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Face Claim for Lady Sanira Tremaine: Caitlin Stasey.

01x01: Winter is Coming.

Chapter Nine: News from King's Landing.

Slowly approaching her husband who was seated upon a rock in the Godswood, Catelyn couldn't help but feel that no matter how many times that she came to this place that she was still no more than an outsider. To her the sept was a place of worship, Catelyn never felt like she was truly welcome here; she took a deep breath as she watched Eddard clean his sword with steady hands.

"All these years, and I still feel like an outsider when I come here," Catelyn mused stopping just a little away from Eddard, her eyes swept the Godswood glad that she would be able to speak to him alone here. It was going to be hard enough to share such news with him, he'd been a little distracted since they had returned from the execution of the deserter from the Night's Watch. The words that the boy had told her husband seemed to bother him and Catelyn wished that she could ease his troubles in some way.

"You have five northern children. You're not an outsider," Eddard reminded her with a smile, he stopped what he was doing to admire his wife; she was so very beautiful and he couldn't imagine his life without her. In the years since he had married Catelyn Tully, Eddard couldn't bring himself to regret how things had worked out for them; the rebellion had cost him so much and there was still much that he did not feel he could share with anyone about that time. It had originally been his older brother that Catelyn had been set to marry, however the Mad King had seen to that when he had strangled Brendan with a choking device while their father had been burned alive.

"I wonder if the Old Gods agree," Catelyn murmured looking to the heart tree, she found it so strange how different it was here compared to how she had grown up in Riverrun. Her children had been raised in the ways of her husband's family at times Catelyn did feel like an outsider; there weren't many southern ladies this far north that she could relate to.

"It's your Gods, with all the rules," Eddard reminded her teasingly, he was a little curious about why Catelyn had come here; it was strange to see her here when her place of worship was in a sept. Catelyn slowly reached into her sleeve and produced a parchment from her sleeve, she looked down at the parchment before she looked to her husband with a sigh.

"I am so sorry, my love," Catelyn whispered with a shake of her head, she knew how much this was going to upset him, hurt him even and she wished that she had better news to share with him. This wasn't what Catelyn had been expecting when she had heard that there had been a raven from King's Landing and she couldn't help but fear what would come next; she stared at Eddard fearing what was too come.

"Tell me," Eddard encouraged watching her, his stomach turning at the look on his wife's face and it could only be bad news for them. It had been a while since they'd heard news that would give them cause to worry, the last thing they wanted when things were finally peaceful was for more trouble to come this way. The last war had cost him greatly, his father, his brother and his sister had all been lost and Eddard did not wish to think of losing his children in anyway.

"There was a raven from King's Landing. Jon Arryn is dead. A fever took him," Catelyn revealed carefully, she could only watch as Eddard looked down; she knew how shocking this must have been for him and she wished that there was something that she could say to make this right. None of them could have expected this even with Jon Arryn being as old as he was, it had been a sudden death and Catelyn couldn't help but worry for what would come now.

"I know he was like a father to you," Catelyn murmured watching him, she couldn't imagine what it was going on inside Eddard's head; he had already lost his father, older brother, and sister, he had now lost the only father-figure he'd had known for years. Eddard took a deep breath, he couldn't believe this had happened and he slowly looked to his wife knowing that this affected her as well; her sister had been married to Jon Arryn.

"Your sister, her boy..." Eddard asked knowing that Lysa had been in King's Landing with her husband while he served as Hand of the King to Robert. It must have come as such a shock to her when her husband had so suddenly passed away and even harder for Lysa with a seven-year-old son to deal with after many years of struggling to have a child.

Catelyn sighed moving to be seated next to her husband, she worried for her sister and it had been many years since Catelyn had last seen her; she couldn't imagine what Lysa had to be going through right now. Especially with no family around to support her, Lysa was all alone and Catelyn couldn't even remember the last time that her sister had truly written to her since they had both been wed.

"They both have their health, Gods be good," Catelyn murmured hoping that her dear sister would be okay, she had always had a difficult time of things and now her young son was Lord of the Vale after the death of his father. Eddard nodded his head relieved to hear that at least, he couldn't imagine how upset Catelyn would have been if something had happened to her sister and her nephew.

They had been rather blessed here and Eddard recalled Catelyn's concerns when Lysa had struggled to carry her babes to term, losing many before little Robin had been born. They had both been lucky to escape whatever had taken Jon, he had always been rather a strong man in Eddard's mind but it had been many years since he had laid eyes on the man that had done so much for him since his days as a ward in the Vale.

"The raven brought more news. The King rides for Winterfell... with the queen, and all the rest of them," Catelyn revealed with a frown, she had dreaded this part and she couldn't believe that this was happening to them. There could only be one reason that King Robert would come here, one reason that made Catelyn's stomach turn as she recalled what happened last time her husband rode South.

Eddard stared to his wife, he also knew why King Robert would be coming and he wasn't surprised; he could only imagine what would come of his best friend coming this far north.

"If he's coming this far north... there's only one thing he's after," Eddard murmured with a shake of his head, Jon Arryn had been Robert's Hand since the man had taken over the Seven Kingdoms eighteen years ago and now that he was gone there was only one person that Robert wished to replace him.

Following behind Catelyn and Maester Luwin while they walked through the Great Hall, Sanira was eager to help them prepare for the royal visit that had been announced over the morning meal. The entire castle was preparing for the arrival of the King and his court, it had been many years since any kind of visit and Sanira didn't think she had ever seen him this far north in her life.

"We'll need plenty of candles for Lord Tyrion's chamber. I'm told he reads all night," Catelyn said speaking to Maester Luwin, she was pleased to see Sanira take interest especially since one day in the far future this would be her duty to fulfil. It was all hands-on deck right now and everything had to be perfect for when the King arrived in around a month's time from now; the last thing they wanted was to be caught unaware or nothing prepared to house his court.

"I'm told he drinks all night," Maester Luwin mused with a smile, everyone had heard about Lord Tyrion's behaviour and it was going to be interesting to see what became of it. The whispers of the Queen's youngest brother had reached this far north and they were far from pleasant; Tyrion Lannister was by far the least popular member of his family.

"How much could he possibly drink, a man of his... stature?" Catelyn asked looking to Maester Luwin, she didn't want to cause any offence but it was no secret that Tyrion was not the son that Tywin Lannister had wanted especially when it had caused him to lose his wife. The disappointment of being blessed with a dwarf for a son had only been compounded by the sudden loss of his wife in childbed; something that the man had never recovered from.

"We've brought up eight barrels of ale from the cellar. Perhaps we'll find out," Maester Luwin mused with a smile, it was going to be a costly visit and he could only hope that King Robert and his court wouldn't be staying longer than they needed to. The very last thing they needed with winter on their doorstep was for the King to outstay his welcome and cause any issues with the food that they had been storing up for the long winter that was predicted to come.

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