The waiting was killing her. The prospect of loosing her father, uncle, husband, her home and country was agonising. The war was raging for this better part of the year. Could she loose them all? Will her unborn child grow up without a family? 'The truth was far worse.' Thought Catelyn of house Stark. All her life she was Catelyn of house Tully, daughter of Hoster Tully, Lord of Riverrun, Lord Paramount of the Riverlands. And now she was the Lady of Winterfell. Yet it was the last thing on her mind. Should the rebellion face defeat, house Tully would be put to the sword. The mad king would make it sure and so would the loyalists. Her thoughts were broken by the noise of rattling of chains.
"What is it, maester Vypen?" she asked.
"I bring tidings of the war my lady. The rebel forces defeated the loyalists at the Trident. Lord Robert himself slew Prince Rhaegar. The forces didn't face any great losses as only a few minor Lords perished on our side. Your own husband, Lord Stark leads a force of ten thousand to lay seige to the capital. Our victory is all but assured." The old maester replied.
It was as if a mountain vanished from her chest. "How long until I give birth?" she dared to hope. The only thing she could cling to. The only thing that kept her sane.
"In about six moons my lady. There is nothing to worry about, my lady. I there when you were born and I will do my best to ensure the safety of your child and your own. I have to deliver the massage to your brother as well and many other. I must return to my duties, farewell."
At last she felt relief. After the maester left, her thoughts took a different turn. Her future as the Lady of Winterfell. Being the wife of the Warden of the North was no easy task yet she hoped she would persevere . She hoped that she would be welcomed warmly there. The land of ice and snow. She was a foreigner to after all.
The North may be as large as the other kingdoms combined but none could accuse it of being populous. The Iron Islands and Dorne being the only ones that could claim to have less people. The first one being almost barren and the latter being a desert was hardly surprising. It was quite different from her home and country, the North that is. Due to lack of natural defences the Riverlands become the battlefield to the bloodiest wars in history. The North couldn't be any more different. It stood strong for thousands of years and only bowed before the might of dragonriders of house Targaryen. The kings of the seven Kingdoms of Westoros. It was quite unsurprising actually. The entrance to the North, Moat Cailin and the Neck destroyed every southern army that dared to attract the largest of the kingdoms. So like all the other kingdoms the North bent the knee.
'But no more.' Catelyn thought. Her husband Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell an Warden of the North, her father, her brother in law Jon Arryn Warden of the East and Robert Baratheon the lord of the Stormlands are leading the rebellion against the Iron throne. And winning apparently. In the end Targaryens proved to be their worst enemy. It has been a century and a half since they lost their dragons and yet they act as they are the dragons themselves. It was only a matter of time.
She tried to clear her mind of thoughts such as these. It would do no good to keep thinking about these things. Peace was a queer concept in this region and likely to remain that way. Thinking about it would hardly be any helpful. She wanted her brother, Edmure's companionship he was the only Tully aside from her that didn't go to war. Edmure wasn't a prodigy with the sword like their uncle the
legendary Blackfish or good at politics like their father. It didn't matter anyway. The words of house Tully was "FAMILY DUTY HONOUR" and he was her family.
As walked through the castle walls to yard to find her brother she heard many of the gossiping. How Ser Lynn Corbey killed Prince Lewyn Martell of the Kingsguard with his ancestral heirloom, the Lady Farlon after his father was slain. It seems the valerian steel sword cut though the Prince's armour. Others talked about how Ser Barristan the Bold pledged fealty the rebellion. It was a good thing. As Ser Barristan was one of the most respected Knights to ever live far surpassing her uncle. Though one tale was being discussed more than all the others. How Lord Robert Baratheon crushed Prince Rhaegar's chest with his mighty warhammer so hard that the rubys adorning the Prince's breastplate scattered across the river naming it the ruby ford. Her train of thoughts were broken by her brothers voice.
"Catelyn! did you hear the news!?" exclaimed little eddy as he glomped her intoa hug.
"Yes I did. I hope everything goes well from now on. The realm has suffered enough."
Edmure's reply was cut short by a sudden scream. The noise came from their sisters chamber. As soon as they heard they ran to their sister. Catelyn hoisted her gown up to keep up with her brother.
" Lysa!Lysa! what happe...." her mouth shut itself as soon as she saw her sister screaming in her own bed with blood pouring from her wrists. Her heart stopped for a moment. after recovering from the shock she shouted at the guards as Edmure helped Lysa.
"What in the seven hells happened!?" strong emotions emanating from her voice made the old maester winch. Yet when he replied his voice was even.
"Only your father will be able to answer your questions. I can say no more."
She attended her sister as she tried to calm herself. The maester didn't need to tell her. She already guessed it. Jon Arryn wasn't the father of her sister's unborn child, as she was the oldest she knew her father best. This is exactly what he would do. She swallowed the hate and sorrow as she tried to console her sister. Tried being the keyword here. At that moment she vowed to never be like her father.