Difference between revisions of "A Game of Thrones-Chapter 30"

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| arc next = [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 33|Eddard VIII]]
 
| arc next = [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 33|Eddard VIII]]
 
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Ser [[Hugh]] is dead, and the [[Tourney of the Hand]] continues. [[Sandor Clegane|the Hound]] is given the day after saving [[Loras Tyrell]] from the wrath of his brother, [[Gregor Clegane]].  [[Eddard Stark|Ned]] and Ser [[Barristan Selmy|Barristan]] had manage to convince the king not to compete in the melee, which is won by [[Thoros of Myr]]. Later, in his Solar, Eddard has a strange visitor, who turns out the be Varys, who tells him that the king was supposed to die in the melee, and [[Jon Arryn]] was killed by poison because he was asking questions.
  
 
==Synopsis==
 
==Synopsis==
[[Eddard Stark|Ned]] and Ser [[Barristan Selmy|Barristan]] see that Ser [[Hugh]] is taken by the [[Faith of the Seven#silent sisters|silent sisters]]. When they come upon the King’s pavilion, they hear him raging at his two squires, both [[House Lannister|Lannisters]]. His armor won’t fit and he calls for Ser [[Aron Santagar]]. Ned tries to dissuade him from entering the melee, but Robert won’t listen, until Ser Barristan tells him that no man would dare to strike him during the melee. This makes Robert reconsider. We learn that [[Jon Arryn]] had recommended the marriage between Robert and [[Cersei Lannister]]. Robert tells Ned that he was sure [[Joffrey Lannister|Joffrey]] lied regarding the incident with [[Arya Stark|Arya]], saying, "How could I have made a son like that?" The King mentions that [[Renly Baratheon|Renly]] has told him about Ser [[Loras Tyrell|Loras]]sister [[Margaery Tyrell|Margaery]], as Robert is tired of Cersei.  
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[[Eddard Stark|Ned]] and Ser [[Barristan Selmy|Barristan]] see that Ser [[Hugh]] is taken by the [[Faith of the Seven#silent sisters|silent sisters]]. Barristan Selmy tell Eddard that Ser Hugh had no one else except a mother in the [[Vale of Arryn]]. He had been Lord [[Jon Arryn|Jon Arryn’s]] squire for four years and had been knighted by King [[Robert Baratheon]] after Jon Arryn’s death; the boy had wanted the knighting badly. Eddard wonders if the boy was dead because of him, killed by a bannerman of [[House Lannister]]. The armor had just been bought, forged for the tourney, and was worth a good bit. Ser Barristan tells Eddard that he does not know if the boy had finished paying the smith. Eddard states that the boy paid dearly, and orders the silent sisters to have it sent to the boy’s mother. Eddard will deal with the smith.
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Ser Barristan continues to walk with Eddard. Ser Barristan tells Eddard that [[Robert Baratheon|the king]] plans to fight in the melee. Eddard knows, Jory had told him. When Ser Barristan says that words said when one is drunk are often forgotten in the morning, but Eddard replies that Robert would remember. When they come upon the King’s pavilion, they hear him raging at his two squires, both [[House Lannister|Lannisters]]. When they enter, Robert start complaining about the quality of his squires, but Eddard tells him the boys are not at fault—he is too fat for his armor. Robert tells Eddard in mock anger that Eddard should not tell his king that he is fat, and then starts laughing. He then sends to the two squires off to get a breast plate stretcher from Ser [[Aron Santagar]]. After the squires leave in haste, Robert and Ser Barristan laugh and even Eddard gives a smile at the idea of the chuckle the armorer will have when the boys ask for the non-existent device. Eddard aks if the two squires are from [[House Lannister]], and when the king acknowledges the, Eddard thinks how his wife comes from an ambitious family, and that there are too many Lannisters around the king. After the squires leave, Eddard asks about the angry words between the king and his wife. Robert takes this opportunity to complain about [[Cersei Lannister|his wife]] having the audacity of telling him he should not participate in the melee, and how [[Lyanna Stark]] would not have tried to stop him from fighting in the melee. Eddard tells Robert he did not really know Lyanna, and that she would have told him he had not business fighting in the melee. This does not dissuade the king from entering the melee, telling Eddard he is a sour man, his juices frozen inside him, and unlike Eddard, he still has juices running in his veins. Then Ser Barristan speaks up and tells the king that no man would dare to strike him during the melee. Eddard sees the wisdom in Ser Barristan approach, and tells the king the Ser Barristan is right. The king is furious and orders Ser Barristan out, but orders Eddard to stay and to drink.
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Robert than states how he was never so alive when he was winning this throne or so dead after it was won. He tells Eddard he should have had the throne, but Eddard tells him that he had a better claim. Then Robert tells how [[Jon Arryn]] had recommended the marriage between him and [[Cersei Lannister]]. Robert did not want to marry after Lyanna died, and that Cersei is beautiful to look at, but cold, and think that Jon was a fool for recommending the marriage. Robert tells Ned that he is truly sorry about the death of the wolf, and is sure [[Joffrey Lannister|Joffrey]] lied regarding the incident with [[Arya Stark|Arya]]. He continues that he has dreamed of giving up the crown, but the thought of Joffrey on the throne with Cersei behind stops him: he asks "How could I have made a son like that?" Eddard responds that he is only a boy (Eddard thinks how he does not like Joffrey), and continues with telling the king that he was wild when he was a child. Robert then states that [[Jon Arryn]] often was frustrated with him as a boy, but he turned into a good king. Eddard does not respond, and Robert notes the lack of response, and tells Eddard he could at least tell him that he is better than [[Aerys II Targaryen|Aerys II]]. Robert continues that with him there, things will be different and damn the Lannisters.
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Robert then changes the subject, asking who the champion will be today. He then tells how the [[Loras Tyrell|Knight of Flowers]] would be a son to be proud of and how he dumped the [[Jaime Lannister|Kingslayer]] on his ass in a tourney, which upset Cersei, and Robert states he laughed till he sides hurt. Then he mentions that [[Renly Baratheon|Renly]] has told him about Knight of Flowers’ lovely, fourteen year old sister [[Margaery Tyrell|Margaery]].
 +
 
