Catelyn arrived at Riverlands after her father's death, making her remember her father's last words. After that, She went to her uncle, the Black Fish, in order to ask for details about what had happened in the past. And her uncle did not hide anything from her.
The more she heard about what Edward was like back then, the more Catelyn started to see why her father was afraid. Although she heard those things from other people's mouths since she did not go with the men south, she came to Riverrun to ask her uncle after what happened with the Lannister in Winterfell.
"He could not do anything to you. With the help of your army and the iron fleet, you won't have to fear the likes of Edward." Said Theon with a wide smile. He was illusioned to think something like that. Would Rob Stark pitiful eighteen thousand men change anything in this war? Edward destroyed the Iron Islands before, and he could do the same again.
Catelyn looked at Theon as if he was an idiot for daring to say those words, even after what Edward did to the Iron Islands, and thought that her son, Rob, would retort his words because they were so false.
But when she looked at her son, she saw his determined eyes and could not help but slap him for falling in that illusion made by the likes of Theon. She could not believe that her son that defeated Tywin Lannister more than three times in a raw would believe this nonsense.
"If you go with his words, then I better be in Winterfell rather than staying here and hearing that nonsense." Said Catelyn as she turned around and left the tent without looking back.
She should better return to Winterfell, where her injured son was to stay by his side. She already knew that Bran had woken up and he should need her by her side. She would be wasting her time if she stayed in this place any longer.
"Don't worry. I will get you the iron fleet." Said Theon as he thought about how his father would wait for his return and how his life would change from this point. He did not know that his father had abandoned him long ago, and after Edward took his hand and leg, he became crazy. Just look at his action. No one in his right mind would make pirates his citizens but whatever.
Rob, who still could not believe that his mother slapped him like that, could only nod his head without saying anything. He would come to realize how his mother was right at this time and how he had fucked up very soon. At that time, his mother would not be with him to save his ass any longer.
As for Catelyn, who was still fuming with anger, she did not wait any longer and took a horse and her escort before making her way back to the North. She had to think of a solution to tell Edward to save her children. Not only was Arya in his hands, but he could kill her other children as well.
What happened next could be guessed without any difficulty since everyone knew the nature of the Ironborns and how they acted. When Theon returned to his father, he was expecting to see his father open his arms wide to receive him.
In the end, Theon took the huge blow that was waiting for him, especially after he asked his father to lend him his men to help Rob Stark. After Theon told him about the whole situation in the North and Rob's dire situation, Balon Greyjoy came up with the plan to attack the North but not without mocking his son for thinking otherwise.
The man prepared every man and woman on the islands before launching a full attack on the North. Theon, who longed for his father's recognition, decided to take his men to attack Winterfell instead to show everyone in the iron islands what he could do, betraying everyone he knew there in Winterfell.
Three months after Rob's conversation with Theon, the Ironborn made their move, taking everyone by surprise and fucking everything that Rob prepared for his next moves against the Lannister.
Rob got the news of what happened in Winterfell and the rest of the castles taken by the Ironborns. Rob's morale was destroyed literally by what happened, and every decision he took next from that point was bad enough to destroy his army.
Not only did he get the news of his mother's and brothers' deaths on Theon's hands, but the lords that followed him since the beginning started to have some doubt about his ability and leadership.
Rob himself started to lose confidence in himself because of this accident and started to make a mistake here and there. Although he had fought his mother before she left for Winterfell, she still was his biggest support in this world.
After what happened in the North, followed by a fight against the Lannisters where more sons died, the Lords had enough and did not wait for Rob's words and attacked the cells.
They captured every Lannister there, except Jaimie Lannister, who got protected by Roose Bolton, who was about to strike a deal with Tywin Lannister. They then took them to the woods, where they killed them all without leaving anyone alive.
Although Rob's secret wife, Talisa, advised him not to do it, Rob Stark made his biggest mistake in this war. He executed those lords himself fucking everything up with his own hands.
Not only did Rob lose those Lords' men since they escaped in the night and returned to the North, but he also lost most of the other lords' trust because of what he did, making his conquest inside the Westerlands more and more difficult, and he had to retreat to defend Riverlands in the end.
What happened in Winterfell was a massive blow to the Northern army. Theon, who was more vengeful in this timeline, killed Lady Stark, who helped her two sons escape from the castle in his anger, making him lose even this trump card that he could have used. If he had used Catelyn Stark against Rob, he would have taken a lot from Rob for her safety.
But Theon, who knew that he could not rule Winterfell without Bran and his brother, made this mistake fucking everything up, but the Ironborns did not care because they were not accustomed to take a castle this deep in the land.