Walter Frey

Walter Frey is the current Heir to the Crossing, though his status is expected to change with the incoming birth of his older twin Lord Symond Frey's first legitimate child. He is the second-born son of the late Lady Elana Frey and her second husband, Ser Lancelyn Erenford, and the older brother of Jeyne Frey. He has spent the past three years studying at the Citadel, earning several links but never a chain.

Appearance and Character
Walter is the taller of the Frey twins by a mere inch, with features the inverse of his brother's; Symond's hair and eyes are dark, while Walter's eyes are icy blue and his hair golden blonde, the color of their father's. Having lost considerable weight in his adolescence, Walter turned from being puffy-cheeked to revealing his family's signature high cheeks. In addition to losing weight, Walter has shown occasional interest in bulking up. While he wore his hair long and limp as a youth, he now styles it sharply brushed to one side and puts considerable effort into his presentation.

His inside sores are not fully healed, though he puts up a polite exterior to hide it. His complex relationship with food is likewise unresolved, though that is a subject he is even more unwilling to speak of. If one was to describe Walter in a single word, it would be polite. While proper and ultimately better for diplomacy, Walter's politeness does not mean meekness, nor openness. Walter is distant towards most people, even his family; the only exception is his sister Jeyne, who he believes is not being utilized to her fullest purpose to further the family. It is never questionable whether Walter feels things, but rather a matter of how silently he deals with his feelings. Unlike his brother, he is unmarried and has never kept a lover.

Early Life
Born on the 13th Day of the 7th moon in 419 AC, it was determined from birth that Walter would always be second to his brother, except perhaps in weight. Throughout his formative years, though he never entirely doubted his mother's love, it was clear hers was not the same for those who weren't her darling heir. It began a vicious cycle: Walter burying his insecurities in food, until he was reprimanded softy by his mother and ridiculed mercilessly by his brother and the other young boys of the Crossing. It spiraled out of even instinct; it was a compulsion. He never possessed the talent of a sword his brother had, leading to more than one instance of young Symond easily overpowering him, bruising Walter on the outside and scarring him on the inside. Even the lowborn children joined in on the taunts, and young Walter had neither the confidence nor the support to stand up for himself. But he had a haven: books. Later, he would also find solace in Violet Beesbury, sent to the Crossing to study beneath his Lady-Mother. This would be the beginning of a lifelong companionship.

Nothing Really Matters
During the events of The Bleeding while his brother was away, Walter watched with awe as his mother's plan to do nothing went as well as expected. Her bitterness towards the Starks compelled her to prevent the Stark host from crossing at all, saying that only marriage would be an acceptable price. Walter, however, saw the usefulness of gold in times such as this and allowed the Stark host to pass, albeit after charging them a considerable toll. As if this wasn't enough to rile his mother, Walter decided to chase the Warsmiths from their lands and make examples of any they caught, while again his mother wished to do nothing. This time, however, Elana was not content to simply send her son to bed without supper; he needed to be dealt with. She told him come the moon's end he'd be heading to the Wall or the Citadel, though his destination was up to him. Walter was shook by the audacity of his mother.

The Citadel
Walter thrived at the Citadel; where he once studied as a means of escapism, he thrived in studying as a lifestyle. Even the lowly work of an acolyte was a learning opportunity where Walter quickly proved himself adept at the medicinal arts, and the study of plants and potions. At times he would take to the streets of Oldtown where he would attempt to treat the lowborn. Love it though he may, Walter never intended to become a Maester, nor did he intend to live beneath his brother. When the time came that Walter decided to leave the Citadel, the royal wedding in Oldtown was mere moons away, and he was thankful to secure an apartment before the influx of visitors arrived. Dark words stained a merry occasion when a raven told Walter of his mother's passing, and darker things still came when Walter could not definitely choose how he felt about the news, realizing only now how complicated and destructive his relationship with his mother was, though he knew he loved her.

Recent Events
Walter will be present at the wedding in Oldtown alongside his sister Jeyne, while his twin swears fealty to their new liege in Fairmarket.

Family and Household
Lord Symond Frey (†)
 * m. Cassana Vance (†)
 * Lady Jeyne Frey (†)
 * Forrest Frey (†)
 * Donnel Frey (†)
 * Lady Elana Frey
 * m. Lancelyn Erenford
 * Petyr Vance (†)
 * Cassana Vance
 * Lord Symond Frey
 * m. Imogen Blackwood
 * Walter Frey
 * Jeyne Frey
 * Visaera Blackwood
 * m. Ambrose Blackwood
 * Bowen Blackwood (†)
 * Imogen Blackwood
 * Benjen Blackwood
 * Lenore Blackwood
 * Damion Blackwood
 * Phoebe Blackwood