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Afterwards they eat breakfast. During breakfast Robert talks about when they were boys, laughing. The stories brings a smile to Eddard, who then thinks that this is the boy he grew up with, and if he can prove that that the Lannisters were behind Bran’s fall and Jon Arryn’s death, this man would listen. This would bring the downfall of Cerei and Jaime, and Lord [[Tywin Lannister]] would not have the power to confront them. That breakfast tasted better to Eddard than any, and he felt better than he did in a long time.
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Eddard arrives at the tourney and sits by his [[Sansa Stark|daughter]]. Cersei has not appeared which gives Eddard more hope. In the first joust [[Petyr Baelish|Littlefinger]] bets with Lord [[Renly Baratheo|Renly] against [[Sandor Clegane|the Hound]] stating that a dog will not bit the hand that feeds it; the Hound defeats Ser [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime]] on the second pass after almost being unseated in the first pass. Sansa tells Eddard that she knew the Hound would win, and Littlefinger, who had overheard, asks her to tell him who will win the second pass. The Kingslayer cannot remove his helmet, and Eddard can hear Robert laughing. By the time they had lead the Kingslayer, blind and stumbling, off the field, Ser [[Gregor Clegane]] is in position; he is the biggest man Eddard has ever seen, even dwarfing [[Hodor]]. Gregor is a man of ominous reputation; supposedly he dashed the skull of the infant [[Aegon Targaryen ]], boasted that he raped the mother [[Elia Martell]]afterwards, before putting her to the sword, and there are queer circumstances around the deaths of his wives, his sister, his father, and the burning of his brother’s face. His opponent is the slim and elegantly armored Ser Loras; even his cape is woven of flowers. After seeing Ser Loras and his opponent, Sansa asks her father to ensure that Ser Loras is not hurt. Eddard tells her that the lances are designed to break so as not to injure the riders, but thinks back to the death of Ser [[Hugh]]. Gregor is having extreme trouble controlling his mount, while Loras is demonstrating his skill at horsemanship. Gregor mount breaks into a hard gallop immediately when it is on the line, while Ser Loras’s mare charges smoothly. They meet while Gregor is still struggling with his mount, shield, and lance, and Ser Lora’s lance strikes Gregor perfectly, sending him down with his mount. The crowd is in an uproar, and when Ser Loras raises his visor for the crowd, it cheers. Gregor gets up in a rage, demands his sword, and almost severs the neck of his horse with a single blow. He then strides to Ser Loras as Eddard screams for Gregor to be stopped which cannot be heard over the roar of the crowd. Gregor grabs the reins Ser Loras’ mare, and sends Ser Loras to the ground with his first blow. He is about to deliver the killing blow when the Hound intercedes. Gregor sends multiple sword blows to the Hound’s head, and the Hound stops each one, but does not send a counterstroke. The Hound drops to his knee when he hears the King’s voice over the crowd. The blow from Gregor passes through air, and finally Gregor comes to his senses, drops his sword, glares at King Robert, and storms off. Ser Loras walks back onto the field and tells the Hound that he owes him his life, and the day is his, so there is no final joust. The crowd cheers the Hound for the first time in his life.
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As Sansa and Eddard head towards the archery field, Littlefinger, Renly and others fall in with them. Littlefinger states that Ser Loras had to know the mare was in heat. A boy named [[Anguy]] wins the archery event, and Eddard sends his man [[Alyn]] to see him out and offer him a position in the his guard, but he refuses. [[Thoros of Myr]], who fights with a flaming sword, wins the melee that starts with nearly 40 men and lasting three hours. Eddard was pleased that Robert did not take part.
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That night at the feast Eddard was more hopeful than he had been in a long while. Robert was in a good humor, the Lannisters were nowhere in sight, and even his daughters were behaving. Sansa speaks to [[Arya Stark|Arya]] pleasantly, telling her that the tourney was wonder and she should have been there. Then she asks Arya how her dancing had gone, and Arya happily tells her she is sore all over, and shows her a nasty bruise on her leg. Sansa states that she must be a terrible dancer. Later, while Sansa is busy, Eddard exams the Arya’s bruise himself while she is standing on one leg—she was getting better at that. He asks if [[Syrio Forel]] is being too hard on her, and she replies that Syrio says heavy hurt is a lesson and every lesson makes you better. Eddard is concerned even though Syrio had come with an excellent reputation, and the [[Braavos|Braavosi]] style suited Arya’s slim blade. Once he had found her with a black cloth over her eyes (Syrio was teaching he to see with her ears, nose and skin), and he had been having her do spins and backflips. Eddard offers to have [[Jory Cassel]] take over her lessons, or maybe find someone else, but Arya emphatically tells Eddard she does not want them, she wants Syrio. Eddard knows that any decent master at arms could give Arya the basics of sword fighting without the blindfolds, cartwheels and hopping around on one leg, but he knew there was no arguing with her. He tells her very well, and to try to be careful.
  
