Robb chuckled lightly, "It seems Aunt Lysa dotes on my Uncle Robin Arryn quite a bit."
Catelyn didn't expect her son to still be in the mood for such jokes. "Be serious, that's your aunt after all! Even though she didn't come, Uncle Blackfish came with me."
The matter they were discussing concerned the marriage alliances between noble families. During the Mad King's reign, the Stark Family's lord and heir had gone to King's Landing to demand an explanation, but unexpectedly, both were directly killed by the Mad King.
With the sudden deaths of the lord and his eldest son, the second son, Ned Stark, inherited the title of Duke of the North. The rebellion war also broke out because of this.
At that time, the lord of the Arryn Valley adopted Ned. That lord was the former King's Hand, Jon Arryn, who had suddenly died.
It could be said that Jon Arryn was Ned's adoptive father, but this Duke married the sister of Ned's wife, Catelyn, who was Robb's Aunt Lysa Tully.
So now, the lord of the Valley, Robin Arryn, is both an uncle and a cousin to Robb, making their relationship particularly complex.
Robb stopped joking with his mother and began to speak seriously, "I was prepared for Aunt Lysa not coming; your relationship with her was never good to begin with."
Catelyn was hurt by her sister. "I didn't expect her to be so heartless. No matter what, Ned was still her family."
Robb comforted her, "It's alright, it's enough that my grandfather and Edmure are willing to help us."
Then Robb told his mother all about the recent battle situation.
Catelyn was not yet aware of the Tully Family's battle situation, so when she heard her son say that the Tully Family's people were being beaten back repeatedly, her face turned pale, not to mention the tragic news that Tywin was later leading his army to wreak havoc in the Riverlands.
Her voice trembled as she asked, "What... what do you plan to do?"
Robb looked into his mother's eyes. "I told my men that we will gather all our forces to confront Tywin's army, preparing for a decisive battle on the King's Road."
"What about your grandfather and Edmure?"
For the first time, Robb revealed his true intentions to someone else. "This is a separate plan, and I haven't told anyone. Everyone will think we are going to have a decisive battle with Tywin, but I will take three hundred cavalry to support Riverrun. I want to capture the Kingslayer."
Robb said, pulling out a map and telling Catelyn, "After we cross the swamp, the main army will continue along the King's Road to confront Tywin, and I will cross the Green Fork River to support Riverrun."
"Three hundred cavalry?!" Catelyn was somewhat taken aback. "With only three hundred cavalry support, how can you possibly defeat Kingslayer Jaime? He is a seasoned knight!"
Robb's expression was firm. "How will we know if we can win if we don't fight? Besides, this is my military order, and I will not change my mind."
Seeing Robb's stern tone and confident expression, Catelyn could somewhat understand why those lords were so respectful to her son.
Unbeknownst to her, her son had already become a strong man.
Catelyn continued to ask, "If you leave the army, who will lead the main force? Tywin is not a kitten; he is an old and cunning lion. He has more soldiers than you, and his cavalry far outnumbers yours. Your main force is at risk of being devoured at any time."
Robb patiently answered, "I can only choose Roose Bolton. I don't like that guy, but Greatjon and Rickard Karstark are too reckless. I need someone to hold Tywin, not a fool who will rashly engage Tywin in a decisive battle."
"However, I also plan to appoint Mychal Cerwyn as deputy commander. Although he doesn't have much military talent, his character is equally cautious, and he won't adopt aggressive tactics or clash with Roose Bolton. The key is that he can help me monitor Roose Bolton."
Catelyn actually understood these lords very well. Her ideal candidate was also Roose Bolton, and she was very happy that her son was not only strong but also had the ability to recognize and utilize talent.
Catelyn glanced at the map and immediately saw a key obstacle to Robb's plan. "There's still one problem now. If you want to cross the Green Fork River, you must go through the only ford, Twins. That's Lord Frey's territory, the late Lord Frey. Although this man swore allegiance to your grandfather, your grandfather never trusted him."
Neither of them discussed taking Twins, because this castle is easy to defend and difficult to attack, and Riverrun is in a critical situation. There is no time to waste on this tough nut now.
Catelyn thought for a moment. "Let me talk to him. Whatever the conditions, we can negotiate with him."
Robb smiled. "No need. When I meet Lord Frey, I will offer him a condition he cannot refuse. You should go to..."
In Robb's opinion, Catelyn's political negotiation skills were actually very impressive, so having her talk to a mere Lord Frey was a waste of talent. Thus, he stated his pre-planned idea.
Catelyn, however, misunderstood, thinking Robb wanted to send her back to Winterfell.
"I'm not going back to Winterfell," she heard herself say, and was surprised to find that sudden tears had blurred her vision. "Your grandfather is lying in Riverrun, dying, and your Edmure is surrounded by the enemy."
Robb quickly took out a handkerchief to wipe his mother's tears. "Of course not. I have a major task that requires you to go to Highgarden, to the Rose Family, and negotiate something with them."
"Highgarden?" Catelyn was a little confused. Although the Stark Family and the Tyrell Family were both ducal houses, they had very little interaction.
Robb's expression remained unchanged. "I heard that many Highgarden Roses are of marriageable age. I think we should form a marriage alliance to strengthen our relationship."
"Our family doesn't have a deep relationship with Highgarden. This matter..."
Robb slightly spread his hands. "The Tyrell Family possesses fertile Highgarden. Our army's food is almost running out, and a marriage alliance with their family can greatly alleviate our food problems."
I also heard that they intend to form a marriage alliance with King Robert's third brother. As long as they don't support the Lannister, we can win them over. However, King Robert's third brother prefers men, so I don't think their marriage alliance will succeed.
I know our family is not familiar with them, so I need you, Mother, to go personally. By the time you arrive, I will also have fought a perfect battle to raise my prestige.
The Tyrell Family does not have the ambition to dominate the continent; they only want their daughter to become queen. When they see that we have hope of replacing Joffrey, they will naturally agree to our marriage alliance."
Robb said a lot, and Catelyn felt that her son made some sense. At this time, having an additional ally was certainly a good thing, so she agreed.
The two problems Robb initially wanted to solve were the obedience of the Northern lords and the provisions needed for the army to go to war.
Now the first problem has been solved, and the second problem can be solved through a marriage alliance with the Tyrell Family.
Of course, as Robb said, only if the Tyrell Family sees the Stark Family winning, and continuing to win, until they ascend the Iron Throne, will they bet on Robb.
Therefore, the upcoming battle to support Riverrun is crucial