Born the daughter of Lord Hoster Tully and Lady Minisa Whent, Catelyn Tully grew up in
her family’s home of Riverrun, until she was betrothed to Brandon Stark, heir to Winterfell,
in order to strengthen the bond of friendship between the Riverlands and North.
However Brandon Stark died before they could be married and so Catelyn was matched with
his younger brother Eddard, who inherited the Lordship of Winterfell after the death
of his father and brother. Catelyn then went to live in Winterfell where
she gave birth to Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran, and Rickon Stark. With Eddard’s bastard
son Jon Snow being raised alongside their legitimate children. Although Catelyn was
a kind and loving mother to her children, she was cold and hateful towards Jon Snow,
who was a constant reminder of her husband’s infidelity.
After the death of King Robert Baratheon and the arrest and execution of Eddard Stark,
Westeros erupted into the War of the Five Kings, with Catelyn joining the army of her
son Robb Stark, acting as an advisor to the newly proclaimed King in the North.
Although Catelyn was a wise woman, offering her son sound military and political advice.
Many of her ideas were rejected. And after an impulsive decision by her son to marry
a girl named Jeyne Westerling, rather than go through with the promised betrothal to
House Frey, the Stark family was betrayed at what came to be known as the Red Wedding.
With House Frey and Bolton making a secret deal with the Lannisters, killing Robb Stark
and most of his followers. Catelyn, desperate to save her first born son, took Aegon Frey,
the court fool also called Jinglebells as a Hostage, in an attempt to bargain for Robb’s
life. But Old Walder Frey would not be swayed, allowing Roose Bolton to kill the King in
the North. Catelyn, horrified by witnessing the death of her son, killed her hostage,
only to die a moment later when Ser Raymund Frey slit her throat.
In mockery of House Tully funeral traditions, the body of Catelyn Stark was dumped naked
in the green fork river where she drifted downstream, until finally being pulled ashore
by the Direwolf Nymeria, who was being warged at the time by young Arya Stark during her
captivity under Sandor Clegane. However the Direwolf and her pack ran off
at the approach of humans, which allows the Brotherhood without Banners to find the body.
Ser Beric Dondarrion, leader of the Outlaws recognized Lady Catelyn, and chose to give
up his own life for hers, performing a version of the Last Kiss ritual from the faith of
R’hllor, and passing the flame of life unto her.
And while the ritual successfully revived her, she was a changed woman. Physically,
her skin had turned the color of curdled milk from her time in the river, and her hair was
now thin and white. She also still bore the scars on her face and neck, received during
the red wedding, forcing her to hold her throat closed, in order to speak, even then only
able to produce a garbled whisper. But more than that, she had become a creature
consumed only by vengeance, becoming cruel and cold, haunted by the memories of her dead
son and all she had lost. She therefore was determined to kill anyone she suspected of
working with House Lannister, Bolton or Frey, regardless of whether they were directly involved
with the Red Wedding. Witnessing the miraculous resurrection of
the Former Lady of Winterfell, many in the Brotherhood chose to follow her, and became
her agents of retribution across the Riverlands. Others however became dismayed and abandoned
the Brotherhood, disappointed that the group once formed to protect the Small Folk was
now a killing machine seeking revenge for a fallen House.
Nevertheless, Lady Stoneheart as she was known, became a merciless spectre that haunted the
Riverlands, with many whispering about a cloaked and hooded woman roaming the countryside.
Unfortunately for Brienne of Tarth and her companions, they were captured while journeying
through those territories in search of Sansa Stark, in order to fulfill Brienne’s oath
to Jaime Lannister. But when Lady Stoneheart discovered her former
friend and sworn shield, she found Brienne with the Lannister sword Oathkeeper, and judged
her to be an enemy collaborator. Brienne tried to explain that Jaime Lannister gave her the
sword and that he was a changed man who sent her to find Sansa Stark, but Lady Stoneheart
was not swayed, instead ordering that Brienne find and kill Jaime Lannister or else hang
alongside her men Podrick Payne and Ser Hyle Hunt.
Presented with the Sword or the Noose, she refused to choose, and so the Brotherhood
prepared to hang them. Yet upon seeing her faithful companion Podrick Payne about to
die, she shouted out a final word and survived. Brienne is next seen approaching Jaime Lannister
in the Lannister camp at Pennytree convincing him that the Hound Sandor Clegane was holding
Sansa Stark and threatening to kill her unless Jaime and Brienne came alone. Seeing an opportunity
to fulfill his oath, Jaime joins Brienne, journeying into the forest.
Although the word Brienne yelled out in her dying moments has not yet been revealed. Many
have theorized she said the word Sword, indicating she had chosen to kill Jaime Lannister, in
order to save herself and her companions. This would indicate that the story she told
Jaime was a lie, in order to lure him into a trap for Lady Stoneheart.