A Game of Thrones, Chapter 71, Catelyn
Summary
Robb, Catelyn and the liege lords enter Riverrun. They learn about Lord Hoster’s sickness. Robb holds a war council to discuss their next move. They learn that Renly was crowned and is supported by the power of Highgarden. Not wanting to make peace and bending knee to any of the kings in the realm Greatjon Umber calls Robb the King in the North. The rest of Robb’s liege lords join him in swearing fealty.
Quotes
Only one quote in this chapter, but WHAT a quote!
“Why shouldn’t we rule ourselves again? It was the dragons we married, and the dragons are all dead!” He pointed at Robb with the blade. “There sits the only king I mean to bow my knee to, m’lords,” he thundered. “The King in the North!”
And he knelt, and laid his sword at her son’s feet.
“I’ll have peace on those terms,” Lord Karstark said. “They can keep their red castle and their iron chair as well.” He eased his longsword from its scabbard. “The King in the North!” he said, kneeling beside the Greatjon.
Maege Mormont stood. “The King of Winter!” she declared, and laid her spiked mace beside the swords. And the river lords were rising too, Blackwood and Bracken and Mallister, houses who had never been ruled from Winterfell, yet Catelyn watched them rise and draw their blades, bending their knees and shouting the old words that had not been heard in the realm for more than three hundred years, since Aegon the Dragon had come to make the Seven Kingdoms one… yet now were heard again, ringing from the timbers of her father’s hall:
“The King in the North!”
“The King in the North!”
“THE KING IN THE NORTH!”
Commentary
The last two chapters of the book have one thing and one thing only to achieve: bring the reader back to read the second book. And I’ll be damned if they don’t achieve that!
The son of Ned Stark is rising to take his fathers place. Forced by Ned’s untimely demise Robb has to mature quickly and he does that following closely his father’s steps. He’s shaping up to be a strong and just Lord… and a King! That’s an amazing cliffhanger, I have to give props to Martin for this idea. Although I probably wouldn’t be so happy if I had to wait few years for the next book… Luckily I had Clash of Kings handy. 
Lets get back to the chapter for a second. In the shadow of war effort and the raise of the new kings is Catelyn’s drama. Her husband is killed, her children are crippled, held captive, missing or facing mortal danger on the field of battle. The mother in her wants nothing more than to end this nightmare, to hold her daughters again, to see her sons grow old. Her motherly love is no match for men’s need for revenge. Tyrion was right, any chance for peace was shattered when Ser Ilyn took Ned’s life.
This chapter is also a grand introduction of the next book: A Clash of Kings. There are already three kings in the realm: Joffrey, Stannis (even though he’s hiding on Dragonstone) and now Renly. With Robb being crowned as the King in the North the realm becomes crowded with rulers. And this is not the end yet…
Tags: Catelyn
