Catelyn I
"Is he too sick?" asked Catelyn to her brother as they made their way to their father's rooms. She feared Edmure's response and his bleak appearance was already an answer in itself.
"According to the maester, he doesn't have much time left. The pain he suffers is... constant and terrible." She was invaded by blind rage, rage against everyone: against her sister Lysa for not coming to their aid, against the Lannisters, against her father, against Ned and against the monstrous gods who had cast this tragedy upon her family.
"You should have told me. You should have sent me a raven as soon as you knew," Catelyn said.
"He forbade it. These were critical moments for the kingdom, and he didn't want our enemies to know that he was dying."
It was my fault. If I hadn't set myself up to capturing the Imp, this wouldn't have happened. And Ned wouldn't be imprisoned in the dungeons of the Red Keep or wherever Tywin Lannister had sent him.
"Father, look who's here. Cat has come to see you," Edmure said when they arrived in their father's room.
Lord Hoster Tully had always been a corpulent, tall and strong man, even in old age. But in that instant, he looked like a corpse. He was lying on the bed and his face was creased and his muscles and flesh seemed to have melted. His hair and beard, once brown, were snow-white. Hearing Edmure's voice he turned his head and opened his eyes faintly.
"Little cat. My little cat. I watched for you..." murmured Lord Hoster in a faint voice as he searched for her with a trembling hand.
Catelyn knelt down and held his hand, it was large, but weak, fragile, and was completely devoid of strength.
"I leave you alone to talk," her brother said as he went out. "When you're done, come see me in my rooms, I'll be there with your son. News came from the south as you marched here, and one of them concerns you directly."
That surprised Catelyn. She wondered if it would be news of Ned or the girls. For the Mother's love, I hope nothing has happened to them. Let them come back to me safe and sound, please.
She spent a few more minutes there with her weak father. She had not spoken to him since the end of the Rebellion, when she had departed with Ned and their newborn son to what would be her new home. Her father was even weaker than he appeared, and the disease was beginning to wreak havoc on his mind, causing him to confuse the present and the past. She would have liked to stay by his side for the rest of the day, give him peace while he rested, but forced herself out of the room and went see Robb and Edmure. When she left his father's stays, she struggled to contain the sobs.
She returned to the inner courtyard and headed for her brother's rooms. Ser Brynden Tully was there, talking to the captain of the household guard of Riverrun, still in his armor stained of blood from the recent battle. As soon as he saw her, he ran to her.
"Is he...?"
"At death's door, as we feared," she said.
"Will he see me?" Her uncle's wrinkled face showed the pain he felt.
"Yes, but later. Master Vyman just gave him milk of the poppy so he could sleep."
"I've waited fifteen years, I guess I can wait a little longer. You're going to see Robb, aren't you? Let me go with you."
When they arrived at her brother's rooms, Robb was already there, as waere her brother Edmure and Theon Greyjoy. They at least had had the decency to change their clothes after the battle. She almost cried when she thought her fifteen years old son had already killed men with a sword. She watched the three young men. Their faces reflected an obvious concern, unusual for someone who had achieved a great victory just a few hours ago. Has Lord Tywin laid us into one of his traps? Or maybe it's Ned and the girls, maybe...
"Mother!" Robb said when he saw her there. "We have to call the council. We have to decide a few things," he pointed to three letters he had lying on the table. All three of them had the seal broken. Catelyn recognized the Baratheon's stag in the broken golden wax seals of the first two letters, while the third's one was orange and had the figure of a sun.
"This was the first to arrive," her brother said as he handed her one of the Baratheon's letters. "It was a surprise that the ravens managed to pass through Sir Kevan's archers."
"Renly?" she said surprised after reading the message. "I thought it would be Lord Stannis who would claim his brother's crown. After all, he's the eldest of the two."
"It seems that the line of succession matters little when you are backed by the lords of the Reach and the Stormlands," Theon said with a smile. He seemed to be laughing at a joke that only he understood. "But you are not entirely wrong either, my lady. Read the next one, it arrived this morning with the other one."