At the tourney later, [[Sandor Clegane|Sandor]] defeats Ser [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime]], and then Ser [[Gregor Clegane|Gregor]] faces Ser Loras. Loras’s mare is in heat, and Ser Gregor cannot control his horse, allowing Ser Loras to unseat him. Gregor gets up in a rage, slays his horse, and then comes at Ser Loras. The Hound prevents his brother from killing Ser Loras, and Gregor begins to slash at his brother. Ned notes that while Gregor swings at the Hound's head, Sandor never actually attacks his brother, only defends himself. The Kingsguard finally stop the fight. Ser Loras defers the championship to the Hound, who takes the winner’s purse. A boy named [[Anguy]] wins the archery event, and [[Thoros of Myr]] wins the melee.  
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Eddard returns to his solar, thinking of what he has learned. He takes out the dagger and wonders why [[Tyrion Lannister]] would want Bran [[Stark|Bran]] dead, why anyone would want Bran dead. He is sure that Bran’s fall was linked the death of [[Jon Arryn]], but the truth was beyond him. Jory was still searching the whore houses. His is sure the [[Gendry]] had to be Robert’s bastards. There is also [[Edric Storm]], a bastard Robert fathered on [[Stannis Baratheon|Stannis]]’ wedding night and was forced to recognize because [[Delena Florent|his mother]] was highborn. He remembers Robert’s first child when Robert was still a boy. All of Robert’s bustards could not threaten Robert’s true born since the bastards of nobles had few rights.  
  
