Game of Thrones: Chapter 16: Eddard AKA Truth & Justice?

This chapter opens with Eddard being told that Arya has been found by Jory after being missing for the last four days. Turns out both she and Mycah ran off after what happened at the Trident with Joffrey.

Arya was taken directly to the King once Jorry and her arrived. We also learn that they entire group has moved to the castle of Ser Raymun Darry who had actually fought against Robert in the rebellion. Tensions are running high as it’s just an unusual and uncomfortable situation.

But before going on lets take a closer look at House Darry and why tensions are so high.

First the Darrys were Targaryen loyalists and did very well under the old regime. As said before during Robert’s Rebellion they fought on the side of the king and against the Rebels who included House Tully the liege lords of the Riverlands.  

Being on the wrong side of History cost the Darry’s greatly. Ser Raymun lost three of his older brothers at the battle of the Trident where Robert famously slew Rhaegar Targaryen. In addition to this it was Ser Willem Darry who also smuggled Viserys and Daenerys Targaryen from Dragonstone to Braavos effectively keeping them out of the reach of King Robert.

The loss of family wasn’t the only thing House Darry suffered as a result of Robert winning his Rebellion. They also lost half of the lands they held, a great deal of their wealth and nearly all of their power.

House Darry was so loyal to the Targaryens that Viserys names them specifically as one of the houses he can count on to support him upon his return to Westeros.

So things are pretty tense as there is a lot of bad blood between the hosts and clearly the uninvited guests.

Regardless Ned finds Arya with Robert and the rest of the court in the Darry audience hall. Arya is in the center of the room with Jorry when Ned enters. Fortunately she isn’t hurt and we learn she was just living off wild berries for the last few days.

Robert asked that Arya be brought before him immediately as he wanted to get things taken care of as quickly as possible. Most likely this is born of the uncomfortable situation of being hosted under House Darry that was his foe just a few years prior.

Here we learn that Joffrey lied about what happened days prior. He is present and his arm is in a bandage from the wound inflicted by Nymeria. Joffrey claims that Arya and the butcher's boy attacked him with sticks while Nymeria was set upon him. This is of course different from Arya’s version of the events.

Renley actually laughs when Arya relates that Joffrey was disarmed. He gets kicked out by his older brother Robert but on his way out he bows to Joffrey and does manage to deliver a really good line before departing.

Renley: “Perchance you’ll tell me how a nine-year-old girl the size of a wet rat managed to disarm you with a broom handle and throw your sword into the river.”

The only other person who was present and is brought forth is Sansa. Ned knows the truth of what happened as Sansa told him prior. Sansa however says she doesn't know what happened as it all happened so quickly and she didn’t see.

This ticks off Arya who calls Sansa a liar and attacks her. Arya is quickly pulled off and Robert decides he had enough of this and decides that no real lasting harm was done and chalks it up to children just being children. He decides that Ned should discipline Arya and he will do the same with his son.

Cersei is not happy and asks about the dire wolf that attacked Joffrey. Jory says that he found no trace of Nymeria, which seems to satisfy Robert. Cersei offers a reward to whomever brings her the pelt of Nymeria and Robert doesn’t feel like paying for it and tells her she can pay for it herself.

Cersei shows how her influence over Robert works in this scene. She not only calls him cheap but also says the though the king she married would have laid the wolf's pelt before her by sundown. When Robert says he doesn’t have a wolf Cersei knows she has him and points out they do have a wolf. She of course is referring to Lady.

After a bit more of discussion and argument it is decided that they will put Lady down as punishment. This is of course upsetting to all the Starks who feel this is an injustice as Lady wasn't even present.

King Robert: “Enough, Ned, I will hear no more. A direwolf is a savage beast. Sooner or later it would have turned on your girl as the other did on my son. Get her a dog, she’ll be happier for it.”

This actually brings a smile to Joffrey’s face. He is described as “beaming” at the decision. In the end Ned does the deed himself, but he denies Cersei her prize by instructing Jory to have four of the Stark men to take the body of Lady back to the north and bury her at Winterfell.

The chapter ends with Ned coming across Sandor Clegane as he returns with the body of Mycha wrapped up and slung over the back of his horse. Ned looks at the body and notes that Sandor rode the boy down nearly cutting him in half.

