Roose Bolton: Appearances & Meaningful Mentions

34 AGOT Eddard VIII: When Selmy was brought before Robert at the Trident victory, “grievously wounded and near death, Roose Bolton urged us to cut his throat” 352 but Robert preferred mercy.

54 AGOT Bran VI: Robb confides in Bran

Roose Bolton and Robett Glover both demanded the honor of battle command, the first brusquely, the second with a smile and a jest. 574

And the Greatjon's not the worst of them, only the loudest. Lord Roose never says a word, he only looks at me, and all I can think of is that room they have in the Dreadfort where the Boltons hang the skins of their enemies. 575

Robb's phrasing suggests he sees Lord Roose as “the worst of them.” At this point, Roose has been painted as a brutal, bloody, and ambitious in that he'd presume to council Robert and to demand a battle command of Robb. The sense we have is that Roose Bolton is more enemy than ally and that he should be kept out of power. That sets up for it to feel controversial that Catelyn plants the idea that Robb should give Roose the important command of the foot that will guard the north against Tywin's presumed march north.

56 AGOT Catelyn VIII: At Moat Cailin, Catelyn finds Robb speaking intently with Roose Bolton and the Greatjon. On page 599, Roose is described as having curiously pale, almost colorless eyes, “his look disturbing,.” With his soft voice, he says

“It is said you hold Lord Tywin's dwarf son as captive. Have you brought him to us? I vow we should make good use of such a hostage.” 599

Speaking to Catelyn of his battle strategy, Robb mentions that Roose thinks Tywin will take river castles over marching north.

“If the Lannisters come up the Neck, the crannogmen will bleed them every step of the way, but Galbert Glover says Lord Tywin is too smart for that and Roose Bolton agrees. He'll stay close to the Trident, they believe, taking the castles of the river lords one by one until Riverrun stands alone. We need to march south to meet him.” 603

“You cannot afford to seem indecisive in front of such men like Roose Bolton and Rickard Karstark. Make no mistake, Robb—they are your bannermen, not your friends. You named yourself battle commander. Command.” 604

“You want cold cunning, I should think, not courage.'

'Roose Bolton,' Robb said at once. 'That man scares me.'” 605

Catelyn undermines Robb's confidence in his initial choice of the Greatjon to command the foot and prompts Robb to choose specifically Bolton by her recommendation of “cold cunning.” It is a construction that obviously suggests Robb to be making a fatal error at Catelyn's pressing. Ned disliked and mistrusted Roose, Robb thinks he's the worst, and yet Robb has now been shaken into giving the key to the north to an ambitious, bloody-thirsty man he fears. That it is an error is disguised by it's coming through Catelyn's perspective and belief her fear based judgements are wise.

60 AGOT Catelyn IX

The Greatjon began to curse and swear as soon as he saw what awaited them. Lord Rickard Karstark glowered in silence. “That cannot be assaulted, my lords,” Roose Bolton announced. 605

“You must not do this, my lord,” Galbart Glover pleaded with Robb. “Lord Walder is not to be trusted.” Roose Bolton nodded. “Go in there alone and you're his. He can sell you to the Lannisters, throw you in a dungeon, or slit your throat, as he likes.” 643-644

The larger part of the northern host, pikes and archers and great masses of men-at-arms on foot, remained upon the east bank under the command of Roose Bolton. Robb commanded him to continue the march south, to confront the huge Lannister army coming north under Lord Tywin. 651

In this chapter, we are likely to reassess Roose Bolton as the man Robb has wisely chosen, at Catelyn's savvy prompting. Bolton's observations seem loyal and authoritative. Instead of feeling like more of an enemy than an ally, he feels like a dear ally because of the vital charge he's been trusted with.

63 AGOT Tyrion VIII

“I fear Roose Bolton has escaped us.” 693 Addam Marbrand reports after the Green Fork.