Ned returns to his solar, thinking of what he has learned. He thinks of Robert’s bastards and how they might relate to Jon Arryn’s death and the attempt on [[Bran Stark|Bran]]’s life. He remembers [[Edric Storm]], a bastard Robert fathered on [[Stannis Baratheon|Stannis]]’ wedding night and was forced to recognize because [[Delena Florent|his mother]] was highborn. A knock at his door brings a stranger, who turns out to be [[Varys]] in disguise. The Spider reveals that the Lannisters had hoped to kill Robert during the melee, telling Ned that Cersei’s forbidding Robert from entering the melee was the surest way to get him to swear he would enter! Varys tells Ned that he now trusts him as loyal to the realm, and explains why the Queen fears Ned--because the King will not harm him, not even at Cersei’s command. He reveals that the Kingsguard are a paper shield, that Ser [[Boros Blount|Boros]] and Ser [[Meryn Trant|Meryn]] are the Queen’s men for sure, the others he is not sure on, and Ser Barristan is too old. When Ned asks Varys how Jon Arryn died, the Spider tells him that the [[Tears of Lys]], a deadly poison, was used. Varys claims it was given to him by his squire, Ser [[Hugh]], who now lies dead. When Eddard asks Varys what Lord Arryn had been doing to bring upon his murder, Varys replies, "Asking questions."
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A knock at his door brings a stranger, who turns out to be [[Varys]] in disguise. Eddard is amazed since he has never seen Varys out of silks and velvets, smelling of perfume and here he is in a heavy, coars- spun robe and mud cracked boots, smelling of sweat. Eddard exclaims he would never had recognized him, which Varys says is good since the queen watches him closely, and it would not be good if she knew they had spoken. Eddard asks how he got by the guards outside and Varys says he knows of secret ways. Varys tells him there are things he should know since he is the [[Hand of the King]] and the King is a fool and doomed unless he saves him. The Spider reveals that the Lannisters had hoped to kill Robert during the melee, telling Ned that Cersei’s forbidding Robert from entering the melee was the surest way to get him to swear he would enter! Eddard is furious at not being told, but Varys asks him what would have happened, and Eddard realizes that Robert would have fought anyway to show he did not fear them. Varys tells Eddard there are two sorts of people in the [[Red Keep]]: those loyal to the realm and those loyal to themselves. Now he trusts him as loyal to the realm, and explains that the Queen fears Eddard because the King will not harm him, not even at her command. Varys, however, would be executed in a twinkling at queen’s request since the king has little love for sneaks, spies, and eunuchs. Eddard states that Robert has to have other friends and his brothers. Varys replies that his brothers do hate the Lannisters, but do not love the King, Littlefinger loves Littlefinger, Ser Barristan loves his honor, and Grand [[Maester]] [[Pycelle]] loves his office. He adds that the Kingsguard are a paper shield: Ser [[Boros Blount|Boros]] and Ser [[Meryn Trant|Meryn]] are the Queen’s men, Ser Barristan is old, and Varys is suspicious of the others. Eddard tells him that Robert must be told, but Varys replies there is no proof. Eddard states that they will only make another attempt, and Varys agrees, stating that together they might be able to stop them. As he rises to leave he tells Eddard to be sure in council to treat him with his accustomed contempt. As he is at the door, Eddard asks Varys how Jon Arryn died, the Spider tells him that the [[Tears of Lys]], a rare, costly, deadly poison, was used; Varys adds that he had recommended that Lord Arryn use a tester, but that was beneath him. When Eddard asks who gave him the poison, Varys claims it was probably given to him by his squire, Ser [[Hugh]], who now lies dead. After [[Lysa Tully|Lysa]] left for the [[Eryie]], he remained, and had the money to buy new armor. Eddard asks Varys what Lord Arryn, who had been Hand for 14 years, had recently been doing that he had to be killed. Varys replies, "Asking questions."
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==

