The The after Leanna and Rhaegar disappeared, shall we say, since it looked like different things to different people.

Brandon Stark, erred in Winterfell, an older brother of Ned and Leanna,

rode to King's Landing to confront the Crown Prince Rhaegar, taking a few companions with him.

Only a few.

His father, Lord Rickard, did not follow for reasons, which we shall discuss.

Mad King Ares had grown ever more paranoid and cruel after the defiance of Duskendale,

the tourney of Harenhall, and so many lost children over the years prior, and he responded to

Brandon's anger with one of his most infamous acts.

This was a brief but vital precursor to Roberts' rebellion.

This was the point of no return.

People started being killed.

Well, that's really when you can't go back.

After what Aries did to Brandon and Rickard and those other lords and their sons, war was all but certain.

It was so horrible that Catlin and Bran and other Starks were never even told all the details.

Something will explore is the idea that even Ned himself doesn't know some of it.

Maybe even some of the major details.

It's not like he was there for it, but someone else we all know pretty well was.

In this episode, we'll focus on four characters.

We'll get into their perspectives, dig into their minds as much as we can for the length of this affair.

Not bouncing around between them,

but each of them in turn will wonder what they were thinking

or not thinking in quite a few cases or feeling

...