Catelyn Stark

Catelyn was originally betrothed to Eddard's older brother Brandon Stark, the heir to Winterfell at the time. When Brandon was sadistically executed by King Aerys II, Lord Jon Arryn, who was the guardian of Eddard and Robert Baratheon, rebelled against House Targaryen. Soon after the rebels won the Battle of the Bells, Catelyn was married to Eddard, having never met the new groom before the wedding day, to consolidate the alliance between the Riverlands and the North. She was initially disappointed as Eddard was shorter and perceived to be less handsome than his brother Brandon, but later fell in love with him after seeing the "good sweet heart beneath his solemn face".