Alice Caster and Saigon's Wedding

Alys Karstark, the daughter of Lord Rickard Karstark who was beheaded by Robb Stark, arrived at Castle Black as a fugitive, pursued by her uncle Cregan who intended to marry her to claim Karhold. Jon Snow, the Lord Commander, recognized her from a childhood visit to Winterfell and agreed to protect her. To thwart Cregan's ambitions and secure an alliance, Jon arranged for Alys to marry Sigorn, the new Magnar of Thenn, whose father had died attacking the Wall. The wedding was performed by Melisandre, the red priestess, in a ceremony that blended the rites of R'hllor with the traditions of the free folk.

The Ceremony

The wedding took place in the yard of Castle Black, before a ditch fire, with Queen Selyse and her knights, the free folk, and men of the Night's Watch looking on. Melisandre presided, calling upon R'hllor, the Lord of Light, to bless the union. Alys, wearing a maiden's cloak of black wool with a white fur Karstark sunburst, and Sigorn, clad in bronze scales, leapt over the flames together, symbolizing their union. The queen's men chanted, and the Thenns beat their spears against their shields. After the ceremony, Sigorn fastened a bride's cloak around Alys's shoulders, a new garment bearing a bronze disk surrounded by flames, the arms of House Thenn.

Political Significance

The marriage was a calculated move by Jon Snow to bind the free folk to the realm and to secure Karhold for Alys against her uncle's claim. By wedding a Karstark, the Thenns gained a foothold in the north, while Alys gained a husband and an army to reclaim her birthright. The union was also a direct challenge to the Boltons, who had allied with the Karstarks. Jon Snow had imprisoned Cregan Karstark and his men in the ice cells, and he warned Cregan that if he did not yield Karhold, he would face Stannis Baratheon's justice.

Aftermath and Consequences

The wedding feast was held in the cellar of Castle Black, with music, dancing, and food. Alys, now Lady of Thenn, expressed her gratitude to Jon Snow and promised that Karhold would remember his aid. The marriage was a success for Jon's policy of integrating the free folk into the Watch's defenses, but it also deepened the rift between him and his own officers, who saw it as a betrayal of the Watch's traditions. The union of a northern noblewoman and a wildling chieftain was a radical act that reshaped the political landscape of the north, creating a new power bloc loyal to Jon Snow and opposed to the Boltons.