Dear Robb,
I write to you from the Great Pyramid here in Meereen in the domain of Queen Rhaesa Targaryen, where I am her guest. I am writing to you more than anything to inform you that the Dragon Queen will give us her support against the Lannisters in this War in exchange for our support in her claim to obtain the Iron throne. But this has its price, Robb, to which you are now betrothed to Princess Daenerys Targaryen, an idea of the princess herself. And in reality, she is generous with us since we have nothing to offer them other than our loyalty since in itself our army compared to theirs, is much less since they have more than forty thousand Dothraki, with more than eight thousand Unsullied, the Faceless Men and six dragons, for which the only thing I ask is that you please do not offend the princess as it could cost us much.
There is something else, I ask you not to share this information with your mother you know perfectly well that she is sometimes is very impulsive, and she doesn't know how to keep quiet, so I'm asking you, Robb, don't say anything at least until we get to Westeros.
I hope that this letter finds you well. I miss you, your siblings and your mother. Give them my love when you see them. I hope that the queen will agree to go to Westeros soon, and this war will end.
All my love, your father,
Eddard Stark
Catelyn looked at Robb expectantly, waiting for him to hand her the letter, she surprised and irritated when Robb burned the message, "What did your father write?"
"That he is safe in Pentos and that he's sorry that he cannot be with us. And that as soon as everything settles down, he will return to us," Robb said without making eye contact with his mother.
Catelyn stared at her oldest son, "You are lying."
Robb's eyes snapped towards his mother, "How dare you say-"
"Robb, stop, I know you too well. I know when you are lying. You were never any good at it, like your father. And you never look me in the eyes when you lie. What did your father write?"
Robb sighs and told Catelyn about everything that was in the letter. Catelyn slowly sank in the chair and stared at her son, "Has your father lost his mind? He cannot expect the North to support the Targaryens. Does he not remember it was the Mad King that killed his father and brother? That it was Rhaegar that kidnapped and raped Lyanna?"
Catelyn was on her feet again; she began to pace the length of the tent, "No, I will not allow this betrothal to happen! You will marry the Frey girl, and that is final."
"I'm sorry, mother, but I must do as my father instructs me. We need the Targaryens."
Catelyn stared at her son then left his tent in a huff. She went back to her tent and poured herself a cup of wine. Catelyn quickly drank it down then began to pace the length of her tent and talk to herself. Robb and Grey Wind walked through the camp towards his mother's tent. He needed to make her see that this was the best option for them and that Robb was going to listen to his father no matter what his mother said. As he was about to enter Catelyn's tent, Robb paused and heard her talking to herself.
"We don't need the help of that bastard Rhaegar's siblings," Catelyn continued, "How dare he, how dare he turn down my father's offer to marry me?! I am more beautiful than Elia and that horrible Cersei Lannister. But I got my revenge," Catelyn muttered.
Robb stood outside the tent, startled by this mother's words. He listened carefully; he didn't want to interrupt her mother to see what else she was going to say. Robb had no idea that his mother had also been considered the bride of the Silver Prince. But from the looks of it, Rhaegar himself had rejected her.
"I knew that if no one knew that Lyanna had gone willing with Rhaegar, Robert would kill him. It was a good thing that I was in Winterfell when the raven arrived," Catelyn said, lost in her memories.
Robb, at the time his mother mentioned the incident with his aunt who started the first war, he wanted to rush into his mother's tent and demand to know what she was talking about, but a voice in his head told him to let her continue talking about the past. Something told Robb that what she was about to say would be something that would very surely change everything he knew about Robert's Rebellion against his reign of the Targaryens. So Robb listened attentively to everything his mother said without knowing that two dragons also heard this with a good sense of understanding that was hidden in a cave near the camp. Catelyn, trapped in the memories of her past, told everything she had done without realizing that her son was standing outside her tent.
"The day the letter arrived was when again, my opportunity to be the queen was slipping out of my hands. Once again, that bastard was choosing another woman instead of me just because a pagan wolf had seduced him like a prostitute of the Pleasure houses so that they would escape even though she was engaged to Robert Baratheon. Everyone knew that she did not want to marry Robert and didn't want to be the Lady of Storms End. That wolf whore was taking what was rightfully mine; I deserved to be the queen, not her."
"So when the letter that said that Lyanna was Rhaegar's new wife, I burned it. Then got Petyr to spread the rumors that Lyanna had been kidnapped and raped by Rhaegar. And sending an anonymous letter to feed the madness of the king further to keep that unfortunate Elia together with the children, who should have been my children, so that she would also pay for the humiliation."
"I never believed that Brandon would be stupid enough to go and challenge Rhaegar for that shameless bitch then get himself and his father killed. But no one forced them, they alone went to the dragon's lair, and they only got burned. I would still marry a Stark since that it was the agreement my father made."
Robb was frozen; he couldn't believe it; his mother was responsible for all the events that led to the death of his grandfather, uncle, aunt, Princess Elia, and the children. Robb was so angry, but he controlled himself. Robb wanted to see what else his mother was responsible for, so he kept listening despite being disgusted by what he heard.
Robb didn't need to wait much longer for Catelyn to continue with her rant, "I was so happy when Elia and her children were killed; it was what she deserved for taking what was mine. And when I found out that Queen Rhaella had died during childbirth, things couldn't have been better. I'm sure it had been her that had whispered in Rhaegar's ear to reject me. It was unfortunate that her children had escaped before Stannis could arrive."
Catelyn's rant continued, Robb found out that Stannis had let the Targaryen children escape. That Petyr Baelish had informed his mother that one of Stannis' soldiers had visited his whore house and in a drunken confession told one of the girls everything that had happened at Dragonstone, that Stannis couldn't bring himself to slaughter innocent children, so he did not pursue them when they escaped by boat. Eventually, Catelyn tired herself out and went to bed, so Robb went back to his tent with his mind in turmoil.
Robb was horrified his mother was responsible for all the events that started the war, of the death of his grandfather and uncle. If it had not been for his mother, Princess Elia and her children would still be alive, perhaps even his aunt Lyanna. That all the things she had done led to the downfall of the dragons just because the Silver Prince had shunned her, and her pride had been hurt. It was the worst thing Robb had ever heard.
How could he trust his mother now after everything she had done? Not only did she cause the first rebellion, but she was now responsible for starting the second one as well. 'If she had never kidnapped Lord Tyrion, none of this would have happened,' Robb thought as he took a drink of wine to settle his nerves. But even though Robb was disgusted with his mother, there was nothing he could do about it now other than follow through with his father's plan.
Robb had no intention of listening to his mother's council anymore. Especially now that the Targaryens were going to help them, everything that she would do would be to undermine them now. With his decision made, Robb changed and got into bed. He called Grey Wind to him, and the giant wolf joined the King of the North in his bed. Robb wrapped his arm around the wolf and fell asleep.