So a few things in this.. First the demand for a wolf pelt from Cersei seems to harken back to the first Tyrion Chapter:

“The queen shuddered. “There is something unnatural about those animals,” she said. “They are dangerous. I will not have any of them coming south with us.”

So it seems Cersei has been looking for a chance to be rid of the Direwolves and certainly took this opportunity as it presented itself. This again continues to show that the Queen and Joffrey are more interested in flexing and abusing their power than they are in justice.

Perhaps Cersei sees this as asserting dominance over the Starks. The notion being that perhaps if she sets the expectation that they are there to serve her and the rest of the royal family without question things will go easier. That this is the first real disagreement that wasn’t handled between Ned and Robert is of some significance and maybe Cersei just wants to make sure the Starks understand that message. She could have been counting on Sansa to not be truthful as it may put her betrothal to Joffrey at risk. In such a case the only one who would have been able to prove Joffrey a liar would have been Mycah who we know was killed by the Hound.

In the prior chapter we have the following quote:

Joffrey: “He’s my mother’s dog, in truth. She has set him to guard me, and so he does.”

So perhaps The Hound was sent out with orders to kill Mycah instead of bringing him back.

Also Roberts words of “Get her a dog, she'll be happier for it.” is a bit of foreshadowing to Sandor’s interactions with Sansa in the future as he becomes her protector in some instances.

Lastly what I think most readers miss is what Jory did for Arya.

The king stopped, turned back and frowned. “I’d forgotten about the damned wolf.”

Ned could see Arya tense in Jory’s arms. Jory spoke up quickly “We found no trace of the direwolf your grace.”

Robert did not look unhappy “No? So be it.”

Now all of the Stark children are rarely ever mentioned in the book without the direwolves near by at this point in the story. Hence the reason for Arya becoming tense as Nymeria is still free. It seems Jory has lied about Nymeria.

Game of Thrones: Chapter 12: Eddard AKA Growing Lannister Influence

This chapter opens up with Ned being awoken to go riding with the king to discuss affairs of state. On the ride Robert laments that they are no longer the carefree young men they once were and years for the days prior to his rebellion and becoming the king.

After Ned reminds Robert of the duties they have in life now and how even if they both wished to go back to the way things were they couldn’t. Robert points out that Ned was never really carefree and always a bit reserved even back in the days.

One significant thing of this conversation is that Ned tells Robert the name of Jon Snow’s mother was Wylla, and then Ned asks Robert to not talk about it any further. Robert does make a couple of interesting statements here though:  

“Wylla. Yes” the king grinned. “She must have been a rare wench if she could make Lord Eddard Stark forget his honor, even for an hour. You never told me what she looked like...”

So Ned tells Robert Wylla was the woman who is the mother of Jon. Very weird Ned never mentions what she looks like to Robert and gets really defensive saying:

“Nor will I. Leave it be, Robert, for the love you say you bear me. I dishonored myself and I dishonored Catelyn in the sight of gods and men.”

So apparently Ned and Wylla were together after Ned wed Catelyn.

I'm sure at this point everyone who supports the theory R+L = J are nodding.

But is this simply a quick use of carefully selected words? Note that Ned doesn’t specifically say sleeping with Wylla and fathering a bastard was how he dishonored Catelyn.

Regardless the conversation eventually gets to affairs of state when Robert presents Ned a letter from his Spymaster Varys. Here we learn that Varys not only serves Robert but also served the Mad King Aerys Targaryen prior.

As it turns out it’s a report that Daenerys has wed Drogo. Ned questions the source of the information and we learn that Ser Jorah Mormont is acting as a spy in order to hopefully get a pardon for the crime of selling poachers into slavery.

A Double Agent?

We also learn of a sore spot for Ned. He disapproves of the killing of children as was done by the Lannisters to the Targaryen children at the taking of Kings Landing. We learn that Tywin Lannister's men dragged the girl from under a bed where she was hiding and killed her. Her younger brother, who was still nursing, was taken from the mother and his head smashed against a wall.

