Post by blackfyre617 on Jul 30, 2020 23:07:13 GMT
Catelyn Baelish, soon to be Stark sighed as she wrapped her fingers around the Crown of Winter. At the age of 51, her mother Sansa Stark had been murdered by an unfaithful bannerman, leaving her to take up the mantle of Queen of the North.
The path to her throne had not come without casualties. Catelyn had secured her place in the line of succession by plotting the deaths of many kinsmen, even her own half-brother Edderion had to disappear in a tragic hunting accident for her to take the throne. Chaos is a ladder her father always told her and she wasn’t going to stop climbing until she fell or there was nowhere left to climb.
…
As a young girl at Riverrun, she had heard of her father’s unorthodox ascension as Lord of the Trident. No sooner had his new lands been secured that he revealed his supposed bastard daughter was in fact Sansa Stark, the long missing daughter of Eddard Stark and suspected accomplice in the assassination of King Joffrey Baratheon. Tommen Baratheon was King and his reign was treacherous. The throne was weak and shortly rebellion was in the air. The Stormlands, Dorne, and Reach rose against Tommen in favor of Robert’s bastard, Edric Storm. Petyr Baelish, as always, joined the winning side to protect his wife, and most importantly, himself.
Shortly after taking the Trident, Baelish forged claims on Riverrun. Tywin Frey had been excommunicated for his participation in the red wedding and Petyr wasted no time in acting. He had never believed the whispers and rumors about the curse on Harrenhal, but realized in it’s current state, it was hardly fit to serve as seat to the the lord of the Trident. What better place than his childhood home away from home to make the capital of his kingdom. After a short revolt, the Freys were subdued, with the Twins being assigned to House Woodhull, a minor house in service to Petyr, who took Riverrun for himself.
Despite Sansa and Petyr’s deep love for one another, they had not produced a male heir, only 3 daughters: Catelyn, Alys, and Aemma. Despite her mother’s disappointment, Catelyn’s father doted on his 3 daughters. They were beautiful, possessing Sansas look and Petyr’s coloring. Catelyn had always been an adapt student and remained at her father’s side at court as she grew. In a way I envy you, her father had said, you possess all of my intellect and skill and you can control men in a way I never could.
Shortly after Edric’s ascension, Petyr had received a message from Sansa’s bastard brother, Jon Snow, the Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch. The dead walk. The wall has fallen… we rally at Winterfell to reclaim the Dawn!
Petyr pledged his forces at Sansa’s behest despite his own disbelief and misgivings. Catelyn’s mother had always known how to get her father to do what she wanted. Against the forces of the North, Trident, Vale and remained Night’s Watch, the Others were defeated, though houses Umber and Karstark had paid dearly for it. This had not only been about defending the realm, Littlefinger had seized the opportunity to plot with Northern lords to restore the only living member of House Stark to Winterfell. The decimated army of the North stood no chance against superior Riverland forces and with the help of rebelling Northern lords, the war was handily won and Sansa reinstalled at Lady of Winterfell and Warden of the North, the first Stark to rule the North in over a decade.
At the age of 14, Catelyn married Tytos Lannister, son of Martyn Lannister. Lancel Lannister ruled the Bay of Crabs, but the lord had taken a vow of celibacy and produced no heir. Tytos would come to inherit the Bay of Crabs, both subverting Lannister control and benefitting House Baelish. In the months following her wedding, Petyr had become ill and eventually passed away at the age of 54. Catelyn had ascended as Lady of Riverrun and the Trident. To commemorate her father, Catelyn named her first born son Petyr.
Catelyn had always enjoyed playing with the minds of men. The art came easy to her and she excelled in numerous love affairs without her clueless husband never catching wind. Despite this, she remained faithful to him in that she would only bear his children. All possible bastards were terminated through the brewing of Moon Tea. Catelyn used this skill to seduce and control the Lord of the Trident, who had never fully trusted her father. The lords of Southstone, Blackwood, and even King Edric were not immune to her charms. Though Edric eventually discarded her out of stress, she had remained the mistress of whisperers and was one of the most influential nobles in the realm.
