Just for the record, this is not a Catelyn Stark Bashing. While I may not like her, I do believe she loves her children and wouldn't intentionally do anything to hurt them but that being said, I also think she doesn't realise that she did neglect her younger children due to focusing on the older two.

Interlude – Catelyn Stark makes a decision

It had been about four days since she found out about Jon's true parentage and she was still furious at Ned for not telling her as soon as he had returned from Dorne with Jon in his arms.

Cat still wondered if not telling her just because of Robert was the only reason why Ned didn't.

It had taken her two days to calm down enough to go and speak to Ned about the whole situation. She needed to know everything and she also wanted to make it clear to Ned that she would keep this secret, not for Ned's sake but for Jon's. Cat knew that Robert was still trying to kill the last of the Targaryen's and would without a doubt kill Jon if he knew the truth and that was something Jon didn't deserve as he'd had no choice about being born to two people who would rip the realm apart for love.

She found her husband in his solar and was about to tell him why she was there when he ripped into her about not doing her duties in regards to her children's educations. Cat of course had been both stunned and furious. How dare he accuse her of neglecting her children's educations. She was about to reply when she told to be silent and listen to what he had to tell her.

Tyrion had approached Ned after he'd had a conversation with four of her children. Apparently, Tyrion had asked them about the various major and minor houses what did the kids know about them? Apparently after that, Ned had also spoken to them on this and other subjects. What Ned told her next had shocked her quite a bit.

Sansa could tell him the names and sigil of the Major and Minor houses but nothing of the people themselves and nothing of their politics and alliances.

Arya knew the houses but only took notice of those houses who had great fighters and the ones who had stories and legends, and again none of the politics or alliances.

"Young" Bran didn't really care for his studies and skived off every chance he got in order to go climbing or exploring Winterfell's many empty parts and Rickon while too young to really understand much more than his letters and numbers, didn't even know the names and sigil's of the houses of the North while the rest of his siblings already knew those at least by his age.

He had also spoken Maester Luwin and Septa Mordane about what they taught the girl and boys about their duties in a marriage and running a House and found what they taught them profoundly lacking and the attitude that Septa Mordane took towards Arya completely unacceptable.

There was no tuition on House and Court politics and intrigues. The girls had none of the education in this area that Cat herself had and while Ned had nothing against Septa Mordane as she was a good and godly woman, he insisted that she be removed as Arya's tutor as all she had done was belittle Arya and turned all her attention on Sansa, trying to turn her into a perfect Southern Lady who was also naive and stupid in the way of the real world. He wanted his children to be strong in everything so they couldn't be taken advantage of by their enemies.

Cat had walked out once again furious with her husband and had once again retreated to her room in order to release the anger in private. She wouldn't allow the children to see her and Ned fight in front of them so Cat raged and spoke nasty things about her husband in the privacy of her room and had calmed down.

After she had calmed down, Cat began to use the smart mind that her Uncle Blackfish always told her she had. She had to smile in remembrance. She loved her uncle. He was always looking out for his nieces and nephew. He had told her once that it was a shame she'd been born a girl for she would have made a better Lord of Riverrun then her brother to which Cat had privately agree with. Edmure wasn't the smartest or the strongest Tully out there.

It was only now, while thinking about her uncle, that she remembered that she had been exactly like Sansa until her uncle stopped her taking lessons with her Septa and starting having her share her lessons with Edmure. "You a smart girl" Brynden Tully had told her "You know that the real world isn't a good place and you're going to need to learn how to survive in the world of House and Court Politics and Intrigue and you're not going to get that sort of information from your Septa." That was the day he started teaching all three of them what they would need to know if they were going to keep their families alive. He'd even gone once step further and had hired a high class courtesan from Bravos to prepare and teach the girls what happens in the marriage bed as the septa had prepared them for nothing in this regard.

Cat had decided to discreetly attend one of the girl's lessons to see what the septa actually taught the girls. Cat had been appalled for Ned was right. The lesson consisted of nothing more than learning sewing, dancing, singing, and a Lady's courtesies and when Jeyne Poole had asked the septa what was expected of a woman in the marriage bed, all she was told was that she must lay back and do her best to please her husband and then changed the subject and picked on Arya for not being as perfect as Sansa while Sansa gave Arya a nasty smile and Arya gave her an evil look in return that promised revenge.

No details on what actually happens, just a conflicting answer and then the subject was closed. No politics or intrigue. No discussion on how to run a household. No lessons on how to resolve conflicts and arguments between household staff. No lessons on how to manage a household budget. No current events lessons. No lessons on how to manage a household under a siege or attack.

Nothing

Cat did the same thing with Maester Luwin and the boys only to find Jon the only one attending lessons. She decided to watch for a while and given what she had heard; decided that Ned had already spoken to Maester Luwin about the contents of his lessons.

Jon and Maester Luwin were currently having a discussion on the current political agendas of Kings Landing and how they would affect the North. Cat was very surprised at Jon's level of political education. He had outlined every policy and then told Luwin the positive and negative points about them and then spoke on how he thought they would affect the North's political positions.

She had interrupted the lesson and asked the Maester where her wayward children were. Maester Luwin told her that Bran and Rickon were nowhere to be found and Robb was in the training yard and refused to come for lessons. When she asked what reason Robb had given it was Jon who had told her that Theon had managed to convince Robb that as he was the future Lord of Winterfell, he didn't have to do anything he didn't want to and then had said to both Jon and Maester Luwin that what Maester Luwin taught was all crap and useless anyway and the Northern Lords would respect Robb more if he knew how to fight.

Jon had spoken to her in a polite and respectful voice but seemed a little scared. Cat thought she knew why and once again felt guilty for unfairly blaming Jon when it came to the misbehaviours of her children.

Well not this time. This time, her children and a certain squid were in her sights.

Cat thanked Jon and Maester Luwin and once again retreated to her rooms to think. She was honestly appalled at the quality of education her girls were receiving and was grateful that Ned had actually taken the time to investigate. Of course this was due to Tyrion's influence as he had started the whole thing. Cat realised that she would have to ask him why he decided to talk to the children about the Major and Minor houses in the first place.

Cat sighed and admitted that Ned was right. She had neglected her duties when it came to the education of their children. She should have made sure the Septa Mordane was teaching the girls what they needed to learn and she should have made sure the boys were attending their lessons. Thinking of Septa Mordane, Cat was angry at how she had spoken to Arya and was more disturbed by Sansa's nasty smile and the evil look Arya and given her in return.

Cat felt ashamed as here was another example of how she had neglected her children for she recognized that she had treated Arya the same way as the Septa had by belittling her and comparing her to her "perfect" sister.

While she knew that her daughters fought and bickered a lot, until now Cat hadn't realised how bad it had gotten. It appeared too had graduated into a cold war between the two and Cat hadn't noticed for she was too busy paying attention to Robb and Sansa as they were the more important of the two politically to House Stark. Robb was the next Lord of Winterfell and they would both be used to secure politically sound alliances though marriage.

Cat had neglected her other children and this time, she could only blame herself. While Littlefinger may have poisoned her towards Jon, he's done nothing in regards to her other children.

"Well it stops now." She said to her empty room. Starting tomorrow, Catelyn Stark would take control back over the educations of her children and will be the proper mother she was claimed she was to the younger children and in regards to Jon, she would have to speak to her husband to find out what he had planned if he had planned anything at all, which Cat was now sure he hadn't

Cat's had made her decision.

The Starks will rise and be Strong.

Next Chapter, Jon's name day celebrations and the Lords of the North meet in secret.