Talisa Stark

"I decided two things that day. I would not waste my years planning dances and masquerades with the other noble ladies. And when I came of age I would never live in a slave city again."

- Talisa Stark

Talisa Stark, née Maegyr, Queen in the North, is a major character in the third season. She initially appeared as a recurring character in the second season and debuted in "Garden of Bones." She is played by starring cast member Oona Chaplin. Talisa is a healer working on the battlefields of the Westerlands in the War of the Five Kings. She is the wife of the King in the North, Robb Stark, as well as the mother of his son.

Background
Talisa is noblewoman from the Free City of Volantis, the oldest and largest of the Free Cities.

When Talisa was 12, her parents went to a wedding lasting several days, leaving her with her younger brother. The second day they were gone, it was the hottest day in Volantis, so she and her brother joined the other children to go for a swim in the River Rhoyne. While she was talking with a friend, she noticed that her brother was missing. Eventually, she found him floating face down in the water. Talisa and her friend pulled him to the shore but he was dead. Suddenly, a man with a tattoo of a fish on his face came and pushed her away. Had she reported him, it would have meant death for the slave to touch a noble. The slave kept on pushing on her brother's chest again and again until he was revived. As the slave cradled her brother and calmed him down, Talisa was inspired by the slave's selfless act. She decided two things right there and then: first, that when she came of age, she would not waste her years dancing with other nobles, and second that she would never live in a place where slavery was legal again. To this end, she sought and obtained medical training (rather than dancing with other nobles) and relocated to Westeros (slavery being outlawed in the Seven Kingdoms).

Season 2
Talisa tends to a Wounded Lannister soldier after the Battle of Oxcross, finding that his foot needs to be amputated. King Robb Stark aids her by holding the man down and giving him a gag to bite on, pointing out that it's better than biting his tongue. After the operation Talisa criticizes Robb for fighting to usurp the crown without having a replacement king, as Robb only claims the title of King in the North. Talisa also points out that the wounded Lannister soldier was a fisherman who had been conscripted, like many others, into the Lannister army and that the forces Robb's army defeated weren't trained soldiers for the most part. As she leaves Robb tells Talisa that the soldier was lucky she was there to save him and she responds by saying it was unlucky for the soldier that Robb was there.

Talisa follows Robb Stark's army camp as it moves. Robb introduces her to his mother Catelyn Stark, and when she asks about her family, Talisa says that their name is "Maegyr". Talisa says that being from Volantis, she isn't familiar with the titles of nobility used in the Seven Kingdoms. Robb watches Talisa as she leaves and Catelyn reminds him that he is not free to love where he will.

After a meeting with his Bannermen, Talisa seeks Robb out to ask for more medical supplies. She has heard Robb is about to leave for The Crag to negotiate a surrender, which has the things she needs. She wants to write a list to send to the Crag's Maester, but Robb suggests she should come with him and get the supplies herself. On their way back they discuss Robb's father Eddard Stark and the lessons he taught Robb about caring for his subjects. They are interrupted by news that Catelyn has released Robb's key prisoner Jaime Lannister. Talisa later goes to comfort Robb. After she reveals more of her past to him they admit their shared feelings for one another and sleep together.

Robb talks to his mother about Talisa. Catelyn says that she and Eddard were an arranged marriage, they barely knew each other, and yet found happiness together. However, Robb wants more than that possibility. Talisa and Robb marry in secret before a septon, pledging their lives to each other.

Season 3
Talisa is recalling to Robb about her mother's prejudices towards Westerosi when Roose Bolton arrives with the news of Hoster Tully's death and that Winterfell has been sacked with Bran and Rickon Stark still missing. While traveling to Riverrun for Hoster Tully's funeral, Talisa notices that Catelyn is making a prayer wheel for the Faith of the Seven. Talisa offers to help her, but Catelyn explains that they can only be made by mothers who are praying for the welfare of their children.

While at Riverrun, she comforts Robb and attempts to help him with his battle strategizing. She tends to two wounded young Lannister squires. After they are murdered, she and the rest of Robb's family watch as he decapitates the murderer Rickard Karstark.

Later, after a passionate session of love-making with Robb, Talis,  is shown writing a letter in Valryian similar to that she was writing in Season 2, claiming it is for her mother. She reveals to Robb that she is pregnant with his child.

Relationships

 * See also Robb and Talisa Stark

Behind the scenes
Originally, Chaplin was only announced as playing "Jeyne", leading to fan speculation that she would be playing either Jeyne Westerling, a noble girl of the Westerlands, or Jeyne Poole, a friend and companion of Sansa Stark's who accompanies her to King's Landing. It was later announced to be Jeyne Westerling. However Chaplin's character introduces herself as Talisa when she first appears. She goes on to say that she is from the Free City of Volantis, while Jeyne Westerling is actually a member of House Westerling, minor nobles from the Westerlands sworn to House Lannister. However, Jeyne's maternal great-grandmother was indeed from the east, though the books never state which of the Free Cities she was from.

The discrepancy was later explained by Chaplin's character originally being conceived as being similar to Jeyne Westerling from the novels, even named the same, but then moving further and further away during rewrites. Eventually George R.R. Martin himself suggested they just rename her and make her a completely new character. Martin himself came up with the name since he pointed out that Jeyne is not a Volantene name.

Chaplin has said, "I auditioned twice, both times suspecting I’d never get it because I’m not white and as in most shows I thought they would want an English rose. But these guys are braver and cleverer than that and for whatever reason they thought I was right for the part."

In the books
In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, there is no character named Talisa Maegyr, though one of the triarchs of Volantis is Malaquo Maegyr. Instead, Robb weds Jeyne Westerling, daughter of Lord Gawen Westerling, an impoverished but proud bannerman to Casterly Rock. They meet when Robb captures The Crag, an ancient and decaying stronghold which serves as the seat of House Westerling. Robb and his forces storm the castle. In this battle Robb is wounded when he takes an arrow to the arm. Jeyne nurses him back to health and they grew close during that time. Robb is still there when word of the deaths of Bran and Rickon arrives, and in his distress Jeyne comforts him and they go to bed together. As she is highborn and as Robb had taken her maidenhead he is not only honor-bound to marry her, but he has fallen in love with her.

All these events happen when Robb is in the west and not reported in the books until he returns with her to Riverrun. Robb doesn't discuss breaking his marriage pact with Catelyn, and the marriage is not done in secret.