After years of peace, Dorne rose against King Edric alongside numerous Crownland lords, the Iron Islands, and Lady Sansa. As a crown loyalist, Catelyn assisted Edric and Dorne had been subdued. Shortly thereafter, she received a raven from Winterfell that had forced Catelyn to make one of the most difficult choices of her life: Family or Duty. She though back on her namesake’s house words: Family, Duty, Honor. Family comes first, she thought and turned her back on the King she had proudly served to assist her mother. Riverland troops were already gathered at the capital and made quick work of its defenders. Edric was taken prisoner and Northern independence was secured. At Winterfell, Catelyn attended her mother’s coronation as she and her fellow vassals cried, The Queen in the North! The Queen in the North!
As the North asserted control over the Trident, Catelyn was named to her mother’s council as Mistress of Whisperers and Designated Regent. There were distant members of house Stark that still sought to take Winterfell for themselves, namely the Harstarks of Barrowton and the Karstarks. Numerous adventurer claimants were snuffed out in the cradle due to Catelyn’s vast spy network and skill with intrigue. Despite this, Queen Sansa had produced a new heir with her second husband. His name was Edderion and Catelyn would never rule the North so long as he lived.
Edderion’s death was orchestrated with ease. At the age of 6, he was killed on a hunting trip with one of his mother’s men. At this point, Sansa had grown infertile and Catelyn’s birthright was secure. Despite her general popularity in the North, Maege, the daughter of Roose Bolton, who was still Lady of Skagos, successfully assassinated Sansa at a feast with poison wine. In her first royal decree, Catelyn ordered her arrest. Following a brief rebellion, Lady Bolton was subdued, stripped of all titles, and executed. House Bolton, at long last, was finally extinct.
Upon her ascension to the Northern Throne at the age of 35, Catelyn put aside the name of her father for that of her mother. This had been a weighty decision as her father had climbed so high and now the House Baelish would cease to exist. From now on, she and her offspring would bear the name “Stark”. This had been a purely political play on Catelyn’s part as she felt it would put a number of Northern Lords at ease with having a Southern lady made their Queen. She was a devout follower of the faith of the seven, and would not take up the old gods.
For the first time in known history, a woman from the riverlands was crowned Queen of the North by the High Septon at Winterfell. As his deft fingers placed the crown on her head, he said: And long live Lady Catelyn Stark, The Queen in North!
The Queen in the North! The Queen in the North! The Queen in the North!
And Catelyn 'the Wanton' was just beginning.
The path to her throne had not come without casualties. Catelyn had secured her place in the line of succession by plotting the deaths of many kinsmen, even her own half-brother Edderion had to disappear in a tragic hunting accident for her to take the throne. Chaos is a ladder her father always told her and she wasn’t going to stop climbing until she fell or there was nowhere left to climb.
…
As a young girl at Riverrun, she had heard of her father’s unorthodox ascension as Lord of the Trident. No sooner had his new lands been secured that he revealed his supposed bastard daughter was in fact Sansa Stark, the long missing daughter of Eddard Stark and suspected accomplice in the assassination of King Joffrey Baratheon. Tommen Baratheon was King and his reign was treacherous. The throne was weak and shortly rebellion was in the air. The Stormlands, Dorne, and Reach rose against Tommen in favor of Robert’s bastard, Edric Storm. Petyr Baelish, as always, joined the winning side to protect his wife, and most importantly, himself.
Shortly after taking the Trident, Baelish forged claims on Riverrun. Tywin Frey had been excommunicated for his participation in the red wedding and Petyr wasted no time in acting. He had never believed the whispers and rumors about the curse on Harrenhal, but realized in it’s current state, it was hardly fit to serve as seat to the the lord of the Trident. What better place than his childhood home away from home to make the capital of his kingdom. After a short revolt, the Freys were subdued, with the Twins being assigned to House Woodhull, a minor house in service to Petyr, who took Riverrun for himself.
Despite Sansa and Petyr’s deep love for one another, they had not produced a male heir, only 3 daughters: Catelyn, Alys, and Aemma. Despite her mother’s disappointment, Catelyn’s father doted on his 3 daughters. They were beautiful, possessing Sansas look and Petyr’s coloring. Catelyn had always been an adapt student and remained at her father’s side at court as she grew. In a way I envy you, her father had said, you possess all of my intellect and skill and you can control men in a way I never could.