Revision as of 23:21, 12 December 2012

Eddard VII
A Game of Thrones chapter
AGameOfThrones.jpg
POV Eddard
Page 256 (US bantam HC) US HC (Other versions)
Chapter chronology (All)
Eddard VI
Sansa II  ← Eddard VII →  Tyrion IV

Eddard VIII

Ser Hugh is dead, and the Tourney of the Hand continues. the Hound is given the day after saving Loras Tyrell from the wrath of his brother, Gregor Clegane. Ned and Ser Barristan had manage to convince the king not to compete in the melee, which is won by Thoros of Myr. Later, in his Solar, Eddard has a strange visitor, who turns out the be Varys, who tells him that the king was supposed to die in the melee, and Jon Arryn was killed by poison because he was asking questions.

Synopsis

Ned and Ser Barristan see that Ser Hugh is taken by the silent sisters. Barristan Selmy tell Eddard that Ser Hugh had no one else except a mother in the Vale of Arryn. He had been Lord Jon Arryn’s squire for four years and had been knighted by King Robert Baratheon after Jon Arryn’s death; the boy had wanted the knighting badly. Eddard wonders if the boy was dead because of him, killed by a bannerman of House Lannister. The armor had just been bought, forged for the tourney, and was worth a good bit. Ser Barristan tells Eddard that he does not know if the boy had finished paying the smith. Eddard states that the boy paid dearly, and orders the silent sisters to have it sent to the boy’s mother. Eddard will deal with the smith.

Ser Barristan continues to walk with Eddard. Ser Barristan tells Eddard that the king plans to fight in the melee. Eddard knows, Jory had told him. When Ser Barristan says that words said when one is drunk are often forgotten in the morning, but Eddard replies that Robert would remember. When they come upon the King’s pavilion, they hear him raging at his two squires, both Lannisters. When they enter, Robert start complaining about the quality of his squires, but Eddard tells him the boys are not at fault—he is too fat for his armor. Robert tells Eddard in mock anger that Eddard should not tell his king that he is fat, and then starts laughing. He then sends to the two squires off to get a breast plate stretcher from Ser Aron Santagar. After the squires leave in haste, Robert and Ser Barristan laugh and even Eddard gives a smile at the idea of the chuckle the armorer will have when the boys ask for the non-existent device. Eddard aks if the two squires are from House Lannister, and when the king acknowledges the, Eddard thinks how his wife comes from an ambitious family, and that there are too many Lannisters around the king. After the squires leave, Eddard asks about the angry words between the king and his wife. Robert takes this opportunity to complain about his wife having the audacity of telling him he should not participate in the melee, and how Lyanna Stark would not have tried to stop him from fighting in the melee. Eddard tells Robert he did not really know Lyanna, and that she would have told him he had not business fighting in the melee. This does not dissuade the king from entering the melee, telling Eddard he is a sour man, his juices frozen inside him, and unlike Eddard, he still has juices running in his veins. Then Ser Barristan speaks up and tells the king that no man would dare to strike him during the melee. Eddard sees the wisdom in Ser Barristan approach, and tells the king the Ser Barristan is right. The king is furious and orders Ser Barristan out, but orders Eddard to stay and to drink.

Robert than states how he was never so alive when he was winning this throne or so dead after it was won. He tells Eddard he should have had the throne, but Eddard tells him that he had a better claim. Then Robert tells how Jon Arryn had recommended the marriage between him and Cersei Lannister. Robert did not want to marry after Lyanna died, and that Cersei is beautiful to look at, but cold, and think that Jon was a fool for recommending the marriage. Robert tells Ned that he is truly sorry about the death of the wolf, and is sure Joffrey lied regarding the incident with Arya. He continues that he has dreamed of giving up the crown, but the thought of Joffrey on the throne with Cersei behind stops him: he asks "How could I have made a son like that?" Eddard responds that he is only a boy (Eddard thinks how he does not like Joffrey), and continues with telling the king that he was wild when he was a child. Robert then states that Jon Arryn often was frustrated with him as a boy, but he turned into a good king. Eddard does not respond, and Robert notes the lack of response, and tells Eddard he could at least tell him that he is better than Aerys II. Robert continues that with him there, things will be different and damn the Lannisters.