A Clash of Kings

72 AGOT Catelyn XI

“Roose Bolton had reformed the battered remnants of their other host at the mouth of the causeway. Ser Helman Tallhart and Walder Frey still held the Twins. Lord Tywin's army had crossed the Trident and was making for Harrenhal.” 793

The claim that Roose has reformed his ten thousand at the mouth of the causeway suggests he's taken his army north of the Twins, closer to Moat Cailin, to guard the north.

90 ACOK 17 Bran II: Lady Hornwood says she has written to Roose Bolton at the Twins to say she hopes that's where his bastard is taking the army he's massing. The bastard was brought to the Dreadfort after young Domeric died two years ago. -251 It will be revealed that Roose believes Ramsay to have poisoned Domeric.

104 ACOK 31 Arya VII

The Bloody Mummers did not linger long at Harrenhal, but before they rode out again, Arya heard one of them saying how a northern army under Roose Bolton had occupied the ruby ford of the Trident. “If he crosses, Lord Tywin will smash him again like he did on the Green Fork,” a Lannister bowman said, but his fellows jeered him down. “Bolton'll never cross, not till the Young Wolf marches from Riverrun with his wild northmen and all them wolves.” 460

109 ACOK 36 Bran V: After Ramsay Snow forced Lady Hornwood to marry him and sign a will naming him heir, both died. This suggests The Hornwood Lands to belong to Roose Bolton. While Maester Luwin argues that vows at swordpoint are not valid, Ser Rodrik is concerned about the will being a signed and sealed document. Legally, the land may be Bolton's.

113 ACOK 40 Catelyn V: Roose Bolton wed one of Walder Frey's daughters. 570 Edmure tells Catelyn:

“You've forgotten Roose Bolton. Lord Tywin defeated him on the Green Fork, but failed to persue. When Lord Tywin went to Harrenhal, Bolton took the ruby ford and the crossroads. He has ten thousand men. I've sent word to Helman Tallhart to join him with the garrisoh Robb left at the Twins.” 569

119 ACOK 46 Catelyn VI: On page 654, Roose Bolton's letter to Edmure is described by Catelyn.

Roose Bolton's bastard had meant less to him than one of his dogs, to judge from the tone of the queer cold letter Edmure had gotten from him not three days past. He had crossed the Trident and was marching on Harrenhal as commanded, he wrote. “A strong castle, and well garisoned, but His Grace shall have it if I must kill every living soul within to make it so.” He hopes His Grace would weigh that against the crimes of his bastard son, whom Ser Rodrik had put to death. “A fate he no doubt earned,” Bolton had written. “Tainted blood is ever treacherous and Ramsay's nature was sly, greedy, and cruel. I count myself well rid of him. The trueborn sons my young wife has promised me would never have been safe while he lived.” 654

121 ACOK 48 Arya IX: Vargo Hoat has brought back to Harrrenhal plunder and

“Captiths. Roth Bolton thought to croth the river, but my Brafe Companions cut his van to pieceth. Killed many, and thent Bolton running. Thith ith their lord commander, Glover, and the one behind ith Ther Aenyth Frey.” 678

But when Arya frees the northern captives, Robett Glover asks if the soup trick was Vargo Hoat's idea.

“...he came to Bolton's encampment.” 690.

It seems Vargo Hoat presented himself to Roose Bolton to negotiate turning his cloak. They sent a hundred men to pose as captives to take the lightly garrisoned Harrenhal from within. On pages 693-695, Roose Bolton is introduced to Arya as “Weasle” and told she was the mastermind behind the soup. He takes her as cupbearer and insists she say “my lord” when speaking to him.

