Ned's younger sister was betrothed to Robert and, by every account, was nothing like the gentle idea he carried of her — she rode hard, spoke plainly, and reportedly wept when told what sort of man her intended truly was. Robert loved her anyway, or loved the picture of her, and never seemed troubled by the difference.
Her disappearance with Rhaegar Targaryen lit the war, and her death at the end of it hollowed out the winning. Robert took a throne, a queen, and a kingdom, and spent the rest of his life visibly preferring a girl in a tomb to any of them. When he came north at last, he went to the crypts before he would sit at table. It is the truest and least kingly thing he ever did.
At a Glance
| House | Stark of Winterfell |
|---|---|
| Bond to Robert | Betrothed; never married |
| Died | Dorne, at the end of the rebellion |
| Robert's verdict | He never spoke her name without stopping the room |