Now, comrades, let us discuss another thing." He beckoned both girls closer. "Elaena, what are your superpowers? Can you turn invisible? Or pass through walls?"
"Do I look like a petty thief? My mother is a deity, not a charlatan." Elaena bonked Edmure on the head but continued, anticipating some whacky plan. "But I can mess with other people's minds. I have never used it in this way, but I can make myself effectively invisible." Elaena gave a demonstration. Thankfully, Edmure's Threat Detection perk still tracked her, but this reminded him of his good fortune. Had he been born a peasant, his level-ups would not be as numerous as they are now. He would be like Renly Baratheon from the TV show—commanding a vast host only to be assassinated by magic without ever understanding why.
"Perfect. So, you and I will prowl the corridors tonight, scaring away the men who want to flout my suggestion from yesterday. Princess, you inform Catelyn to ignore everything outside the bridal chamber. If it creates a diplomatic incident, so be it. My father really needs to learn a lesson about never selling me so cheaply again." Edmure was about to let himself go when he noticed the fury in his buyer's gaze. Elaena chuckled at the duo's antics, thinking the pair might be salvageable after all.