6. Catelyn : Message from Lysa

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Location: Catelyn's Chambers
Characters: Eddard Stark, Catelyn Stark, Maester Luwin

Catelyn was bethrothed to Brandon Stark, Ned Stark's elder brother.But after his death, Ned was the one to wed her.

Ned and Catelyn were in Catelyn's chambers when Maester Luwin came to them. The Maester was a small grey man. His eyes were grey, quick and saw much. He received a message. There was no rider. Only a carved wooden box, left on a table on his observatory. It was brought by someone in the king's party as there were no other visitors from south. Inside the box was a fine new lens for the observatory, from Myr by the look of it. A lens is an instrument to help us see. The true message was found concealed within a false bottom in the box. The message was meant for Catelyn as it had the moon and falcon seal of house Arryn. It was from Catelyn's sister Lysa, wife of late Jon Arryn. The message said that Jon Arryn was murdered by the queen with the help of Lannisters. Catelyn knew that her sister took a great risk in sending this message. If the message had fallen in wrong hands, it would have meant death for her. Catelyn insists Ned to go south and find the truth of Jon Arryn's death.
Ned is apprehensive about going south. His father (Rickard Stark) and brother (Brandon Stark) once went south to answer the summons of a king and never came back home. However, he agrees to be Hand of the king and go south. Ned decides that he would take Bran, Sansa and Arya with him while Robb, Catelyn and Rickon will stay in Winterfell. There must always be a Stark in Winterfell. Rickon was small so he should remain with Catelyn. Catelyn must stay with Rob to guide him and help him rule in his stead. Catelyn knew Sansa would shine in the south and Arya needed refinement , so she reluctantly let go of them in her heart but she pleads Ned to let Bran stay in Winterfell. Ned wants Bran to grow up with the princes and befriend them which would help with the safety of their house.

Next question that came up was of Jon Snow. In her first year of marriage, Catelyn learnt that Ned had fathered a child on some girl chance met on campaign. Ned was off at war while she was safe in Riverrun with Robb. Catelyn expected that Ned would see to the child's needs. But he did more than that. Ned brought his bastard home with him and called him "son" for all the north to see. That cut deep. Ned would not speak of the mother, not so much as a word but Catelyn heard tales from here and there. They whispered of Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning,  deadliest of the seven knights of Aerys's kingsguard and of how their young lord had slain him in single combat. And how afterwards Ned had carried Ser Arthur's sword back to the beautiful young sister who awaited him in the castle called Starfall on the shores of the Summer Sea. The Lady Ashara Dayne, tall and fair, with haunting violet eyes. Once Catelyn asked Ned face to face about Jon's mother to which he asked her to never ask him about Jon and from that day Ashara Dayne's name was never heard in Winterfell again.
Whoever Jon's mother had been, Ned must have loved her fiercely, for nothing Catelyn said would persuade him to send the boy away. It was the one thing she could never forgive him. She had never found it in her to love Jon. Jon was never out of sight and he looked more like Ned than any of her trueborn sons she bore him. Somehow that made it worse. Catelyn wanted Jon gone. Maester Luwin told them that Jon aspired to join the Night's Watch. Catelyn was pleased with this solution as Jon would be in care of Benjen Stark and being a member of Night's watch would father no children who could in future contest for Winterfell.

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