138 ACOK 65 Arya X :Arya notes that Roose Bolton washes often. Arya fills his basin every morning and is made to bathe more than she likes as his serving girl. He has a variety of servants beheaded and puts their heads on the walls, perhaps to suggest the castle was harder to take than it was. Roose sends the Bloody Mummers out on the pretext of rooting out Lannisters. Roose has Elmar Frey for a squire, likely acquired as part of his wedding to Fat Walda. Rooses's mail is rusty, even after being rolled in a barrel of sand. That suggests old rust. The implication (disguised as Elmar's laziness) is that Roose rarely goes to battle. Roose is leeched regularly. We see him receive council in his bed, being leeched. 889. He speaks so softly men must strain to hear him, “so his chambers were always strangely hushed.” 890. All this seems designed to suppress speech and discourage petitioners. Bolton seems a more terrifying ruler than Tywin or Theon. “His smile was dismal” after Roose said he'd think on all they'd presented. As soon as the Freys leave, Roose has Arya remove the leeches, making his leeching seem part of a display for their benefit. It may even have been an insulting implication that they were being leeches, themselves.

Roose bids Qyburn read Lady Walda's letter aloud, but Arya understands him as meaning she should burn it when he mentions to “tend to” the letter. Perhaps due to this detail, it is widely speculated that the letters from Lady Walda are coded letters from Walder Frey relating to their allegiance and plans. However, it may only be that Roose burns the letters as part of his habit of extreme personal cleanliness, a habit that extends to cleanising his blood. Roose also burns a book he's finished reading. That this is included suggests the letter burning to be more normal than specific.

Roose goes on a wolf hunt and has the skins made into a bedspread and pair of gloves. He claims it is the boldness of the growing packs of wolves that prompts the hunt and says “I can barely sleep at night for the howling.” 893 However, his skinning of wolves reminds of the old Bolton tradition of flaying Starks and implies Bolton's wolf hunt to vent cruel and treacherous intentions. That he is kept awake by the howling reminds of Theon's guilty conscience, adding to the sense that Roose means the Starks ill.

Roose shrugs at Qyburn's hand wringing about these being terrible times, saying:

“One king may be terrible, but four?”

This implies Roose to feel free from accountability in such tumult. However, when he orders Arya to fetch hot wine, Roose says he took a chill in the woods.

When Arya questions him, asking if he'll take her with him when he rides north, he uses a sequence of questions to cow her, asking if she should have spoken, if he must have her tongue out. When she agrees to be silent and not ask again, he tells her he will forget the insolence. It's as though he's telling Arya she, as a servant, does not have personal interests or concerns as relate to him. It contributes to the Faceless Man theme of servants who are No One which is heavily built in Arya's Harrenhal chapters.

A Storm of Swords

144 ASOS 1 Chett Prologue: Reference to Bolton via Chett's imagined sigil.

146 ASOS 3 Catelyn I: Edmure sends three birds to Bolton at Harrenhal.

“I wrote that Jaime had escaped and offered a thousand dragons for his recapture.” 42

147 ASOS 4 Arya I: Arya fears recapture by trackers sent from Harrenhal

“The Lord of the Dreadfort would not come after them himself. Roose Bolton would stay abed, his pasty flesh dotted with leeches, giving commands in his whispery soft voice.” 44

“Lord Bolton was her brother's bannerman, but he frightened her all the same.” 48

Arya vows not to let them be caught so she doesn't have to reveal her identity to Roose Bolton. She'd reveal herself to the Bloody Mummers, but they'd tell Bolton.

175 ASOS 32 Jaime IV: Roose has Qyburn see to Jaime's wounds and takes him from Vargo Hoat so he may not be ransomed or further mutilated, but does not speak of sending him back to Riverrun.

181 ASOS 38 Jaime V: At dinner, Bolton tells Jaime he's to be escorted to King's Landing but that Brienne will be given to Vargo Hoat.

188 ASOS 45 Jaime VI: Roose sends Qyburn with Jaime to King's Landing.

189 ASOS 46 Catelyn V: Robb intends to give Bolton the rearguard in their march north.

193 ASOS 50 Catelyn VI: Roose claims Ramsay is clearing the north of ironborn who burned Winterfell and killed so many good men there. Roose shows a bit of skin and says Ramsay has Theon at the Dreadfort. He believes whoever wins the Seastone Chair will want Theon dead, so he's still a bargaining chip. Roose pretends Tallhart and Glover went to Duskendale of their own error, though he sent them pretending the order came from Robb.

