In all of the eight seasons of Game of Thrones, there’s no House that has aroused as much undiluted hatred and disdain as House Frey. This was the noble house, after all, that was responsible for the Red Wedding, which saw the deaths of so many beloved characters, including both Robb and Catelyn Stark. Walder Frey, in particular, stands as one of the vilest characters the show has ever produced.
As compelling and awful as they are, however, there are still more than a few mysteries and nonsensical things that continue to confound even longtime fans of the series.
Why There Were So Many Of Them
First of all, it needs to be said that House Frey is one of the most productive of all of the noble houses. There just seems to be an infinite supply of them. This is strange enough in itself, but it becomes even more confusing when one thinks about the fact that it’s Walder who has produced all of these children and he, it must be said, is not exactly the most virile and healthiest-looking of the lords of Westeros.
Why They Thought The Red Wedding Wouldn’t Create Some Form Of Blood Feud
Whatever else one can say of Walder Frey, the man is not an idiot. He’s a canny political operator, who knows how to get what he wants from the political system of Westeros. That being said, it does seem rather strange that he would connive the Red Wedding, since he should have known that this would generate some sort of blood feud that would redound on his own family. Even if he could have assumed that the Starks would be powerless (a wrong assumption, as it turns out), surely he should have foreseen that some relative of one of the victims of the Wedding would come back to get vengeance against him.
Why They Thought That One Of Their Own Was Worthy Of Being A Queen
The cause of the Red Wedding is, of course, complicated. However, a substantial part of it stemmed from Walder’s outrage that Robb would throw aside one of his daughters and marry for love. The confusing part is why Walder, of all people, thought that his daughter should reign as Queen in the North.
After all, he was one of the most reviled lords in all of Westeros, and it’s not as if House Frey was itself very prestigious or powerful.
Why Anyone Gave Them Control Of The Twins
One of the things that continues to confound those who know the show is why, in the world, anyone would think it was a good idea to give control of the Twins to House Frey. Given that, in Westeros, certain families tend to show the same traits through the generations, it’s a pretty safe bet that Walder’s ancestor was a lot like him. A lot of heartache could have been avoided if either the Freys had never been given the Twins or, failing that, someone had finally pushed them out.
Why The Freys Were So Bad At Making Any Sort Of Order In The Riverlands After The Red Wedding, Seeing As How They Could Wrangle A Billion Offspring
After the diminution of House Tully as a consequence of the Red Wedding, House Frey is given command of the Riverlands. Despite the fact that they have proven so adept at (mostly) keeping their many family feuds under control, it’s rather inexplicable that they would prove so absolutely inept at keeping order in their new domains. It just goes to show that it really isn’t a very wise idea to trust the Freys, either as administrators or as people in general.
No One Has A Problem With A Man Who Is Celebrating His 90th Birthday In Season 1 Being Newly Married To A 15 Year Old?
When the audience first meets Lord Walder, he is celebrating his 90th birthday and, unfortunately, also celebrating being married to a 15 year old girl. Now, admittedly, Westeros is a place with very strange and often lopsided marital arrangements, but this seems a bit extreme, even for a country that is roughly based on the medieval world (hardly known for its enlightened opinions on gender and marriage). To add insult to injury, the poor girl is later killed by Catelyn during the Red Wedding.
Why People Kept Marrying Their Daughters Off To Pretty Much Any Of Them, But Especially Walder
Given how inherently untrustworthy House Frey has proven to be time and again, it makes one wonder why anyone, particularly those in the Riverlands, would in any way think it’s a good idea to espouse their daughters to them. This is especially true for Walder, who seems to be especially bad even for a Frey. Surely there must have been better options for the other lords unless, of course, they just happen to be gluttons for punishment.
How The House Could Afford All Those Kids And Hangers-On
Given just how many children, bastards, and grandchildren that Walder Frey had, it really does beg the question: just how can this House afford all of these progeny? Even with the tolls that they exact as a result of their control of the Twins, it doesn’t seem like they would have nearly enough money to keep the House afloat. And that’s not even considering just how much land it would also take to keep all of those Freys satisfied.
Why Walder Hated The Tullys So Much
Westeros is a continent well-known for long standing feuds and hatreds that, in some cases, can last centuries. One of the most notable in the show is that between Walder and his liege-lord Hoster Tully (whom Walder refers to as “the late Lord Tully). However, it remains rather unclear why, exactly, Walder bears his lord so much profound distaste, since it’s unlikely to be Hoster’s lateness to battle.
Given Walder’s temperament, though, it’s very likely to be simple jealousy.
Why All Of Them Stayed Glued To Walder When They Knew They’d Have No Chance Of Inheriting Much Of Anything
Much as Walder seems to be an absolutely awful person, he also seems to be an unpleasant father. That being said, he manages to inspire a strange amount of familial solidarity among his various progeny, which is very strange indeed. Even more confusing is the fact that they continue to side with him, even though they have to know that, due to the large size of his brood, it’s unlikely that any individual member is going to inherit very much at all.