Weddings of Catelyn and Lysa Tully

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Catelyn and Lysa Tully, by Algesiras ©

The weddings of Catelyn and Lysa Tully occurred at Riverrun during Robert's Rebellion. Sisters Catelyn and Lysa, the daughters of Lord Hoster Tully, married Lords Eddard Stark and Jon Arryn, respectively, on the same day.[1]

Background

Rickard Stark, Lord of Winterfell, betrothed Brandon, his eldest son and heir, to Catelyn Tully, the eldest daughter of Hoster Tully, Lord of Riverrun. Petyr Baelish, Hoster's lower-born ward, later challenged Brandon over Catelyn's hand, and Brandon easily defeated Petyr in the ensuing duel at Riverrun.[2] While recovering from his wounds, Petyr slept with Catelyn's younger sister, Lysa, and impregnated her. Lord Tully sent Petyr back to the Fingers to complete his healing[3] and, after learning of Lysa's pregnancy, forced her to end it by drinking moon tea.[4]

Lyanna Stark, Lord Rickard's daughter, was betrothed to Robert Baratheon, Lord of Storm's End. During the tourney at Harrenhal in 281 AC, Rhaegar Targaryen, Prince of Dragonstone, caused a scandal by naming Lyanna as queen of love and beauty instead of his own wife, Elia Martell.[5]

Shortly before Catelyn and Brandon were to wed at Riverrun in 282 AC,[6] Rhaegar abducted Lyanna near Harrenhal at the start of the new year.[7] Telling Catelyn that they would be wed when he returned to Riverrun, Brandon rode to King's Landing, calling for Rhaegar to come out and die after reaching the Red Keep. Rhaegar was not in the capital, however, and his father, King Aerys II Targaryen, had Brandon and his companions imprisoned for treason.[8] Summoning their fathers to court, the Mad King then had fathers and sons all executed, with the exception of Ethan Glover. In the throne room of the Red Keep, Aerys had Rickard burned to death while Brandon strangled nearby.[8] King Aerys next called for the heads of Robert Baratheon and Rickard's second son, Eddard Stark, who had grown up in the Vale of Arryn as wards of Jon Arryn, Lord of the Eyrie.[9] Jon's refusal to surrender his former wards began Robert's Rebellion.[10]

Eddard (now Lord of Winterfell), Robert, and Jon rallied their bannermen against House Targaryen. Lord Tully eventually joined the rebels as well, helping Eddard rescue Robert at the Battle of the Bells.[11] As part of the alliance, Eddard agreed to marry Catelyn in Brandon's place.[12] The widowed Jon, meanwhile, had been left heirless after the deaths of his nephew, Elbert, and cousin, Ser Denys.[13] Jon, who was even older than Hoster, agreed to marry his younger daughter Lysa, as she was known to be fertile.[1]

Weddings

Riverrun by Tomasz Jedruszek © Fantasy Flight Games

Catelyn met Eddard for the first time on the day they were to marry.[14] Lysa wept greatly the morning of the double wedding,[15] which was held in the sept of Riverrun.[16] Lysa was dry-eyed and radiant, however, when Jon draped his cream-and-blue cloak over her shoulders during the ceremony.[15]

Jason Mallister, Lord of Seagard, brought lavish gifts to the wedding, and he jested with Ser Brynden Tully, Hoster's brother, during the wedding feast.[17] Brynden the Blackfish, who had often quarreled with his elder brother, informed Hoster at the feast that he would be departing Riverrun after the wedding to serve his niece Lysa and Lord Arryn in the Vale.[17] Jon appointed Brynden as Knight of the Gate.[16]

When it came time for the bedding custom, Jory Cassel tore Catelyn's wedding gown, Ser Desmond Grell apologized for repeatedly making bawdy jokes, and Lord Willam Dustin praised her body.[18]

Aftermath

Eddard stayed at Riverrun for a fortnight, during which Catelyn became pregnant with their first child, Robb Stark.[19] Catelyn and Lysa remained at Riverrun with their father Hoster when their new husbands left to rejoin the rebellion against House Targaryen.[19][1] Lysa hoped she had become pregnant as well, but her moon's blood was only delayed at the time.[1]

Catelyn and Eddard came to have a loving relationship with five children, though Catelyn dislikes that Eddard brought his bastard son, Jon Snow, to live at Winterfell after the war.[12] Lysa and Jon Arryn, meanwhile, have had five miscarriages, two stillborn children and one living child, Robert Arryn.[6][20][1] Lysa has grown to resent her marriage with Jon,[21][4] who is old enough to be her grandfather,[22] and she has secretly pined for Petyr Baelish,[21] who has become master of coin for King Robert I Baratheon.

Attendees

From the riverlands

Lords Robert Baratheon and Eddard Stark during Robert's Rebellion, by Tomasz Jedruszek © Fantasy Flight Games

From the north

From the Vale

From the stormlands

Quotes

Lord Jon Arryn by Allen Douglas © Fantasy Flight Games

In his youth, Ned had fostered at the Eyrie, and the childless Lord Arryn had become a second father to him and his fellow ward, Robert Baratheon. When the Mad King Aerys II Targaryen had demanded their heads, the Lord of the Eyrie had raised his moon-and-falcon banners in revolt rather than give up those he had pledged to protect. And one day fifteen years ago, this second father had become a brother as well, as he and Ned stood together in the sept at Riverrun to wed two sisters, the daughters of Lord Hoster Tully.[16]

—thoughts of Catelyn Stark

Shorter than Catelyn, Lysa had grown thick of body, pale and puffy of face. She had the blue eyes of the Tullys, but hers were pale and watery, never still. Her small mouth had turned petulant. As Catelyn held her, she remembered the slender, high-breasted girl who'd waited beside her that day in the sept at Riverrun. How lovely and full of hope she had been.[20]

—thoughts of Catelyn Stark

Father, I know what you did. You made him take her. Lysa was the price Jon Arryn had to pay for the swords and spears of House Tully.[1]

—Catelyn Stark to Hoster Tully

Ned was shorter and plainer of face, and so somber. He spoke courteously enough, but beneath the words she sensed a coolness that was all at odds with Brandon, whose mirths had been as wild as his rages. Even when he took her maidenhood, their love had more of duty to it than of passion. We made Robb that night, though; we made a king together.[18]

—thoughts of Catelyn Stark

Jon Arryn was no dwarf, but he was old. You may not think so to see me now, but on the day we wed I was so lovely I put your mother to shame. But all Jon desired was my father's swords, to aid his darling boys.[21]

—Lysa Arryn to Sansa Stark

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 2, Catelyn I.
  2. ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 18, Catelyn IV.
  3. ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 40, Catelyn VII.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 80, Sansa VII.
  5. ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 58, Eddard XV.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 4, Eddard I.
  7. ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, The Fall of the Dragons - The Year of the False Spring.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 A Clash of Kings, Chapter 55, Catelyn VII.
  9. ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 1, Bran I.
  10. ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, The Fall of the Dragons - Robert's Rebellion.
  11. ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 29, Arya V.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 6, Catelyn II.
  13. ↑ A Feast for Crows, Chapter 41, Alayne II.
  14. ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 45, Catelyn VI.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 49, Catelyn VI.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 16.5 16.6 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 2, Catelyn I.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 28, Catelyn V.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 45, Catelyn V.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 63, Catelyn X.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 34, Catelyn VI.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 68, Sansa VI.
  22. ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 19, Tyrion III.
  23. ↑ George R. R. Martin's A World of Ice and Fire, Robert Baratheon.
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