194 ASOS 51 Arya X: At theTwins with the Hound, Arya worries about running into Roose Bolton, who she fears and fled Harrenhal partially to distance herself from.

195 ASOS Catelyn VII: The Red Wedding

197 ASOS 54 Tyrion VI: Tywin tells Tyrion Roose Bolton has requested Arya Stark as part of his arrangement to return to the crown.

216 ASOS 73 Jaime IX: Jaime sees Tommen seal the document that legitimizes Ramsay and one naming Roose Bolton warden of the north. He sees Steelshanks preparing to leave, taking Jeyne Poole to Winterfell dressed as Arya Stark.

225 ASOS 82 Epilogue: Merrett Frey identifies Roose Bolton as one of the primary planners of the Red Wedding.

A Feast for Crows

242 AFFC 17 Jaime II: Jaime explains that newly made Warden of the North Roose Bolton, reinforced by Frey soldiers, will finish Stannis for the crown.

243 AFFC 18 Cersei IV: Cersei notes that Roose is winning northern houses back to the crown, that Roose Bolton will soon pass Moat Cailin and that Jeyne Poole is being passed off as Arya.

A Dance with Dragons

284 ADWD 13 Reek I: Ramsay tells Theon he'll be accompanying to Moat Cailin to help bring home his virgin bride and clear the way for Roose to return north. 184

289 ADWD 18 Jon IV: Stannis is irritated that so many northmen are joining Bolton. Jon warns Stannis not to fall for the trap of an apparently vulnerable Dreadfort. 245-247

292 ADWD 21 Reek II: After Theon takes Moat Cailin for Ramsay to facilitate Roose's return to the north, Roose reveals that he uses a decoy while riding in the wagon. 290-291

298 ADWD 27 The Wayward Bride: Asha receives a letter ostensibly from Ramsay that has been officiated by Roose, as Lady Dustin and others have signed it. 364

300 ADWD 29 Jon VI: As Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, Jon receives a very similar letter to the one Asha did. Roose Bolton summons all leal lords to Barrowton to affirm their loyalty to the crown and celebrate his son Ramsay's wedding to Arya Stark. 415

301 ADWD 30 Davos IV: Wyman Manderly sends Davos to look for Rickon on Skagos because Roose Bolton has Stark's daughter, and to thwart Bolton's claim to Winterfell he'd find Stark's son. 432-433

304 ADWD 33 Reek III: Roose explains to Ramsay that their claim to the north will remain contingent on grudging support and that they will not rule if feared. Roose takes Theon to Lady Dustin in Barrowtown. On the ride, Roose tells Theon the story of Domeric and his suspicion Ramsay killed him.

309 ADWD 38 The Prince of Winterfell: After Ramsay's wedding Roose gives a solemn toast and calls for a war council.

313 ADWD 42 The Turncloak: When it snows on Stannis's march, Roose announces the gods of the north have judged him. Lady Dustin tells Theon to tell Ramsay that Roose is not pleased his bride can be heard weeping.588, 597

314 ADWD 43 The King's Prize: Justin Massey speculates the northmen will abandon Bolton as soon as he's bloodied. 606

316 ADWD 45 Jon IX: Alys Karstark tells Jon Arnolf traded his loyalty to Roose Bolton in exchange for killing Harrion, the heir to Karhold She says Arnolf is setting Stannis up for Roose. 648

318 ADWD 47 A Ghost in Winterfell: Roose would keep a suspicious death quiet, but Ramsay offers a gold dragon for the killer's name. Roose holds a council inquiring into the murders. 668, 670-671

323 ADWD 52 Theon I: When Hosteen cuts Wyman Manderly's throat, Roose sends Frey and Manderly men out to blood Stannis. 739-740