In addition we see how disturbed Robert is by the news as well as what lengths he is willing to go to as he suggests sending assassins. Ned provides him with good council in that the Dothraki have not ships and hate the open water. In addition when he is told that the child of Jon Arryn won’t be the Warden of the East. Ned counters and makes an excellent suggestion in putting forth the King’s Brother Stannis.

In spite of this it becomes clear that Robert has already named a Warden of the East and that man is Jaime Lannister. Again Ned is unhappy with this choice and warns Robert that when he went into the throne room of the Red Keep, towards the end of the rebellion Jaime was sitting upon the Iron Throne.

Ned also points out that it was Jaime Lannister, also known as the Kingslayer who broke his oath as a member of the Kingsguard and killed the Mad King prior to Robert claiming the crown. Ned questions not only Jaime's honor but his trustworthiness as well.

This gives the Lannisters a great amount of power. With Cersei as Queen, Jaime as Warden of the West and their father Tywin as Warden of the East and Joffrey set to become the next king the Lannisters are certainly gaining in political power and now in a time of war will be in control of half the armies of the Seven Kingdoms.

At this time Ned has not vocalized his concerns to Robert, but his sister in-law’s accusation that the Lannisters had Jon Arryn killed does cross his mind.

The clear question to be asked is why not Stannis? Stannis held on to Storm's End for Robert during his rebellion and was named Master of Ships. As Master of Ships he brilliantly defeated the fleet from the Iron Islands at sea during the Greyjoy Rebellion. That Robert isn’t picking his trusted and accomplished brother suggests strongly that the Lannisters heavily influenced this decision.

Lets look at the track record for Stannis Baratheon up to this point. First a quote from Stannis in A Clash of Kings:

"I held Storm's End for him, watching good men starve while Mace Tyrell and Paxter Redwyne feasted within sight of my walls. Did Robert thank me? No. He thanked Stark, for lifting the siege when we were down to rats and radishes. I built a fleet at Robert's command, took Dragonstone in his name. Did he take my hand and say, Well done brother, whatever should I do without you? No he blamed me for letting Willem Darry steal away viserys and the babe, as if I could have stopped it."

Ok so Stannis held out while under siege and also was able to take the isle of Dragonstone after. Now keep in mind this means all the while that Stannis and his men held out at Storm's End the armies of Highgarden were unable to march and contribute to the war efforts elsewhere on the part of the Targaryens.

OK fine so Stannis holds out and the siege is lifted by Ned. But later he takes Dragonstone. In A Dance With Dragons we learn of how masterful a tactician Stannis was at sea. Victarion Greyjoy laments:

The memory of Fair Isle still rankled in the iron captain's memory. Stannis Baratheon had descended on the Iron Fleet from both north and south whist they were trapped in the channel between the island and the mainland, dealing Victarion his most crushing defeat.

Lets keep in mind Victarion is of the Ironborn who are master seamen. That Stannis dealt such a crushing and complete defeat to him that he years later laments it is more than significant. This proves that Stannis is more than capable of being in charge of a large military force dealing with both land and sea power.

It is clear that the growing influence of the Lannisters is coming into play here with the appointment of Jaime as Warden of the East. It begs the question that had Ned brought the widow Arryn’s accusations to light would Robert have at the least reconsidered. After all a Warden who calls the armies forth and gets no reply isn’t going to be all that effective.

Ned even has a feeling of helplessness at the end of the chapter and even thinks that he really doesn't belong in Kings Landing and really belongs in Winterfell.

Chapter 4: Eddard AKA Discussions in the Crypts of Winterfel

This chapter opens with Ned greeting the King, his family and the rest of the royal entourage being welcomed to Winterfell by Lord Stark. Almost immediately upon arrival King Robert asks his longtime friend to take him down to the crypts to pay his respects to Lyanna Stark. Ned’s deceased sister and Roberts once betrothed. The Queen complains stating that everyone was weary from the road and paying respects can wait. Robert silences her with just a stare and he and Ned continue on down to the tombs. While this exchange is somewhat underplayed in the book it does subtly intone of the overall relationship between the King and Queen.

One thing of note is that the King has let himself go physically. He has gained a lot of weight and is not remotely even close to the fighting warrior he once was when he won the throne. Ned comments that his friend has always had enjoyed food, wine, and women. But he has never seen him in such a state. Ned notices he is breathing heavy from his climb down the stairs to the crypts below Winterfell.  