This letter left her even more surprised than the previous one.
"All men know me for the trueborn son of Steffon Baratheon, Lord of Storm's End, by his lady wife Cassana of House Estermont. I declare upon the honor of my House that my brother Robert, our late king, left no trueborn issue of his body, the boy Joffrey, the boy Tommen, and the girl Myrcella being abominations born of incest between Cersei Lannister and her brother Ser Jaime the Kingslayer. Lord Eddard Stark knew of this infamy and has been falsely accused of treason for defending the truth. By right of birth and blood, I do this day lay claim to the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. Let all true men declare their loyalty. Done in the Light of the Seven, under the sign and seal of Stannis of House Baratheon, the First of His Name, King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Prince Consort of Dorne."
It's certainly a cunning ruse on Stannis' part, thought Catelyn. If Joffrey and his brothers are declared illegitimate, then he would really be the king. Ned also believed the same thing; or so it says in the letter... But Petyr warned me that Stannis was no longer the righteous man her husband thought he was. Maybe it's just a lie on the part of the Martells to go to war against the Lannisters. The gods know they have reasons to desire it.
Be that as it may now there were three kings in Westeros. And if we support one of the losers, we'll be considered traitors.
"If what that letter says is true," said Robb. "Then Stannis is the legitimate king, not Joffrey."
"Stannis needs a justification to rebel against his nephew, and this story provides it to him," she said frowning. "He says your father supported him, but he doesn't present any proof. The Lannisters captured your father and accused him of treason, but if Joffrey is the legitimate king and we rebel against him we will be traitors too."
"What do you suggest we do then Cat?" asked her brother. "Do we kneel before Joffrey and forget his grandfather has tried to annihilate our family?"
"If Ned and my daughters were returned to me, I'd sign the peace, without hesitation. But I know that our vassal lords would not accept it, and many of the northerners would not either."
"Maybe you should read the last letter, Mother. Things are even more complicated than it looks," her son said.
Catelyn stretched the paper and read. When she was done, she didn't know whether to cry with joy or fear.
"Given the recent events, I did not know whether it would be better to send this letter to Riverrun or Winterfell, so I have sent one to both castles in the hope that some member of house Stark or house Tully would be able to read it. I wanted it to be known that before our beloved King Robert died and Lord Eddard Stark was declared an traitor unjustly, the last one, fearing for the safety of his daughters, asked me that his youngest daughter, Arya of house Stark, became my pupil before we left King's Landing.
Right now, the young girl is with me in Sunspear, in good health and worried about her father and family in light of the confusing news that comes to us. I know that she will soon be able to be reunited with her parents and her brothers, when our armies march together against the threat of the treacherous Lannisters, who have done so much damage to our two families.
Arianne of house Nymerios-Martell, crown princess of Dorne and Queen of the Seven Kingdoms."
The letter was also signed by Arya. As soon as she saw it, Catelyn knew the signature was true.
"The Lannisters don't have Arya, and if Father decided to send her to Dorne it's because he trusted Stannis and the Martells," Robb said with a smile. Oh, Robb. You don't know how bad this is for us.
"That means Stannis holds your sister Arya hostage, just as the Lannisters have your father and Sansa," Catelyn said, leaving the letter on the table.
"If at least we could have captured Sir Kevan..." Theon said. "Maybe we could have traded it for Lord Eddard or for Sansa."
"It's hard to think about taking prisoners in the heat of battle," retorted her uncle. "Besides, Lord Tywin would be very stupid if he traded the Lord of Winterfell for a simple knight, even if this was his own brother."
"Call the council. I will not make any decisions before I have listened to the rest of the lords," his son said.