Robert then changes the subject, asking who the champion will be today. He then tells how the Knight of Flowers would be a son to be proud of and how he dumped the Kingslayer on his ass in a tourney, which upset Cersei, and Robert states he laughed till he sides hurt. Then he mentions that Renly has told him about Knight of Flowers’ lovely, fourteen year old sister Margaery.

Afterwards they eat breakfast. During breakfast Robert talks about when they were boys, laughing. The stories brings a smile to Eddard, who then thinks that this is the boy he grew up with, and if he can prove that that the Lannisters were behind Bran’s fall and Jon Arryn’s death, this man would listen. This would bring the downfall of Cerei and Jaime, and Lord Tywin Lannister would not have the power to confront them. That breakfast tasted better to Eddard than any, and he felt better than he did in a long time.

Eddard arrives at the tourney and sits by his daughter. Cersei has not appeared which gives Eddard more hope. In the first joust Littlefinger bets with Lord [[Renly Baratheo|Renly] against the Hound stating that a dog will not bit the hand that feeds it; the Hound defeats Ser Jaime on the second pass after almost being unseated in the first pass. Sansa tells Eddard that she knew the Hound would win, and Littlefinger, who had overheard, asks her to tell him who will win the second pass. The Kingslayer cannot remove his helmet, and Eddard can hear Robert laughing. By the time they had lead the Kingslayer, blind and stumbling, off the field, Ser Gregor Clegane is in position; he is the biggest man Eddard has ever seen, even dwarfing Hodor. Gregor is a man of ominous reputation; supposedly he dashed the skull of the infant Aegon Targaryen , boasted that he raped the mother Elia Martellafterwards, before putting her to the sword, and there are queer circumstances around the deaths of his wives, his sister, his father, and the burning of his brother’s face. His opponent is the slim and elegantly armored Ser Loras; even his cape is woven of flowers. After seeing Ser Loras and his opponent, Sansa asks her father to ensure that Ser Loras is not hurt. Eddard tells her that the lances are designed to break so as not to injure the riders, but thinks back to the death of Ser Hugh. Gregor is having extreme trouble controlling his mount, while Loras is demonstrating his skill at horsemanship. Gregor mount breaks into a hard gallop immediately when it is on the line, while Ser Loras’s mare charges smoothly. They meet while Gregor is still struggling with his mount, shield, and lance, and Ser Lora’s lance strikes Gregor perfectly, sending him down with his mount. The crowd is in an uproar, and when Ser Loras raises his visor for the crowd, it cheers. Gregor gets up in a rage, demands his sword, and almost severs the neck of his horse with a single blow. He then strides to Ser Loras as Eddard screams for Gregor to be stopped which cannot be heard over the roar of the crowd. Gregor grabs the reins Ser Loras’ mare, and sends Ser Loras to the ground with his first blow. He is about to deliver the killing blow when the Hound intercedes. Gregor sends multiple sword blows to the Hound’s head, and the Hound stops each one, but does not send a counterstroke. The Hound drops to his knee when he hears the King’s voice over the crowd. The blow from Gregor passes through air, and finally Gregor comes to his senses, drops his sword, glares at King Robert, and storms off. Ser Loras walks back onto the field and tells the Hound that he owes him his life, and the day is his, so there is no final joust. The crowd cheers the Hound for the first time in his life.

As Sansa and Eddard head towards the archery field, Littlefinger, Renly and others fall in with them. Littlefinger states that Ser Loras had to know the mare was in heat. A boy named Anguy wins the archery event, and Eddard sends his man Alyn to see him out and offer him a position in the his guard, but he refuses. Thoros of Myr, who fights with a flaming sword, wins the melee that starts with nearly 40 men and lasting three hours. Eddard was pleased that Robert did not take part.