Shortly after Edric’s ascension, Petyr had received a message from Sansa’s bastard brother, Jon Snow, the Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch. The dead walk. The wall has fallen… we rally at Winterfell to reclaim the Dawn!
Petyr pledged his forces at Sansa’s behest despite his own disbelief and misgivings. Catelyn’s mother had always known how to get her father to do what she wanted. Against the forces of the North, Trident, Vale and remained Night’s Watch, the Others were defeated, though houses Umber and Karstark had paid dearly for it. This had not only been about defending the realm, Littlefinger had seized the opportunity to plot with Northern lords to restore the only living member of House Stark to Winterfell. The decimated army of the North stood no chance against superior Riverland forces and with the help of rebelling Northern lords, the war was handily won and Sansa reinstalled at Lady of Winterfell and Warden of the North, the first Stark to rule the North in over a decade.
At the age of 14, Catelyn married Tytos Lannister, son of Martyn Lannister. Lancel Lannister ruled the Bay of Crabs, but the lord had taken a vow of celibacy and produced no heir. Tytos would come to inherit the Bay of Crabs, both subverting Lannister control and benefitting House Baelish. In the months following her wedding, Petyr had become ill and eventually passed away at the age of 54. Catelyn had ascended as Lady of Riverrun and the Trident. To commemorate her father, Catelyn named her first born son Petyr.
Catelyn had always enjoyed playing with the minds of men. The art came easy to her and she excelled in numerous love affairs without her clueless husband never catching wind. Despite this, she remained faithful to him in that she would only bear his children. All possible bastards were terminated through the brewing of Moon Tea. Catelyn used this skill to seduce and control the Lord of the Trident, who had never fully trusted her father. The lords of Southstone, Blackwood, and even King Edric were not immune to her charms. Though Edric eventually discarded her out of stress, she had remained the mistress of whisperers and was one of the most influential nobles in the realm.
After years of peace, Dorne rose against King Edric alongside numerous Crownland lords, the Iron Islands, and Lady Sansa. As a crown loyalist, Catelyn assisted Edric and Dorne had been subdued. Shortly thereafter, she received a raven from Winterfell that had forced Catelyn to make one of the most difficult choices of her life: Family or Duty. She though back on her namesake’s house words: Family, Duty, Honor. Family comes first, she thought and turned her back on the King she had proudly served to assist her mother. Riverland troops were already gathered at the capital and made quick work of its defenders. Edric was taken prisoner and Northern independence was secured. At Winterfell, Catelyn attended her mother’s coronation as she and her fellow vassals cried, The Queen in the North! The Queen in the North!
As the North asserted control over the Trident, Catelyn was named to her mother’s council as Mistress of Whisperers and Designated Regent. There were distant members of house Stark that still sought to take Winterfell for themselves, namely the Harstarks of Barrowton and the Karstarks. Numerous adventurer claimants were snuffed out in the cradle due to Catelyn’s vast spy network and skill with intrigue. Despite this, Queen Sansa had produced a new heir with her second husband. His name was Edderion and Catelyn would never rule the North so long as he lived.
Edderion’s death was orchestrated with ease. At the age of 6, he was killed on a hunting trip with one of his mother’s men. At this point, Sansa had grown infertile and Catelyn’s birthright was secure. Despite her general popularity in the North, Maege, the daughter of Roose Bolton, who was still Lady of Skagos, successfully assassinated Sansa at a feast with poison wine. In her first royal decree, Catelyn ordered her arrest. Following a brief rebellion, Lady Bolton was subdued, stripped of all titles, and executed. House Bolton, at long last, was finally extinct.
Upon her ascension to the Northern Throne at the age of 35, Catelyn put aside the name of her father for that of her mother. This had been a weighty decision as her father had climbed so high and now the House Baelish would cease to exist. From now on, she and her offspring would bear the name “Stark”. This had been a purely political play on Catelyn’s part as she felt it would put a number of Northern Lords at ease with having a Southern lady made their Queen. She was a devout follower of the faith of the seven, and would not take up the old gods.
For the first time in known history, a woman from the riverlands was crowned Queen of the North by the High Septon at Winterfell. As his deft fingers placed the crown on her head, he said: And long live Lady Catelyn Stark, The Queen in North!
The Queen in the North! The Queen in the North! The Queen in the North!
And Catelyn 'the Wanton' was just beginning.