Catelyn Stark

Lady **Catelyn Stark**, née **Catelyn Tully**, is the wife of Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Warden of The North. Together they have five children: Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran, and Rickon. Catelyn is known as 'Cat' to close family and friends.

Catelyn was born into House Tully of Riverrun, the liege lords of The Riverlands. She is the eldest daughter of Lord Hoster Tully and Lady Minisa Tully, and has two younger siblings: Lysa and Edmure.

## **Appearance and Character:**

Catelyn is beautiful, with fair skin, long auburn hair and blue eyes. She has long fingers and high cheekbones. Catelyn resembles her own mother, Minisa Tully, her children Robb, Sansa and Rickon take on her Tully colouring.

Catelyn is a woman who was both dutiful and complex: in many ways, she fitted the expectations of her house, and their words 'Family, Duty, Honor', but she often found herself at odds with these words. She was a loving mother, and her maternal disposition influenced much of what she does.

She is proud, honourable, and honest, although some think she looks down on smallfolk. Catelyn is peaceful and holds duty over desire as a governing principle of behaviour, but she is fiercely protective of her beloved family. She is wise and cunning.

Theon Greyjoy, a ward and hostage of Eddard since, feels that Catelyn treats him like a hostage, whereas Eddard Stark treats like a ward.

## **History:**

Catelyn is the eldest daughter of Lord Hoster Tully, the Lord of Riverrun, head of House Tully, and Lord Paramount of The Trident, and his wife, Lady Minisa Tully. She was anointed with the seven oils and named in the sept of Riverrun. Catelyn had two older brothers, who both died in infancy, causing her father to regard her as his heir until the birth of Catelyn's younger brother, Edmure. Catelyn also has a sister, Lysa, who is two years younger than her.

Catelyn was raised at Riverrun. She was close with her sister Lysa, and would play with her two younger siblings, as well as with her father's young ward, Petyr Baelish. Just as her younger siblings and Petyr were wont to do, Catelyn would go to her uncle, Ser Brynden Tully, with her tears and tales, whenever Lord Hoster was too busy, and Lady Minisa was too ill. When Catelyn's mother died in childbirth, along with her son, Lord Hoster told his daughter that she had to be the Lady of Riverrun in her mother's stead. Catelyn does not have many memories of her mother, though she still remembers her warm smile and soft hands. Her relationship with her father was a close one, and according to Catelyn, Lord Hoster cherished her best of all his children. Whenever Hoster would ride off to court or a battle, he would tell Catelyn to watch for him from the battlements of Riverrun, which she did. And when his eyes tired, Hoster would have Catelyn read to him in his solar.

Catelyn and Lysa played together as girls, and even had a secret language. Catelyn and Lysa also practiced kissing with Petyr in the godswood of Riverrun, where Petyr attempted to stick his tongue in their mouths - an attempt which Catelyn halted, but Lysa both allowed and enjoyed.

When Catelyn, at the age of twelve, was betrothed to Brandon Stark, the heir to Winterfell, she thanked her father for making such a splendid match for her. Lord Hoster Tully's ward, Petyr Baelish, was less pleased with the match, however. While Catelyn had come to regard Petyr as a brother, Petyr had fallen in love with Catelyn. When Catelyn's betrothal to Brandon was announced, Lords Blackwood and Bracken were at Riverrun to settle a feud with Hoster's help. Catelyn and Petyr danced six dances that night, but when he tried to kiss her, she pushed him away and laughed at him. Petyr, wounded by the rejection, became drunk and had to be brought to bed by Catelyn's uncle, Ser Brynden Tully. Catelyn's younger sister, Lysa, who had fallen in love with Petyr, snuck into Petyr's chambers and had sex with him that night. However, the drunken Petyr believed he was having sex with Catelyn, and he called Lysa "Cat" before falling asleep again.

When the date of Catelyn's wedding was announced, Petyr challenged Brandon to a duel for her hand. Catelyn refused to give Petyr her favor when he asked, giving it to Brandon instead. She begged Brandon not to kill Petyr, and he agreed. Petyr was severely injured during the duel, and the final cut Brandon gave him was so brutal that Catelyn was convinced the younger boy would die from it. Petyr did not die, however, but was given a fortnight to recover at Riverrun before being sent away. Catelyn did not go see him during this time, nor did she say her farewells to him when he left Riverrun. After the duel, Brandon left Riverrun as well, promising her to return soon for their wedding.

Later, on his way return to Riverrun, Brandon learned about the disappearance of his sister, Lyanna Stark, and the involvement of Prince Rhaegar Targaryen. Furious, he rode to King's Landing, where he was arrested by King Aerys II Targaryen. When Brandon's father, Lord Rickard Stark, went to King's Landing to champion Brandon in his trial by battle, both men were executed. Shortly thereafter, Robert's Rebellion began. After Brandon had died, Petyr sent Catelyn a letter, which she burned without reading it. By then, her father had promised her hand to Brandon's younger brother, Eddard, now the Lord of Winterfell.

Catelyn married Lord Eddard Stark, without ever having seen him before their wedding day. She married Eddard in the same ceremony as her sister Lysa wed the elder Lord Jon Arryn. Eddard and Jon played key roles in the rebellion, and a fortnight after the wedding both men rode off to war again. Catelyn remained at Riverrun, spending the first year of her marriage separated from her husband. However, Catelyn had conceived a child during their wedding night, and she gave birth to Robb, at Riverrun, nine months after her wedding, with the assistance of Maester Luwin.

After the war had ended, Catelyn and young Robb travelled to Winterfell for the first time. On Eddard's part, the knowledge that Catelyn had actually been his brother Brandon's bride created a rift in their marriage. Despite these issues, however, Catelyn and Eddard grew to deeply love each other over the years. They had four more children—Sansa, Arya, Bran, and Rickon, all delivered by Maester Luwin.