That night at the feast Eddard was more hopeful than he had been in a long while. Robert was in a good humor, the Lannisters were nowhere in sight, and even his daughters were behaving. Sansa speaks to Arya pleasantly, telling her that the tourney was wonder and she should have been there. Then she asks Arya how her dancing had gone, and Arya happily tells her she is sore all over, and shows her a nasty bruise on her leg. Sansa states that she must be a terrible dancer. Later, while Sansa is busy, Eddard exams the Arya’s bruise himself while she is standing on one leg—she was getting better at that. He asks if Syrio Forel is being too hard on her, and she replies that Syrio says heavy hurt is a lesson and every lesson makes you better. Eddard is concerned even though Syrio had come with an excellent reputation, and the Braavosi style suited Arya’s slim blade. Once he had found her with a black cloth over her eyes (Syrio was teaching he to see with her ears, nose and skin), and he had been having her do spins and backflips. Eddard offers to have Jory Cassel take over her lessons, or maybe find someone else, but Arya emphatically tells Eddard she does not want them, she wants Syrio. Eddard knows that any decent master at arms could give Arya the basics of sword fighting without the blindfolds, cartwheels and hopping around on one leg, but he knew there was no arguing with her. He tells her very well, and to try to be careful.

Eddard returns to his solar, thinking of what he has learned. He takes out the dagger and wonders why Tyrion Lannister would want Bran Bran dead, why anyone would want Bran dead. He is sure that Bran’s fall was linked the death of Jon Arryn, but the truth was beyond him. Jory was still searching the whore houses. His is sure the Gendry had to be Robert’s bastards. There is also Edric Storm, a bastard Robert fathered on Stannis’ wedding night and was forced to recognize because his mother was highborn. He remembers Robert’s first child when Robert was still a boy. All of Robert’s bustards could not threaten Robert’s true born since the bastards of nobles had few rights.

A knock at his door brings a stranger, who turns out to be Varys in disguise. Eddard is amazed since he has never seen Varys out of silks and velvets, smelling of perfume and here he is in a heavy, coars- spun robe and mud cracked boots, smelling of sweat. Eddard exclaims he would never had recognized him, which Varys says is good since the queen watches him closely, and it would not be good if she knew they had spoken. Eddard asks how he got by the guards outside and Varys says he knows of secret ways. Varys tells him there are things he should know since he is the Hand of the King and the King is a fool and doomed unless he saves him. The Spider reveals that the Lannisters had hoped to kill Robert during the melee, telling Ned that Cersei’s forbidding Robert from entering the melee was the surest way to get him to swear he would enter! Eddard is furious at not being told, but Varys asks him what would have happened, and Eddard realizes that Robert would have fought anyway to show he did not fear them. Varys tells Eddard there are two sorts of people in the Red Keep: those loyal to the realm and those loyal to themselves. Now he trusts him as loyal to the realm, and explains that the Queen fears Eddard because the King will not harm him, not even at her command. Varys, however, would be executed in a twinkling at queen’s request since the king has little love for sneaks, spies, and eunuchs. Eddard states that Robert has to have other friends and his brothers. Varys replies that his brothers do hate the Lannisters, but do not love the King, Littlefinger loves Littlefinger, Ser Barristan loves his honor, and Grand Maester Pycelle loves his office. He adds that the Kingsguard are a paper shield: Ser Boros and Ser Meryn are the Queen’s men, Ser Barristan is old, and Varys is suspicious of the others. Eddard tells him that Robert must be told, but Varys replies there is no proof. Eddard states that they will only make another attempt, and Varys agrees, stating that together they might be able to stop them. As he rises to leave he tells Eddard to be sure in council to treat him with his accustomed contempt. As he is at the door, Eddard asks Varys how Jon Arryn died, the Spider tells him that the Tears of Lys, a rare, costly, deadly poison, was used; Varys adds that he had recommended that Lord Arryn use a tester, but that was beneath him. When Eddard asks who gave him the poison, Varys claims it was probably given to him by his squire, Ser Hugh, who now lies dead. After Lysa left for the Eryie, he remained, and had the money to buy new armor. Eddard asks Varys what Lord Arryn, who had been Hand for 14 years, had recently been doing that he had to be killed. Varys replies, "Asking questions."

External links

References and Notes

  • The synopsis was copied from AOL member vbkorik27 previously at [1].