So the King went from this....

To this...

Here the author even describes the differences between Ned and Robert as well as giving the reader a clue as to the natures of the two men.

“Robert Baratheon had always been a man of huge appetites, a man who knew how to take his pleasures. That was not a charge anyone could lay at the door of Eddard Stark”.

So while the King may lust after women and drink in excess, Ned doesn't.

Wait… So if Ned doesn’t lust after other women then what's the story with Jon Snow his bastard son? OK lets for now just call that a one time indiscretion.

Regardless Ned and Robert enter the crypts and after passing the resting places of the former Kings of Winterfell they come to the tombs of Ned's father Rickard, his brother Brandon and his sister Lyanna. Robert laments her death and here we find that Ned was with Lysanna when she died.

“I was with her when she died.” Ned reminded the King. “She wanted to come home, to rest beside Brandon and Father.” He could hear her still at times. Promise me, she had cried, in a room that smelled of blood and roses, Promise me, Ned.” The fever had taken her strength and her voice had been faint as a whisper, but when he gave her his word, the fear had gone out of his sister’s eyes. Ned remembered the way she had smiled then, how tightly her fingers had clutched his as she gave up her hold on life, the rose petals spilling from her palm, dead and black. After that he remembered nothing. They had found him still holding her body, silent with grief. The little crannogman Howland Reed had taken her hand from his.

The above passage refers to Ned's final moments with his sister at the Tower of Joy at the end of Robert's Rebellion. Some things about this are extremely significant and help set the stage for the events currently unfolding in the story.

1. What was it that Ned promised his sister on her deathbed that was so important that once Ned gives his word she is able to die peacefully?
2. Aside from Howland Reed whom else was there and found Ned holding his sister? “They” had found  him still holding her body.

In addition this also begins the association of Lyanna with Roses. Here it’s rose petals in her hand. As I pointed out in my post “Backstory Pt 1”  Lyanna was also given a crown of flowers by Rhaegar Targaryen when she became the Queen of Love and Beauty at the tournament at Harrenhal.

Now I could go into a 10,000 word rant on some of the theories behind Ned's promise but I’ll go into more detail about that bit later on. For now lets keep things focused on the conversation between Ned and Robert.

After a moment the conversation turns to the death of the man who had both Ned and Robert as wards, Jon Arryn. Robert says a few interesting things on this matter:

Robert:I’ve never seen a man taken sicken so quickly.”

Robert: “The sickness was like a fire in his gut, it burned right through him.”

Also according to Robert this happens over the time of a fortnight. (1 Fortnight = 14 days)

When Ned asks how Catelyn’s sister Lysa Arryn is dealing with the death of her husband Robert says he thinks his death has driven the woman mad. He tells him she has fled back to the Eyrie back in the Veil. Ned suggests Lysa's maternal instincts may have made her overprotective and caused her to seek the safety of her home.

At this point we also learn that King Robert had planned on having the child of Lysa and Jon Arryn fostered at Casterly Rock by Tywin Lannister. Tywin had already agreed and stated that when Lysa fled King's Landing without so much as a goodbye it made his wife furious as it was an insult to her house and family.

Ned thinks that Lysa may simply thought the Lannisters not suitable and again the maternal instincts to protect her son most likely lead her to returning to her home. Ned offers to take the boy on as a ward but Robert won’t allow it as an agreement with Tywin Lannister is already in place and he doesn't wish to insult his father in law.

Now does this actually make any sense??

On the surface yes. It’s perfectly conceivable that a grief stricken Lysa, fearful that her only son would be stripped away from her abandoned her dead husband's body at the capital and fled back to the safety of the Eyrie.

Let's also keep in mind that Lysa and Catelyn are Tully’s from the Riverland and the words of House Tully are “Family, Duty, Honor”. So putting her family first does seem to make sense even over doing her duty to see funerary arrangements for her spouse.

The final things Robert and Ned discuss is for Ned to take Jon Arryn’s place as Hand of the King, and to wed Ned’s daughter Sansa Stark to Robert's son Prince Joffrey Baratheon. The chapter ends with Ned telling the King he needs a bit of time to consider the offers.