The court-martial met in the main hall, in four long square-shaped tables. Edmure occupied his father's seat and the Blackfish was sitting next to him. Many of the lords of the Trident were also there, sitting on both sides. After the news of her son's victory in front of the walls of Riverrun reached them, many have left their castles and marched there to join them. Ser Stevron Frey, who had ridden with her son from the Twins, as well as Lord Jason Mallister of Seagard were there, as well as Lord Blackwood, Lord Bracken and many others. The northern lords sat in front of Robb. They were less, since much of them were with Roose Bolton's army on the other side of the Green Fork. Lord Rickard Karstark led them, along with his two youngest sons, Eddard and Torrhen. Of his firstborn there were no news, for he had disappeared after the battle of the Green Fork among many others. The Greatjon, Galbard Glover and Lady Mormont were also there.
The opinions of the vassals were deeply divided. Many wanted to march against Harrenhal to confront Lord Tywin and take him down once and for all. Others preferred to attack the west and destroy the remains of the army of the late Sir Kevan, preventing a second Lannister army from surprising them from the rear when they marched against Tywin Lannister.
Everyone wants revenge, no matter if it's towards Harrenhal or Casterly Rock where they march. She wasn't surprised in the least. The Lannisters had attacked them in a treacherous deed and many had suffered considerably at the hands of their armies. Those who had suffered the least at the hands of the Lannisters recommended patience. Jason Mallister reminded them that Tywin Lannister was isolated from the west and soon he would have to face the threat of Renly and Stannis in the South if he wanted to retain any hope that his grandson would continue to sit on the throne at the end of the year. Ser Stevron was of the same opinion and suggested waiting to see which of the two Baratheon brothers was victorious before declaring for either of them. Jonos Bracken rose to insist that they should join Lord Renly in the south, as his hosts were the most numerous, while Tytos Blackwood was radically opposed to what Lord Bracken said. In his opinion, Stannis was the one they should support.
"Renly is not the king," said her son. "King Robert had two sons, and even if we believed what Lord Stannis says, he would be ahead of Renly in the line of succession. Bran cannot be lord of Winterfell before me, and Renly cannot be king before Stannis."
"Dorne is too far south, and Stannis cannot march against King's Landing without defeating his brother first," Marq Piper said. "Renly has the support of Highgarden and Storm's End. If we join our forces with his own, our victory is assured. What reasons do we have to join Stannis?"
"He has the right," retorted Robb stubbornly. At the time, Catelyn felt as if Ned was presiding over the council and not her son. "And my father seemed to believe that his demand was fair. Why else would he have sent my sister Arya with him to Dorne?"
"Are you suggesting that we support Stannis, then?" asked Edmure.
"If my father were here with us, he would tell us that it is our duty to swear allegiance to Stannis. I am convinced of it; even if it hurts me to leave my father and sister at the mercy of the Lannisters."
She thought of her daughter Sansa and Ned. She wondered if she would see them again, though deep in her heart, she already knew the answer to that question. Oh Ned, why didn't I listen to you?
"The Young Wolf is right," said Ser Brynden. "Stannis Baratheon is the legitimate king, we cannot swear allegiance to who is clearly a traitor, no matter how numerous his armies are."
"If anyone has more reason to hate the Lannisters than we do," Lord Blackwood added. "Those are the Martells."
Many of those present nodded, including Lord Bracken, to Catelyn's surprise. At that moment, Lord Rickard stood up.
"My lords. If we bow our knees to Joffrey, Tywin Lannister will come back for us when he's done with Renly and Stannis and believe me when I say he won't forget his fallen brother in front of these very walls."
The lords nodded again.
"And if we swear allegiance to Renly, we will be nothing but turncloaks. We will be just like the sellswords, who only swear allegiance to gold and glory."
"It is decided, then," declared her son standing up. "The North will swear allegiance to Stannis Baratheon, and fight for him in the wars to come."
Her brother Edmure got up too. "House Tully and the Lords of the Riverlands are with you."
The lords gathered there pounded the tables with their fists in unison, in a sign of approval, though not all did so with the same effusiveness.
"Send a raven to Sunspear," Robb told Maester Vyman. "Tell Stannis Baratheon that he will be our king."
Ned, Sansa, I'm so sorry…