House Westerling

Template:Noble house House Westerling is a vassal house that holds fealty to House Lannister of Casterly Rock. Their lands are north-east of Casterly Rock on the shores of the Sunset Sea.

House Westerling is an old house that traces its descent back to the First Men and at one time was very powerful, giving brides to the Kings of the Rock before the Targaryen conquest. However, they have fallen on hard times and are now poor, but still proud.

History

House Westerling surrenders the Crag to Robb Stark when the Northern army invades the Westerlands during the War of the Five Kings.

Behind the scenes

The Westerling family was originally intended to appear in Season 2, but during pre-production rewrites, Robb Stark's romantic interest began to get an increasingly different backstory than in the novels. Therefore it was decided to create the new character of Talisa Maegyr, a lady of noble birth from Volantis , to take the place of Jeyne Westerling as Robb's love interest. George R.R. Martin himself suggested the name away from Westerling to accommodate the changes from his source novels.

In the books

In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, House Westerling is said to have more pride than power. Tywin Lannister blames their descent in fortunes on their ill-advised marriage with House Spicer, a young house co-founded by a spice merchant and his wife, a "maegi" of the east. Lord Gawen proposed that his daughter marry one of Ser Kevan Lannister's sons, but Tywin rejected the match due to their mixing with a lesser house.

Robb Stark was wounded during the capture of the Crag. While he was lying injured, he received news about the alleged death of Bran and Rickon. This left him emotionally broken. Jeyne, who was tending his injuries, comforted him in bed. Being honorable like his father, the next morning Robb married Jeyne. By doing so he broke the pact with the Freys, which prompted them to withdraw their men from his army and ultimately to betray him.

Unlike Robb and Talisa's marriage in the TV series, Robb's marriage to Jeyne takes place off-screen without Catelyn's knowledge. Only in A Storm of Swords, when Robb returns to Riverrun with his bride, is Catelyn informed about his marriage. The Freys leave angrily when they are told. Catelyn welcomes Jeyne warmly, but when she and Robb are alone, she chides him for breaking the pact with the Freys and warns him of the consequences. Robb regretfully admits that he has committed a mistake, but the damage could not be undone: although Robb and Catelyn do their best to appease Lord Walder Frey, the Red Wedding is carried out.

Jeyne, unlike Talisa, is left at Riverrun with Blackfish. Catelyn insists that she must not come with them to the Twins, lest her presence will offend Lord Frey. Thus Jeyne's life is saved.

The books reveal that Lord Gawen's wife, Sybell Spicer, collaborates with Tywin Lannister to make Robb Stark to make sure that her daughter doesn't get pregnant. Under the pretense of giving her fertility herbs, Sybell actually gives her contraceptives. In the meantime, Sybell's brother Rolph also acts as a spy for House Lannister. The Spicers' duplicity is sensed by Grey Wind, but Robb dismisses it as Grey Wind having grown hostile and violent due to the war. Nevertheless, at the behest of his mother, Robb sends Rolph to act as an envoy to ensure a exchange of prisoners with the Iron Throne.

It is unclear whether Jeyne also collaborated with the Lannisters, or was forced by her mother, or unaware that her marriage to Robb was meant to break the pact with the Freys and thus provide them a "legitimate" excuse to perform the Red Wedding. She seems to mourn Robb genuinely, but this can be a pretence.

Jeyne's brother Raynald, who was not in league with the Lannisters, also dies at the Red Wedding, being shot with arrows after releasing Grey Wind. He jumps into the Trident and his body is never found.

The Westerlings are pardoned (only formally, for they have never actually switched sides) following the Red Wedding, while Rolph Spicer is made Lord of Castamere. Tywin promises worthy marriages for Jeyne and Elenya, either lords or heirs, though Jeyne was ordered to avoid marriage for at least two years, as any children she might have in that time could be mistaken for Robb's; Rollam would wed Joy Hill, the bastard daughter of Gerion Lannister, when she is old enough.

The Westerling sigil is six white shells on a sand-colored background. Their motto is "Honor, Not Honors".

Members

• Lord Gawen Westerling, the Lord of the Crag.
  • His wife Lady Sybell of House Spicer.
    • Their elder son and heir Ser {Raynald Westerling}. Slain in the Red Wedding.
    • Their elder daughter Jeyne Westerling. The character is analogous in the TV series to Talisa Maegyr.
    • Their younger daughter Elenya Westerling.
    • Their younger son Rollam Westerling.

Historical Members:

• Queen Jeyne Westerling - One of the many wives of King Maegor the Cruel (not ​to be confused with the modern day Jeyne Westerling) 
• Ser Harrold ​Westerling, Lord Commander of the Kingsguard under King Viserys I Targaryen.
• Ser Elys Westerling, a knight who participated in the Sack of King's Landing. He and Lord Roland Crakehall were the first to find Jaime Lannister standing over the body of Aerys II Targaryen.

See also

• House Westerling on A Wiki of Ice and Fire (MAJOR spoilers from the books)

Template:Western Houses