We will discuss the implications of this in future posts.

Backstory Pt. 1 (AKA Why King Robert really hates the Targaryens)

One thing about the world of Game of Thrones takes place if that there is a great amount of history to it. A lot of this history not only has played a significant build up to the current situation but also has implications on future events. Additionally a lot of theories being floated also weigh heavily on this. So lets take a look at a bit of the backstory now prior to moving forward with the next chapter.

As we learned in the prior chapter King Robert Baratheon and Ned Stark were both wards of Jon Arryn. The Mad King Aerys Targaryen II demanded their heads Jon opted to go to war instead of turn over his charges. But why?

To learn this we have to go back to when Ned was 18. (He’s 35 when the books begin.) A great tournament is held at Harrenhal castle and the joust tournament was won by the crown prince Rhaegar Targaryen.

The victory was quickly followed with scandal however. Normally a victor will present a crown of flowers to a woman and name her “Queen of Love and Beauty”. This is usually an indication of romantic interest.

At the time Rhaegar was married to Elia Martell of Dorn who had borne him two children. Traditionally a married victor will present the crown to his wife, but Rhaegar opted instead to present the crown to Lyanna Stark who was engaged to Robert Baratheon. Even more scandalous is that both Robert and Elia were present when Prince Rhaegar did this.

A year later Rhaegar kidnaps Lysa, and her brother Brandon Stark rides to Kingslanding and demands justice. Unfortunately his demands are heard by the Mad King Aerys Targaryen who arrests him and his companions for treason.

The King summoned the fathers of the accused to court and promptly had them all executed. Ned’s father Rickard Stark demanded a trial by combat as was his right. The Mad King named Fire to be the champion of the crown and suspended Rickard from the rafters over a burning blaze. To make matters worse Brandon was brought in with a cord about his neck and a sword was placed just out of reach. He was told should he attain the sword he could free his father. But every attempt he made to grab the blade tightened the strangling cord and eventually Brandon strangled to death attempting to save his father who roasted alive.

Wishing to purge his kingdoms of all traitors the Mad King then called for the heads of Robert Baratheon and Ned Stark who at the time were the wards of Jon Arryn. Arryn refused and Robert and Ned who was now Lord of Winterfell went to war.

Now some significant events occurred here. Robert returned to the Stormlands and called his bannermen. Ned returned to the North and raised his armies as well. In addition Ned also was able to attain the loyalty of House Tully by agreeing to take the place of his older brother Brandon whom she had been betrothed to.

Eventually the rebel and loyalist armies met at the trident and Robert slew Rhaegar at the battle of the trident. After this battle Robert declared his intentions to usurp power from the Mad King and to take the throne. He did have a weak claim as a grandmother was a Targaryen, but not nearly as good as that of any of the grandchildren of the Mad King.

Robert was unable to continue to fight on as he had suffered wounds at the Battle of the Trident. Thus command  was given to Lord Eddard Stark who went on to Kings Landing.

As the Rebel forces marched upon the capital city the forces of House Lannister arrived first. Declaring loyalty to the crown they were welcomed as allies by the Mad King and under command of Tywin the Lannister men began to sack the city. Jamie Lannister who was part of the Kingsguard was ordered by Mad King Aerys to kill his own father.

Jamie had other ideas. Instead he slew the Mad King in his own throneroom and earned the name “The Kingslayer”. The Lannister men then sought out the rest of the royal family and put them to death. Most notably Ser Gregor Clegane killed Rhaegar's son Prince Aegon, then raped and killed Elia Rhaegar’s wife before killing Reagan's daughter as well.

When Ned arrived he found Jamie upon the Iron Throne with the Mad Kings body dead at his feet. When Robert arrived the bodies of the Targaryens were presented as proof of fealty to King Robert which he accepted.

Following this Ned set out to the tower of Joy and confronts the remaining Kingsguard who were guarding Lyanna Stark. After the conflict he finds Lysa who, before dying makes him promise her something. This isn’t immediately revealed but many theories as to the nature of the promise have been put forth, which I’ll get to later.

At the end of the rebellion Robert is King, who marries Cersei Lannister, as Lyanna is dead. Viserys Targaryen and Daenerys fled across the Narrow Sea to Braavos.